Gun Violence And Gun Control - 1043 Words

In the past decade or so, Americans had experienced epidemic level of gun violence taking place in every corner of country. Actually owning gun is legal in the USA, it’s actually our second amendment; the right to bare firearms. Approximately 300 million Americans held gun in their homes. Gun violence has centered in our community as major issue. Gun violence and gun ownership have been in the news lately due to numerous shooting taking place at Movie theatre, Offices, , colleges and even elementary schools. The gun issue discussion were even discussed in a national court, but due to intense controversial opinion from both side, the case is still unresolved. Many civilians believe that laws regarding owning gun should be stricter and if possible ban civilians from having guns. On the other hand, some say it is our right to own gun as it is guaranteed in our second amendment. But second amendment was written in 1970s and we are in 21 century now with cases of innocents being killed in gun shoot frequently. Therefore, it is not wrong to claim that gun ownership are responsible for rising death number in America, First, banning gun shot will exceptionally decrease the number of deaths. Unarmed citizens were killed and injured during most gun shoot incidents. Nowadays, G un shoot cases are shown in news channels and internet every now and then. For example, the gun shot that happened in our neighbor nursing college in oakland; Oikos University. It took away the lives ofShow MoreRelatedGun Control And Gun Violence1054 Words   |  5 PagesGun control generally refers to policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms (Wikipedia). This is an important definition for citizens, lawmakers, and gun lobbyists to follow over the debate on gun control. As well as the Second Amendment in the constitution which states, â€Å"The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed†. There has been a debate on whether that specifies within the home or outside of the home. For more thanRead MoreGun Control And Gun Violence1172 Words   |  5 Pagespeople depart from this earth due to gun violence in the US every day. From school children, to victims of domestic violence, to people going ab out their daily lives, this status quo is unacceptable. On Tuesday January 5th, 2016 President Obama announced that he would send proposals on reducing gun violence in America to Congress. His spokesman, Jay Carney, mentioned that this is â€Å"a complex problem that will require a complex solution.† The ability to own a gun is considered by some a birthright ofRead MoreGun Violence And Gun Control726 Words   |  3 PagesI have read were â€Å"Connecticut School Shooting ‘An Attack on America’† by Ted Anthony and â€Å"The Price of Gun Control by Dan Baum. All around I believe these articles were both very interesting and both took different perspectives on the issues of guns in America. Both Anthony and Baum illustrated the different problems that we have in America and our communities with gun control and gun violence. But, they both brought the text together to relate it on a personal level. I enjoyed reading both textsRead MoreGun Violence And Gun Control1007 Words   |  5 Pagesshootings and various other methods of gun violence, tens of thousands of people die every year. These gun-related deaths primarily originate from murder and children accidentally shooting themselves. Although those in favor of gun control tend to believe that guns should be terminated completely, the second amendment prevents lawmakers from being able to do so. Therefore, in order to combat these causes, alternative gun control solutions must be made for each one. Gun-related murders can be decreasedRead MoreGun Control And Gun Violence1226 Words   |  5 PagesViolence is everywhere in the world. In every country, city, town and village there is some form of violence. In my lifetime, there have been countless deaths and injuries due to gun violence. We happen to live in a country where gun violence is among the most prevalent in the world: The United States of America. Today, gun control and gun violence has become a controversial issue in Americ a. The issue for gun control has been debated for a long time, probably ever since they were invented. It isRead MoreGun Violence And Gun Control1406 Words   |  6 Pages Gun violence in America is a huge topic of discussion. Many people have heard about this topic on the news or in the newspaper, but have very little knowledge on this ongoing topic. Those who have a lack of information on gun control tend to not feel strongly towards guns or people owning or carrying guns. People that have never been around guns are often scared of them, but the truth is a gun is nothing more than a hunk of metal. For a gun to go off the gun needs a shooter, so should the realRead MoreGun Violence And The Gun Control1253 Words   |  6 PagesGun Violence in America According to CDC, One person is killed by a firearms every 17 minutes, 87 people are killed during an average day, and 609 are killed every week†(CDC). That means gun violence is out of control, and you can be next. In fact, there s been an increase of mass murders occurring everywhere due to guns. Which has brought our attention to the gun violence in our nation. They say guns are for protection, but in reality there seems to be more murder associated with it. There sRead MoreGun Violence : Gun Control And The Violence Essay1241 Words   |  5 Pagesissue in American society would be gun control and the violence it brings. We live in a time where technology allows news to spread rapidly and every week gun violence crimes seem to be in the news. These crimes start to divide us as a society. â€Å"Each year for the last decade in America, more than 30,000 people have died due to firearms† (Swanson, 2015). From 1968 to 2015, we had about 1.6 million deaths due to firearm related deaths (Swanson, 2015). Gun violence only seems to be getting worse asRead MoreGun Violence And Gun Control Essay1301 Words   |  6 Pagescaused by gun violence this year. This is an alarming statistic, especially when you consider that 354 mass shootings have contributed to the body count. 1952 of these deaths have been labeled accidental, which is almost as startling as the death toll itself. (@GunDeaths) Gun violence is a problem that is not going to go away unless there is action taken to combat it. A lack of gun education, weak gun regulation, and government indifference towards gun violence in the country has allowed gun violenceRead MoreGun Violence And Gun Control1166 Words   |  5 Pagesmany people as the Land of the Free; a Land of Opportunities. There has always been a gun culture in America; however it has also been a gun-control culture. Whenever a devastating mass shooting occurs, such as the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, a deliberation about gun violence follows suit. Depending on whom you discuss this with, that case is not always true. There are those that are for gun control and those that are against. There are also conspiracy theories that claim that the events

The Impact Of Technology On Education And Education Essay

Education has evolved tremendously over the past centuries. From one room school houses, segregated schools, to public and private schools, forms of education and how we receive it are always changing. In the past decade, technology has become a large part of education and schooling. Views on types of schooling and education are changing rapidly. Videos and articles can be found all over the Internet on basically any subject you can think of. Much of today’s schooling is done through online classes. Due to the increasing popularity of technology in education and the availability of the service, how schools are run will change and the need for teachers and staff will lessen. In the near future all schooling will be done by and through technology. The use of technology in schools and education has been increasing rapidly over the past decade. Classrooms have gone from paper, pencils, and chalkboards, now to laptops, smartboards, and online homework. Much of the homework students do is now turned in online, where it can be graded instantaneously and the results given right away to the student. This also saves teachers time from not grading each paper individually and allows them to focus on what is next in the lesson. Online school work allows students to share files and documents, work on group projects where everyone can edit a paper at the same time, and work on papers any time or place where technology is available. Note taking and studying have become much more efficientShow MoreRelatedImpact of Technology on Education1146 Words   |  5 Pages------------------------------------------------- Positive Impact of Technology on Education Technology plays a very important role in the field of education, especially in this 21st century. In fact, computer technology has become easier for teachers to transfer knowledge and for students to obtain it. The use of technology has made the process of teaching and learning more convenient. Talking in a positive sense, the impact of technology on education has been extraordinary. Using Internet and computersRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On Education802 Words   |  4 Pages The use of technology expanding broadly in different aspects of our lives and technology plays a significant role in modern society. The technology used globally and it impacts our lives daily for instant: government, businesses, schools, workplace, environment, and household. The technological evolution led humanity from the dark ages to enlightenment and agriculture to industrial. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of technology means â€Å"the practical application of knowledgeRe ad MoreThe Impact Of Technology In Education1533 Words   |  7 Pagesof constructivism appear on the fringes of education, there is a polarizing argument about what place technology has in schools. Students are coming to school with computers in the form of phones, tablets, or laptops in their pockets and backpacks. Some schools are leading the charge with BYOD (bring your own device) or BYOT (bring your own technology) initiatives. However, there are still districts, schools, and teachers who will not allow technology into their classrooms. Many schools and teachersRead MoreImpact Of Technology On Education829 Words   |  4 PagesImpact of Technology on Education The way we teach students in the modern classroom has massively changed throughout the years. One major changing factor is the development and use of technology. Before, classrooms were filled with paper, pencils, crayons, and all things needed to be completely hands on with our education. Now, most classrooms have replaced these things with tablets and laptops and smart boards that students get to spend all day staring at. Technology has the potentialRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On Education And Education1820 Words   |  8 PagesMay, 2017. The Benefits of Technology in Education According to Thomas Jefferson, â€Å"If the children are untaught, their ignorance and vices will in future life cost us much dearer in their consequences than it would have done in their correction by a good education†(Vasudeva).Technology has impacted every aspect of most people’s life and education is no exception (Purdue). The education process has evolved as more people make use of technological devices and so education no longer starts or ends inRead MoreTechnology And Its Impact On Education985 Words   |  4 Pagesthis decade, technology has significant influence in many areas of society especially for improving education, language acquisition, support learning, and it is a great way to access to information. In fact, nowadays students depend on their machine such as computers, laptops, mobile phone to study in the classroom or outside the class. In addition, they use the internet to communicate with teachers and to help them do research for information they n eed to do homework. Although, technology is a substantialRead MoreThe Impact of Technology on Education4413 Words   |  18 Pagesï » ¿The Impact of Technology on Education 16 Introduction Higher education is undergoing a radical shift from localized, teacher-centered, face-to-face courses to student-centered online and hybrid courses offered by global universities. The traditional delivery of education is being supplemented and replaced by digital education models. The proliferation of information on the Web, the proliferation of instructional systems vendors, and the burden on faculty to design hybrid courses threaten theRead MoreTechnology And Its Impact On Education2762 Words   |  12 Pages Technology advancement has really provided new platforms for various disciplines leading to great improvements in the education process. Furthermore, education has been thoroughly lightened as a result of technology being applied to education. Actually, technology can be thought of as the application the scientific knowledge and approaches for the different purposes and in this case, education approaches like learning and teaching. In almost two decade technological approache s have been done andRead MoreTechnology And Its Impact On Education1134 Words   |  5 Pagesfact that United States of America’s education program is a far stretch from futuristic in most districts; application of technology has undoubtedly showed itself to be a critical factor in most high performing schools. Technology not only improves the learning environment to better fit the student, but also offers previously inaccessible learning material to students. If seen as an investment by the schools for the benefit of the students, private technology assigned to each student would betterRead MoreTechnology And Its Impact On Education904 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Technology may empower, but to what end will that power be used?† said Levine in I Surf, Therefore I Am (224). The empowerment of technology simply comes down to the way it is used. More recently; however, the Internet has become some sort of replacement in the way students learn today. With the use of the Internet and little to no interaction with physical books, people can become uneducated rather easily. In today’s society, most everyone has access to the Internet; however, it is the way we

Masculinity in Rap and Hip Hop Essay - 626 Words

Tasia Walker Masculinity in Rap and Hip Hop Today in Hip Hop every rapper has to portray themselves as being hard, having a lot of girls in their circle and having money. Since the beginning of the American society being considered a real man was to be able to protect their families. When television came around western films portrayed men as either strong or weak and defined their masculinity as being the stronger man because of their guns. For example in a western movie during a draw two men would be about twenty feet away from each other and whichever man shot the other man first won the draw and was then considered the dominant male and very masculine. Therefore what goes on in rap†¦show more content†¦The person who has to bring someone else down by criticizing their upbringing and manliness only shows that they are insecure about theirs and become a bully. The lyrics that are in rap songs are not only listened to by African Americans but by many other cultures, cultures who know nothing about them. Different cul tures listen to rap music to get to know a culture and all the violence and explicit lyrics within rap creates stereotypes. To other cultures they see African Americans as violent pimps, which is not the case at all. Not to mention African American women in rap videos, even the men in the same culture consider them to be b***** not sisters. During the documentary a scene was shot at BET’s Spring Bling and a young male pointed out that women are determined to be b****** or women by the way they dress. Sexism is an issue that to society is not seen as important compared to the large number of black males incarcerated. The issue should be just as important if not more because one in four African American women is raped after the age eighteen. Most women who are called a b**** or another demeaning name think that it wasn’t referred to them, and either way is still unacceptable. Hip Hop is not being represented by men, which is why the decision of their lyrics is said the way that theyShow MoreRelatedEssay about Hip Hop: Beyond Beats Rhymes523 Words   |  3 PagesHip Hop: Beyond Beats Rhymes is a documentary created and produced by Bryon Hurt. The documentary challenges the dominant discourses of hyper masculinity and the misogynist treatment of women in commercialized rap. Of the many mainstream phenomenons that are discussed by Bryon in the documentary, the issue of hyper masculinity in Hip Hop is questioned greatly. Throughout the film, the producer was able to show the wide acceptance of hyper masculinity not only in Hip Hop but also American cultureRead MoreWomen Of Hip Hop Culture Essay1723 Words   |  7 PagesWomen have decided to consume hip hop regardless of the sexism and machismo of their rap artist spouses. Historically, black women who have sex with other women haven’t been recognized in the Black community. Also, the expectations are the same in hip hop culture because men reject lesbians. An example is the murder in 2003 o f Sakia Gunn after she declared her lesbian identity to a group of males. We all know that in hip hop culture men predominate and precisely masculine. Women can achieve a higherRead MoreMisogyny Hip Hop W Sources Essay1571 Words   |  7 PagesMisogyny in Hip Hop | 3.5.2012Dr. Tshombe WalkerAFR 1503 | Tina Marie | Misogyny in Hip Hop culture refers to lyrics, videos, or other aspects of hip hop culture that support, glorify, justify or normalize the objectification, exploitation or victimization of women. Misogyny in hip hop music instills and perpetuates negative stereotypes about women. It can range from innuendos to stereotypical characterizations and defamations. Overt misogyny in rap and hip hop music emerged in theRead MoreMisogyny Of Hip Hop : The Solution1564 Words   |  7 Pages’Kayla Morgan Jeffrey Baggett English 102 April 25, 2016 Misogyny In Hip Hop: The Solution In today’s society many individuals listen to music. With so many different genres to choose from in the music industry, one of the most popular genres of music is Hip Hop. With the constant urge for new artists, lyrics, and rap styles, it seems as though Hip Hop is the holy grail of music. One of the main problems with Hip Hop is the misogyny of women. Adams and Fuller (2006) define misogyny as the â€Å"hatredRead MoreHip Hop : The Commodification Of African American Women1717 Words   |  7 PagesHip-Hop Music: The Commodification of African-American Women Since its emergence in the 1980s, hip-hop has taken the world by storm; it has impacted and revolutionized the way people behave, dress, and think. Hip-hop music enables people to connect in a way they would never be able to with any other genre of music. Although, hip-hop has swayed different generations over the years, its influence has not always been positive. In the past, hip-hop focused more on current events in society, personalRead MoreRap Music Is Not The Only Type Of American Music Associated With Sex And Violence1508 Words   |  7 PagesRap music is not the only type of American music associated with sex and violence. The history of Rock’s Roll for example, is a good example. The same arrangements, with white people at the top, uplifted an entire American generation on sex and violence in other types of music. Now they are doing the same with rap music (Roberts, 1994). Rappers have thus been forced to abandon the stated goal of their humble beginning to conform t o the marketable aspects of their crafts. (Rebollo-Gil Moras, 2012)Read MoreThe Bronx Of New York City990 Words   |  4 Pagespoverty-stricken area that was comprised of primarily Black and Latino residents. As a response to the systemic racism that these communities faced, young black men became vocal about their communities’ issues through the use of hip hop music. Thus, it was during this time that hip hop became a rising platform; and was predominantly influenced by the Black power movements which promoted black nationalism, liberation and empowerment as a response to systemic anti-black racism. This platform allowed many youngRead MoreBlack Masculinity Essay795 Words   |  4 PagesThis is more of a personal question, but how do you define masculinity and more specifically black masculinity? What does it mean to you? In our earlier reading for black masculinity, we learned about different definitions of black masculinity through different lens. For example, authors s uch as Byron Hurt and Kathleen Brown state that black masculinity can be rooted in many from expressionism to violence. With every reading and every discussion in class, I consistently have to return to these questionsRead MoreHip Hop : The Root Of Black Culture1877 Words   |  8 Pages Hip-hop is the root of black culture. Hip-hop is the insight to black communities and was created in the ghetto (unprivileged black communities in North America). It was a will response to systematic violence in the community. To better understand hip-hop and the issue of gender one must question â€Å"at what point did violence, sexism, and homophobia become primary components of a subculture that once was founded on refusal of gang violence and the harmful side of street life and when did black womenRead MoreMasculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop Essay766 Words   |  4 PagesMasculinity in American Society and Hip-Hop Never cry or show any emotion, when things happen take it like man, do not get mad, get even. These along with many other rules are makeup â€Å"the Guy Code† believed to shape what masculinity in American society. â€Å"’Bros before Hoes’: The Guy Code† by Michael Kimmel discusses a set of epigrams and analyzes American masculinity. These ideals of what is takes to be a â€Å"man† are often portrayed by hip-hop artists in today’s mainstream music industry. Kimmel

Essay about Gerrymandering - 886 Words

Gerrymandering When I thought of the topic Gerrymandering, I thought perhaps it would be too far-fetched when it came to the Rubric designed in a women studies class. But, on further review of the subject matter I realized how important this practice is to study, and how it can be used for both good and evil concepts in the political scheme of things. Gerrymandering is a form of boundary redistricting, in which the boundaries of an electoral district or constituency are modified for electoral purposes, often producing a contorted or unusual shape. The resulting district is known as a Gerrymander. Gerrymandering is used as a potential way to achieve desired electoral results for a particular party, or may be used to†¦show more content†¦By placing high percentages of members of a racial or ethnic minority group in one or more districts so that minority voting strength is artificially limited to those districts and is minimized in neighboring districts. This leads to Racially Polarized Voting, which creates circumstances in which the voting preferences of a racial or ethnic group consistently vary from those of other racial or ethnic groups, particularly when the different voting r=preferences are based on the race of the candidate this also is referred as Racial Bloc Voting. Undercount is a common practice in the error in census data that results from the failure to count some people in the census, which is done every ten years. This proves problematic as certain groups, such as members of racial or ethnic minorities, have been disproportionately undercounted by the Federal Census, either by voter registration ineffectiveness or the migratory nature of the poor in attempt to find work. Congressman John S. Tanner has proposed a bill which would limit the drawing of congressional boundaries to once per decennial census period, and require the approval of a new district boundary by an independent commission. The most absurd district in the nation is the district of Illinois #4. They have two halves held together by a thin strip of land at its western edge that is a median strip along Interstate Hwy 294. The idea behind this wasShow MoreRelatedThe Detrimental Practice of Gerrymandering1004 Words   |  5 Pagesgreatly harm the American public. One of these dangerous practices, known as gerrymandering, occurs in nearly every state. While some claim that the practice helps America, in reality gerrymandering harms American democracy and safety. Gerrymandering greatly affects society, and must become illegal to insure fair representation, the democratic processes in America continues, and America continues to thrive. When gerrymandering occurs, a political party draws the boundaries of an electoral district inRead MoreShould Voting Be Outlawed? A Cornerstone Of America?1859 Words   |  8 Pagesagree that gerrymandering should be outlawed but where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how to stop it. Whereas some are convinced that the responsibility falls upon the judicial system, others maintain that the courts are ineffective in managing gerrymandering and so turn to other solutions. Despite gerrymandering being a big problem in the United states, many do not even know what it is or that it even exists. There is no simple definition for gerrymandering. In generalRead MoreVoting Rights Act of 1965 Essay1082 Words   |  5 PagesThe history of â€Å"gerrymandering† started during the term of Elbridge Gerry, the Governor of Massachusetts, when he approved an obscure redistricting plan ahead of the 1812 elections that helped Republicans hold on to power in the legislature. One of the redistricted districts that primarily consisted of a one party defendant was shaped as a salamander, which later gave rise to this political term (Keck, 2010). The term relates to the drawing of the boundaries of electoral districts in a way that givesRead MoreEssay on Gerrymandering1064 Words   |  5 Pages English 1101 January 22, 2014 Gerrymandering Gerrymandering is defined as the establishment of boundaries of voting districts with the main objective of determining the partial or complete outcome of elections. Gerrymanders are designed with the main objective of insuring the defeat of specific individuals or electing political allies. There are a number of objectives of gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is usually carried out in order to allow for the reelection of incumbents or for the partyRead MoreGerrymandering Reflection951 Words   |  4 Pagesway, let’s get to it. Mission Two and Mission Four really develop and strengthen my general understanding on the topic of â€Å"gerrymandering†. I am going to be completely honest, before that day in which we discussed it in class, I didn’t have a single clue to what gerrymandering pertained to. I feel like the videos you provided me helped develop a sense of why â€Å"gerrymandering† is bad and how it affects politics. The redistricting game helped sho w me how ridiculously one party can take control of theRead MoreThe American Political System Is The Most Effective Constitution915 Words   |  4 Pagesmany issues we see today. Why would chosen leaders choose gridlock over working things out? At the heart of the gridlock is Gerrymandering. When the voting districts are made to represent a certain demographic its leader will represent their constituents. Therefore, in order to continue to be reelected the leader must say what the constituent wants to hear. â€Å"Partisan gerrymandering is not an ingenious aspect of the American system, meriting pride. It undermines democracy. It creates a situation in whichRead MoreThe Concept of Political Representation Essay2655 Words   |  11 Pagesdifferent types of constituents. Researchers could also expand Miller and Stokes’ study to look at levels of responsiveness in different issue areas over a longer period of time. In addition, there appear to be inconsistent results on the effect of gerrymandering on representation. This is an important issue that should be explored in more detail. Read MoreGerrymandering: Election and Politicians1235 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Gerrymandering The term gerrymandering refers to the practice of altering voting districts in order to achieve electoral results favorable to one person or party, usually the incumbent politician or party creating the new voting regions.1 This term, dating back to 1812, is an established method for incumbent politicians to improve their heresthetical â€Å"defense,† by manipulating the dimensions of the political landscape.2 This tactic is extremely common in the United States and a prime exampleRead MoreGerrymandering: Plurality Voting System and Redistricting Game1887 Words   |  8 Pagesdistrict court (3). In concluding the Partisan Gerrymandering simulation, was my party successful in re-districting to meet all of the Supreme Court, State Legislature, Governor’s and Courts ruling requirements? Our nations reliance upon winner-take-all elections and single member districts for Congressional elections without national standards has left our voting process open to the abuses of unfair partisan gerrymandering. In the Partisan Gerrymandering simulation game I played, I found that itRead MoreHow Gerrymandering Is The Leading Problem Facing America Today?936 Words   |  4 PagesFurthermore, the most distinct problem that the United States handles today is gerrymandering. Throughout this essay, it will be made clear that gerrymandering is the leading problem facing America today because it harms the equality of citizens. Before delving into the reasons for eliminating gerrymandering, it is first necessary to establish a definition of gerrymandering. According to Mike Stankiewicz, â€Å"Gerrymandering is a redistricting tactic that is used to increase the influence and power of

Case Walter Hundhausen Gmbh Free Essays

Size up Germany’s foundry Industry? Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future? The beginning of the new millennium has presented Walter Hundhausen (WH) with a big hurdle to jump. The German economy is experiencing economic stagnation, an aging population and a German labour market that is filled with many intrusive government regulations. The German economy has been growing at an average rate of 0. We will write a custom essay sample on Case: Walter Hundhausen Gmbh or any similar topic only for you Order Now 6 percent per year for the last 4 years; making it one of the slowest growing economies in the Euro Zone. However, study’s suggests in 2004, the domestic economy is expected to grow above 2 percent. Moreover, one-third of Germany’s economy is comprised of exports. In performing a Pest Analysis (see Diagram 1 below), there are many macro factors affecting the German Foundry Industry. MACRO FORCES The acronym stands for Political, Economic, Social and Technological concerns that could affect the strategic development of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By identifying PEST influences it helps gage the external environment in which the casting foundry industry operates. Political Strict Layoff Regulations: Government regulations had strict policies in place on how organizations could layoff employees. Before employees were laid-off, management had to advise the Works Council and they had to agree to the nature and timing of the plan. In addition, the management team had to develop a social plan for each employee on how the layoff would affect them and what remedies the organization would put in place for them. If a  social plan was not presented, employees could claim for compensation through the courts. This could prove to be costly in time, money and reputation. National Bargaining on Wages: The current German industrial relations policy was based on a duel model. One part dealt with the collective bargaining, while the other dealt with codetermination. The collective bargaining agreement dealt with minimums and maximums, with respect to wages and salaries and working hours. Codetermination was an actual Act or Law that provided labourers in Germany with three levels of representation; Supervisory Board, Works Council and Labour Director. However, in the end, all collective bargaining agreements could be adjusted and then ratified through this process. Social Market Economy: The political climate in the country is based on the social market economy, where employers and unions worked as partners to better the organization as a whole. However, in reality, the balance of power lay in the hands of the union. Unions negotiated national and regional wages and hours of operations; in addition, they also negotiated paid time-off. In 2004, the average individual worked 1,542 hours. The standard legislated work week was set at 60 hours with a minimum paid leave of 24 days. That translates to 2,832 hours per year. Despite the legislation, the average individual worked 54 percent less than was legislated in 2004. Ordnung Principal: This is Germany’s version of the Triple Bottom Line, where economy, society and the government all participate in the mechanism for workers democracy. New Environmental Legislation: The government imposed a new ecological tax in 2000 that focused on waste reduction as opposed to waste recycling. This added costs in the form of time and money to the WH casting process. From an economic perspective, the government wanted the industry to focus on the externalities and reduce them or remove them totally. Economical Domestic Growth: The last three years (2001 to 2004), the German economy was growing at an average rate of 0.6 percent per year. Germany had been experiencing the slowest growth in the Euro zone. This affected many organizations in Germany, particularly mid-sized companies that were not big enough to fully utilize economies of scale. Future Growth: The economy in Germany has been slated to grow around 2 percent for the year 2004. This represent an increase of 1.4 percent over the previous year and that may not  seem big, but relatively speaking that is a 233% increases from year over year. Increase in Value of the Euro: Another concern at the macro level is the appreciation of the Euro against other currencies, most notably the American dollar. As the Euro increased, the cost of WH’s products also increased. However, the opportunity to purchase at a lower price scrap iron and steel from non-European countries has also increased. As the Euro appreciates in value, it can now purchase raw materials at a lower cost. Social Aging Population: The current labour shortage in Germany is creating a nightmare in the casting industry. In order to attract and retain employees, organizations were paying a premium over scheduled tariffs. These costs were substantial, as many companies were running multiple shifts in order to keep up with demand. Reduction in Full-Time Employment: The current macro environment suggests a reduction in the number of full-time resources, because of the high labour costs. However, because of the aging population, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified workers. Sounds counter intuitive; a reduction of full-time staff to cut costs, but many companies in the industry are paying premiums over scheduled tariffs in order to keep their current workforce. Strong Social Employment Contracts: The Germany foundry industry has a strong employment contract system, where employers are responsible for the well being of their workers. The contract is enforced by the Works Council and the Labour Director who is part of the origination. Their main objective is to resolve disputes through intensive informal contacts. Strong Union Presence: The dual model in the industry consists of a collective bargaining agreement and codetermination. This dual system gives the unions a strong position within the foundry industry. Their presence has lead to numerous bouts of conflict with management when negotiating collective agreements and in some cases these disagreements lead to long and bitter strikes. Technical Above Average RD Investment: RD is a major competent in the casting foundry industry. RD creates better products and above all reduces costs through the automation of the casting process. Moreover, by being a Tier 1 supplier, customers are expecting better products and lower costs year over  year. Frequent Technology Changes: In the casting process, technology changes occur frequently, in order to maintain lower sand-to-metal ratios and scrap ratios. Largest European Foundry: Being the largest casting foundry in Europe, economies of scale can have significant cost savings, as the organization can purchase large amounts of scrap iron and steel. Close Proximity to Clients: By being close to customers, shipping costs and delivery times are reduced substantially; giving the local casting foundry a cost advantage over their long distance competitors. Efficient Sand Casting Process: The casting process is highly integrated and labour intensive. By having a disjointed process, the cost of the process will be high and the products produced would be of an inferior quality. A process that is tightly controlled and automated will reduce unnecessary waste and cut costs in the form of wages and raw material. MICRO FORCES Below are the specific micro forces that will influence how WH reacts to the environmental issues assessed above. Supply The cost of raw materials was increasing 23 percent year over year (see Diagram 2 below). Raw materials have been the single most expensive cost to WH. Diagram 3 below, illustrates the cost of raw materials to revenues and the cost of wages and salaries to revenues. As for wages and salaries, they have been holding steady. Moreover, the trend seems to be downward sloping (see Diagram 3, below). Total revenues have been increasing steadily since 2001; with a significant increase occurring in 2004 (see Diagram 4, below). Year over Year Increase in Revenues 2001 2002 2003 2004 Total Revenues 97 99 103 117 2.06% 4.04% 13.59% However, in 2004, the index price of scrap iron and steel has been averaging around 191.00, that is a 43 percent increase, year over year. The trend seems to be heading higher, potentially breaking the 250.00 barrier (see Diagram 5, below). Average 81.25 99.91667 99.91667 111.5 133.75 191.25 Competition Competition from non-OEM organizations was growing. However, customers today are more sophisticated and understand that quality plays an important role in the decision to purchase a product versus purchasing a product on price alone. The real threat will come from organizations in the casting industry from Eastern European that will eventually become tier 1 suppliers. One of the challenges facing WH is the current workforce in Germany. WH has been experiencing a high degree of absence due to leaves and sick days. The above graph (see Diagram 6) illustrates by department where the greatest number of absences are occurring. The stars indicate the average per department and in 2004, there was an increase in the number of absences in Core Marketing, Finishing and Heat Treatment. Finishing can be explained because of the nature of the work itself. It is one of the most difficult  parts of the casting process. Some of the other notable information to mention, is when the automated casting process is operating efficiently, sick days and leaves are kept to a minimum. For example, pouring and melting in 2003 experienced numerous mechanical problems, thus the department experienced a higher level of absences as opposed to 2004, when the process was operating with little interruptions, sick days and leaves decreased substantially. Moreover, for the first 6 months of 2004, the average cost of the total days off work amounted to 3.39 million, which represents 8.7 percent of the overall company’s revenues (see Diagram 7, below). Demand The biggest threat facing WH is their ability to reduce costs. Their customers are demanding lower prices and the organization has been responding, by investing heavily in RD to improve the casting process. However, if they do not get the costs of the casting process under control, they will not be able to meet the increasing demand from the motor vehicle industry. The motor vehicle industry in 2004 purchased a total of 68% of the total industry’s output. Diagram 8, below illustrates the percentage increase or decrease year over year by industry and the tonnage sold by industry. Clearly, the industry that has been adding value to WH has been the motor vehicle industry. On average, over the last three years, the motor vehicle industry has increased 13 percent. If the motor vehicle industry continues on their current growth path, by the end of 2005, WH will have reached plant capacity of 95,000 tonnes per year (see Diagram 9, below). The forecast includes a 13 percent increase in motor vehicle tonnage per year and holds the other two industries with no growth or decline in tonnes required. PEST Conclusion The rising cost of scrap iron and steel, a stagnate Germany economy, the German labour market and its regulations are proving extremely difficult for WH to deal with. In addition, WH is reaching plant capacity and they have not been able to control rising costs to date. For the last three years, wages and raw material purchases have been well over budget. SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis was completed for WH to evaluate their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (see Diagram 10, below). The analysis identifies the key internal and external factors that will hinder or help WH achieve their stated goals and objectives. One of the key factors to WH success was their ability to understand their customer’s business needs and create new products for them. This was one area in the casting foundry industry that separated WH from their competitors; WH was and still is â€Å"Best in Class†, when it comes to product innovation. One area of improvement would be to eliminate or reduce the number of products that have low margins. By producing these low margin products, WH is tying up valuable resources both in time, money and material. One of the greatest threats WH will encounter is the surging casting foundries from Eastern European countries, such as Spain, Turkey and Poland. Currently, many of the Eastern European organizations either small or big are not OEM rated. However, with time and additional investment dollars, these organizations will be able to compete against WH on price. PORTERS FIVE FORCES One final assessment was completed to determine the profitability or attractiveness of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By utilizing Porters Five Force model, a more realistic assessment of the competitive rivalry that exists in the market can be determined. This will give WH insight as to the attractiveness of the industry and determine what course of action (if any) is required. The analysis clearly demonstrated that the industry is highly profitable (see Diagram 11, above). The Barriers to Entry are high, making it difficult for organizations to enter. Entry requires a high initial capital investment and ongoing RD dollars. Moreover, the bargaining power of the Buyer is Low, because switching costs are high. Substitutes products are available, but in the motor vehicle industry highly unlikely to be used. The  bargaining power of Suppliers is strong, because there is strong union presence and the raw material is based on world supply and demand prices. In short, the competitive rivalry within the Casting Foundry Industry is high, suggesting that the industry is profitable. Furthermore, with high exist barriers, because of the high fixed costs, it makes it extremely difficult to exit the industry, and thus remaining organizations will continue to suffer and lose more market share. Question 1A:  Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future? Not with their current casting process. Clearly, WH’s core competency lies in their ability to produce exactly what the customer needs and then takes that knowledge one step further by producing new products that customers ends up wanting; WH creates demand for their new more profitable products. Moreover, WH links their internal logistical and informational systems with their customers. Basically, WH becomes an extension of their customers. The future for WH would be to outsource some non core activities of their value chain to 3rd parties in the casting foundry industry; perhaps in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, where wages are less and employment is more bountiful. In conclusion, with the current trends in the casting foundry industry, where growth is expected to increase 2% per year in tonnage and 3% per year in value, WH does not have the current structure to capitalize on this growth opportunity. Pricing has also become an issue and they are trying to go head to head with their customers and asking them to pick up the additional surcharges on the price of scrap steel and iron. Moreover, with the additional investment in RD, costs have not decreased. Revenues have been steadily rising, but so have costs and costs have outpaced revenues. This is evident, as WH is expected to lose 6 million in 2004, making it the worst loss in the company’s 4 year history. Question 2:  Is the alternative that WH’s management called â€Å"strategic change† really strategic? Justify you answer. In order to justify the answer, one must first define what strategic change is. According to Joseph N. Fry, one of the authors of Strategic Analysis  and Action he suggests that it is a tool for building, communicating and maintain the direction of the business. As for Lawrence G. Hrebiniak, he suggests that strategic change is all about execution. In his book, Making Strategy Work, he suggested that without a careful, planned approach to execution, strategic goals cannot be attained. Albeit, in both examples above, little reference is made to the actual strategy, but in reality both authors agree that the strategy is important, but the execution of the strategy is key to success. An analogy that can be used to illustrate their point of view would be a golfer that needs to fade a shot around a tree. The strategy has been set, the trajectory of ball flight has been visualized; wind and all other factors have been taken into consideration. What’s left is the actual striking of the ball. However, if the golfers’ core competency is to hit a draw, rather than a fade, the strategy has little to do with the result of the execution. One of WH alternative is to shut down Line 2, reduce employment by 114 workers and increase sales through a radical marketing campaign that started in 2003. However, the radical marketing campaign emphasizes a differentiation strategy as opposed to a price strategy as indicated by Klaas. The key to their current success is WH’s ability to understand their customer’s business needs and create specific casting moulds for them. In addition, WH has been able to develop new products with higher margins for their customers and then sell those products back to their customers; push marketing. By adopting a low cost strategy, rivals in the industry will eventually out price WH and take market share away from them. One of the reasons why WH can be out priced in the market is that their main competitors from Eastern Europe, such as Poland, have a much lower wage structures. To conclude, WH’s alternative does not fit the traditional definition of a strategic change. After reviewing the data and the definition, the answer remains a resolute no. The reason for the decision is that strategic change must take into consideration other aspects of the organization. The changes suggested by Klaas will not delivery the strategy in a controlled manner that is efficient and effective to implement. Strategic management is not about delivering one single project or addressing one particular issue, but a process that governs the entire organization and how the entire  organization is affected by the strategic change (see Diagram 12, above). The so called alternative â€Å"strategic change† in the end will not deliver any real value to the organization, thus further suggesting that this is not a strategic change. Strategic change at the end of the day must deliver real value, not perceived value. In Germany that value takes on the form of a stakeholder, rather than a shareholder. Thus, by simply focusing on profits and ignoring the human costs of the layoffs, WH will not execute this strategy with any conviction or success. Both Fry and Hrebiniak realize that the process is complicated and contains many moving parts. In short, there is no magic bullet. Simply cutting workers and installing automated processes does not guarantee costs reductions and increased revenues. Question 3:  How much â€Å"flexibility† did the company have in dealing with its problem? The reality of the situation is that WH only had perceived flexibility. With economic stagnation, an aging population, tight employment regulations and a shortage of workers, WH has limited flexibility in being able to deal with the problem. Moreover, with the increase in tariffs, raw materials and energy, WH has even less flexibility in addressing their current problem. WH was able to negotiate concessions with the Works Council; however, the concessions came with a hefty price. The Works Council’s goal was to save jobs in the short term for the promise of better pay in the long term. Thus, WH was able to negotiate special agreements to break the current collective agreement. WH negotiated for more free hours, less pay and forgone holidays and vacation pay, but had no control over dismissal’s and working exemptions; the Works Council held the balance of power in these two categories. For example, if employment dropped below 570 permanent employees, the regional tariff rates would come into effect and they did. The Works Council’s position for long term better pay may present a problem with a few of the alternatives being suggested by WH. The Works Council may not approve any of the alternatives that involve significant layoffs and pay reductions. These alternatives are in direct conflict with their own goals and objectives. In conclusion, perceived flexibility is much different than actual flexibility. WH may think they can suggest an alternative that  makes sense for them, but the reality is that without buy in from the Works Council, the strategy will surely fail to execute. Question 4:  What could management do to address the problem? WH management must develop a Strategic Management Process. The new strategic management process is to be undertaken by the executives at WH and GMH. The executives will review and interpret the Germany foundry industry and determine the direction for WH. At this point in the process the executives will set the Corporate Strategy (strategic direction) and priorities, while understanding and taking into consideration resources and budget constraints (see diagram 13, below). The seconds step is to create the â€Å"right† Corporate Structure with the proper incentives and controls to ensure that the Corporate Strategy can be achieved. The final step is to ensure that the Business Units understand the objectives set forth and have the necessary resources in place to achieve their goals and objectives. It is the business unit who is responsible for ensuring that they have the correct skills and capabilities in place in order to achieve the Corporate Strategy. Once the strategic management process has been developed, the next critical step in the process is to formulate a well defined plan that has clear and focused goals and objectives. These goals and objectives must be measurable, attainable and realistic. Moreover, the plan must address how these achievements will affect the overall organization, but more importantly, if the goals and objectives are not meet, what are consequences to the organization. This process must be open and transparent that will ensure that buy in will occur quickly. In conclusion, the execution of these key activities is the heart of any successful strategic management process. In addition, WH must ensure that the Works Council understands that the long term success of WH is in everyone’s best interest. The Works Council’s long term goal is for better pay for its workers, without WH, their goals and objectives will never be realized. Question 5:  What had management done so far? Management has accomplished a lot to date. They sold WH to GMH who had experience in purchasing distressed companies and providing them with fresh equity and motivating their work force. In addition, in 2003, WH implemented a radical marketing plan that increased revenues by approximately 13.6 % in 2004. WH invested heavily in operations, by trying to automate the sand casting process. WH believed that they could further reduce the operating costs by automating a lot of the high touch processes. WH has also outsourced the finishing process, as this is one of the most costly processes in the sand casting process. WH hired a consultant by the name of Knight Wendling who was hired to improve productivity and reduce costs. His first mandate was to get customer to pay a scrap surcharge and eliminate unprofitable products. By the middle of 2004, 91 percent of customers were paying the surcharge and he eliminated 5,000 tonnes of products that were generating low contributions. Finally, in 2004 WH made some major changes to their current management structure and sent out a new message to their workers, that management was looking for fresh ideas that would make a difference. Question 6:  What actions were left open to WH’s management and would they make sense? One action that was left open was continuing with the Radical Marketing Plan that WH started in 2003. The marketing plan would continue to increase sales by 8.2 million and contribution by 5.2 million in 2005. However, one of the major issues with this action was that costs were also increasing and the increase in revenues and contributions was being offset by the rising cost of scrap iron and steel and wages. The rising costs, coupled with WH’s increase in prices were opening the doors to some of their direct competitors in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. This plan would only make sense if they could get the Works Council to increase the number of hours that employee’s could work and reduce the minimum number of workers required, before tariffs are enforced. Moreover, this approach would make sense, if WH could convince the Works Council that their short term objective to keep as many employees as  possible is actually going to hurt their long term goal of better pay for their workers. If WH and the Works Council could overlook their short term objectives and focus on their long term objectives, everyone would be better off. Question 7:  How could it pursue the remaining actions? WH could simply divest the entire operations and payout the 15.3 million owed to the workers ( 25,000 * 612 workers). However, this may not be in the best interest of the entire organization as an environmental assessment must be completed before the land gets rezoned. Worst case scenario, if the land is contaminated the purchaser may request that the seller clean the land before title change and this could cost GMH considerable money. The opportunity cost of closing down the plant would be the 15.3 million, thus the company could take that money and reinvest it into WH. Currently, WH is losing 6.2 million per year, if they continue losing this amount of money, that would buy them 3 additional years and then WH could simply sell the business. WH would have to create a strategic plan that takes into consideration all the options associated with investing additional capital. More so, they will need buy in from the Works Council. Without their buy in strategic plans will prove useless. How to cite Case: Walter Hundhausen Gmbh, Papers

Case Walter Hundhausen Gmbh Free Essays

Size up Germany’s foundry Industry? Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future? The beginning of the new millennium has presented Walter Hundhausen (WH) with a big hurdle to jump. The German economy is experiencing economic stagnation, an aging population and a German labour market that is filled with many intrusive government regulations. The German economy has been growing at an average rate of 0. We will write a custom essay sample on Case: Walter Hundhausen Gmbh or any similar topic only for you Order Now 6 percent per year for the last 4 years; making it one of the slowest growing economies in the Euro Zone. However, study’s suggests in 2004, the domestic economy is expected to grow above 2 percent. Moreover, one-third of Germany’s economy is comprised of exports. In performing a Pest Analysis (see Diagram 1 below), there are many macro factors affecting the German Foundry Industry. MACRO FORCES The acronym stands for Political, Economic, Social and Technological concerns that could affect the strategic development of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By identifying PEST influences it helps gage the external environment in which the casting foundry industry operates. Political Strict Layoff Regulations: Government regulations had strict policies in place on how organizations could layoff employees. Before employees were laid-off, management had to advise the Works Council and they had to agree to the nature and timing of the plan. In addition, the management team had to develop a social plan for each employee on how the layoff would affect them and what remedies the organization would put in place for them. If a  social plan was not presented, employees could claim for compensation through the courts. This could prove to be costly in time, money and reputation. National Bargaining on Wages: The current German industrial relations policy was based on a duel model. One part dealt with the collective bargaining, while the other dealt with codetermination. The collective bargaining agreement dealt with minimums and maximums, with respect to wages and salaries and working hours. Codetermination was an actual Act or Law that provided labourers in Germany with three levels of representation; Supervisory Board, Works Council and Labour Director. However, in the end, all collective bargaining agreements could be adjusted and then ratified through this process. Social Market Economy: The political climate in the country is based on the social market economy, where employers and unions worked as partners to better the organization as a whole. However, in reality, the balance of power lay in the hands of the union. Unions negotiated national and regional wages and hours of operations; in addition, they also negotiated paid time-off. In 2004, the average individual worked 1,542 hours. The standard legislated work week was set at 60 hours with a minimum paid leave of 24 days. That translates to 2,832 hours per year. Despite the legislation, the average individual worked 54 percent less than was legislated in 2004. Ordnung Principal: This is Germany’s version of the Triple Bottom Line, where economy, society and the government all participate in the mechanism for workers democracy. New Environmental Legislation: The government imposed a new ecological tax in 2000 that focused on waste reduction as opposed to waste recycling. This added costs in the form of time and money to the WH casting process. From an economic perspective, the government wanted the industry to focus on the externalities and reduce them or remove them totally. Economical Domestic Growth: The last three years (2001 to 2004), the German economy was growing at an average rate of 0.6 percent per year. Germany had been experiencing the slowest growth in the Euro zone. This affected many organizations in Germany, particularly mid-sized companies that were not big enough to fully utilize economies of scale. Future Growth: The economy in Germany has been slated to grow around 2 percent for the year 2004. This represent an increase of 1.4 percent over the previous year and that may not  seem big, but relatively speaking that is a 233% increases from year over year. Increase in Value of the Euro: Another concern at the macro level is the appreciation of the Euro against other currencies, most notably the American dollar. As the Euro increased, the cost of WH’s products also increased. However, the opportunity to purchase at a lower price scrap iron and steel from non-European countries has also increased. As the Euro appreciates in value, it can now purchase raw materials at a lower cost. Social Aging Population: The current labour shortage in Germany is creating a nightmare in the casting industry. In order to attract and retain employees, organizations were paying a premium over scheduled tariffs. These costs were substantial, as many companies were running multiple shifts in order to keep up with demand. Reduction in Full-Time Employment: The current macro environment suggests a reduction in the number of full-time resources, because of the high labour costs. However, because of the aging population, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find qualified workers. Sounds counter intuitive; a reduction of full-time staff to cut costs, but many companies in the industry are paying premiums over scheduled tariffs in order to keep their current workforce. Strong Social Employment Contracts: The Germany foundry industry has a strong employment contract system, where employers are responsible for the well being of their workers. The contract is enforced by the Works Council and the Labour Director who is part of the origination. Their main objective is to resolve disputes through intensive informal contacts. Strong Union Presence: The dual model in the industry consists of a collective bargaining agreement and codetermination. This dual system gives the unions a strong position within the foundry industry. Their presence has lead to numerous bouts of conflict with management when negotiating collective agreements and in some cases these disagreements lead to long and bitter strikes. Technical Above Average RD Investment: RD is a major competent in the casting foundry industry. RD creates better products and above all reduces costs through the automation of the casting process. Moreover, by being a Tier 1 supplier, customers are expecting better products and lower costs year over  year. Frequent Technology Changes: In the casting process, technology changes occur frequently, in order to maintain lower sand-to-metal ratios and scrap ratios. Largest European Foundry: Being the largest casting foundry in Europe, economies of scale can have significant cost savings, as the organization can purchase large amounts of scrap iron and steel. Close Proximity to Clients: By being close to customers, shipping costs and delivery times are reduced substantially; giving the local casting foundry a cost advantage over their long distance competitors. Efficient Sand Casting Process: The casting process is highly integrated and labour intensive. By having a disjointed process, the cost of the process will be high and the products produced would be of an inferior quality. A process that is tightly controlled and automated will reduce unnecessary waste and cut costs in the form of wages and raw material. MICRO FORCES Below are the specific micro forces that will influence how WH reacts to the environmental issues assessed above. Supply The cost of raw materials was increasing 23 percent year over year (see Diagram 2 below). Raw materials have been the single most expensive cost to WH. Diagram 3 below, illustrates the cost of raw materials to revenues and the cost of wages and salaries to revenues. As for wages and salaries, they have been holding steady. Moreover, the trend seems to be downward sloping (see Diagram 3, below). Total revenues have been increasing steadily since 2001; with a significant increase occurring in 2004 (see Diagram 4, below). Year over Year Increase in Revenues 2001 2002 2003 2004 Total Revenues 97 99 103 117 2.06% 4.04% 13.59% However, in 2004, the index price of scrap iron and steel has been averaging around 191.00, that is a 43 percent increase, year over year. The trend seems to be heading higher, potentially breaking the 250.00 barrier (see Diagram 5, below). Average 81.25 99.91667 99.91667 111.5 133.75 191.25 Competition Competition from non-OEM organizations was growing. However, customers today are more sophisticated and understand that quality plays an important role in the decision to purchase a product versus purchasing a product on price alone. The real threat will come from organizations in the casting industry from Eastern European that will eventually become tier 1 suppliers. One of the challenges facing WH is the current workforce in Germany. WH has been experiencing a high degree of absence due to leaves and sick days. The above graph (see Diagram 6) illustrates by department where the greatest number of absences are occurring. The stars indicate the average per department and in 2004, there was an increase in the number of absences in Core Marketing, Finishing and Heat Treatment. Finishing can be explained because of the nature of the work itself. It is one of the most difficult  parts of the casting process. Some of the other notable information to mention, is when the automated casting process is operating efficiently, sick days and leaves are kept to a minimum. For example, pouring and melting in 2003 experienced numerous mechanical problems, thus the department experienced a higher level of absences as opposed to 2004, when the process was operating with little interruptions, sick days and leaves decreased substantially. Moreover, for the first 6 months of 2004, the average cost of the total days off work amounted to 3.39 million, which represents 8.7 percent of the overall company’s revenues (see Diagram 7, below). Demand The biggest threat facing WH is their ability to reduce costs. Their customers are demanding lower prices and the organization has been responding, by investing heavily in RD to improve the casting process. However, if they do not get the costs of the casting process under control, they will not be able to meet the increasing demand from the motor vehicle industry. The motor vehicle industry in 2004 purchased a total of 68% of the total industry’s output. Diagram 8, below illustrates the percentage increase or decrease year over year by industry and the tonnage sold by industry. Clearly, the industry that has been adding value to WH has been the motor vehicle industry. On average, over the last three years, the motor vehicle industry has increased 13 percent. If the motor vehicle industry continues on their current growth path, by the end of 2005, WH will have reached plant capacity of 95,000 tonnes per year (see Diagram 9, below). The forecast includes a 13 percent increase in motor vehicle tonnage per year and holds the other two industries with no growth or decline in tonnes required. PEST Conclusion The rising cost of scrap iron and steel, a stagnate Germany economy, the German labour market and its regulations are proving extremely difficult for WH to deal with. In addition, WH is reaching plant capacity and they have not been able to control rising costs to date. For the last three years, wages and raw material purchases have been well over budget. SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis was completed for WH to evaluate their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (see Diagram 10, below). The analysis identifies the key internal and external factors that will hinder or help WH achieve their stated goals and objectives. One of the key factors to WH success was their ability to understand their customer’s business needs and create new products for them. This was one area in the casting foundry industry that separated WH from their competitors; WH was and still is â€Å"Best in Class†, when it comes to product innovation. One area of improvement would be to eliminate or reduce the number of products that have low margins. By producing these low margin products, WH is tying up valuable resources both in time, money and material. One of the greatest threats WH will encounter is the surging casting foundries from Eastern European countries, such as Spain, Turkey and Poland. Currently, many of the Eastern European organizations either small or big are not OEM rated. However, with time and additional investment dollars, these organizations will be able to compete against WH on price. PORTERS FIVE FORCES One final assessment was completed to determine the profitability or attractiveness of the casting foundry industry in Germany. By utilizing Porters Five Force model, a more realistic assessment of the competitive rivalry that exists in the market can be determined. This will give WH insight as to the attractiveness of the industry and determine what course of action (if any) is required. The analysis clearly demonstrated that the industry is highly profitable (see Diagram 11, above). The Barriers to Entry are high, making it difficult for organizations to enter. Entry requires a high initial capital investment and ongoing RD dollars. Moreover, the bargaining power of the Buyer is Low, because switching costs are high. Substitutes products are available, but in the motor vehicle industry highly unlikely to be used. The  bargaining power of Suppliers is strong, because there is strong union presence and the raw material is based on world supply and demand prices. In short, the competitive rivalry within the Casting Foundry Industry is high, suggesting that the industry is profitable. Furthermore, with high exist barriers, because of the high fixed costs, it makes it extremely difficult to exit the industry, and thus remaining organizations will continue to suffer and lose more market share. Question 1A:  Is WH well positioned in it now and in the future? Not with their current casting process. Clearly, WH’s core competency lies in their ability to produce exactly what the customer needs and then takes that knowledge one step further by producing new products that customers ends up wanting; WH creates demand for their new more profitable products. Moreover, WH links their internal logistical and informational systems with their customers. Basically, WH becomes an extension of their customers. The future for WH would be to outsource some non core activities of their value chain to 3rd parties in the casting foundry industry; perhaps in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, where wages are less and employment is more bountiful. In conclusion, with the current trends in the casting foundry industry, where growth is expected to increase 2% per year in tonnage and 3% per year in value, WH does not have the current structure to capitalize on this growth opportunity. Pricing has also become an issue and they are trying to go head to head with their customers and asking them to pick up the additional surcharges on the price of scrap steel and iron. Moreover, with the additional investment in RD, costs have not decreased. Revenues have been steadily rising, but so have costs and costs have outpaced revenues. This is evident, as WH is expected to lose 6 million in 2004, making it the worst loss in the company’s 4 year history. Question 2:  Is the alternative that WH’s management called â€Å"strategic change† really strategic? Justify you answer. In order to justify the answer, one must first define what strategic change is. According to Joseph N. Fry, one of the authors of Strategic Analysis  and Action he suggests that it is a tool for building, communicating and maintain the direction of the business. As for Lawrence G. Hrebiniak, he suggests that strategic change is all about execution. In his book, Making Strategy Work, he suggested that without a careful, planned approach to execution, strategic goals cannot be attained. Albeit, in both examples above, little reference is made to the actual strategy, but in reality both authors agree that the strategy is important, but the execution of the strategy is key to success. An analogy that can be used to illustrate their point of view would be a golfer that needs to fade a shot around a tree. The strategy has been set, the trajectory of ball flight has been visualized; wind and all other factors have been taken into consideration. What’s left is the actual striking of the ball. However, if the golfers’ core competency is to hit a draw, rather than a fade, the strategy has little to do with the result of the execution. One of WH alternative is to shut down Line 2, reduce employment by 114 workers and increase sales through a radical marketing campaign that started in 2003. However, the radical marketing campaign emphasizes a differentiation strategy as opposed to a price strategy as indicated by Klaas. The key to their current success is WH’s ability to understand their customer’s business needs and create specific casting moulds for them. In addition, WH has been able to develop new products with higher margins for their customers and then sell those products back to their customers; push marketing. By adopting a low cost strategy, rivals in the industry will eventually out price WH and take market share away from them. One of the reasons why WH can be out priced in the market is that their main competitors from Eastern Europe, such as Poland, have a much lower wage structures. To conclude, WH’s alternative does not fit the traditional definition of a strategic change. After reviewing the data and the definition, the answer remains a resolute no. The reason for the decision is that strategic change must take into consideration other aspects of the organization. The changes suggested by Klaas will not delivery the strategy in a controlled manner that is efficient and effective to implement. Strategic management is not about delivering one single project or addressing one particular issue, but a process that governs the entire organization and how the entire  organization is affected by the strategic change (see Diagram 12, above). The so called alternative â€Å"strategic change† in the end will not deliver any real value to the organization, thus further suggesting that this is not a strategic change. Strategic change at the end of the day must deliver real value, not perceived value. In Germany that value takes on the form of a stakeholder, rather than a shareholder. Thus, by simply focusing on profits and ignoring the human costs of the layoffs, WH will not execute this strategy with any conviction or success. Both Fry and Hrebiniak realize that the process is complicated and contains many moving parts. In short, there is no magic bullet. Simply cutting workers and installing automated processes does not guarantee costs reductions and increased revenues. Question 3:  How much â€Å"flexibility† did the company have in dealing with its problem? The reality of the situation is that WH only had perceived flexibility. With economic stagnation, an aging population, tight employment regulations and a shortage of workers, WH has limited flexibility in being able to deal with the problem. Moreover, with the increase in tariffs, raw materials and energy, WH has even less flexibility in addressing their current problem. WH was able to negotiate concessions with the Works Council; however, the concessions came with a hefty price. The Works Council’s goal was to save jobs in the short term for the promise of better pay in the long term. Thus, WH was able to negotiate special agreements to break the current collective agreement. WH negotiated for more free hours, less pay and forgone holidays and vacation pay, but had no control over dismissal’s and working exemptions; the Works Council held the balance of power in these two categories. For example, if employment dropped below 570 permanent employees, the regional tariff rates would come into effect and they did. The Works Council’s position for long term better pay may present a problem with a few of the alternatives being suggested by WH. The Works Council may not approve any of the alternatives that involve significant layoffs and pay reductions. These alternatives are in direct conflict with their own goals and objectives. In conclusion, perceived flexibility is much different than actual flexibility. WH may think they can suggest an alternative that  makes sense for them, but the reality is that without buy in from the Works Council, the strategy will surely fail to execute. Question 4:  What could management do to address the problem? WH management must develop a Strategic Management Process. The new strategic management process is to be undertaken by the executives at WH and GMH. The executives will review and interpret the Germany foundry industry and determine the direction for WH. At this point in the process the executives will set the Corporate Strategy (strategic direction) and priorities, while understanding and taking into consideration resources and budget constraints (see diagram 13, below). The seconds step is to create the â€Å"right† Corporate Structure with the proper incentives and controls to ensure that the Corporate Strategy can be achieved. The final step is to ensure that the Business Units understand the objectives set forth and have the necessary resources in place to achieve their goals and objectives. It is the business unit who is responsible for ensuring that they have the correct skills and capabilities in place in order to achieve the Corporate Strategy. Once the strategic management process has been developed, the next critical step in the process is to formulate a well defined plan that has clear and focused goals and objectives. These goals and objectives must be measurable, attainable and realistic. Moreover, the plan must address how these achievements will affect the overall organization, but more importantly, if the goals and objectives are not meet, what are consequences to the organization. This process must be open and transparent that will ensure that buy in will occur quickly. In conclusion, the execution of these key activities is the heart of any successful strategic management process. In addition, WH must ensure that the Works Council understands that the long term success of WH is in everyone’s best interest. The Works Council’s long term goal is for better pay for its workers, without WH, their goals and objectives will never be realized. Question 5:  What had management done so far? Management has accomplished a lot to date. They sold WH to GMH who had experience in purchasing distressed companies and providing them with fresh equity and motivating their work force. In addition, in 2003, WH implemented a radical marketing plan that increased revenues by approximately 13.6 % in 2004. WH invested heavily in operations, by trying to automate the sand casting process. WH believed that they could further reduce the operating costs by automating a lot of the high touch processes. WH has also outsourced the finishing process, as this is one of the most costly processes in the sand casting process. WH hired a consultant by the name of Knight Wendling who was hired to improve productivity and reduce costs. His first mandate was to get customer to pay a scrap surcharge and eliminate unprofitable products. By the middle of 2004, 91 percent of customers were paying the surcharge and he eliminated 5,000 tonnes of products that were generating low contributions. Finally, in 2004 WH made some major changes to their current management structure and sent out a new message to their workers, that management was looking for fresh ideas that would make a difference. Question 6:  What actions were left open to WH’s management and would they make sense? One action that was left open was continuing with the Radical Marketing Plan that WH started in 2003. The marketing plan would continue to increase sales by 8.2 million and contribution by 5.2 million in 2005. However, one of the major issues with this action was that costs were also increasing and the increase in revenues and contributions was being offset by the rising cost of scrap iron and steel and wages. The rising costs, coupled with WH’s increase in prices were opening the doors to some of their direct competitors in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. This plan would only make sense if they could get the Works Council to increase the number of hours that employee’s could work and reduce the minimum number of workers required, before tariffs are enforced. Moreover, this approach would make sense, if WH could convince the Works Council that their short term objective to keep as many employees as  possible is actually going to hurt their long term goal of better pay for their workers. If WH and the Works Council could overlook their short term objectives and focus on their long term objectives, everyone would be better off. Question 7:  How could it pursue the remaining actions? WH could simply divest the entire operations and payout the 15.3 million owed to the workers ( 25,000 * 612 workers). However, this may not be in the best interest of the entire organization as an environmental assessment must be completed before the land gets rezoned. Worst case scenario, if the land is contaminated the purchaser may request that the seller clean the land before title change and this could cost GMH considerable money. The opportunity cost of closing down the plant would be the 15.3 million, thus the company could take that money and reinvest it into WH. Currently, WH is losing 6.2 million per year, if they continue losing this amount of money, that would buy them 3 additional years and then WH could simply sell the business. WH would have to create a strategic plan that takes into consideration all the options associated with investing additional capital. More so, they will need buy in from the Works Council. Without their buy in strategic plans will prove useless. How to cite Case: Walter Hundhausen Gmbh, Papers

Operative Report free essay sample

Indications: The patient is a 69-year-old black female who fell landing on her right hip. She was seen in the emergency room where physical exam and x-ray revealed an intertrochanteric right femoral fracture. She was admitted to Dr. Loyds service after an orthopedic consultation and pre-operative clearance for surgery she was taken for ORIF. Operation in Detail: After adequate pre-operative evaluation, pre-operative medication, and signing the informed consent, the patient was taken to the operating room and administered a general endotracheal anesthetic with prominences well-padded. She underwent an uneventful reduction and was placed on traction through a well-padded boot. Her left lower extremity was flexed and abducted at the hip. All boney prominences and the peroneal nerve were well-padded. Fluoroscopic AP and lateral images revealed a good reduction of her intertrochanteric femoral fracture. The right hip was then sterilely prepared with Betadine scrub and solution and draped into the sterile field. We will write a custom essay sample on Operative Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She was administered IV preoperative antibiotics. A straight lateral approach to the proximal femur was made. Dissection was carried through the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Hemostasis was obtained with electrocautery. The fascia lata was divided in line with the skin incision. The fascia over the vastus lateralis was divided in line with the skin incision, and the vastus lateralis was divided in line with its fibers, revealing the lateral aspect of the proximal femur which was retracted with the Bennett and Hohmann retractors without complication. A guide pin was placed along the anterior neck to give the proper amount of antiversion. Using the 135 drill guide a guide pin was placed through the lateral aspect of the proximal femur across the fracture site and into the center of the head and neck as demonstrated by AP and lateral fluoroscopic C-arm images. This was then measured and 85 mm was found to be the appropriate length. The core was cut for the sliding screw without complication using a preset Remer set at 85mm the tap was then used to tap the way for the proximal screw and an 85mm sliding screw was inserted across the fracture site into the head and neck without complication. A 4-hole, 135 degree side plate was then attached. We slide it over the DePuy sliding screw and attached it the the proximal femur using a Lowman turkey-claw clamp. With the fixation in place AP and lateral fluoroscopic images throughout the fracture site and hardware position confirmed good reduction and good placement of the hardware. At this point the side plate was then secured to the proximal femur using the 3-2 drill bit to drill a hole measuring the approximate length with the depth gauge and placing 4 to 5 cortical screws of the appropriate length without complication. At this point the compression screw was inserted. All traction was left off and the compression screw was tightened impacting the fracture nicely. All screws were then tightened with the screw driver. The Lowman was removed as was all hardware. Multiple views in the AP and lateral plains of the fracture site and hardware for placement confirmed good reduction and good hardware placement for her intertrochanteric femoral fracture. With open reduction internal fixation complete the wound was copiously irrigated with antibiotic solution. Hemostasis was obtained with electrocautery. The fascia over the vastus lateralis was closed with a running suture of zero Vicryl. A Hemovac drain was left between the fascia lata and the vastus lateralis connected to a separate stab wound. The fascia lata was closed with a running suture of zero Vicryl with at few interrupted sutures. Care was taken to make sure that the drain was not sutured into the wound. The subcutaneous tissue was closed with staples. A sterile dressing was applied and the patient was returned to the recovery room via stretcher. The patient tolerated the procedure well. There were no complications. Blood loss was negligible, no replacement. Lap, needle, and sponge counts were correct x2 and she returned to the recovery room in good condition where she was neurovascularly in tack.