Prospects and Problems of Biomass Energy in a Future Global Research Paper

Prospects and Problems of Biomass Energy in a Future Global Sustainable Energy System - Research Paper Example The primary and major emission gas for Greenhouse Gases is carbon dioxide (CO2). When the carbon dioxide goes into atmosphere and changes the weather conditions, the bio-diversity will decrease through increase in temperature. Researchers suggest that biomass has the potential to become one of the major primary sources of energy in the centuries to come. It is believed that bio-energy systems would come out as the important contributors to future sustainable development in industrialized and developing countries. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are the basis of biomass. The energy sources that act in the derivation of biomass energy are garbage and wood. The other sources include landfill gases and alcohol fuels. One can convert biomass into some other forms of energy like methane gas or fuels for transportation. The other utilities from biomass include production of electricity. Sugarcane and corn are some of the resources of biomass energy. The raw material for biomass is much cheaper than other fuels. Probably the oldest source of energy after the sun is biomass. Sun is the source of energy for biomass. Almost half of the biomass used in the present times comes from burning of wood and wood scraps. The biggest user of biomass is industry followed by transportation (National Energy Education Development Project, 2009). Problems of biomass energy Biomass power can have its impact on the environment. Air pollution can be caused in using biomass as a fuel. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and some other particulates can be the forms of pollutants. A pollutant that is created by incomplete combustion of fossil fuel is black carbon which is held as the second largest contributor to cause global warming. The carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. When a carbon is released into the atmosphere it acts as a contributor in climate change. Even though there are some advantages accrued in using biomass fuels, yet it had not been the major source of energy i n everyday life. The traditional biomass energy was dependent upon combustion of woods and leaves. This sort of activity generated carbon into the atmosphere. Recent advancements in technology has reduced the cost of the process and increased the production of ethanol yield of switch grass. This will drive more profits as well as protect the environment. The production of biomass is possible only when crop is raised to serve the purpose of producing the fuels only. The process will use up land which could have been used for other purposes like the normal agricultural process. Scientists opined that these production processes will insert its tool in the ecosystem. This can also result in climate crisis. The production of biomass energy uses a lot of energy to harvest the crops. It requires more water and other fossil fuels to make the fertilizers for the plantation and harvesting processes. It is also difficult to collect biomass. There is also constraint on the availability of bioma ss all round the year. The major constituents of biomass energy production are wheat, barley and corn and they are seasonal crops. Their availability is limited in certain seasons of the year. The source of producing biomass is expensive. Although the fuels of biomass are renewable sources but one cannot find a reduction in the levels of emission. Some amounts of pollutants that are harmful are produced by bio-fuels. This is known as fossil fuels.

Corporate Governance Disclosure and the Financial Practices Essay

Corporate Governance Disclosure and the Financial Practices - Essay Example Corporate governance and compliance to its prescribed practices has always been a subject of discussion. Adherence to corporate governance practice helps a corporate organization to rationalize risks as well as maximize its business performance at the same time. In the present day aggressive business environment that calls for a firm regulatory setting, compliance to corporate governance norms help organizations to sustain profitability in the long run. This study evaluates the influence of corporate governance disclosure guidelines on the Saudi Arabian companies in general and their annual issuance of financial reports in particular. This research study is motivated by several factors. First, the Board of CMA had issued a guidance of corporate governance for the corporate organizations in Saudi Arabia. Studying the extent of influence of corporate governance on the annual reports of the Saudi listed companies would help in understanding the attributes of companies that act in accord ance with the CMA guidance. Furthermore, the research study would also benefit in identifying the possible issues that explain the dissimilarities in compliance across Saudi Arabian organizations. Secondly, review of literature on the subject of corporate governance reporting reveals that there are not many empirical researches conducted on the business backdrop of emerging nations, such as Saudi Arabia.  The rationale of this research study is to emphasise on the aspects that impel the corporate governance norms in Saudi Arabia.

Ipp Group Of Companies Background Business Essay

Ipp Group Of Companies Background Business Essay IPP is a private own group of companies which was established by Mr. Reginald Mengi, since 1980s after serving as Chairman and Managing Partner of Coopers Lybrand in Tanzania. The IPP group was stated as a small scale, hand operated ball point pen assembly plant in Dar es Salaam and has now expanded and diversify to become of largest industrial groups in East Africa. The company comprises four core divisions namely: Media Beverages Household and Beauty care Minerals Prospecting and Mining IPP MEDIA IPP Media is one of leading East Africas largest Media conglomerates. IPP Media is a private company, held under IPP Group and based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. IPP Media comprises nine newspapers, which are published daily in both English(The Guardian, Sunday observer, financial times and This day) and Swahili are (Taifa letu, Nipashe, Majira, Lete raha) also has three television stations namely (ITV, EATV and Capital television), and three radio stations (Radio One, Capital FM and East Africa radio). IPP Media is also a wide content provider for East African news on the Internet via its web site www. ippmedia.com. . BEVERAGES Water Bottled on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro at Shirimatunda area, Kilimanjaro Pure Drinking Water is the leading water brand in Tanzania. In order to meet its growing demand while maintaining its international packaging standards, IPP is currently installing a cutting edge PET bottle blowing / filling line which will triple its bottling capacity. Soft drinks IPP holds the franchise for Coca Cola carbonated soft drinks brands:- Coca Cola, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Fanta Passion, Fanta Pineapple, Fanta Black Currant, Sparletta Citrus, Sparletta Classic, Sparletta Pinenut, Stoney Tangawizi, Krest, Bitter Lemon, Krest Ginger Ale, Krest Tonic Water and Krest Club Soda. Over the years, numerous quality awards of gold and silver medals have been won bearing witness to the seriousness and importance attached to quality. Beer Carlsberg; Probably the best beer in the World. IPP is the sole importer and distributor of Carlsberg, the internationally known premium larger. Spirits Several brands are professionally blended and packed to meet national and international quality standards; these brands include, the exotic spirits of Hakuna Matata, Zanzibar Desire and Kilimanjaro Ecstasy describe local fundamental nature, aroma and taste and promise pleasure to all palates. IPP Households and beauty: Body soaps IPP is involved in the manufacturing and distribution of a number of leading soap brands including REVOLA, Tanzanias foremost beauty soap. It also manufactures and distributes under license the GIV Beauty Soap from PT. Wings Surya (Indonesia). A fully-fledged laboratory ensures the highest quality standards for its products. Body soap products are readily available throughout Tanzania, via a strong network of own depots, agents and distributors. Export markets include Congo, Zambia and Burundi. Detergents TESA ULTRA WASHING POWDER, one of the leading and most widely used brands in East and Central Africa. Under IPP Minerals and Prospecting category there are: Mining, cutting, polishing IPP carries on the business of mining, cutting, faceting and polishing of precious stones and uses modern state of the art equipment manned by very skilled staff. Precious stones cut and polished include Tanzanite, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald and Alexandrite. The cut and polished gemstones cater to the needs of the Tanzanian market and for exports worldwide. Prospecting Currently prospecting for Diamonds, Gold and Platinum in various concessions within Tanzania. ORGANISATION STRATEGIES Rigorous performance and financial management. Integrity, honesty and moral standards. Continuous product research, innovation and product quality. Responsible corporate citizen. Making a real and sustainable difference in markets in which IPP has business interests. Human capital development. Unparalleled service excellence. VISION To be the worlds most admired diversified company with regard to employee and customer satisfaction. MISSION Ability to spot and harness opportunities Employee satisfaction Competent leadership and management Business innovation and creativity Service excellence ORGANISATION STRUCTURE According to Mullins, (2005:596) Structure is the pattern of relationships among positions in the organisation and among members of the organisation. Structure makes possible the application of the process of management and creates framework of order and command through which the activities of the organisation can be planned, organised, directed and controlled. The structure defines tasks and responsibilities, work roles and relationships, and channels of communications. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOLLOWED BY THE IPP GROUP The IPP group of companies has cloned its organization structure from Organic according to the nature of the business. The Organic is very flexible and it has enabled the company to run all kinds of business effectively .This is due to the decentralization approach applied, where some decision making are carried out by heads of department rather than top management.. For the case of IPP groups channel of communication, is highly structured and is open to allow flow of information in all level within the company. The IPP group has. Organic structure which is flexible in attaining its objectives such that: It supports innovation It is free more adaptable to the organization to changing circumstances Channel of communication are open with free flow of information throughout organization. Operating style allow to vary freely Authority for decision making based on the expertise of individual in all division of work More consensual and more loosely controlled It emphasis on getting things done and un constrained by formally laid down procedures In case o decision making is made in participation and group consensus ORGANISATION CULTURE According to Cook, C et al (1997, p 112) defined organization culture as the fundamental assumption people share about an organizations values , beliefs, norms, symbols, language , rituals and myths. All of the expressive elements that gives meaning to organization membership and are accepted as guide to behavior. The following are the IPP group organization culture. Transparency- IPP group of companies encourage transparency to its operations from its core divisions of media (Radio, television, investigative news from news papers) Symbols- the IPP group of companies has a status symbol that communicate social position and pecking order in hierarchy, and their Grandness gives a good indicator about how much importance is attached to hierarchy as an organization principle Rites and Ceremonies- it is carried on during retirement and farewell parties and can be used as a sign of a happy family as well ritual of taking a new comer around and introducing the person to new colleague Power Culture: A power culture found in IPP group relies on Trust, empathy, and personal communication for effectiveness. Task Culture: This seeks to bring together the right resources and people and utilize the unifying power of the IPP group. They also have unique and robust culture of entrepreneurial team work and strategic focus. ORGANISATION BEHAVIOR According to Cook, C et al (1997 p 9) defined organizational behavior as behaviors of individuals and groups within an organization, and the interactions between the organization and environmental forces. The IPP group of company has the responsibility to create conducive working environment that are excellent for both employees and organization. THE IPP EMPLOYEES The people who work for IPP are the cornerstone of companys success. The group is also committed to not only receiving value from employees, but also delivering value to them. To this end IPP group systematically implement a company-wide system aimed at fostering an inspiring and caring environment. Through teamwork and communication, the goal is to harness the exceptional intellectual capital they already have within the organization and provide an opportunity for this to be recognized, rewarded and fulfilled. CUSTOMERS The group continues to seek innovative ways to understand the needs of its potential customers who they see as their business partners. Through their internal and external service excellence chain, they have always managed to come up with solutions that meet their business partners needs. IPPs success is evident in market leadership in the sectors in which they operate. SWOT analysis SWOT ANALYSIS FOR IPP GROUP OF COMPANY Strengths Availability of latest technology which meet the need of the organization Good infrastructure that cater demand for production- warehouses, offices, transportation, communication system Availability of skilled labors Wide range of products Good distribution system through deport and agents Well known brand names example coca cola, Kilimanjaro pure drinking water, the guardian news paper, and local news paper like majira, nipashe etc Weaknesses Unpredictable and seasonal market Weak collaboration and networking Inadequate support from government Shortage of resources and equipments Shortage of expertise Lack of job security Opportunities High local demand of information Larger regional and international markets Financial access from financial institutions Political stability Availability of training institution to train staff Availability of broadcasting Act and Policy Threats Other competitors in the market Frequently technological change Natural disasters Conflict between the Government and IPP Media (political conflict) Outdated law governing media sectors Brain drain Constraints: IPP group of companies faces the following constraints: Market constraints: IPP group of companies faces market challenges from other competitor who are in the market doing the same business. Also the market forces caused by demand and supply as well the change of price due to currency stability. Technological constraints: rapid change of technology is one of the challenges which the IPP group is facing in today world. If the company is unable to cope with changes of technology this will cause the inability to compete in the market in terms of production of quality product. Financial constraints: Poor allocation of fund and poor budgeting (under budgeting and over budgeting). Prioritization and allocation of resources are to be allocated in highly demand area within the organization. Legal constraints: the new introduced policy which may hinder the companys activities as well the outdated policy which does not favor the operation of the organization. Organisation Competitors IPP group of companies have many competitors in its market, from media, beverages, and in mining division. These competitors include Media competitors Global Publishers Ltd, Habari Corporation, Business Times, Mwananchi Communication, Sahara Communication Ltd and Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC). Beverages Competitors Bakhresa Group of Companies, Nyanza Bottles Mining Competitors Tanzanite One and Barrick Gold Mining Ltd BARRIERS TO MANAGING CHANGE People tend to be resistant to change. It is important therefore for management of IPP Group to understand the reasons for, and nature of, resistance and to adopt a clearly defined strategy for the initiation of change. Barriers to Managing Change in IPP Group are Organisation Culture Once the organisation culture change suddenly it hinders the process of managing change as people within the organisation are not read to accept any change due to fear of loosing their job, positions, demotion. Economic Implications. Employees of IPP are likely to resist change which is consider as threat to their direct and in direct pay or other rewards. Some times changes increase levels of work for the same levels of payments. Past contract or agreement. IPP entered into contracts or agreements with other parties, such as (Coca cola companies).Theses contracts and agreement can limit changes in behaviours like operating under special license or permit or fixed price contract to supply goods/services to a Government agencies. STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME BARRIERS TO MANAGING CHANGE The following are proposed strategies to overcome barriers to Managing Change. Education and Communication This will help staffs to learn the reason for the change, how it will take form, and the likely consequences will be. Communication is required to reduce anxiety and ensure that staffs understand what is happening, what will be the expected of them and how they will be supported in adopting to change. Participation and Involvement The Management of IPP Groups should encourage those involved in designing and implementation of changes in order to give out their ideas and foster commitment. Participation increases understanding, enhances feelings of control, minimise uncertainty, and promote a feeling of ownership when change directly affect staffs. If people within the organisation are involved about bringing change it is difficult for them to resist. Facilitation and Support Whenever there are changes, IPP Group Management should encourage, support, counsel, train and provide resources to help those affected by change to cope with new requirements. Through facilitation and support, managers have a better chance of bringing the change and commitment to make it work. Negotiation and Agreement During powerful resistance on implementing changes, management of IPP Group should negotiate and agree with staff through their representatives on how to implement changes. Conclusion: IPP group of companies is still progressing despite of challenges from competitors and market forces. Proper allocation of resources that is human resources, operation resources, financial resources and raw materials is required to be improved through improved through imposing changes in terms of organisation Culture and Change Management. Developing strategies that will lead to better change. MEDIA BEVERAGES HOUSEHOLDS AND BEAUTY CARE STRATEGIC VENTURES MINERALS PROSPECTING AND MINING

Fate in Eudora Weltys A Worn Path :: Worn Path

Fate in Eudora Welty's A Worn Path    Fate can take control of humans lives and can help humans reach the end of the challenging path. The path is a journey which can not be totally controlled by humans. There will always be obstacles that will rely on fate. The path is a metaphor for life and life is full of obstacle s and risks that Phoenix needed to overcome in this story. Before Phoenix made it down the hill, the bush got caught in her clothes. It shows that you should not judge from the outside and that things are not always what they seem. In life you will come across people and objects that are harsher than you imagine. She also stumbled upon a scarecrow that scared her. This shows that life and the path are both filled with surprises and entertainment. The white man told her that town was far away and that she should head home. But she knew that she must continue for her grandson and it shows that you should not always trust that the advice given is the best.    Phoenix Jackson was determined to travel down the worn path to reach town. Determination was a key factor to her success down the path but I think that fate was on her side and it helped her through. For example, Phoenix crossed a creek by a log. She closed her eyes and it was fate that got her across safely. She came across a scarecrow that momentarily brought happiness to her. When she was walking down the road a black dog suddenly jumped up on her and pushed her to the ground. "A white man finally came along and found her - a hunter, a young man, with his dog on a chain. I think that this shows that fate had brought a person to help lift her up just when she needed it. It also brought an opportunity for her to pocket a nickel she saw. Kindness is very important in the story because it showed that there are many people who are willing to lend a hand to help an old lady. The white man helped her up and a lady helped lace up her shoe. "'Stand still then, Grandma' said the lady. She put her packages down on the sidewalk beside her and laced and tied both shoes tightly." This shows that Phoenix was not too shy to ask politely for help and she received the help that she needed.

Walt Disney: Swot, Pestel and Porter Analysis

SUBJECT:Walt Disney: SWOT, PESTEL and Porter analysis Introduction2 Pestel analysis2 Political factors2 Economic factors3 Social factors3 Technological factors4 Environmental factors4 Porter’s Five forces model5 New entrants5 Buyers5 Substitutes6 Suppliers6 Competitors6 Swot analysis7 Strengths7 Weaknesses8 Opportunities9 Improvement of customer relations strategy9 Advertising Growth9 Differentiation9 The further introduction of ICT technologies9 Superior market segmentation10 Threats10 Economic conditions10 Winnie the Pooh trial10 Stakeholder analysis11 Conclusion12 references13 Appendix i – Portfolio vs core competence perspectives14 Introduction Walt Disney is a developer, producer and worldwide distributor of feature films and television programs, cable network programming and character-based merchandise. Besides, its theme parks are the most popular in the world. The current forces in the market create certain challenges for future success of the company’s development. The presents analysis starts with the discussion of current environmental and industry factors. This analysis produces the holistic view of the macro factors that affect the industry players and the company. The second step comes to the analysis of the business environment competitive environment and the way the company develops and maintains its competitive advantage. This analysis creates a picture of internal capabilities of the companies. Basing on the evaluation of external and internal factors the analysis of strengths and weaknesses is delivered. It creates a framework for devising possible strategic intent of the company and identifies possible vulnerable points that can affect the feasibility of the strategy. Basing on the analysis of the environmental factors and company’s capabilities the paper reviews current opportunities and threats. Pestel analysis According to Grant (1998), in order to identify the key success factors and the company’s opportunities and threats it is important to study environmental factors that effect the firm’s strategy on the industrial level. To do this, PESTEL analytical tool is applied. Political factors Political and legal factors influence the development of the industry. These factors shape the rules of competition, operational costs (minimum wage, safety requirements and consumer law) and the presence of various lobby groups. The important political factor is local legislations regarding foreign ownership, cross-ownership and concentration. For example, Chinese government limits foreign ownership to 49%, when the right to control directly a subsidiary requires 51% of ownership. It means that a company shall look for potential partners to form joint ventures or strategic alliances. Hill (2002) points out these market entry options translate into the reduced control of the subsidiary’s activities. Economic factors The economic factor has a crucial importance for the industry development. According to Mintel report (2003) the theme parks and consumer goods are the most dependant on the economic factors. For instance, US and European markets were recently strongly affected with recent economical downturns. The reason for such the influence is the relationship between the economic cycle and the growth of PDI. As Hill shows (2002) the PDI positively affects consumer confidence in economic health and their capability to buy entertainment products. Thus, the healthier the state of a country the higher will be the growth of a consumer market and its corresponding value. The company's theme parks and resorts are vulnerable to exchange rate fluctuations, travel industry trends, changes in available leisure time, oil and transportation prices and weather patterns. Social factors The demand trends are shaped by the following major factors: demographic shifts, attitudes and beliefs and fashion cycles. Demographic shifts create different niche markets; whereas fashion cycles together with attitudes formation create necessary growth for the market. For instance, changing lifestyles as a result of influences from other countries and cultures, various media, create new expectations and requirements for the content of media sources. Various products of the company as character-based merchandise and producer/distributors of children's audio and film-related products strongly depend on social factors as seasonal purchasing behaviour and the popularity of animated releases which determine the life cycle of particular products and their return of investment potential. Technological factors Technological factors affect the way industry players compete. The introduction of improved technological solutions allows the companies to reduce cost of operations, increase the manufacturing capacity and quality. Besides, the further R&D development allows the introduction of new products that can potentially break the markets of existing products (Bradley, 1995). The developments of new IT technologies introduce new media delivery solutions and change the architecture certain companies’ value chain (Chaffey, 2002). Environmental factors The environmental factors directly impact the travel industry trends. The weather conditions in France and Japan determine the profitability of theme parks. The better the weather conditions the higher is the number of visitors. Environmental factors play an important part in the success of the business as it affect input manufacturing capacity. Without proper yield a company will be unable to meet the existing market demand, creating a strong opportunity for its competitors. Porter’s Five forces model The following model shows the macro analysis of the business conditions under which Walt Disney operates. Adopted from Porter (1990) New entrants The deregulated state of the market provides certain opportunities for new entrants to start the business. The company operates in a mature market, divided between existing large companies. The continuous change of life style preferences create various opportunities for the media content. The advertising, film-making, character-based merchandise and theme parks areas have serious entry barriers, especially for small players, as the existing brands have strong reputation, develop economies of scale and continuously invest in new technologies. Buyers The global operations, especially on the U. S. and Asian-Pacific markets shows that consumers have a very strong bargaining power. Strong competition between global and regional niche players and constant change of preferences for various content significantly reduce life cycles of various products. Substitutes Internet, other types of media create serious substitute threats to current media distribution channels. According to Mintel report (2003) the further increase of Internet proliferation with vast electronic media opportunities create is likely to reduce drastically the use of hard copy products. Suppliers The scale of operations, the size of the company and highly recognised strong brand identity provide the company with bargaining power against local and global suppliers. Competitors The company competes with such powerful competitors as AOL Time Warner Inc. , Viacom Inc. , The News Inc, Comcast Corp. , Canal + etc. The presence of powerful competitors with established brands create a threat of intense price wars and poses s strong requirement for product differentiation. The other important feature of the media industry is a continuous shift of competitors’ market power. This notion takes place as the result of various strategic alliances and industry consolidation. For instance, the merge of Time Warner with America Online Inc. created powerful internal capabilities. If they were met with market demand, it would have boosted the company’s profit margin. The other threat goes from the continuous development of The News Inc. which uses very aggressive expansion strategy. It plays a â€Å"gatekeeper† role in the development of digital broadcasting and has already been developing long-term technical capabilities to build its internet presence. At the same time, the global media industry is very fragmented due to various cultural differences. Thus, the permanent change of consumer trends and the market fragmentation create a lot of niche markets. Today, the major theatre for fierce competition is US and EU markets. The company has to compete with other entertainment companies, broadcasters and content providers, who pursue very aggressive customer-switching strategies. Swot analysis According to Wit & Meyer (1998) the analysis of capabilities shall focus on the analysis of â€Å"core competence† or â€Å"portfolio† assessment (see Appendix I). Applying this table to the case of Walt Disney it must be admitted, that the global nature of operations and high intensity of competitive environment create importance for using both types of analysis. Strengths From the core competence perspective, one of the main strengths of Walt Disney’s strategy is a capability of fast and intensive transfer of operational capabilities across the markets, which allow the company to benefit from learning curve, operational and other cost reduction benefits. The other important capability is the ability to develop new innovative solutions to meet changing demand. The development of Mission: SPACE is the good example of the application of latest digital technologies to enhance the entertainment experience of theme park visitors (Datamonitor, 2004). From the portfolio perspective, the company’s strength is in its experience of international operations. According to Bennet (1999) the development of local knowledge along with learning curve might create potential synergies over different strategic business units. The other strength is a diversified portfolio. Walt Disney is involved in various areas of the media distribution, including television and cable, book publishing and filmed entertainment, character merchandise and internet content delivery. The company's wide-ranging interests protect it somewhat from the effects of adverse market conditions in any one of the sectors within which it operates. Its presence in a large number of markets gives the company a more balanced and stable portfolio of assets, and therefore a more secure business. The diversity of the media portfolio creates a strong advertising potential. The company operates with six domestic sports channels, reaching 85 million viewers, and has several brand extensions including ESPN Radio, which is the largest radio sports network in the US. Its A Television Networks, featuring cultural and entertainment programming such as The History Channel, reach 77 million homes. Lifetime Television is devoted to women's lifestyle programming and reaches 83 million cable subscribers. Its Toon Disney channel, targeted at 2-11 year olds, is available in 26 million homes and began carrying advertising in 2000. Disney's SoapNet channel was also launched in 2000, and now reaches more than 18 million homes (Datamonitor, 2004). Weaknesses One of the strong weaknesses of the company is the dependence of theme park distribution on seasonal component. All of Disney's theme parks and associated operations are open all year round. However, there are extreme fluctuations in park attendance and resort occupancy, caused by the nature and patterns of vacations. Peak attendance and occupancy occur during the school holidays in summer, early-winter and spring. These fluctuations cause natural operational difficulties, but also make the business more vulnerable as it relies heavily on a few key months. If economic downturns, poor weather or other outside influences occur during the crucial periods, the effect on annual results is magnified. The analysis of financial data for the last 10 years (www. hoovers. com) show that despite overall healthy growth f its sales and successful penetration into new markets, the company had very high operation costs and unbalanced cash flows along different SBUs. The financial figures show that only cable broadcasting and television create sound profit. The situation with filmed entertainment requires consideration regarding the future strategy of running this business area as the company’s certain failures seriously affected the profitability of this area. Opportunities Improvement of customer relation s strategy According to D’Agostino (2003) Walt Disney has a unique opportunity of developing strong customer relations strategy based on database marketing capabilities. It predicts that the introduction of these technologies will enable the company to target and tailor the media delivery to active and prospective customers. However various analysts strongly advise to find the balance between â€Å"being digital and human† (D’Agostino, 2003). Advertising Growth The analysis of social factors influence shows the strong impact of various social events on the content requirements. Various social events as summer holidays or adventure trips might create significant a potential for advertising growth what can bring great financial benefit. Differentiation The continuous change of global lifestyles and attitudes create niche markets for specific quality products. The ongoing diffusion of new technological solutions creates new possibilities to capture these markets. Thus the combination of these factors provides a feasible opportunity to expand. However, the success will strongly depend on the ability to react quickly to keep abreast of fast-changing market requirements. The further introduction of ICT technologies As Datamonitor (2003) recommends, the ICT technologies shall be further implemented in the business process. The further proliferation of broadband technologies on the EU market might create various opportunities for Walt Disney providing its extensive development of online applications. Besides, it will enable the company to exploit various internet media channels that will enable the company to use various e-marketing tools to create stronger relations with its customers.. Superior market segmentation The company has the opportunity to develop stronger demographic segmentation in order to anticipate the further market trends. The Mintel report (2003) shows that there are significant differences in preferences across different demographic and psychographic groups. Given the importance of content as a strong â€Å"pull† and differentiating factor, the further success might depend on the ability to spot the requirements of niche markets and meet them. Threats Economic conditions The Walt Disney’s media production and distribution indirectly dependent on advertising for their revenue. Changes in US, global or regional economic conditions may affect the advertising market for broadcast and cable television programming, which in turn may affect the volume of, and price for, the advertising on Walt Disney’s cable networks and shows and the volume of, and price for, the programming that the company is able to sell. Winnie the Pooh trial According to Datamonitor (2004) a one-billion-dollar lawsuit against Walt Disney over the cash generated by the Winnie the Pooh character is likely to finally go to trial in 2005. The case centres on the US marketing rights to he character, created by British author A. A. Milne and popularized by the Disney entertainment empire. Among the issues at stake, are revenues from computer software, DVDs and videotapes, merchandise that mostly comes in formats that came into being after the agreement was signed. Pooh revenues, said to be the most of any character that Disney markets, are estimated to be in the region of three billion to six billion dollars a year, and the lawsuit represents a considerable threat to the company's performance in the future. Stakeholder analysis Stakeholders are persons, groups or institutions with interests in a project or programme. According to McLarney (2002) there are two types of stakeholders: primary or key stakeholders, and secondary ones. Primary stakeholders are those ultimately affected, either positively (beneficiaries) or negatively (for example, those involuntarily resettled). Secondary stakeholders are the intermediaries in the aid delivery process. McLarney (2002) suggest that the group of primary stakeholders consist of shareholders, employees and customers. Shareholders Shareholders can be considered as one of the most influential type of primary stakeholders as they might exert direct or indirect control over the strategic action of the company. That is why one of the Disney's overriding objectives â€Å"is to create shareholder value by continuing to be the world's premier entertainment company from a creative, strategic, and financial standpoint†. Shareholders’ evaluation of the company’s current and future performance has a direct effect on the company’s stakes’ value. The recent bidding of Comcast Corporation for The Walt Disney Company (Business Week, 2004) exemplified the way market evaluation might determine the bidding process during the possible merging. This group expect the company to deliver consistent sound financial performance what will be a proof that the company can fulfil its mission’s objectives. Employees Employees have a direct influence over the quality of the business concept delivery. According to Drucker (1998) employee possess important tacit and explicit knowledge, which can significantly contribute to the learning capability of the company, especially during business process reengineering and continuous improvement activities. They expect to work for the socially responsible company, which is adherent to its mission and brand promise. They also expect certain degree of involvement in decision making, personal development and adequate performance appraisal. Customers Customers have a direct influence over company’s profitability. According to Kotler et al. (1999) the direction of customers’ attitude formation may determine the success and failure of particular goods or brand. Customers expect the company to deliver the quality promised by the brand, and communicated to them through various promotion mix activities. The issue of company’s social responsibility, especially in the case of Walt Disney is crucial, as the company is involved in character–based merchandise which is heavily dependant on the proliferation of specific image of particular characters. Conclusion The analysis of the current PESTEL factors identified the particular importance of socio-cultural, political and legal, economic, technological and environmental factors on the environment. All of these factors determine the success of operations. If socio-cultural and economic factors affect the demand patterns and vulnerability of strategic development, other factors create the conditions for value chain architecture. The review of environmental factors identified the opportunities to improve financial health, capitalize on the growth of advertising market and develop further ifferentiation using technological solutions. At the same time economic conditions and copyright issue create serious threats to the company. The analysis of five forces identified the strong power of buyers and the analysis of strategic capability defined the following strengths: diversified portfolio, fast and intensive transfer of operational capabilities and the experience of running the international oper ations. At the same time the current portfolio management and the dependence of certain business units on various external factors were defined as major weaknesses. The paper identified various feasible opportunities. The analysis of current capabilities along with the further development of technological solutions create strong case for the development of customer relations management based on database marketing techniques. Besides the company might pursue the development of new ICT technologies. The current success of Mission: SPACE attractions show vast market opportunities with regards to the introduction of new entertainment experience. The company may develop superior market segmentation. The high influence of social factor and the influence of fashion trends on market demand and product life cycles create the space for niche market strategies. The stakeholder analysis defined three types of key stakeholders, as shareholders, employees and customers, who might exert sufficient influence on the strategic development of the company. references Bennett, R. (1999) Corporate strategy – 2nd ed. – London: Financial Times Bradley F. (1999) International marketing strategy – 3rd edn. – Addison-Wesley Publishing Calton J. nd Kurland N. (1996) â€Å"A theory of stakeholder enabling: giving voice to an emerging postmodern praxis of organizational discourse†, Boje D. M. , Gephardt R. P. , Thatchenkey T. J. Postmodern Management and Organizational Theory – Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Chaffey D. (2002) E-business and e-commerce management : strategy, implementation and practice – Harlow : Financial Times Prentice Hall Datamonitor (2003) â€Å"Global media: Industry profile†, Datamonitor, June Datamonitor (2004) â€Å"Walt Disney: Company profile†, Datamonitor D’Agostino D. 2003) â€Å"Walt Disney World Resorts and CRM Strategy†, eWeek, 01/12 Drucker P. (1998) â€Å"Management’s new paradigms†, Forbes, 05/10. Grant, R. M. (1998) Contemporary strategy analysis: concepts, techniques, applications – 3rd ed. – Malden, Mass. ; Oxford: Blackwell Hill C. (2002) International business: competing in the global marketplace – 4th edn. – Irwin McGraw-Hill: London Kotler P. , Bowen J. , Mak J. (1999) Marketing for hospitality and tourism – 2nd edn. – Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Mintel (2003) â€Å"Leisure Business – UK†, Mintel International Group Limited, August Porter M. (1990) The competitive advantage of nations – London: Macmillan, Wit B. and Meyer R. (1998) Strategy: process, content, context: an international perspective – 2nd edn. – London : International Thomson Business Hoovers Online Official site – www. hoovers. com Appendix i – Portfolio vs core competence perspectives | |Portfolio |Core Competences | |Emphasis on |Responsiveness over synergy |Synergy over responsiveness |View of competition |Firms compete within a business |Corporations compete across business | |Competitive strategy at |Business level |Corporate level | |Key success factors |Responsiveness to business demands |Competence leverage | |Corporate composition |Potentially unrelated (diverse) |Shared competence base (focused) | |Mulitibusiness synergy |Cash flow optimization |Rapid competence building | |Primary task corporate centre |Capital allocation to SBU’s |Competence development & application | |Position of Business un its |Highly autonomous (independent) |Highly integrated (interdependent) | |Co-ordination between SBU’s |Low, incidental |High, structural | |Corporate control style |Setting financial objectives |Joint strategy development | |Diversification acquisitions |Simple to accommodate |Difficult to integrate | Adopted from Witt and Meyer (1998) ———————– Competitors High New entrants Low Buyers (bargaining power) High Substitutes High Suppliers

Knowledge and Attitude About Testicular Examination

ARA S TIRM A / ORIGINAL ARTICL E Gulhane T? p Derg 2011; 53: 17-25  © Gulhane Askeri T? p Akademisi 2011 Investigation of the frequency of testicular self examination performance in young adult males Ercan Gocgeldi (*), Necmettin Kocak (**), Serdar Ulus (**), Cenk Yeginer (**), Seref Basal (***) SUMMARY Testicular tumors are the second most frequently observed malignancy after leukemia in the age group of 20-35 in men. The rate of a 5-year survey is 99. 9% with early diagnosis. Awareness of the individuals and performing a testicular self examination by themselves are important in the early diagnosis.Our aim in this cross-sectional study was to determine the performance frequency of testicular self examination and the factors affecting this among young adults. Of all the participants, 23. 3%, 6. 8% and 4. 7% declared that they had heard about testicular cancer and about testicular self examination, and that they had performed testicular self examination at least once in their life, respectively. The rates of hearing about and performing testicular self examination were found low in the present study, however these rates were higher among those who had heard of testicular cancer from population.Well planned campaigns and educational organizations may be conducted in the country-wide in order to increase the awareness about testicular cancer and the frequency of testicular self examination. Key words: Soldier, testicular cancer, testicular self-examination, young adult man OZET Genc eriskin erkeklerde kendi kendine testis muayenesi yapma s? kl? g? n? n arast? r? lmas? Testis tumorleri 20-35 yas grubu erkeklerde losemiden sonra en s? k rastlanan 2. malignitedir. Erken tan? ile 5 y? ll? k yasam oran? %99. 9’dur. Bireylerin fark? ndal? g? ve kendi kendilerine testis muayenesi yapmalar? erken tan? icin onemlidir.Bu kesitsel cal? smadaki amac? m? z, genc eriskin erkeklerde kendi kendisine testis muayenesi uygulama duzeyi ve buna etki eden faktorleri saptamakt ? r. Kat? l? mc? lar? n %23. 3’u testis kanserini duyduklar? n? , %6. 8’i kendi kendisine testis muayenesini duyduklar? n? , %4. 7’si hayatlar? boyunca en az bir kez kendi kendisine testis muayenesi yapt? klar? n? belirtmislerdir. Cal? smam? z? n yap? ld? g? populasyonda kendi kendisine testis muayenesini duyma s? kl? g? ve kendi kendisine testis muayenesi yapma durumlar? dusuk bulunmustur, ancak bu oranlar testis kanserini populasyondan duyanlarda daha yuksek olarak bulunmustur.Testis kanserinin fark? ndal? g? n? n ve kendi kendisine testis muayenesinin s? kl? g? n? n art? r? lmas? icin ulke genelinde iyi planlanm? s kampanyalar ve egitim organizasyonlar? duzenlenebilir. Anahtar kelimeler: Asker, testis kanseri, kendi kendine testis muayenesi, genc eriskin erkek * Department of Plan and Programming, Commandership of Health, Turkish Military Forces ** Department of Public Health, Gulhane Military Medical Faculty *** Department of Urology, Gulhane Military Medica l Faculty This study was presented at the 12th National Congress of Public Health (Ankara, October 21-25, 2008) Reprint request: Dr.Ercan Gocgeldi, Department of Plan and Programming, Commandership of Health, Turkish Military Forces, Bakanl? klar, Ankara, Turkey E-mail: [email  protected] com Date submitted: July 15, 2010 †¢ Date accepted: November 01, 2010 Introduction Testicular cancer is one of the health problems, frequency of which continuously increases. Testicular tumors are the second most frequent malignancy after leukemia in males at the age group of 20-35 (1). The incidence of testicular cancer shows variations between countries, races and socio-economic classes. The rate is 6. 7% and 0. in Scandinavian countries and Japan, respectively. In the USA 2-3 new cases are reported per 100. 000 males per year (2). The risk of a development of testicular cancer in white males in the USA during the whole life is at a level of 0. 2%. The incidence in people of higher socio-e conomic classes is half of the lower socio-economic classes (2). Although the reason for testicular cancer is not known exactly, there is knowledge regarding that both congenital as well as some acquired factors are responsible in tumor development. The strongest relationship is with an â€Å"undescended testis†.Approximately 7-10% of testicular cancers develop with cryptorchidism history. The cryptorchidism prevalence is 9. 2-30. 0% in premature births and 3. 55. 8% in mature births. Cryptorchidism frequency is 0. 8-1. 0% during the first age and remains unchanged with a ratio of 0. 7% until puberty (3). Five to 10% of testicular tumors occur on the opposite side, in the normal descended testis. The highest relative malignancy risk (1 of 20) is met in intra-abdominal testis. Placement of the cryptorchid testis into the scrotum (orchidopexy) reduces the malignancy potential of the cryptorchid testis (2).The frequency of testicular cancer cases met on the right side is 52. 3%, on the left side 47. 7%, and the frequency of being bilateral is 2-3% (4). In general the patients consult the physician due to a painless single side bulge and mass in the scrotum. The growth of the testis in general develops slowly and a feeling of testicular pain is experienced. The common accepted opinion is that until the opposite 17 is approved, a determined asperity in the testis needs to be deemed as a malign tumor (3). Other symptoms are gynecomasty, pigmentation on the scrotum, and pain in the abdomen and the groin.Scrotal pain develops at the late period of the tumor as a result of tunica albuginea or epididymis invasion (4). The time between the first discovery of the lesion in the testis and start of the definite treatment (orchidectomy) is 3-6 months in average. The time of the delay shows a correlation with the incidence of the metastasis. Approximately 10% of the patients are asymptomatic and can be detected upon trauma or by the sexual partner of the patient (3). T estis tumor often mimics epididymitis and epididymorchidis. Ten per cent of testis tumors mimics orchiepididymitis.Their diagnosis can easily be made with ultrasound and anamnesis. Other diseases to be considered during the diagnosis are spermatocele, traumatic hematocele, granulomatous orchitis, varicocele and epidermoid cysts (3). Testicular cancer can be treated completely when they are detected in early stages. The chance for a 5-year life is 99. 9% with early diagnosis (5). Among the basic diagnostic methods, ultrasound, transillumination and computed tomography can be mentioned (1,3). Individuals’ awareness and their performing a testicular self examination (TSE) by themselves is important regarding an early diagnosis (3).Routine testicular self examination (R-TSE) is an examination performed by the person himself at least once a month and regularly, which is made by using both hands, while holding the testis with one hand and examining the testis on masses during bathi ng or after bathing in front of a mirror (1,6). Along with the advantages that R-TSE is easy to learn and to apply, safe, non-invasive, economic, and does not need any special tools and devices, take time. When it is performed regularly each month, it provides that changes are detected early because the testis structure is known.There are some studies examining testicular cancer and TSE performance frequencies. In these studies, TSE performance frequency varies according to the attributes of the group with which the study is realized. The frequencies of hearing about testicular cancer and TSE and performance of TSE in these studies are summarized in Table I. In the study performed by Ercan et. al. among 867 male university students between the ages of 18-30 years, it is determined that 8. 9% of the participants have heard about TSE, and 5. 1% perform TSE (6). In the study performed by Lechner et. l. among 274 students between the ages of 15-19 years, it is determi18 †¢ March 20 11 †¢ Gulhane Med J ned that 3. 0% of the participants have heard about TSE and 2. 0% performed TSE (5). The TSE performance frequency of the participants of the study realized by Khadra et. al. among 202 persons of the ages of 18-50 years who consulted a polyclinic providing first stage health services is determined as 22. 0% (7). In the study performed by Moore et. al. among 203 people who are university students or graduates between the ages of 20-45 years, it is determined that 32. % of the participants have heard about TSE and 22. 0% performed TSE (8). In the study by Rudberg et. al. performed among university students in Sweden, it is determined that many of the students have not heard anything about TSE (9). In the study of Tichler et. al. among 717 soldiers and 200 military physicians in the Israeli army, 2. 0% of the soldiers and 73% of the physicians have stated that they have performed TSE (10). In the study of Vaz et. al. among 1364 adolescent males, 28. 0% of the p articipants stated that they had heard about testicular cancer (11).In this study of Wardle et. al. among 7304 young male adults, it is stated that 13. 0% of the participants have performed TSE (12). In the study by Neef et. al. among 404 male college students, it is stated that 42. 0% of the participants heard about TSE, 22% performed TSE before (13). In the study by Cummings et. al. among 266 university students and male graduates, it is determined that 16. 0% of the participants have heard about TSE (14). In the study of Christine et. al. among 191 young adult males between the ages of 18-35 years, it is stated that 36. % of the participants have performed TSE (15). It is rather important that the male become more aware on testicular cancer, of which the frequency of incurrence has raised during the last years, they learn and apply TSE as an early diagnostic method. The aim of this study was to determine the testicular self examination performance frequency in young adult males. Material and Methods The universe of this study, planned in cross section type, was constituted by 5033 persons, who joined the Etimesgut Armoured Units Education Center Commandership in the recruitment period in November 2007.There is no sample selection made for the study, it is targeted to reach the whole universe in a term of one week upon the start of the arrival of the soldiers to the unit. As some soldiers joined the unit except for working hours and that some rejected to participate in the study, not the whole of the universe could be reached, the study was performed with 3645 (72. 4%) persons. The data were collected by the researchers using the question form, developed by the researchers after a liGocgeldi et al. Table I.Brief findings of studies regarding the performance of a testicular self examination Researchers Research type Age group Group attribute Hearing of Hearing (n) testicular of TSE cancer Ercan et. al. (6) Lechner et. al. (5) Khadra et. al. (7) Cross sectiona l Descriptive Descriptive 18-30 15-19 18-50 University students (867) High-school students (274) People consulting polyclinic providing a first stage health services (202) University students and graduates (203) High-school students (727) Male soldiers (717) Military physicians (200) Vaz et. al. (11) Wardle et. al. (12) Neef et. al. 13) Cummings et. al. (14) Descriptive Cross sectional Descriptive Descriptive Adolescent Young adult male (1364) 16486 students College students (404) University students and graduates (266) People living in industry complex (191) 42% 16% 28% 42. 9% 26. 0% 91. 0% 8. 9% 3. 0% 28% At least one performance of TSE in life 5. 1% 2. 0% 22% At least once a month performance of TSE Country Turkey Holland England Moore et. al. (8) Rudberg et. al. (9) Tichler et. al. (10) Descriptive Cross sectional Descriptive 20-45 15-21 90. 6% 11. 3% 32. 0% 5. 6% 22. 0% 11. 5% 2% 73% 5. 06% 1. 2% England Sweden IsraelUSA 13% 22% 8% England USA USA Christine et. al. (15) Descrip tive 18-35 36% USA terature hatch. On the question form, there are 7 questions regarding their socio-demographic attributes, 3 questions regarding the stories of the participants regarding cancer and testicular cancer, 10 questions regarding testicular self examination in order to determine their behavior and 15 questions regarding testicular cancer, symptoms and TSE were included into the knowledge test. The pre-test of the question form, prepared by the researchers was made with 20 soldiers of the Gulhane Military Medical Academy.Support Troops Command, failures regarding the application and easiness to understand and observed failures regarding data entrance are amended. It was approved by the ethic commission. Groups of 20 persons of the soldiers who joined the Etimesgut Armoured Units Education Center Commandership in November 2007 were interviewed, the study and its aim were explained, if they should want to participate (those who orally accepted to) necessary information rega rding some definitions in the inquiry (testis, undescended testis, testicular self examination) is provided orally such that Volume 53 †¢ Issue 1 he participants can understand these and provided that they answer the questions under observation. The recruitment age in Turkey is 20 and those, who are not hindered join the Armed Forces in general at the age of 21 years. But only at a little part the recruitment age is later due to several reasons. Thus, in general male perform their military services at the age of 20-21. For that, the ages are grouped as 20-21, 2224, 25 years and above.The occupational information of the participants is obtained as open end and afterwards a grouping regarding being or not-being related to healthcare is performed. The demographic distribution of the participants is grouped by the regionalization system of five of the Turkish Statistic Institute by respecting their provinces of birth. The data were analyzed by using the SPSS 10. 0 package statistic software. The descriptive statistics were given as frequencies and percent.The TSE performance frequencies and completeness of some sociodemographic with descriptive attributes, the completeness of giving correct answers to each question of the knowledge test with the TSE performance freTesticular self examination †¢ 19 quency, of which it was thought that they may have an effect on this, was compared with the chi-square, and the comparison of the average of the participants giving correct answers at the knowledge test according to their socio-demographic and descriptive attributes was compared with the Kruskal-Wallis and the Mann-Whitney U test. A p value of