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Analysis Of The Book Coming Mom - 1975 Words

â€Å"Amanda? I’m home!† Called Linda James as she burst through the door carrying an armload of grocery bags. â€Å"I need help putting the groceries away.† â€Å"Coming mom!†, was heard from a room in the back of the house. Linda’s fourteen year old daughter came running through the door to the kitchen of their small home in Albuquerque. She had a thrilled look on her face as the grabbed a can of green beans and put them in the cupboard. â€Å"If I knew you got this excited about canned green beans, I would have bought more of them† laughed Linda. â€Å"No, it’s not that mom,† Amanda replied, â€Å"Jenny invited me to go a worship night at her church tonight! Can I go?† â€Å"Jenny†¦ Is she one of the Christiansen kids?† â€Å"Yup, she is. So, can I go with her?† â€Å"Where did†¦show more content†¦The next morning, Amanda got up and began to make breakfast. Her mother was still fast asleep, but this wasn’t really new to Amanda. Whenever Linda went â€Å"out† it always took her a little longer to get up the next day. It’s a good thing it’s Saturday! Mom would have a fit if she was late for work. Who knew being a branch manager at an air force base would take up so much of your time? Amanda thought to herself as she popped a piece of toast out of the toaster and sat down. As she chewed her eggs, she thought about the worship night last night. Linda had never taken her to church, but Amanda had gone a few times with Jenny and her family. Something in her loved being there, and she wished her mother would go with her one day. Unfortunately, Linda James was a very stubborn woman. Amanda sighed and took her plate to the sink and washed it. Oh well, maybe one day she’ll go to church, there’s always a chance†¦ â€Å"Good morning sweetheart† Linda half-yawned, half-spoke as she groggily meandered into the kitchen. â€Å"Hi mom, how are you?† â€Å"Tired. When did you get home last night?† â€Å"I think it was around nine o’clock. I must have been asleep when you got here, I didn’t hear you. When did you get home?† â€Å"Honestly, I have no idea.† Linda chuckled to herself. She was trying to remember what even happened last night. She remembered a guy, with black hair and gorgeous green eyes, and tequila†¦ lots of tequila. â€Å"Mom?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I

Sustainability Report Good Public Reputation

Question: Describe about the Sustainability Report for Good Public Reputation. Answer: Introduction: The importance of sustainability in an organization cannot be understated. Nowadays, any organization that intends to sustain itself in future, must embrace the responsible way of conducting business. Each organization is required to consider the long-term consequence of the manufacture and production process on the natural environment it conducts its business in. However, more importantly, when an organization intends to improve its sustainability measures, it succeeds in gaining wider recognition and greater acceptability among the masses as well. This is the reason why the Chief Executive Official of Eagle Valley Health Foods, Mr. Martin Clifton has intended to promote sustainability within the organization. Established in the year of 2013, the organization has gained much reputation in recent times, and hence, Clifton has decided to expand the organization in other parts of Australia. However, before that the CEO wants to ensure that the effective sustainable strategies fetch it good public reputation (Carroll and Buccholtz 2012). Findings and Discussion: For conducting the business operations in a responsible way, the Eagle Valley Health Foods is required to identify the key areas which require immediate attention. Accordingly, it was being observed that the organization has two sustainability issues. The first one is, over consumption of water, and the second being the contamination of the environment because of the use of the polypropylene in the packages. The organization is immediately required to reduce its consumption of water, because of the emerging issue of global water crisis. There is no point stating the fact that water is an important natural resource, and hence the conservation of the same must be ensured under any circumstance. However, it has been observed that the Eagle Valley health Foods consumes as much as 56 gallons of water, for the production of a single bar. Besides, the snack bars produced and sold by the organization, are made from the cereals and pulses, and hence apart from the industrial consumption, even in the agricultural production process a huge amount of water is being consumed. Further, since the last two years, the rate of the water consumption has increased at a steady rate, posing a serious threat to the people living in the local communities (Hahn and Kuhnen 2013). The optimization of the water use has become mandatory, as the continual withdrawal from the local water sources, has created a huge sc arcity of water in the different local areas of Western Australia. Besides, the packaging process and design used by the organization also requires to be immediately changed. The organization employs the use of polypropylene for the packaging process. However, the material is a non-biodegradable substance that does not get dissolved in water, and end up contaminating the land (Aamran and Ooi 2014). During the post-consumption period, the packets are becoming a source of land and air pollution. The organization needs to urgently address the problem, as the plastic packages are contaminating the land and ground water, and also releasing the harmful, toxic fumes in the environment. Recommendation: The organization needs to control its excessive consumption of water, and hence must adopt innovative measures. A change in behavior and approach on part of the employees as well as the management authority, along with the replacement of equipments can help in the water saving initiative of the organization (Wada and Bierkens 2014). The organization should immediately consider the idea of installing trigger-operated guns on hoses, as it can help in the organizations initiative for substantial water saving. Besides, the use of the sub metering systems, in-line strainers and innovative shower fixtures can help in resolving the problem to a considerable extent. Besides, the organization should reuse the used water, and hence must arrange the suitable methods of conservation of the used water. The reuse of water within the organization always leads to the dramatic reduction of water (Chamberlain 2015). Besides, it should be noted here, that no change in the operational activities of the organization is possible, unless the employees are being trained and educated about the methods of water conservation (Rockstrom et al. 2015). The organization must develop an understanding among the employees about the importance of water conservation. Hence, it is highly recommended that the management authority of Eagle Valley Health Foods arranges a water conservation program, for the employees (Rockstorm et al. 2014). The sustainable approach is also required while designing the packaging products. Since it has been observed that the organization uses Polypropylene, it is recommended that the organization immediately switch to eco-friendly method of packaging that does not contaminate the environment (Faccio et al. 2015). The organization needs to redefine its packaging design, if it is willing to prevent the bioaccumulation of the toxic substances (DuPuis and Ball 2013). The use of recyclable poly-mailers can be used as it largely helps in eliminating the problem of pollution. The organization needs to inform its consumers to recycle each pack, and for the implementation of this strategy, the organization is required to adopt a systematically organized approach (Emblem and Emblem 2012). Besides, it is also advised that the organization shifts to small packets, as these help in the reduction of the total amount of waste over a given period of time (Russell 2015). Above all, the organization is req uested to take this issue seriously, and hence collaborate with the Research and Development section of the organization, for creating more innovative, sustainable packages. Conclusion: The Eagle Valley Health Foods, despite being an emerging organization in the food and drinking sector of Australia has gained much reputation among the masses. In case the organization is willing to sustain and expand itself, it must consider the issue of sustainability. However, apart from following the above steps as discussed in the report, it is also suggested that the organization employs the use of effective promotional strategy. It should be noted that the organization can never achieve competitive advantage over the other organizations, unless the public is being made aware of its sustainable approach to business. Reference List: Aguinis, H. and Glavas, A., 2012. What we know and dont know about corporate social responsibility a review and research agenda.Journal of management,38(4), pp.932-968. Amran, A. and Keat Ooi, S., 2014. Sustainability reporting: meeting stakeholder demands.Strategic Direction,30(7), pp.38-41. Brammer, S., Jackson, G. and Matten, D., 2012. Corporate social responsibility and institutional theory: New perspectives on private governance.Socio-Economic Review,10(1), pp.3-28. Carroll, A.B. and Buchholtz, A.K., 2014.Business and society: Ethics, sustainability, and stakeholder management. Nelson Education. Chamberlain, G.L., 2015. The waters of consumptive sustainability.Interdisciplinary Environmental Review,16(2-4), pp.175-192. Cheng, B., Ioannou, I. and Serafeim, G., 2014. Corporate social responsibility and access to finance.Strategic Management Journal,35(1), pp.1-23. DuPuis, E.M. and Ball, T., 2013. How not what: teaching sustainability as process.Sustainability: Science, Practice, Policy,9(1). Emblem, A. and Emblem, H. eds., 2012.Packaging technology: Fundamentals, materials and processes. Elsevier. Faccio, M., Gamberi, M., Pilati, F. and Bortolini, M., 2015. Packaging strategy definition for sales kits within an assembly system.International Journal of Production Research,53(11), pp.3288-3305. Hahn, R. and Khnen, M., 2013. Determinants of sustainability reporting: a review of results, trends, theory, and opportunities in an expanding field of research.Journal of Cleaner Production,59, pp.5-21. Hopkins, M., 2012.Corporate social responsibility and international development: is business the solution?. Earthscan. Korschun, D., Bhattacharya, C.B. and Swain, S.D., 2014. Corporate social responsibility, customer orientation, and the job performance of frontline employees.Journal of Marketing,78(3), pp.20-37. Rockstrm, J., Falkenmark, M., Allan, T., Folke, C., Gordon, L., Jgerskog, A., Kummu, M., Lannerstad, M., Meybeck, M., Molden, D. and Postel, S., 2014. The unfolding water drama in the Anthropocene: towards a resilience?based perspective on water for global sustainability.Ecohydrology,7(5), pp.1249-1261. Rockstrm, J., Falkenmark, M., Allan, T., Folke, C., Gordon, L., Jgerskog, A., Kummu, M., Lannerstad, M., Meybeck, M., Molden, D. and Postel, S., 2015. The unfolding water drama in the Anthropocene: towards a resilience?based perspective on water for global sustainability.Ecohydrology,7(5), pp.1249-1261. Russell, D. A. (2014). Sustainable (food) packagingan overview.Food additives contaminants: Part A,31(3), 396-401. Wada, Y. and Bierkens, M.F., 2014, December. Sustainability of global groundwater and surface water use: past reconstruction and future projections. InAGU Fall Meeting Abstracts(Vol. 1, p. 01).

Water Sustainability Australia United Arabs â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Water Sustainability Australia United Arabs? Answer: Introducation Sustainable development is a goal that challenges the way of thinking traditionally and needs alternative solutions and approaches that balances the economic, environmental and social interest. Therefore, this report concentrated on the making a contrasting and compression for the scarcity of clean water and energy between United Arab Emirates and Australia concerning availability of domestic resources, and scientific research in both countries, action taken by private sectors and NGOs sample projects and also accessibility of the incentives for both countries. Energy in Australia. Australia produces energy for both export and consumption. Historically, Australia was producing more natural gas and coal but because of increasing global warming effects and climate change that was induced by the human on the global environment, there has been a shift to the sustainable use of the energy. Sustainability of energy in Australia deals with the efforts made to expand and quantify the renewable energies which comprise thermal energy, transport fuel and electricity(Carol Howe, 2012, p. 158). Government regulations towards the sustainability of energy in Australia The development of sustainable use of energy in Australia has been encouraged by the policies of the government concerning the energy, they were implemented in response to the issues of climate change, economic stimulus and energy independence; The policy includes the mandatory renewable energy target schemes at state level and commonwealth level; Carbon pricing: government implemented carbon price of $23 per tonne in 2012 paid by three hundred liable individuals representing the highest emitters of business in Australia. It was expected that by the increase of the carbon and electricity price, the investors will be encouraged to use cleaner and renewable sources of energy like wind power and solar(Felix Dodds, 2016, p. 214). Scientific and technological innovations in the Australia The technology of the solar photovoltaic generates electricity from sunlight and can be used in their off-grid application and on grid connection. Australia has also developed world leading solar thermal technology. They also manufactured solar water heater, by installing this, it saves more energy and also reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Biomass can also be used to generate electricity(Lee, 2013, p. 169). Actions of non-governmental and private sectors In BP solar company, it has been involved in the production, storage and developed the use of energy sustainably. They deal with the commercialization of the cycle of long life deep lead-acid battery which enhances the storage of energy for the use in the remote area. Edwards is an organization that is producing hot water system for both commercial and domestic purposes. Pacific Hydro is the Australian company that specializes in the generation of electricity and energy sustainably by using renewable sources of energy(Marian Keeler, 2012, p. 189). Energy sustainability in the United Arabs Emirates Energy efficiency is becoming a challenge in the United Arabs Emirates because of the economic activates the growth of population and high rates of consumption that are not sustainable in the long term. To address the following issues, the working group of energy worked on how energy can be used sustainable. It was realized that the straightforward measure of slowing consumption of energy is the strategy of sustained efficient energy. Such strategies can reduce the consumption Government regulations for the energy sustainability in the United Arabs Emirates(Negewo, 2013, p. 170) The government has developed and implemented the strategies for the energy efficiency. Also, they have developed regulations that are detailed that dictate the efficiency of energy. The UAE also has already much building that is designs constructed and approved for sustainability of energy through a program called estidama. The UAE ensures that the regulations give the mechanisms for enforcement to intervene different sectors of energy through both incentives and penalties. The government has supported the campaign and creation of awareness through allocation of finance and budgets(Negewo, 2013, p. 187) Water sustainability in Australia Water is a very vital aspect on the earth. It is a resource that is sustaining environment, society and economy of Australia. Many factors such as degradation of the environment, variability and climate change, population growth, pollution and land use are examples of the factors that influence water resource in Australia. It was then decided in the Australia that water should be used sustainably through the creation of technologies and scientific research, government regulations, some project and also non-governmental and private sectors took the actions(PediaPress, 2014, p. 187). The department of environment and water in Australia is also committed to the implementing the policies that contribute sustainability outcomes. The department creates awareness and gives support and advice for the sustainable practices in industries, community and government sectors. The community groups and individuals have also taken the challenge of adopting and promoting practices aimed at contributing sustainability of water throughout the state(PediaPress, 2014, p. 215). Projects and technologies put in place for water sustainability in Australia The national water conservation rating and labelling schemes for plumbing fitting and appliances help the customer to choose the best water appliances and also act as incentives and guide all of those involved in the use and develop the efficient appliances of water. There is a national program called the water-wise Australia, this program aim is to encourage the use of water wisely by the community through the strategies of promotional and educational across water industries, water utilities, and local state and organization(Nations, 2013, p. 216). Government regulations on water sustainability in Australia Measures of water conservation developed by the government agencies in Australia include installing the devices that save water, conduction the water use audits and also encouraging people to reduce the consumption of water, the government also encourages the recycling of water, water harvesting and storage, and also companies that use more water are under license(Thiele, 2014, p. 149). Water sustainability in the United Arabs Emirates The United Arabs Emirates face challenges of the water management like scarcity of reserves of groundwater, a high cost of drinking water production, and collection and treatment of wastewater. This country has highest rates of consumption of water in the world which is used in both the public and private sectors as a raw material or for human consumption. The government is working on these issues to ensure that there is water sustainability in the country through putting in place many mechanisms to make water to be more available for human consumption and for companies(Thiele, 2014, p. 247). Government regulation for water sustainability in United Arabs Emirate The government is educating youths, investing in new technologies to store water in aquifers and also to produce efficient desalinated water. The government is also taking some measures to get alternative efficient ways to produce drinking water. The government has also cut the subsidies to the water and power sector to reduce their consumption(Vladimir Novotny, 2011, p. 176). Projects and technologies that encourage water sustainability in the United Arabs Emirates In the sector of wastewater, the project taken by the sewage water company was the collection and treatment of wastewater from the residential that are discharged; their objective is to increase wastewater catchment and treatment. Also, the authority of water and Electricity Company has also started working by installing transmission water network that will boost the flow of water and meets its future and current water demands(UNESCO, 2012, p. 184). Turning air to water: the hot climate of UAE which is highly humid and warm through the year gives the opportunity to produce the source of water that is reliable through the mechanisms of atmospheric water generation. Other examples of the projects being undertaken by the UAE are the desalinization without fossil fuels, flying by the fossil fuel from plants that are salt tolerant and new models of business for clean energy. Comparison between the actions taken by UAE and Australia on energy and water sustainability The actions taken by the UAE on energy and water sustainability include the production of water from the air, the invention of technologies dealing with desalinization of wastewater, and regulations that are detailed that dictates the efficiency of energy. The actions taken by the Australia on energy and water sustainability is through the agency of commonwealth in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries of Australia which coordinates the growth of strategies of national water conservation in partnership with the key agencies, industry groups, experts and also territories(Rob Cross, 2014, p. 159). The strategies developed by these two countries are different; however, the strategies put in place by the Australian government have proved to be more effective since they are targeted to minimizing the use of water and energy through focusing on alternative resources which can be used to minimize the use of energy and water. Conclusion This report is about the water and energy sustainability in both United Arabs Emirates and the Australia. Sustainable development is a goal that challenges the way of thinking traditionally and needs alternative solutions and approaches that balances the economic, environmental and social interest. The sustainability of water and energy issues in both the two countries have been discussed exclusively together with the strategies put in place by each of the governments to ensure the sustainability of water and energy resources. References Carol Howe, C. M., 2012. Water Sensitive Cities. Australia: IWA Publishing. Felix Dodds, J. B., 2016. The Water, Food, Energy and Climate Nexus: Challenges and an Agenda for Action. Michigan: Routledge. Kristiina Vogt, T. P.-W. M. S. D. J. V. J. C. G. C. M. A. S. S. P. A. R., 2011. Sustainability Unpacked: Food, Energy and Water for Resilient Environments and Societies. Michigan: Routledge. Lee, S. H., 2013. Sustainability in Energy and Buildings: Proceedings of the International Conference in Sustainability in Energy and Buildings (SEB09). New York: Springer Science Business Media. Marian Keeler, B. B., 2012. Fundamentals of Integrated Design for Sustainable Building. Toledo: John Wiley Sons. Nations, U., 2013. Commission on Sustainable Development: Report on the Fourteenth Session (22 April 2005 and 1-12 May 2006). Colorado: United Nations Publications. Negewo, B. D., 2013. Renewable Energy Desalination: An Emerging Solution to Close the Water Gap in the Middle East and North Africa. Colorado: World Bank Publications. PediaPress, 2014. Sustainability. China: PediaPress. Rob Cross, R. S., 2014. Sustainable Gardens. Chicago: Csiro Publishing. Thiele, L. P., 2014. Sustainability. New York: John Wiley Sons. UNESCO, 2012. Free flow: Reaching Water Security through Cooperation. London: UNESCO. Vladimir Novotny, J. A. P. B., 2011. Water Centric Sustainable Communities: Planning, Retrofitting and Building the Next Urban Environment. Paris: John Wiley Sons.

Great Expectations - The Character Of Mrs Joe Essays -

Great Expectations - The Character Of Mrs Joe Great Expectations - Mrs. Joe The importance of Mrs. Joe in Great Expectations has two major parts: the significance of the character, and the symbolism of the character. The signifance of Mrs. Joe is to complete the figure of Joe The symbolism of Mrs. Joe is actually the physical manifestation of Joe's fears in combination with his desire for a commanding father-figure. First, Mrs. Joe's reign of terror is obviously necessary for Joe's existence. In the beginning of Great Expectations, Joe requires identification as a major character. Without the weakness that Mrs. Joe instills in Joe via her reign of terror, Joe never develops to a major character. Joe is identified as a compassionate, sensitive character, and the most direct way to display this feature is to have the character appear vulnerable. Mrs. Joe serves as the tyrant for which Joe is made helpless. Joe, unless he is a scared character, does not recognize the friend he has in Pip. Without Joe as a major role in Pip's life, Pip also seems very incomplete. Second, Mrs. Joe also serves as the comical interlude of an otherwise sombre story. When she had exhausted a torrent of such inquiries, she threw a candlestick at Joe, burst into a loud sobbing, got out the dustpan -- which was always a very bad sign -- put on her coarse apron, and began cleaning up to a terrible extent. Not satisfied with a dry cleaning, she took to a pail and scrubbing-brush, and cleaned us out of house and home,... Truly, a frightening creature is that that may destroy a household by cleaning when anger besets her. Third, the comedy also has a serious side, though, as we remember our mothers exerting their great frustrations upon the household tasks of cleanliness. So, Mrs. Joe serves very well as a mother to Pip. Besides the age difference and the motherly duties of housekeeping for Pip and Joe, the attitude of a scornful mother is also apparent. This, of course, draws Joe even closer to Pip, by relation. Mrs. Joe serves as link to make it so that Joe appears very much to be the father of Pip. In addition, Joe, although terrified of Mrs. Joe, is a very honorable man and would never consider divorcing his wife. Through this condition, however, Joe appears to be even a more honorable man to choose to preserve the sacred marriage rather than seek his comfort. It is ironic that Mrs. Joe be referred to as Mrs. Joe constantly when there doesn't seem to much a part of Joe in her. The main purpose it serves is probably to characterize Mrs. Joe as a more masculine, and, therefore, typically more commanding, character. In the tradition of marriage, the wife usually gives up her last name to show that she is property of the man, therefore it is especially ironic that she be called Mrs. Joe when it is clear that Joe, rather, belongs more to her than vice-versa. It is also ironic that Joe be the one that seems to be stuck in tough situation in his marraige. Often, in this time, women suffered from the abuse of their husbands and expected to keep the marriage together regardless. However, Joe is clearly the one being abused in this story and he also is the only one decent enough to care enough about the marraige to try and keep it together by enduring the abuse of Mrs. Joe. Fifth, through love, Joe shows the audience that truly he is not just a very timid man but a whole-hearted man. Truly, it takes a loving man to stay in love with such a woman as Mrs. Joe. No kissing ever took place between Joe and Mrs. Joe (much less child birth), and it becomes clear to the reader that the relationship between Joe and Mrs. Joe is a very one-way relationship. It would seem that Joe cares enough for Mrs. Joe, though Mrs. Joe never once seems to show a bit of compassion for Joe. Illustration of this can be seen in Mrs. Joe's numerous dorogatory references to being married to a lowly blacksmith. Surely, after Mrs. Joe dies, Joe reflects upon how

Free Essays on The Affects Of Music On Children

Music is no longer simply a way to relax and express your self anymore. Rather, it is a way to expand the brain’s faculties. From the beginning of life as a fetus until death music affects everyone’s lives. Indeed, it has been shown, that music has a profound effect on a child’s physical, intellectual and social development. To a great extent, through the early stages of childhood one can truly understand how worthwhile music is in a growing child’s life. The interest on how music affects young children began toward the latter part of the 19th century. Studies were taken up to determine an infant’s musical abilities. It appears that until the middle of the twentieth century, scientists failed to appreciate the capabilities of infants. They presumed that because infants lack speech and spend so much time eating and sleeping that not much cognition was going on inside an infant’s head. That view was largely displaced with the fact that infants have considerable musical abilities. For example, infants can perceive and distinctly remember not only the contour, but also the pattern of rising and falling pitches in a piece of music. They can also recognize a melody as the same when it is played at a very different tempo. Infant perception and cognition have been found to be similar to the ways in which adult listeners process music. Through the scientific discovery of musical abilities in infants there is never the less, a question that arises. To address this issue, at what age, do these types of abilities first appear? To answer this question, scientists must focus on the issue of whether or not infants remember their birth or even the experiences that go along with it. To do this they primarily rely on anecdotes, which claim that people have detailed memories of birth or even in utero experiences. Chiefly, the reliability of these stories have been claimed on the basis either of hypothetical reasoning or that... Free Essays on The Affects Of Music On Children Free Essays on The Affects Of Music On Children Music is no longer simply a way to relax and express your self anymore. Rather, it is a way to expand the brain’s faculties. From the beginning of life as a fetus until death music affects everyone’s lives. Indeed, it has been shown, that music has a profound effect on a child’s physical, intellectual and social development. To a great extent, through the early stages of childhood one can truly understand how worthwhile music is in a growing child’s life. The interest on how music affects young children began toward the latter part of the 19th century. Studies were taken up to determine an infant’s musical abilities. It appears that until the middle of the twentieth century, scientists failed to appreciate the capabilities of infants. They presumed that because infants lack speech and spend so much time eating and sleeping that not much cognition was going on inside an infant’s head. That view was largely displaced with the fact that infants have considerable musical abilities. For example, infants can perceive and distinctly remember not only the contour, but also the pattern of rising and falling pitches in a piece of music. They can also recognize a melody as the same when it is played at a very different tempo. Infant perception and cognition have been found to be similar to the ways in which adult listeners process music. Through the scientific discovery of musical abilities in infants there is never the less, a question that arises. To address this issue, at what age, do these types of abilities first appear? To answer this question, scientists must focus on the issue of whether or not infants remember their birth or even the experiences that go along with it. To do this they primarily rely on anecdotes, which claim that people have detailed memories of birth or even in utero experiences. Chiefly, the reliability of these stories have been claimed on the basis either of hypothetical reasoning or that...

Strategic Development and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Strategic Development and Management - Essay Example According to the paper findings strategy is that function of an organisation where decisions and plans are made, which reflect the long-term objectives of the organisation, and is independent from decisions made on a daily level. Other definitions include, â€Å"the pursuit of superior performance by using a plan that ensures a better or stronger matching of corporate strengths to customer needs than is provided by competitors†. It can be argued that the above definitions may be interdependent because attaining competitive advantage may sometimes be seen as a long-term objective by organisations, depending upon the market environment they operate in. As the essay stresses the definitions also show that there are internal and external implications to strategy, where the internal factors may include the structure of the organisation, the kind of corporate governance (leadership) that exists within the organisation, and the function of Human Resources Management. The external factors may include the Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Environmental, and Legal issues associated within a given market environment where the organisation operates. There are other methods of internal and external analyses that influence strategy like the SWOT analysis and Porter’s five forces, which are all helpful for the organisation to make strategic decisions in order to attain competitive advantage. These methods will be discussed in detail in later stages of the study.... To delve further into the study it is important to establish the definition for the terms ‘strategic management’. David (2009) defines strategic management as the â€Å"art and science of formulating, implementing, and evaluating cross-functional decisions that enable an organisation to achieve its objectives† (p. 36). As the definition suggests, there are different functions within an organisation like management, marketing, finance/accounting, production/operations, research and development, and computer information systems (David, 2009; Johnson et al, 2008), but not necessarily restricted to these, and the job of strategic management is to integrate all these functions towards the common goal of achieving organisational success. Stages of Strategic Management: The strategy formulation stage normally involves assessing the organisation’s resources and determining what market(s) to enter and which ones to abandon. This is also the stage where visions and m issions of the company are developed and long-term objectives are established. Top managers take up the responsibilities to assess the advantages of expansion or reduction, and/or entering international markets, resource allocation, product diversification, mergers/ takeovers etc. This is also where companies assess the opportunities and threats in particular markets and internal strengths and weaknesses in order to create contingent strategies (SWOT). Analysis is also done on what markets to invest in and what political, economical, socio-cultural, technological, environmental and legal (PESTEL) issues may arise in said market. Decisions made during this stage commit an organisation to specific products, resources, markets and technologies for