Health Care System Positioning and Differentiation

Health Care System Positioning and Differentiation HCS 539 Health Care System Positioning and Differentiation A well planned marketing and branding tactic will offer a course of action for the maturity of an effective marketing campaign. A hospital’s marketing and branding strategies are key components of consideration in the development of all encompassing marketing plan. Mercy Health Systems and Crozer-Keystone Health Systems have both successfully marketed themselves in the community as outstanding health care providers. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the different strategies used by Mercy Health Systems’ and Crozer-Keystone Health Systems’ to actively market their organizations. A well planned marketing approach†¦show more content†¦The additional visions that each establishment focuses on is the key focus for each organizations differentiation strategy. Branding a product or service requires a formation of something about the product or service that is exclusive in the market (Hyatt, 2001). Consumers must recognize the product as having advanta geous features not provided by the competitors (Hyatt, 2001). Mercy Health Services branding technique is focused on the organization’s being â€Å"motivated by faith in a merciful God, works to actualize that faith† (Mercy Health Systems, 2010, p. 5). This focus on a religious aspect sets Mercy Health Systems apart from Crozer-Keystone Health Systems and gives Mercy Health Systems a branding strategy that sets them apart from many other organizations. Mercy Health Systems not only promotes healing in the physical and emotional since. Mercy Health Systems also endorses a spiritual healing. On the Mercy Health Systems it states that a greater family unity is encouraged along with helping patients and family members to accept the patients’ medical condition while providing kindhearted support (Mercy Health Systems, 2010). Mercy Health Systems branding strategy seems to have a direct focus on the spiritual wellbeing of it patients and their loved ones. Mercy Health Systems mission is â€Å"Healing in the broadest sense† (Mercy Health Systems, 2010, p. 2). Crozer-Keystone Health Systems’ focusShow MoreRelatedPositioning and Differentation1628 Words   |  7 PagesPositioning and Differentiation Paper For Referencing Only- Do Not Copy Positioning and Differentiation Paper The positioning and differentiation strategies of two nearby hospitals, St. Francis Hospital located in Roslyn, New York and the Schneider Children’s Hospital in New Hyde Park, New York will be discussed in this article. 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Prose Fiction in the English Classroom free essay sample

We will: think about text selection. think holistically about what a fiction unit might cover. understand some generic elements of prose fiction as a form and how they might be taught. learn how to develop 3 level guides as prompts for close reading. Lets begin by discussing the novels we might use with a senior English class. In most departments, teachers are free to choose texts for study with their class (departmental resources will limit the scope of your choice). It is important that you develop an idea of what you think is suitable for a senior class. Think back to your own experiences with prose fiction study and to texts you have enjoyed reading independently. Are there any you would consider appropriate for study with a year 11, 12 or 13 class? Why? Activity 1:1:1: Discussion Forum Texts for study Narrative study an overview The study of narrative is the study of how stories are told. When we study prose fiction, we are looking in detail at the choices that the author has made and how those choices combine to create a particular piece of writing. It is important to convey to your students the idea that nothing happens by accident; everything contained in the novel /short story is a product of the authors choices. These choices are made purposefully for a particular effect and to elicit a particular response in the reader. In order to help students understand this, we need to focus our study on the selection and organisation of material in the text. The following outline provides a useful overview of the headings we might include in a novel study structured around the selction and organistaion of material in a text. Read through the outline carefully. NarrativeNarrative is how a story is told. The how of story-telling involves techniques and conventions characteristic of narrative genres, e. g. narratives, anecdotes, news stories, parables. How involves: A) SELECTION(i) Vantage Point:1. Who tells the story. (Narrator) 2. Scope of the access. (Limited/omniscient) 3 Perspective in time (Removed/retrospective, immediate tense) (ii) Content:1. What are the significant settings? 2. Who are the significant characters? 3. What are the significant events and actions? B) ORGANISATION(i) The basis for sequence (plot) ii) The basis for juxtaposition. | Using this as our guide, lets look at how we might approach each aspect with a senior English class. In particular, we will discuss the activities, explanations and questions that might be of use. First though, we need a short story to read as an example for discussion. Read through the story A Piece of Yellow Soap by Frank Sargeson. Pre-reading At the very beginning of a prose fiction unit, it is common for a teacher to ask students to engage in an introductory activity. These activities are designed to draw students into the study of a text they have not yet read. A pre-reading activity might address itself to the theme of a piece of fiction, or be concerned with some aspect of style or form. Design a pre-reading activity you might use with a class studying A Piece of Yellow Soap, then add your ideas to the discussion below. Activity 1:1:2: Discussion Forum Pre-reading Point of View Once the pre-reading is complete and the students have read the text (hopefully), it is time to look in detail at various aspects of the text. It is not unusual for teachers to begin discussions on a novel/short story with a close look at the vantage point or point of view chosen by the writer. In my experience, students tend to struggle a little with point of view and the idea of a narrator, so it is important to have a clear explanation up your sleeve. Think about how you would describe the concept of point of view to a senior English class. And, just as a wee extra challenge, think about how you might make a connection between point of view and irony. Once you have pondered this, click on the link below to add your explanations. Activity 1:1:3: Discussion Forum Point of view Ok. Lets look at some resources that might help you. The art of the short story (page 22 of your readings) is a chapter taken from Close-Up on Literary text (Locke,2001) In the point of view section, the author asks readers to look closely at the narrator first. Read through the following excerpt and answer the 5 questions with reference to A piece of yellow soap. This introduction and these questions help students first to discover who the narrator of the story is, before they begin looking at the narrators influence on the story. They may still need to clarify the difference between the narrator and the author of the text. The next set of questions from The art of the short story helps them to do this. Once again, work through the questions with reference to A piece of yellow soap. The narrator of a story should not be confused with the writer. The writer of this story is Frank Sargeson. 6 On the basis of this story alone, which of the above questions can you answer if you substitute the word writer for the word narrator? 7 How would you go about finding answers to the questions that can’t be answered on the basis of information found in the story? 8 How might knowledge about Frank Sargeson contribute to your reading of this story? Once students have a firm understanding of the narrator and have it clearly differentiated from the author. It is time to begin looking more broadly at point of view. This invloves asking students to look at the perspective from which the story is being told. Work through the following explanation and questions reflecting as you do on the extent to which they help you develop a better understanding of the point of view. If you think of a story as providing a particular window onto the world a particular angle of vision then you are reflecting on the important notion of point of view. Point of view answers the question, Through whose eyes or from what vantage point am I viewing the action that is being presented in this story. (A useful analogy here is to imagine a movie camera and to think about how its location affects what we see when we are watching a movie. )9 From whose perspective is this story being told? 10 How much time has elapsed between the story being told and the telling itself? 11 How limited is the narrative point of view? To answer this question, try identifying the sorts of information that the narrator cannot access. 2 How involved is the narrator in the story? Is he quite central to the action or is he quite peripheral (like a witness to a motor accident)? [Language Tool Kit:Narrator: The voice one can identify as telling a story. Point of view: The perspective from which the events of a story are presented. Chronological time: The order followed by events as they actually happened. Psychological time: The order of events as they are recalled or reconstructed in a persons mind. ]Finally, we can distinguish between first-person and third-person narrators. A Piece of Yellow Soap is a an example of a first-person narrative, told from the point of view of a character who has quite a degree of involvement in the story being told. 13 Identify the pronouns in the first paragraph of this story which tell you whether this is a first-person or third-person narrative. | These explanantions and questions should prove useful in guiding students to a clear understanding of a narrator and his/her influence on the text. Time When we look at the ways in which the author has chosen to orientate the story, it is important to examine the authors treatment of time. When we do this, we are asking studnets to look at whether the narrators perspective is immediate (present tense), retrospective (past tense) or a mixture (see The art of the short story p. 25 of your readings for a table of tenses if you need clarification), and at the ways in which time is manipulated to suit the purposes of the author. The following exercise (from The art of the short story) is designed to make students think about the relationship between time and story-telling. As you read through them jot down some answers Time Activity You cant tell a story without thinking about time. The following log exercise is designed to make you think about the relationship between time and story-telling. 1. Write down in chronological order the things you did after you work up this morning. (You dont have to go on for too long. ) 2. Underline the words you used to indicate the sequence in time of what you were recounting. (First, then, later are examples of such words. ) 3. From the flow of events that have occured since you woke up, choose and describe the most memorable. 4. Add to this description an account of what lead up to or caused this event to happen. Reflect on what these questions are guiding you towards. What have you learnt by doing this activity? Or, what would your students learn by doing this activity? Activity 1:1:4: Discussion Forum Time Look back at our overview. As you can see, we have had a close look now at the elements that come under the heading of Vantage Point. We are going to take a quick detour now to plot because it makes sense to get a good grip on this before moving on to the content (character, setting etc). Plot Teaching plot can be tricky, mainly because it sounds deceptively simple. The key to students coming to grips with it is having a clear defintion of plot and some narrative structure terms to work with. So, how would you define plot to a senior English class? What are some plot elements that you would consider helpful in helping students understand the way a particular narrative is structured? Activity 1:1:5: Discussion Forum Plot The following extract from The art of the short story offers some clear definitions of a number of plot elements that may be of use to you and your students. As you read through them, try to connect as many as possible with specific parts of the short story A Piece of Yellow Soap. There are a number of plot elements that can be used to shape or structure a narrative. The selection and arrangement of these plot elements have an enormous impact on the effect a story has on its readers. although A piece of Yellow Soap is a very short story, it contains a number of plot elements. i Exposition: Exposition is the provision of important background information so that a reader feels oriented to what is happening in a story. How effective is the opening paragraph of this story as an example of exposition? ii Predicament: A predicament is a difficult choice difficult because it involves a character in a choice between two undesirable options. 2 What is the narrators predicament as described in paragraph one? iii Conflict: Most plots involve conflict. Conflict occurs in a plot when a character or groups interests are opposed by another character or group. 3 Why is the narrator in conflict with the woman? 4 On the face of it, the woman is the milkmans antagonist. Find evidence in the story that the narrator also feels himself in conflict with:†¢ his firm;†¢ the way his societys economy is organised;†¢ certain peoples views about God. Conflict can also be internal. Internal conflict occurs when two parts of a character are in involved in a struggle with each other. 5 In what way might the narrator of this story be described as in conflict with himself? iv Rising action: The part of a story, often accompanied by tension and suspense, which leads up to a climax or some other defining moment. 6 In what way does paragraph two contain suspense? ) Climax: A climax is the highest point in a single action, the decisive moment towards which events appear to be heading . 7 Which paragraph (indeed which sentence), in your view, provides a climax for this story? vi) Denouement: This is a French word meaning unravelling. It refers to the process which follows a climax, where some kind of sense is made of the proceeding events. Sometimes the denouement involves a discovery or a disclosure. Sometimes, as in this case, it involves a moment of recognition a sudden growth in awareness or the realisation of some truth. In what sense, do the last two paragraphs of this story provide a recognition. 9 Is this recognition for the narrator, the reader (or both)? [Language Tool Kit:Exposition: The provision of essential background information early in the narration of a story. Predicament: A difficult choice between undesirable alternatives, often presented to a character early in a narrative. Conflict: A situation where the interests of characters or groups of characters are opposed. Antagonist: Usually, but not always, a character whose interests are opposed to those of the main character or group of characters in a story. Internal conflict: A situation where two parts of a single character are in conflict with each other. Rising action: The suspenseful part of a story leading up to its climax. Climax: The decisive moment in a story towards which events appear to be heading. Denouement: The process of unravelling or winding down that occurs in the aftermath of a storys climax. ]| Lets look, by way of example, at what we might do in the classroom to help students gain a better understanding of one of thesed terms: predicament. Once we have discussed the definition of predicament, we would need to help students pinpoint the predicament the narrator recounts in the short story. Having done this, it would be useful to engage students in a kind of role play activity to help them better understand the narrators predicament which is central to the story. This role play would be fun to do as a drama activity, using a voiced thoughts monologue. If this were impratical, it could also be done in the form of some expressive writing. Either way, the task itself might look something like this The milkmans predicament activity. Imagine you are the milkman and you are just about to go and visit the woman to ask her for money. What are you thining/worrying about? What thoughts are competing in your head? Try to use some quotes from the story and some of your own words. Activities such as this could (time permitting) be constructed for each plot element to help students develop a thorough understanding of the storys narrative structure. Character and characterisation Senior students seldom have any problems with the idea of character. By year 11, it is a term they are generally familiar with and comforatble using. Characterisation on the other hand is a different story. Understanding the term characterisation invloves students making the shift to seeing text as something that has been constructed by the author and that is constructed by the reader as he/she reads. This can be a difficult jump for some! So, how can we explain the difference between character and characterisation to senior English students? Keeping in mind that the term character refers to WHAT and the term characterisation refers to HOW, write some defiinitions that you might use with your students. Then, write some questions relating to A Piece of Yellow Soap that guide students to an understanding of characterisation. Activity 1:1:5: Discussion Forum Character and Characterisation For a clear definition, lets refer again to The art of the short story. Characterisation refers to the process whereby readers construct characters on the basis of evidence in the text provided by writers. This evidence can include:†¢ actions;†¢ thoughts, feelings and deliberations;†¢ descriptions (from a narrator or another character);†¢ dialogue| Setting Looking back to our overview of narrative study, the final remaining element under the heading of selection is setting. You may find students have a functioning albeit narrow understanding of the term setting as the place where the story happens. With a senior class, our task is generally to help them broaden this definition to include time and the cultural setting in which the text was composed and to help them to understand the ways in which setting is important in a prose fiction text. How would you explain to students what setting is and why it is important in a work of fiction? Design an activity that helps students understand the importance of setting in a piece of yellow soap. Activity 1:1:6: Discussion Forum Setting Style Style is a combination of the way a writer uses words, syntax and punctuation. In some books, the word texture is used to denote the characteristics of style a reader is aware of at any point in the narrative. As such it can be usefully contrasted with the term structure whicg refers to the organisation of the text as a whole. (Art of the Short Story). It would take far too long to look at all the possible terms and techniques that we might discuss under the heading of style. It might therefore, be more useful to discuss the particular features of style evident in A Piece of Yellow Soap, so that you can get a grip on how a style discussion might work ina classroom. Read through A piece of Yellow Soap once again, paying particular attention to its style. List some metalinguistic terms (terms used to describe language) you would use to describe the style of this short story. Select one sentence of the story that you believe would elicit an interesting discussion about style. Activity 1:1:7: Discussion Forum Style Theme The term theme is a problematic one. If we refer to the theme of a novel, then we imply that a theme is a central message put in by a writer who is deliberately concerned to raise an issue or communicate a lesson to the reader (The Art of the Short Story, p8. ) In the version of reading that this constructs, the reader is merely a passive recipient of the ideas in the story. How else might we look at the idea of theme (and reading in general)? How would you present the idea of theme to a senior English class? Activity 1:1:8: Discussion Forum Theme 3 level guides Just before we wind up this module, Id like to look at a type of resource that can be extremely useful when approaching close reading of a text with a class. The 3 level guide offers a set of questions which draw students into a close reading of a text. Students are asked to agree or disagree (providing textual evidence) with propositions grouped in three categories: Level 1: Reading for information Level 2: Reading to interpret Level 3: Reading critically Lets look at some examples from a 3 level guide written for Chapter 23 of the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D Salinger. Level 1: Holden has only a short converstaion on the phone with Mr Antolini. Level 2: Holden respects Antolini because he doesnt care about appearances. Level 3: Holden believes that natural ability is a stronger factor in what a person can do than education or training. Question 1 is straightforward. Students can go to the text and find a definitive answer. Level 1 questions involve facts that are direc tly stated in the text. Question 2 is more complex. It requires students to interpret a characters thoughts, words or actions in some way. They may need to refer to other parts of the text to do this. The level 3 question is still more complex. It requires students to apply a critical perspective to the text to examine the belief systems or prejudices at work in a characters actions. Sometimes, level 3 questions require students to examine their own beliefs and prejudices that are supported or challenged by the text. In your readings, you will find a copy of a short story commonly taught in year 11 English classes, The Outsider by Graeme Lay. Read through the first few pages of the short story. Once you have done so, come up with one questions for each level of a three level guide.

Third World Essays - Aid, Humanitarian Aid, Poverty, Extreme Poverty

Third World Most of the world's population resides in - and the overwhelming percentage of that population's growth occurs in the incredible diversity of places we call the Third World. Third world includes America's south of the United States; the whole of Africa; Asia apart from the Soviet Union, China and Japan; and the Oceanic Islands apart from Australia and New Zealand. Majority of these Third World countries is in complete poverty and due to that these countries face internal conflicts. The citizens of the Third World countries are facing many difficulties such as poverty uneven economic share in the world economy, and injustice. Hunger; lack of shelter, health care and the less advanced technology are major aspects of this worldwide dilemma. Many people die from starvation in smaller, underdeveloped countries, especially those in Africa. Due to their financial problems, the people lack proper shelter and clothing to keep themselves warm and clean water to keep their living areas hygienic. Since they lack adequate shelter and clothing, diseases break out and these diseases develop a lot easier with poor nutrition. Third world poverty has developed for various reasons. In general those are; lacking social security; lacking natural resources and nutrition; and having no financial stability. A third world country is economically depressed and continues to grieve. Most third world countries don't have social security or welfare. These countries cannot afford to support their citizens. Unemployment rates are extremely high and wages are drastically low. As a result, the people of those countries have no or insufficient income to keep themselves surviving. These extreme poverty situations could lead to hostile actions against the governments where governments are usually blamed for the problems. The effect of the decline in living standards in the poor countries increases potential for political violence as an impact on the government. There have been over twenty violent protests in recent years (late 1980s) specifically against the austerity measures imposed by the IMF, with over 3,000 people killed in those protests. Political violence or in other words reactions to the government will continue in the future as long as the needs of the citizens are not met. For the time being these impacts are passed over lightly by the third world governments but it is hard to predict the long-term effects of this cover-up. There are a variety of Third World countries in the world. Some are ruled democratically and give hope that they will manage to better off soon enough, and the rest are authoritarian regimes. In fact the political instability may make it more difficult for democratic regimes to survive, especially in Latin America, and may be replaced by authoritarian regimes which would be a step taken backwards. Plus the liberal, market economy may loose its popularity and new regimes, rejecting free market, may replace it. However a second approach: Poverty breeds Poverty , could also be developed. In Third World countries people are born into extremely poor societies and grow up there. Becoming adults, they are usually destined to be poor for all through their lives. When adults, they struggle to earn money and try to get rid of their individual poverty but the efforts are not met. Therefore these people become extremely discouraged and loose self-respect. Eventually they become associated with being poor and ignorant. As a result they neither look for their rights nor try to get better off. Another effect of poverty is the national shame it creates among the citizens of the Third World countries. Besides having individual poverty concerns, the citizens are also witnessing that their country has no or very low political prestige among the other world countries. Realising this fact, the citizens lose trust and respect to their governments. They either start to feel alienated or to blame the government. When they feel alienated the citizens want to run away from the poor country and start a new life where it's possible to be better off. These try to immigrate to first world countries where they could be employed and paid adequately. The second group that develops a mistrust towards the government are more likely to protest it and in more serious cases rebel against the government or the regime. Unlike

Eric Schlossers 1994 article Reefer Madness essays

Eric Schlosser's 1994 article Reefer Madness essays Eric Schlosser's 1994 article "Reefer Madness" outlines the history and ideology behind marijuana criminalization laws. The author attempts to point out the flaws in America's anti-drug policies by criticizing heavy- handed sentencing and the lack of scientific evidence against the dangers of marijuana use. Tracing the origins of marijuana cultivation in the United States, Schlosser shows that pot was not always the "evil weed" that many assume it is; it was once used in an innocuous manner by the Founding Fathers as a sturdy fiber and even as legal tender. What began the campaign against cannabis sativa was actually rooted in racism and class discrimination, according to Schlosser. Citing evidence that Mexican migrant farm laborers, black New Orleans jazz musicians, and underground groups used marijuana recreationally, the author connects anti-marijuana laws to the era of the Great Depression. Consequently, drug laws began politically charged and remain so until this day. Ronald Reagan's "War on Drugs" further exacerbated the problem of overcrowding prisons with nonviolent drug offenders, many of whom receive stricter sentences than murderers or rapists. The purpose of Schlosser's article is to point out the problems inherent in America's strict drug laws. The article is divided into seven main sections. The first is a comprehensive introduction and the remaining six deal with specific historical and geographical issues relevant to the discussion of the topic. The introductory section of "Reefer madness" grabs the reader's attention though the story of Mark Young, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for being a "middleman." Young was not found in possession of the plant; he simply acted as a go-between for the seller and the buyer. Schlosser wonders how a society comes to slap stiffer sentences on a man such as Young while those who commit violent crimes f...

Melissa Richardson Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Melissa Richardson - Essay Example While discussing in more details, it can be said that she was very well aware of the fact that the role of a sales manager goes much more beyond the job responsibilities of a normal sales executive. She was to some extent aware of the fact that the sales manager needs to supervise the work done by the team members and has to take in to account the review of the progress of each employee in regards to his or her target achievement. She also had the idea that as a sales manager, she needs to provide significant motivation to the sales executives on a regular manner, so as to enhance their performance on the job. It is important to highlight that there exists a significant difference between the roles and responsibilities handled by a sales executive and sales manager. Talking on this note, it can be said that the traditional job responsibilities of sales executive comprises of leading the sales force of the company for acquiring sales of the company’s products or services. The k ey roles of a sales executive involve planning, organizing, implementing and monitoring of the sales executive of the firm (Jeff 18). Talking in regards to the role of a sales manager, it can be said that the job responsibilities include hiring the sales force, managing and motivating the sales team, achieving the sales target for the company. It is also important to say that the sales manager has a very crucial role in managing the sales turnover of the company, planning the promotional activities and devising the sales strategy to generate product and service sales for the company (Miller 5). Talking from the view point of ColorTech Greenhouses, Inc., it can be said that the job role of the sales executives for the company comprises of developing the accounts or business prospects of the company from large as well as small customers. While talking about the job role of the sales manager, it can be said that apart from managing and motivating the sales team, a lot of paper work is also involved on the job role of the sales manager (Booth and Cates 3). 2. It can be said that Richardson in an attempt to develop a high level of compatibility for handling the new responsibilities in a job focused on doing a number of right things. The very first thing that has to be mentioned is the fact that Richardson enrolled herself for a sales manager training course. It has to be highlighted that this particular action of Richardson was fuelled by the expectation that the course will help her to learn the necessary steps that will help her to manage the new responsibilities. The second most important thing that was done correctly by Richardson is to use her time listening to Spanish language, since she expected it will help her to develop a high level of compatibility with the other employees of the company, who prefer to use Spanish for one to one interactions. The third correct thing that was done by Richardson was to develop and design a motivation program that will help to boost the motivation level of her sales team. It also has to be highlighted that Richardson in her interest to develop the level of compatibility with the new job requirements took a few wrong decisions. First of all, she should have dropped out from the previous sales management classes she was taking since she felt they did not add much value to her. Second, the issue of not taking Spanish language classes to develop her language compatibility was also a very wrong step. It can be said that Richardson should have dropped out from the first sales management course and should have opted for a small course on management. The small course on management would have helped her in developing a level of familiarity with sales, leadership as well as the issues related to the paperwork. Also, she should

Applied Business 8-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Applied Business 8-1 - Essay Example SOX aims to Act improved corporate control and gave strength to corporate accountability. It applies that by: Legalizing and strengthening the internal checks and balances inside public corporations establishing a variety of levels of control to guarantee that financial reporting practices revealing corporate governance is managed with full transparency. The SOX Act introduced new penalties for acts of wrong doing and standards for corporate liability as well. It changes how corporate boards and executives must communicate with each other and with corporate auditors. Investigation found that law eradicates the cover of "financial issues were not in my knowledge" from directors and management, holds them answerable for the accuracy of financial statements. As law specifies financial reporting obligations, including attachment to new controls and processes designed to assure the legality of their financial records. Directors and Officers should be personally kept responsible for violating the law and showed negligence in

Case Study Of The Virgin Group

Case Study Of The Virgin Group Virgin Group is made up of more than 200 companies, which employ nearly 50,000 people all over the world. The business has witnessed continual growth since it was started. The revenues reached a record mark of 10 billion sterling pounds in the year 2006. This reveals the magnitude and level of business in which Virgin Group is operating. The nature of leadership in existence in Virgin Group draws many features from the personality of Sir Richard Branson. The business philosophy postulated by Sir Richard Branson believes that the ultimate results of customer satisfaction and shareholders gain is the responsibility of every individual. He believes that if the staffs are kept happy then the customers are going to be happy meaning that the shareholders will be happy too (Branson 1998, pp. 14). Consequently, the management of Virgin Group does not fall in to any particular model. It has a unique management structure whose characteristics do not fit those of the existing models. The amalga mation of concepts makes it distinctive. A critical review reveals that the success witnessed by Virgin Group can be attributed to the uniqueness of its management styles. Management Theorists like F Taylor first created the concept of scientific management. This scientific concept postulates that there are six main features of management, namely; experiment, observation, selection, standardization, and training. Scientific philosophy of management expects that rewards and employee compensation should be pecked on performance and co-operation. Although some facets of this theory are outdated, some of its features are still applicable in the business structure of modern times. As a good illustration, Virgin group may be having what appears as a relaxed working environment but some features of scientific management are in the application. Such aspects of scientific management used in Virgin Group include training, selection, and payment pecked on results. Some employees are compensated because of their outstanding entrepreneurial ambition and innovative thinking. Outstanding performance in Virgin Group is not only measure by the amount of financial input an employee has brought but also creativity and ability to think outside the box. Another model of management is bureaucracy, which sees the organization of business as one unit. The pioneers of this school of thought believed that family practices could not be delinked from the organization. Therefore, there a need to merge family goals with those of the entire organization. Organizational goals of Virgin Group cannot be dissociated with those of Sir Richard Branson. This is enough reason to conclude that the management style in the organization has some elements of bureaucracy in leadership. Max Weber first formulated this kind of management approach. The impact of the entire society is given considerable attention by the management. In this model, the organization forms an integral part of an amorphous society. Despite having some draw backs, this model has found its way in to the Virgin Groups management style. In a bid to meet the needs of the society it is serving, virgin management give priority to the impact, its strategies will have on society. This is the reason as to why Virgin Atlantic, an airline company under Virgin Group, has been on the frontline on the crusade for environmentally friendly jet fuel. Furthermore, there is an element of administrative theory in the management of Virgin Group. Propounded by Henry Fayol, administrative theory view management as a chronological process comprising of planning, organization, training, and coordination of functions. This model represents the transitional theory between the traditional and modern models. It is characterized by rigid and mechanistic tenets. Virgin Group has a little bit of these management principles. It has deviated from it by allowing liberalized management at departmental level. However, at the departmental levels, there is a need to advance the principles of management. The thoughts of employees should remain to be customized to suit these principles. The management of Virgin group with a heavy weight is contingency approach. The decision-making and plans executions are done with close reference to the problem at hand. This has seen the group attain notable milestones in streamlining its management, which eventually translates in to revenues. In this management model, the dynamics of business environments is appreciated. It recognizes the fact that different environments require different management approaches (Damanpour1996, pp 694). Concisely, it is true to argue that Virgin Groups success story of many years is a factor of many things including it optimal management model. The group has been able to amalgamate the presets of every model to suit its present needs. What is emerging vividly from this global organization is the fact that the efficacy of management is determined by its ability to move away from conventional and rigid requirements. Moving with the trends in the market has been proven beneficial in optimization of profits. From the descriptions given above, it is evident that Virgin Group leadership is a transformational. In transformational leadership the management looks beyond the compensation to employees. The model, which is in use at Virgin Group, explores the inner factors, which enhance performance of employees through motivation. On the contrary to the transactional model, which look at compensation alone, transformational leadership looks at the way of achieving high-level loyalty and commitment from the followers. The brand in the name of Virgin was founded in 1968. Since then it has grown beyond borders and become a worldwide product. Its venture into many different industries is a true reflection of the success. Sir Richard Branson is the present chairperson of the group. He is well known for his stylish but competitive leadership skills. Many analysts and scholars attribute the success of Virgin Group to the creative leadership skills of Branson. In the process of expansion, he took over several risky ventures in a more to diversify and improve his business. In most of his business plans, he focused on minute segment of a specific market and provided quality products or services. This approach allows for creation of small monopolistic markets with high profit margins. One major contributor to Bransons success story is his ability to lead people in exploring innovative and profitable ventures. Therefore, the leadership style depicted by Branson is a topic to be investigated in the following discussions. The kind of leadership philosophy advocated by Branson has been infiltrate into the entire company. Sir Richard Bransons leadership style falls in the category of transformational. He has an outstanding ability of bringing out the best out of humanity. Interpersonal and relational skills possessed by Branson are impeccable. He has close touch with the day to day activities of various companies within his group. The most common feature that has made him achieve great milestones in business development is the ability to motivate and rally fellow partners in pursuit of a business opening. If the recent acquisitions are taken as an illustration, he managed to convince fellow stakeholders in adoption of a new strategy. In his ventures, he looks for people who are outgoing and willing to start new businesses. His capacity building nature has made him an admirable leader of modern business. His focus spans beyond the orthodox perspective of employees where the management expects the workers to perform to deserve compensation. The interest of Branson surrounds asking the question as to whether a partner or employee is optimizing his or her capacity. He is interested also with people who are willing to take risks and the best in their tasks. For a long time, he has succeeded in bringing out the best out of his staff, a core character of transformational leader. There is no doubt about the fact that Bransons success since 1970s is attributed directly to his attitude towards management of a team. In his approach, the barrier existing between the employees and management is broken. In fact, many people working with him approaches business issues with a philosophy of achieving through innovative thinking and not adhering to the preset rules. Because of the ideologies propagated by Branson, all participants in the organization share similar values. He formulated his own style of leadership, priding himself on integrating the employees in to his style and seeking their thoughts on ways of improving value to customers. Employees are expected to internalize these values and respond in accordance to them. Integration of corporate values in leadership strategies means that there is little interference by external forces (Werdigier 2007, pp. 4). Nevertheless, Sir Bransons approach does not mean that the employees are entirely dependent on the chairpersons thoughts. They are equally accountable of their actions like fellow employees under transactional leadership. In order to motivate his employees, Branson and his management team, especially human resources management department have systems of enhancing commitment of employees through bonuses, stock options and profit sharing, and internal promotion wherever possible. Apart from Sir Bransons input in the success of the Virgin Group, there is a contribution of organizational culture in the company. Organizational culture existing in Virgin Group in fairly complex. The Group serves more than 100 companies operating separately in the industries which are not entirely related. The common feature within ever company in the group is the glamorous Virgin Brand. The brand remains unchanged in all companies operating in different businesses. This is a similarity, which puts a heavy responsibility on each department or division to positively represent the brand. The image reveals an overall image of quality and innovation inherent in the group. Through the creation of an exclusive brand, the company has been able to consolidate and maintain desirable loyalty levels among the customers. The diverse business portfolio evident in Virgin Group businesses is helpful in building and maintaining loyalty in various industries. This is the main reason as to why the company has witnessed high levels of success. The managers in the company employ the concept of creativity to encourage employees to enhance their contribution to the group in whatever level of hierarchy. They discourage the scenario where employees sit back to execute instructions. Employees have the capacity of producing cutting-edge products, which the whole company will be able to deliver to the market. They can also formulate ways of improving efficiency in the company. This is an outstanding feature of Virgin Group. Every individual has a say when it comes to products development. The management style in application at Virgin Group encourages members of staff to be competitive. This will eventually build a desire in the hearts of employees to see the company succeed so that they can be recognized as contrib utors to new and innovative business model. There is no clear cut between management and leadership within Virgin Group. Transformational leadership emanates from executives and top managers in the company. There are harmonized goals set by Sir Richard Branson and fellow company executives. Various companies within the group will work towards achieving those goals. These ambitious goals range from utilization of new technology, expansion in international markets, joint venture with other existing companies and loyalty among customers. Goals formulated at this level of management are communicated to every employee in the company. This is a beneficial strategy, which gives every employee a task to accomplish in fostering the groups mission. The senior management implores the employees to output their skills in such a way that they are going to complement the company (Virgin Group n.d.). The notion behind this effort is to advance the philosophy that the entire benefits of the group will eventually lead to individual gains for ev ery person involved. The contribution to the group will ultimately result in rewards for managers, employees, shareholders, executives, and customers alike. One desirable feature of Virgin Group is its organizational structure. Through its structure the company has succeeded in overcoming the challenges related to expansion. An expansive organization like Virgin Group must explore ways of handling the massive information within the company. Through its flat organizational chart, Virgin Group Limited has been able to handle it expansive business portfolio with much ease. The reduction of horizontal chain of command means that interdepartmental communication is enhanced. As the level of hierarchy moves down, the lower levels of management tend to concentrate more keenly on the management of the company. Although leadership is always encouraged among the managers, it requires some levels of strict management to make sure that the task has been accomplished. Different divisions within the company have different management function. At Virgin Group, managers have several goals of wide scope. Because of the fact that different divisions of the company are specialized in their operations, well-trained and qualified mangers are required to manage it effectively. In most cases, managers employed by the company have a firm background in their sector of specialization. They must also prove that they are capable by showing a successful record of accomplishment. It is the sole responsibility of managers within Virgin Group to ensure that day-to-day operations needed to keep the division running are executed effectively. Organization is a vital ingredient in the success of Virgin companies. Since the group in an amorphous company comprising of several companies, organization is very critical in putting together the processes (Human Resources Magazine, 2003). To start with, the company has many goals to be achieved like expanding the global presence and building of customer loyalty. The top executive are responsible for determining these goals and making them available to the entire company. The same executive must ensure that these goals are achievable for them to be received well by employees. However, caution should be exercised to ensure that the employees are not underutilized. Challenging goals are important for employees to feel that they are engaged in meaningful tasks. Organization of these goals within the division will ensure that specific targets are made. Every division has separate and specialized goals aimed at increasing market share and improvement of product and services. As the hierarchy advances to the junior staffs, goals become more precise and short lived. The targets set at implementation levels are easily achievable because they are very specific. These specific goals are formulated by division managers with close reference to those of the entire group. This system of information transfer enables the company to remain on track on the journey to meeting the targets set by executives. Virgin is a living evidence for the fact that this kind of organization is a major prerequisite for business success. Breaking down of general goals in to actionable points is a desirable feature revealed in Virgins organization. A healthy and workable organizational structure witnessed in Virgin Groups businesses is attained with many varying strategies. Transformational leadership is one of these strategies that have seen the company attain great heights of success. This strategy enables people of diverse backgrounds and ability to share a common goal. Through working together, a team can combine its members efforts and work towards achieving a common goal. Transformational leadership gives everyone an equal chance to output his or her ability without reservations. A critical review of Virgin Group business reveals that its versatile and innovative workforce is due to the transformational leadership in place. This is in contrast with transactional leadership in which employees are compensated according to performance. The draw back with this kind of leadership is that it breeds greedy employees whose goal will be to amass rewards as much as possible (Gill 2006, pp. 63). Conclusion In conclusion, there are many things to be learned from leadership and management of Virgin Group Limited. The company has cut itself a niche in various industries. It has also proven that all things are possible with dedication and commitment. Through the able leadership of its Chairman, Sir Richard Branson, the management team has come up with a unique formula of managing large-scale businesses like Virgin Group. To a large extend, the success of Virgin Group is directly attributable to the input of Sir Branson. He has succeeded in opening a new chapter of management, which deviates from conventional methods (Robert 2000, pp.4). His liberal and all accommodating approach is desirable. There is a formidable blend between management and leadership. A critical review of these two elements reveals that there is no clears cut between the two: a feature that has worked well for the company.