Usama bin Laden Biography Essay Example For Students

Usama bin Laden Biography Essay Usama bin Laden and His Selection Of TerrorismUsama bin Laden, born in 1957, comes from a wealthy Saudi Arabian family that owns a multinational construction business. He used his inherited wealth to finance Afghan forces fighting the Soviet Unions occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. After the 1991 Gulf War, he was distressed that Saudi Arabia allowed U.S. forces to remain in the Arabian Peninsula. To advance his agenda of expelling the U.S. from the Islamic world, he worked with other anti-Western fundamentalists to organize a secretive, highly compartmentalized terrorist network, known as al-Qaida. It is through his upbringing, education, culture, and wars in Islamic countries, that Usama bin Laden has sought to purge the Islamic world of the influences that he believes have corrupted and degraded it. Usama bin Laden was born in 1957 in Saudi Arabia. He was the seventeenth son of 51 children of Muhammad bin Laden. His father was of Yemeni descent, and his mother was from Saudi Arabia. Usamas father was the dominant figure in the family, and Usama may have obtained his strong Islamic heritage from his father. He had a tough discipline and observed all the children with strict religious and social code. He maintained a special daily program and obliged his children to follow.1 Over and above the strict Islamic teachings that he received from his father, Usama bin Laden also received religious indoctrination from a variety of people who were transients during Hajj. While Usama was still young in age, his father would invite pilgrims traveling during Hajj into their home. Those individuals seemingly had a profound effect on his life. Some of those were senior Islamic scholars or leaders of Muslim movements, and he used to make good contacts and relations through those gatherings.1 In addition to the Islamic teachings at home, Usama also expanded his education in relation to Islam and Islamic movements at the collegiate level. Usama attended school at King Abd ul-Aziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during a period when there was a trend or movement, known as the Muslim Brotherhood, which garnered popularity. There was also an abundance of Muslim scholars that he followed and received teachings from; however, there were two renowned teachers in Islamic studies at the university from whom he developed close relationships with. The teachers that he interacted with are Abdullah Azzam, who later collaborated with him in Afghanistan; and Mohammed Quttub, a famous Islamic philosopher.2 It is evident that while growing up, Usama bin Ladens surroundings included an environment that encouraged a strict Islamic lifestyle; furthermore, his upbringing also consisted of wealth. Whereas Usamas father may have been a strict disciplinarian, he was also a successful businessman. Usama bin Ladens father founded the Bin Laden Group construction company. The Bin Laden Group became heavily involved in Saudi government contracts that facilitated the Bin Lad ens financial wealth. The construction company is known for building mosques in Mecca and Medina in addition to highways and palaces.2 Usama also worked in his fathers business from where he eventually amassed a fortune to finance mujahideen in Afghanistan. We will write a custom essay on Usama bin Laden Biography specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now While Usama bin Laden was attending King Abdul-Aziz University, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. He had maintained contact with some of the pilgrims he met during Hajj that stayed with his family, and with his two teachers that mentored him while attending the university. These are the individuals that influenced him to journey to Afghanistan within the first few weeks of the invasion. During the early stages of the mujahideen (Holy Warrior) resistance, bin Laden traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan to meet with scholars and leaders who had been guests at his familys house. He began lobbying for the mujahideen and raised large amounts of money for their cause.2 After his initial trip to Afghanistan, Usama bin Laden traveled back to Saudi Arabia in order to expand a support base for the mujahideen by means of money, equipment, and personnel. Usama made frequent trips to Afghanistan establishing a support base; therefore, gaining popularity among the fighters. He used his familys connections and wealth to raise money for the Afghan resistance and provide the mujahideen with logistical and humanitarian aid, and participated in battles in the Afghan war.3 The mujahideen received additional funding, training, and weapons from the United States, which considered the Soviet Union an enemy, defeated the Soviet military, and forced the Soviets to pull out of Afghanistan. The Soviet/Afghan War left an everlasting effect on Usama bin Laden. At the conclusion of the war he stated, In this jihad, the biggest benefit was the myth of the superpower was destroyed, not only in my mind, but in the minds of all Muslims.3 During the war, bin Laden built a guesthouse in Afghanistan in addition to military style training camps. The guesthouse was established as a base station where mujahideen would first come before going to the front lines or to military training. Upon the Soviet withdraw of Afghanistan; Usama utilized the guesthouse as a main base of operations. The complex w as then termed al-Qaida, which is an Arabic word meaning The Base.1 Hence, this is where the name of his movement came from. At the end of the Soviet/Afghan War, Usama bin Laden went back to Saudi Arabia. This is the period in time when there was an impending invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Husseins military. Iraqs invasion of Kuwait, followed by the deployment of Coalition forces in the Arabic region, gave reason for bin Laden to lash out at, not only the western military presence, but to those Arab nations he felt were influenced by non-Muslim countries as well; especially Saudi Arabia. He aligned Saudi groups opposed to the reigning Saudi monarchy, the Fahd family, expressing anger at them and the United States for allowing U.S. and allied forces to invade Iraq from Saudi bases in the Gulf War.3 After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, bin Laden was distressed over the Saudi governments aid to western forces via the establishment of an airbase. Due to being distressed, Usama bin Laden me t with several religious leaders in effort to intervene with matters in the Persian Gulf. He sought to issue a fatwah, a religious ruling, urging Muslims to kill U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia. He succeeded in extracting a fatwah from one of the senior scholars, inferring that training and readiness is a religious duty.1 He immediately gained followers and began recruiting individuals with the intent of sending them to Afghanistan for training at one of his military style training camps. This is the beginning of Usama bin Ladens selection to use terrorism as an instrument to rid the Islamic world of western influence. .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 , .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 .postImageUrl , .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 , .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9:hover , .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9:visited , .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9:active { border:0!important; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9:active , .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9 .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6df0e967c9b8ee49478f8a24842e00c9:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Operations Management Role And Operations Strategy Toyota Accounting EssayUsama bin Laden began a terror campaign bestowed with speeches and acts of terrorism. Bin Laden gave many speeches that outlined his philosophy. He has been quoted as saying: The U.S. government has committed acts that are extremely unjust, hideous and criminal. We believe the United States is directly responsible for those killed in Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq.3 Since he began making speeches voicing his outrage against the United States, there have been many terrorist attacks attributed to him and the al-Qaida movement. The United States alleges bin Laden and other al-Qaida members have targeted U.S. military forces abroad, and symbolic structures on American soil. One of Usama bin Ladens most memorable claims to date concerns an important date in U.S. military history. Bin Laden told a CNN news reporter during a rare interview in 1997 Arab holy warriors trained in Afghanistan had banded with Somali Muslims in October 1993 to kill 18 U.S. soldiers in a bloody battle on the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia.3 Additional U.S. targets alleged to have been attacked by al-Qaida and Usama bin Laden include: the bombing of Khobar Towers, a military barracks in Saudi Arabia; the seaborne bombing of the USS Cole in Aden Yemen; the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and most memorable, the attacks that took place on September 11th, 2001 when commercial airplanes were used as flying bombs, targeting the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a failed attack on the White Ho use. Since the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, Usama bin Laden has sought to purge the Islamic world of the influences that he believes have corrupted and degraded it. These influences, he believes, include American culture, U.S. military bases, and the Arab governments who tolerate them. As the American war on terrorism wages on in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is inevitable that Usama bin Laden and his al-Qaida movement will strike American interests, and those governments that accept American foreign policy, once again. Works Cited1.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/bio.html 2.http://www.terrorismcentral.com/Library/Biographies/Bios/binLaden/BiobinLaden.html3.http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/binladen/profile.html

Free Sample For Essay For College Admission

Free Sample For Essay For College AdmissionLooking for a free sample for essay for college admission? If you want to make a difference in your life, you have to do something out of the ordinary. You might need to be a little unconventional, but this is an important step in becoming a better person. A free sample for essay for college admission will provide you with the comfort you need to start.At first, it is better to find a good and affordable writer and ask for professional help. You can opt for a sample that has already been prepared for college entrance test. This kind of essay is more suitable for students with more sophisticated writing skills.The samples should be taken seriously. It is important to check that the samples are well proofread. You should also make sure that the samples have been written with the passage being a rough draft. You should also check if the sample has all the necessary information and other required elements to enhance your story.In the present sce nario, students are usually anxious about their college entrance exam. Many students are trying to prepare for the actual exam by getting samples for essay for college admission. A lot of students are trying to get free samples for essays for college admission.However, most students are not aware that their studying habits can affect their chances of passing the college entrance exam. The final grade will show the level of your academic excellence and prepare you for the real thing.Free sample for essay for college admission will help you set the correct guidelines for your essay and make you focus on the important content. This will improve your performance in the exams.These samples are supposed to improve your skills in writing a college entrance exam. It will help you get more than just a good writing style for your essay.

womans rights essays

womans rights essays The right to vote was one that women had a lot of trouble obtaining in England. A Woman named Emmeline Pankhurst was one of the women fighting with all her might for the right to vote and make a difference in the country in which she resided. She delivered a speech in 1908 reasoning the benefits as to why women should be able to vote. Pankhurst depicted the right to vote as a symbol for liberty and citizenship, a safeguard for liberty, and most importantly a tool that could be used to get beyond what our forefathers expected. Strongly she spoke of advancing female status in England and about the discrimination that her fellow women had to deal with in their everyday lives. By tradition was almost like a serf. She was tied to the land, which legally she cannot even call her own. In fact, nothing could have belonged to women. A womans well being depended on how her husband wanted to treat her. Women had no rights to their husbands assets. They were sometimes abused both physically and mentally by the people that they at one time took oaths love and to hold dear. Although not all men abused their wives but as Pankhurst pointed out, should they even have a chance? Women in England did not obtain even the simplest liberties. A mother had no say in how her children were raised for they were believed to only have one legal parent, the father. A widow had no rights to the property of her deceased husband. Even brilliant women who worked hard were rarely given the same opportunities as men and were always underestimated. Even if a women was more qualified and more educated than a man, more likely than not a man would have been chosen for a particular position. Women of the time believed that not only would the right to vote allow them to have more representation but also it would protect them from all sorts of abuse. They believed that with this vote they could strive to be so much more than just housewives. Wo...

Major Sub-Disciplines of Geography

Major Sub-Disciplines of Geography The field of geography is a vast and wondrous academic field with thousands of researchers working in dozens of interesting sub-disciplines or branches of geography. There is a branch of geography for just about any subject on Earth. In an effort to acquaint the reader with the diversity of the branches of geography, we summarize many below. Human Geography Many branches of geography are found within human geography, a major branch of geography that studies people and their interaction with the earth and with their organization of space on the earths surface. Economic GeographyEconomic geographers examine the distribution of production and distribution of goods, the distribution of wealth, and the spatial structure of economic conditions.Population GeographyPopulation geography is often equated with demography but population geography is more than just patterns of birth, death, and marriage. Population geographers are concerned with the distribution, migration, and growth of population in geographic areas.Geography of ReligionsThis branch of geography studies the geographic distribution of religious groups, their cultures, and built environments.Medical GeographyMedical geographers study the geographic distribution of disease (including epidemics and pandemics), illness, death and health care.Recreation, Tourism, and Sport GeographyThe study of leisure-time activities and their impact on local environments. As tourism is one of the worlds largest industries, it involves a great number of people making very temporary migrations and is thus of great interest to geographers. Military GeographyPractitioners of military geography are most often found in the military but the branch looks not only at the geographic distribution of military facilities and troops but also utilizes geographic tools to develop military solutions.Political GeographyPolitical geography investigates all aspects of boundaries, country, state, and national development, international organizations, diplomacy, internal country subdivisions, voting, and more.Agricultural and Rural GeographyGeographers in this branch study agriculture and rural settlement, the distribution of agriculture and the geographic movement and access to agricultural products, and land use in rural areas.Transportation GeographyTransportation geographers research transportation networks (both private and public) and the use of those networks for moving people and goods.Urban GeographyThe branch of urban geography investigates the location, structure, development, and growth of cities - from tiny village to huge megalopolis. Physical Geography Physical geography is another major branch of geography. It is concerned with the natural features on or near the surface of the earth. BiogeographyBiographers study the geographic distribution of plants and animals on the earth in the subject known as biogeography.Water ResourcesGeographers working in the water resources branch of geography look at the distribution and use of water across the planet within the hydrologic cycle and of human-developed systems for water storage, distribution, and use.ClimateClimate geographers investigate the distribution of long-term weather patterns and activities of the earths atmosphere.Global ChangeGeographers researching global change explore the long-term changes occurring to planet Earth based on human impacts on the environment.GeomorphologyGeomorphologists study the landforms of the planet, from their development to their disappearance through erosion and other processes.Hazards GeographyAs with many branches of geography, hazards combine work in physical and human geography. Hazard geographers research extreme events known as hazards or disaster and explore the human interac tion and response to these unusual natural or technological events. Mountain GeographyMountain geographers look at the development of mountain systems and at the humans who live in higher altitudes and their adaptations to these environments.Cryosphere GeographyCryosphere geography explores the ice of the earth, especially glaciers and ice sheets. Geographers look at the past distribution of ice on the planet and ice-cause features from glaciers and ice sheets.Arid RegionsGeographers studying arid regions examine the deserts and dry surfaces of the planet. The explore how humans, animals, and plants make their home in dry or arid regions and the use of resources in these regions.Coastal and Marine GeographyWithin coastal and marine geography, there are geographers researching the coastal environments of the planet and how humans, coastal life, and coastal physical features interact.Soils GeographySoil geographers study the upper layer of the lithosphere, the soil, of the earth and its categorization and patterns of distribution. Other major branches of geography include: Regional Geography Many geographers focus their time and energy on studying a specific region on the planet. Regional geographers focus on areas as large as a  continent  or as small as an urban area. Many geographers combine a regional specialty with a specialty in another branch of geography. Applied Geography Applied geographers use geographic knowledge, skills, and techniques to solve problems in everyday society. Applied geographers are often employed outside of academic environment and work for private firms or governmental agencies. Cartography It has often been said that geography is anything that can be mapped. While all geographers know how to display their research on maps, the branch of  cartography  focuses on improving and developing technologies in map-making. Cartographers work to create useful high-quality maps to show geographic information in the most useful format possible. Geographic Information Systems Geographic Information Systems  or GIS is the branch of geography that develops databases of geographic information and systems to display geographic data in a map-like format. Geographers in GIS work to create layers of geographic data and when layers are combined or utilized together in complex computerized systems, they can provide geographic solutions or sophisticated maps with the press of a few keys. Geographic Education Geographers working in the field of  geographic education  seek to give teachers the skills, knowledge, and tools they need to help combat geographic illiteracy and to develop future generations of geographers. Historical Geography Historical geographers research the human and physical geography of the past. History of Geography Geographers working in the history of geography seek to maintain the history of the discipline by researching and documenting the biographies of geographers and the histories of geographic studies and geography departments and organizations. Remote Sensing Remote sensing  utilizes satellites and sensors to examine features on or near the earths surface from a distance. Geographers in remote sensing analyze data from remote sources to develop information about a place where direct observation is not possible or practical. Quantitative Methods This branch of geography uses mathematical techniques and models to test  hypothesis. Quantitative methods are often used in many other branches of geography but some geographers specialize in quantitative methods specifically.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 19

Assignment - Essay Example that includes export control, protectionism, strategic trade policy incorporating foreign direct investment (FDI), capital controls, and regulation, antitrust, and competition policy. There are groups of small businesses that require political protection. These also require economic laws to be protected especially from the competition of foreign projects such as Saudization. It is defined as goods imported from abroad. It leads to abandoning local goods. There are several methods that can be used to protect these businesses and include import tariffs. This is a tax imposed by the government on goods imported from abroad. Whether service or commodity, quotas that are importing goods must follow certain laws. Tax cuts to local businesses are taxes taken from a local business. This is done directly by a state. Protectionism it is a kind of trade policy. In addition, the antitrust and competition policies are also used to protect the local economy for the small businesses in the country. The antitrust policy erases professional competition from large companies. Additionally, it promotes laws that prohibit monopolization, which affects the profit making capacity of th e smaller businesses in the area. This also helps in preventing large companies from growing to the point that they gain strong control of the market as compared to other companies. This can also be viewed as preventing one organization from controlling the entire market. The presumed anti- competitive behavior prices are too high. There are benefits to companies if they follow the antitrust laws such as the use of national resources in a professional manner and having a more localized growth, achievement of stability in prices for both output and employment. If the figures of imports were rising disproportionately to export figures, imports would be more than exports. It must be specified which goods can be exported to the outside. These laws protect the domestic economy of the country from the impact

Sales Presentation Report Speech or Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sales Report - Speech or Presentation Example From then on marketing has also been introduced to the academe and has since evolved to become the driving force companies usually rely on today. With the advent of the information age, marketing have drastically increased its contribution to the growth of the company. Thus, sales presentations have seen various improvements and different styles of prospecting, presentation and closing have been mixed up to provide a strong selling proposition. Aside from the technological improvements that revolutionized communication, marketers are now more informed since clients themselves have found the very potent use of websites for their products. Thus, sales representatives nowadays are more informed when they meet up with clients. However, it is important for them to note that their competitors likewise have basically the same preparation. Thus, it is important for the sales representatives to be able to clearly grasp the selling techniques that they will be using. As illustrated in the case , being SMART about the objective of the sales call is also key to making a successful sales presentation. Product: Major Oil, Inc Heating Oil: Supply and Service Prospecting Method: Cold Calling Prospect Company Description and Sales Call: The sales presentation will be a follow-up for a previous phone call that initially introduced the product, company and has set a meeting for formally presenting the products and services of Major Oil Inc and probably closing the deal. Thomas Automotive is a vehicle service and repair shop that has been in existence for about two and a half decades already. The business is owned by Mr. Ed Thomas and is a sole proprietorship. Initially, the business was known as Torringford Automotive and had an initial business address at 1795 East Main Street, Torrington and was there until the mid 90’s. After which, the business moved out of Torrington area to Main Street and likewise changed their business name to adeptly present the change as they are no longer in the area. Thomas Automotive stayed there for a little less than a decade and subsequently moved on to their current address. Being a sole proprietorship, Thomas Automotive do not advertise much but relies on customer feedbacks to spread the word of the quality of their work. Likewise, the business puts in a little extra by giving customers a ride to and from the shop and even picks up their vehicles for repairs so that those that are working need not worry about bringing their vehicles to the shop for repairs. Furthermore, Thomas Automotive ensures that the work they do substantiate their claim of quality through the retest they provide. Likewise, their business is also certified for emission repairs by the State of Connecticut. We pride ourselves on doing the little extras for our customers. We do very little actual advertising but have a large customer base due to all the word-of-mouth advertising by our other satisfied customers. We take our customers home within a t en-mile radius, pick them up also. We even pick up the vehicle at your place of business so we can repair it while you are at work. We are certified by the State of Connecticut for Emission Repairs. When we complete the required repairs we take it back for retest for our customers. Customer Profile: Business Name: Thomas Automotive â€Å"Service and Repair at a Price that’s Fair† Address: 54 Brook St. Torrington, CT 06790 Website: www.thomasautomotive.com Contact Person: Mr. Jason Odell, Sr. Buyer The

Market analysis of the Procter and Gamble company

Market analysis of the Procter and Gamble company Procter Gamble is a major U.S. manufacturer of soaps, cleansers, and other household products. PG have three main product lines: household and personal care, food consumer and health care products. PG interact with over five million consumers each year in approximately sixty countries around the world (PG. 2010). PG has remained on the Fortune 500 listing since 1955 and has never ranked less than number 35 in the last fifty-five years (AGG Data. 2010). In 2009, it ranked number 20 of Fortune 500 companies with revenue of $83.503.00 million and profit of $12,075.00 million (AGG Data. 2010). According to Mr. John E. Pepper, CEO Procter Gamble, the company has a history of growth and expansion. Every ten years for the last fifty years, the company has doubled their business. He feels the companys success has been based on their brands, including those that created a whole new category. For example Pampers was the first affordable disposable diaper and Crest was the first fluoride toot hpaste both manufactured by Procter Gamble (Pepper. 1999). No company in the world has invested more money in consumer and market research than Procter Gamble. Each year the company conducts at least fifteen thousand research studies and invests three-hundred and fifty million dollars in consumer research (PG. 2010). In order for the company to maintain profitable and grow, they must engage in strategic development that encompasses relooking at their processes, structures and culture and creating the hub and spoke structure for competitive intelligence operations. Company Background: Procter Gamble was formed in 1837 when brother-in-laws James Gamble, a soap maker and William Procter, a candle maker joined forces. The firms starting capital was $7,192.24 and they agreed on a 50/50 distribution partnership (American Chemical Society. 2007). Formation of the company coincided with the economic expansion of the United States. Their first products, soap and candles, were transported by steamboats down the Ohio River to Mississippi and New Orleans. By 1850, the company was able to expand their distribution to additional markets using railroads. The company grew into a million-dollar enterprise during the Civil War when the firm obtained contracts to supply the Union Army with soap and candles. However, in 1879 the company was forced to eliminate its candle making when consumers switched to kerosene. The company expanded its soap making to stay competitive by experimenting with developing a castile-like product that was inexpensive enough to be mass marketed. Ivory So ap was the answer. The soap was made from coconut and palm oil, lathered easily, remained solid and lasted longer than other soaps. The company aggressively marketed the new product and the success of Ivory led Procter Gamble to being a multi-million dollar industrial icon. In the 1930 and 40s, the company utilized technology and chemical experimentation to expand its product line into synthetic detergents that were marketed globally. The company introduced Dreft and then Tide. Now it was no longer consider just a soap company. The company later began to make personal-care items such as toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant; food products such as cake mixes and coffee; and miscellaneous products such as cellulose pulp and chemicals. Mission Statement Vision Statement: Vision Be, and be recognized as, the best consumer products and services in the world Mission Procter and Gamble will continue to serve consumers by continuously innovating products that will allow us to be leaders in household and personal care, health care, and food products. To produce products with the utmost care to give nothing but quality to our communities. And to continue to grow so that we can maximize our shareholders wealth (Procter Gamble. 2010). Procter Gamble was built on the theory of touching consumer lives with brands that make life a little better every day. They connect with consumers by offering affordable products and packaging specially designed to meet consumer needs which has allowed Procter Gamble to remain profitable for one hundred-seventy three years. Internal Analysis External Analysis: Procter Gamble has a strong internal and external foundation. It has built its reputation on achieving the goals it sets forth, following their vision and establishing principles based on their beliefs about business and consumers. The company has remained a front competitor in innovation by introducing new and improved products to consumers brought on by market changes. PG realizes that in a competitive market speed of research and development is a key element. Mr. Michael Allan, Director of Baby-Care stated to Mr. Pepper, CEO, It wont be the big that eat the small; it will be the fast that eat the slow (Pepper. 1999). Procter Gamble realized that the company needed to refocus their attention to continue to achieve a winning strategy to meet internal and external challenges. Leadership felt that their growth was to slow and their complexity was too high. Their objective became to build and create leadership brands globally better than ever before and to capitalize on the knowledge , capability and commitment of its employees. This will be achieved by simplification of the organization structure, minimizing processes, introducing technology and making strategic changes to their culture. SWOT analysis of your plans focus area(s): Strengths: Profitable Adaptability of Product Line to meet consumer needs. One of Procter Gambles strengths is it remain profitable in a struggling economy. It produces products that are personal care items that are necessities even in hard times. Procter Gamble 2009 annual report to investors shows it employed 102,000 employees in 80 countries and reported net sales $79,029 million (PG. 2009). The Board of Directors proposed a dividend of $1.64 per share for 2009 (PG. 2009). Since the corporation is profitable, they are able to invest these profits into acquiring additional companies that will add new products and services to its portfolio to focus on consumers needs. Weakness: Turnaround time for Research and Development products. Complexity of organization structure Currently research products take three to four years to develop and market. Given the consumer demands and competition this is too long and the company sales declined in 2009 compared to 2008. PG organizational structure is multi-tiered for each product line. Changing environment necessitates scale down of management positions and develop the hub and spoke structure for competitive intelligence operations. Opportunities: Global marketing New Products, improvement in existing products, manufacturing and marketing techniques. Procter Gamble has the opportunity to market products in emerging technologies. By positioning themselves in the development of new products and improvements to existing products they are at the forefront of technology development with vast opportunities for growth. This has the potential to lead to an increase in customers and raise profits. PG also has the opportunity to market their products in other international areas. Currently PG products are sold in 180 countries (PG. 2009). The corporate structure provides the framework to tap the benefits of a global organization with speed and efficiency. Threats: Ecological Factors Economic Factors Sales are dependent on consumer spending. When the economy is weak and consumers reduce spending, PG feels the impact. They must remain competitive with prices and offer diversification of their market line so they can maintain a financial balance. PG operations must remain compliant with governmental regulations concerning recycling and bio-degradable materials and other mandated ecological factors to preserve the environment. Goals: (3-5 years) Eliminate the overlap in management Initiate the hub spoke structure for competitive intelligence operations Expand sales of product line globally International expansion to markets with potential for growth and limited competition exits Decrease turnaround time for research and development products Customer responsiveness Product development cycles Product or service improvements Speed in delivery or distribution Develop open Innovation Strategy Emphasis on process innovation that permits low-cost product design, manufacturing methods and distribution Product cost reduction Long Term Objectives Support the business strategy, organizational principles and culture. Attract and retain required talent Accept financial responsibility to shareholders The goal of long term objectives is to support the business strategy as change is implemented. The strategy should be the reference point and link to the design and mechanics of implementation. Linking plan design to the business strategy generates employee motivation and buy- in to the changes being implemented which establishes the culture of the work environment. Attract and retain required talent ensures profitability and endurance. Position PG to be the employer of choice by offering attractive, competitive employment opportunities for long-term financial security across many global locations. Build a personnel structure that allows mobility as changes to organizational structure are deemed necessary. Remain profitable and supportive to shareholders by declaring yearly dividend on stock holdings. Strategy Analysis and Choice: Generic Strategy: Differentiation A long term strategy must be based on a core idea or generic strategy that gives direction to the company to strategically compete in the consumer marketplace. Differentiation for Procter Gamble involves creating unique products and marketing them to consumers by stressing their products qualities are superior to its competitors. This strategy defines loyal customers who will pay a premium price for their brand because they truly believe in the product. Marketing should be aimed at the qualities that set the product apart and above its competition. Grand Strategy: Concentric Diversification Grand strategies are the basis of coordinating and sustaining efforts toward achieving long-term business objectives by providing basic direction for strategic actions. Concentric diversification is a key grand strategy for Procter Gamble. It involves acquiring businesses that are compatible with PG in terms of technology, markets and products. According to Pearce Robinson, The ideal concentric diversification occurs when the combined company profits increase the strengths and opportunities and decrease the weakness and expose to risk (Pearce Robinson. 2010. P. 221). Plan Goals and Implementation: Procter Gamble should continue to monitor trends in the market and consumer requests for products and implement a corporate retrenchment strategy to enable them to expand their product line and to make their product available to other international locations based on market research. This can be implemented by PG conducting a stakeholder management survey. By hiring a global marketing information firm to conduct a stakeholder management survey, the information can be used to identify, prioritize and develop improvement initiatives in areas that needed improvement as identified by consumers. The survey would also provide geographical information on profitable areas to introduce PG products. An increase in research and technology operating budget will allow emerging technologies to continue to be developed and products readily available to consumers. According to Information Week, Procter Gamble management structure is reorganizing the companys current corporate structure is four geo graphic business units. The new structure will now be seven global business units based on product categories which is call the product team structure. The company is highly energized and moving forward with increased spending in Information technology (InformationWeek. 1999). Critical Success Factors: Critical success factors are the steps that the business, both management and employees, must take to bring the strategies into a reality. The factors may vary from time to time, but they must be addressed in order for the company to operate at optimal efficiency. . A critical factor for Procter Gamble is quality and innovation. The company must aggressively market new products and bring research technologies to customers quicker. Critical success factors are beneficial to companies as they provide focus and keep the employees and management going in the same direction. Another critical success factor is increasing revenues. A company must be profitable to be successful. Another factor is expansion of customer service. PG must be reachable when consumers have a question. Controls and Evaluation: Controls must be in place to evaluation success. Financial statements will validate if sales are increasing and profits are increasing. Forecasting is a vital control. A monthly and yearly projection should be made by management to project the sales of products by area. The evaluation would be done monthly to compare the plan to the actual units sold. This information will provide PG with marketing information for inventory qualities, product turnover and stagnant product lines. Conclusion Todays market is characterized by highly competitive organizations which are all vying for consumers loyalty. Firms are faced with the challenge to maintain their own competitive edge to be able to survive and be successful. Procter Gamble was built on the theory of touching consumer lives with brands that make life a little better every day. They continue to connect with consumers by offering affordable products and packaging specially designed to meet consumer needs. Procter and Gamble must maintain an innovative approach by introducing new products and re-facing existing product lines to compete and satisfy consumer demands, to allow them to remain profitable for the next one hundred-seventy three years.