School Should Begin Later in the Day :: Argument Argumentative

School Should Begin Later in the Day      Many adolescent secondary school understudies are worn out during the school day, diverting them from their investigations. That is only one of the numerous valid justifications that the beginning time of school ought to be later in the day.      Some individuals may state that the mind not being completely practical until 9:30 is simply an issue of conclusion. Studies have proposed that the normal pre-adult cerebrum doesn’t even beginning to completely work until around 9:30 am. Numerous schools as of now utilize the proposed later appearance time, so there understudies can be prepared to realize when they show up at school.      Another thing that everybody knows or recollects about high, school is all of the schoolwork that should be accomplished for tomorrow. Besides extends that are expected, powerful papers that need composed, and the time you should be a young person. Most understudies even have so much work that they’ll remain up throughout the night just to get it done. While requiring at least 9 hours of rest as an adolescent, getting up at 6:30 to be prepared for school is sufficiently not time. It’s simple to believe that understudies will simply delay significantly more, yet the normal young person is more brilliant than you may might suspect.      It sounds ridiculous to feel that understudies rest during the school day. The reality is that numerous understudies nod off during class. Recall that rest isn’t something you can make yourself not need. Tossing water all over, tuning in to uproarious music, or washing up can't make your bodies needing for rest vanish. The truth of the matter is pubescence requests more rest.      There are likewise hazards associated with not getting enough rest. A great many people will be exceptionally sluggish and languid during the day, state of mind and social issues, what's more, even expanded helplessness to medications and liquor. These things could likewise form more into genuine resting issue. Specialists encourage to not peruse or

The Meaning of Life in To the Lighthouse Essays

The Meaning of Life in To the Lighthouse Essays The Meaning of Life in To the Lighthouse Paper The Meaning of Life in To the Lighthouse Paper Paper Topic: Light in August Virginia Woolf was never hesitant about her agnosticism, expressing that absolutely, vehemently, there is no God. This doesn't mean, in any case, that she didn't feel the requirement for something that would give a reason to life, and in To the Lighthouse, every one of the characters has all the earmarks of being scanning for this. The obviously unimportant subtleties, to which she gives such consideration, convey the heaviness of a battle to coax structure out of mayhem, to give shape and significance to human experience. Every one of the characters sticks to some way of thinking, be it workmanship, grant or family obligations, in spite of the fact that they all come up short on the self-information that past writing had introduced as the critical type of knowledge. The self in this novel is tricky, mind boggling and unpredictable, however it is with this that the characters must find the importance throughout everyday life. An unmarried lady has missed the best of life, contends Mrs. Ramsay, who has confidence in marriage over all things. Marriage, she accepts, isn't just an agreement, it is an assertion of request and security. There is an away from of manly and ladylike areas in the novel. The ladylike area is, where Mrs. Ramsay satisfies her motivation as a lady by being a decent spouse and mother (She would be cheerful if consistently to have an infant in her arms). She additionally has the entire of the other sex under her insurance, because of profound respect of them, yet in addition since she felt sorry for men consistently as though they needed something ladies never, as though they had something. There is, she accepts, significant incentive in the customary womans job. Inside this job, the way toward setting up connections between individuals is of foremost significance. Truth be told, drawing individuals together, defeating their own disparities, has become her explanation behind being. She battles against the multifaceted nature of life, portrayed as her old foe, so as to go about as a supporting nearness for her loved ones. In XVII (The Window), she mulls over the significance of her reality. All she has, she believes, is just this a limitlessly long table of plates and blades. However, she appears to be here to be standing separate from her life, for when she gives herself a shake, the old natural heartbeat starts to pulsate once more, recommending an arrival to life. That heartbeat is friendliness without it she looked old and worn, yet when she recovers it, maybe the boat had turned and the sun had struck its sails once more. Mrs. Ramsay had given. Giving, giving, giving, she had kicked the bucket and had left this, gripes Lily. Aiding the less blessed was something that Mrs. Ramsays lived for. Her sympathetic nature made her alarm to the predicament of poor people and the misery, and she wanted to help in some handy manner to ease their pain. In I, 1, she sews a stocking for the beacon guardians child, who is unwell, and visits the home of a wiped out lady in the close by town. She is dynamic in advancing certain enhancements in social government assistance, which ought to enhance the part of the oppressed. She gives her entire self for the bliss of others. In fact, satisfaction, when applied to others, is importance is itself. She considers the lives of her youngsters: realizing what was before them love and aspiration and being pathetic alone in horrid spots she regularly had the inclination, Why must they grow up and lose everything? And afterward she said to herself, shaking her blade at life, Nonsen se. They will be flawlessly cheerful. Mr. Ramsay is likewise worried about social issues, thinking such a great amount about anglers and their wages that he lost rest, and accepting that the parcel of the normal individual ought to be of central worry in social approach. He clearly discovers incredible incentive in verse (however he thinks about craftsmanship as a shallow frivolity, pointless in a genuinely socialized society). These are not integral to his comprehension of direction, nonetheless. He has a linearity of reasoning most appropriate to consistent contention and unprecedented ideas, and sees mental accomplishment as far as a letter set, where significance originates from ascending, letter by letter, and arriving at Z is a definitive objective. This brings its frailties: In that blaze of murkiness he heard individuals saying he was a disappointment that R was past him. In spite of the fact that he gives off an impression of being driven by a searing unworldliness, recommending a profound reason to his life, at one point Lily considers him to be an insignificant, narrow minded, vain, narcissistic despot. For sure, he is fixated on the idea of significance, expecting that his own work won't be esteemed by descendants. There is a feeling that on the off chance that he isn't recalled after his demise (through his books), his life will have been good for nothing. Workmanship is Lily Briscoes intends to imitate Mrs. Ramsay in making sound structure from lifes tumult without receiving her confidence in marriage, which she sees as an inadequacy. Critically for her, as a lady, the innovative attestation of painting permits her to move out of the residential limits which compelled Mrs. Ramsay. So what might appear to Mrs. Ramsay to be setback, she considers as karma: She had just gotten away just barely however, she thought. She had been taking a gander at the decorative liner, and it had flashed upon her that she would move the tree to the center, and never need wed anyone, and she felt a colossal jubilee. It is an important break from the pattern of convention. Virginia Woolfs own choice to turn into an author empowered her to encounter the world past those cutoff points inside which her mom drove her life. In the novel, it is Lily who has the last bliss, the last satisfaction of direction: With an abrupt force, as though she saw it clear for a second, she drew a line there, in the inside. It was done; it was done. Indeed, she thought, setting out her brush in outrageous weariness, I have had my vision. Augustus Carmichael (rubicund, sleepy, completely satisfied), has parted from an alternate cycle. He is clearly unconcerned with common achievement, and has given up all aspiration in a way unfathomable to Mr Ramsay. In doing as such, he has discovered harmony. Minta and Paul followed the exhortation of Mrs. Ramsay, yet the marriage had turned out rather severely. What presented to them some bliss was untraditional it was Pauls treachery which made them brilliant companions. The possibility that significance has a place in a customary life is currently broken. Implication in the novel to the Great War proposes that the strength of ordinarily manly qualities has arrived at a stalemate. The picking up of intensity isn't the quintessence of life, just the reason for death. How random it was, the way turbulent, how stunning it was, she (Lily) thought, seeing her vacant espresso mug. Mrs. Ramsay dead; Andrew murdered; Prue dead also rehash it as she would, it animated no inclination in he r. Regardless, time and nature wrecks any individual conclusions in its breadth. Passings are referenced in bracket, as though they are of little result to the entirety. Tumult and breaking down are the real factors of life. For James, in The Window, visiting the beacon is a far off objective, the object of an experience. The power of James unfriendly reaction to his dad is a proportion of the quality of his longing to arrive at the beacon. By The Lighthouse, this reason has changed into battling oppression until the very end, and it is Mr. Ramsay whose intention is that of visiting the beacon. Both are satisfied Mr. Ramsay closes his oppression by commending James; they arrive at the beacon. Mr. Ramsay rose and remained in the bow of the vessel, extremely straight and tall, for all the world, James thought, as though he were stating, There is no God. This certain presentation of freedom seems, by all accounts, to be the end to his quest for importance. Lily, far away, sees this: He has landed, she said out loud. It is done. Mrs. Ramsay lives on after death in the manner she is recalled. This is Mr. Ramsays thought of significance in life the picking up of interminability. Be that as it may, of the considerable number of individuals in this book, it is the spiritualist and the visionary who have the guarantee. They, strolling the sea shore on a fine night, blending a puddle, taking a gander at a stone, asking themselves What am I, What is this? had out of nowhere an answer vouchsafed them: (they couldn't state what it was) with the goal that they were warm in the ice and had comfort in the desert. The indescribableness proposes that each man must discover the response for himself. Maybe Mr. Ramsay discovered that answer as he ventured from the vessel, and Lily likewise, for she has had her vision.

Analytical Essay Topics on the Crucible

Analytical Essay Topics on the CrucibleAnalytical essays can be very difficult to write, especially if you're trying to work out analytical topics on the crucible. The analytical essays that are able to write and present them with ease will certainly stand out. Many students start off a long way into writing an essay when they do not have their concepts properly planned. There are definitely things that you should be aware of before you get started writing.For you to get a feel of what your analytical essay topics on the crucible will look like, do you remember your last essay assignment? If you did, you'll know that you don't have too much freedom in choosing your topics because they must fit into one of the topics that the professor has told you to choose. Writing an essay means that you have to show some knowledge in your subject. But you must also remember that your topic will be the determining factor in whether you get your essay accepted or not.You should also think about the subject in which you will be writing. For example, you have to think about if the subject is still relevant to your school and the times you are going to write. Consider also how you will be presenting your topic in order to best suit the topic. Many people start their research first by collecting information on the topic.You must also consider the types of facts that you'll be presenting and use factual information that you have found. Nowadays, facts are all around us. They can be found anywhere. If you need facts, you can easily find them from the internet or the library.You should also consider analyzing your subjects and the areas of study to which you will be writing in order to figure out what types of questions you should be asking yourself. You will have to ask yourself questions like how you know the information that you are using? Can you find it easily?Analytical essay topics on the crucible can also consist of complex ideas that you will have to formulate in order to co nstruct the best explanation for your information. By asking yourself the questions you need to be asking yourself, you will be able to form your answer. As you develop the answers, you will probably realize that you need more information to explain your answers and make them more clear.Analytical essay topics on the crucible are all based on some kind of information you've gathered. Your essay's overall structure should be based on the information you've gathered.

Women s Allowance Of Women - 1684 Words

A topic that is becoming more and more prevalent in today s society is the allowance of women into direct combat roles in our armed forces. Forests densely covered with fog, barren deserts, bomb cratered fields. Those are just a few of the many different types of scenarios encountered by troops in direct combat roles on the modern day battlefield. The warrior in today s direct combat roles need to be decisive, mentally and emotionally stable, very physically fit, and the ability to be able to take an enemy combatant’s life at any moment. Do any of these descriptions accurately match women in today s military? To allow or disallow women into combat scenarios? Some argue that women s allowance to fight in direct combat roles is the same as a man s allowance. Women can try to prove that they are fit to meet the standards to be allowed into direct combat roles, but if they fail it could the unit or group of other soldiers they are with into danger. Soldiers and civilians b oth agree, that in certain jobs in the military, women can function at the same level as men. The biggest argument about having women fighting with men on the battlefield is there different physical structure, ability to deal with certain emotional and stress situations, susceptibility to injury, and ability to take someones life. The last statement might appear to be a stereotype, saying that most women would not be capable of supporting the rigorous stresses of war-like situations. I thinkShow MoreRelatedThe Theme of Superiority Essay1472 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Miss Julie† and â€Å"A Doll’s House†, August Strindberg (1888), and Henrik Ibsen (1879) present the theme of superiority in various ways. Superiority can be seen from many sides, Social superiority, the superiority of men over women and at different points the superiority of women over men feature in both plays. At the time both plays were written, the naturalistic movement was taking place and one of the four principles suggested that â€Å"human beings have no free will, or very little of it, because hereditaryRead MoreWomen s Political Roles During The Nineteenth Century Essay1275 Words   |  6 Pageshad power and control over everyday aspects of life; however, women slowly began to slightly change the social order of society by contributing and influencing decisions on political issues. Despite this not being seen as the norm, for the most part, men dominated politics. Women were able to contribute to the public life, but due to a European influenced patriarchal society within British North America during the nineteenth century, women had limited influence in political decision-making. DuringRead MorePricing Decisions803 Words   |  4 Pagesfor a product or service. More broadly, price is the sum of the values consumers exchange for the benefits of having or using the product or service. 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There seemed to be a shift in public and political aspirations and a strong sense of solidarity. (Giddens and Sutton, 2013) Many men and women had volunteered their time during the war and it was the general consensus that these individuals should have something that was worth fighting for. (Harris, 1997) In early 1941 a committee of Social Insurance was set up to survey workmen’s compensationRead MoreImpact of Government Policies and Laws on Family Life: Sociological View1449 Words   |  6 Pagesargue that social policies assume that the ideal family s the nuclear family, and this policy favours this sort of family. Feminists would argue that most divorces are made by women, seven out of ten of all divorces. And so feminists would think that by keeping women in a relationship for a year, this would be oppressing them to stay in an unhappy and maybe abusive relationship. This policy would reinforce the ideology that Ansley says women are ‘the takers of shit’. Marxists would disprove this policyRead MoreThe Development of a Campaign for Womens Suffrage in 1870 Essay605 Words   |  3 Pages19th century, women were limited in what they could do. Many women wanted to do more, but couldnt as they lacked education. Women stayed at home, looking after the family. They didnt have an education or need qualifications, as they didnt get good jobs, if they worked at all. The changes that took place for women mainly came about from industrialisation. Women were described as the Angel in the house, as they did all the housework. However, from the 1830s parliament

Gregor as Symbol of the Jewish Race in Franz Kafka’s...

Gregor as Symbol of the Jewish Race in Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis For thousands of years, the Jewish People have endured negative stereotypes such as the insects of humanity. As Sander Gilman pointed out, the Nazi Party labeled Jews as insects like lice and cockroaches, that generate general disgust among all humanity (Gilman 80).1 These derogative stereotypes, although championed by the Nazis, have their origins many centuries earlier and have appeared throughout Western culture for thousands of years. This fierce anti-Semitism specifically surfaced in Europe’s large cities in the early twentieth century, partially in conjunction with the growing tide of nationalism, patriotism, and xenophobia that sparked the First World†¦show more content†¦The Metamorphosis begins the task of summarizing the popular anti-Semitic beliefs of early twentieth-century Europeans by clearly establishing the story’s protagonist, Gregor Samsa, as a symbol of the Jews. The story opens with Gregor awaking from sleep and finding himself transformed . . . into a gigantic insect (Kafka 67).2 This disturbing image of the insect is a clear connection to representations of the Jews as bugs and vermin. Gregor calmly views his transformation as a natural occurrence. He does not become surprised or scared at his metamorphosis but calmly accepts it, as if he had always been an insect. Symbolically, Gregor is accepting his Jewishness as a completely natural state of being and is neither ashamed nor afraid of its consequences. Another indication that Gregor represents the Jews is the meaning of his name. Samsa comes from the Czech word sà ¡m, meaning oneself,and Gregor most likely is a version of Gregory, which comes from the Latin word which means of the flock (Robertson 80).3 By combining these two names, one gets the full meaning: one of the flock. The flock could very possibly refer to the flock of God, in other words, the Chosen People—the Jews. After establishing Gregor as a symbol of the Jews, the story proceeds to discuss his role (and symbolically, therefore, the Jews’ role) in European society. Gregor’s life, prior to his transformation (which does not necessarily mean prior to his beingShow MoreRelatedExploration of the Common Ground Occupied by the Metamorphosis and the Wasp Factory.996 Words   |  4 PagesMetamorphosis by Franz Kafka explores the troubles of a young man named Gregor. The Wasp Factory explores the troubles of a young man named Frank. In Metamorphosis, the protagonist in the story is Gregor Samsa. He is a travelling salesman who awakes one morning to discover he has turned into an insect. It seems that Gregors only use purpose in life is to work and support his family; this seems his own concern when he finds himself as an insect. The next train went at seven oclock; to catchRead MoreAnalysis Of Franz Kafka s The Metamorphosis 3979 Words   |  16 PagesAustin Day Professor Imali Abala English 357 18 February 2015 The Theme of Alienation in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis written by Franz Kafka in 1915 is said to be one of the greatest literary works of all time and is seen as one of Kafka’s best and most popular works of literature. A relatively short novel; the story explains how the protagonist, Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find himself transformed into a vermin which completely estranges him from the world even more

Strategy Block free essay sample

This paper will include an analysis of the company from the four strategy perspectives provided in the project deliverable which are: Strategy as rational thought strategic planning and decision-making, Strategy as revolution what is referred to as disruptive innovation, Strategy as resource allocation and accumulation in the firm, and finally Strategy as technology leadership viewed as a unique competitive advantage. This paper provides information about HR Block in the areas identified in the project deliverables. Background information regarding the company is provided, along with the mission, vision, and an overview of management and the current structure. The strategy of the company as defined by the CEO, current management statements in the annual report and investor meetings and conferences is explained. An analysis of this strategy is then presented focusing on core strategic concepts such as five forces model and value chain analyses. This paper then provides a competitive analysis from both an external and internal perspective. External factors affecting this organization that are included involve an industry overview in each of the areas in which the company operates; tax preparation, mortgage services, financial services, business services, and software. In addition, foreign markets are explored for possible opportunities. Internal factors include a SWOT analysis as well as identifying the current business ethics and social responsibility paradigms exhibited by current management. Diversification strategies employed are identified as well as the current state of shareholder value. A Case Study 3 A final strategy analysis is provided with an overview of results and how the strategic plans of Block have been implemented and to what degree. Finally, future plans are explained and the information in this paper is summarized and final comments are added. HR Block is a dynamic company with a history of providing excellent tax preparation services to over 16 million clients a year. Because the IRS no longer offered free tax preparation starting in 1956, HR Block was able to capitalize on this enormous new market, by offering this service in the right place at the right time. HR Block holds the largest market share in the tax preparation business and filed 14. 3 million or 15. 3% of all tax returns with the IRS in 2003 (HRB, 2003). HR Block’s fiscal year ends on April 30th. Much of Block’s revenue is highly seasonal with over 50% of its annual revenue from the period of February – April, known as the tax season. HR Block operates out of 9,301 tax offices and 98 Financial Centers in the United States, as well as 1,334 tax offices in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom and has a presence in all 50 states. Many of these offices are seasonally open only from January through April, although some offices remain open year round and phone representatives are available year round. Block views its business in five segments consisting of United States Operations, International Tax Operations, Mortgage operations, Investment Services and Business Services. Before H R Block was born Henry Bloch opened up a bookkeeping business called United Business Company and later his brother Richard joined him. They did bookkeeping for several companies and they had an office of 12 employees, they even did income taxes for some of their clients. Eventually, they were becoming overloaded. So, one day they decided that they weren’t going to do income taxes anymore, but one of their clients, which was an advertiser for the Kansas City newspaper suggested that they A Case Study 6 should try to make a business out of doing income taxes. So, their client persuaded them to run an ad twice and the IRS had just stopped doing free income tax returns. So, one day their office was full of people who needed to get their taxes done. On January 25, 1955 Henry and Richard Bloch replaced their original firm with a new firm, H R Block because they wanted a company that strictly specialized in preparing income tax returns. The company went public on February 13, 1962, with a $300,000 offering, 75,000 shares at $4 per share. H R Block became listed on the New Stock Exchange in 1969. Today HR Block Inc. is a diversified company with subsidiaries that deliver tax services and financial advice, investment and mortgage products and services, and business accounting and consulting services. The worlds largest tax preparation company, HR Block in fiscal year 2002 served nearly 21 million clients in approximately 10,400 retail offices worldwide and with award-winning TaxCut ® software and online services. Investment services and securities products are offered through HR Block Financial Advisors Inc. , member NYSE, SIPC. HR Block Mortgage Corp. offers retail mortgage products. Option One Mortgage Corp offers wholesale mortgage products and a range of mortgage services. RSM McGladrey Inc. serves mid-sized businesses with accounting, tax and consulting services. Mission To help our clients achieve their financial objectives by serving as their tax and financial partner. (HRB, 2000). A Case Study 7 Vision HR Block seeks to be the world’s leading provider of financial services through tax and accounting-based advisory relationships. (HRB, 2000). Management Mark A. Ernst, 46, is chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of HR Block, Inc. He was appointed chief executive officer in January 2001, and elected chairman of the board in September 2002 (HRB 2002). Ernst joined HR Block in 1998 and was first elected to the board of directors in 1999 when he was appointed president. Since joining the company, Ernst has been responsible for developing and implementing a long-term strategy for the company that strengthens the HR Block brand and builds on the company’s history of service to clients. Over the past five years, he has managed the company to achieve annual results that rank HR Block in the top 10 percent of all companies in the SP 500 for financial performance. During his tenure HR Block has sharpened its strategic focus on increasing the value that its tax professionals bring to their client relationships; moved forward with its mission to become its clients’ tax and financial partner; strengthened its senior management team by hiring executives with the expertise needed to offer clients a wider range of financial services; and brought more discipline to its planning processes. The company and its subsidiaries offer a full range of tax, financial and mortgage products and services, including personalized financial advice about retirement savings, home ownership, and other opportunities to help clients to build a better financial future. (HRB 2000-2005) A Case Study 8 Structure Block’s Five Business Segments consists of tax services available to the general public in the U. S. This includes the company’s full range of software including TaxCut personal tax preparation software, online tax preparation services through HRBlock. com and tax preparation through one of the company’s tax professionals. The company generates revenue from tax services provided through company owned tax offices and royalties from franchised branches. Also in this segment are HR Block’s tax preparation classes in which members of the public and perspective employees learn how to complete tax returns. During ‘03 254,000 students enrolled at an average price of $450 for this 80 hour class (HRB 2003). Besides traditional personal tax services, the company also offers software TaxCut ($15-$50) and an online tax preparation program ($35-$100). International tax operations offers all of the services listed above for U. S.  citizens living abroad wishing to file U. S. tax returns in addition to filing foreign returns for citizens of foreign countries. Pre-tax income for this segment has increased 114% over the last four years. Investment services: This segment of HR Block Inc. offers investment advice and related services and securities products through HRBFA (HR Block Financial Advice) branches to the general public. A nationwide network of registered representatives makes stocks, bonds, mutual funds and similar products and available. In ‘03 Block had 1,600 financial advisors and registered associates in more than 600 offices nationwide (HRB 2003). Average trading volumes fell during fiscal year’ 03 by approximately 21%, as measured by average trades per day. This is one of Block’s A Case Study 9 sources of non-seasonal revenue and is expected to drive revenues and overall company growth during the coming years (HRB 2003-2004 statements by management in annual reports and investor meetings). Block views its key to future success of the investment services segment as retention and recruitment of financial advisors, which Block pursued in ’03 by hiring 260 experienced advisors. This segment of Block’s business has experienced severely declining revenue which is suggested to have been a result of the unfavorable environment of the equity market during the recent years. However, since acquisition of this business in ‘00 Block has been able to increase clientele in this division by over 14%. HR Block’s management lists the Investment Services business as one of their priorities for the next six years. Mortgage operations: Subsidiaries in the Mortgage Operations segment originate service and sell prime and sub-prime mortgage loans and securitize residual interests in the United States. Sub-prim mortgage originations constitute 90% of Block’s business in this segment. Through a network of more than 24,000 mortgage brokers in all 50 states this segment offers a diverse mortgage product line to clients that do not meet traditional underwriting criteria, according to Reuters. These services are available through Block’s subsidiaries in addition to HRBFA branches. Block approves about 50% of their loan applications which come from over 2,200 independent sales associates throughout the U. S. Block makes money from the gain on the sale of these loans to other lenders. Through securitization the company makes money from the interest spread between its funding costs and its cost of borrowing. During the past 2 years, the declining interest rate environment has been favorable for the company and the company has been able to achieve as high as 4. 46% in net profit margin. (HRB, 2004) A Case Study 10 Business services: HR Blocks business services segment provides accounting, tax, consulting, payroll, employee benefits to business clients and tax, estate planning, financial planning, wealth management and insurance services to individuals. These services are made available through a number of sources, the largest of which, RSM McGladrey, Inc, operates more than 100 offices in 22 states. (HRB, 2004). The addition of these business units under the parent company along with the core HR Block Tax Services, Inc. created the operational backbone to support a fuller line of financial services. Cross selling is heavily used and customer information, with proper consents, is shared amongst the business units for marketing and contacts. Even though this strategy is well under way, and in some ways is doing well other ways not, the average person on the street does not have any idea Block does more than â€Å"taxes†. In addition, some attempts to cross sell have worked to some degree such as mortgage products but others, such as offering IRA products to tax clients, have not. HR Block’s average client has an income around $38,000 (individual) and do not seem to be interested in savings vehicles to the degree that would be necessary to meet sales goals. Strategy Defined In an effort to become â€Å"America’s year-round tax and financial partner† Block transformed itself from a company focused exclusively on tax preparation to a company that provides comprehensive financial services. This diversification aimed to offer existing clients a wider range of products and services while compensating for sagging revenue during the off season of the tax preparation business. In researching statements A Case Study 11 by management in annual reports, investor meeting materials, etc. the author finds the following strategic direction is desired by the company. Several years the new CEO, Mr. Ernst, at HR Block said that the new strategy is to take the steps necessary to transition the company from â€Å"tax preparer† to â€Å"financial partner† (HRB, 2000). Ask anyone you know what does this company does and you will hear â€Å"prepare taxes† but financial partner? HR Block, Inc. began to implement a strategy to offer clients, and potential clients, additional financial services beyond tax preparation. HR Block acquired Olde financial (based in Detroit) and used this firm as a launch to create HR Block Financial Advisors, Inc. In addition, Block acquired Option One mortgage (Based in Irvine, CA) and renamed the firm to HR Block Mortgage, Inc. Block’s management feels that the tax preparation market is so unsaturated that it is foreseeable to open 50% more stores in order to provide its customers sufficient convenient locations. HR Block studies indicate that for some of their clients, convenience of location is valued higher than brand name and that the only way to capture such fringe customers is open stores throughout market areas. These plans are currently under formulation and implementation. Although there was a 6% increase in the number of tax return offices, tax clients served declined 3% during ’03, which lead Block to file 600,000 fewer returns than in ‘02. This was offset by a jump in software sales of 600,000 for the same period. Block achieved increased profitability during the ’04 tax season as a result of higher tax preparation fees. Average tax preparation fees have increased about $10 per year over the last four years to $130. 59 suggesting that demand is slightly price elastic. According A Case Study 12 to Mr. Ernst because of this elasticity Block can continue to raise its prices to generate revenue growth. The company is competing on quality, not on cost and on ‘location’ whether it be a physical location or via online using the web. In addition, the company has announced the opening of 400-500 new offices for tax season 2005 in under served markets. With the trending to online and software, causing a decrease in office clients, this may be a mistake. One of the Organizations Corporate Priorities is to integrate and align Tax, eSolutions, Financial Advisors and Retail Mortgage, incorporating advice as a key differentiator. In that respect, the Companys Vision states: To be the worlds leading provider of financial services through tax-and accounting- based advisory relationships. It appears that the vision statement does not fully reflect the companys long-term goals since it only mentions two specific products, -tax and accounting- under the umbrella of financial services. By stating only two products, the vision statement implied that tax and accounting are the companys core strategic goals, with the other products revolving around them. If that were the case, then all the integration and arrangement measures through structural changes done in order to accelerate the alignment process would be much ado about nothing, that is, if the companys true intention is what can be deduced from the Vision statement. Strategy Analyses Some of the measurements of an effective strategy as outlined by Thompson, Strickland Gamble (2005) includes consideration of and alignment with the adopted competitive moves and business approaches, a focus on competitive advantage, resource A Case Study 13 strengths and overall competitive capabilities. By acquiring complimentary businesses, financial services and mortgage, the company has been able to, to a certain degree, begin offering the millions of customers who come to Block for tax preparation other financial services. During the last few years mortgage has done well, tax held steady with barely an increase, and financial services has lost money. Online services and software have shown good increases in clients yet profitability is very low at this time. Consumer awareness and trust as well as infrastructure and technology needs require more work than originally realized. In addition, the internal problems of an old cash cow business unit, Tax Services, being asked to suddenly share clients with, and work with, business units with differing cultures and operating speeds is a much larger issue perhaps than management anticipated. The strategy of providing additional financial products to current tax customers as well as running these complimentary business units as unique operations does have a good fit, HR Block does have competitive advantage in the service areas mentioned but more so with Tax and Mortgage than with financial services. It may be learned and the results the last few years bears this out, that the client base of Tax and Mortgage are not the most ideal financial services fit. Tax and Mortgage deal primarily with mid to low income groups and high profitability in financial services comes from the mid to high income groups. Value Chain The value chain categorizes the generic value adding activities of an organization. The primary activities include: inbound logistics, production, outbound logistics, sales and marketing, maintenance. The support activities include: administrative A Case Study 14 infrastructure management, human resources management, RD, and procurement. The costs and value drivers are identified for each value activity. The value chain framework quickly made its way to the forefront of management thought as a powerful analysis tool for strategic planning. Its ultimate goal is to maximize value creation while minimizing costs (Porter, 1985). The value chain maps a firm into its strategically relevant activities in order to understand the behavior of costs and the existing and potential sources of differentiation. Differentiation results from the way a firms product, associated services, and other activities affect its buyers activities. All the activities in the value chain contribute to buyer value, and the cumulative costs in the chain will determine the difference between the buyer value and producer cost. A firm gains competitive advantage by performing these strategically important activities cheaper or better than its competitors. One of the reasons the value chain framework is helpful is because it emphasizes that competitive advantage can come not just from great products or services, but from anywhere along the value chain. In strategic management it is critical to understand both the competitive advantage of an organization as well as understand the value chain. Five Forces Model The five forces model developed by Porter (1985) guides the analysis of organizations environment and the attractiveness of the industry. The five forces include the risk of new competitors entering the industry, threat of potential substitutes, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, and degree of rivalry between the existing competitors (Porter). A Case Study   A starting point to analyzing the industry is to look at competitive rivalry. If entry to an industry is easy then competitive rivalry will likely to be high. If it is easy for customers to move to substitute products for example from coke to water then again rivalry will be high. Generally competitive rivalry will be high if: †¢ There is little differentiation between the products sold between customers. In this case Block has the advantage of a long solid history with the perception being that they know what they are doing and can be trusted. In addition, electronic filing is a long time product of Block that has also gained a lot of trust with customers. Of the two competitors, Jackson Hewitt and Liberty, Block is the only one with a guarantee that pays additional costs of any errors in work done. †¢ Competitors are approximately the same size of each other. The two competitors are very small compared to Block. No other tax preparation firm comes close to reaching the size and market share of Block. †¢ If the competitors all have similar strategies. They do have very similar strategies in the tax services arena; however, this will be an area to review in regards to financial services and mortgage. Suppliers are also essential for the success of an organization, however Block is a service business and suppliers are abundant for office supplies, computer equipment, etc. Block develops its own tax software. All mission critical needs are handled by Block so the threat of suppliers is almost non existent. Although, the IRS in a sense is a supplier of the electronic filing product infrastructure and does heavily influence what sort of electronic filing products are offered. A Case Study 16 Buyers or customers can exert influence and control over an industry in certain circumstances. This happens when there is little differentiation over the product and substitutes can be found easily. For many low income customers there is no loyalty and they will move to other providers if the fees are lower or they can get their refunds quicker. Regarding threat of substitutes the question is: Are there alternative products that customers can purchase over Block’s product that offer the same benefit for the same or less price? This is high in the case of HR Block due to the availability of cheap and easy tax preparation programs, the increased use of the internet by a growing number of internet users, and technology is creating new forms of service delivery such as online services and software capabilities and price. Competitive Analysis External Industry Analyses Tax Preparation Industry: The IRS projected that for ‘05 they would receive 226. 9 million tax returns, a number which they project to continue growing at a rate of 1. 6% per year until 2010 when the total number is expected to be 247. 9 million. In the U. S. , tax payers may file A Case Study 17 their returns either through pipeline filing methods (sending paper forms through the U. S. P. S. ) or by e-filing (IRS 2004-2005). The IRS has strongly encouraged e-filing in recent years which is now becoming increasingly popular and consists of both TeleFiling and online filing. Online filing can be completed either through a broker or from any personal computer. The IRS projects that during ‘04, 58. 9 million returns will be e-filed which would constitute 26% of all expected returns. Subsequently, the IRS projects this number to grow 8% per year until 2010 when the number of e-filers is expected to be 93.5 million, or 37. 7% of the expected returns during the 2010 tax season. (IRS 20042005). During recent years the IRS has promoted this method by touting higher accuracy, lower costs, less time consuming processing procedures, and refund turn around three to five weeks sooner than pipeline filing. Online filing is expected to increase by 21% from ‘03 to ‘04 and is expected to jump another 18% for the ‘05 tax season. According to HRB, the percentage of individual tax returns completed by paid preparers has risen from 48% in 1990 to 56. 8% in 2002. Tax Preparation Competition The most recent U.S. economic census conducted in 1997 suggested that the tax preparation industry is very fragmented. While HR Block holds 15. 3% of this market its largest competitors, Intuit and Microsoft, hold significantly smaller portions. Although both of these companies directly compete with a portion of Block’s business, neither has the same business model or identical products. Intuit Inc. is a provider of business and financial management solutions for businesses and consumers and accounting professionals. This company not only produces products such as TurboTax and the A Case Study 18 Quicken line of software, they also provide the general public professional tax help in person. Intuit has offices in 13 states while Block has offices in all 50 and both companies have a presence in the U. K. and Canada. Microsoft also plays a part in the tax preparation industry with Microsoft ® Excel Version 2002 Inside Out software. Growth of two fairly new competitors, Jackson Hewitt and Liberty Tax, which are using similar business model of combination of retail locations and online services. While currently these organizations are no where near the size of Block they are growing significantly each year. The availability of cheap and easy tax preparation programs is also an external factor which is driven by the customer need to conduct business when and where it is convenient for them. The increased use of the internet for tax preparation by a growing number of internet users is also an external factor. Technology is creating new forms of service delivery as mentioned previously regarding online services and software capabilities and price. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service factors as both a resource and competitor in a sense. In the chapter entitled â€Å"Conceptions of Environments† (133) Scott notes that the most common conception of environment of organizations is that of a task environment. He defines this concept as all aspects of the environment that are â€Å"potentially relevant to goal setting and goal attainment† and goes on to note that it is typically narrowed to refer to the nature and sources of inputs, competitors, and markets for output. This based on the belief that most organizations are created to achieve goals, to perform some type of work. A Case Study 19 Scott goes on later in the book and talks about managing task environments and notes (197) that there are many research resources and theories regarding the various aspects of managing the task environment, i. e. , the sources of inputs, markets for outputs, competitors, and regulators. At HR Block there is a great deal of material that could covered under this subject but one in particular stands out and that is the need at Block for the customers it serves in tax operations to continue to need that service. I am speaking of the Internal Revenue Service as both a resource and a competitor for Block. Block’s tax service is regulated in that all paid tax preparers must conform to tax professional rules and regulations that are part of the tax code and compliance enforcement in the responsibility of the IRS. So in one way, the IRS is a compliance officer to Block and Block must ensure that all tax professionals and company representatives comply with these rules at all times. They include sharing of information, application of tax law and theory, etc. In addition, the IRS has been a partner to Block and these two organizations worked together, almost a joint venture in behavior, to develop electronic filing in the late 80’s. This has been a boon to both organizations. At IRS processing centers labor needs have decreased as more filer’s use electronic filing rather than mailing in paper returns. They have experienced other benefits as well, less errors, etc. At Block this new product produced a new revenue stream that now makes up approximately 30% of revenues in the tax services business unit. Block and the IRS also work together on special projects and have a sort of standing arrangement where if the IRS wants an idea tested or hammered out they go to A Case Study 20 Block, the largest preparer with 16 million customers. Five years ago IRS was concerned over the pending proposals for changes to the earned income credit. IRS asked Block to analyze what they might mean to lower income tax papers. With 16 million customer records that could be analyzed for impact it is much more than a random sampling. The IRS used this information to make internal recommendations to the program. In many ways, over the years Block has managed to use the IRS to actually help grow the company and the IRS has benefited from this enormously. This is true case of no organization generates all the resources necessary for its goal attainment or survival (197). Software Comparison: TaxCut versus Turbo Tax During ’03 48 million filers used Intuit’s Turbo Tax while only 20 million used Block’s TaxCut. (HRB, 2004 Intuit, 2004). Block’s software offerings average $10. 00 less expensive for comparable software with similar features which is illustrated by TaxCut and Turbo Tax’s price ranges $15. 00-$50. 00 and $20. 00-$70. 00, respectively. Both products tout extremely user friendly features, such as aggressive deduction finder, error double check, and import of previous year’s repeatable information to promote continued use. Complaints regarding Turbo Tax are that the software is generally designed for one user to do one return and that it difficult to jump to one part of the return process without completing the entire procedure. Regarding TaxCut’s short comings, consumers have A Case Study 21 suggested that it is easier to file more complicated itemized returns with Turbo Tax than TaxCut, although this may be outweighed by the smaller price. Both products are designed to file only the federal tax return for the fiscal year the product is purchased, and both also offer a rebate program to get the state version at no cost after rebate. Because tax legislation varies by year, a new version of either product is available each year, which sustains demand for this market. It is unclear if on of these products will clearly dominate the market in the near future because their extremely similar characteristics, pricing and availability. What is clear is that the market for ax preparation software is growing and that as long as both products remain innovative and react to consumers demands they will continue to attract new customers. Block’s brand name is one small advantage regarding TaxCut’s prospects in the future although that is only enough to pique interest in the product, while the features and ease of use will keep customers retuning year after year. Mortgage Industry The specific activity mortgage bankers engage in is the purchase, packaging, and sale of loans to third parties. This segment of Block’s business is sensitive to interest rate fluctuations. Interest rate cuts have driven mortgage rates to a 45 year record low, which, in turn spurred a sharp increase in home mortgage refinances. The industry has directly benefited from significantly higher volume of loan transactions in recent years driving a $2. 5 trillion increase, in mortgages originated between ‘00 and ‘03. Because the majority of those interested in refinancing their mortgages have had sufficient opportunity to do so, business in this sector will be driven by new mortgage originations rather than additional refinances. A Case Study 22 The market for sub-prime mortgage will not slow down as much the prime market over a period of rising interest rates due to the cash-out refinance nature of the business. During ‘02 sub-prime originations constituted 8. 3% of all loans and during ‘03 they constituted 8. 4%. If interest rates rise in ‘05 as Greenspan has indicated then sub-prime originations should rise to their normal volume of 15% of all loans, nearly double what they are now. Over the new few years, the sub-prime industry expects growth of at least 5% a year. Regardless that low interest rates may have caused a spike of mortgage refinances in recent years, Block has experienced steadily increasing rate of mortgage originations the same time period. Although mortgage refinancing may not continue to be as considerable revenue source in the future, HRB management suggested in a Goldman Sachs conference call that non-refinance mortgage origination rates are increasing steadily which should at least partially compensate. Financial Advice Industry HR Block Financial Advisors (HRBFA) competes directly with a broad range of companies seeking to attract consumer financial assets, including full-service brokerage firms, discount and online brokerage firms, mutual fund companies, investment banking firms, commercial and savings banks, insurance companies and others. In ‘99, there was $6 trillion invested in mutual funds which is the largest single portion of this industry. 93% of this $6 trillion was controlled by six firms at that time. These were Vanguard (35%), Janus Capital Corp (20%), Fidelity (17%), PIMCO, Alliance, and MFS with 7% each (NYSE Market Report Searches, 2005). Clearly, Block is a small player in this enormous industry. A Case Study 23 In the secondary business units, financial services and mortgage, there are huge number of competitors currently offering services. Both businesses who core business are in these areas with high skills and those businesses that branched into these areas whether or not related to their core business. For example, retailers running credit operations. In the regulatory arena Block business units are heavily regulated. Tax Services by Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department rules, financial services by SEC and broker regulations, and mortgage by lending laws. The most out of control areas are mortgage due to interest rate drivers and tax due to tax law changes. Foreign Markets Of the five segments at Block only one, Tax Services, actually operates in foreign markets. Mortgage, Financial Services, and Business Services operate solely in the United States. Until Recently HR Block placed a moderate amount of emphasis on foreign markets but the particular services Block offers, and especially the non-tax segments, are not viable in most countries. As disclosed in the companies 2005 Annual Report the International Tax Operations segment has been aggregated with U. S. Tax Operations in the Tax Services segment and prior year results have been reclassified to reflect this change. In the 2005 Annual Report Block stated that international operations contributed $110. 0 million, $97. 6 million and $85. 1 million in revenues for fiscal years 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively, and $11. 3 million, $11. 1 million and $10. 5 million of pretax income, respectively. This represents only 5. 2% of revenue in 2005 but is up a bit from the 3. 8% contribution in 2001. Australia is flat over this time period and the growth came from tax law changes in Canada. A Case Study 24 Considering the markets it makes sense that Block would not allocate a great deal of resources to foreign markets but instead operate primarily domestically. The company’s tax segment provides services to assist taxpayers with required self filings. Few countries have such systems requiring tax payers to self file. In Canada the tax reporting system is similar to the United States in that taxpayers file returns on an annual basis. This is also true in Australia. The United Kingdom is different in that few taxpayers are required to submit any filings. In the financial services area there is impact from foreign markets. The financial services industry has become considerably more concentrated as many firms have been acquired by or merged with other firms in recent years. Some of these competitors have greater financial resources than HRBFA and offer additional financial products and services. Competition from domestic and international commercial banks and larger securities firms is expected to continue to increase as a result of legislative and regulatory initiatives in the U. S. Firms in this industry are impacted by market performance, volatility, investor sentiment, margin balances, government regulation, and many other factors which cannot be controlled. Competitive Analysis – Internal SWOT Analyses A SWOT analysis is an effective method for identifying HR Block’s strengths and weaknesses, while examining the opportunities and threats the company may face. Strengths: Personalized product and services A Case Study 25 Only brand to offer software, online and in-office solutions Dynamic marketing skills and structure Brand Client Base/Distribution Scale Very user-friendly website Low cost delivery system Low number of major (tax) competitors and no one on par with Block as far as clients served. HR tax professionals are offered more education at most tax preparation firms over 400 hours. Weaknesses: Niche brand and market position Mass business system best serves lower income consumers Delivery system perceived to not meet many consumers’ needs Outside of tax relationships, limited or no competitive advantages in financial services/mortgage businesses Customer service in office and telephone Part time employees lack corporate citizenship Offices are leased and appear so Non-contractual service allows customers ease of switching to competitors Opportunities: Financial advisory business A Case Study Tax preparation software Consumers are rapidly embracing internet availability Digital self-preparation splitting between software and online Online attracting younger, moderate income consumer (Early Adopters) Push for/advantage to E-Filing likely to drive growth for many years Financial services long-term trend toward advice Online trading phenomenon is likely over – now just way business gets done Pricing for services evolving toward fee-based Major competitors focusing on high net worth market for growth Interest rate cycle impact on conforming loan market refinance business Financial advisory business Tax preparation software Threats: Availability of cheap and easy tax preparation programs Organizing low-end Competitors – Jackson Hewitt and Liberty Tax Banks or other financial companies could offer similar services in the future IRS could reduce complexity of forms and remove demand Technology is creating new forms of service delivery Flood of entries into financial services arena Financial services competitors building brand strength and service capabilities that drive consumer expectations Service capabilities that lead consumer expectations Mortgage industry – scale advantages dominate successful business models 26 A Case Study 27 Business Ethics According to Thompson business ethics refers to the application of general ethical principles and standards to business behavior. They go on to say that business actions are judged by the general ethical standards of society, not by a special set of more permissive standards. Examples of ethical behaviors are honesty, integrity, keeping one’s word, respecting rights of others, and practicing the Golden Rule. HR Block has a core set of values that the company attempts, through training and orientation, to instill in each employee. HR Blocks values are client focused. Integrity: We are honest and ethical in everything we do, Excellence: We take pride in doing our best in everything we do. We embrace change to learn and grow, Respect: We treat each other with respect and dignity, recognizing that innovation springs from unique perspectives, and Teamwork: Everyones collaboration and full participation make us stronger and allow us to serve clients better (HRB web site). In my experience at Block, these values, which include being honest and ethical in all actions are adhered to by the majority of employees and leaders. Block has a culture of honesty and integrity which was fostered by Henry Block, the founder, and I would say this is a very ethical company. Social Responsibility Thompson outlines the notion of social responsibility as it applies to businesses concerns a companys duty to operate by means that avoid harm to stakeholders and the environment and, further, to consider the overall betterment of society in its decisions and actions. This is a loan against a refund. The demographics of Block clients are typically middle or lower income tax payers and many qualify for a refundable tax credit known as the Earned Income Tax Credit. This is credit given to low income tax payers and was intended to help those falling into this income range to move higher up in the income levels to assist with supporting their family. Block’s Rapid Refund product is a high cost loan and the interest rate is very high considering the length of the loan, typically a few weeks. The National Consumer Law Center is a non-profit organization specializing in consumer issues on behalf of low-income people. NCLC works with thousands of legal services, government and private attorneys, as well as community groups and organizations, who represent low-income and elderly individuals on consumer issues. According to the NCLC Refund anticipation loans (RALs) are usurious short-term loans secured by the taxpayer’s expected tax refund. Over half of RAL consumers are recipients of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), despite the fact that EITC recipients only constitute 15% of all taxpayers. They also state, from valid research, that low income Taxpayers Lost over $1 Billion in Loan Charges and Fees in 2002 Their research also indicates that check cashing fees add to the cost of getting tax refunds or RALs, especially for those consumers who do not have bank accounts. While many un-banked consumers find ways to get their checks cashed for free, commercial check cashers count on tax season to boost their revenues. One study found that 45 percent of EITC recipients planned to use a check casher to cash refund checks, further draining this program. This issue draws attention every year and creates quite a bit of bad press. Currently the National Consumer Law Center Consumer Federation of America is working to Ban refund A Case Study 30 anticipation loans outright or make them subject to state usury and small loan interest rate laws. Diversification Strategies Thompson points out that diversification becomes an attractive strategy when a company runs out of profitable growth opportunities in its original business. HR Block since it’s inception in the 1955 was focused on one area, tax preparation. In the 1980’s they did begin to think about diversification when talk began about a flat tax. They purchased a company called CompuServe based in Columbus, OH. At the time it was doing well in the new area of online subscription services. It did not, however, fit all the tests for a good acquisition for Block and the management team at corporate lost some key people at CompuServe and had no skills at all in running such a business. In essence for several years it sort of just stayed flat in growth and innovation and AOL took off and left CompuServe in the dust. CompuServe was finally sold in the mid 1990’s and the buyer stripped off the technical infrastructure for their own use. The other services were discontinued. This was Blocks first try at diversification so it was a long while before they tried again. In the late 1990’s a new CEO was hired, who is still managing the firm through a brand and strategic shift, and he immediately laid plans to diversify but only with complimentary businesses with a good fit to the core competencies of Block. Block certainly fits with the opening remark from Thompson in this discussion. Tax is mature and has growth potential that is limited each year. Mergers and Acquisitions A Case Study 31 Thompson (2005) identifies several strategy choices in chapter 6 of Crafting and executing strategy: The quest for competitive advantage and one of those is the merger and acquisition strategy. The authors state that a â€Å"merger is a pooling of two or more companies as equals, with the newly created company often taking on a new name. An acquisition is a combination in which one company purchases and absorbs the operations of another. † According to Thompson the objective of mergers and acquisitions are to achieve one or more of the following organizational business goals; paving the way for acquiring firm to gain more market share and create a more efficient operation, expanding a firm’s geographic coverage, extending a firm’s business into new product categories or international markets, gaining quick access to new technologies, and/or to invent a new industry and lead the convergence of industries whose boundaries are blurred by changing technologies and new market opportunities. Thompson goes on to indicate that combining operations may result in some negative consequences such as resistance from rank-and-file employees, hard-to-resolve conflicts in management styles and corporate culture, and tough problems of integration. In addition, the author’s state that greater-than-anticipated difficulties may occur in; achieving expected cost-savings, sharing of expertise, and achieving enhanced competitive capabilities. Regardless of possible negative effects the merger-acquisition is a much used strategic option and is a common occurrence in business today. HR Block does have a good example of this strategic method. A Case Study 32 In 1996 Block acquired Option One mortgage (Based in Irvine, CA) after running the business as a separate company retaining the name and structure in 2000 this firm was renamed HR Block Mortgage, Inc. In addition, in 2000, HR Block acquired Olde Financial, a securities firm (based in Detroit) and used this firm as a launch to create HR Block Financial Advisors, Inc. The addition of these two business units under the parent company, along with the core HR Block Tax Services, Inc., created the operational backbone to support a fuller line of financial services. Cross selling is heavily used and customer information, with proper consents, is shared amongst the business units for marketing and contacts. In many other ways, outlined in my final project, the company has used these acquired firms to provide the operational structure required to gain entry into new areas relatively quickly. Moving into financial services and mortgage has been a big plus for the company. Mortgage has been especially lucrative financially and while financial services are not as strong it is growing steadily as skills and talent is added. They do fit very well and there is cross marketing and up selling in and across the business units. It is taking longer to really integrate and turn these strategies into operational ways of doing business but they are achieving the plan. Shareholder Value According to Thompson there are three tests that if passed indicates the diversification move can produce added value for share holders. They also state that â€Å"managing a set of unrelated businesses is a much weaker foundation for enhancing A Case Study 33 shareholder value than is a strategy of related diversification where corporate performance can be boosted by competitively valuable cross-business strategic fits. † The industry attractiveness test measures whether the industry chosen measures favorably in competitive conditions and a market environment that is as good as or better than the current businesses. It seems that Block meets this test with their diversification strategy. By entering into the financial services and mortgage businesses they are able to cross market and sell to, for most products, existing customers of the core business. The mortgage business has done extremely well in profitability. The cost-of-entry test measures whether the business in consideration has a cost of creating or buying that will limit profitability. In the case of Block the mortgage business has shown incredible returns on the original investment. The financial services firm purchased were slow to contribute profit but are doing so now. The better-off test measures whether, well as it says, the company is better off overall with this business. Financially if there is no increase in profits and shareholder value with the business than without it than it would not meet the test. Block is definitely better off with these businesses than without as shown in the contribution rates of the businesses to the overall corporate profit. In addition, these businesses provide value added services to the 18 million tax clients out there in the form of these added financial and mortgage services. Block, in my opinion as a former long time executive and based upon operating results, has done well in these businesses and seem to have made good choices by using a diversification strategy of related businesses that provide added value to shareholders and customers of the cash cows tax services division. A Case Study 34 Unfortunately, these units have not all achieved the profitability levels desired and financial services in particular has sustained some heavy losses during the first few years of implementing this strategic plan. Strategy Analysis Strategy – integration of services across business units Completing its transformation from tax provider to financial services provider, HR Block is well aware that it is entering into some stiff competition— from brick-andmortar to click-and-mortar and strictly online ventures One of the areas that could be improved that would allow for better support of the company cross selling and servicing strategy is to create greater cross operational responsibilities for local and regional managers. This company does retain a good deal of silo mentality at this level and managers should have more cross operational responsibilities. For example, those customers using online tax preparation or purchasing TaxCut software could have included year round in person service if needed at the local physical Block office. Both managers should be viewed as responsible for this customer and compensation considering accordingly. This same scenario could work in reverse with physical office customers seeking assistance via the web. Infrastructure is in place to accomplish this and only strategic planning and execution of processes changes is needed. As Thompson states â€Å"organizational capabilities emerge from a process of consciously knitting together the efforts of different work groups, departments, and external allies, not from how the boxes on the organization chart are arranged†. In the past few years technology and functional areas have been reorganized and processes reengineered to support this type of operational shift, however, the people have A Case Study 35 not been paid as much attention to. Currently, if a local Block manager has a client come in that had done their taxes with the software about all the help they can offer is an 800 number to call for support on the product but not with any tax issues. There is no incentive to assist this client any more than that. Customer needs and the market drivers should be primary considerations regardless of what branch of the company the client approaches for assistance. HR Block already has strong brand equity as a tax preparation company, but to successfully take advantage of financial industry deregulation, the company needed to leverage the relationships with its traditional tax customers. Much of this effort falls on its tax preparers. As the first point of contact for customers, they’re charged with gauging the interest level and potential value a tax customer would receive from other financial services, including mortgage products and investment plans. Once customers express interest, the company needed an efficient way to pass information to the appropriate financial advisors and ensure every inquiry was addressed. That was the hard part, with 1,600 advisors spread across 190 financial centers nationwide. Because of changes in policies, processes, structure, and technology solutions, when a tax customer requests more information on other HR Block services, information on that customer’s background and interest area is automatically routed to the most qualified financial advisor for an immediate, tailored response. According to a CRM study (HRB, 2003) within the organization conducted by a software firm the company could enable its financial advisors to provide personalized sales and service, they found that HR Block is giving its customers reason to be loyal and creating a return on relationship over the customer lifecycle. A Case Study 36 While piloting its financial service center concept, HR Block initially used a contact management and lead distribution application, but it ultimately lacked the robustness needed. That’s when the financial services group began seeking a new sales force automation solution. Meanwhile, the company had chosen a technology solution as its scalable, web-ready CRM solution to track and route customer inquiries— whether they come in by phone, email, the web or in person—in the company’s newly consolidated customer contact center. Its individual call centers had been using disparate call center tracking software, which meant that the company wasn’t getting a single view of each of its customers—or their profitability levels. The new customer contact center serves the tech support needs of the company’s 10,000 offices as well as its client relations, financial and e-commerce groups. Future Plans Thompson has several key points regarding organizational capabilities; companies dont implement and execute strategies; people do; all managers have strategy-executing responsibility in their areas of authority, and all employees participate in the strategy execution process; and, when strategies fail, it is often because of poor execution— things that were supposed to get done slip through the cracks. A talented management team is essential talent implies that an appropriate mix of skills and experiences exists within the team. Intellectual capital is more important to strategy execution than other investments. Also decentralizing decision making which takes full advantage of the talent is important to good strategy execution. HR Block has been reorganizing and changing the management team over the last five years. As they have added businesses through acquisition and development of A Case Study 37 new products (online and software, for example) they have added key management personnel in those areas with backgrounds and skills in the appropriate fields. While this company does not attract â€Å"stars† it has a very capable management team and the only criticism is that unfortunately many of those newly added have left after two or so years. A great deal of turnover has occurred in seeking just the right individuals. In some cases, they were not working out and in others they sought greener pastures. The management ranks in the middle levels of the company are, however, stable and exhibits a great deal of talent within their respective operational group. This company does retain a good deal of silo mentality at this level and managers should have more cross operational responsibilities. For example, those customers using online tax preparation or purchasing TaxCut software could have included year round in person service if needed at the local physical Block office. Both managers should be viewed as responsible for this customer and compensation considering accordingly. This same scenario could work in reverse with physical office customers seeking assistance via the web. Infrastructure is in place to accomplish this and only strategic planning and execution of processes changes is needed. As Thompson states â€Å"organizational capabilities emerge from a process of consciously knitting together the efforts of different work groups, departments, and external allies, not from how the boxes on the organization chart are arranged†. Thompson also states that â€Å"the ultimate goal of decentralized decision making is not to push decisions down to lower levels but to put decision-making authority in the hands of those persons or teams closest to and most knowledgeable about the situation†. Block is a leader in this area. Local and regional managers are responsible for most A Case Study 38 decision making regarding hiring, schedule of activities (training, tax schools, etc. ), location selection, local marketing, bookkeeping, public relations, etc. When I was a district manager the total experience was of running my own business with the absence of financial liability. There are, however, policies and procedures for many areas that must be adhered to in all locations but deviations are allowed with proper approvals and usually this is just one level up rather going to the CEO. Another area is evaluation of strategy implementation. For several years the company has been designing and setting up processes to support a balanced scorecard method. (Kaplan, 1996). The balanced scorecard is a management system (not only a measurement system) that enables organizations to clarify their vision and strategy and translate them into action. It provides feedback around both the internal business processes and external outcomes in order to continuously improve strategic performance and results. When fully deployed, the balanced scorecard transforms strategic planning from an academic exercise into the nerve center of an enterprise. Kaplan and Norton describe the innovation of the balanced scorecard as follows: The balanced scorecard retains traditional financial measures. But financial measures tell the story of past events, an adequate story for industrial age companies for which investments in long-term capabilities and customer relationships were not critical for success. These financial measures are inadequate, however, for guiding and evaluating the journey that information age companies must make to create future value through investment in customers, suppliers, employees, processes, technology, and innovation. The balanced scorecard suggests that we view the organization from four perspectives, and to develop metrics, collect data and analyze it relative to each of these perspectives: 1) The Learning and Growth Perspective, 2) The Business Process Perspective, 3) The Customer Perspective, and 4) The Financial Perspective. At HR Block key performance indicators have been identified and databases put into place to provide executives with data at all levels of the company in the four performance dimensions measured by the scorecard. Executives indicate in personal conversations with the author that the initiative is going well and the tool is providing much needed information to assist with decision making and measurement of results. Summary and closing In a Forbes article printed in early 2004 author Emily Lambert stated â€Å"April 15, looms, but H R Block Chief Executive Mark A. Ernst has more than taxes on his mind. Hes eager to find out how many of this seasons customers can gradually be convinced to buy H R Blocks newer offerings, including home mortgages, business consulting and brokerage services. Last fiscal year the companys non-tax businesses accounted for half of its $3. 8 billion in revenue, most of that from its mortgage lending, which it started offering in 1997. Its financial services business hemorrhaged $128 million (pretax) last year, and the business services arm is also lagging. The loans, which can carry interest rates of 129%, appeal to cash-strapped low-income customers. Some customers may be wary, too. The company is under fire for its refund anticipation loans. The loans, which can carry interest rates of 129%, appeal to cash-strapped low-income customers. The fees accounted for $109 million in revenue last year. HR Block has settled a number of loan-related laws. † A Case Study 40 This is a powerful representation of the state of company as of that time which is result of close inspection during a time of transition. What she does not mention is how this compares to the first couple of years of the strategy implementation of broadening services. As of today, the picture is brighter and the company, while still a long way from being there, is closer to achieving some of the goals.

Inglourious Basterds Review Essay Example

Inglourious Basterds Review Paper Essay on Inglourious Basterds Six months ago when I came out of the cinema hall after the premier of the film Tarantino, I felt like God cinema sipping my strings, like a doll, and leads directly into the web to a hungry spider. Then it seemed to me that the terrible disease appeared in the XV century, and returned in a new guise in 1994, in the 2009m at its peak. I call this monstrous plague  «Tarantism » And so we turn to the film and the script Inglourious Basterds, since they can not be considered a break from each other, despite the fact that there are some differences between them, but irrelevant for. perception of the product as a whole. We will not go into the story, no doubt just what it will entertain you while watching a movie. The script and the scenes from the film are crammed with hidden quotations, both from literary works and works of cinema. Most references, of course, the beloved genre of Tarantino -. Western blot The magnificent setting of the first scene just yet teeming with allusions to the spaghetti western Sergio Leones The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. In the film, one can not draw two parallels: bastards-Indians against the Nazis-cowboys. Allusions in the film is more than enough: every fictional hero of the film has a name forgotten now film-makers, but especially brightly out the irony with the name German spy an officer of the French General Staff, and in combination and Alfred Dreyfus was a Jew We will write a custom essay sample on Inglourious Basterds Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Inglourious Basterds Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Inglourious Basterds Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer . in my opinion, the best scene in the movie takes place in a tavern: bastards, Jews playing Indians dress up as Nazis, and then play a card game, guessing who among them some celebrity a game in the game a well-known technique Tarantino even with Reservoir dogs. fans of the movie are not layers zhno will notice how Tarantino masterfully juggles with remarks and stories from other movies: Fight Club, Legends of the Fall, The Godfather, Sherlock Holmes, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and other classic films and westerns. And not only movies, but also historical events and personalities, starting with Jesus and ending with Mata Hari. We can see not only the text in the text (script), but the film in the film. In the climactic scene of the film takes place the murder of Jews, the Indians (they are bastards) Hitler, Goebbels, Goering, Bormann and all the Nazi elite in the cinema, which is owned by a Jew. Complete destruction of history. History does not exist. It does not exist. Its funny that in the film, which has just watched the Nazi brothers, an American general said he was not in any way will not destroy the work of art that stands for centuries and has historical value (this is it about tower, but Tarantino about the history) in order to destroy the enemy. Thus, Inglourious Basterds acquaint us with postmodern irony. After watching the film more than half of the hall was indignant at amerikosov freaks continue to think that they defeated the Nazis it. I think that this film Tarantino just laughed at such incompetent audience.