“On January 25, 1964 Nike, formerly known as Blue Ribbon Sports was founded by Bill Bowerman and Phillip Knight. It officially became Nike Incorporated on May 30, 1978”(Nike Business). During the late 70s to early 80s Nike’s initial focus was Track and Field but later expanded into various sports such as : soccer, golf, hockey and basketball just to name a few. ” In 1980, Nike entered the decade on the success of its Nike Air technology, and at the end of that year Nike completed its initial public offering (IPO) and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange.
The reason for going public was typically viewed as a means of raising addition capital without having to borrow, and also increase the company’s profile by having the public be more aware of their company. Also by that time Nike had acquired 50 % market share in the US sports shoe market, which was more than double its closest competitor Adidas”(Nike Business). Other major competitors in the shoe market included Rebook, Converse and Fila, but in 2003 Nike acquired Converse which earned them a greater share of the market.
Nike is now the leading apparel company in the world since its expansion into the clothing market. They have a wide range of target audiences but the main focus is on people who are active and enjoy high quality athletic goods, especially footwear. “Nike also believes in the ‘big ad, big athlete’ philosophy to help market their product, and this had proven to be very successful over the years”(Nike Business). Consumers synthesize the Nike brand name with success because of the athletes who typically endorse the product are very successful.
Nike intends to grow its business from $19. 2 billion to $27 billion by 2015. Nike plans to target the emerging global middle class, leverage digital media (including e-commerce and NikeID customization programs) and create more retail experiences, both with partners and in its own stores. Nike also plans to grow its Nike affiliate brands such as Converse and Umbro, by buying back its overseas licensees and expanding aggressively overseas. Apparel will be a big part of Nike’s overall focus as they believe they can be on par with their footwear department.
Footwear will also receive some attention as Nike wants to improve their range in that department”(Nike Business). “Nike Inc. has 12 members on the Board of Director; this includes Phillip Knight who is the co founder and chairman of the board, and Mark Parker who is the CEO. The CEO is evaluated typical by the Compensation Committee. This committee considers (1) achievement against approved financial performance measures and company targets such as revenue, net income and earnings per share.
They also consider other factors such as leadership, market position, and brand strength, which are signals of company success. The CEO’s performance is then reflected in the amount of compensation he receives”(Nike Business). Nike Inc. has no major ongoing litigation During the 2011 fiscal year, Nike seemed to have a down year compared to 2010.
There was a significant increase in cash flows from their operating activities. The main reason for this was because changes in inventory increased positively by $836,000,000. This was the key factor in allowing the cash and cash equivalents to return a positive amount. Although Nike’s cash flow recorded a negative balance, they still maintained a reasonable return on investments.
Norovirus: Gastroenteritis And Vessel Sanitation Program
Norovirus Many people are affected each year by what is commonly misdiagnosed as “stomach flu. ” However, the medical term for this condition is Norovirus. The Norovirus is also known as Norwalk-like viruses, SRSV (small round structured viruses), or “winter vomiting disease” as it often affects the host during the winter months. The condition may come upon the sufferer at any time; not just during the winter months. SRSV is a grouping of a number of viruses, which is the most common cause and reason for upset stomach (gastroenteritis) within the USA, Great Britain, and Western Europe (Nordqvist, 2010).
Infection with Norovirus causes gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines), which most commonly results in diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramping. The Norovirus illness is to as stomach flu, although it is not related to the flu. The flu is a respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus and not the group or viruses causing the Norovirus (“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”, 2011). The Norvirus is very contagious and can be spread easily from person to person.
It can take anywhere from 12 to 48 before a person notices that they are infected. This infection can last between one and three days, and will not cause any long-term damage to the host after the infection has resolved itself. Typically, a doctor’s visit is not warranted; although vomiting and diarrhea can be severely dehydrating and require medical attention (Mayo Clinic, 98-2011). It is important that infected persons refrain from food preparation until the infection has subsided. The virus can be found in the vomit and fecal matter of an infected individual.
Infection may come about in a number of ways, including partaking in food or drinks contaminated by infected food handlers. The infection is also spread by touching surfaces or objects contaminated with the Norovirus and then touching one’s mouth before hand-washing. Direct contact with another person who is infected may also cause infection if proper hand-washing technique is not used. Those persons working in daycare centers and elderly care homes should take notice of the children and patients because the virus is known to spread rapidly in these settings (“Virginia Department of Health”, 2011).
Ultimately, hand-washing is the key to reducing the risk of becoming infected with the Norovirus. The first Norovirus outbreak of 2011 occurred aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise vessel, Radiance of the Sea, causing a five-hour delay to the ship’s next sail time. The vessel reported that at least 150 passengers aboard the ship had taken ill as a result of the outbreak. The ship was cleaned and decontaminated prior to boarding the next set of passengers. Such outbreaks are rare because cruise ships make every effort to prevent the gastro-intestinal illness aboard each of their vessels.
However, if any person should be treated for the disease and are arriving to a U. S. Port, the vessel must report the incident to the CDC’s Vessel Sanitation Program division (Sloan, 2011). Most times, it is not known how the disease is spread, but it can be presumed that this type of outbreak may be the result of close living quarters aboard the ship, improper hand washing, or direct contact with someone who is infected with the Norovirus (“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”, 2011).
In summary, the Norovirus is an illness that is completely preventable. This illness plagues many people throughout the year, but is often seen more frequently during the winter season. It typically lasts no more than three days and does not require medical attention. As mentioned, hand-washing is the key to limiting or preventing the risk of contracting the gastro-intestinal illness. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, Oct 03). Retrieved October 03, 2011, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website: http://www. dc. gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/gastro/norovirus-foodhandlers. htm The Minnesota Department of Health. (2011). Retrieved October 3, 2011, from Minnesota Department of Health website: http://www. health. state. mn. us/divs/idepc/diseases/norovirus/prevention. html Nordqvist, C. (2010, Febuary 13). MediLexicon International Ltd. Retrieved Oct 3, 2011, from Medical News Today: http://www. medicalnewstoday. com Sloan, G. (2011, January 01). 2011 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Retrieved October 03, 2011, from USA Today Travel website: http://travel. satoday. com Mayo Clinic. (98-2011, August 02). 1998-2011 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research website: http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/norovirus/DS00942 The Virginia Department of Health. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. vdh. virginia. gov/epidemiology/factsheets/norovirus. htm Zimmerman, R. (2011, Febuary 23). WebMD LLC. Retrieved Oct 3, 2011, from Medscape website: http://www. medscape. com/viewarticle/737884
Transformation Of NYPD By William Bratton
Situation Since taking over as commissioner in 1994, William Bratton has transformed NYPD into an effective deterrent of crime through a series of strategic organizational changes. Crime rate in New York has decreased by 25. 9% in just a year compared to the average national rate of 5. 4%. Now, NYPD’s results oriented strategy needs to sustain its momentum and continue to produce results, despite falling budgets, labor disputes and difficulty in getting resources allocated.
In this paper, I will review the challenges Bratton faced, analyze his change decisions and discuss his options to confront new issues. Critical challenges Bratton faced NYPD had a long history of reactive investigation of crime, controlled by a strong centralized organization with a top down culture. It lacked technology and methods needed to keep crime rates under control. There was low level of trust in the organization and sharing of information and resources was virtually nonexistent.
Growing popularity of community policing was creating tensions between personal deployment strategies and those designed to deal with high crime areas. Public was restive, police force was demoralized and its performance was measured in terms of efforts rather than results. Fighting crime was low priority when compared to other mandates. Evidence also indicates discrepancies in pay at the same ranks and lack of coordination between units due to different reporting lines. Bratton had to undertake a major change initiative to fight crime, boost results and improve the organizational culture.
Bratton’s most important decisions and actions Bratton success in brining changes to NYPD can be explained using the “Kotter model of leading change”. When Bratton took over NYPD promoting the “broken windows theory”, he brought in a sense of urgency to implement changes in policing philosophy, which demanded strong leadership. Bratton placed Jack maple and Louis Anemone in key positions and hired John Lindner to perform cultural diagnostics, analyze strengths and identify obstacles to success.
Having uncovered a range of issues, Bratton defined a vision and laid out the strategy to remove cross regional and cross bureau barriers. Ideas developed by the re-engineering team made their way into 7 strategies. He realized that transformation is not possible unless many people are willing to help, and publicized the need for change by adopting a sustained public relations campaign. Next, he had to remove obstacles to his vision, which in this case was the organizational structure.
Middle managers were given more authority through decentralization and local control was established over local problems. This devolving of authority empowered them to deploy resources more intelligently and ensured credibility of the change effort as a whole. CompStat meetings were introduced to measure results with greater consistency and reliability, hold the middle manager accountable for their actions and encourage inter-bureau coordination. Cost efficiency was attained through introduction of new technology.
Bratton defined short term goals (like 10% reduction in 1994) and pushed the organization hard to attain these goals. In two years, there was a significant decline in crime and improved job satisfaction and morale within NYPD. Bratton’s options to confront the challenges In 1996, Bratton faced several challenges including budget cuts, labor wage disputes, restrictions on deployment of resources and inability to reward performance, all of which threatened to hamper the momentum of changes. His relationship with Giuliani is a key factor that needs to be highlighted.
Kotter model suggests that leadership coalition needs to grow over time, and more people need to buy into the system. Major changes are not possible without support from head of the organization. Furthermore, since NYPD is constrained by its public sector nature and its budget primarily controlled by the mayor, Bratton should strive to get Giuliani bought into his long term plans. NYPD employees are represented by a group of powerful, but fragmented, unions. Bratton should find partners in the union leadership, who would uphold and support his vision of change.
He needs to educate them that though legislation shifting contract dispute arbitration responsibility would result in larger salary increases, it would prompt additional budget cuts leading to further job reductions. Labor contracts and civil service statutes have made it difficult to reward performance in spite of effectiveness. To tackle this, Bratton should institute a new rewards system, which is a key to attaining organizational congruence. To eliminate corruption, he should promote a culture that eliminates organizational fear nd self protection. Lastly, Bratton needs to consolidate improvements and produce more change. Initial changes need to sink more deeply into the organizational culture, a process that could take years. As the model suggests, he should use the credibility gained from his short term wins to tackle bigger problems facing NYPD. He should show people how his new approaches have helped improve overall performance of the organization, and ensure that the next generation of top management personifies the initial years of change.