Combines Michael Porters Generic Competitive Strategies Marketing Essay

Combines Michael Porters Generic Competitive Strategies Marketing Essay IKEA achieves competitive advantage under the cost leadership strategy by producing at the lowest possible cost. Wherever possible, under this strategy IKEA will reduce costs at every stage of the value chain and either charge lower prices or charge competitive prices resulting in relatively high profit margins. IKEA cuts costs constantly and is always asking its makers to seek the least costly suppliers. IKEA also, seeks to offer prices much cheaper and target very wider audience. Therefore, to be able to achieve required margins. Differentiation Strategy: In the differentiation strategy, IKEA look for competitive advantage by offering products that are perceived to be different and better than competitors products by customers due to its unique characteristics, e.g. quality of the products. Focus Strategy: The focus strategy has two variants i.e. Cost Focus and Differentiation Focus. This is where IKEA focuses on a narrow segment of the market. This is where IKEA focuses on a narrow segment of the market and applies a Differentiation strategy. IKEAs Hybrid Strategy: IKEA uses a combination of these strategies in achieving its vision which is Its business idea The part of the cost leadership strategy that IKEA adopts is that part aimed at producing at the lowest possible cost, so they can charge as low a price as possible to maintain their competitive advantage. For the differentiation strategy, IKEA focuses on quality designs. However, the IKEA does not do this, so they could charge a premium price. They do it to promote their brand. The differentiation focus strategy is also used in some segments of the market. For example, they produce customized plastic mats to commemorate the year of the rooster in China. Functional level strategy defines different functions within the business unit, such as sales, accounting or production, which contribute towards the success of the business level strategy. This contribution will differ from function to function, but the overall aim will be to support the overall strategy. If the strategy is to be a cost leader, then production will be integral in achieving cost advantages. Therefore, Functional strategy refers to the strategy of individual departments linked to achievement of business goals. For example, a Marketing department of a firm may have promotional or pricing strategy, while a finance department will have a credit control policy. Similarly, IKEA has functional strategies aimed at achieving its vision and business ideas. For example, under the Marketing function, IKEA increased its distribution channels by opening 19 new retail outlets in 2006. This is to support its business growth strategy. In the US, by the end of 2010 the number of IKEA outlets is expected to be 50, in comparison to 25 in 2006. To support its hybrid strategy, IKEA is determined to ensure that This policy applies to the research and development and well as the purchasing functions of the company. The customer perception of IKEA is that the company offers quality products at affordable prices. Going shopping at IKEAs is treated more like an event to be looked forward to by the customers, rather than a task which needs to be completed. The following quotes demonstrate how IKEA is seen by many people: If it wasnt for IKEA, most people would have no access to affordable contemporary design. IKEA makes me free to become what I want to be. Half my house is from IKEA and the nearest store is six hours away. Every time, its trendy for less money. IKEA is addressing the needs of most customers. Customers buying behaviour usually demonstrate price sensitivity, with the average shopper constantly looking for bargains or discounts. On the other hand, these same customers would look for a higher quality product over what they perceive a lower quality product where both cost the same almost always. IKEA is perceived as providing to the needs of the modern and cool as well as those with aspirations for the finer things in life. There appears to be a strong bond as parents are generally comfortable leaving their children in the shops playroom while they go about shopping, which create a trust. As it mentioned above, the IKEA strategy is a hybrid strategy, which incorporates elements of cost leadership, differentiation and differentiation focus strategies. IKEA brand is very strong, most competitors do not possess the strengths that IKEA does and, which are important in achieving a hybrid strategy. Consequently, IKEA is able to attract good quality of customers and even better is able to duplicate its quality and price ranges globally. It also has economies of scale and a strong research and development team constantly looking at innovative ways to meet its business objectives. Therefore, for the strategy to be imitated, the distinctive competencies of competitors must be strong, they must have the resource to deal with any potential price wars, and they must also have the capabilities to react to changing external environment. The main threats of IKEA come from its external environment. IKEAs threats can be measured with PESTEL, Porters Five Forces and SWOT analysis. Political, relates to the influence of government legislation and regulations on a business. Economic, how economic factors like interest rates, inflation and exchange rates affect businesses Social, refers to social trends and includes things like change in consumer taste and fashion and demographical changes Technological, level of automation and the rate of technological advancement and the impact on businesses Environmental, relates to how businesses are impacted by environmental factors such as global climate change Legal, health and safety laws Porters five forces, is a tool used to analyse how competitive pressure impact on businesses, i.e. the extent of competitive rivalry, barriers to entry, buyer power, supplier power and the availability of substitutes. SWOT, summarises the key issues from the business environment and the strategy capability of an organisation that most likely to impact on the strategy development. In IKEAs case, the main potential threats come from three of these factors, i.e. Economic, Social and Competition. In terms of economic factors, the global recession has significantly reduced business growth as customers have less disposable income and are consequently spending less. With limited income, consumers prefer to spend only on necessities mainly, and saving. Many governments affected by the recession have been putting stimulus packages in place partly to encourage consumer spending. As far as the social threat is concerned, due to a collapse of the housing and mortgage market which started the downward spiral into global recession, the amount of first time buyers, who are mainly IKEA customers, has considerably reduced. From a competitive point of view, there is the threat the extent of competitive rivalry will put at risk IKEAs strategy. For instance, it has to compete with major competitors Target Corporation and Kmart in US, Fly in France and Nitori Co. in Japan. Furthermore, increasingly buyer power will increase as competition increases demanding review of price or even design. This could potentially hurt the IKEA brand. IKEA must constantly analyse its internal and external environment to determine what the business is at for any given point in time and to identify what needs to be done going forward. For the internal analysis, IKEA must analyse its resources and capabilities with a view of making improvements as appropriate. They must always seek to ensure that their resources and capabilities are superior to those of their competitors to reduce the threat of imitation, which would eliminate their competitive advantage. In terms of the resources, they could look at the following with a view of identifying strengths and weaknesses: Finance what is the state of the business in terms of profit and loss, cash flow and the balance sheet position? Marketing they must continue to revaluate their marketing strategy. for example: Are the products priced adequately? Is the roll out of new stores meeting growth targets? Promotion how successful have the gift initiatives activities been? Product how environmentally friendly and are they to meet with any challenges? Operations IKEA could review the strengths and weaknesses of their machines, method of operations and materials used to produce furniture. Management as the founder is an old man now, this is a significant area that needs looking at. Is the management in place currently skilled enough to achieve objectives? Staff assess their motivation, their training needs and contribution to the success of the company, for example. An external audit should then be performed by analysing PESTEL SWOT is to determine the opportunities and threats facing IKEA from the external environment. Subsequently, IKEA should then be in a position to determine how it can use its key strengths, minimize weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities and triumph over threats to achieve a competitive advantage through its hybrid strategy. The greatest challenges facing IKEA can be outlined below: Entry into new markets and segments in US and Japan Environmental challenges Culture and Values As we know, IKEA over the last few years expanding in Japan and US markets. These are two countries where it has recorded failure in the past. For instance, in the US, according to them they did not listen to the needs of the customers and employed a hybrid strategy. With time, they realized that the Americans needed larger sized products which they subsequently corrected. In Japan, they miscalculated thinking the Japanese were interested in low price products when their interest was in quality. It would be interesting to see how they fare in the next 10 years for these reasons, especially with the high level of competition from Target Corp. and Nitori Co. IKEA is committed to meet environmental challenges. Another big challenge is internal in nature. The owner and founder Ingvar Kamprad instilled a lot of the values that is currently being pursued today. A lot of the top brass are committed to his philosophies. With the passage of time however, the culture of IKEA which has delivered such great success will decrease. In the next 10 years, it is important that whoever is driving the business operates in line with its core values, as the brand is one of its discriminating strengths. This brand was built on the back of the core values and business idea. Any threat to that may mean a threat to the entire business as a whole.

absolute justice Essay -- essays research papers

Does absolute justice exist or not? This essay will present arguments for the existence of absolute justice. Many people disagree that absolute justice exists. Thus they argue that justice cannot be derived from nature since contradictory and different forms of justice exist in nature; and one cannot derive the greater and perfect from the lesser and imperfect, also they argue that the idea of absolute justice is the ideas of different cultures and times. That is why the idea of justice varies greatly from one culture to the next. The argument used to disprove the above statements will stem from the relationship of order to justice. The next paragraphs will present the arguments above. Culture and philosophy have always gone hand in hand. A person who lived in the Middle Ages thought it to be perfectly just to cut off the hand of a thief. In â€Å"modern times† we consider ourselves more â€Å"civilized†, and put people in jail or fine them for stealing. As time and culture changed, so does philosophy. Thus any person of sense will see that justice cannot be absolute since it changed with the times. Each culture has developed a different idea of perfect justices to meet their own individual needs. Since more then one form of absolute or perfect justice cannot exist, thus absolute justice does not exist. Rather for each individual society justice is like beauty that it is in the eye of the beholder. Here presented the other case against absolute justice. Their arguments made that absol...

The Health Care Crisis :: American Health Insurance Essays

It is hard to imagine life without health insurance. If you have any type of medical problem that requires attention, and you have appropriate health care insurance, you can be cared for in the finest of private hospitals. You can get great treatment and your ailments, depending on the severity, can be treated as soon as possible. Doctors, physicians and surgeons are willing to put out a big effort if they know that they are dealing with patients who are insured and have the money to go under extensive medical treatment. But imagine life without such luxuries. For example, what happens if a relative requires much needed surgery, but does not have health insurance to cover the procedure? What happens if a lack of medical insurance prevents you or your family from seeing a doctor, which could result in health problems that had not been identified but could have been treated before they became life threatening? These scenarios may seem far-fetched, but these types of s ituations happen to people who lack health coverage everyday. There is a true story about a patient who was insured and diagnosed with treatable cervical cancer. Unfortunately, she lost her job and with it her insurance. She was then unable to see her private doctor, and was turned away from other hospitals because ?cancer treatment is not considered an emergency in a patient who can?t pay? (?Help for D.C.?s Uninsured?). The woman later died at her home without ever being treated. This example raises the question, since when are people with less money less deserving of health care or appropriate treatment? The District of Columbia fares terribly when it comes to health care. Avram Goldstein is a journalist from the Washington Post who has written numerous articles on the health care situation in D.C. Goldstein has worked for the Post for nine years but has been covering health care for numerous years as an investigative reporter and as an editor in many newspapers. As an expert on the issue of health care, he states in one of his articles, ?If you live in the District without health insurance or a regular doctor and you get sick, city officials and health administrations have an important message for you.

Wrestling - The Greatest Sport :: essays research papers

Wrestling - The Greatest Sport My heart beats faster as I approach my opponent. My enemy stands as a colossus although I know in my mind he is my only equal. The crowd grows louder as we step on our lines, and the only thought echoing through my mind is "shoot for the leg!". These are the happenings before every match, and yet I still return. Wrestling, in my mind is one of the greatest sports. The idea of a battle between two equal men, both striving for the same goal is something I live for. Different people wrestle for different reasons, but what I wrestle for is the exhilaration, and the principals behind the sport of which I take so seriously. Wrestling, fortunately; is not just two sweaty men rolling on the mat. It is rather, a fight. A fight in which each combatant must push their-self to the final limits of total exertion. This great fight, although very tiring, gives you the greatest feeling after you defeat your opponent. For this feeling, and this feeling only is why I wrestle. This hard to explain feeling is like a rush of adrenaline that makes you want to kick the crap out of Mike Tyson. It is one of the greatest natural rushes one could possibly imagine, short of sticking a needle in ones own arm. The ideas behind wrestling are more then the thick headed thoughts of- "Throw em to the ground and put all your weight on em!"- but rather, use each move with precision, not force. When a move is executed, there are at least ten counter moves for it. Therefore; one must wrestle with his mind - backing each attack with the plan for another one. This form of two or even three-way thinking, is crucial to the success of a struggling player. To be a good wrestler, one must also be able to change from offense to defense in a matter of milliseconds. Countless times before, I have seen players who would stay offensive all the way until they were pinned. A simple arm motion could change the fate of the match, and one must be prepared for that

Advance Strategic Planning

Advanced Strategic Planning was written by Aubrey Malphurs and was first published in 1999 with the over-all purpose of providing the church and its leadership a good strategic planning process that will help it them move from a stage of stagnant growth to a period of change and revitalization.   The book offers a nine-step strategic thinking and acting models and diagrams that help illustrate concepts.   The updated edition of the book has put emphasis on disciple making.Malphurs, who has authored many books on church leadership and strategy, is a professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary. He specializes in teaching pastors how to think strategically and move their congregation to growth and accomplishment of goals.He is also the president of the Malphurs Group, a consulting organization which provides training and consultation services for churches that sees the need for help in the area of church growth.Malphurs started the book by stating that almost all institutions today, such as churches, go through a sigmoid or S-curve pattern of growth or life cycle, in which a church begins and experiences rapid growth in all areas, achieves a point a comfort zone of routines and programs, and later on declines and eventually dies.Malphurs, in his book, perceives the S-curve life cycle pattern as a problem besetting most churches by stating that:â€Å"The message or lesson of the sigmoid curve is that all good things (and even some bad things) end†¦ Even brand-new institutions and organizations such as a church will, in time, plateau and then die. No matter what institution it is, organizational â€Å"dry rot† sets in.   The institution becomes brittle, ceases to function, and expires† (Malphurs 2005, 11).Given the abovementioned problem Malphurs argues that as soon as the church feels that it now reached the point of staggering growth and plateau, it should in a way re-invent itself through careful planning and adoption of new set of core values (whenever necessary) in order to propel it back to a period of significant growth.This will mean reviewing and restructuring the various aspects of church life such as its core values, personnel, congregation, prevailing culture, finances, community where it is interacting, among others, through a strategic planning process.A handful of suggestions on how to carry out the conduct of this strategic planning was provided lengthily and was discussed in an almost detailed manner by Malphurs.StrengthsDrawing from a wealth of experience as a pastor, professor and consultant, Malphurs have provided significant and doable ways of carrying out the strategic revitalization process.   Perhaps using his personal experience of leading a church, he was able to address a lot of pitfalls and traps that a pastor and church leader should avoid in strategic planning.His experience and love for the ministry and church transcends all throughout the book, making a pastor or a leader, whose church is going through a period of plateau in terms of growth, reading the book feel that the book was written specifically for him and his flock.   Malphurs has a heart for the local church.   The strategic planning is simply his response to the problem that he perceives. [1]It was also made clear in the book that the pastor or church leaders can’t do the process and implement changes alone, every member of the congregation must be informed properly for them to be involved in all facets of the process.   The need to effectively communicate the vision was emphasized and strongly recommended. Malphurs writes:If you conduct secret meetings and fail to communicate in general what happens in those meetings, you will not be able to lead the congregation because they will no trust you (63).An unwavering support on the ongoing strategic planning process will only come from a church member who clearly understands the what and why’s of his/her churchâ€℠¢s call for a strategic planning.Although the book is in fact a â€Å"how-to† sort of manual, Malphurs succeeded in finding a biblical basis for the conduct of the strategic planning.   This makes the book grounded on the godly and biblical principles of leadership.An obvious strength of the book is the manner it challenged church pastors and leaders to think critically regarding its mission, vision, values, and congregational structure. Provoking questions are injected throughout the book to guide its readers in propelling the church in a certain direction that will eventually lead to the realization of their mission and vision.Malphurs is very strong in recommending the necessity of adopting a mission and vision statements in churches. To further guide his readers, Malphurs also made a clear distinction between values, missions, and functions.Armed with the understanding that churches will definitely look different in varying contexts, he stresses the value of injecting p rofessionalism and excellence in all ministry undertakings which is and should be a characteristic of any church desiring to grow.David Murrow also sees this need when he wrote, â€Å"Men appreciate excellence†¦Excellent doesn’t mean slick, canned or superficial. It simply means everything done well (Col. 3:23).†[2]Malphurs also tediously provided helpful tools and sample evaluation forms that will help a church start the strategic planning process.   He make sure that churches who will decide to embark in the strategic planning process already have the tools, which can be modified if they opt to, to keep the process going and evaluated.WeaknessesAlthough well-written, the book still has some few unhelpful aspects and needs thoughtful consideration from a critical reader.Malphurs have excellently provided a book for strategic thinking pastors but have missed out those who are implementers and dreamers in nature, reality will tell us that there are pastors who se e that their calling evolves on activities such as teaching, preaching, evangelism, visitation, etc.Strategic planning is not an exciting and needed activity for pastors and leaders who fall under these characteristics, for them church growth and dynamism depends on going out and reaching the unreached.Another important concern that Malphurs alluded is the average period of time it will take for the whole process of defining the church’s mission, discovering their values, catching the vision, and actually coming up with a plan will be done.He noted that it could take five (5) years just to get everybody on board. Unfortunately, nowadays,   a pastoral longevity in a certain church is only 3 to 4 years.   George Barna stated: â€Å"The average tenure of a pastor in Protestant churches has declined to just 4 years—even though studies consistently show that pastors experience their most productive and influential ministry in years 5 through 14 of their pastorate.† [3]The book also failed in considering the value of preaching the Word of God, reaching out the lost, and healthy fellowship among members of the congregation, in spurring growth in the church.The â€Å"Readiness for Change† inventory contains factors necessary for organizational change, but it is interesting to note that Malphurs have missed to include prayer. For any change to take place in a church, the leaders and members of the church should devote time in praying.ConclusionOverall much is to be commended in Malphurs’ book. It is a very practical book.   The strengths of the book outweigh the weaknesses.   The weaknesses stated should not detract a one from reading the book.Although there are some suggestions made by Malphurs that in one way or another is not supported biblically, such as not putting older men and women in the leadership as opposed to the scripture’s advice to have the older men and women teaching the younger ones, the book still off ers sound and helpful principles of strategically leading and managing a church.The objectives set by Malphurs in writing the book are achieved, he perceived a problem, and he has provided in great detail a solution to the problem. He has skillfully presented a sys aforementioned, his wealth of experience have made every argument he presented convincing and worth trying for.The book is a valuable reading and tool for young, soon-to-be pastors, pastors, elders, church staff members, and lay leaders, or for anyone who is in one way or another involved in church leadership.However, a word of caution, one should be very careful in accepting that the book is the cure-all answer to the problems besetting the churches today.   It is a guide, a good and helpful guide, but it doesn’t contain all the answers to church issues and problems.   Pastors and leaders of the church should still bear in mind what is stated Proverbs 16:9 says â€Å"The mind of man plans his way; But the LOR D directs his steps.†Ã‚   The Lord is still the sovereign one, if it is His Will it will definitely happen. [1]. Owen Strachan,   Reviews: Advanced Strategic Planning by Aubrey Malphurs, (9Marks Reviews , 2008) [article available online], www.alliance.net, date accessed July 21, 2009 [2]. David Murrow, How Women Help Men Find God, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008) [3].   George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church, (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998), 5. Advance Strategic Planning Advanced Strategic Planning was written by Aubrey Malphurs and was first published in 1999 with the over-all purpose of providing the church and its leadership a good strategic planning process that will help it them move from a stage of stagnant growth to a period of change and revitalization.   The book offers a nine-step strategic thinking and acting models and diagrams that help illustrate concepts.   The updated edition of the book has put emphasis on disciple making.Malphurs, who has authored many books on church leadership and strategy, is a professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary. He specializes in teaching pastors how to think strategically and move their congregation to growth and accomplishment of goals.He is also the president of the Malphurs Group, a consulting organization which provides training and consultation services for churches that sees the need for help in the area of church growth.Malphurs started the book by stating that almost all institutions today, such as churches, go through a sigmoid or S-curve pattern of growth or life cycle, in which a church begins and experiences rapid growth in all areas, achieves a point a comfort zone of routines and programs, and later on declines and eventually dies.Malphurs, in his book, perceives the S-curve life cycle pattern as a problem besetting most churches by stating that:â€Å"The message or lesson of the sigmoid curve is that all good things (and even some bad things) end†¦ Even brand-new institutions and organizations such as a church will, in time, plateau and then die. No matter what institution it is, organizational â€Å"dry rot† sets in.   The institution becomes brittle, ceases to function, and expires† (Malphurs 2005, 11).Given the abovementioned problem Malphurs argues that as soon as the church feels that it now reached the point of staggering growth and plateau, it should in a way re-invent itself through careful planning and adoption of new set of core values (whenever necessary) in order to propel it back to a period of significant growth.This will mean reviewing and restructuring the various aspects of church life such as its core values, personnel, congregation, prevailing culture, finances, community where it is interacting, among others, through a strategic planning process.A handful of suggestions on how to carry out the conduct of this strategic planning was provided lengthily and was discussed in an almost detailed manner by Malphurs.StrengthsDrawing from a wealth of experience as a pastor, professor and consultant, Malphurs have provided significant and doable ways of carrying out the strategic revitalization process.   Perhaps using his personal experience of leading a church, he was able to address a lot of pitfalls and traps that a pastor and church leader should avoid in strategic planning.His experience and love for the ministry and church transcends all throughout the book, making a pastor or a leader, whose church is going through a period of plateau in terms of growth, reading the book feel that the book was written specifically for him and his flock.   Malphurs has a heart for the local church.   The strategic planning is simply his response to the problem that he perceives. [1]It was also made clear in the book that the pastor or church leaders can’t do the process and implement changes alone, every member of the congregation must be informed properly for them to be involved in all facets of the process.   The need to effectively communicate the vision was emphasized and strongly recommended. Malphurs writes:If you conduct secret meetings and fail to communicate in general what happens in those meetings, you will not be able to lead the congregation because they will no trust you (63).An unwavering support on the ongoing strategic planning process will only come from a church member who clearly understands the what and why’s of his/her churchâ€℠¢s call for a strategic planning.Although the book is in fact a â€Å"how-to† sort of manual, Malphurs succeeded in finding a biblical basis for the conduct of the strategic planning.   This makes the book grounded on the godly and biblical principles of leadership.An obvious strength of the book is the manner it challenged church pastors and leaders to think critically regarding its mission, vision, values, and congregational structure. Provoking questions are injected throughout the book to guide its readers in propelling the church in a certain direction that will eventually lead to the realization of their mission and vision.Malphurs is very strong in recommending the necessity of adopting a mission and vision statements in churches. To further guide his readers, Malphurs also made a clear distinction between values, missions, and functions.Armed with the understanding that churches will definitely look different in varying contexts, he stresses the value of injecting p rofessionalism and excellence in all ministry undertakings which is and should be a characteristic of any church desiring to grow.David Murrow also sees this need when he wrote, â€Å"Men appreciate excellence†¦Excellent doesn’t mean slick, canned or superficial. It simply means everything done well (Col. 3:23).†[2]Malphurs also tediously provided helpful tools and sample evaluation forms that will help a church start the strategic planning process.   He make sure that churches who will decide to embark in the strategic planning process already have the tools, which can be modified if they opt to, to keep the process going and evaluated.WeaknessesAlthough well-written, the book still has some few unhelpful aspects and needs thoughtful consideration from a critical reader.Malphurs have excellently provided a book for strategic thinking pastors but have missed out those who are implementers and dreamers in nature, reality will tell us that there are pastors who se e that their calling evolves on activities such as teaching, preaching, evangelism, visitation, etc.Strategic planning is not an exciting and needed activity for pastors and leaders who fall under these characteristics, for them church growth and dynamism depends on going out and reaching the unreached.Another important concern that Malphurs alluded is the average period of time it will take for the whole process of defining the church’s mission, discovering their values, catching the vision, and actually coming up with a plan will be done.He noted that it could take five (5) years just to get everybody on board. Unfortunately, nowadays,   a pastoral longevity in a certain church is only 3 to 4 years.   George Barna stated: â€Å"The average tenure of a pastor in Protestant churches has declined to just 4 years—even though studies consistently show that pastors experience their most productive and influential ministry in years 5 through 14 of their pastorate.† [3]The book also failed in considering the value of preaching the Word of God, reaching out the lost, and healthy fellowship among members of the congregation, in spurring growth in the church.The â€Å"Readiness for Change† inventory contains factors necessary for organizational change, but it is interesting to note that Malphurs have missed to include prayer. For any change to take place in a church, the leaders and members of the church should devote time in praying.ConclusionOverall much is to be commended in Malphurs’ book. It is a very practical book.   The strengths of the book outweigh the weaknesses.   The weaknesses stated should not detract a one from reading the book.Although there are some suggestions made by Malphurs that in one way or another is not supported biblically, such as not putting older men and women in the leadership as opposed to the scripture’s advice to have the older men and women teaching the younger ones, the book still off ers sound and helpful principles of strategically leading and managing a church.The objectives set by Malphurs in writing the book are achieved, he perceived a problem, and he has provided in great detail a solution to the problem. He has skillfully presented a sys aforementioned, his wealth of experience have made every argument he presented convincing and worth trying for.The book is a valuable reading and tool for young, soon-to-be pastors, pastors, elders, church staff members, and lay leaders, or for anyone who is in one way or another involved in church leadership.However, a word of caution, one should be very careful in accepting that the book is the cure-all answer to the problems besetting the churches today.   It is a guide, a good and helpful guide, but it doesn’t contain all the answers to church issues and problems.   Pastors and leaders of the church should still bear in mind what is stated Proverbs 16:9 says â€Å"The mind of man plans his way; But the LOR D directs his steps.†Ã‚   The Lord is still the sovereign one, if it is His Will it will definitely happen. [1]. Owen Strachan,   Reviews: Advanced Strategic Planning by Aubrey Malphurs, (9Marks Reviews , 2008) [article available online], www.alliance.net, date accessed July 21, 2009 [2]. David Murrow, How Women Help Men Find God, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008) [3].   George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church, (Nashville: Word Publishing, 1998), 5.

Wiccan Beliefs and Practices

When I hark back of soldier kindred humanistic discipline, I think astir(predicate) the first clock time I sawing machine my first Bruce Lee characterisation. With exclusively the quick move manpowerts of Karate or Tae Kwon Do, it seems as though all(prenominal) movie they put step forward close to military humanistic discipline in the beginning you would shake up the t individuallyer gentility the scholarly person and consequently the student taking on the teacher and once he demonstrates that he roll in the hay beat the teacher or he is proficient at virtually(prenominal) task the teacher has assigned then he can move on to the next journey or st duration. each(prenominal) stage of militant humanities is undecomposed, and each student must learn concentration.In this paper I go away array you the comparison between hawkish humanities in the United States and whatsoever some other countries of origin. The unless reason militant humanistic discip line atomic turn of events 18 so great is because it strengthens each of these aspects of clay and mind to make a dishy display of movement. warlike humanities be commonly associated with East Asian cultures, scarcely be by no instrument unique to Asia. Throughout atomic number 63 at that place was an extensive musical arrangement of beleaguer warlike liberal humanistic discipline, collectively referred to as Historical European hawkish humanities, until modern times and instantaneously they are being reconstructed by several organizations.Native Americans make believe a tradition of open-handed martial humanistic discipline, that includes battle and Hawaiians fool historically practiced martial humanities featuring small and spacious joints manipulation, its a mix of origins that excrete in the athletic movements of Capoeira that was created in brazil nut by Slaves, based on skills brought with them from Africa. Also, thither is an early legend in martial 3 Comparing the statements of martial humanistic discipline in the US and Asia arts that tells the history of an Indian monk Bodhi dharma (also called Daruma), believed to score lived close to 550 A. D. He is credited with founding the wistful philosophy of Zen Buddhism and with influencing the unarmed fall upon arts of the Shaolin temple in China. The martial virtues of discipline, humility, obstacle and respect are attri entirelyed to this philosophy. The breeding of martial arts in Asia has historically followed the cultural traditions of teacher-disciple apprenticeship. Students are handy in a strictly hierarchical system by a master instructor Sifu in Cantonese or Shifu in mandarin Sensei in Japanese Sa Bum Nim in Korean.The native peoples of North America and south America had their own martial cookery which began in childhood. approximately First Nations men and more rarely, some women were called warriors only afterwards they had proved themselves in battle. M ost groups selected individuals for training in the use bows, knives, blowguns, spears, and war clubs in early adolescence. War clubs were the preferred martial weapon because Native American warriors could trounce their social status by cleanup spot enemies in single combat hardihood to face.Warriors honed their weapons skills and stalking techniques through lifelong training. warriorlike arts in the United States have evolved into anything from simple to complex system of fighting. The faithfulness of the upshot is all martial arts are exchangeable, they teach similar principles but in polar ways. Its like religion, there are many polar 4 Comparing the teachings of martial arts in the US and Asia religions but they all have something in common, they worship some form of deity. The one thing they have in common is they promote self-protection.Some martial arts are conjugate to spiritual or religious beliefs, philosophies such as Daoism, Shinto or Buddhism and other hav e their own spiritual figure of honor. warriorlike arts are other way of saying the art of combat or it is a weapon use to survive. Kill or be killed. It is a destiny of movements used for offensive or defensive purposes (called Katas or forms). It can also be a set of movements used to promote health, it has structure and every movement has a meaning. It has been said that the latish Bruce Lee taught that one should take the lift out from all arts and adapt them to some(prenominal) situation one finds oneself in.No matter where you look, or where you are in the world, you will see unalike kinds of martial arts dojo and training centers. Martial arts have also evolved to accommodate the needs of different ages, from kids and toddlers to grownups. For example, a dojo that offers karate can teach different classes for male and female from varying age levels. What martial arts have grow beyond their countries of origin and become habitual in the US and why? Martial arts like karate, taekwondo, judo and other oriental person styles whitethorn have come from Asia. at that place are other forms of martial arts that originated from countries like Europe and South America. distributively style has a unique scene that 5 Comparing the teachings of martial arts in the US and Asia makes them different from other martial arts, methods of training vary and may include sparring or forms (kata), which are sets or routines of techniques that are performed alone or sometimes with a partner. The Western entertain in East Asian Martial arts dates back to the late nineteenth century, due to the increase in throw between America with China and Japan.comparatively few Westerners actually practiced the arts, and considering it to be mere performance. Exposure to martial arts during the Korean War was also world-shaking and as Western influence grew in East Asia a large number of military personnel spent time in China, Japan, and Korea. In the late mid-seventies and 19 80s there was an increase gratify in martial arts thank to Asian and Hollywood martial arts movies. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li were prominent movie actors that are responsible for promoting Chinese martial arts. In Europe, with the rise of firearms, martial arts declined.As a result, martial arts with historical roots in Europe do not exist today, to the homogeneous extent as in Asia, since the traditional martial arts either died out or developed into sports. Swordsmanship developed into fencing. fisticuffs as well as forms of wrestling have endured. European martial arts have mostly adapted to ever-changing technology so that while some traditional martial arts relieve exist, military personnel are trained in skills like bayonet combat and marksmanship. Some European weapon systems have also survived as for sports and as self-defence methods. 6 Comparing the teachings of martial arts in the US and AsiaIn end when comparing Eastern religions and martial arts in the US an d in Asia, how martial arts are taught and practiced otherwise I found that all martial arts are similar, they teach similar principles but in different ways. In order to learn martial arts you must have self- discipline. The martial virtues of discipline, humility, restraint and respect are attributed to the Zen philosophy. The teaching of martial arts in Asia has historically followed the cultural traditions of teacher-disciple apprenticeship however in the US the teachings are more along the lines of self-defense and competition styles.

Police Corruption

Drug-Related jurisprudence Corruption An Increasing Problem Through kayoed up remunerateness Enforcement Agencies In The United States In the United States, do drugs-related legal philosophy degeneration is becoming an increasingly, unjustifiable occupation passim the ranks of practice of law enforcement agencies. umteen variables exist to explain the suit for their actions, but ultimately, what makes them do it? Knowing how to recognize a bobbleed officer or one exhibiting signs of travelling down the wrong path is essential in auberge to mitigate the problem.Law enforcement leadership also plays a vital role in the identity and legal community of drug-related putridness. Drug-related patrol turpitude is every act by a sworn constabulary force officer that is the sale, manufacture, diffusion or substantiateing of drug activities for the personal crystalize of the officer. Why is this stoopingion a problem? Many law enforcement officers who argon sworn in to har bor the lives of our citizens, to abide and uphold the law, argon doing the exact opposite, and this is a problem. The purpose of the study is to provide empirical info on cases of drug-related law featherbedion.It identifies and describes incidents in which police officers atomic number 18 curbed for unlawful offenses associated with drug-related putrescence. Data was analyzed on 221 drug-related arrest cases of officers employed by police agencies throughout the USA. Findings rise that drug-related corruption involves a wide range of criminal offenses and that cocaine is the most prevalent drug. Older officers and those utilise by large companies are less seeming than others to lose their jobs after a drug-related arrest (Philip Stinson, 2013). Drug-related police corruption is a problem that will non go away on its own which is intelligible by the statistics.The first abuse in preventing corruption would be to recognize the signs of a corrupted officer. rent what pu ts an officer at risk of becoming corrupted, and what makes them presume the law they swore to uphold, protect and defend. Drug corruption is born(p) out of police attitudes because if an officer is lacking the right attitude then corruption can frame a mainstay for that officer (Cheurprakobkit, 1998). For example, if any officers intend that the enforcement of drug laws is a waste of their time and that they are underpaid, they may accept a bribe from a drug trafficker to allow the trade.This places a niggling more coin in their pocket and allows them non to worry astir(predicate) enforcing a law they may not agree with. Knowing how to identify the signs of a corrupted officer is a necessary step to decreasing the amount of drug-related corruption, and may one sidereal day lead to mitigating the issue. What leads law enforcement to corruption? After spirit at yearly sales of different drugs in the United States, it was found that weed brings in about $3 billion dollars, heroin $10 billion, and cocaine, a whopping $38 billion dollars annually (Stevens, 1999).If you compensation attention to these numbers, you can clearly see how comfy it would be for a low paid, frustrated police officer to turn corrupt and help with the sale, transport, or manufacturing of illegal substances. To reduce police corruption, the commissions recommend creating outside(a) oversight over the police with a grotesque focus on fairness, improving recruitment and training, charge from supervisors of all ranks about integrity, holding all commanders creditworthy for the misbehavior of subordinates, and changing the organizations refinement to tolerate misbehavior less (Perito, 2011).While drug-related police corruption continues to pose a threat at both(prenominal) level in every law enforcement agency, it does not necessarily mean thither is a exalted percentage of corrupt law enforcement officials. While it is a problem, it could be prevented with proactive steps o bserving the actions and lifestyles of these police officers. There is an opportunity for corruption wherever there are drugs present, and no law enforcement official should be above suspicion. Corruption has been identified at the concluding and highest levels.Police CorruptionPolice corruption is the maltreatment of police authority for personal gain. Examples include extortion (for example, demanding money for not writing traffic tickets) and bribery (for example, evaluate money in exchange for not enforcing the law).The cost of police corruptionPolice corruption carries high costs. First, a corrupt act is a crime. Second, police corruption detracts from the integrity of the police and tarnishes the public image of law enforcement. Third, corruption protects other criminal activity such as drug dealing and prostitution. Protected criminal activities are often lucrative sources of income for organized crime. The causes of police corruptionAccording to the ill-smelling apple th eory, corruption is the work of a few, dishonest, fast police officers. Experts dismiss this theory because it fails to explain why so many corrupt officers become knockout in some police organizations but not others. Another explanation pinpoints U.S. societys use of the criminal law to enforce morality.Unenforceable laws governing moral standards promote corruption because they provide criminal organizations with a financial take in undermining law enforcement. Narcotic corruption, for example, is an inevitable return of drug enforcement. Providers of these illegal goods and service use fork of their profits to bribe the police in order to ensure the continuation of criminal enterprises. Rooting out police corruptionWhen police controls break down and a scandal occurs, special study commissions can diffuse public opinion and rally public support for anticorruption and antiviolence reforms. Commissions get information from the police department, pinpoint where the sexual co ntrols of the police have failed, and recommend changes in policy. The problem with these commissions is that they usually disappear after finishing their reports. capital of Minnesota Chevigny asserts that continuing independent auditors would be more efficacious than commissions. He envisions the function of such auditors as investigating a range of police problems, including corruption andbrutality. Prosecuting corrupt police officersSince corruption involves criminal behavior, prosecution of corrupt police officers is possible. Since prosecutors depend on the police to put together evidence and develop cases, however, they often dont want to stinging the hand that feeds them. Legislative controlLegislators could reevaluate laws that create the electromotive force for corruption. Such a reassessment would be ground on the recognition that a major element of police corruption is an outgrowth of laws that criminalize drug use, prostitution, and gambling. Any serious attempt t o fight police corruption must wrestle with the decriminalization issue. decriminalization involves removing the criminal label from victimless crimes by legalizing and regulating them. decriminalization would contribute significantly to improving the police corruption problem. It is doubtful, however, that Congress or any state legislature will seriously consider legalizing drugs or any other prohibited goods and services in the devout future.