Business Data Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Business Data Analysis - Essay Example The purpose of this report is to conduct the data analysis for the company’s business data analyst. In order to conduct this data analysis techniques such as sampling of data, finding out of the mean, mode, median , construction of histograms and other graphs, resolution of standard deviation and cumulative frequency upon samples of data would be implemented. The application of analysis techniques upon samples of data would enable the analyst to assess whether the company was prospering or not. The resultant of the analysis would also be an account of the future standings of the company if the present management strategies are maintained. The results of the data analysis would enable the analyst to suggest to the company’s ownership what course should their management strategies take in order to achieve maximum profits in the future. INTRODUCTION Laurel McRae, an experienced data analyst and strategic planner was assigned to conduct a comprehensive quantitative analysis based on statistical measures for Handy Hydraulics. Working for more than 20 years HH Industries has a long history of distribution. It started its operations as a family-owned business of the Douglas family, tracked down part sources, resold directly under the manufacturer’s name, or resold packaged individual parts into repair kits in its own name. During its initial five years business of the industry grew steadily; emphasis given on word of mouth and market niche. However, little marketing provided healthy startup for the organization. Its sales were limited within its headquarters Florida expanded to Alabama and Georgia by 1974 after it produced its first catalogue. Later in late 1970s and early 1980s the prospective customers spread grew up with the outreach of over 25,000 people by use of â€Å"Brute-force† marketing by the company. But this expansion couldn’t be controlled by the typical family-owned company, and Handy Hydraulics had to be sold to BMP e nterprises (the present parent company). Mr. Douglas remained its president on a contract of 3-years. Emphasis been paid on investing in opening warehouses in Arizona and Ohio in 1985 and 1986 respectively, but neglected the importance of increased competition, management strategies and new technologies, etc. Consequently business couldn’t gain from divestiture. Over the next three years significant changes were brought in when Hal Rogers took office of Handy Hydraulics in 1988 after the retirement of Mr. Douglas. Hal Rogers paid attention on sales, extensively high payrolls and operating expenses by closing the unfruitful walk-in parts counter, and installing toll-free customer order numbers and updating the company’s catalogue into a â€Å"throwaway† version with more concise representation of company’s products and finally changing the name to HH industries. It was essential that the effects of the steps by the new president be taken into account so th at analysis could be made about those decisions. In order to analyze clearly what effects would the changes produce on the industry’s current processes it was required that the data analyst should be able to produce analytical reports. These analytical reports would be made using all the raw data available with the company. Presentation of these reports to the higher management would enable them to decide future strategies. This is possible because the analytical report

BBC Facing Tide of Claims for Sex and Age Discrimination Essay

BBC Facing Tide of Claims for Sex and Age Discrimination - Essay Example This study discusses that figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show that in the past year there have been 12 cases brought by women alleging sexual discrimination at the corporation.This was up from nine in the year before and three in the year before that. There have also been a further three cases of ageism brought against the BBC by women in the last three years. The broadcaster refuses to say how many of these women it has given payments to stop an employment tribunal. But it is understood this has happened on several occasions in recent years and that is why these type of cases against the BBC have rarely if ever actually reached court. The decision to drop Moira Stuart as a TV news reader was one of the most controversial examples of perceived sexism and ageism at the BBC in recent years. This was followed by the decision to axe Miss Phillips.This paper outlines that presenters such as Selina Scott, Anna Ford and Kate Adie have also attacked the BBC's attitude towards older women amid accusations it shunts females off screen once they reach a certain age. In 2008 Miss Scott won a payout, believed to have been about [pounds sterling]250,000, from Channel Five after she said she had been offered a newsreading job only for it to be given to two younger presenters. Experts say the increase in cases could be because women have become emboldened to speak out against bosses or because the problems are actually getting worse.

Health Care Law (Obamacare) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Health Care Law (Obamacare) - Essay Example This paper will critically evaluate the impact of the new health care law (Obamacare). It will recognize the advantages and disadvantages of the law and its significance in nursing practice. The new health care law influences the insurance market rules. It affects both the public and private health insurances. Individuals get private health insurance by buying directly or through the employer. The public health insurance consists of Medicare and Medicaid. The concept of grandfathering is utilized to imply that the existing insurance policies would not be affected by new market rules. The act removed lifetime caps in all plans; this is inclusive of the grandfathered plans for all important health benefits stated in the law. The annual limits for group coverage and individual plans purchased after March, 2010 are prohibited starting 2014 (Marcovici, 2013). The health reform act restricts the percentage of income that should be paid in respect to health insurance. In addition, it gives subsidies to help with the buying of the health insurance. Moreover, it gives cost-sharing help to restrict the out-of-pocket expenditures. The increased premium and choice help ensures that coverage is affordable and available to medium income Americans. The uninsured population of New York is expected to qualify in premium aid and constitute eighty seven percent (Gokhale, Erickson & Lawrence, 2011). The Obamacare gives Americans a chance to seek medical care early and have access to the physician consultation. This would ensure that the diseases are identified early enough and are cheap to treat. This will cut down the cost incurred in treatment diseases. When more people are insured then, the cost of health insurance premium is reduced because the risks and costs are spread in a large population. In regard to employment, the health reform will ensure that the workforce is healthy that will result to fewer hours lost in absence and hence more productivity.

Isadora Duncan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Isadora Duncan - Research Paper Example Even St. Denis and Shawn were under the influence of Isadora in the use of Greek themes and symphonic music. They recognized that they tried to synchronize orchestra and chorus because Isadora did not try to do that. If she was not born on May 26, 1878, in San- Francisco, but somewhere in ancient Hellas, the priests would probably perceive her gift as an earthly incarnation of the muse Terpsichore. Live she not in agitated Europe at the beginning of the bloody XX century, today’s feminists would probably make her their tribune and role model. She was a real enigma. All her biographers were perplexed by a huge amount of mystical details, concentration of which in a life of a fictional literary protagonist could be the cause for critics to accuse a writer of propaganda of fatalism and artificiality of the plot. Are you the empty vessel or a fire flickering in the vessel? It was not said about her, but once a bright spark of divine fire illuminated her way in art, making famous A merican Isadora Duncan from a beginning ballerina. The fire that lit her way consumed her one day. On that day in May, when Isadora Angela Duncan was born, the mother of the future European star suffered two disappointments: the first sounds she heard recovering from childbirth were vehement cries of depositors of her husband’ bank. Joseph ran away with their savings God knows where. The first thing that the unhappy woman saw was her newborn daughter threshing air almost convulsively. â€Å"I knew that a monster is born, - she said to a midwife. The child can not be normal, she jumped and hopped in my womb and all this is the punishment for the sins of her villain father Joseph ...† She did not see dancing future and destiny in the first movements of the baby. However, despite the complete absence of the gift of foresight, she was able to bring up her daughter and three older children without any help of their phony dad and even gave them good education. Those efforts were not appreciated by little Isadora: being 13 years old, she left school and got addicted to music and dancing. Her first attempt to conquer Chicago ended with a complete failure, except for the first whirlwind romance with a fiery redhead seducer - Ivan Miroski, who burned her soul to such an extent that Isadora preferred to run away from the bitter happiness to Europe in a hold for transportation of livestock. Her perspective was uncertain. On the other side of the Channel her main rival, Mata Hari, was at the zenith of fame at that time. She has already found her creed in dance, undressing in front of the audience, mesmerizing it with Eastern pa. She was lucky enough to find a patroness in the person of the famous actress Campbell. Isadora spread her passion defending the idea that a dance should be a symbol of freedom, progress of natural grace, language of emotion, not a set of rehearsed gestures. Campbell, the queen of London salons, arranged her protege’s debut at a private reception, where presented her as an â€Å"exotic hors-d'oeuvre.† And that was the right decision - bold Isadora, dancing barefoot in a tunic, instead of a pack, copying much of ancient Greek plastic, saw delight in spectators’

Rising Costs of Higher Education Research Paper

Rising Costs of Higher Education - Research Paper Example The assistance has led to an increase in demand for higher education and the students have greatly enrolled for courses in the universities. The universities have taken an advantage of this and have increased the fees that students should pay for higher education with an argument that these students have money from these funds. Government funding to the institutions have also declined but the universities have not reduced their budgets. This means that the money will be extended to the students in terms of tuition and fees. Another issue is the lack of market discipline. Different departments in the institutions bloat their budgets so that they gain more power and get their work done. This has again led to the rise in the cost of higher education. Ineffective price competition among the institutions has also made a major contribution to the rise in the cost of higher education. Competition is also there where each institution wants the best lecturers and that means that they have to pay more. There are also government regulations that require the universities to pay some amounts of money to people like workers who construct buildings in the universities and pay some other fees in relation to research. This increases the costs of running the universities and eventually leads to increased fees on the part of the student. This paper will seek to analyze the different factors that have led to the rising costs of higher education. This research was done to identify the various factors that have led to the rising costs of higher education. In conducting the research, the following questions were put into consideration. What are the major causes of the rising costs on higher education What role do the universities play in the rising costs of higher education Does the government play any role in promoting the rise in the costs of higher education In answering these research questions, both primary and secondary sources have been chosen. One of the primary sources chosen is the book: Going Broke by Degree: Why College Costs too Much by Richard K. Vedder. This book tries to discuss different aspects of the reasons as to why the costs of higher education have risen. Some of the ideas that have been discussed here are the issues of government and other third-party provider funding where fees have been increased because the students are getting some funding from the government and other third-party providers. Competition issues have also been discussed where institutions are competing with their peers in terms of development and the money needed for development is extended to student fees. Government regulations have also been identified as a factor that leads to the rise in the costs of higher education in that the government regulations require the school to pay some money in areas such as research, construction, etc. The other issue discussed is the lack of market discipline where departments and deans will bloat their budgets so that they have some power and resources required to do their job. The other source used is a print PDF: Books and Manuals Application Briefs that identifies the factors that affect the rising cost of higher education. Some of the factors identified include: declining government funding where the government does not fund the education of students in universities fully and also does not support all the students who join these institutions, fierce

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 18

Report - Essay Example Instead, global issues of trade control their domestic economy. The trade between China and the United States in the year 2007 was standing at two hundred and six point six billion US dollars, and it declined to one hundred and forty-three billion two years later. This drop was due to the external demand that was shrinking in the wake of the financial crisis that was taking place globally (Kara 71). The United States companies that were operating inside China contributed approximately forty-four percent of these surpluses while other companies contributed about twenty percent. Most of the trade taking place between China and the United States is compensatory that account for almost sixty percent of the total trade between the two countries. Therefore, any slight increase in the Yuan may lead to a significant increase in the Chinese trade surplus, contrary to what is expected. From the yuan appreciation, China has been able to import more raw materials and equipment for its industries at relatively lower prices (Morrison 2013). The year 2005, the first year when the Yuan appreciated, the total value of exports significantly increased. The exports increased by twelve point five billion US dollars in the following year a year which Yuan appreciated by nearly three percent. On the side of importation, recent experiences are shocking for those who are seeking for reduction of the deficit through revaluation of the currency. The evidence that appreciation of Yuan is deterring the consumption of Chinese goods and commodities by the United States is not compelling. During the period when Yuan was strengthening from 2005 to the year 2008, the imports of United States from China shoot up by approximately ninety-four point three billion an equivalent of about four percent. This led to an increased in the inelasticity of prices affecting the consumers in the end. Choices in making the appropriate regime in exchange rates are

Managing Change in Complex Environment Essay Example for Free

Managing Change in Complex Environment Essay History and Background Introduction The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an independent government organization that generates income through mail services. It is currently the second largest civilian employer in the United States. Its primary task is to deliver mail around the country, at a standard price, regardless of geographic location. Over the last two centuries, the USPS has evolved into an efficient organization that financially sustains itself through its delivery operations. With a monopoly on the delivery of non-urgent mail, the USPS provides delivery service of about 40 percent of the worlds mail, or approximately 200 billion pieces of mail annually. Starting in the 1990s, the USPS faced increased competition from rival package delivery and courier services, as well as the Internet. Presently the USPS is facing a financial collapse. The USPS needs to undergo an essential and systematic change in order to maintain its significance in the 21st century. History/Background On July 26, 1775, members of the Second Continental Congress appointed a Postmaster General giving birth to the Postal Department of the United States. The mission of the U.S. Postal Department was much the same as today, process and deliver first class and non-urgent mail to individuals and businesses within the United States. Congress passed various laws that grant the post office a â€Å"statutory monopoly† on non-urgent First Class Mail and the exclusive right to put mail in private mailboxes. Although these laws grant the USPS a market advantaged they also restrict its ability to compete with rival package delivery and courier services, as well as the technological innovations. How it got started The Post Office Department has origins in America dating back to the 17th century, when there was a need for mail between colonial settlements and intercontinental exchange of information with England. In 1775, the Continental Congress named Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general and chairman of a committee empowered to make recommendations for the establishment of a postal service. On September 22, 1789 the post office became a new government branch of the United States. At this time there were 75 post offices and approximately 2,000 miles of post roads. The USPS was critical to national welfare and pivotal in facilitating communications for military, congressional representation and newspapers. From the very beginning, the USPS financed operations from revenue it earned and Congress gave it a monopoly to be the only courier service to deliver mail. Key points in evolution The main focus and the efforts of postal officials from the foundation of the Post Office to the present day have been finding the best methods of transporting information and directing mail. For example, in 1791 George Washington stated that that the importance of the postal routes had increased because the country wanted to distribute knowledge of governmental laws. Also, between 1791 and 1861, the U.S increased from 3.9 million to 31.4 million square miles and postal roads grew from 1,875 to 240,595 miles. The Board of Governors of the USPS sets policy, procedure, and postal rates for services rendered. Of the eleven members of the Board, nine are appointed by the President and confirmed by the US Senate. The nine appointed members then select the Postmaster General, who serves as the boards tenth member, and who oversees the day to day activities of the service as Chief Executive Officer. The ten-member board then nominates a Deputy Postmaster General, who acts as Chief Operating Officer, to the eleventh and last remaining open seat. The USPS is often mistaken as a government organization but it is legally defined as an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States. Environmental context The external environment elements that significantly influence the USPS are the United States political system, workforce unions, changing technology and market forces. United States Political System In 1970 the U.S. Postal Department evolved into the USPS through the implementation of the Postal Reorganization act. This act required the USPS to be a â€Å"self-sufficient organization within the U.S. Government†. It also added an additional regulatory body into its chain of command, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), but did not make any modification to the Postal Department’s Board of Directors or regulatory congressional statutes. The USPS Board of directors is charged with directing the USPS through the control of expenditures, reviewing practices, long term planning and setting policies and service standards. The PRC has 5 commissioners, appointed through the executive branch and confirmed by the Senate, who have the authority to reject, modify and approve any USPS initiated congressional recommendations. Since congress alone retains the authority to change USPS’ rates, service frequency and employee benefits, any market related changes from the Board of directors is routed through the PRC and congress for consideration. Pressure from Unions There are 4 unions representing around 90% of the USPS workforce: National Association of Letter Carriers, American Postal Workers, National Rural Letters Carriers Association and National Postal Mail Handlers Union. These organizations have successfully contracted collective bargaining agreements for its members for compensation and benefits that have come to exceed the USPS’ ability to maintain with its current revenues. These labor unions are very influential in weighing in on most of the decisions that affect the well-being of the USPS labor force. Presently USPS employees enjoy 79% coverage of their health care costs; the most of any federal agency. Strategic challenge Over the years the USPS has transformed its operating model and is now set up and mandated to operate like a business entity generating its revenue through the sale of postal products and services. The largest issue with the current business model of the postal service is its lack of flexibility essential for a business in a dynamic market. Specifically the USPS has not been able to organizationally adjust to a large decrease in the demand for first class mail service has resulted in decreasing net revenue in recent years. Congressional Influence The USPS congressional charter came with both benefits and operating constraints. Among the constraints the USPS is obligated to provide a uniform price for its services regardless of the geographic location and dispersion of its customer base. The USPS is obligated to deliver six days a week to every mailing address regardless of its mail volume. Additionally the USPS is required to provide free mailing service to the blind and facilitate voting for overseas military personnel. A significant amount of the USPS’ operating costs comes from its requirement to pre-fund retiree health benefits (RHB) for future retirees. Key Issues The USPS is suffering from the combined effects of declining mail volume from new technology and increasing labor costs resulting in a loss of net revenue. These declines are projected to extend into the future. The addition of a significant number of new addresses in the United States each year increases the USPS’ operating costs although volume is decreasing. Business Model While the USPS has enjoyed the benefits of the monopoly on first class letter mail services that congress has bestowed, it has a stagnant business model that prevents the USPS from being able to adapt in the face of technological innovation and other market forces that affect its bottom line annually. The major source of revenue for the post office is the postage it charges for first class and non-standard mail. The advance of modern information systems such as email, smartphones, online banking, and other digital communications decreased the demand for traditional mail services. Compounding this issue is the basic economic principle of supply and demand. New technologies offer cheaper substitutes for the services that the post office provides. Stakeholders Postal Workers – The USPS employs more than 500,000 employees making it second only to Wal-Mart as the nation’s largest civilian employer. While every employee is represented by a labor union, employees are legally restricted from striking. Labor Unions The USPS unions are old, influential and politically connected. Collectively, these unions continually fight for increased employee pay, living allowances and health care benefits. Postal Regulation Commission (PRC) The PRC serves as the middleman between the USPS board of governors and congress. The PRC can reject or modify requests before they reach congress for final approval. Congress Members of Congress exercise control over many aspects of the USPS operations including approving the markets for which it competes as well as representing the interests of its constituents whenever the USPS requests changes to its business model. Public Consumer One of the mandates of the post office is to provide mail service of all addresses. The number of addresses has increased by nearly 18 million nationwide in the past decade and continues to climb as the country recovers from the past recession. A vast majority of the consumers are congressional constituents to whom member of congress are responsible. Competitors The USPS monopolizes, via congressional mandates, the delivery of first class mail, non-urgent mail and small packages. As such it faces very little direct competition from other businesses. However, the USPS has seen significant decreases in its mail volume over the years. The decreased volume of mail is directly related to the global acceptance of technology and use of digital communications which displaced traditional USPS services. Market Forces The USPS full time workers cost the USPS 80% of its revenue. Although they still enjoy a monopoly on first class mail, they are in direct competition with smaller, more efficient, companies who deliver large packages and urgent letters. Strategies Used What it Does Now The USPS has improved its efficiency and effectiveness through both technology and reorganization. The USPS made significant investments in the late 1990’s in fuel efficient vehicles and new facilities as well as a $15 million advertising campaign to improve its image as a progressive and modern organization. A decade ago it took 70 employees one hour to sort 35,000 letters. Today in an hour, only two employees process an identical volume of mail. Though the number of addresses in the nation has increased by nearly 18 million in the past decade, the number of employees who handle the increased delivery load has decreased by more than 200,000 (Potter 2010a). It launched delivery confirmation service and priority mail in order to compete with competitors. The USPS now operates more than 31,000 post offices and the largest vehicle fleet in the world, with an estimated 218,684 vehicles. What They Want to Do Concerned with increasing costs and decreasing revenues, the USPS petitioned for the following changes: * Stop Retiree Health Benefits prefunding – in 2011 the prefunding amount exceeded net operating losses. * Retirement System Overpayment – In 2010 Government Accountability Office disputed overpayment freezing approximately $6.9 billion. * Delivery Frequency – Shifting from six to five days weekly delivery would save approximately $3 billion annually. This measure is supported by 75% of USPS consumer base. * Change prices – Mandates currently cap the USPS ability to adjust to market conditions dynamically. * Restructure labor costs – Current collective bargaining decision do not consider the USPS financial health yet mandate compensation and benefits to be paid at levels comparable with private sector organizations with the burden falling on the taxpayers. * Consolidate infrastructure – A proposal in 2009 to close 3,000 postal outlets to reduce excess capacity yielded only a closure of 157 following consumer complaints and congressional intervention. Part II Diagnosis Lewis (2011) states that the USPS’ problems are a result of a restrictive business model and its inflexibility to operate in a dynamic market place. As stated earlier, the USPS response to this problem is a direct plan to cut expenses and increase revenues to overcome their mounting deficit. Although this plan does address the USPS’ immediate insolvency concerns, it fails to address their underlying issues. Through the use of Senge’s system approach and the McCaskey’s Organizational Design model, this paper will expose USPS’ root problems. Strategic Issues/Strategies/Goals-Objectives The USPS’ strategic issues are a loss of revenue due to declining mail volume, extensive costs due to a bloated and expensive unionized-workforce and the use of an outdated-legislatively constrained business plan. Their proposed strategy to mitigate these issues centers on cutting their expenses, consolidating infrastructure, renegotiating labor cost/employee benefits and increasing rates. In addition, the USPS intends to evolve their business plan to incorporate technological innovations. This strategy aligns with their long term goal of providing a â€Å"trustworthy, dependable, reliable and secure means to communicate on a national level† (Lewis, 2011), by implementing a long term sustainable business model that promotes flexibility and economic growth in a dynamic market. Environment In FY11 the USPS’ total revenues were $65 Billion dollars while their total expenses were $75 Billion dollars. Under congressional law the USPS is required to be a â€Å"self-sufficient government agency†. Under this direction the USPS is obligated to cover its costs without government assistance. The USPS does this by generating revenues from a monopoly market while operating more like a private business then a government agency. Its government backed monopoly advantage comes with extensive congressional restrictions on rates, delivery procedures and labor benefits. The USPS’ monopoly restricts the direct competition in the delivery of first class mail, use of specific delivery routes and personal mailboxes. It does not protect the delivery of urgent mail and large packages. FedEx and UPS are direct competitors in this market and have a competitive advantage due to their efficiencies, technological innovations and ability adapt to market needs. Key Success Factors The USPS’ key to success is their ability to meet their customer’s needs, generate enough revenue to cover their costs , maintain the flexibility to adjust in a dynamic market and optimize a scalable infrastructure that facilitates the efficient and economic delivery of their services. Task Requirements There are multiple ways that mail is accepted into the delivery process. For the purpose of observing the USPS organizational structure, the simple method of customers placing the mail in their residential, or post office, curbside mailbox will be examined. In either case this process begins and ends with the customer sending or receiving mail at a mailbox. The mail item is received by the postal carrier, and then consolidated at the local post office, where it is inspected manually or automatically checked for correct postage. It is then routed to a hub for delivery to a particular region in the country. The mail is then sent to a final processing plant where it is sorted for the specific route for delivery. Finally the mail is sent to the distant end post office for delivery to the end customer. The mail is moved in a linear manner between each node in the process chain. Along the interdependency continuum of the USPS’ functional units we observed a sequential relationship. Throughout the process each entity produces an output that is a necessary input for the next link in the chain. The USPS’ key to success in this linear process is the secure delivery of mail for a nominal fee. For their part, the workers must be honest and ensure mail is properly safeguarded as it makes its way through each step in the chain. The workers only have to be ‘good enough’ for their specific task in the process. This means that there is very little incentive for them to innovate or make improvements to the process from within. Any efficiencies gained, in any one link in the process, are not readily propagated throughout because of the sequential nature of the process. Because of the nature of change within the organization, and the employee compensation structure, their only incentive is to maintain the status quo. This analysis is represented in the interdependency/coordination mechanism model below. The analysis shows a misalignment between the levels of interdependence between the functional units and the coordination mechanism used. The USPS coordinates through rules and regulations. Using the systems approach of focusing on successes rather than the failures of the organization, we compared the USPS current coordination level to its closest successful competitor, FEDEX. As depicted FEDEX has a coordination level that aligns with it level of interdependency. The preferred and optimal approach is to align the organization’s level of interdependency horizontally with the coordination mechanism. The USPS needs a higher coordination mechanism to match the current level of interdependence in order to facilitate efficiencies in the system. Process/ Systems Snowfall and showers may not be able to stop postal carriers from their appointed delivery routes, but their financial problems may halt at least 50% of all postal offices. The U.S. Postal Service, weakened by a public turning to digital communications, is down 22 percent in volume from just five years ago, a decline which is expected to continue, driven in part by rigid competition from carriers such as FedEx and UPS. The Postmaster General has responded with a list of cost-cutting proposals, such as eliminating Saturday delivery and closing up to 3,700 local post offices which would be replaced with automated centers operating out of local businesses. The Postmaster General has also proposed laying off as many as 120,000 workers, and pulling workers out of more costly federal pension plans. Pre-funding retiree benefits has cost the Postal Service $21 billion in the last three years. The underlying issue is that all those moves cannot be made without congressional approval. In order to make these immediate and dramatic changes, the Postal Service would require access to its own funds as well as the authority to act as its own corporation. The transition from a government ran entity to a privatized organization requires Congress to give the USPS flexibility to take action and make changes without all the bureaucracy. The below modified Senge Model (Limit to Growth) demonstrates how the USPS is constrained from making changes. In short, the USPS is limited by congress to making quick and reactive changes that focus on the problem rather than the underlying issue. Creating change and making it work are all resisted by a condition called the â€Å"Status Quo† and the USPS is no exception. USPS employees feel protected under the current unionized culture. They feel threatened by the prospect of losing benefits and are unwilling to pay the high personal price necessary for change. We have demonstrated that this change is necessary for the long term health of the organization. The real question is, â€Å"does the current status quo fit the new change requirements?† An organization in dire need to make radical adjustments to become current cannot be fixed with antiquated congressional imposed constraints. PART III Change Management Plan The USPS acknowledges its need to cut costs and increase revenue. It believes this will fix the problems. USPS starts to address this by taking reactionary measures, but fails to take the necessary steps to address the root issue. We argue that there is a more fundamental problem within the USPS organization which requires a systems approach to identify and solve. Senge says â€Å"it is impossible to change the system from inside the system.† By â€Å"complicating up† the USPS management structure we identify the core problem and faults in its system. Due to the short time needed to enact this change we propose a top down approach that pushes change while mitigating assumed employee resistance such an approach will generate. Our plan uses the Lewin and Kotter models to shape the USPS organizational transition. Through the Lewin model we identify a three phase approach to address changes that simultaneously focuses on employee and organizational issues. Throughout each p hase an information plan is propagated to employees to facilitate transition to the next phase. Conclusion The bottom line is that the USPS current costs of doing business outweigh its current methods of productivity. Without changing the strategic management model, the USPS will continue to lose revenue and be unable to react effectively to market demands. Its proposed cost cutting solutions only scratches the surface of the underlying problem of restrictions on organizational management and coordination. Our uses validated organizational change models. We justify our plan which uses the Lewin model and shows a close association to Kotter’s organizational change model. Our plan leads the USPS to long term success, maintains its relevance in today’s market and allows it to make appropriate changes through periodic reevaluations. References Lewis, T., Montgomery C., Shuler, J. , (2011), The US Postal Service , Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA. Senge, P., (1990), The Fifth Discipline, Doubleday Publishing, New York 15May 2012: http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2011/pr11_124.htm 15 May 2012: http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj31n1/cj31n1-9.pdf 19 May 2012: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/industries/Transportation-Communications-Utilities/United-States-Postal-Service.html