Models for Entrepreneurship Development

Models for Entrepreneurship Development Develop a business proposal based on an actual or potential opportunity which has not yet been exploited 1.0 Introduction Innovations and new business ideas are the cornerstone of business development and wealth creation in an economy (Drucker, 1993). As such, the creation of robust business proposals and plans to exploit these opportunities is likewise vital to ensuring ongoing economic success. This piece will analyse three potential entrepreneurial business opportunities, decide which one has the most potential, and then apply relevant economic theories and models to create business plans and financial projections for said opportunity, along with a discussion of any risks and considerations for this business to address. 2.0 Opportunity selection 2.1 Creative thinking model Walls (1926) creative thinking model contains five stages: preparation, incubation, intimation, illumination and verification. However, in line with Wiener’s (1971) analysis, this piece will condense this model to a four stage model, ignoring the intimation stage, which can be argued to represent a sub stage of the process. Idea 1: Mobile Grocery Retail Service Preparation: In many rural areas there are significant distances between shops, and many people do not have access to local shops selling a wide variety of products. The small size of many villages also makes it impractical to serve them with a large scale brick and mortar supermarket or by requested online delivery. Incubation: The idea was mainly developed from the author’s experience of living in a rural community, where village shops tended to be poorly stocked, and hence rural dwellers tended not to have access to the same level of choice as people in urban centres. Illumination: The concept of a mobile grocery retail service, with a wide range of groceries sold direct to consumers from the back of a van was seen as the only feasible way to serve scattered rural communities with no major supermarkets of their own. This would take advantage of existing wholesale and distribution facilities set up across the country. Verification: Research from Datamonitor (2007) indicates that the grocery sector is very large and competitive, but that no store manages to maintain a significant level of loyalty amongst its customer, with over eighty per cent of customers using more than one brand of grocery retailer. As such, customers tend to be very flexible about where they buy groceries, thus creating an attractive niche market and meets verification criteria. Idea 2: Farm selling its own branded range of organic products Preparation: As with the grocery service, past experience of living in a rural community led to the conclusion that many farms are struggling because they fail to make use of all their available opportunities. Incubation: After considering various diversification ideas, the idea of selling farm made goods in shops developed as the only one yet to be fully exploited. This led to the idea of developing a distinctive brand appeal and partnering with a major supermarket chain. Illumination: Research by Trobe (2001) indicated that consumers have an increasing preference for locally grown, organic and ethical food, and that they want to source it from the manufacturer to be sure of its organic credentials. As such, a farm branded product would provide the required level of assurance, above that offered by a supermarket corporation. Verification: MarketWatch (2005) indicates that consumers are willing to pay significantly higher prices for organic food they know is grown in the local area. In addition, the Soil Association (2008) demonstrated that the organic food market in the UK grew by around 22% in 2006, and that growth was predicted to continue in the future. This makes the market very valuable for new entrants. However, the fact that this opportunity would need to be undertaken in partnership with existing supermarket chains would likely make it difficult to create a business plan without first finding a retail partner. Idea 3: Small screen cinema business Preparation: The film entertainment business is very volatile, with some films making huge revenues whilst others take very little. As such, the author tried to work out a way to minimise this volatility by creating an offering with a steady cash flow and no ‘box office flops’. Incubation: Unfortunately, in a creative industry such as film entertainment, there is no way to find opportunities which are guaranteed to succeed. As such, the aim was to find a way of extracting more revenue and value from existing successful films. Illumination: The current lifecycle for a film goes from cinema to DVD to pay television to standard television. This means that only a quarter of the lifecycle is spent in the cinema, whilst the remaining three quarters is spent in people’s homes. This reduces the extent to which the film can be shown to large groups. As such, the aim was to extend the lifecycle for large groups, by showing films on smaller screens in smaller cinemas before they go to DVD, making a more exclusive environment than standard cinemas. Verification: Unfortunately, in this area there was little research available to indicate that the opportunity was likely to succeed. Many filmmakers are reluctant to adjust their model for fear of undermining their mainstream box office revenues, and also resist making films widely available before they go to DVD due to the risk of piracy. As such, this idea did not achieve verification or present itself as a viable opportunity. 2.2 Opportunity assessment Based on the analysis above, there was insufficient data to assess the third opportunity, which indicates that it does not fulfil Casson’s (1982) criteria of providing new goods or services at greater than their cost of production or Shane’s (1996) definition of recombining resources to produce a profit. As such, the only two ideas to be assessed are the first and second. Of these, the second idea cannot be pursued in depth at this stage, as it requires a significant degree of commitment from a partner organisation before it can be investigated in detail and financial resources can be determined. This implies that idea one is the one which should be taken forward. 3.0 Analysis of business concept â€Å"Setting up a mobile grocery retail service with the aim of serving communities with a wide range of groceries in convenient local locations† Food 2 You is a new venture which will look to service local communities which do not have access to a large supermarket or shop. The venture will operate a number of refitted lorries which will contain a wide range of groceries beyond that which would be available in a typical village shop. The mobility of this service will make such a range cost effective because Food 2 You will not be limited by the geographic distribution radii possessed by most local stores. Instead, the lorries will be able to visit numerous villages; thus achieving economies of scale similar to a supermarket whilst maintaining all the convenience of a local store. 3.1 Difa analysis According to Rae’s (2007) argument, the existence of a demand and the ability to fill it is key to the success of any innovation. As such, the Difa model will be used to assess the level of demand, the innovation of the model, the feasibility of supplying the market and the attractiveness of the potential segment. Demand The UK grocery industry is forecast to grow by 35% from 2007 to 2012, a compound annual growth rate of over 6% (Datamonitor, 2008). In addition to this, Cotterill (2006) reports on the findings of various studies into the competitive nature of grocery retailing markets, finding that customers often lack choice about the services available to them. As such, a completely new service which is unlike any previous offerings could succeed in attracting a large number of customers. Innovation As discussed above, the main innovation in this offering is that it is unique in grocery retailing. Currently, customers have the choice of either visiting a shop, which requires time and effort, or ordering online which requires extra delivery expense and the risk of the wrong goods being packed or supplied. Food 2 You offers the certainty of making selections from a shop, whilst also providing the convenience of local food delivery. Feasibility A MarketWatch (2007) report indicates that consumers are more active in choosing where to shop for food when compared to any other retail sectors. Indeed, shoppers for food and groceries regularly use three stores, on average, to fill all their shopping requirements. This implies that it is feasible to fit this service into existing demand and make a profit from it. Attractiveness Ketzenberg and Ferguson (2008) argue that one of the key issues facing many shops is how to handle the slow moving perishable items which have higher levels of waste and lower revenues. By combining all such items into one mobile store, and selling them in a variety of locations, Food 2 You can access a niche which is not particularly profitable for other shops. This will help it develop rapidly with little competition from the established players, who have little profits to defend in this area. 3.2 Business model See Appendix 1 for the business model 3.3 Market potential segmentation Datamonitor (2007) claims that grocery customers are very flexible regarding the locations and times at which they shop, with low levels of brand loyalty. As such, they are very likely to switch supplier if there is a more convenient option available. As a result, this business will be based strongly on providing a convenient solution, giving customers what they want, when and where they want it. The expectation is that customers will be willing to pay a small premium for this additional convenience, and thus this service will be able to extra significant rents. The service will likely have three target customer segments: Families where one or both parents work, and hence they are under significant time pressure and regular shopping trips increase this pressure further. In addition, these families would tend to have higher income levels, due to both parents working, and will thus be able to afford to pay the premium. Elderly or retired people who will find it challenging to go to the shops on a regular basis. As such, they will often be limited to local shops with a very poor selection and quite high prices due to a lack of economies of scale. As such, this segment would potentially not see higher shopping bills due to using the service, but will benefit from increased convenience. Homemakers and people who work from home. These people may have chosen to stay at home because they have small children, something which can make shopping in a large store very difficult. In addition, they do not commute to work, and hence have a lower geographic range when shopping. Also, as this segment is not constrained by time, and is growing due to the increase in flexible working (Vant, 2003), it could be one of the largest growing market segments in the coming years. 4.0 Resources, returns, risks 4.1 Financial plan forecasts See Appendix 2 for detailed financial plan and forecasts. 4.2 Proposed investment anticipated returns The service is such that it can be started out on a small scale and can grow further as its profile and demand rise. As such, an initial investment of  £200,000 should be sufficient.  £100,000 of this could be used to purchase the first two lorries and refit them to carry goods including refrigerated food. The remaining  £100,000 would be used to buy groceries on the wholesale markets and to provide ongoing cashflow. Given the anticipated demand for this service, this capital should be fully recouped within eight years. 4.3 Required human capabilities The main human capabilities needed are in two areas. The first of these is the ability to source and negotiate groceries at or near to wholesale prices. This could be quite difficult, as the supermarkets in the UK tend to have significant power over the distribution networks for groceries. As such, it would be ideal to either recruit someone with supermarket experience, or to enter into a supply partnership with a supermarket or a major grocery supplier in order to purchase groceries on the same terms as other major players (Kumar, 2008). The second capability required is rather more mundane: the service needs drivers who can also operate their lorries as mobile shops. It is envisioned that the lorries will operate by opening one side completely, so that customers can see all products within the store. However, this will not allow a significant number of customers to enter the lorry at any one time. As such, the driver will also need to fetch most goods for the customer, bag them and perform all other customer service actions. This will require a somewhat unique combination of human capabilities. 4.4 Risk assessment There are several risks to this venture: Lack of acceptance from customers over established brands Failure to launch in a local market with sufficient customer demand Failure to negotiate partnerships or supply deals with wholesalers Rising costs such as petrol prices Inadequate start up capital Mitigation strategies are as follows: Carry out local advertising prior to launch Conduct studies of market demographics to determine which are the best areas for the target market If supply deals cannot be negotiated, the venture will not be cost competitive and will likely have to be abandoned Rising petrol prices should drive up grocery prices across the board hence prices can be raised to absorb the additional cost Additional drawdown facilities should be negotiated to provide additional cash flow in case of difficulties 5.0 Start-up marketing plan As discussed above, the initial actions will focus on using demographic, social and economic analyses to determine the best markets for the service to launch into. Households in these areas will then be surveyed to determine the likely response to the service and generate word of mouth publicity. This is consistent with Collinson and Shaw’s (2001) view that entrepreneurial organisations should structure their activities around the market. 5.1 Internal evaluation Food 2 You’s main strength will be its flexibility and responsiveness, as well as the relationships it can build up with the local communities. For example, customers will be given the opportunity to place orders for goods they want, which can be sourced through the supply deals and be collected by the customer the next time the lorry is serving the area. However, the main weakness of the service is that it will not have the marketing and buyer power of the main supermarkets, and thus will not be able to match them for price. Also, in the early stages of launch, it will not have the reputation and awareness amongst consumers, and thus it may be difficult to establish the service. 5.2 Competitor analysis As discussed above, the main competitors will be the big supermarkets, whose buyer power allows them to keep their prices at lower levels that Food 2 You’s. In addition, local shops may oppose the service, seeing it as a threat to their business. Of these, Tesco is likely to represent the main threat, as it has stores in every UK postcode area and thus will be the only company to challenge the potential geographic reach of Food 2 You. 5.3 Porters five forces Porters (1980) five forces model is one of the most used and recognised methods for analysing the competitive environment acting in a market. The forces tend to act at the microeconomic level, which means that they will impact on Food 2 You differently in each region served. However, in general the five forces will act as follows: New Entrants Whilst the market is very attractive for Food 2 You to enter, this will also apply for any other potential entrants, particularly if Food 2 You’s offering proves profitable. Indeed, the low entry costs: all new entrants require is refurbished lorries and the ability to buy groceries at wholesale prices, will also make the market more attractive to potential new entrants. As such, and due to the small growth speed of the service due to the need to analyse a region before entering it, it is likely that Food 2 You will soon face several competitors and will not be able to dominate the market. Potential Substitutes As discussed above, the main substitutes are shopping in a standard store or ordering groceries online from a major supermarket chain. Shopping in a standard store is the dominant mode of purchasing groceries, but has significant time and travel requirements, particularly for those who do not live near a store. Online ordering reduces the time and travel requirement, but leaves customers unable to choose their own produce, at the risk of errors by the supermarket, and having to pay a delivery charge. Buyers Given the wide range of choice and the ability of consumers to switch supplier at will, consumers represent the dominant force in the grocery market. As such, this service aims to play on this by offering consumers a service close to their homes, with a wide selection, and at a convenient time. It is hoped that this will attract consumers away from stores. Suppliers In the early stage, the service is likely to be dependent on one major supplier, which means the supplier will have significant power. This could be countered by making the supplier a partner in the service, giving said supplier an incentive to grow the service and make it profitable. If this does not prove to be possible, then as the service grows it should look to work with more suppliers to reduce this level of power. Competitive Rivalry The UK supermarket industry has very strong competitive rivalry, however the rivalry is lower in home delivery as there are fewer suppliers and the market is not large enough for the major supermarkets to pay much attention to it (Boyer and Hult, 2006; Teller et al, 2006). However, with the low barriers to entry, if Food 2 You proves popular the market and the number of competitors in it could grow rapidly. 5.4 Marketing objectives The main marketing objective will be to build relationships with the villages or towns identified as being worthwhile locations in which to operate. These locations will be segmented according to their demographic, social and economic characteristics and the residents will be surveyed to find out their times and dates. Each part of the town or village will then be allocated a delivery slot based on their espoused interest. 5.5 Product strategy The service will aim to stock the products which will be most in demand in specific areas, focusing on high quality, high margin products in affluent areas and more basic products in poorer areas. However, in general the service will aim to provide higher quality items in order to justify its price premium. 5.6 Price strategy As discussed with the products, the company will pursue a pricing strategy based on providing maximum convenience in terms of time and distance. As such, the service will not be aiming to compete on price, and thus will have more flexibility to set premium prices and extract additional surplus from time pressured consumers. This will likely reduce the size of the target market for the service, but at the same time increase its value and profitability. 5.7 Place strategy The service will look to select locations in each town or village based on the locations which are easiest to reach for the majority of target customers. This will also require some consideration of where lorries can be parked most easily, as well as some consultation with local authorities to ensure that roads are not blocked and the public are not inconvenienced. 5.8 Promotion strategy The promotional activity of Food 2 You will concentrate on showing consumers the value that the company offers to them, in terms of not needing to spend lots of time and effort travelling to supermarkets. It will focus strongly on developing word of mouth advertising around the convenience of the stores and will also look to build relationships through allowing consumers to place orders for their favourite products and have a say in their delivery times. 6.0 Growth exit 6.1 Growth strategy The main growth strategy for the company will be to develop sufficient word of mouth in its chosen launch locations to allow it to develop into nearby geographical areas and hence to expand its fleet of mobile stores (Bolton and Drew, 1991). As this word of mouth begins to reach its limits in terms of reach and effectiveness, it can be supplemented by effective PR, such as arranging for local newspapers to write stories about the impact of the delivery service (Klein, 2007). Once the company’s brand image has grown significantly, it can also help grow itself through internet promotions, such as setting up a website through which potential customers can request the company provide services to their local area (Mayzlin, 2006). This will then help the company grow from being a local to a national company, thus allowing it to better compete with other stores on price. 6.2 Exit strategy The exit strategy for the venture is likely to be contingent on the level of success it experiences, and the reactions of other players in the grocery industry to its success. Should the company be launched in partnership with a major supermarket chain or supplier, then a takeover of Food 2 You by said partner would be a likely exit strategy. However, if the company launches alone and experiences significant success then it may still be purchased by one of the major players, as this would help the buyer increase their market share and access this segment of the industry without having to start their own offering. If this does not come to pass, then the most likely exit strategy would be an IPO by the owners, who could then decide whether to stay on as managers to the company or whether to exit completely. Alternatively, depending on the relationships the company builds with the communities in which it operates, the company could be taken over by these communities and run as a co-oper ative, or even taken over by its employees. 7.0 Conclusion The market analysis indicates that there is significant potential demand for this service, and that it can fill a sizeable existing gap in the grocery market. However, the main criteria for the success of the company is that it is able to partner with an existing major grocery retailer or supplier in order to obtain wholesale prices for its groceries. If it can do this, then it will be able to remain relatively price competitive, and thus can compete aggressively on convenience for consumers. However, in the initial two years of operation the venture will be quite high risk, particularly in terms of the locations in which it chooses to operate and its level of customer exposure. As such, it is vital that the company is careful when researching and selecting its start up locations, and also has significant cash flow to get it through the initial start up period where sales may be low. However, the innovative and convenient nature of the service should mean that, once it is through the initial period, it will rapidly develop a significant following and will grow into a successful and sustainable business venture. 8.0 References Birley, S. and Muzyka, D. (2000) Mastering Entrepreneurship: your single source guide to becoming a master of entrepreneurship. Pearson Education. Bolton, R. N. and Drew, J. H. (1991) A Multistage Model of Customers Assessments of Service Quality and Value. Journal of Consumer Research; Vol. 17, Issue 4, p. 375-384. Boyer, K. K. and Hult, G. T. M. (2006) Customer behavioral intentions for online purchases: An examination of fulfillment method and customer experience level. Journal of Operations Management; Vol. 24, Issue 2, p. 124-147. Casson M. (1982), The Entrepreneur Totowa: Barnes and Noble. Cotterill, R. W. (2006) Antitrust analysis of supermarkets: global concerns playing out in local markets. Australian Journal of Agricultural Resource Economics; Vol. 50, Issue 1, p. 17-32. Datamonitor (2008) Food Retail in the United Kingdom: Industry Profile. July 2008. Datamonitor (2007) UK grocery market: more competitive than ever. MarketWatch: Global Round-up; Vol. 6, Issue 12, p. 65-66. Drucker, P. F. (1993) Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Collins. Hutchings A. (1995), Marketing: A Resource Book, London: Pitman Publishing. Ketzenberg, M. and Ferguson, M. E. (2008) Managing Slow-Moving Perishables in the Grocery Industry. Production Operations Management; Vol. 17, Issue 5, p. 513-521. Klein, K. E. (2007) Effective PR on a Limited Budget. Business Week Online; 9th April 2007, p. 13. Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. (2006) Marketing Management: 12th Edition. Harlow: Financial Times / Prentice Hall. Kumar, S. (2008) A study of the supermarket industry and its growing logistics capabilities. International Journal of Retail Distribution Management; Vol. 36, Issue 3, p. 192-211. MarketWatch (2007) UK grocery market: more competitive than ever. Datamonitor MarketWatch: Food; Vol. 6, Issue 12, p. 12-13. MarketWatch (2005) Industry Comment: UK organics: harvesting rewards. Datamonitor MarketWatch: Food; Vol. 4, Issue 1, p. 16. Mayzlin, D. (2006) Promotional Chat on the Internet. Marketing Science; Vol. 25, Issue 2, p. 155-163. Odin Y. Odin N. Valette-Florence P. (2001), Conceptual and Operational Aspects of Brand Loyalty: An Empirical Investigation, Journal of Business Research; Volume 53, Number 2, p75-84. Porter M. (1980), Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. London: Free Press. Rae D. (2007) Entrepreneurship: From Opportunity to Action, Palgrave MacMillan. Shane S. (2000), Prior Knowledge and the Discovery of Entrepreneurial Opportunities, Organization Science, Volume 11, Number 4, p448-469. Simkin, L. (1996) Understanding Competitors Strategies: The Practitioner Academic Gap, Marketing Intelligence Planning, Volume 15, Number 3, p124-134. Soil Association (2008) UK organic sales nudge  £2bn up 22 per cent – averaging  £7 million growth per week. Sales through local, direct marketing schemes such as veg boxes soar by 53 per cent. Soil Association; http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/7626dec679c2455580256de2004bae42/efd75fcb51d9029c8025734800579da9!OpenDocument Accessed 13th October 2008. Steyaert, C. and Hjorth, D. (2006) Entrepreneurship as Social Change: a Third Movements in Entrepreneurship Book. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Teller, C. Kotzab, H. and Grant, D. B. (2006) The consumer direct services revolution in grocery retailing: an exploratory investigation. Managing Service Quality; Vol. 16, Issue 1, p. 78-96. Trobe, H. L. (2001) Farmers markets: consuming local rural produce. International Journal of Consumer Studies; Vol. 25, Issue 3, p. 181-192. Vant, T. R. (2003) More jobs, greater choice. OECD Observer; Issue 239, p. 29. Wallas, G. (1926) The Art of Thought. New York: Harcourt Brace. West and Steinhouse (2008) Think Like An Entrepreneur: Your Psychological Toolkit For Success. Pearson Education. Wiener, M. (1971) Between two worlds: The political thought of Graham Wallas. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Appendix 1: Business Model Appendix 2: Detailed Financial Plan and Forecasts Monthly Cash Flow Forecast Year 1 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Opening Balance 250000 223000 96000 94000 92060 90181 88365 86612 84924 83303 81749 80264 Revenue Income from Sales 0 0 10000 10200 10404 10612 10824 11041 11262 11487 11717 11951 Expenses Marketing Expense 25000 25000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Equipme

Leadership Reflection Essay

1. Background Floods of memories flashed through my mind as I recall the problems I faced when I stepped up to lead the team during the second meeting. Problem 1 The objective of the meeting was to come up with the programme outline, so that we can draft the proposal and show our execution plans to our beneficiary. As the leader, I facilitated the discussion to allow my team mates to partake and contribute ideas, but most of them appeared reserved. Despite my utmost effort to encourage them to express their views, I found myself doing the talking most of the time. When I asked for their opinions on my suggestions, the common answers elicited from them were ‘All right’ or ‘Sounds good’. Upon dividing the programme into different sub-events (such as games station, ice-breakers, teaching of jingle, etc), I allocated a portion to each member, so that each of us can research on our individual activity and provide more in-depth details for the proposal. Besides that, I offered to collate everyone’s work and come up with the framework of the proposal. The stipulated deadline was the subsequent week (the third meeting). During the week, I sent out some emails that constituted some of my humble opinions and suggestions on the different sub-events in the light of cultivating a team environment whereby ideas are expressed and exchanged freely. However, most of my team mates did not reciprocate, notwithstanding my reminder to request them to read the emails. Problem 2 Furthermore, as I was collating everyone’s work, I realized that some of them submitted work that was slipshod in my perspective. Some work exhibited direct copying attempt from the internet without any paraphrasing or analysis, while others lacked structure, thoroughness and forethoughts. For instance, John prepared the ‘logistics’ document, but he merely listed the logistics in scatter of words with the absence of a table or structure and excluded many essential details like quantity and deadlines to purchase them. With all the aforementioned occurrences I faced, I bottled all my feelings and took everything in my stride. After assembling everyone’s work, I edited the proposal myself by injecting my ideas, rephrasing the words and researching on my other team mates’ parts. 2. Self-reflection I found myself thrown into a pool of mixed emotions – disappointment, anger, confusion and discontentment. To describe all these emotions in one word, it would be ‘disheartened’. Disappointment I believed that creativity is an imperative quality that is necessary in the making of an effective team, and to foster creativity, we should be straightforward with our ideas so that we can combine and refine them to create the best outcome. Thus, when I was the leader, I placed a significant proportion of emphasis on establishing a climate of discussions and interactions. I also hold the conviction that if I have any interesting insights or plausible ideas, even if the work is designated to my other team mate, I should still share with the rest instead of keeping them to myself. This is my understanding on the essence of ‘team work’. All the sub-parts tasked to the individual team member will ultimately be organised together and the final product will be submitted as a team effort. Hence, I was very disappointed by the low frequency of team mates voicing out their ideas to support one another. The lack of response painted an impression that everyone was focusing solely on their parts independently instead of considering the overall picture. Anger Secondly, I was furious when some of my team mates submitted work without meeting the basic requirements. In my point of view, it is the responsibility of every member that whenever tasks are allocated to them, they should demonstrate some professionalism in their work by performing extensive research or analysis to achieve its basic objectives. When a member performs the task poorly, it impedes the team’s efficacy, especially if it inconveniences another member to stand in and complete the remaining work. In the midst of experiencing such array of emotions, I kept my cool and tried my best not to show it, because my nature is not prone to expressing feelings. To be frank, I was also afraid of igniting unnecessary conflicts or shaking the team spirit. Hence, I did not raise these issues with my team mates. Confusion and Discontentment Coupled with exhaustion and stress, I became increasingly baffled and displeased with myself. As a leader, I felt that I am not doing enough to understand and solve the problem. If I tolerated everything, pretended that the team was progressing smoothly and not ameliorate the obstacles, how can I call myself a responsible leader? Being responsible does not only entail the fulfillment of obligations. There are two parts to this empowering word. The first half is ‘respons’ which means ‘response’. The second half, ‘ibility’, is a variant of the word â€Å"ability†. Therefore, ‘responsibility’ broken down to its roots literally means respond with ability. It means accepting the situation for what it is and choosing to respond rather than react to it. To me, the members in a team are paralleled to different instruments in a symphony. Each instrument produces a different sound and plays a different melody line. A symphony always sets out to provide a flawless work of art, displaying the harmony achieved by its many intricate melodies from different instruments. For my team to be that ‘symphony’ I envisioned, I told myself that I need to be responsible by responding to the situation. ‘How can I inspire them to join in the bandwagon towards achieving a cohesive and efficient team?’ With this question, I was determined to find the root of the problems and remedy them. 3. Application of leadership concepts Identifying the problems Through the leadership concepts learnt during lesson, I identified that the main problem of my team was called ‘groupthink’. Most of the team members were reluctant to express their opinions to question the viewpoint made by others. Dissenting views were often suppressed or absent in favour of consensus. Understanding the causes was next in line after identifying the problem. I realized that there were 2 main reasons that led to the ‘groupthink’ problem in my team. Causes of the problems Firstly, according to the Big 5 model personality test that we did in class, the trait of ‘agreeableness’ appeared predominantly under the top 2 traits that my team mates possess, including myself. Perhaps we concentrate so much on our relations and that deterred most of us from expressing opposing views, leading to us accommodating to each other’s decisions and conform to unanimity instead of objectivity. This stifles creativity as a team. Secondly, from the Ten characteristics of Effective Teams, I reckoned that my team lacked the ‘vision’. Aligning to a team vision means all members having a clear comprehension of achieving the shared goals through individual commitment and common standards. The existence of ‘groupthink’ could possibly be due to some members’ lack of regard for the importance of the project, giving less attention to the contribution of ideas or smaller priority in achieving quality work. The lack of understanding on the team’s common expectations also gave rise to differences in perspectives on the standards of work values and attitude. The last problem lies in me. From the Leadership Grid of ‘Concern for Production’ against ‘Concern for People’ covered under the Contingency Theories In Leadership, I rated myself as a low structure high consideration country club leader. It explains the suppression of my emotions to maintain an easy-going image and my lack of courage to pin-point the issues I faced as a leader. I needed to work on building my ‘authority- compliance’ aspect and not let my concern for people override my concern for productivity. Solving the problem After recognizing the causes of the problem, I picked up my courage. With sensitivity and tact, I told my team the predicament I faced as the leader, and how we could address the problems by applying the leadership concepts we have learnt. To build an open communication, I infused more humour in discussions and constantly make positive affirmations to other members, allowing meetings to be conducted in a friendlier and less-solemn setting. I also attempted to elaborate on a participant’s contribution with examples and suggest new angles to view problems. These helped to prompt them to speak up more frequently. Next, every team member took turns to articulate the objectives we wished to achieve individually and as a team. After understanding each other’s’ needs and establishing a common vision which everyone could connect with, we took some time to come up with a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) in the Team Charter, whereby we determined the criterion on acceptable standards and behaviour. At this time, I took the opportunity to let my team understand my stance regarding individual commitment and quality of work. I was pleased to see all of them acknowledge where I was coming from and promised to strive for better performance. Furthermore, I initiated a fortnight peer evaluation (see appendix 3.1) to recognize the terrific efforts from my team mates, and learn to work on our weaknesses. This will also help the team to keep our efficiency balance in check. After all the efforts into effecting changes in my team, I am delighted to see everyone making consistent progress. The ‘groupthink’ problem is resolved and views are exchanged more openly and regularly. With the strengthening of team’s camaraderie and competency, conflicts are minimized and communication is much more open than before. As for myself, I feel that I became more vocal and candid with my views too. Whenever I foresee or identified any problem, I will discuss the solutions with my team mates instead of avoiding them. In conclusion, there is definitely room for improvement for myself and the team. However, I am gratified that I have discovered more about myself and be part of the experience grown from a group of once-seemed ‘independent individuals’ to a unified team of comrades.

Just Mercy A Story Of Justice And Redemption Essay

Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption is an autobiography of the author, Bryan Stevenson and a chronicle of injustice within the American judicial system. The principal story recounts Walter McMillian’s wrongful conviction for the murder of Ronda Morrison in 1986. Interweaved throughout the McMillian story, Stevenson presents his personal story about being raised in a racially segregated community, attending Harvard Law School, and founding the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). Individual chapters address topics ranging from mass incarceration to mental illness to racism to wrongful convictions. The major cases, secondary to McMillian’s case, focus on juveniles sentences to life without parole. Overall, Just Mercy is a scathing examination of race, justice, and mercy in court rooms and prisons across America. Stevenson was born into an impoverished and segregated African American community in Delmarva Peninsula, Delaware. Stevenson applied to Harvard Law School af ter graduating from an institution, in Pennsylvania, with a degree in philosophy. At Harvard, Stevenson pursued a law degree and a graduate degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government. Then, in 1983, while taking a court about race and poverty litigation, Stevenson volunteered at the Southern Prisoners Defense Committee (SPDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. Upon graduation, Stevenson returned to SPDC for a full-time job. During his fourth year at SPDC, Stevenson learned about the McMillian case.Show MoreRelatedJust Mercy : A Story Of Justice And Redemption1276 Words   |  6 Pagesmake the changes with his profession. In the book, â€Å"Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption† written by Bryan Stevenson, and published in 2014. Stevenson described the real various law cases to show the injustice exists in the past United States until now, and how he as a lawyer to take the risks to challenge the unfair justice, and to dedicate to serve and defend the poor, the w rongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the justice system who desperate and in need; at the same timeRead MoreJust Mercy : A Story Of Justice And Redemption980 Words   |  4 Pagespride in our country and ourselves has steered our nation onto a path of corruption. It has persuaded almost every person to care more for themselves than their neighbour, not to mention a stranger. In Bryan Stevenson’s novel, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, Americans’ lack of care or concern for others is unveiled through our mistreatment of the condemned. Our selfishness has bled into our laws and beliefs, which has caused malpractice in and out of the courtroom. One of the mostRead MoreJust Mercy : A Story Of Justice And Redemption1849 Words   |  8 PagesThe book, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, written by Bryan Stevenson is about the bias and unjustness in the United States justice system. The book begins when Stevenson was an intern for the Southern Prisoners Defense Committee (SPDC), it was during that time that he had his first encounter with a condemned man on death row. During that meeting the inmate talked about an array of things: from his personal life and family, to the unethical happenings during his trial. It was that chanceRead MoreJust Mercy : A Story Of Justice And Redemption By Bryan Stevenson1959 Words   |  8 PagesIn the book Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, there are several topics discussed regarding the American Justice system. One of those many topics discussed is regarding how a person’s race, social status and income, may influence the outcome of a court tr ail. In present day America, many years after the era of Jim crow and segregation the Justice system still seems to be more lenient towards white Americans, especially those with high income and a good standing in societyRead MoreAnalysis Of Bryan Stevensons Just Mercy761 Words   |  4 PagesBryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption is a story of innocents sentenced to death row (2015). As an attorney at law, he sheds light on the fraudulent Criminal Justice System with the corruption of cops and prison guards, bribed witnesses, and paid off judges. Written in first person, Stevenson’s (2015) account depicts 50 years of debasement of the Criminal Justice System. Telling the accounts of corruption in first person and using dialogue that included the actual victimsRead MoreBryan Stevenson : Just Mercy1453 Words   |  6 Pages Bryan Stevenson: Just Mercy Maya Pimentel Middle College High School Intro Many are put onto death row without actually having a fighting chance to plead their case, provide the full story, and prove their innocence. Bryan Stevenson is a lawyer who fights for those who have been left for dead and aren’t given a second chance. Bryan Stevenson is a social justice activist, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and a clinical professorRead MoreAnalysis Of Just Mercy By Bryan Stevenson1402 Words   |  6 PagesLooking at the cover of the book, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redempt, written by Bryan Stevenson, one could not understand what would be thrown at them after opening the crisp pages. Breaking the title of the book down, we know what ‘mercy’ is defined as the feeling toward offenders through a person with the ability to oversee justice within our system. Furthermore, the two words ‘just mercy’ is implied that our officials that are administering the justice within our system go about it inRead MoreThe Incarceration Of The United States979 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever question about the justice in the United States? Stevenson states that, â€Å"Today we have the highest rate of incarceration in the world. The prison population has increased from 300,000 people in the early 1970s to 2.3 million people today† (15). Is United States is a modern country that doesn’t serve justice to her citizen? 2.3 million of prisoners are just embarrassing the whole country. You might want to know how bad the justice system is and how the heck cause 2.3 million prisonersRead MoreThe Incarceration Of The United States980 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever questioned about the justice in the United States? Stevenson states that, â€Å"Today we have the highest rate of incarceration in the world. The prison population has increased from 300,000 people in the early 1970s to 2.3 million people today† (15). United States is a modern country that doesn’ t serve justice to her citizen? 2.3 million prisoners are just embarrassing the whole country. You might want to know how bad the justice system is and how the heck cause 2.3 million prisoners toRead MoreImperialism And Imperialism911 Words   |  4 Pagesexamples of what choices you have to make Money, trade, debts, growth, choosing the easy things over the hard ones. â€Å"The opposite of property is not wealth the opposite of poverty is justice† (Stevenson, Just mercy)this is from just mercy it saying without money you can’t get a good lawyer and you won’t get good justice. Social relate to people and people and society.You have to be good at conversation to be a good leader and learn you have to compromise and do what you want you have to think about

Child Abuse And Its Effect On Children - 2508 Words

We live in a world where greatness happens each day, and without knowing even greater people surround us. Within our world we have different age groups. Today I will focus on the group that is our future, children. Every day a baby is born and begins their journey of learning to adjust to the world. From the beginning of the life of these newborns, parents that help them grow into the world we know of today that will chew you up and spit you out if you are not ready for the things it will throw at you. Crimes against children happen every day around us and we only catch about twenty-eight percent of crimes against children are reported to police (Crimes Against Children Research Children). The things we do not want to acknowledge happen to children are occurring simply, because of cruel minds and neglectful parents or adults around them. I will take you on a journey of things that occur as a child in a society where children are not living life, from child abuse going too far, to the psychosocial consequences children go through after going through such abuse, statistical data of violence caused to children, and sexual abuse against children. In the film Matilda Ms. Trunchbull is known to say,† Spare the rod, Beat the child.† Now in movie terms this was used to reveal the awfulness of her character and that was be great, because the director was trying to give the audience a sneak peeks of the things that are occurring in some peoples households, things that most peopleShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Child Abuse On Children935 Words   |  4 PagesChild abuse has been an issue in America since the beginning of time, but lately there has gradually been an increase in reported incidents of abuse. There are several types of child abuse that are present in today’s society. The different types of abuse include physical, emotional and sexual abuse. Of the different maltreatment types, four-fifths (78.3%) of unique victims were neglected, 17.6 pe rcent were physically abused, 9.2 percent were sexually abused, 8.1 percent were psychologically maltreatedRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children Essay1489 Words   |  6 Pagesindividuals corrected. However, there are cases that have not been solved or not stopped by the law. Child abuse is common. Child abuse can be caused by a variety of reasons. Scientist have been studying and they have some ideas on what prompt people to harm children (Ian Hacking). They are trying to end child abuse, but there is so much they can do. Many children abuse incidents are not reported. Child abuse may have many causes as in way the abuser does it. One specific factor is the background of theRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children913 Words   |  4 Pagesseveral types of abuse, there’s physical, emotional, verbal and several others abuses. But the abuse I would like to focus on is child abuse. Domestic violence towards children is important because there is a way to pre vent it from happening. Typical parents and caregivers do not intend to abuse their children. Abuse is mainly directed toward the behaviors that are given off towards one another. Author David Gil defines child abuse as an occurrence where a caretaker injures a child, not by accidentRead MoreChild Abuse Is An Effect On Children1657 Words   |  7 PagesIn 2010 according to the census bureau there were 74,100,000 U.S children between the ages of 0-17 being abused and 3.3 million referrals. This effected on average 1-10 U.S families and children, there were more than 32,200,000 U.S families with children under the age of 18 according to the 2010 census bureau. From the 3.3 million hotline calls in 2010 there were less than 475,000 sustained cases (2010 NCANDS: 436,321 sustained +24,976 indicated = 461,297 total) resulting in about 15% of hotlineRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children1317 Words   |  6 PagesChild abuse has long been an ongoing social problem; this abuse ha s been one of the repeatedly difficult accusations to prove in our criminal justice system. Child abuse causes many years of suffering for victims. Children abused suffer from chemical imbalances, behavioral issues and are at high risk for becoming abusers or being abused in adult relationships. This cycle of learned behavior and suffering will be a hopeless reoccurring problem unless the criminal justice system and protocols for abusersRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children1488 Words   |  6 Pages â€Æ' In addressing child abuse we are confronted with a series of problems. On the one hand, there is a lack of the true extent of the phenomenon because no data are available and that the issue, often refers to the most intimate spaces of family life. Furthermore, cultural and historical traditions affect the way each society faces this problem. Finally, there are varying opinions as to its definition and classification, as well as the consequences of child abuse may have and its subsequent therapeuticRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children1263 Words   |  6 Pages Child Abuse Child abuse is any behavior which, by action or omission, produces physical or psychological damage to a person less than 18 years, affecting the development of his personality. In homes, it is believed that the most effective way to educate children is using the abuse. This form of punishment it used as an instrument of correction and moral training strategy as it is the first and most persistent justification of damage and maltreated mothers parents inflict on their children. SocietyRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children1160 Words   |  5 PagesMost parents and other caregivers do not intend to hurt their children, but abuse is defined by the effect on the child, not the motivation of the parents or caregiver. Tens of thousands of children each year are traumatized by physical, sexual, and emotional abusers or by caregivers who neglect them, making child abuse as common as it is shocking. Most of us can’t imagine what would make an adult use violence against a child, and the worse the behavior is, the more unimaginable it seems. ButRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children1227 Words   |  5 Pagesreports of child abuse are made involving more than 6 million children. The United States has one of the worst records of child abuse losing 4-7 children a day to the abuse. Abuse is when any behavior or action that is used to scare, harm, threaten, control or intimidate another person. Child abuse is a behavior outside the norms of conduct and entails substantial risk of causing physical or emotional harm. There are four main types of child abuse; physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, andRead MoreChild Abuse And Its Effects On Children1132 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Child abuse takes many different forms. Including physical, sexual, emotional, or neglect of a children by parents, guardians, or others responsible for a child s welfare. Regardless of the type of abuse, the child’s devolvement is greatly impacted. The child’s risk for emotional, behavioral, academic, social, and physical problems in life increase. According to the Child Maltreatment Report by the Children’s Bureau (1999) the most common form of child abuse in the United States is