LSAT Logical Reasoning Sample Practice Questions

The questions in this section are based on the reasoning contained in brief statements or passages. For some questions, more than one of the choices could conceivably answer the question. However, you are to choose the best answer; that is, the response that most accurately and completely answers the question. You should not make assumptions that are by commonsense standards implausible, superfluous, or incompatible with the passage. After you have chosen the best answer, blacken the corresponding space on your answer sheet. Question 1 Biologists attached a radio transmitter to one of a number of wolves that had been released earlier in the White River Wilderness Area as part of a relocation project. The biologists hoped to use this wolf to track the movements of the whole pack. Wolves usually range over a wide area in search of prey, and frequently follow the migrations of their prey animals. The biologists were surprised to find that this particular wolf never moved more than five miles away from the location in which it was first tagged. Which one of the following, if true, would by itself most help to explain the behavior of the wolf tagged by the biologists? A.  The area in which the wolves were released was rocky and mountainous, in contrast to the flat, heavily-wooded area from which they were taken.   B. The wolf had been tagged and released by the biologists only three miles away from a sheep ranch that provided a large, stable population of prey animals. C.  The White River Wilderness Area had supported a population of wolves in past years, but they had been hunted to extinction. D.  Although the wolves in the White River Wilderness Area were under government protection, their numbers had been sharply reduced, within a few years of their release, by illegal hunting. E.  The wolf captured and tagged by the biologists had split off from the main pack whose movements the biologists had hoped to study, and its movements did not represent those of the main pack. Answer below. Scroll down. Question 2 As any economist knows, healthy people pose less of an economic burden to society than unhealthy people. Not surprisingly, then, every dollar our state government spends on prenatal care for undocumented immigrants will save taxpayers of this state three dollars. Which of the following, if true, would best explain why the statistics cited above are not surprising? A.  The state’s taxpayers pay for prenatal care of all  immigrants. B.  Babies born in this state to undocumented immigrant parents are entitled to infant care benefits from the state. C.  State benefits for prenatal care serve to promote undocumented immigration. D.  Babies whose mothers did not receive prenatal care.are just as healthy as other babies. E.  Pregnant women who do not receive prenatal care are more likely to experience health problems than other pregnant women. Question 3 Beautiful beaches attract people, no doubt about it. Just look at this city’s beautiful beaches, which are among the most overcrowded beaches in Florida. Which of the following exhibits a pattern of reasoning most similar to the one exhibited in the argument above? A.  Moose and bear usually appear at the same drinking  hole at the same time of day. Therefore, moose and  bear must grow thirsty at about the same time. B.  Children who are scolded severely tend to misbehave.more often than other children. Hence if a child is not scolded severely that child is less likely to misbehave. C.  This software program helps increase the work  efficiency of its users. As a result, these users  have more free time for other activities. D.  During warm weather, my dog suffers from fleas  more so than during cooler weather. Therefore,  fleas must thrive in a warm environment. E. Pesticides are known to cause anemia in some people.  However, most anemic people live in regions where  pesticides are not commonly used. Answers to LSAT Logical Reasoning Questions Question 1: Most wolves range over a wide area in search of prey; this particular wolf hung around the same area. An explanation that immediately suggests itself is that this particular wolf found enough prey in this area, so it didn’t have to run all over looking for food. This is the tack taken by B. If the wolf had a large stable population of sheep on which to pray in the immediate vicinity, there was no need for it to range over a wide territory looking for food. A  doesn’t have much direct bearing on this particular wolf’s lack of mobility. While it’s true that a wolf might find it harder to move around in the mountainous  country, the stimulus says that  wolves, in general, tend to cover great distances in search of food. There’s no hint that a wolf in a mountainous area should prove an exception to this rule. C  is irrelevant: While the White River Wilderness Area may once have supported a population of wolves, knowing this does nothing to explain the behavior of this particular wolf. D, if anything, gives what seems to be a reason for our wolf to make tracks and migrate somewhere else.  Certainly,  D doesn’t explain why our wolf didn’t follow usual wolf hunting methods. E answers the wrong question; it would help explain why the naturalists couldn’t use our wolf to study the movements of the larger pack. However, we haven’t been asked that; we want to know why this specific wolf didn’t behave the way wolves usually do. Question 2 The argument relies on the unstated assumption that prenatal care results in better health and therefore less cost to society. E helps to affirm this assumption. A  is irrelevant to the argument, which makes no distinction between undocumented immigrants and other immigrants. B describes benefits that  might  decrease the overall tax burden, but only if the prenatal care program serves to reduce  the amount of  infant-care benefits paid. The argument does not inform us whether this is the case. Thus it is impossible to assess the extent to which B would explain how the prenatal care would save the taxpayers money. C actually renders the statistics  more  surprising, by providing evidence that prenatal care will add to society’s economic burden. D also renders the statistics  more  surprising, by providing evidence that the cost of the prenatal care program will  not  be offset by a particular health benefit—a benefit which would lessen the taxpayers\’ economic burden. Question 3 The correct response to Question 3 is (D). The original argument bases a conclusion that one phenomenon causes another on an observed correlation between the two phenomena. The argument boils down to the following: Premise:  X (beautiful beach) is correlated with Y (crowd  of people).Conclusion:  X (beautiful beach) causes Y (crowd of people). Answer choice (D) demonstrates the same pattern of reasoning: Premise:  X (warm weather) is correlated with Y (fleas).Conclusion:  X (warm weather) causes Y (fleas). (A) demonstrates a different pattern of reasoning than the original argument: Premise:  X (moose at the drinking hole) is correlated with Y (bears at the drinking hole).Conclusion:  X (moose) and Y (bear) are both caused by Z (thirst). (B) demonstrates a different pattern of reasoning than the original argument: Premise:  X (scolding children) is correlated with Y (misbehavior among children).Assumption:  Either X causes Y, or Y causes X.Conclusion:  Not X (no scolding) will be correlated with not Y (no misbehavior). (C) demonstrates a different pattern of reasoning than the original argument: Premise:  X (software program) causes Y (efficiency).Assumption:  Y (efficiency) causes Z (free time).Conclusion:  X (software program) causes Z (free time). (E) demonstrates a different pattern of reasoning than the original argument. In fact, (E) is not a complete argument; it contains two premises but no conclusion: Premise:  X (pesticides) causes Y (anemia).Premise:  Not X (pesticide-free regions) is correlated with Y (anemia).

Old Boy Growing Up With A Parent Of The Air National Guard

Juan is a four-year-old boy growing up with both parents. Silvia, Juan’s mother, is a stay at home mom giving her the ability to be with her son and develop a close relationship. Jessie, Juan’s father, is an airline worker and a member of the Air National Guard. Jessie also has a close relationship with his son because of the daily interactions they have with each other. However, Juan’s world completely changed when his father was deployed to the Middle East and his mother had to begin work again. Juan’s interactions with his parents are minimal to nonexistent causing a physical and mental consequence on Juan. In the framework of psychoanalytic theory, there is a focus on child development. Prior to Jessie’s deployment, Juan was experiencing a normal child development through a sexual and aggressive drive. For example, analyzing Juan’s psychosexual development, at the age of 4, Juan’s demonstrates an attraction to his female parent. His display of affection is within the phallic phase. His desire to â€Å"marry† his mother is common for children between the ages of three and five because they begin to discover their genitals (Berzoff, 2011). Juan’s mother’s occupation as a stay at home mother, allowed Juan to develop these feelings due to the large amount of time they would spend together. Nevertheless, when his father got deployed and his mother began working, it was noticeable that he went through regression. Juan does not have the attention his mother onceShow MoreRelatedEssay7849 Words   |  32 PagesShe jumped up to her feet and went over to kneel down beside the couch. She pulled the curtains slightly back to peep out the window. She didn’t see anyone. The howling sound from the wind blowing against the tree limbs was the noise she heard and the street lights shined in her yard. Then the horrible thoughts of Michael coming back for revenge raced through her mind. 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South West Airlines a Review Free Essays

string(98) " with the current systems that are being introduced everyday integrating them into their systems\." SOUTHWEST AIRLINE ANALYSIS Contents SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CASE STUDY4 INTRODUCTION4 PART 1: EXTERNAL ANALYSIS5 OVERVIEW5 MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS6 PESTEL Analysis6 Industry Analysis9 Five Forces Model Pictorial Representation9 Five Forces Analysis10 PART 2: INTERNAL ANALYSIS13 OVERVIEW13 SWOT ANALYSIS14 Strengths14 Weaknesses15 Opportunities15 Threats16 The VRIO Framework16 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS17 PART 3: CURRENT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE COMPANY18 Mergers and Acquisitions18 Financial Outlay18 Legislation19 PART 4: STRATEGIC OPTIONS19 Ansoff Matrix19 The TOWS Matrix20 PART FIVE – EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS21 OVERVIEW21 PART 5: DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWS STRATEGY22 PART SIX – DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED STRATEGY23 PART 7: CONCLUSION24 REFERENCES26 SOUTHWEST AIRLINE CASE STUDY INTRODUCTION Southwest airline is based in the United States with its headquarters in Dallas, Texas, that mainly serves a domestic clientele in northern America. The company has grown from a few aircrafts at induction into the aircraft market, to a fleet of many domestic carriers that serve the larger domestic airline clientele. Started in 1971, Southwest Airlines started business with three Boeing aircrafts while serving three cities in Texas notably Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. We will write a custom essay sample on South West Airlines a Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now Today the company serves 97 destinations in 41 states within the US, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and six near international countries with a fleet of 694 Boeing jets (Southwest, 2009). The company is now one of the United States biggest airline companies, offering low cost fares to their clients. The company offers the lowest combination of aircraft fares to its customers making it one of the most attractive airline carriers in the continent. The company boasts of in addition to the low fares a working staff that are reliable as well as a friendly customer service, a rich corporate culture that extends deep within the communities they work with. The company has grown mainly through acquisitions and mergers with other companies and has been described by Fortune Magazine as one of the most profitable companies of 2012 according to (Southwest, 2012). This report will undertake an intensive look at the internal and external influences that affect the company as well as the current issues and challenges the company is facing. Further the report will generate strategic options for the company as well as an evaluation of them while describing the selected strategy. The main stakeholders associated with the company are the customers proven by the effort with which the company strives to ensure their comfort through consideration of pricing, as well as convenience offering many flights to various domestic locations offering the customers convenience. Other important stakeholders held in regard by the company are the employees of the company who are dedicated to working for the company, suppliers who continuously accord support to the company as well as the immediate community that the organization interacts with. With relation to the strengths that the company possesses in the domestic airline industry the company can be assumed to be working in a cost leadership generic strategy (Porter 1980). The reasons for this are that as the company is operating with the low cost policy to its clientele, the company has the advantage of working with a wide and broad base of clients. The strength therefore for the company comes from working with the numbers of passengers that it ferries between destinations on a low cost policy. PART 1: EXTERNAL ANALYSIS OVERVIEW An external analysis is often used by organizations in a bid to identify the threats and the opportunities that exist in a company’s environment. Opportunities and threats for companies are mainly of an external nature and can have a direct impact on a company’s performance. Opportunities for a company such as Southwest Airlines are potentially rewarding conditions only when the company responds to them properly and in the right manner. Threats on the other hand are the conditions that can potentially weaken a company and provide hindrance for the company potentially preventing it from attaining its organizational goals and objectives. MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS Macro-environmental analysis involves a company analysing the environment that it has no control over. To do so is done with the purpose and intention of deriving the potential opportunities and threats that exist for the company allowing it to make appropriate considerations and decisions in the light of the issues presented. The PESTEL model is the most popularized model used to analyse the macro environment of a company in addition to other forms of models and structures that are also used in the analysis. PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL analysis tool looks at the environments of the changes in Political climate, Environmental climate, Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic as well as the Legal atmospheres surrounding the entity (DeWit, 2004). A diagrammatic representation of the external environment that surrounds organisations is as described below; [pic]Diagram 1: PESTEL representation Source: Hunger (2011). Political Analysis The political climate surrounding the Southwest airline is not intensive. The managerial relations with the government of the day are okay. And therefore government interference in the affairs of the company is highly limited. Economic analysis An analysis of the economic environment surrounding Southwest airline is favourable. The domestic market the company addresses is well responsive to the company as they endeavour to fulfil their mission of transporting passengers at reduced rates that favour their consumers. The company has maintained profitable constant for the last 40 years. Socio-Cultural Analysis Socially the company has interacted well with their clients, suppliers and customers over the years. By giving back and engaging in community social relations with the parties the company boasts of having a good working as well as cultural background with the people it has dealt with. The company owns a training centre from where they are able to give education to the people on aircraft flying as well as other airline related activities. In addition the company is heavily unionised so as to address the plights and concerns of their employees. Technological Analysis The company in recent years has engaged in technological advancements by keeping up to date with the current systems that are being introduced everyday integrating them into their systems. You read "South West Airlines a Review" in category "Papers" Systems such as booking, route paths as well as their company itinerary are available online and they have improved efficiency for the companies. The company further boasts of being the first aircraft line to own a website in early 1995 as well as the downloadable tool in 2005, that notified customers of offers and promotions that the company was running. Environmental Analysis The company has engaged in sustainable forms of fuel usage as well as sustain ably monitoring their resources. Through projects such as Evolve, which involved the redesign of the cabins on the craft to accommodate efficient waste disposal as well as reduce weight from waste on the craft. The company in recent times for example contracted Pratt and Whitey to supply the company with Eco-power water pressure washing systems that allowed the company to wash the grime of the engines turbine blades while the aircraft was parked at the gate. This allows the company to engage in environmental friendly ways while still maintaining their goals of quick turnaround (DeWit, 2004). Legal Analysis The company has been engaged in various legal tussles with some of their effects being felt to this day. A legal issue with the Wright Amendment has over the years been a stumbling block for Southwest Airlines as it acts as a limiter to the number of turn around flights that the company can offer. Having a large customer base is an advantage for the company but with the Wright Amendment whose recommendations are still being eliminated in phases the legislation has prevented the company from delivering more service to their clientele which would help them boost their revenues. Industry Analysis Conducting an industry analysis is also essential for a company as it helps the company determine the profitability levels of the company within the competitive industry (Hubbel, 2013). The main objective for this analysis is often to determine the factors of competition that influence the industry. Conducting this type of analysis is mainly aided by the five forces model that was presented by Porter, (1980). Its purpose is to mainly help create and manage competitive advantages for a company that may allow it to be steps ahead of the immediate competition. Five Forces Model Pictorial Representation [pic] Source: Sridhar, 2012 Five Forces Analysis The five forces analysis tool mainly undertakes a study of the following areas in the external environment of a company; barriers to entry, substitutes available, supplier power, buyer power and finally competitive rivalry. Researching by concentrating using the above areas of environment for a company helps a company greatly when coming up with specific strategies and the development procedures on which to follow so as to assess the position of the company in relation to their current standing (Choo, 2002) Barriers to Entry Southwest airline is currently faced with a high amount of entry barriers into the market. In recent times airline companies have been conducting mergers and acquisition arrangements amongst each other mainly due to the high costs that are found within the industry. Among the first challenges to entry the company was faced with was the Wright Amendment which was created in 1979. This federal law governed the traffic at Dallas Love Field which was the predecessor to the airfield now located in Dallas, Texas. This amendment regulated the amount of non-stop flights between Texas and other states. This law caused the founders of the company to concentrate on the local market dwelling with the demand that existed within the state of Texas. In recent times more specifically in 1997, 2005 and 2006 as a result of some repeal some of the restricting factors in the law were abolished leaving others intact. These led to the company increasing the number of direct flights in the state as well as expanding into other states around the country. In later times merging of companies has also created a problem for Southwest Airline. The reason for this is that these mergers increase the capital revenues for the other companies enabling them to invest more in profitable investments and thus more profits. This consequentially causes the company Southwest airline to lose out on market share and customers. Some examples of companies that have merged recently are Delta that merged with Northwest Airline, American and America West, United Airlines and Continental and the recent rumour that US Airways would be merging with American. Availability of Substitutes This refers to the alternatives that are available to the local customers. This is in reference to other forms of transport other than air. This challenge is not as significant to the company as since the other available forms do not meet the demands of the market in comparison to the demand for air transport. Transport by railroad is not as popular amongst the people since it is not enough in supply and not readily accessible. Road transport especially by bus too is not suited for the kind of clientele that need the services of the air transport. The customers who mainly use the service are frequent fliers as well as business people who need to travel across the country on a regular basis to meet their clients and other people they may need to interact with in the course of their journeys. Supplier power The ability of the company to meet the demands of the market is very high. Supplier power refers to the size of the companies that are engaging in the supply of a service or a good. For Southwest airlines the company is very well capable to meet the demands of the market. The company services a large fleet of aircraft well suited for the job of transporting passengers and in addition has a very low rate of cancelled flights 16. 1% according to the statistics provided by American Skies in 2012. Buyer power The power of the consumers has been decreased by the capability of the company to manage their flights and fleets. In addition the company has a very high efficient rate of route utilisation meeting the demands of the market in a timely and capable manner. Competitive Rivalry The competition surrounding the company is fierce. With the recent mergers of the afore mentioned airline companies operating in the US alone, the market has become very competitive and volatile for Southwest and thus the need of a good strategy so as to keep up in the market or else risk being phased out. Some of the company’s main competitors are companies such as American Airlines, US Airways, United and Delta. These companies are engaged in acquisitions and mergers in efforts to dominate more within the market which poses a threat to Southwest Airlines. To win customer loyalty for Southwest Airlines in the highly competitive environment it is prudent that the paper also addresses the concerns that customers address before they identify an airline as their choice of carrier. Some of this factors that customers address are: i. Reliability- Is the company able to offer on time departures and how do they handle customer luggage? For an airline that is constantly getting delays this is not a strong suit or losing luggage in transit and is a turn off for many customers. ii. Number of flights- This is another consideration as clients may be interested in travelling back and forth even within a day. The number of flights that a company handles is also a vital factor to win the loyalty of a customer to the company. iii. Pricing- This factor is the most important. In today’s economies customers have become price sensitive and will go for the cheapest options available but that provide quality services that a client may feel as they have spent their money in a worthwhile manner. Using the PESTEL and Five Forces Models above a number of opportunities present themselves. The opportunities available are that once the Wright Amendment restrictions are lifted the company could increase the number of turn around flights delivering more services to the customers. The company could engage more in mergers and acquisitions to take advantage of more international flights to more destinations. The threats that pose a danger to the company achieving its goals and objectives include the possibility of losing clients to other companies as a result of the mergers occurring that could in turn induce the lowering of prices by the other companies as they would have more resources. The threat of economic instability causes a rise in cost in provision of added benefits which would force the company to downsize staff or reduce on other costs or be left with the option of increasing fares so as to continue working efficiently and effectively. PART 2: INTERNAL ANALYSIS OVERVIEW This is an evaluation of a company’s current position from an internal point of view with regards to the marketing operations and financial strengths of a company. Using a value chain for Southwest airlines would benefit the company as they strive to offer valuable services in the industry to their stakeholders. Using internal analysis would benefit the company in streamlining operations as they would endeavour to use their strengths and turn around their weaknesses so as to create opportunities in the chains of activities in the delivery of operations that they would undertake. SWOT ANALYSIS An internal look at the company using the SWOT analysis reveals the strengths possessed by the company as well as the weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the company. An internal analysis of the company’s relations and affairs helps in trying to determine on which areas the company could possibly improve upon so as to come up with good strategies that the company can work with (Hunger, 2011). Strengths i) The company has a stable financial outlay that assists when it comes to mergers and acquisitions. The company recently announced an expansion program of their company headquarters where they would then serve clients on a 24hr basis having ensured that their systems would be up to date and efficiently working for the market it seeks to maintain. i) Low fee airline. For the company this is a strength because consumers and the market get to enjoy quality services as well as at an affordable price making it one of the most profitable companies through opportunistic costs. The company through its numerous routes transports many passengers while conducting their quick turnaround system to meet the heavy demand present in the market. iii) A good working staff. One of the many fun facts about the company is that they have 1,355 married couples. This is a sign in addition to the many unions present within the company to address issues and concerns f the staff members. What the above facts present is that the company enjoys a good working environment and highly motivated at the same time. iv) The company has the lowest complaint records according to American Skies 2012. The rate was estimated to be at 0. 32 of every 100,000 passengers. This is a strength acknowledging a good appreciative customer base. Weaknesses i) With the maintenance of the low pricing strategy adopted the company has been utilizing the conditions have however been changing especially with the recent economic troubles that were experienced globally. In the aviation industry, this was affected by the high costs of fuel and other products. ii) Confined market. Over the years the company has been dealing domestically limiting the number of consumers and who in turn developed an attitude towards the company when it came to destinations outside the domestic company. This left room for other companies to set up shop in the international travel market. Opportunities i) The company has an opportunity to deal with the international market through associations created recently with companies such as AirTran Airways. The merger which is expected to be complete by the year 2015 is an opportunity for the company not only to increase its revenue but to also expand its market. ii) Good pricing on aircraft. Dealing with exclusively Boeing to deliver crafts for the company the company has been the launching pin for many of the Boeing designs and creations. The good relationship that exists with the company presents that the company can get good pricing deals for the aircraft that they incorporate into their fleets. Threats ) The company is faced with the threat of losing out on revenue with the high costs being incurred by the company in the conduct of its operations in comparison to the low pricing that they charge to their customers. ii) The recent merging trend happening in the industry also poses a great threat for the company. This threat poses the challenge for the company by them losing out on the market share which stands at 12. 3 according to the American Skies records, 2012. The VRIO Framewor k [pic] VRIO framework addresses the questions of Value, Rarity, Imitability and Organization. Using this framework to generate strategic plans for a company is also a worthwhile strategy by asking the questions on the resources available to the company, are they valuable, rare, can they be duplicated and the capability of the organization to exploit this resources. For example using the resources of the company ie. Number of staff, aircraft carriers, capital outlay, loyalty of the customers we get the following results by asking the questions, i) Value: Is Southwest able to exploit this resource or neutralize a threat in regards to the resource? ii) Rarity: Is Southwest in control of the industry on this resource? ii) Imitability: Is the resource difficult to imitate in the industry? iv) Organization: Is the company ready to take advantage of the market? For Southwest the answers to this questions are as found in the table below. |Resources |Value |Rarity |Imitability |Organization | |Staff |High |Yes |No |Yes | |Aircraft carriers |High |Yes No |Yes | |Customers |High |Yes |Y es |Yes | |Capital outlay |High |Yes |Yes |Yes | FINANCIAL ANALYSIS Financial analysis for the company reflects that the company has been doing well with a net income of $421 million (? 279) in 2012 as reflected below: †¢ Net income: $421 million (? 279) †¢ Net income, excluding special items: $417 million (? 76) †¢ Total revenue passengers carried: 109 million †¢ Total RPMs: 103 billion †¢ Average passenger load factor: 80. 3 percent †¢ Total operating revenue: $17. 1 billion (? 11. 3) (Southwest, 2012). In comparison to the achievements the company has made over the years a good strategy needs to be determined and formulated so as to assists the company maintain its lead as well as strengthen it. PART 3: CURRENT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THE COMPANY The company as identified by the above tools of analysis reveals that the company is faced with a number of challenges as articulated below. Mergers and Acquisitions This challenge though Southwest company is also engaging in it shows that the company is taking up its position within the international aviation industry in a slow paced nature. With other companies merging so as to take advantage of resources and opportunities means that they are gaining more within the markets. With a project as the merger between the company and AirTran Airways the process should be speeded up so as to create the opportunity for the company to engage in more destinations as well as the international market (Southwest 2012). Financial Outlay The company has steadily over the last few years been losing out on revenues and reduction in profits. For Southwest, this challenge has been as a result of increased costs of operations as well as diversion of revenue towards other projects such as the expansion of the headquarters for the company. For the company this poses the challenges for the company since they are investing in more acquisitions which are on a low share of the market bringing in little returns although increasing the number of destinations that the company can reach thereof. Legislation Amendments to regulation such as the Wright Amendment are required to be amended fast and implemented so as to create an opportunity for the company to increase its number of flights between destinations to serve the large customer base and reduce on the loss of revenue. Federal legislation is what made the company start off at a slow pace that caused the company to lose out on gaining more market share. PART 4: STRATEGIC OPTIONS With relation to Southwest airlines strategy of delivering services to their clients at the lowest costs confirms that the company wishes to continue with the generic strategy of cost leadership. With the options available for the company such as those of mergers this could entirely support the company in achieving its goals and objectives of expansion and cost effectiveness. Strategic tools such as the Ansoff Matrix and the TOWS matrix reveal strategic options that a company such as Southwest could implement and follow so as to increase their position in their market (Choo, 2002). Ansoff Matrix As depicted in the image below the Ansoff matrix is a simple model that helps a company identify the opportunities present for it to engage in and come up with a good strategy by looking at the factors of market penetration, product development, market development and diversification by comparing to the products offered and the markets available. For Southwest the company has penetrated the market effectively in the domestic scene whereas internationally the company is taking a slow route with the merging with other companies such as TransAir Airways. This tool links organizations marketing strategies together with the strategic directions that the company is pursuing so as to present the organization with alternative growth strategies. The tool identifies the market as well as the organization on the grounds of level of market penetration and market development. These two features of the market are analysed on the grounds of the relation of existing products to the existing as well as the new markets. Product development and diversification are measured and obtained in the view of how new products will relate or will be received in an existing market as well as a new market. pic] The TOWS Matrix This employs the theory of the SWOT analysis but instead identifies the threats and opportunities first and the weaknesses and strengths are last. The reason for this is so that the management identifies the threats and opportunities first and then using the strengths and weaknesses finds the best solutions on how to handle them. The thre at of losing out revenue and the emerging trends taking place in the market are the biggest challenges for the company. The opportunities for the company are those of penetrating the international market through mergers and partnerships with other airlines so as to gain ground. The company also has the opportunity to reduce costs by gaining discounts from suppliers and other available resource demanding duties so as to increase revenue. To increase opportunity and reduce the threats the company should employ the strengths of the strong financial outlay and engage in profitable projects to cover revenue base, and take advantage of the strong customer loyalty base available for the company. With weaknesses the company should re-evaluate their pricing strategy so as to keep up and maintain a stable working financial base without losing value from their customers. PART FIVE – EVALUATION OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS OVERVIEW Strategy evaluation is an easy task to perform for management of an organization especially when using procedures such as those described above. However it becomes more complicated when the strategies to use are concerned with emerging issues that are not expected. In the selection of the best criteria to use when selecting the best strategy so as to ensure its success in implementation the criteria that they need to meet range from consistency, consonance, advantage, feasibility, suitability, and acceptability. Developing a choice strategy, an organization should ensure that the strategy does indeed meet all the above criteria so as to be considered as being worthy of implementation. In the case of Southwest airlines, using the generic strategies of the Ansoff Matrix, TOWS matrix to sort the internal elements that influence the organization and the PESTEL and five forces models for the external environment determining the best strategy would involve analysing the strategies using the criteria above. For the internal analysis the TOWS matrix lacks in consistency. The elements that present themselves are lacking in consistency due to the constant changes going on in the environment. As the company undergoes restructuring as a result of the merger with other organizations this presents the problem of different variables coming up making the matrix not suitable to rely upon. Unlike the Ansoff matrix that fits all the criteria as stipulated the failure by one strategy to meet this disqualifies it from being used. In the external analysis the PESTEL analysis is the best strategy to use as it has a broad coverage detailing the issues that are relevant this model out rightly fits into the Southwest Airline external environment. PART 5: DESCRIPTION OF THE TOWS STRATEGY The TOWS analysis is the best method to utilize for development of the strategy. The matrix comprehensively involves an intensive study of the external and the internal environments that affect the company. The possible strategies that come out of the use of the TOWS analysis are: i. Engaging in the International Market Penetrating into the international market would be a rich opportunity as the company is already popular domestically and so the company could be assured of gaining ground in the market share. Investing in this opportunity would be a gain for the company. With the repeal of the Wright Amendment with the last clause expected to be taken off in 2014 the company could easily take advantage of this opportunity and expand their market. ii. Reduction of costs By reducing on the heavy investments such as the staffing costs the company could save on revenue and profits. Laying off excess staff and conducting an intensive study on which resources to save up on would create an opportunity of savings for the airline. iii. Taking advantage of more Mergers with other airlines The last strategy that the company could possibly engage in would be that of merging with more companies. This would lead to savings on capital resources for the company. At the same time more ground would have been covered as the companies working in conjunction with each other would help reduce the barriers that a company by itself would be challenged with. PART SIX – DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED STRATEGY The strategy recommended for Southwest Airlines would be to embark on an international growth pattern. Going on global outreach program would help the company boost its profit as it serves more clients in the international market. The reputation of the company as a result of being an already established airline would help boost its image in the international scene especially as a result of the low pricing strategies that the clients would be expecting as well as the helpful members of staff. Providing a consistent and adaptive transport system as the company is already known for domestically would ensure that the company would always have an awaiting market ready for them. By expansion through more acquisition programs as well as mergers the company would ensure that the fully meet the demands of the market. The idea of expansion is also feasible by that the company already possesses adequate resources from staff, to carriers and the capital to launch into the new ventures could easily be raised with respect towards the financial reserves that the company possesses. The expansion strategy is also suitable and acceptable as the market is quickly turning global with individuals travelling further away mainly for the purposes of business or leisure. The world today has been brought together making it very accessible from one area to another. The physical requirements that could possibly be required would be those of carriers, which the company already possesses financially the company possesses the strength and capital. Human resource is not an issue for the company as it has a good relationship with its staff and in addition the company further possesses a large base of employees. Finally the company possesses the reputation of a good cost effective and dependable airline. With this the company has one of the biggest strengths that it could actually possess that would ensure its success in the international market. PART 7: CONCLUSION Strategy formation is an important aspect in enhancing organisational, and market growth. Strategy formulation enhances effective creation future growth plans for the organisation through continued research of the most effective strategies relating to organisations objectives and implementing them to ensure effective organisational growth. Southwest airlines realises this fact and hence inputs a lot of research and commitment into ensuring that proper strategic decisions are met that enhance achievement of organisation’s overall objectives. Incorporation of a competent and skilled research and development team ensures that the organisation conducts the necessary research on their products, their performance, customer satisfaction and customer needs experienced in their current product market and anticipated venture markets. Through proper incorporation of the TOWS model, the organisation is able to understand market demands through incorporation of market penetration and development strategy, product development strategy and diversification strategy depending on current position of organisation products in the market and their anticipated growth strategy. Therefore strategy formation plays a vital role in enhancing organisational development through incorporation of various strategy development measures that aim at expanding organisation’s market share and scope. REFERENCES Choo, M, Chun, W Bontis, N 2002, The Strategic Management of Intellectual Capital and Organisational Knowledge. New York: Oxford University Press. De Wit, B Meyer, R 2004, Strategy, Process, Context and Content: An International Perspective, 3rd ed. , London, Thomson International Business. Gomez, M, Luis R, Balkin, D, Cardy, L 2008, Management: People, Performance, Change, 3rd edn, New York: McGraw-Hill Hunger, J Wheelen, L 2001, Essentials of Strategic Management, Prentice Hall. Southwest. om, 2009, Southwest Airlines –A Brief History. Retrieved on http://www. southwest. com/swamedia/swa_history. html Porter, M. E. 1980. Competitive Strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. New York: The Free Press â€Å"Southwest Airlines will become Launch Customer for the New Boeing 737 Max Aircraft† 2011. Southwest Airlines Retrieved on 1st March 2013 http://www. swamedia. com/releases/7b1c6522-daf8-40be-98d4-ce354aa974d3 Sridhar, A. (2012) Info rmation Systems Strategy and Management, Masters in Management Information Systems at UIC. How to cite South West Airlines a Review, Papers

Moderation moderation is key to success free essay sample

Moderation is the Key to Success From history books to present day movie franchises, a message has been embedded in. As Robert Frost has written, Some say the world will end in fire, Some say in ice These two powerful forces may be completely different things with contradicting effects, yet they bring the same destruction. In the novel the Lord of the Flies, William Golding compares the fire to Jacks passion in order to set an example for pushing the potential of positive attributes that could eventually to lead to destruction. The author of Lord of the Flies uses the symbolism of fire to demonstrate the necessity of moderation as it is the key to success. The world is full of a variety of challenges, all bringing different types of trouble and chaos. Yet success can be achieved through one key device: moderation. Golding continuously develops this theme by enhancing the role of the fire. We will write a custom essay sample on Moderation moderation is key to success or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page At the beginning of the book, the fire symbolizes hope and excitement, often bringing happiness to the group of boys. Even when the idea of A fire, make a fire is brought up, the boys [got] on heir feet almost at once (Golding 52). A lively mood automatically replaces the originally gloomy atmosphere. Not only is building a fire fun to the boys, the fire builds a sense of security that reminds them of the secure environment of home. This only further boosts the Jolly mood of the group as whole. Yet the vast amount of happiness is created with minimum use of the fire. The fire only serves as a signal fire, serving no other advanced role. As the book progresses, the fire continues to evolve and grow in terms of importance. It begins to take on more and more esponsibilities until it takes part in the boys survival. The fire continues to serve as a signal fire, but is now used to also cook meat. The boys gather around as [the] fire [burns] on the rock and fat [drips] from the roasting pig meat into the invisible flames drooling over the delicacy that sits inside the fire. While hunting the meat becomes the number one priority of the majority of the group, fire is Just as important as they need it to cook the meat. It becomes a symbol of power, as if whoever wields or has fire reigns supreme. It grows from a simple signal fire to a ymbol of power. Not only did the fire work to satisfy practical uses, the fire creates a civilization. The simple little campfires sparks the littleuns [to][become]wildly excited. They [dance] and [sing] and there [is] a partyish air about the gathering after Just looking at it(Golding 187) . When the fire burns, the community grows stronger and more civilized. If the fire is not burning or is weak, they too are weakening. Thus, feeling a step closer to home, a simple campfire creates an atmosphere of Joy and excitement. They arent focused on taking advantage of the bilities of the fire, but rather the hope and sense of civilization radiating off the fire. Golding wisely manipulates the fire to show different moderate uses of the fire to exemplify how success can come from simple and steady practices. While many benefits are brought from both fire and passion, the boys push the two to their greatest potentials, resulting in destruction. Jack starts a fire in order to smoke Ralph out. The fire grows out of control [it] reaches the coconut palms by the beach and [swallows] them noisily (Golding 288).

Notes About Note and Its Relations

Notes About Note and Its Relations Notes About Note and Its Relations Notes About Note and Its Relations By Mark Nichol Note (from the Latin noun nota, meaning â€Å"note,† and its verb form notare, meaning â€Å"to mark or note†) is one of those wallflower words that serves many functions and is the basis of numerous compounds. Here’s a rundown of its uses. The noun note has multiple senses: It refers to a condensed or informal record, a brief comment or explanation, or a comment or reference associated with a text passage. It may apply to an informal letter quickly dashed off, a brief, focused scholarly or technical essay, or a meticulously prepared diplomatic communication. (Various types of such documents include the note collective, the note diplomatique, and the note verbale.) In fiscal connotations, note might refer to a written promise to honor a debt (a promissory note is also called a note of hand), a piece of paper money (also called a banknote), or a corporate or government bond. Note also means simply â€Å"a piece of paper,† one on which a message has been written, and people frequently write or speak of producing a note of appreciation or a note of sympathy. It’s also the basis of notelet, the technical name for the format of the greeting card. Figurative senses are of a characteristic feature (such as when a wine is described as having â€Å"a note of oak†), an analogy to the tone or resonance of a communication or an event (for example, as used in the phrases â€Å"a note of regret† or â€Å"ended on a low note†). It also denotes distinction or reputation (as in â€Å"a personage of note†) and is used in such phrases as â€Å"taking note.† A note, too, is a symbol that identifies the length and pitch of a tone, as well as the sound itself. The adjective note-perfect refers to a flawless music performance, and something notable or noteworthy is deserving of attention. As a verb, note means â€Å"notice or pay attention,† or â€Å"say or write.† Note is combined with various other words to form compounds: notebook, notepad, notepaper (but â€Å"note card†). The act of recording information is note-taking. (The insertion of the hyphen serves to prevent the visual confusion engendered by notetaking, though the noun form notetaker does not align with that style.) Several open and closed compounds exist for fiscal terms of art, such as â€Å"note payable† and â€Å"note receivable,† â€Å"note broker,† and noteholder. Words and compounds derived from the Latin root include notary (from notarius, meaning â€Å"clerk† or â€Å"secretary†) and â€Å"notary public,† the phrase denoting an official witness to the signing of a legal document (sometimes shortened to notary; either â€Å"notary publics† or â€Å"notaries public† serves as the plural form). The associated verb and noun forms are notarize and notarization; the office or state of being a notary is notaryship, and the adjective is notarial. Latin phrases preserved in English usage include two signals for special attention: â€Å"nota bene† (â€Å"note well,† often abbreviated n.b.) and notandum (â€Å"something to be noted†). Meanwhile, notae tironianae (Latin for â€Å"Tironian notes†) is a system of shorthand said to have been invented by Marcus Tullius Tiro, scribe to Roman orator and statesman Cicero. Notation is any symbolic system for presenting information; notate and notative are the verb and adjectival forms. â€Å"Note of exclamation† and â€Å"note of interrogation† are alternatives to â€Å"question mark† and â€Å"exclamation point.† Closed compounds with note as the second element include headnote, sidenote, and footnote, which refer to comments or references formatted at the top, side, or bottom of a page. Sidenote and footnote are also used figuratively to refer, respectively, to a digression or a trivial role (a person who fails to achieve greatness or an incident of only passing significance might be identified as a footnote in history). Keynote, meanwhile, denotes the most important idea or part of something (often seen in reference to a presentation or a speech considered the highlight of a conference). I often use connote (â€Å"note with†) and denote (â€Å"thoroughly note†) in discussions of definitions: To connote is to imply or suggest, whereas to denote is to specifically indicate. (The noun forms are connotation and denotation.) These verbs supplanted the now-obsolete words connotate and denotate, but to annotate (â€Å"note to†) is to add comments or notes; the product of such an effort is an annotation. (Editions of literary works that provide contextual notes are described as annotated works.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"Proved vs. ProvenMankind vs. Humankind

Exercise in Writing With Specific Details

Exercise in Writing With Specific Details Specific details create word pictures that can make your writing easier to understand and more interesting to read. This exercise will give you practice in revising sentences to make them more concrete and specific. Instructions Revise the following sentences to make them more concrete and specific. ExampleThe sun came up.At 6:27 on March third, the sun rose in a cloudless sky and flooded the earth with liquid gold. The food in the cafeteria was unappealing.We painted part of the garage.She sat by herself in the coffee shop.The kitchen was a mess.Marie looked sad.I waved to my pet.The car sped away.The waiter seemed to be impatient and annoyed.He was hurt in a boating accident.I felt tired after practice.She enjoys listening to music.There was a strange smell in the attic.The movie was stupid and boring.She ate lunch at a restaurant with her sister.It was noisy in the room.

Implications of Flexibility in the Recruitment and Retention of Essay

Implications of Flexibility in the Recruitment and Retention of International Nurses on UKs Health Care Sector - Essay Example The International Council of Nurses Workforce Forum (2002 as cited in Parker & McMillan 2007) reported that majority of developed nations is or will be confronting shortages in the supply of nurses stemming from a shrinking availability of nurses alongside heightened needs for healthcare services. As the involvement of the UK in the international community expands, it is fundamental to explore likely implications for the growth of IHRM. With intensified advertising intended to persuade nurse to seek for employment opportunities abroad, as stated by Dowling (2007), the population of nurses vacating their current position to fill a vacancy in a richer nation, or those refusing to return to their native soil after obtaining their diplomas in Western colleges or universities is enlarging. Therefore, there is an immediate need to identify the effects of such trends on healthcare provision and to explore techniques in which recruiting organisations and firms can cope successfully. In the context of the current shortage of nurses, recruitment of health care workers by richer nations, like the UK, may witness critically scarce supply of highly trained and experienced nurses in nations where they are in demand. Certainly this is by now the situation in developing countries where vast population of nurses was employed by health care organisations in the UK. Flexibility in the Recruitment and Retention of Migrant Nurses in the UK Nurses wanting to work abroad should be informed of a broad range of recruitment and qualification barriers. Some of these major challenges are expensive and demanding immigration processes, adjusting to diverse clinical traditions, the requirement to become proficient in a new language, the expense of migration, and the requalification procedure (n .a. 2010). Although the procedure could be restructured in a number of instances in behalf of immigration, official endorsement is an indispensable patient and specialised security process that should be rigidly sustained (Connell 2007). National regulatory agencies, according to Choy (2010), are assigned to guarantee the quality and aptitude of migrant nurses. Communication is one of the obstacles to migration, but regarded a foundation of health care organisations. Patients communicate their problems, express their physical or emotional issues, and provide descriptions of their health concerns to healthcare providers (Hearnden 2007). Nurses should be capable of communicating with other stakeholders, including families of patients and health care personnel. They require the technical and existing language proficiency to converse under pressure and constraint. Language has been a significant consideration in the choice of destination country (Hearnden 2007). Nevertheless, according to Kingma (2008), while the supply of nurses in major source nations decreases new source countries are sought for and migration obstacles are not impervious anymore. In the UK, even though nurses offer important health care provisions and nursing is an attractive profession, there exists a critical problem. Budget cuts have led to unsafe and intolerable working conditions. Inflexible recruitment practices