Creating a united ummah between 622 and 632 Essay Example for Free

Creating a united ummah between 622 and 632 Essay Explain and comment on the ways in which Muhammad set about creating a united ummah between 622 and 632 Key to explaining the creation of the united ummah is the admission by Islam of the wars that were necessary in achieving their aim. The Muslim belief about 622 is that Muhammad and the muhajirun who followed him from Mecca to Medina were mostly accepted by most residents of Medina. The foundation for this was that they had been asked there in the first place they were supposed to bring about a peaceful revolution in a city wrought with violence and feuds between seperate tribes of people. As such, Islam was going to be the heal on the wounds that were plighting Medina. The non-Muslim view however is that Jews and munafiqun had difficulties in accepting the ideals of Islam and ridiculed it. Muhammad was faced with a challenge in bringing the people round to his point of view, and by the end of 622, had only managed to persuade 1000. The first undisputed, all-out battle of the creation of the ummah was in 624. This was the Battle of Badr. While Muslims claim that the battle was fought out of loyalty to Allah alone, non-Muslims claim that it was based on a desire for revenge against the Meccans who had forced them to leave their original home. The evidence that Muslims claim to have supporting their argument is the very fact that Muhammad and his followers won the battle they had Allah on their side, as is described in Sura 7. Sura 7 is however believed by opponents to have been written at a different time to the Quran, so cannot be taken at face value. Non-believers claim that Muhammad was acting with intolerance, which overrided the supposed obligation from Allah that he had to act on. 625 saw the Battle of Uhud, which saw Abu Sufyan setting out in opposition to Muhammad. His 3000 men would logically make light work of the 700 that Muhammad could call upon Muslim belief follows that Allah was testing the faith of his followers in allowing one side to be so much bigger than the other. Non-Muslim belief obviously ranges, but some have argued that God could not have solely been on Muhammads side, given that the prophet emerged from the battle with war wounds, and that some Meccans disobeyed orders, so there were other forces acting on the battle than those of Allah. Abu Sufyan set out to kill Muhammad again in 627, with the Battle of the Ditches. In this battle, Muhammad and his army were met with the force of 10,000 men. Stalemate arose when Muhammad dug trenches, and a storm saw off the Meccans, who had started disputes between themselves anyway. Non-Muslim suspicion of this story is largely insubstantial, although the morality of murdering 600-900 Jews later on in the year has been brought into question. This, and the sale of women and children into slavery by Muhammads followers has been backed up with the teaching from the Quran reading God does not love the treacherous, the belief by many Muslims that it was the only way they had of creating the religious theocracy that they wanted, and the belief that they had every right to return the violence that they claim had been initiated on them by the Jews and Meccans. Muhammad set out to improve the relations between the Medinans and the Meccans in 628, when the two cities agreed to sign the Treaty of Hudabiya outside Meccan city boundaries. Muslims consider this treaty to authenticate Muhammads status as a reluctant warrior because it was supposed to secure peace and the right for any Meccans to become Muslims if they wanted to. Islams status as being more than a religion is also authenticated by the treaty, which Muslims believe portrayed Muhammad as being a capable politician he also allowed Jews to enjoy religious freedom, in return for an extra tax. The Islamic belief that the Muhammad communicated with emperors of Byzantium and Abyssinia is toned down by non-Muslim theory, which suggests that he spoke to Arabian peninsula leaders at the most. Some Meccans were voluntarily converted to Islam when the faith reached Mecca on a small pilgramage in 629, but the main influx of population to the faith came in 630 when Muhammad took the ciy by force. In the following year, he sent out armies supporting his leaders when they spread the word of Islam the role that these forces played in converting people to Islam is disputed by Non-Muslims. There is much evidence to support the view that Muhammads motives were political and personal, rather than religious. Firstly, it would not have been reasonable for Muhammads motives to have been solely religious. He would not have been able to have been as successful as he was if they had been this is because Islam is, in the eyes of believers and non-believers alike, more than just a religion. The Islamic beliefs take precedence over politics, and the individual desires of one person. This makes it almost socialistic in its principles, which in turn explain how Muhammad found it such a task to actually spread the faith. It is unlikely that Muhammads motives were personal, as in the event that they had been, it would have been unlikely he would have set himself aside for so much criticism or persecution in fighting the Meccans. He would have stayed in Mecca and made a living as a trader if this was what he wanted. He would however have had political motives. These would have been necessary in converting a brutal city into a religious theocracy, and would have to have been backed up with a resolution to act in possibly violent ways to carry them through. What Muhammad was doing was by no means easy he put his life on the line for Allah, who had already put him through visions to tell him what he had to do. Muhammad has been described by some people as being hungry for power, leading to his crusades, battles and treaties across Arabia. What it must be remembered is that he died in 632 as a reasonably old man he fought not for himself but for Allah.

Affects of Alcohol :: essays research papers fc

Alcohol: Best or Worst Times of Life? Alcohol has many dangerous effects and should be banned. That being said, what exactly IS alcohol? Alcohol is a clear liquid at room temperature, it is flammable and it can be dissolved in water. Alcohol is usually produced in two main ways: fermentation or distillation. The alcohol found in alcoholic beverages such as beer or wine is known as ethyl alcohol. Alcohol is rarely found in a pure form. In beer, the ethanol concentration is only 4 to 6 percent. In wine the ethanol concentration is 7 to 11 percent and in champagne 8 to 14 percent. In distilled spirits such as rum or vodka, ethanol concentration can be anywhere from 45 to 90 percent! Alcohol has made its way into western culture; from the good tasting beverage to have after work to the â€Å"cool† thing to do in front of all your friends. The United States has tried to ban alcohol consumption. The Prohibition in 1919 occurred when the 18th amendment was approved; this outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors. However, the ban on liquor was highly unsuccessful. Crime rates shot sky high and the demand for liquor was as high as ever. However, the 18th amendment was repealed by the 21st in 1933 (Mason 2). Where the 18th amendment failed, the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 succeeded. The National minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 required that all states change their legal drinking age. If the states refused to comply with this new law, the state would lose its money under the Federal Aid Highway Act (Mason 1). This only proves the point further that alcohol is dangerous and should be banned for a variety of reasons: it has many negative effects on youth, it causes a lot of damage inside the home and out, and there are many physically ill effects. Alcohol has many negative effects on youth. Some of the most influential factors in a youth’s decision to drink are parents and peers. However, past and present research has shown that alcohol advertising also has a significant impact by ‘influencing the attitudes of parents and peers and helping to create an environment that promotes underage drinking. (CAMY 1). Youth are easily influenced through television advertisements. â€Å"A 1996 study of children age’s nine to eleven found that children were more familiar with Budweiser’s television frogs than Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger, the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, or Smokey the Bear (CAMY 1).

Pest Analysis Essay

Political factors include the following types of instrument: – Legislation such as the minimum wage or anti discrimination laws. – Voluntary codes and practices – Market regulations – Trade agreements, tariffs or restrictions – Tax levies and tax breaks – Type of government regime eg communist, democratic, dictatorship Non conformance with legislative obligations can lead to sanctions such as fines, adverse publicity and imprisonment. Ineffective voluntary codes and practices will often lead to governments introducing legislation to regulate the activities covered by the codes and practices. Economical The second element of a PEST analysis involves a study of economic factors. All businesses are affected by national and global economic factors. National and global interest rate and fiscal policy will be set around economic conditions. The climate of the economy dictates how consumers, suppliers and other organisational stakeholders such as suppliers and creditors behave within society. An economy undergoing recession will have high unemployment, low spending power and low stakeholder confidence. Conversely a â€Å"booming† or growing economy will have low unemployment, high spending power and high stakeholder confidence. A successful organisation will respond to economic conditions and stakeholder behaviour. Furthermore organisations will need to review the impact economic conditions are having on their competitors and respond accordingly. In this global business world organisations are affected by economies throughout the world and not just the countries in which they are based or operate from. For example: a global credit crunch originating in the USA contributed towards the credit crunch in the UK in 2007/08. Cheaper labour in developing countries affects the competitiveness of products from developed countries. An increase in interest rates in the USA will affect the share price of UK stocks or adverse weather conditions in India may affect the price of tea bought in an English cafe. A truly global player has to be aware of economic conditions across all borders and needs to ensure that it employs strategies that protect and promote its business through economic conditions throughout the world. Social The third aspect of PEST focuses its attention on forces within society such as family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and the media. Social forces affect our attitudes, interest s and opinions. These forces shape who we are as people, the way we behave and ultimately what we purchase. For example within the UK peoples attitudes are changing towards their diet and health. As a result the UK is seeing an increase in the number of people joining fitness clubs and a massive growth for the demand of organic food. Products such as Wii Fit attempt to deal with society’s concern, about children’s lack of exercise. Population changes also have a direct impact on organisations. Changes in the structure of a population will affect the supply and demand of goods and services within an economy. Falling birth rates will result in decreased demand and greater competition as the number of consumers fall. Conversely an increase in the global population and world food shortage predictions are currently leading to calls for greater investment in food production. Due to food shortages African countries such as Uganda are now reconsidering their rejection of genetically modified foods. In summary organisations must be able to offer products and services that aim to complement and benefit people’s lifestyle and behaviour. If organisations do not respond to changes in society they will lose market share and demand for their product or service. Technological Unsurprisingly the fourth element of PEST is technology, as you are probably aware technological advances have greatly changed the manner in which businesses operate.

Leadership Profile Essay

I am currently the Director of the Patient Care Management Department at one of the local for-profit hospitals. We have gone through some tremendous changes since I have been there. When I started at the hospital, we did not have a director we only had a team leader and the hospital was up for sale. April 2012, the team leader decided to resign. I was then nominated by my co-workers to step up to the team leader position. Immediately the hospital was sold and they posted a job listing for director of our department. For the next year, there were only a scant number of interview prospects for the job listing. I then decided that I should tackle this job opportunity, so I applied. In the midst of all of this, the new owners brought in a consulting firm for our department. The consulting firm mentioned to upper administration that there was great talent already in the department to fulfill the director position. In May 2013, I was promoted to director. I currently oversee the day to day operations in the department. Leadership Weakness I consider Welch’s core principles of voice and dignity to be an area of development. As indicated in Welch’s book Winning â€Å"every person in the world wants a voice and dignity, and every person deserves them†. As an evolving leader, this will be a principle that needs further development. I need to learn to conduct my voice in a professional manner so that I am heard and well respected. I also want to allow my team to have a voice and dignity in the workplace. I want them to bring all their brain power to the table (Welch, 2005) and make sure they know they can do this. Leadership Profile I was given a task to handle in my department even though it really should have been assigned to another department. I did not want to turn anything down being the new person and fear of having a voice, so I accepted the responsibility of writing the policy. I started to work with one of my team members to write the policy. My team member came to me one day and stated â€Å"I really do not mind helping write this policy but it should really be the other department†. I listened and once she was finished I scheduled a meeting with the director of the other department. I met with the other director to discuss that his department should really take a handle on writing this policy and that we would help in any way possible. I had a voice and was listened to because the other department has now been assigned the policy writing. This has impacted me as a leader because we all should have a voice. Everyone in the work-place deserves to be heard. Winning states that not â€Å"everyone’s opinions should be put into practice or every single complaint needs to be satisfied†, however this team members opinion did need to be heard. If I would not have given her a voice, we probably would still be writing the policy. Voice and dignity in relation to my D/C management style, I am very direct and straightforward (â€Å"Everything Disc Management Online Profile†, 2008). This is where I need to be mindful when speaking, that I do not come across as harsh. The voice and dignity principle that I plan to improve will take specific steps. I plan to execute methods within our department that will consistently allow every ones voice to be heard. I will set up monthly meetings where everyone will be able to discuss any concerns or ideas to better improve our workflow. I will keep meeting minutes where I can go back to address these Leadership Profile concerns and see where we can make changes and even collaborate with other team member’s hospital wide. The team will also know that they can come to me at any time or day to discuss issues and that I will listen openly and confidentially if need be. This will give them a chance and opportunity to feel included in the task at hand. Leadership Strength Winning states that â€Å"leaders relentlessly upgrade their team, using every encounter as an opportunity to evaluate, coach, and build self-confidence†. I consider this to be a strength of mine. Before I took this new position, I knew that I had to get the best team together if we wanted to succeed. I had evaluated two employees that were not capable of performing the daily job duties, and released them. I did lots of research on my prospective employees and hired the best. Now that I have a fully qualified team, I am constantly looking for ways to enhance the department and their skills. I also look daily to entertain one’s self-confidence if appropriate. This is a passion of mine to acknowledge others when they have earned it. As indicated in Welch’s book Winning â€Å"when you become a leader, success is all about growing others†. I feel this has impacted me as a leader because I take pride in helping and watching others grow. The growth of others represents my management style in that I am results-oriented. I like to see the end product of my team members. With my style I also need to be conscious not to be so demanding. To further improve on leadership rule number one, I would like to incorporate a monthly evaluation tool that can also be part of their quarterly review. This will allow me to be managing Leadership Profile their production throughout, instead of waiting to the end to do the quarterly review. I believe when waiting until the end of the three month period to do the quarterly review, we lack the ability to constantly upgrade because things are missed or forgotten. This makes the quarterly review less worthy and a disadvantage to the team, the team member and myself. Recommendation As a young leader, I want to learn from the Jack Welch Management Institute and apply my learning daily. I hope to accomplish becoming a more effective leader in the near future. Leadership Profile References Everything DiSC Management Online Profile (2008). Resources Unlimited (3rd edition). Inscape Publishing. Welch, J. (2005). Winning. New York, NY: HarperCollins

Management and Development of Business for Sustainability Resources

Management and Development of Business for Sustainability Resources Introduction The resource-based theory basically explores organizations internal capabilities concerning the formulation of strategies that are intended to achieve sustainable competitive advantage both at the market and in the industries where an organization operates.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Management and Development of Business for Sustainability Resources specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In fact, this theory deals with the competitive environment of an organization but applies the inside-out approach. The theoretical analysis starts with the internal environment of the organization. As a result, the theory is frequently observed as an alternative replacement for the Porters five forces framework which looks at the external environment while taking the outside-in or the industrial structure as the starting point. This paper examines the way internal resources of the firm contribute to the organizations s uccess and sustainability. More emphasis is geared towards the role and nature of intangible and tangible resources in reference to the notion of dynamic capabilities of an organization. The paper also reviews the available literature to shade light on the resource based theory approach and to relate it to how the internal resources of an organization contribute to the success of organization and the gaining of competitive advantage. The resource based approach to the organization strategy The resource based theory is not a new approach to the organization strategy, but it is rather a strategy that has long precursor with links going back to the early works of Penrose. Nevertheless, the resource based theory is majorly associated with works of scholars like Rumelt, Barney, Prahalad and Hamel as well as Peteraf and Grant. These scholars put a lot of emphasis on the organizations internal resources and capabilities in formulating the organizational strategies (De Wall 2007, p.209).Adv ertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As indicated, the resourced based view takes into account the organization internal capabilities and resources in formulating the organization strategy so as to attain the sustainable competitive advantage within market as well as at the industry levels (Barney Clark 2007, p.189). In situations where the organization has capabilities and resources that can be organized and reorganized for a company to attain the desired competitive advantage over competing firms, the organization perspective becomes inside-out (Barney Clark 2007, p.189). In essence, the company capabilities become the determinant of the strategic choices the company makes while competing with others in the outside environment. Similarly, in certain situations, the capabilities of the organization may permit the creation of new markets besides adding value to the org anization clienteles (Miles 2012, p.212). This has clearly been depicted by the Toyota hybrid cars and the Apple iPod. In these cases, it is clear that the organization capabilities are paramount to the creation of the organizations competitive advantage. It is also imperative to note that the capabilities will enable an organization to lay much emphasis on the configuration of its value-chain activities. The reason is that the company will stand a chance of identifying the competencies within its value-chain activities that make available the most competitive advantage (De Wall 2007, p.209). For instance, the much revered Toyota manufacturing system that uses the inbound logistics in the form of excellent inventory and material control system ensure that the levels of the inventory are sufficient enough to satisfy the demands of the clients.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Management and Development of Business for Sustainability Resources specifically fo r you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This system ensures that the inventory and the materials are delivered before the customers order for the assembly. Looking into the various activities that are involved in the value-chain such as operations, there are efficient automated plants with inbuilt quality control systems. These are supported by services through the application of warranties and guaranties, sales and marketing which is augmented through the advertisements as well as dealership networks. At Toyota Corporation, the value-chain activities are linked across the company operations. The linkages between the company value-chain to those of its suppliers are designed in such a way that it gives Toyota distinctive capability over its competitors or the core competencies. It is these core competencies that provide competitive advantage for Toyota. Moreover, Toyota is also capable of appropriating the added value that it gets from these value chain activitie s. A distinctive example is seen where Toyota US makes larger profit than three combined largest automobile firms in the US. Desouza (2005, p.89) asserts that, in situations where firms in the same industry are faced with similar conditions, the expectations are that, putting other things to be equal, the firms will have almost equal profits. However, this is not necessarily the case. There is a wide variation in terms of profitability by firms in the same industry as depicted by the UK retail supermarket chain TESCO and its competitor Sainsbury. The Porters argument that the industrial system whereby firms functions and the manner in which firms position themselves within the system determines each of these firms profitability. This contrasts the resource-based view that does not look at the industry structure rather unique bunch of resources together with capabilities that each organization possesses (Barney Clark 2007, p.189).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The proponents of the resourceds of the intellectual resources involve copyrights as well as patents that are derived from the technological resources of the organization. For instance, the Dayson manufacturing company relies heavily on the intangible intellectual resource of the creative innovative founder, Dayson James. This intellectual property has never been imitated by any competitor to Dayson manufacturing company. Tacit knowledge within an organization is built through the organizational culture and processes. The employees of such an organization have tacit knowledge that cannot be readily transferred. The good will reputation of an organization is constantly being acknowledged as essential tangible asset that can be damaged easily through negative marketing campaigns and ill-thought strategies (Barney 1991, p.109). Companies like Benetton made a point by allowing debate over their controversial advertisements. The debate seemed to equally draw both detractors and supporter s while at the same time gaining useful and free publicity. Moreover, the way Johnson and Johnson responded to the mischievous meddling with their product Tylenol ensured that its reputation consistently persisted at the top. Competencies As previously indicated, the existence of organizations resources does not confer any benefit to the organization unless they are put into productive use. It is the effective and innovative conformation of these resources that provide competencies to the organization. A competency can be described as the attribute that the company needs so as to be in a better position to compete appropriately in the marketplace (Barney 2010, p.45). Competencies are understood as being the prerequisite to the firm’s competiveness within the industry. The competencies alone do not however confer to the organization any competitive advantage (Beaver 2002, p.213). In fact, the competencies are supposed to be thought of being derived from the company internal bu ndle of resources. For instance, for companies to compete well within the automobile industry, they must be in possession of knowledge requisite to design and manufacture the automobile engine and body. Such knowledge will enable the companies to effectively compete within the industry despite their resource capabilities (Barney 2010, p.10). Core competencies Hamel and Prahalad (1990) argue that the most essential duty for the company managers is to come up with products that are needed to satisfy the customer demands, yet such products have not even been imagined. In order to attain this objective, the company management must go beyond the organization boundaries instead of focusing on distinct and separate strategic business units. In essence, Hamel and Prahalad (1993) were right to claim that competencies are derived from collective individual learning within the organization as well as the ability to operate across the organization boundaries. Therefore, a core competency or dis tinctive capabilities can be described as a group of attributes possessed by the organization that enable it to attain the competitive advantage (Barney 2010, p.110). This implies that, it is the ability of the company to configure its resources in a way that allows the company to successfully compete within the marketplace. The classic examples of companies that have achieved the key competencies are Dell and Benetton. Dell has achieved the core competency by the way it has configured its value chains. Organizations have strained to imitate the dells model of direct sales but they have successfully failed. Similarly, Toyota manufacturing company has attained its core competency in the production of petrol-and-electric hybrid cars. Nevertheless, this cannot be measured with the first mover advantage. Indeed, this materializes to be the sole advantage the company gets from being the first in the global in the marketplace (Kay 1993, p.45). Therefore, core competencies should provide c ompanies with access to a broader market. This has been witnessed in the case of Honda core competencies in the engine design which enabled the company to leverage its capabilities to successfully compete in the car and powerboat market. Besides, core competency should add value to the customer end products (Barney 2010, p.109). For instance, the distinctive capabilities of BMW in engineering have enabled it to manufacture high quality cars normally being sold at premium. The company core competency should equally be hard to imitate by any of the company’s competitors. This implies that the value a company gets from the core competency such as the competitive advantage should be sustained (Divanna Rogers 2005, p.103). Thus, for any company to attain this, it must not allow the competitors to imitate the core competency. Still, the core competency within an organization is normally increased as it is being utilized and mutually shared across the firm. Prahalad and Hamel (1993 ) claim that core competencies are the binding factor within the organization. They spur growth and new developments within the organization. However, core competencies within the organization have to be protected for the organization to generate appropriate rewards. Distinctive capabilities Generally it is the organization distinctive capabilities of its resources that provide it with the competitive advantage. But the capabilities of the organization are distinctive if they are derived from those characteristics that other firms do not have (Holbeche 2009, p.34). Having distinctive capability is only necessary, but not sufficient enough to be successful. The distinctive capability must be appropriable and sustainable. That is, it must persist over time to be sustainable (Divanna Rogers, 2005). The distinctive capability must also be seen to benefit the company rather than the competitors for it to have an appropriable characteristic. The organization distinctive capabilities eman ate from the innovation, the company reputation and architecture. These further relate the organization to the stakeholders. It is this relationship that permits the resources of the organization to offer distinctive capabilities through innovation, architecture and reputation (Barney 2010, p.109). Organization architecture refers to the system of relationships that occurs within and out of the company (Barney Clark 2007, p.189). The internal architecture is the relationship between the organization and its employees and between employees themselves while the external architecture is the relationship between the organization and its suppliers and the customers. In fact, architectural network occurs in the relationships between the organizations with other firms within the industry. However, distinctive architecture is based on the employees output (Holbeche 2009, p.34). It permits the value that is created to be easily and readily distributed by the company. As the basis of distinc tive capability, reputation is especially essential in the markets where the consumers are capable of using their long-term experience to ascertain the quality of the product (Barney Clark 2007, p.189). A firm’s reputation is build through its reliable long-term relationships. In most cases this takes a considerable period of time to develop and nurture. Once this long-term relationship has been developed, the distinctive capability of the firm is attained. A reputation of quality product and better services provides the firm with a competitive advantage that the firm can utilize to secure reprise business and charge premium prices (Beaver 2002, p.213). Firms can leverage such reputations when entering into the new markets. For instance, Sonny leverages its reputation while entering the electronic consumer market. The company capability to successfully and speedily innovate is also another basis of distinctive capability that can be appropriated and sustained (Barney 2010, p .109). A company may manufacture innovative products like the Apples iPods and iTunes. For a number of years, Apple has remained unrivaled in product design and functionality. It has made it difficult for its competitors to imitate its products. The ability to constantly innovate and develop products has ensured Apple with sustainable source of competitive advantage over its market competitors. Competitive advantages that have emanated from innovations are derived from the organizations architecture. Innovative processes may be embodied within the organization routines thereby making it harder for the competitors to imitate (Barney Clark 2007, p.189). Through patents and copyrights, organizations are capable of securing their innovative products and ensure that their values are appropriated. Conclusion The resource based view lay much emphasis on the application of the firms set of internal resources and capabilities to determine their competitive advantages. The delineated resourc es, the firms’ core competencies and the distinctive capabilities have also been explored to show how firms can achieve their competitive advantage. However, both core competencies and distinctive capabilities are terms that are interchangeably used, but they relate to how organizations strive to attain sustainable competitive advantage. References Amit, R Schoemaker, PJ 1993, â€Å"Strategic assets and organization rents†, Strategic Management Journal, vol.14 no.1, pp.33-46. Barney, J 1991, â€Å"Firms resources and sustained competitive advantage†, Journal of Management, vol.17 no.1, pp.99-120. Barney, JB Clark, DN 2007, Resource-based theory: Creating and sustaining competitive Advantage, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Barney, JB 2010, Gaining and sustaining competitive advantage, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Beaver, G 2002, Small business, entrepreneurship and enterprise development, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Co ombs, HM, Hobbs, D Jenkins, DE 2005, Management accounting principles and applications, Sage, London, UK. De Wall, A 2007, Strategic performance management, Palgrave McMillan, Basingstoke, UK. Desouza, KC 2005, New frontiers of knowledge management, Palgrave McMillan, Basingstoke, UK. Divanna, JA Rogers, J 2005, People – the new asset on the balance sheet, Palgrave McMillan, Basingstoke, UK. Hamel, G Prahalad, CK 1990, â€Å"The core competence of the organization†, Harvard Business Review, vol.71 no.2, pp. 75-84 Hamel, G Prahalad, CK 1993, â€Å"Strategy as stretch and leverage†, Harvard Business Review, vol.68 no.3, pp. 79-91 Helfat, CE 2007, Dynamic capabilities: Understanding strategic change in organizations, Blackwell, Oxford, UK. Holbeche, L 2009, Aligning human resources and business strategy, Elsesvier Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, UK. Kay, J 1993, Foundations of corporate success, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Miles, JA 2012, Management and organization theory: A Jossey-bass reader, John Wiley Sons Hoboken, NJ.

Bringing a Story of Business and Ayahuasca to Life Reedsy

Bringing a Story of Business and Ayahuasca to Life Reedsy Making "Ayahuasca, An Executive's Enlightenment" Come To Life We love a good adventure story here at Reedsy, so we were delighted to help Michael Sanders bring his book,  Ayahuasca: An Executive’s Enlightenment, to life. Becoming worn down as the vice president of an advertising agency and the co-founder of a startup company, Michael made a life-changing decision to venture out into the Amazon jungle to discover his path to self-transcendence. Michael drinks the psychedelic plant medicine Ayahuasca in three shamanistic ceremonies and connects with the Mother of the Rainforest and creator of the universe. This remarkable story examines the very essence of human nature and how this experience gave Michael absolute clarity as to his purpose and path in life.Michael needed an editor and designer to help take his book to the next level. So he came to Reedsy and now decided to share his experience with us. Enjoy the interview!Hi Michael thanks for chatting to us, just to start with, tell us a little about your book and what brought you to wr ite it.Ayahuasca: An Executive’s Enlightenment is about my journey into the Amazon jungle to drink the sacred and psychedelic plant medicine known as Ayahuasca.At the start of 2013, I was experiencing extreme fatigue. I was working as the vice president of an advertising agency and as the co-founder of a startup in the gaming industry, and I was training athletically and intensely 10 to 14 times each week.I decided to consult with a naturopath who helped me develop a daily meditation and play practice. After a few months working with him, my friend Sid suggested we venture to the Amazon to drink Ayahuasca- something that had been on my radar for about 18 months.Sid, another friend Carl, and I ventured down to the Peruvian jungle on Boxing Day of 2013. We trekked through the Amazon for a week- encountering all sorts of incredible wildlife and adventure, and developing a bond with nature that transcended my previous notions of connecting with the Earth.On New Year’s Eve, we arrived at the ceremonial grounds of Nihue Rao where we had our first Ayahuasca ceremony. Drinking Ayahuasca shattered the paradigm of reality in which I formerly operated and showed me something beyond my wildest imagination. In a nutshell, all of my life’s existential contemplations were resolved during three Ayahuasca ceremonies over the course of four nights.One of my intentions for my ceremonies was to determine a clearer career path, and it was revealed to me that I need to hone my gift for storytelling and write a book. How did you hear about Reedsy and why did you think it was the right place to develop your book to the next stage?I heard about Reedsy while working with Publishizer. Publishizer is a crowdfunding platform for authors, and the company’s CEO Guy Vincent encouraged me to check out Reedsy for all of my editing and design needs.I checked out Reedsy’s website and loved the intuitive design. It was so easy for me to find skilled editors and designers, to communicate with them, and to receive quotes on how much their work would cost.Tell us how you came about choosing Maria D’Marco as your editorI was scrolling through editors and Maria's headline jumped out at me: â€Å"Empathetic, bespoke editor - collaborative partnerships - developmental specialist, copy editor, book marketing, front-to-back support.† Empathy is exactly what I was looking for in an editor, and I also saw that she had worked on a number of fantastic books. When Maria and I chatted, she really resonated with my story, so I knew she was the perfect editor for me.What did she bring that elevated the story the book in some way?Maria brought an objective perspective and a set of fresh eyes. I had worked with seven editors along the way- all of whom are friends of mine- and for the final edit, I wanted someone who hadn’t seen the work before.Maria’s goal wasn’t to infuse her own thinking into my story, but to instead allow me to best tell the story that I wanted to tell. She wasn’t afraid to challenge me: she was very direct and blunt with what needed to be done. My story was pretty polished by the time Maria had her first read, so I didn’t need to make a ton of changes, but the changes she did suggest elevated the narrative substantially.Specifically, Maria had me include more physical descriptions of the characters in my book, which was a really interesting process. Because the people I had traveled with were so familiar to my mind, I had f orgotten that the reader wouldn’t know what the characters looked like. So, adding the physical descriptions really brought the other characters to life.Additionally, Maria suggested I completely change my introduction. Maria explained that the introduction I first presented to her wouldn’t grip anyone who wasn’t familiar with Ayahuasca. I understood her point, and after some contemplation, we arrived at a much better introduction. I’m thrilled that I took Maria’s advice: So many people have told me that they were hooked right from the first page.Now let's talk about Peter, how did you choose him and how did you finalize on the design of the book cover with him?I already had a minimal cover concept in mind, and I was looking for someone to execute it. Searching through designers, Peter’s portfolio of work grabbed me- minimal and evocative. After chatting with Peter, he seemed like the right person for the job.Peter was a joy to communicate w ith, he worked quickly, and he was very responsive and accommodating. He did a fantastic job on the design- both the interior and exterior- and was very knowledgeable on formatting for both the print and electronic versions.Finally, is there any advice you would like to give people who are thinking of self-publishing?Do it.In terms of execution, I recommend writing the book first. Once you have had some friends and editors give you feedback and you have a solid manuscript, you might consider crowdfunding the publication. Crowdfunding only works if you think you can connect with a wide audience and you can offer your backers awesome incentives: it’s important to remember that other people don’t care as much about your dream as you do, so you really have to incentivize them to pay for a book before it’s published. If you’re willing to put in the work to connect with a wide audience and provide awesome incentives, then crowdfunding is an amazing way to gener ate momentum prior to the book’s release.In terms of editing and design, I fully recommend Reedsy. It’s a wonderful and intuitive platform.Lastly, enjoy the journey 🙂You can buy "Ayahuasca: An Executive’s Enlightenment" on Amazon  here.How did you go about publishing your book? Have you considered crowdfunding before? Tell us about your experiences, or ask Michael any question you want, in the comments below!

World-class bull Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

World-class bull Case Study - Essay Example I believe that Sales VP Jeremy Silva has done justice to the strategy adopted by Knox for doing a successful business for the company, though I disagree with Silva in regarding Knox’s strategy as mere maneuver or trickery. I totally disagree with the human resources vice president’s view that Knox has breached the company’s ethics code and I feel that there is no coercion or manipulation done by Knox. Rather, he has just mixed his ability to persuade his customers through building a personal relationship and this effective strategy has done no harm to either party. James Borg, the business psychologist, and the author has an important point to make when he argues that Knox did not coerce Landry into buying SFS’s services, but instead simply got the CFO’s attention and let his persuasive techniques do the rest. It is totally true of fact, which becomes palpable in an insightful analysis of the case provided. Therefore, considering various aspects of the strategy adopted by Knox for the business of Armadillo Gas & Power with Landry, I strongly feel that Knox does not deserve a reprimand by the human resources vice president and I would demand rightful recognition of the success of Knox’s business strategy. When making a judgment regarding the business strategy adopted by Knox, one needs to recognize that he has been able to win a customer for the company through a positive strategy which builds trust in the customer about the company, along with developing personal relations with Knox.