Classroom Observation and Reflection Paper Essay Example for Free

Classroom Observation and Reflection Paper Essay Curriculum Constr. and Assessment: Reading and Language Arts, I had the opportunity to not only observe but teach a lesson that I created for Mrs. Watsons Class at Little Rascals Daycare and Afterschool Program. Throughout this paper I will reflect on my lesson plan experience. First, I introduced the concept of letter blends to the students. I explained to the students that letter blends can be at the beginning, middle, or end of a word to make specific sounds. I then explained to the students that I was going to be teaching them beginning letter blends. I went n to explain to the students that since there were several beginning letter blends that I chose five to teach about In the lesson. The blends that I chose were dr, n, bl, gl, and Ch. I went over each beginning letter blend, demonstrated the sound each make and provided several examples for each letter blend for the students. Next, I gave the students an opportunity to participate In the lesson. I held up picture flashcards that had different objects on them. The students had to raise their hands and tell me what the object was and the letter blend for that object. I repeated this process until ach student in the class had a chance to participate. Once we finished, I answered any questions or concerns the student had. I noticed that the students were actively engaged in the lesson and seemed to have really enjoyed. Most of all they seemed to have understood the lesson with ease. Lastly, the students were given a cut and paste blending worksheet to complete. The worksheet had 1 5 different picture objects and letter blends on it. The students had to color (if they wanted to), cut, and paste the correct picture to its letter blend. Once the students finished the worksheet we went over it as a class. Again, I answered any last questions or concerns and wrapped up the lesson. In conclusion, this was my very first time teaching a lesson. I have done several lesson plans before but never had to actually teach them. I believe the lesson went pretty good. The teacher and the students were both very welcoming and provided positive feedback. Although the lesson went well, the one thing I would change if I had to do it all over again would be to pick two or three blends at a time to teach instead of all five. Sometimes when a lot of information is thrown at the students it makes it harder to understand.

The Theme of Change in Madame Bovary Essay -- Madame Bovary Essays

The Theme of Change in Madame Bovary      Ã‚  Ã‚   Change is a central theme in the novel Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert, and is key to understanding the character of Emma Bovary. Through parallel events the reader comes to realize that Emma's need for change is the result of the influence her early life had upon her. At the convent Emma is left to develop into an extreme romantic with high hopes for excitement and dreams of sensuous pleasures that will never be fulfilled. Thus, when life refuses to conform to her romantic notions Emma alternates between various activities in her constant search for a way to consummate her romantic longings.       As a young girl from the country Emma is placed into a convent in the city. Here Emma develops and receives nourishment for her already sentimental soul. She looks upon "copper crosses," the "sick lamb" and the "mystic ...altar" with the vigor of a scholar on a quest for knowledge. She listens intently "to the sonorous lamentation of romantic melancholy" which "awakened unexpected joys within her." Emma, being isolated from the outside world, is left alone to develop her capricious dreams that she reads about in novels, gaining the hope of someday fulfilling these romantic and passionate desires. Emma devours books that involve "romantic woes, oaths, sobs, tears and kisses...gentlemen brave as lions, gentle as lambs" and always "impossibly virtuous."       Due to Emma's isolation from everyday living she develops the need for excitement and as a result cannot endure her own married life. Life with Charles simply does not fit the fictionalized accounts she reads of. Thus Emma turns to the comforts of adultery and when passion is not readily available she will resor... ...t look on Leon realistically without seeing all his human imperfections. In which case she soon tires of him, as he does her. As her relationship with Leon progresses she also comes to understand that the lover she dreams of is a "man whose worldly existence [is] impossible."    As the result of her childhood Emma Bovary spends her entire life in an attempt to escape her middle-class existence by dreams, love affairs and false pretensions. Emma constantly changes her activities, her surroundings and her love situations in a desperate attempt to grasp the fairy tales she entombed in her soul as a child. Although she longed for the superficial and materialistic Emma Bovary was one who ended her life without ever compromising her vision of something greater than she.    Flaubert, Gustav. Madame Bovary (Lowell Bair, trans.). New York: Bantam Books 1996   

Team to Achieve Milennium

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF: USING TEAMS to ACHIEVE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS CASE STUDY FOR HCA 6225-01 California State University East Bay – Hayward 02/21/13 1. One feature of the team in this case is frequent turnover among team members. How might turnover among team members affect team performance? What approaches can team leaders to take to minimize potential negative impacts of turnover and gain advantages, if any? Employee/team member turnover may be mostly a negative issue, yet it can become positive if only controlled by the organization correctly and appropriately.Turnover is often utilized as an indicator of the organization performance and it can easily be observed negatively towards the organization’s efficiency and effectiveness. Also, turnover is a natural outcome of an organization which is why it has to be kept to a minimum. In order to minimize the impact of turnover is to first address and understand the issue and cause of the turnover. The purpose of knowing is to raise alertness as to investigate for the â€Å"why†.Once the organization finds out the reasons and cause of turnover, there are variety of actions that the organizations and leadership can execute in order to prevent the effects and impacts of turnover. By ensuring that management learns the cause of turnover and act accordingly, turnover may be reduces or controlled. Lyman Coleman (1989) offers ideas on how to correct and prevent turnovers. His recommendation includes institution of exit interviews and other methods of finding reasons for people turnover. Also the following: * Get involved in finding our the cause of turnover Bring attention to bottom line figures and how turnover affects everyone * Have an open door policy style of managing to allow members to comment on what might be bothering them about their job and roles. * Realize there is more that one problem and pay attention to all. Stay alert * Execute periodic audits of job satisfaction * Have str ict hiring standards * Develop and constant training strategies * Conduct member meetings One of the best recommendation is to have open door policy that will allows the team leaders/organization to hear of issues prior to escalating.Finding and learning about the member job satisfaction and exhaustion early can eliminate turnover. But on the other hand, turnover can be beneficial to the organization by learning which team member to elimination/terminating poor performances that affect the organizations performance, this allowing for internal promotion and hiring new team members with innovative ideas. New team members can often bring positive input into the organization that can help handle turnover (Cintron, p4) In class lectures, team characteristics are discuss which are the following: * Team size, composition, and diversity: Too few or too many members may reduce performance * Diversity affects way individuals perceive each other and how well they work together * Status differe nces: * May motivate others or act as source of conflict and tension * Psychological safety * Perceptions about consequences of interpersonal risks in work environment * Team norms * Standard shared by team members regulating member behavior * Team cohesiveness * Extent members are committed to group task As a result it will follow into the model of team effectiveness. (HCA 6225, CH5) 2.Consumers or patients are sometimes involved in quality improvement teams, but in this role, they may feel that their voices are unimportant or that participation is symbolic rather than substantive. Do you think that consumers should be involved in the improvement teams in this case? Why or why not? If consumer involved, how can team leaders and members most effectively utilize their knowledge and insights? Consumers or patients can play an important role in shaping managed care by expressing their voice on issues; by participating in governance, management or otherwise; through representatives; or by some combination of these.So I suggest yes that they should be involve on the team improvement teams. Their Participation refers to active involvement on implementation. They can participate in oversight, governance, operations, opinion surveys, and complaints. Also according to Rodwin, the aims of early Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) parallel those of consumer/ patient movements. Managed care offers many benefits. It can increase access to primary and preventive care (with minimal or no out of pocket costs). It can also monitor and improve the practices of physicians and other health care providers and coordinate and rationalize the services of specialists.It can also control spending. Consumer involvement can put managers in touch with the experience and desires of customers. It can provide balance and perspective. Although they are being part of the team performance, their voice should be limited and watch over. Consumer voice, participation and representation program s, however, need to be viewed critically because they might demand too many services and can become divided and polarize issues, leading to increased conflict. So therefore, future challenge is to foster balanced, appropriate and effective use of consumer voice. 3.Even when team improvement efforts achieve change, the sustainability of change remains a pervasive challenge. In fact, sustainability of the teams may be problematic. What are the particular obstacles to sustaining the improvements achieved by teams in this case? Similarly, what factors might lead to the dissolution of the improvement teams over time? As a team leader, what strategic might be used to sustain change and to uphold the vitality of the team over time? Although teams have the capability to boost productivity and improve quality, they can also have the potential to increase costs and stress.As a result it can lead to lack of communication and motivation that can lead to the dissolution of the improvement of the teams over time. Team leadership should have skills pertaining to conflict resolution, overcoming communication obstacles, and effective structure techniques. Understanding the five stages of team development, which are the following: Stage 1: Forming In the Forming stage, personal relations are characterized by dependence. Group members rely on safe, patterned behavior and look to the group leader for guidance and direction.Group members have a desire for acceptance by the group and a need to know that the group is safe. They set about gathering impressions and data about the similarities and differences among them and forming preferences for future subgrouping. Rules of behavior seem to be to keep things simple and to avoid controversy. Serious topics and feelings are avoided. The major task functions also concern orientation. Members attempt to become oriented to the tasks as well as to one another. Discussion centers around defining the scope of the task, how to approach it, an d similar concerns.To grow from this stage to the next, each member must relinquish the comfort of non-threatening topics and risk the possibility of conflict. Stage 2: Storming The next stage, called Storming, is characterized by competition and conflict in the personal- relations dimension an organization in the task-functions dimension. As the group members attempt to organize for the task, conflict inevitably results in their personal relations. Individuals have to bend and mold their feelings, ideas, attitudes, and beliefs to suit the group organization.Because of â€Å"fear of exposure† or â€Å"fear of failure,† there will be an increased desire for structural clarification and commitment. Although conflicts may or may not surface as group issues, they do exist. Questions will arise about who is going to be responsible for what, what the rules are, what the reward system is, and what criteria for evaluation are. These reflect conflicts over leadership, structure , power, and authority. There may be wide swings in members’ behavior based on emerging issues of competition and hostilities.Because of the discomfort generated during this stage, some members may remain completely silent while others attempt to dominate. In order to progress to the next stage, group members must move from a â€Å"testing and proving† mentality to a problem-solving mentality. The most important trait in helping groups to move on to the next stage seems to be the ability to listen. Stage 3: Norming In the Norming stage, interpersonal relations are characterized by cohesion. Group members are engaged in active acknowledgment of all members’ contributions, community building and maintenance, and solving of group issues.Members are willing to change their preconceived ideas or opinions on the basis of facts presented by other members, and they actively ask questions of one another. Leadership is shared, and cliques dissolve. When members begin to k now-and identify with-one another, the level of trust in their personal relations contributes to the development of group cohesion. It is during this stage of development (assuming the group gets this far) that people begin to experience a sense of group belonging and a feeling of relief as a result of resolving interpersonal conflicts.The major task function of stage three is the data flow between group members: They share feelings and ideas, solicit and give feedback to one another, and explore actions related to the task. Creativity is high. If this stage of data flow and cohesion is attained by the group members, their interactions are characterized by openness and sharing of information on both a personal and task level. They feel good about being part of an effective group. The major drawback of the norming stage is that members may begin to fear the inevitable future breakup of the group; they may resist change of any sort.Stage 4: Performing The Performing stage is not reach ed by all groups. If group members are able to evolve to stage four, their capacity, range, and depth of personal relations expand to true interdependence. In this stage, people can work independently, in subgroups, or as a total unit with equal facility. Their roles and authorities dynamically adjust to the changing needs of the group and individuals. Stage four is marked by interdependence in personal relations and problem solving in the realm of task functions. By now, the group should be most productive.Individual members have become self-assuring, and the need for group approval is past. Members are both highly task oriented and highly people oriented. There is unity: group identity is complete, group morale is high, and group loyalty is intense. The task function becomes genuine problem solving, leading toward optimal solutions and optimum group development. There is support for experimentation in solving problems and an emphasis on achievement. The overall goal is productivit y through problem solving and work. Stage 5: AdjourningThe final stage, Adjourning, involves the termination of task behaviors and disengagement from relationships. A planned conclusion usually includes recognition for participation and achievement and an opportunity for members to say personal goodbyes. Concluding a group can create some apprehension – in effect, a minor crisis. The termination of the group is a regressive movement from giving up control to giving up inclusion in the group. The most effective interventions in this stage are those that facilitate task termination and the disengagement process. Reference: Burns, L. Bradley, E. , and Weiner, B. (2012). Shortell & Kaluzny's Health Care Management: Organization Design ; Behavior, (6th Edition), Clifton Park, New York: Delmar Cengage Learning. Cintron, Rene. Employee Turnover: Causes, Effects, and Prevention. Retrieved on February 09, 2013 from www. renecintron. com/files/Employee_Turnover. doc Coleman, L. G (1989 , December 4) Human Resources Management: An Experimental Approach )2nd custom edition) Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall. HCA 6225-01. Chapter 05 powerpoint. Retrieved on February 08,2013 from https://bb. csueastbay. du/webapps/portal/frameset. jsp? tab_tab_group_id=_30_1;url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D%20_396854_1%26url%3D Marc A. Rodwin, May 1998. Address comments to Marc A. Rodwin, Associate Professor, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. 47405 Tuckman, B. (1965) Developmental Sequence in Small Groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63, 384-399.? Tuckman, B. ; Jensen, M. (1977) Stages of Small Group Development. Group and Organizational Studies, 2, 419- 427. http://www. drexel. edu/oca/l/tipsheets/Group_Development. pdf

Professional Racism and Discrimination - 1117 Words

The Los Angeles Police Department has a reputation for using race as a basis to catch criminals. Racial profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for believing an individual is suspicious of committing a crime. Discriminatory or abusive behavior towards people of color affects the justice system and violates people’s human rights. The LAPD continues to use racial profiling against mostly African-Americans and Latinos. The use of racial profiling by the LAPD prevents the police from serving the whole community. Because of the LAPD’s neglect towards certain neighborhoods, the neglect causes those communities to not trust or want to work with the police. Racial profiling should not be used by the LAPD because it is immoral,†¦show more content†¦The results were 38% of Whites and 89%of Blacks thought the justice system was prejudiced towards Blacks† (Chaney 483). The survey also showed that â€Å"8% of Blacks and 56% of Whites thought the criminal justice system treated Blacks equally† (Chaney 483). The survey shows that Blacks are less trusting of the justice system than Whites because of stereotypes and racial profiling. Because the LAPD uses racial profiling, racial profiling causes Blacks to not want to work with police because the LAPD is telling the African-American community that the LAPD does not trust the African-Americans. When the LAPD uses racial profiling, it sends a message that Whites are already assumed to be law-abiding citizens, whereas Blacks and Hispanics are assumed to be associated with criminal activities. Although people may say that racial profiling is justified if it is an effective way of catching criminals if race or ethnic characteristics help the police (Ryberg 79). In other words, police will arrest more possible criminals. However, this causes police to search for individuals who fit the profile and over look people who don’t fit the profile. Because of police targeting certain ra cial communities for certain crimes, the police-community relationship becomes disrupted (Dunn 561-4). The disruption causes people to not want to cooperate with police if the police are searching for suspects and the police need information. Racial Profiling is ineffective because it only targets aShow MoreRelatedRacsim in Sports Essays1020 Words   |  5 PagesRacism if traced back to the 19th century has been predominant; we may refer to the apartheid era in South African where many of blacks were maltreated by the whites because the whites seem to view them as inferior. Does racial discrimination also exists in sports? Yes. Racial discrimination has also impacted negatively on the ethics of sports and the code of conduct of athlete. Is of no surprise that racial discrimination has mainly welcomed itself into sports, has this has been an issue which haveRead MoreRacism, Class, And Gender Discrimination1316 Words   |  6 Pagessociety. Racism has come a far way due to many soci al movements, however it still remains ingrained and institutionalized in various forms. Race is a cause of political and economic interest who stratified groups in order to gain more power. The government created social regulations to prevent social inequalities due to race, class, and gender to take place. Despite social regulations racism still is a part of out present day society. 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Females are more susceptible to sexism although males are also susceptible. Sexual harassment and rape are examples of extreme cases of sexism. Racism occurs when people of a particular race or ethnicity are discriminated against or made to feel inferior. The primary outcome of the paper after comparison is to determine most dehumanizing act between racism and sexism. The first similarityRead MoreThe Fight For Justice Marks A Long Sequence Of Events Towards Their Freedom1201 Words   |  5 Pagessegregation, discrimination, racism and prejudice. Their fight for justice marks a long sequence of events towards their freedom. Race according to the New Webster’s Dictionary is a division of mankind based on skin color, hair texture, facial make-up etc in a group or class. Racism can be traced back to the beginning of history. It has gone beyond individual discrimination and stretched as far as institutional racism and linguistic profiling. Institutional racism occurs when racism is supported

Technology And Science More Than World War II - 876 Words

No other war in history has had such a profound impact on technology and science more than World War II did. There were numerous new scientific principles and inventions that emerged during the war. This includes thing such as the automatic aircraft (which is known today as a cruise missile) and also the ballistic missile (flew into space before falling down on its target). These missiles were later developed and helped launch the first American astronauts to space. Other technological advancements include huge radar improvements, mass production of penicillin, new products, and nutrition advancements of foods. The first practical radar was created in 1935, though it wasn’t until the war that it saw vast improvements. Radars made the concept of a â€Å"surprise attack† nearly obsolete. This technology allowed nations to track incoming attacks from air, helped guide their bombers to targets, and directed anti-aircraft guns to aircraft high in the air. By constructing co mplicated electronics that had to be small and rugged, radar engineers helped set the path for modern technology, such as tv. It also helped create radar navigation, and meteorologists used the technology to help track storms, which helped plan strategic military attacks. During World War II American companies had to convert to create military goods (consumer good manufacture creating surgical instruments, car factories creating tanks and airplanes). Do to this conversions of companies, many Americans facedShow MoreRelated The Technological Revolution901 Words   |  4 Pagesinnovations, the American view of science and technology is constantly fluctuating. The ever-evolving image of science and technology in the United States is usually due to how the most recent developments in science and technology contribute, whether in a perceived positive of negative light. 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Although most inventions during that time were made specifically for the war, they managed to find their way into mainstream life (Science). Like an infectious disease, technological advancements boomed and became contagious, spreading around the world. World War II has advanced technology, science, math, and medicine; and it has affected the lives of people now and in the 1940s more than any other war fought. Radar madeRead MoreWorld War II And The Field Of Nursing984 Words   |  4 PagesIn this research I studied World War II, different aspects of it and articles from this time. We studied four different topics, one was on the sciences and in the field of nursing. This article explained the care British nurses gave to victims of typhus during this war. Humanities was another topic, and it covered the history of this war and of Adolf Hitler. Social Sciences was another topic, and what education was like for music education during the time of World War II. 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Doctor’s and student of universities unraveled mysteries and did what some would call impossible. It didn’t matter what color you were or who you loved, but if you were helping to aid the USA during war, you were all right. Through tragedy, suffering and back breaking work, the United States of America

Essay on Debate on the Legality of Human Cloning - 459 Words

Debate on the Legality of Human Cloning Today, the topic of cloning creates more argument than it has ever created before. The argument over cloning is based upon the fact that there are extreme opposing viewpoints on the subject. One of the major arguments offered against human cloning is that it will undermine human individuality. However, despite the popular opposition to human cloning, it is likely to remain an issue. Cloning is reproduction involving only one parent. Cloning occurs when a single cell from the parent organism begins to divide and develop in such a way that a new organism is produced. This new organism has exactly the same genetic make-up as its parent and is usually†¦show more content†¦However, human cloning will undermine human individuality. One of the key features of each human being is that they represent a combination of genotype and interaction with the environment, which is unique. Uniqueness is a major factor of our humanity. It is claimed that even `identical twins, are not completely genetically similar. It has been suggested that undermining the individuality or uniqueness of each human being may undermine respect for human life. This is because human cloning could lead society to regard all people as being replaceable or interchangeable. It has also been argued that cloning would offer medical advantages, especially in situations where transplants are required. People may have headless replicas of them cloned to supply them with transplant organs to overcome the problems created by age and disease. It has been argued that cloning human beings for the purpose of creating transplant tissue such as bone marrow or a kidney demeans the person cloned for this purpose. It took 277 attempts to produce the clone, Dolly the Sheep. Foetuses produced by cloning are ten times more likely to die in the uterus than those produced through sexual means. Cloned offsprings are three times more likely to die after birth than those produced by usual means. It these figures areShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Human Cloning1067 Words   |  4 Pageswords, cloning. It did not take a long time for scientists to understand that the same qualified organisms could be created by using and copying cells. After the first successful mammal cloning, Dolly the sheep in 1997, science world was proud, but not satisfied yet. Curiosity and enthusiasm manipulated scientists to reach the climax of the cloning history with an astonishing, but a risky discovery: the first successful stem cell cloning in 2013 which declares the possibility of human cloning. On oneRead MoreEmbryonic Stem Cell Research And The American Society2380 Words   |  10 Pagesin this field hold. As with many other controversies, embryonic stem cell research can be described as a dispute between religion and science due to the destruction of a viable human embryo. Depending on the status an individual grants an embryo will likely determine their stance on the issue. Next, many changes in legality and public acceptance have prompted leaders to increase funding and expand research nationally. Since taxpayers’ dollars are at work, the public should be aware of this prevalentRead MorePros And Cons Of Animal Testing1288 Words   |  6 Pagesexperiencing pain, suffering, and distress† (â€Å"Animal† 2013). The advancements in technology today had sparked a debate worldwide on whether it is right or wrong to use animals for experimentation in laboratories. With newly advanced scientific technology, experts are able to utilize advanced technology to simulate functions of the human body on a much smaller scale, including microchips of human tissue and cells, computer mod els, and cadavers. Under those circumstances, harm and torture of animals inRead MoreCloning Should Not Be Legalized2450 Words   |  10 PagesCloning Should Not be Legalized Human cloning has been a very controversial issue for a number of years. In order to understand cloning better is important to recognize what cloning is. A clone is an exact genetic replica of a DNA molecule, cell, tissue, organ, or entire plant or animal. This may be done through reproductive cloning or therapeutic cloning known as stem cell cloning. (Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research) Human cloning raises the issues of whether or not a cloned personRead MoreThe Ethics of Stem Cell Research Essay2357 Words   |  10 Pagesbecause human embryos are destroyed in the process. I believe that the benefits outweigh the negatives and that a greater good can come out of using embryonic stem cells. The treatment of diseases and illnesses continually grows and improves. 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Barnes & Noble - Inc. Versus Borders Group - Inc.

Question: Describe about the Report for Barnes Noble, Inc. Versus Borders Group, Inc. Answer: Introduction Continuous technological innovation is rapidly overtaking the retail information management that has been in place for years. Holistic information systems that can be used for management and retail at the same time are essential for the success of a business. Companies that create and implement strategic plans on information systems (IS) at the right time have higher chances of doing better and standing out amidst challenges while the others fail. This paper describes two organizations in the book retail industry. Barnes Noble is an example of an organization that succeeded in gaining competitive advantage via IT. On the other hand, Borders Group is an example of an organization that was unsuccessful in enhancing its competitive advantage through IT/IS. Barnes Noble, Inc. - Successful Example Barnes Noble, Inc. is one of the largest book retailers in the United States. It is a Fortune 500 company, previously ranked at position 423. In addition, the organization is a leading digital media content and educational products retailer throughout the country. According to Fortune 500 (2016), the company has 649 stores in all States within America and has 37,000 employees. After a series of bankruptcies and merges of firms in the American bookstore industry in the last two decades, Barnes Noble still stands as the remaining national bookstores. Barnes Noble was founded in 1886 under the name Arthur Hinds Company. The name was changed in 1894 to Hinds Noble when Gilbert Clifford Noble became a partner. In 1917, Noble bought Hinds and partnered with William Barnes, after which they named the company Barnes Noble (Barnes Noble Inc, 2013). The company has been transforming to include information technology in its activities in order to keep the company at the top of the indust ry. Currently, the company is well known for NOOK, a suite for e-book readers it developed. The Nook is in competition with Kobo eReader, Amazon Kindle as well as other e-readers such as iBooks that are used in iOS devices. The current version of the NOOK is customer friendly because it has Wi-Fi connectivity, Sudoku games, a dictionary and chess among other things (Rosen, 2015). Barnes Noble has done all this and much more to gain and maintain a competitive advantage that its competitors were unable to cope up with. Success Factors The success of this organization has been as a result of the strategies that have been put in place to embrace Information Technology (IT) as the world advances in technology. Besides the brick and mortar stores the company has established all over the country, IT has enabled it to gain a broad online presence. Different internal and external factors have enabled the company to enhance its competitive advantage as indicated in the subsections below. Internal Factors that influenced Barnes Nobles Success Over the years, the company embraced changes that came on the way. For instance, in 1931, the company opened a publishing division and began opening stores in other States. In 1970s, the company was under a good management of Leonard Riggio, who made great changes to revive it after about two years of mismanagement. In order to embrace IT in its marketing strategies, Barnes and Nobles was the first bookseller to make adverts on television in 1974 (Barnes Noble Inc, 2016). In addition to the television advertisements, the company started selling books on 40 percent discounts so long as the title ranked the bestselling in The New York Times newspaper. Under its good management, the company purchased Dalton stores in 1986. By 1999, the company became the second-largest bookseller online in the United States. Company critics claimed that the company led to a decline of the other local booksellers (Barnes Noble Founder, 2016). As a move to integrate more IT to its already existing mail-order catalogs, the company created a website, where it began selling books online by 1980s. The website was launched in 1997. Currently, the site carries more than 2.3 million titles. On October 2007, the company launched an online literary style site by the name Barnes Noble Review. It featured columns, book reviews and interviews from different authors and critics. The site also provided essays for music critics such as Robert Christgau. The company also ran Gameshop retail outlets, between 1999 and 2004, where video games were sold. More IT was incorporated into the company as technological advancements continued. In 2010, William Lynch, who was the Website president, became the Companys CEO. As the Companys overall manager, he made the company embrace Information systems to a maximum. During his time there, the company launched the electronic book store. Later on, the Nook, an electronic book reader was introduced. It was under his management that the company became famous for its digital books. Lynch resigned in 2013. External Factors that Influenced Success Several external factors influenced the success of Barnes Nobles. Between 1965 and 1990s book industry was growing at a high rate but companies in the industry were reluctant to grab the opportunity. During the same time, discovery of computers led to innovation of information systems for different industries. In the retail industry, companies like Barnes Noble got the opportunity to gather customer feedbacks so that they could make improvements for higher customer satisfaction. Using the information systems, that were available at that time, the company collected data on market in order to determine what the customers needed. It was after this that the company opened small discount stores that were later replaced by the larger stores. In addition, the data collected indicated that more sales would be made if the company published its own books. The started publishing its books. Later on, in order to raise customer satisfaction, the company started selling the books they published to mail-order customers. It was at this time that the company saw the benefits of embracing IT. Books that were sold in mail-order catalogs were affordable reissues that enabled the organization to reach new customers all over the country (Barnes Noble Inc, 2016). By the end of 1974, Barnes and Nobles Fifth Avenue store had overtaken Londons Foyles bookshop, making it the biggest bookstore worldwide. In 2011, the closure and bankruptcy of competitor, Border Group, left Barnes Noble the only remaining national bookseller in the U.S. A series of bankruptcies and mergers in the American book industry followed. Waldenbooks, Crown Books and B.Dalton, among others were closed down. That trend expanded Barnes Noble's market and made it succeed during those tough times. The current biggest physical Barnes Noble's bookstore competitor is Books-A-Million, a company that does not operate in the West of U.S. Other companies that currently compete with Barnes Noble include general retailers such as Amazon.com, independent and regional booksellers (Townsend, 2013). Although the company shares the small market with more technologically upcoming organizations, the company has always embraced IT/IS to enhance its competitive advantage. SWOT Analysis Strengths The firm is well established and has a market capitalization of more than $ 2 billion. Its selling of DVDs, CDs, magazines, e-books and books makes it a one-stop outlet for media. It is among Fortune 500 companies. The firm uses several channels to distribute products online and stores. It also has a strong financial position (Barnes Noble, Inc., 2013). Weaknesses Most stores are within U.S. meaning that the market is limited. Opportunities Ecommerce is growing. The firm should use internet to cover a larger area than the U.S. market. The spending of consumers is also increasing. The company can take over and jointly venture on the small significant firms that have best brands. Threats Firms such as Amazon, and public libraries are a threat to this firm. Online competition and book store retails are increasing. Books are substituted by ebooks at a high rate (Barnes Noble, Inc. SWOT Analysis, 2013) Borders Group- Unsuccessful Example Borders Group is a good example of a company that failed because it did not fully incorporate information technology or information systems as its competitor was doing so. Borders Group, a global book retailer was founded in the year 1971 by two brothers and Michigan graduates, Tom and Louis Borders. The two established the organization when they failed to interest booksellers that were already in the industry, in their inventory and sales tracking system (PR, 2015). Their Information system could predict demand in certain communities. The failure of other booksellers to be interested with their innovation prompted them to start a firm, Border Group. The company had a good start because it was based on an IT idea that no other bookseller was interested in. Internal Factors that Influenced Borders Failure Borders was not any other book retailer that occupied a large retail area. The individuals who started it were also the managers that saw its success several years that followed. In the first two decades, the employees were devoted to the job that they did. They had pride on the knowledge of the sections that they were assigned. To customers, the store had transformed into a library and a refuge, where they would get in and were lost (Grossman, 2016). All these changed when the Borders was acquired by Kmart and the management changed. In 1992, Kmart acquired Borders Group. The firm, Kmart, had also acquired Waldenbooks in 1984. Waldenbooks was a mall-based book chain. Kmart had been struggling with book division ever since it acquired Waldenbooks. One factor that led to the failure of Borders Group was change of management and merging an area of struggle. Kmart merged Waldenbooks with Borders with the hope that Waldens book division would be revived by Borders senior experienced management that were doing well. However, the senior management team resigned before they could do much. External Factors that Influenced Borders Failure Several external factors accelerated the failure of the company. First, there was high competition in the book retail market. Border Group competitors, Crown and Barnes Noble were aggressively expanding to cover up a wide market. Borders was facing pressure from stakeholders, and it was also experiencing its fiscal problems. As a move to try and strategize, the management named the new merge, Borders-Walden Group (Cody, 2012). However, before the year ended, the company was renamed Borders group. Border Group Companys story is full of irony and a lot of slap-your-forehead missteps. By 1990s, it was clear that both competing companies, Barnes Noble and Borders Group dominated the books industry. The missteps for Borders began immediately it achieved dominance. A Series of Missteps taken by Borders First, the company engaged in an aggressive expansion that made the company acquire long-term leases that later proved the companys bankruptcy. The company should have assessed performance in each new store it opened by collecting information through the IS that were available at that time. Secondly, Borders focused on creating selections that were more superior to those of Barnes Noble. They were ignorant of the fact that customers were not aware of those selections and they were not interested by them. The company should have used IT/IS to collect customers view of the selections. Thirdly, the company lost the control of internet sales channel. According to Valds (2012), the company negotiated a deal, in 2001, to allow Amazon control Borders online business. A lot of time was wasted before the company launched its website in 2008. Figures indicate that the sales dropped by nearly 34% between 2001 and 2008 (Rosen, 2015). Again, instead of the company focusing on its product, books, it increased its focus on DVDs and CDs. At this time, book retailer competitors were focusing on how they would digitally deliver their products using IT. Borders lost the opportunity of delivering e-books in time to its customers. This led to a loss in market niche. When the company launched Kobo, the e-reader, it did not gain traction because it had insufficient support. When introducing a certain technology, it is important to ensure that it is released at the most opportune time. On 2005, the firm wasted valuable finance of $600 million on the stock buyback program (Johnston, 2015). The end of Borders was an ugly one. In the last years, the company did not have money and it was burdened by long-term leases for its big stores that were located very far. The firm filed for bankruptcy when it was too late. Its creditors concluded that the best option was to maximize recovery through total liquidation. SWOT Analysis Strengths The firm was recognized for being the best bookstore. It had bookshops all over the globe. The company had diversified to books, music, CDs and DVDs. Weaknesses It provided the easiest products to customers- paperback books. It outsourced online sales to Amazon. The company ran from market trends, leaving the opportunity to Barnes Noble. It misread signals within the market and ended up diversifying products, thus losing focus on real deal. There was poor management within the firm (PR, 2013). Opportunities The firm could have partnered with universities to supply textbooks. With ebooks introduction, the firm could have reduced its costs because the books do not require much space. The market had few players and the company would have remained as the leader. Threats Newer competitors in the online field were using technology rapidly. Globalization threatened the firm because customers were expected to stop going for the books but acquire the ebooks online. The firms competitor, BN collaborated with the best brands and increased their competition worldwide (PR, 2013). Lessons Learned The two retail firms which were at one time dominating book retail industry took different strategies at some point. One was successful and still stands out in the industry, while the other one failed and had an ugly ending. Various lessons can be drawn from the cases. First, its hurts when people fail to foresee a revolution, but to companies, it is fatal (Books Industry Profile, 2015). When managers fail to predict the future through the changes that take place, they are treated as failures in their lives whereas the companies they lead die without hopes of resurrection. Another lesson that can be learned is that the marketplace has the ability to swiftly punish those who delay to adapt to new digital realities. While Barnes Nobles created a website and started working with it until its full launch, Borders started online book selling but later stopped it because the online business was not profitable. Later on, in 2001, the firm made a deal with Amazon so that it could maintain its online presence. Getting into that deal was a form of delay because the firm later launched a website in 2008 where it continued with online retail. It is important that retailers make strategies once they notice opportunities on their way. How can competitive advantages gained via IS/IT be sustained? In the modern times, distribution channels are sophisticated and technology driven. The next step after gaining a competitive advantage should be to carefully observe the trends and act accordingly. For instance, since more people currently rely on content they can access on their handheld devices, it is important to make products and services readily available and easily accessible on such platforms. This makes distribution to be customer-friendly. Current trends should be monitored closely because they determine the future of a business. Once a firm gains a competitive advantage through IS/IT, it should strive to maintain it. This should be done by conducting continuous assessments and evaluations that indicate the performance of the company. Performance indicators should be clear enough so that any slight changes can be observed and worked on (Gilbert, 2015). Borders lacked indicators that discretely indicated that the firm was headed to a fall. If such indicators were in place, better timely strategies might have been utilized. Research and development (RD) is an important division in firms that gained competitive advantages through IT/IS. Research should continuously be carried out so that ways of improving the IS can be discovered. RD should always focus on customer satisfaction and how to remain ahead of competitors (Johnston, 2015). Borders was established after Barnes and Noble had already established. However, the innovation that Borders proprietors introduced propelled the company to make it the best in that industry. Conclusion In conclusion, as markets enlarge and become complex, the retailing process that was once simple changes. In order to cope with the trend, retailers need to employ more intelligent and sophisticated information systems (IS) where all transactions are involved. The key to maintain a competitive advantage in this globalized retailing industry, is to efficiently control information, data and knowledge of the market. It is important that retailers invest in and exploit information management that is available. Barnes and Noble were always open-minded such that the most crucial book retail information did not pass them by. The company new the exact moment it was required to open new stores in certain locations. In addition, the company knew the exact Information Technology (IT) to use at different times in order to enhance its competitive advantage. Borders, on the other hand, started well, and it was once at the same dominance position with Barnes and Noble. The company failed to maintai n its competitive advantage by doing miscalculations and applying the right IS/IT at the wrong time. 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