My lif is grand

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my life is soBNC National Diploma In Sport

Body In Action

Epoc Test (Excessive Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption)

Scenario

Write my Essay on My lif is grand

Newly appointed as an exercise physiologist, investigate the mechanics of fatigue and its effects on exercise using the cycle ergo meter in laboratory testing. You are interested in the recovery rate of prolonged exercise, and the effects of fatigue. Follow the experimental procedures prescribed, and maintain the protocols required for the experiment.

Procedures

A pre test questionnaire was given to each participant to see if they were fit to do the test, whilst the questionnaire was being filled in all the equipment was checked for faults. I had to abide by the laboratory procedures, rules and regulations that were explained to me by the tutor.

Method

The first thing we did was to adjust the bike ergo meter for the individual participants, when the bike was adjusted the participant started a -4 minute rest period. Expired air samples were taken throughout the test, starting with x -6 minute resting samples, when all the resting samples had been taken, the participant began to pedal at 1050 kg.m.min-1 (70 rpm with a work load of .5kg on the cradle). A record of the VE, %O, then the VO was calculated for all of the minute samples. We recorded at least five scores of 'steady state' samples as the VO scores levelled off before the participant was allowed to stop peddling. We continued to take expired air samples as the subject recovered on the bike; we stopped taking samples when the subject reached his/her resting level.

Equipment

Participants

Bike ergo meter

Gas analyser

Gas flow meter

Douglas Bags

Stopwatch

Heart rate monitor

Results table

Pen

Paper

At least three assistants

Calculations

The following equations were used to produce my results

· Work intensity (Kg.m.min-1) = Workload (kg) x One revolution (6m) x cadence (rpm)

· Work intensity (watts) = Kg.m.min-1 x conversion factor (0.16)

· VE (ATPS) = Volume of expired air (STPD)

(Collection time (mins) = L.min-1

· VO = VE {FIO FEO}

100 = L.min-1

Definitions

· Resting VO is the average VO value taken before exercise commences.

· Oxygen Deficit is the highest initial deficit from resting levels to 'steady state' exercise levels.

· Steady state exercise is the average VO during exercise when the demand for oxygen is aerobically met & maintained.

· Oxygen debt is the volume of expired air & utilised oxygen in the time after steady state exercise during recovery over and above resting levels.

Equation

good it goes like this have a nice day.

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IMPACT OF CORPORATE VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS ON AN ORGANISATION.

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CHAPTER ONE

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

The function of Leadership the number one responsibility of a leader is to catalyze a clear and shared vision for the company and to secure commitment to and vigorous pursuit of that vision. As we discussed earlier, this is a universal requirement of leadership, and no matter what your style, you must perform this function.

Why is visioning and mission statements so important? What exactly is a vision and a mission statement? And how do we go about setting them?

Help with essay on IMPACT OF CORPORATE VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS ON AN ORGANISATION.Answering these questions is the essence of this project work. The writer hopes to inspire its readers to put "catalyze a shared vision" as its number one priority.

I will present the "Collins-Porras Vision Frame work" a useful, concrete framework that removes the fuzziness that surrounds the topic yet, at the same time, preserves the magic or spark that's an essential quality of Vision. Throughout this project I will provide specific pointers on the process of catalyzing a shared vision, I'll like to provide you a quick snapshot of the overall structure that.

Figure 1.1

STRATEGY STRATEGY

TACTICS TACTICS

Figure 1.1 shows the basic flows you begin with Vision; move to strategy, and then to tactics. It also shows that vision is composed of three basic parts core values and beliefs, purpose, and mission.

I will explain each of these parts later in the chapter, and give many examples. But first I will explain why an organization should take on the challenging task of setting a vision.

Instilling an organization with a lasting corporate vision is a challenging task. As one manager told me, "By asking me to do this you're setting the bar at a very high level.

The purpose of this study therefore, is to ascertain the role which corporate vision and mission statements plays in the overall performance of an organization.

1. DEFINITION OF PROBLEM

The ability of organizations to formulate a clear strategy can be most tasking for the modern managers. And often times this puts to test the competencies and managerial capabilities of the leader of an organization.

There are thousands of pages in management literature written about strategy. Strategic Management is a required course at most business schools. Large consulting firms build client lists by selling "strategy solutions". There is good reason for this sound strategy is essential to attaining greatness.

But think for a minute about the word strategy. What does it really mean? Strategy is how one intends to go about attaining a desired end. It is the means to an end. Thus, it is wholly impossible to have an effective strategy unless you are clear absolutely clear about what the end point is. Strategy is a path to attaining your vision. Knowing how to get "there" is impossible if you can't articulate what "there" is.

Most companies let crises, firefights, and tactical decisions drive the company. We refer to this as "tactics-driving strategy". Vision should drive strategy and strategy, in turn, should drive tactics, not the other way around.

This may seem obvious and the reader may be wondering why the writer is harping on it. However, its practice is also extraordinarily rare. I've noticed that in my short career that in almost every company (including my present organization) with significant organizational problems, one of the root difficulties is the lack of a clear vision. As I write this thesis we have a group of consultants in-house at my company helping us out with a corporate vision. Meanwhile we have a strategy for the organization but no clear picture of what we hope to achieve or where we are headed. I hope the outcome of visioning going on in my organization right now will form the basis for a future work.

1. OBJECTIVE OF STUDY

Vision isn't necessary to make money; you can certainly create a profitable business without it. There are plenty of people who have made a lot of money, yet had no compelling vision. But if you want to do more than just make a lot of money if you want to build an enduring, great company then you need a vision.

If the historical evolution of great companies was examined closely companies like IBM, L.L. Bean, Hewlett-Packard, Mckinsey & Company, Sony, McDonald, NIKE, Disney among others you will find that at some point, while the company was still relatively small, key leaders instilled a compelling vision into the organization.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

In view of the great importance that a clear vision and mission statement plays in the overall performance of an organization and the last legacy the presence of such visions leave in an organization a sound and well articulated vision is a basic pre-requisite for an organization that desires to be great and stay above board.

This study will be useful to various managers and entrepreneurs of both big and small organizations who are saddled with the responsibility for steering the course of their businesses and ensuring the leave an institution that will survive them and stand the test of time.

Though these managers may be acquainted with visioning and mission statements, this study may add more to their knowledge of this topic or even raise questions which may create room for further research.

1.5 BASIS OF COMPARISON

In as much as one realizes that no attempt to compare the performance of business can provide absolute answers, however relative insight can be gained as the process of coming up with a Vision, Mission statement and a Strategy can vary from organization to organization.

It is therefore reasonable that comparisons should be made between companies with a clear vision and companies without a vision.

This writer believes is the only way the reader can fully comprehend and appreciate the impact that visioning makes on an organization.

1.6 SYNOPSIS

This work is structured in such a way that Chapter one dealt with the introduction of the research, objective and significance of study, definition of problem and also basis of comparison.

Chapter two dwells on the literature review and theoretical framework of the research.

Chapter three deals with research methodology focusing mainly on system of research.

Chapter four has its main thrust on data presentation and Analysis and finally chapter five is a brief summary, conclusion and recommendation.

REFERENCES

1. Vincent, D.R (18, March-April). Understanding Organisational Power.

Journal of Business Strategy, pp. , 40-44.

. Carlson, F.P (10, May-June). The long and short of strategic planning.

Journal of Business Strategy. pp. 11, 15-1

. Shapiro, B.P (188, November-December). What the hell is market-oriented?

Havard Business Review, 66, 11-15.

CHAPTER TWO

.1 LITERATURE REVIEW

Various researches have been carried out on the different aspect of this study, "Impact of Corporate Vision and Mission on an Organization". Among these researches are those done by Edward O. Welles, Harold Evans, Richard Barrett, Gregory G. Dess among others.

Richard Barrett (18), while writing on "Creating Vision, Mission and Values" recognized that a well-designed vision, mission and values statements are essential for building strong, positive corporate cultures and giving an organization a strategic direction and purpose.

The "Four Why's" process creates inspirational vision, mission and values statements that address the motivations of employees, customers and society-at-large. The vision statement describes how the organization will find fulfillment. The mission statement declares the organization's core business and sets out its intentions with regards to meeting stakeholders needs. The values create a code of behavioral principles that support the mission and vision and build a cohesive culture.

The "Four Why's" process offers several advantages over traditional methods

1. It separates the internal motivation from the external motivation of the organization. This gives greater focus and clarity to the mission and vision statements by specifically addressing the needs of the principal stakeholders e.g. employees, customers and society.

. It links every statement in a motivational chain. The internal mission and vision statements inspire employees. The external mission inspires customers. The external vision inspires society-at-large.

. The process allows every employee, division and department to develop mission and vision statements that are motivationally linked to the organization's vision and mission statements. Everyone can see how their mission makes a difference I serving the greater whole.

4. The values are chosen to support the internal and external motivations.

5. The vision, mission and values drive the process of building a Balanced Needs Scorecard.

Gregory G. Dess and Alex Miller in Chapter one of their book "Strategic Management" also threw some light on the impact of corporate vision and mission statement on an organization.

The writers went on to discuss Vision and Mission in details. The focus of their study was on strategy but with emphasis on how the presence of a Vision and a Mission statement affects the formulation of corporate strategies.

In the early phases of an organization, a company's vision comes directly from its early leaders; it is very much their personal vision. To become great, however, a company must progress past excessive dependence on one or a few key individuals. The vision must become shared as a community, and become identified primarily with the organization rather than with certain individuals running the organization. The vision must actually transcend the founders.

To illustrate this point, we like to use the powerful historical example of the founding and subsequent development of the United States. Instead of creating a country that depended on the continued presence on the then living leaders (Washington, Jefferson, Adams, et. Al.), the founders put in place a set of basic principles that would guide the country for centuries after their death.

In essence, the codified the vision of the country in the Declaration of independence and the United States Constitution. They thereby ensured that the future of the United States would come close to living up to their beliefs about how the country should run and, just as important, would not require the continued presence of these individuals.

The early leaders of America were smart by instituting the enduring principles of the constitution, they created the "glue" that would hold the country together even in the absence of a common enemy or the single "great dictator".

It's interesting to note that when Tom Watson, Jr. took over IBM from his father in 156, he had the constitution in mind when he took the top executives off-site to create the "Williamsburg Plan",.

In contrast, there is the example of Duncan Syme and Vermont Castings. Syme had a vision to make the best wood stoves in the world. He believed in this so much that he would personally stand on the production line to ensure that each stove met his exact standards. During the 170s, Vermont Castings became the fastest growing company in the wood stove industry, reaching sales of $million and margins as high as 60%.

Then, in the early 180's, Syme stepped away from daily operations and turned the company over to professional managers.

But her was a critical problem Syme's vision went into retirement with Syme. In his absence, the company lowered quality standards, diluted its traditional focus on wood stoves, reduced customer service and, pulled the company away from its original vision. Sales and profit growth flattened, the company lost its ability to bring out innovative new products, and many felt the company had lost its greatness.

Syme returned to Vermont Casting in 186 and got it back on track, reinstalling his vision and regaining the company's position as the premier wood stovemaker.

This time, however, he took an entirely different approach, as he explained to Inc. magazine. Instead of relying solely on himself to be the guardian of the "Vermont Castings Way", he began a process of ensuring that it was expressed in all operational decisions.

Creating a company with a vision rather than a company with a single visionary leader on whom everything depends, is difficult for some leaders. They like being the "visionary" the hero or great leader in whom everything depends. The truly visionary managers are those who make the vision property of the entire enterprise and instill it in such a way that it remains strong and intact well after the leader departs from daily operation.

. VISION

In strategic management, a vision refers to the goals that are broadest, most general, and all-inclusive. A vision describes aspirations for the future, without specifying the means necessary to achieve those desired ends. The most effective visions are those that inspire, and this inspiration often takes the form of asking for the best, the most, or the greatest. It may be the best service, the most rugged product, or the greatest sense of achievement, but it must be inspirational. As one observer puts it, "A vision must have an appeal to the emotions and aspirations of the troops but goes beyond the usual carrots and sticks.

If they are to inspire, visions must be communicated; often, to very large number of people. Communicating a vision takes place in two ways. The most obvious is the mission statement (which will be discussed later in this chapter). A less obvious, but perhaps an even better means of communication vision is through persuasive leadership. For example the behavior of the leaders espousing any particular vision will define what is meant by the terms used in a mission statement.

Bruce Merrifield, former deputy secretary of commerce, was convinced that small businesses, especially entrepreneurial high-tech firms were important to the US economy and that the department of commerce should actively seek to encourage their development. To explain his idea, Merrifield prepared three simple charts documenting the contribution of small technology firms to the US economy. In case he had an opportunity to talk about these points away from the office, he carried a smaller version of the same charts with him when he traveled. Managers, like Merrifield see that a critical part of their role is personal involvement in communicating their vision.

. MISSION STATEMENTS

A vision becomes tangible as a mission statement. Writing such a statement specifies a leader's beliefs about an organization and the directions in which it should move. It can also identify what is unique about the character of the organization.

Although they are still personal statements, not subject to any particlar rules regarding what they must include, mission statements usually attempt to answer several of the following questions

§ What is our reason for being? What is our basic purpose?

§ What is unique or distinctive about our organization?

§ What is likely to be different about our business to 5 years in the future?

§ Who are, or who should be, our principal customers, clients, or key market segments?

§ What are our principal products and services, present and future?

§ What are, or what should be, our principal economic concerns/

§ What are the basic beliefs, values, aspirations, and philosophical priorities of the firm?

.4 COMPONENTS OF CORPORATE VISION

A number of CEO's have told us that they can't seem to get their hands on what vision is. They've heard lots of terms like mission, purpose, values, strategic intent, but no one has given them a satisfactory way of looking at it that will transcend the morass of words and set a coherent vision for the company.

Out of this frustration comes, the Collins-Porras Vision Framework was developed (See Fig 1.1). Much of the material in this chapter is based on extensive research at Standford done by (Mcgraw.) and published in the article, " Organizational Vision and Visionary Organizations" (California Management Review, Fall 11). We need no go into all of the theoretical underpinnings and background research of the framework here. The essence of it is that a good vision consists of

§ Core Values and Beliefs

§ Purpose

§ Mission

Vision Component 1 Core Values and Beliefs

Core values and beliefs are where vision begins. Core values and beliefs ae like ether that permeates an organization its decisions, its policies, its actions throughout all phases of its evolution. Some companies refer to this as their "guiding philosophy".

They form a system of fundamental motivating principles and tenets precepts about what is important in both business and life, how business should be conducted, its view of humanity, its role in society, the way the world works, what is to be held inviolate, and so on.

The core values and beliefs come from inside you. You, as a leader of the company, imprint your personal values and beliefs about life and business through your daily actions.

And therein lies the crucial aspect of core values and beliefs they must be an absolutely authentic extension of the values and beliefs you hold in your own gut. You don't "set" values. The proper question isn't, "What values and beliefs should we have?" but rather "What values and beliefs do we actually hold in our gut?"

Example of Core Values from Johnson and Johnson

§ We believe that our first responsibility is to our customers.

§ Our second responsibility is to our employees

§ Our third responsibility is to our management

§ Our fourth responsibility is to the community in which we live. We must be good Citizens.

§ Our fifth and last responsibility is to our stockholders. Business must make good profit.

Vision Component Purpose

Purpose, the second primary part of a good vision, is an outgrowth of your core values and beliefs. Purpose is the fundamental reason for your company's existence-its ultimate reason for being. Your company's purpose dovetails with the sense of personal purpose that you and other members of the company hold deep within you, and thereby provides meaning to work.

A crucial aspect of purpose is that it's always worked towards, but never fully achieved, like chasing the earth's horizon or pursuing a guiding star. The enduring aspect of purpose is well illustrated by Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple and founder on NEXT

I don't feel that I'll ever be done. There are lots of hurdles out there, and there's always a hurdle that I'll never reach in my lifetime. The point is to keep working towards it.

A statement of purpose should quickly and clearly convey why your company exists, how it fills basic human needs and impact the world. A good purpose statement is broad, fundamental, inspirational, and enduring. It should serve to guide your organization for at least 100 years.

Vision Component Mission

Mission, the third key part of an effective vision, is a clear and compelling overall goal that serves as a focal point of effort.

To quickly grasp the concept of mission, think of the NASA moon mission as articulated by President Kennedy in 161

This nation should dedicate itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth.

Unlike purpose, which is never achieved, a mission is achievable. It translates values and purpose into an encrisp, clear, bold, exhilarating. It reaches out and grabs people in the gut. It requires little or no explanation; people "get it" right away. Once you reach the top, you sight again on the guiding star and pick yet another mountain to climb.

A good mission has a finish line-you must be able to know when you've done it, like the moon mission or a mountaintop. A good mission is risky, falling in the grey area where reason says, "This is unreasonable," and intuition says, "But we believe we can do it nonetheless".

.5 OBJECTIVES OF VISION AND MISSION STATEMENTS

There are several reasons why businesses write mission statements. Businesses write them so clients will know what type of business they are, so employees know what to expect from the business, or to direct future decision-making. Adrienne Lumpkin of Alternate Access, a business that helps companies that do business by phone be more efficient, believes that their mission statement is important for two reasons. Externally it helps position you with other competitors, it shows you where you fit in the market. Internally it keeps you on track and in focus. Its easy to get diverted by the latest opportunity and the mission statement keeps you on track and keeps you motivated, explains Lumpkin.

Recently, what is now Triangle United Way underwent what president Tom Dugard of the United States refers to as a marriage and needed to rewrite their mission statement to incorporate three counties. A mission statement helps us in dealing with donors, says Dugard. We needed a central focus on why we are doing what were doing. When a business is spread over a wide area, such as with banks, a mission statement gives the organization coherence. It casts in concrete the guiding principles and mission of the bank, so theres a uniform understanding, says Alex McFadyen, Jr., manager of communication for First Citizen Bank. Susan Fonville of Triangle Bank agrees that having a mission statement only directs the organization but serves the client as well. In the process of making decisions, we go back to the mission statement, she explains. Its a common way of doing business, if you stick to the mission statement, the shareholders will be protected and know what to expect. Most businesses that have mission statements agree that the importance of a mission statement lies in keeping the business focused and always productive. Cheston Mottershead, Jr., president of TCI, an organization that provides rehabilitation services for disabled individuals, says that the mission statement keeps his organization where it should be. Its like a guide post, a focal point in the distance, the direction we look at it changes but our focal point never changes, says Mottershead.

.6 BENEFITS OF CORPORATE VISION

The following are benefits of corporate vision

§ Vision forms the basis of extraordinary human efforts

§ Vision provides a context for strategic and tactical decisions

§ Shared vision creates cohesion, teamwork, and community.

§ Vision lays the groundwork for the company to evolve past dependence on a few key individuals.

REFERENCES

1. Edward O. W (1) " A shared vision" Business Leader Online, pp. -5

. Harold Evans (10, January February) Implementing the Vision The lessons

Learned. Planning Review, pp. 18,-44

. Richard Barret (186, Fall). What business are we really in? The question

Revisited. Sloan Management Review, pp. 5-6

4. Gregory G. D & Alex M Strategic Management. (United States Mcgraw Hill,

1), pp , 4-0

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

.1 SOURCES OF INFORMATION

The primary and only source of information for this study was through research into works done by various writers. From these writeup this writer was able to draw a conclusion.

.1.1 SYSTEM OF RESEARCH

The system of research for this study was based on written works by various write on this study.

.1. LIMITATION OF STUDY

This study was conducted based solely on researches carried out by other writers as stated above. It does not however mean that the writer drew her conclusion based solely on these researches. The writer was also fortunate to witness first hand at her current place of employment the impact the absence of a vision and mission statement can have on an organization.

Certain factors posed as limitations to this study. They are

1. The inability of this writer to lay her hands on works done on this study by Nigerian authors.

. At the time this research was being conducted various CEO's the writer wanted to interview were preoccupied and couldn't spare the time to discuss with her.

CHAPTER FOUR

RESEARCH ANALYSIS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, the information derived from various case studies will be analysed and a logical conclusion arrived at.

4. DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS CASE STUDIES

4..1 CASE STUDY 1 MIPS COMPUTER

MIPS Computer was founder in the mid-180s to capitalize on significant advances in computer technology. It had over $10 million of venture capital financing, state-of-the-art technology, and the promise of growing market demand for powerful computers. Yet, four years after its founding, it was in turmoil and on the brink of bankruptcy. Why?

MIPS had no clear idea of what precisely it was trying to do. It had no clear idea of what it wanted to become. Instead, the sales department blindly pursued every revenue opportunity, without asking the question what revenue opportunities make the most sense within the context of what we are trying to achieve?

This, in turn, drove R&D to develop (at great cost) a plethora of unrelated products, without asking the question how do these products help us attain our vision? MIPS leaders pursued joint ventures that severely limited the opportunity to distribute overseas, without market fit with our vision?

Of course the couldn't ask the question, as there was no clear vision. There was no clear vision. There was no focal point of united effort, and the organization gradually disintegrated into factions. Each faction blamed others for the perilous position of the organization. Morale declined. Good people left for better opportunities. Investors and customers lost confidence and, hence, cash flow went negative.

It took the leadership of a new CEO, Bob Miller, to save the company. Commenting on how he successfully pulled the company out of its malaise to a prominent position in the RISC Technology industry, Miller commented

"The most important question is what do you want to be five to ten years from now? The company never asked or clearly answered that question. That may seem simplistic, but posing that question was the basic solution. Only then could we make good strategic decisions".

4.. CASE STUDY THE UNITED STATES WAR IN VIETNAM

In terms of tactics and logistic, the United states Army was successful in Vietnam. Over a million Soldiers a year were transported to and from Vietnam, and they were sustained in the field better than an army in history.

In tactical engagements, the army had an extraordinary success rate, with enemy forces thrown back with terrible losses in engagement after engagement. Even so, it was North Vietnam that emerged victorious. How could the United state have succeeded so well, yet failed so miserably?

The reason was quite simple. The confusion over objectives had a devastating effect on the United States ability to conduct the war. The principals never defined either the mission or the number of troops. It seems incredible in retrospect, but it was the truth. Hence, there was no clear demonstration of what the strategy would be. Without this clarity of aim, it would have been absolutely impossible to even have a strategy in the first place.

4.. CASE STUDY STRATEGIC SOFTWARE, INC

Founded in 176 with no outside venture financing, Strategic Software's founders were dedicated to building a company that would provide excellent software products, financial stability for employees and owners, and a stimulating work environment. For the first seven years, employees and managers worked twelve-hour days in tiny cubicles. "It was us against the world" explained one of the founders. "We were a great team then".

Gradually, year-by-year, the company attained financial success (reaching $5

Million in annual revenue with healthy profit margins) and a stable customer base. In 18, it moved to a prestigious office complex with modern sculptures, perfectly manicured green lawns, water ponds, thick carpets, handcrafted cherry-wood furniture, and its own parking lot.

Then the whole place fell apart. What happened, of course, is that the organization had fulfilled its firs big mission (to reach a point where survival was no longer a question). It seemed like there was nothing more to work for. It had arrived. Its leaders should have created a new mission, but they didn't. And the organization stagnated, eventually putting itself up for sale.

REFERENCES

1. Gregory G. D & Alex M Strategic Management. (United States Mcgraw Hill,

1), pp 11-1

. Harold Evans (10, January February) Implementing the Vision The lessons

Learned. Planning Review, pp. 46-48

. Carlson, F.P (10, May-June). The long and short of strategic planning.

Journal of Business Strategy. pp. 1

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS.

5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

I would like to dispel the myth that setting a vision requires that you be should somehow with almost mystical or super-human charismatic visionary qualities. To believe this myth, every organization would need a CEO who is a cross between Churchill, Kennedy, and Martin Luther King. Indeed, many managers respond to the notion of vision by thinking, "It's not for me. I don't fit the stereotypical mold of a visionary."

But it is for you, no matter what your style or personal magnetism. Charisma's role in setting vision is vastly overrated. Some of the folks that have instilled extraordinary vision in companies didn't bowl us over with charisma. Bob Miller of MIPS, Bill Hewlett of HP, even Abraham Lincoln doesn't fit the stereotype of charismatic visionary.

The task before you is not to be a single charismatic individual with a vision. The task is to build an organization with vision. Individuals die; great companies can live fro centuries.

5. RECOMMENDATIONS

Corporate vision provides a context within which people at all levels can make decisions. The importance of this cannot be overemphasized.

A shared vision is like having a compass and distant destination in the mountains. If you give a group of people a compass and destination, they will probably figure out a way to get there.

They may encounter obstacles, detours, bad turns, and side canyons along the way. However, with the general directions of the compass, a clear end-goal, and the belief that they are working towards a worthy destination, they will probably reach the target.

In contrast, companies without a shared overall aim have no context, and their people wander aimlessly in the side canyons and take detours to nowhere. Such companies resemble overworked fire departments, with people responding to crises and revenue opportunities as they emerge, rather than proactively making decisions within a coherent conception of what the organization is ultimately trying to do.

Corporate vision forms the foundation that directs all the activities, policies, and objectives of the organization. It defines in clear terms the business of the organization as stated in the mission statement. This forms the basis for channeling all the resources of the organization.

5. CONCLUSION

The writer does not mean to imply that vision is necessary only if you want to become big. It is understandable that a company might want to remain a small company. If that's what you want, then you still need a vision. Why? Because if you're good, there will be opportunities to grow. The only way to remain small or big if that's what you want is to have a clear vision about what you want the company to be in the first place.

All organizations need to ask themselves where they intend to be X years from now. Only then can they make good strategic decisions. Strategy is impossible without first setting a vision.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mean to imply that tactical excellence (as illustrated in the Case study of the United States Vs. Vietnam) is unimportant. It's essential, but it should be within the context of a clear overall vision. Vision, then strategy, then tactics.

REFERENCES

1. Richard Barret The power of Purpose (London Macmillian, 18), pp. 10-15

. David K. Hurst Crisis & Renewal Meeting the challenges of Organizational

Change (Havard Business School Press, 15), p

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A significant experience

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A significant experience

Just as some background information, I am a very clumsy person, not withstanding this anecdote. One occurrence at the gym, after a good, full workout lifting chest, biceps, triceps, back, and shoulders, I felt like finishing a good workout with a hard run. I jogged to the locker room and grabbed my CD player. Returning to the treadmill area I tried to find an open treadmill because most were already in use. I picked one of the usual, basic treadmills and put my CD player on the small shelf area the treadmill had and started it and began to run. At first, I had a good, constant pace, but soon after a minute I decided to pick up the tempo. Now I had been jogging for about four good minutes and had a comfortable run going, when suddenly my CD player fell from the shelf. Unfortunately, when my CD player fell off the little shelf area my first intuition was to stop and pick it up. This wouldn't have been a bad idea had I not been on a treadmill. The instant I stopped to pick up my CD player, my legs were taken quickly out from underneath me. This caused me to land on my face with a tremendous thud followed by me finally gliding off the treadmill, as its belt kept moving. I got up from the ground, physically fine, but with a massively hurt pride. So I did the only thing I could do to make it look natural and not like an accident picked up my CD player, stood up and wiped my knees off, stopped the treadmill, placed the CD player back on the rack area, and started running again. A good intuition should have said, "You're on a treadmill, you can't stop running to pick up your CD player. Stop the treadmill, then get it." I'm lucky enough to have a bad intuition that makes me decide to stop on a moving treadmill, but through it all, I have a good sense of humor and also I've learned from my mistakes. Honestly, experiences like this are the most important because when the pride is hurt, it takes real intestinal fortitude to see if one can handle the pressure or if one will crack. I have a strong inner-sensation of pride, but I also have the ability to realize my imperfections and mistakes and to correct them so I can better myself. Furthermore, in being able to tell such a story shows a great amount of self-confidence since I'm telling complete strangers one of my more embarrassing moments. This may seem like a trivial event in life, but it taught me to be more self-confident and that everyone makes mistakes, it's just how we react to them that matters. Throughout it all, the experience made me a better person; such a small event taught life lessons I've benefited from greatly.

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Florence Nightingale

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Florence Nightingale is very famous for her work as a nurse during the Crimean War, a hospital

reformer and a humanitarian. However, what is less known from this British woman is her love

for mathematics, especially statistics. Named after her hometown, Nightingale was born in Villa

Colombia in Florence, Italy, on the 1th May 180, she was raised, by her parents, William

Custom Essays on Florence Nightingale

Edward Nightingale and his wife Frances. She had an older sister named Panthenope. Florence

was raised mostly in Derbyshire, England and received a thorough classical education from her

father, she loved her lessons and loved to study. Thanks to her father, Florence became reading

classics, Descartes, Aristotle, the Bible and political matters. He also taught her Greek, Latin,

French, German and Italian.

In 1840, she begged her parents to let her study mathematics instead of "worsted work and

practising quadrilles".But Frances, her mother didn't approved it and her father thought that it

will be better is she studied subjects more appropriate for a woman. After many arguments, her

parents gave her permission to be tutored in math. She studied with Sylvester, who developed the

theory of invariants. She was said to be Sylvester's best pupil. They studied arithmetic, geometry

and algebra.

Florence was interested in social issues, and had the necessity to help. She had the idea of

gaining some medical experience, but her family was completely against it. In those times,

nursing wasn't a suitable profession for well educated woman, becaus of the lack of training

and bad reputation of being ignorant and promiscuous. In 184 she went abroad to study the

European hospital system, and in 1850 she began training in nursing at the Institute of Saint

Vincent de Paul in Alexandria, Egypt, which was a hospital run by the Roman Catholic Church

In March, 1854, the Crimean War began. Reports soon begin appearing in newspapers about the

disgraceful conditions being endured by the sick and bloody British soldiers. Florence

volunteered at once and was eventually given permission to take a group of thirty-eight nurses to

Turkey. Florence found the conditions in the army hospital in Scutari. The men

were kept in rooms without blankets or decent food. Unwashed, they were still wearing their

army uniforms that were stiff with dirt and gore. In these conditions, it was not surprising that

in army hospitals, war wounds only accounted for one death in six

Military officers and doctors objected to Florences views on reforming military hospitals. They

interpreted her comments as an attack on their professionalism and she was made to feel

unwelcome. Florence received very little help from the military. In 1856 Florence Nightingale

returned to England as a national heroine. She had been deeply shocked by the lack of hygiene

and elementary care that the men received in the British Army. Florence therefore decided to

begin a campaign to improve the quality of of nursing in military hospitals. Using her statistics

and math education, she illustrated the need for sanitary reform in all military hospitals. While

pressing her case, Florence gained the attention of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as well

as that of the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston.

Florence founded the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses at Saint Thomass Hospital in

London. The opening of this school marked the beginning of professional education in nursing.

For most of the remainder of her life Nightingale was confined due to an illness contracted in the

Crimea, which prevented her from continuing her own work as a nurse. This illness did not stop

her, however, campaigning to improve the health standards, she published 00 books, reports

and pamphlets. One of these publications was a book titled Notes on Nursing (1860). This was

the first textbook specifically for use in the teaching of nurses and was translated into many

languauges.

In later life Florence Nightingale suffered from poor health and in 185 went blind. Soon

afterwards, the loss of other faculties meant she had to receive full-time nursing. Although a

complete invalid she lived another fifteen years before her death in London on 1th August,

110.

http//www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/

http//www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/nitegale.htm

http//www.geocities.com/~bread_n_roses/nightin.html

http//womenshistory.about.com/library/qu/blqunigh.htm

Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia

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Anorexia

If you order your research paper from our custom writing service you will receive a perfectly written assignment on anorexia. What we need from you is to provide us with your detailed paper instructions for our experienced writers to follow all of your specific writing requirements. Specify your order details, state the exact number of pages required and our custom writing professionals will deliver the best quality anorexia paper right on time.

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Anorexia Nervosa is a dangerous and deadly disease. Doctors define it as the failure to make expected weight gain during a period of growth, leading to body weight less then eighty-five percent (85%) of that expected, (http//www.edrefferal.com/anorexia). There is usually a psychological problem attached to eating disorders. Anorexia can lead to extreme weight loss, malnutrition and even death (The American Medical Association, Family Medical Guide p. 710).

Anorexia Nervosa is split into two subtypes, Restricting type and Binge-eating (purging) type. Restricting type is the most common type of Anorexia. Restricting Anorexia is when the individuals consume almost no food, but are compulsive exercisers1. Binge eating or purging is when the individual consumes fatty high calorie foods, but soon after consumption they will flee for the bathroom to regurgitate all the food that they previously ate. They may also abuse laxatives. Though this disease is found in only 1 out of ,400 adolescent girls and boys, but studies show 0 5% of them are females (http//www.edrefferal.com/anorexia)

As medical studies show most victims of Anorexia show extreme sensitivity about their outward appearance, fear of eating the smallest amounts food or even the site of it because they fear they believe they will become overweight (http//www.edrefferal.com/anorexia). When an anorexic victim looks at him or herself in the mirror they see the exact opposite of what they actually are in their reflection. For example, an average 15-year-old female should weigh about 105 to 110 pounds. Suppose this girl only weighs 0 pounds due to her eating disorder when she look in the mirror she perceives herself as a supposedly obese person. When she looks in the mirror she sees this distorted figure, which causes her to starve herself further and further until she is either hospitalized or dies of malnutrition4 (The American Medical Association, Family Medical Guide p. 710).

The question is what causes a person to want to mutilate their body like this? Doctors and researchers all agree that there is no way to tell exactly what causes a person to become anorexic, they have discovered, there is one general factor that is most likely to be linked to the majority of eating disorders; the psychological mind set of the person. They state that one of the leading causes of girls having this disease is due to the emphasis put on thinness and beauty in the Western and Southern societies. Also the media plays a large part in the emphasis put on beauty by displaying stick thin models on the covers of magazines and flyers. Now this is the more commercial reason, but doctors have found a deeper reason of why anorexia occurs, the psychological well being of the victim has. Anorexia maybe their escape from problems at home. Whether it is physical, emotional, or sexual abuse at home or the loss of someone close to you. In some cases, too much pressure maybe caused by the people at home, depression may occur too. Just as people smoke to escape form stress, teenagers use anorexia to escape stress. They do this because they are so busy counting calories and paying attention to their looks, they forget all about the stress and pressure in their environment around them (http//encarta.anorexia nervosa.msn.com).

Custom Essays on anorexia

Right now there could be a victim of anorexia sitting next to you, and you may not even know it. It could be someone close to you; a family member, a best friend, or another relative. There are dozens of symptoms that doctors use to detect anorexia in a person, but there are a few extremely important ones. For women some symptoms maybe, an absent or irregular period, loss of scalp hair, constant exercising, mood swings, and denial of hunger. Mood swings may vary from, depression, irritability and sleeping problems. Though men don't commonly to have this disease there are still some symptoms doctors and loved ones can look for. They basically show the same symptoms as women do, except they will not cut their food up into tiny little pieces instead they resort to purging themselves. However, they do lack of a sexual drive (http//familydoctor.org/handouts/06.html). When anorexics cut their food into tinier pieces it makes it easier for them to dispose of it secretively without getting caught. Certain attributes in anorexics can explain some of the symptoms, such as perfectionism, introversion5, low self-esteem, a need for control, a problem in communicating with others, and expressing their feeling thoughts and emotions. Perfectionism is probably the leading attribute to anorexia because this means that the person believes everything must be perfect in every way. This includes their grades, appearance, and environment. Introversion is a big red flag that something is wrong. An anorexic basically gets over involved in many activities so he/she has no time to eat or think about food (http//familydoctor.org/handouts/06.html).

As you have read anorexia is a mental illness, and is usually treated with years of psychotherapy6 and months in rehabilitation centers. There a numerous ways and cycles of psychotherapy, the one the doctor chooses waivers one how serious the problem actually is, and whether it is early in the disease or too late. For a less severe case the person will go to a therapist for awhile but still live at home. He/she, will however, also attend meetings and a before returning home go to a rehabilitation center for a couple of weeks. An anorexic will also be put on medications, such as anti depressants and a variety of vitamins. At therapy they will go to classes where they learn how to except their bodies, and they are forced to eat full meals. Then there are inpatient programs. They are programs for the more severe cases of anorexia. This is when the patient stays in the hospital for their recovery. During therapy they learn about how to control a healthy diet, family sessions where they are treated for family problems so any type of pressure or stress is relieved. Anorexic's are also treated for abuse, and low self-esteem. After they are released from the hospital they must attend sessions where they continue their therapy for a few more weeks depending on their condition (Encarta 8 CD-ROM).

Anorexia is a very serious disease that is extremely dangerous to its victims, and is not a disease that can be taken lightly. Though very little is known about the prevention of Anorexia there are some steps you and your family can use to hopefully prevent any of your family members to avoid anorexia. Try to create a stress free environment for you children and emphasis health but being model thin. If u still think this is not a serious matter here are some statistics Almost 5% of people diagnosed with anorexia have the obsessive-compulsive disorder7. This means anorexia can be linked to many other mental illnesses. Here are some realistic numbers that show a mathematical time line of the diagnoses and recovery. Out of the girls estimated with anorexia, 4% recover, 0% improve their situation, and then 0% of the girls have a chronic eating disorder (Encarta 000)

Now that you know how serious anorexia is if you have any questions you can contact these sources for more information on this disease.

ANAD @ http//www.anad.org

EDAP @ http//www.edap.org

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NETWORK DESIGN

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Acme Company is a worldwide company with offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Miami, London, Frankfurt, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. Acme Company develops audio and video special effects for the entertainment and advertising industries. In Los Angeles, the corporate office, there are twenty-five people six in accounting, two in sales, five executives, and eight in administration. The Chicago office has four people two inside sales and two outside sales. The New York office has five people three inside sales and two outside sales. The Miami office has four people two inside sales and two outside sales. The London office has five people three inside sales and two outside sales. The Frankfurt office has three people one inside sales and two outside sales. The Tokyo office has five people three inside sales and two outside sales. The Rio de Janeiro office has five people as well one in marketing, two in sales and two designers.

We are updating on designs and implementations of our networks for the new millennium, which include telephony, computers to handle our constant stream of multimedia between our offices. ACME has servers in the Los Angeles, New York, London and Tokyo offices, and all locations have Internet access and full telephone services, such as voice with conferencing and speed dialing.

Help with essay on NETWORK DESIGNBusiness Problems

Companies are constantly growing and moving forward with changes in the entertainment and advertising industries. Companies expand with increase in customer base, increase in personnel, increase in sales and demands, and increase of operating hours. The network structures are constantly changing to reflect and to accommodate company growth.

Either more storage space has to ease the increase in customer database, or more help provided to give the customers what they want. Research has shown customers' demands and designs relates to increased sales. Businesses have been changing from standard 'eight to five' to 'always-open', 4/7 to serve customers worldwide.

Higher number of transactions, higher volumes of data transmitting back and forth between offices placed companies at risks for virus attacks as well as hackers unauthorized entrance into a company's network making it vulnerable. Adding Virtual Private Networks and firewalls to the paths between the Internet and its Intranet helps to protect important company information. By issuing more back-ups to smaller offices will lower downtime if disaster hits. Transferring data simultaneously to hot-sites, or a third party site such as Iron Mountain, will lower down time as well. Finally, setting up mirror image sites for disaster recovery in areas like Los Angeles and Japan would counter their natural disaster pattern.

ACME took some measures to make its network secure, such as adding symbols, numbers and letters into the equation as passwords for employees.

Overview Voice Network

No matter what line of business you are in and no matter how big or small your business may be, the telephone system is vital to a company's success. It has to be simple and reliable, so that the business doesn't have to spend unnecessary time and money taking care of it. And it has to be flexible so it can adapt to the needs as each business grows and changes. A PBX and a Centrex are the proposed solutions for this company.

In choosing a PBX, the company had to make one of the most important business decisions that a company would have ever had to make, one that would directly impact employee productivity and the business overall. Centrex is a powerful, flexible communications system which can be tailored to fit the calling needs of each office and then change as your business grows. It's like having all the benefits of an advanced flexible phone system, minus all the investment, maintenance and headaches that go along with owning and managing your own system.

ACME has eight different offices that span across the globe. Each of the offices must be able to communicate via dialing a four digit extension or by direct dial. The Los Angeles office has been setup to use a PBX which will be the central host for all internal inbound calls. The PBX is connected to the Public Switched Network which has a direct connection to the outside world. Each of the other offices is either connected via a Point to Point ATM or a T connection. The type of connection is a dedicated line for each of the offices. London, Frankfurt, New York, Miami, Chicago, and Tokyo have been setup to use a Centrex in every individual office that is directly connected to each internal LAN in which all internal calls are routed via VoIP and routers.

Data Network Overview

Throughout each of the offices, depending on its needs, have certain requirements in order to function as a well oiled machine. Each office has a different setup because of the amount of people and its role that it plays for the company. Each of the eight will be discussed in further detail as to show how each is setup.

The overall WAN for the company has been interconnected by high speed data lines that are capable of transmitting 5 MB of information in just a short amount of time. Each of the following offices; Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, and Frankfurt have been interconnected via the use of ATM. Every office has been setup for a 4 hour/7 days a week setup. In order to provide this type of service, dual ATM lines have been installed; one on a different MPOE to provide such redundancy. One of the two ATM lines that connect each office is the primary line and the other is a backup line that can be utilized in the event of an emergency outage. Each of the lines has a different service provider to ensure constant connection and reliability. Four of the eight offices that service the company, Chicago, Miami, Rio, and London are sales offices that are setup via a high speed T connection to a major hub of the WAN. The sales offices have a similar setup that can almost be mirrored to the larger offices. Each has a smaller scaled version of the larger offices. The four sales offices have been setup to be nearly maintenance free by providing dual T lines from two different carriers to each of the offices. With each of the offices now interconnected, they can show in detail how to justify and show cause for why each of the offices is connected in this fashion.

The Los Angeles office is the headquarters for the company where all traffic and all major transactions for the company take place. The Los Angeles office consists of fifty seven people. There are five people in accounting, two in HR, two in IT, ten Executives, one in legal, two in marketing, ten in sales, and twenty five in Graphic Arts.

In order to meet the needs of this amount of people, the network for the office has been arranged and configured in such a way as to provide the highest possible speed and with redundancy. Each of the workstations has been configured to utilize a gigabit Ethernet card and each is connected to a gigabit switch. Each of the servers in this facility has also been configured with a gigabit also in order to prove the highest possible transfer rate between server and workstation to allow large files to be transferred. Because of the amount of people and the size of the building, two server rooms were setup to provide service for both parts of the building. In order minimize the amount of bottlenecks between server rooms, a fiber line was run to connect each part to keep the network from slowing down at any given time. With the amount of critical information floating around the company via the network, a firewall has been setup to secure and block unnecessary traffic from the other offices and from the Internet also. The servers that are located at these sites handle data storage, email, the Intranet, accounting information, and basic network functions such as DNS, WINS, and DHCP for the clients. The data is backed up and off-sited by another company for safe keeping. The on-site intranet is managed and maintained here on this site. The data from this server is replicated to other intranet servers in Tokyo and in London to provide a redundancy and backup in the event that systems were to go down. Because each office has sales people with laptops the office has been setup with a VPN router to allow sales people to dial up and communicate with the other offices via email.

Tokyo, London, New York City, and Frankfurt are setup quite similar but are a reduced version of the corporate office because of the amount of people. Each of the offices internally are connected using gigabit equipment, have high speed internet connections with a firewall protecting each office. London because of available IT staff can backup and off-site backup data at their facility. The other sales offices such as Rio, Chicago, Miami, and Frankfurt do not have such a high speed and redundant setup. Because of the amount of people, this did not justify the reasoning for setting up such a network but could be considered, but only if the company were to grow in the future.

The types of protocols used within this company vary depending on what equipment and software utilized. All network workstations, servers, and routers use TCP/IP to communicate with each other internally. Because of how each of the offices is setup across the WAN, each router must be configured to use Routing Interface Protocol (RIP) to propagate table changes and IP over ATM to communicate over this type of medium to send data back and forth to the various offices. In order to use email each client must use the SMTP and TCP/IP protocol to receive email from the email sever. The internet and intranet servers host internal and external websites that must use HTTP, FTP, HTTPS to communicate to each of these clients. When each of the client workstations logs into the network Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to issue IP address and other information to each of the clients. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is installed and utilized on each server and router to monitor the current status of each piece of equipment.

Network Security

Transit security and traffic regulation are two basic methods for network security. The Virtual Private Networks and Packet Level Encryption are options for transit security. Firewalls are widely used for traffic regulation.

When the offices send company information across networks, the information is of high value to their destinations, and if it were intercepted by an unauthorized recipient it would raise flags for the company to prevent these problems from occurring. Unfortunately, connecting systems to networks could open the system itself up to attacks. If a system is compromised, the risk of data loss is high. Therefore, ACME needs to find options to make networks secure. It can be useful to break network security into two general classes one method used to secure data as it transits between networks, and another to regulate what packets are allowed into the network. While both significantly affect the traffic going to and from a site, their objectives are quite different.

Several methods are available to encrypt traffic between a few coordinated sites. For transit security, two popular options are Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and Packet Level Encryption. Given the considerable expense in private leased lines, many organizations have been building VPNs. These provide the ability for two or more offices to communicate with each other in such a way that it looks like they are directly connected over a private leased line. The session between them over the Internet is private, and the link is encrypted and convenient for offices receive each other's internal resources without showing company information to the rest of the world. A virtual private network is implemented at the lowest levels of the TCP/IP protocol that are using an existing TCP/IP connection. The advantages of VPNs are to allow private address space for more machines on networks as well as to allow the packet encryption or translation overhead to decrease the load placed on production machines with dedicated systems.

The other option would be Packet Level Encryption, which encrypt traffic at a higher layer in the TCP/IP stack. The advantages are that the processor overhead dealing with a VPN is eliminated, inter-operability with current applications is not affected, and it is much easier to compile a client program that supports application layer encryption than to build a VPN. It encrypts traffic at essentially any of the layers in the IP stack. It provides fairly transparent encryption to most network applications particularly at the TCP level.

It is important to note that both of these options could have performance impacts on the hosts that implement the protocols, and connect those hosts on the networks. The relatively simple act of encapsulating or converting a packet into a new form requires CPU-time and uses additional network capacity. Encryption can be a CPU-intensive process, and encrypted packets need to be padded to uniform length to guarantee the robustness with some algorithms. Lastly, both options impact on security are related, such as address allocation, fault tolerance and load balancing that needs to be considered before decision-making.

For traffic regulation, it is the most common form of network security on the Internet today. It regulates closely to which types of packets could move between networks. If a packet has malicious intention to a remote host, it would never reach to its destination, so the remote host will be unaffected. Traffic regulation provides screening between hosts and remote sites commonly with routers, firewalls and hosts.

In order to provide some level of separation between the organizations Intranet and the Internet, firewalls have been employed. A firewall is simply a group of components that collectively form a barrier between two networks. They are often a combination of routers, network segments, and host computers. A number of terms specific to firewalls and networking are going to be used throughout this section, so lets introduce them all together.

Bastion host A general-purpose computer used to control access between the internal (private) network (Intranet) and the Internet (or any other untrusted network). Many of the general-purpose features have been turned off, and in many cases, completely removed, in order to improve the security of the machine.

Router A special purpose computer for connecting networks together. Routers also handle certain functions, such as routing, or managing the traffic on the networks they connect.

Access Control List (ACL) Many routers now have the ability to selectively perform their duties, based on a number of facts about a packet that comes to it. This includes things like origination address, destination address, destination service port, and so on. These can be employed to limit the sorts of packets that are allowed to come in and go out of a given network.

Proxy This is the process of having one host act in behalf of another. A host that has the ability to fetch documents from the Internet might be configured as a proxy server, and host on the Intranet might be configured to be proxy clients. In this situation, when a host on the Intranet wishes to fetch the http//www.yahoo.com/ web page, for example, the browser will make a connection to the proxy server, and request the given URL. The proxy server will fetch the document, and return the result to the client. In this way, all hosts on the Intranet are able to access resources on the Internet without having the ability to direct talk to the Internet.

There are three basic types of firewalls, and I will consider each of them.

Application Gateways The first firewalls were application gateways, and are sometimes known as proxy gateways. These are made up of bastion hosts that run special software to act as a proxy server. This software runs at the Application Layer of the ISO/OSI Reference Model. Clients behind the firewall must be proxitized (that is, must know how to use the proxy, and be configured to do so) in order to use Internet services. Traditionally, these have been the most secure, because they dont allow anything to pass by default, but need to have the programs written and turned on in order to begin passing traffic. These are also typically the slowest, because more processes need to be started in order to have a request serviced.

Packet Filtering Packet filtering is a technique whereby routers have ACLs (Access Control Lists) turned on. By default, a router will pass all traffic sent it, and will do so without any sort of restrictions. Employing ACLs is a method for enforcing your security policy with regard to what sorts of access you allow the outside world to have to your internal network, and vice versa.

There is less overhead in packet filtering than with an application gateway, because the feature of access control is performed at a lower ISO/OSI layer (typically, the transport or session layer). Due to the lower overhead and the fact that packet filtering is done with routers, a packet filtering gateway is often much faster than its application layer cousins.

There are problems with this method since TCP/IP has absolutely no means of guaranteeing that the source address is really what it claims to be. As a result, we have to use layers of packet filters in order to localize the traffic. We cant get all the way down to the actual host, but with two layers of packet filters, we can differentiate between a packet that came from the Internet and one that came from the internal network.

Hybrid Systems In an attempt to marry the security of the application layer gateways with the flexibility and speed of packet filtering, systems that use the principles of both have been created. In some of these systems, new connections must be authenticated and approved at the application layer. Once this has been done, the remainder of the connection is passed down to the session layer, where packet filters watch the connection to ensure that only packets that are part of an ongoing (already authenticated and approved) conversation are being passed.

Security is a very difficult topic. Everyone has a different idea of what ``security is, and what levels of risk are acceptable. The key for building a secure network is to define what security means to you or your organization. Once that has been defined, everything that goes on with the network can be evaluated with respect to that policy. Projects and systems can then be broken down into their components, and it becomes much simpler to decide whether what is proposed will conflict with your security policies and practices.

The need for connectivity to the company network outside of the office has increased dramatically in the past several years. Instead of simply dealing with local or regional concerns, many businesses now have to think about global markets and logistics. Many companies have facilities spread out across the country or around the world, and there is one thing that they all need. They need a way to maintain fast, secure and reliable communications wherever their offices are. Until just recently, this has meant the use of leased lines to maintain a wide area network. Leased lines, ranging from ISDN (integrated services digital network, 18 Kbps) to OC (Optical Carrier-, 155 Mbps) fiber, provided a company with a way to expand its private network beyond its immediate geographic area. A WAN had obvious advantages over a public network like the Internet when it came to reliability, performance, and security (About, Inc.). But maintaining a WAN, particularly when using leased lines, can become quite expensive and often rises in cost as the distance between the offices increases. As the popularity of the Internet grew, businesses turned to it as a means of extending their own networks. First came intranets, which are password-protected sites designed for use only by company employees. Now, many companies are creating their own VPN to accommodate the needs of remote employees and distant offices.

There are two common VPN types; remote-access and site-to-site. A remote-access VPN may also be known as a virtual private dial-up network (VPDN), this is a user-to-LAN connection used by a company that has employees who need to connect to the private network from various remote locations. Typically, a corporation that wishes to set up a large remote-access VPN will outsource to an enterprise service provider (ESP). The ESP sets up a network access server (NAS) and provides the remote users with desktop client software for their computers. The telecommuters can then dial a number to reach the NAS and use their VPN client software to access the corporate network.

A site-to-site VPN is accomplished by the use of dedicated equipment and large-scale encryption, a company can connect multiple fixed sites over a public network such as the Internet. Site-to-site VPNs can be either intranet-based or extranet based. An intranet-based VPN would be used if a company has one or more remote locations that they wish to join in a single private network, they can create an intranet VPN to connect LAN to LAN (McDysan). An extranet-based VPN would be used when a company has a close relationship with another company they can build an extranet VPN that connects LAN to LAN, and that allows all of the various companies to work in a shared environment.

A well-designed VPN uses several methods for keeping a company's connection and data secure. A firewall provides a strong barrier between a private network and the Internet. Firewalls can be set to restrict the number of open ports, what type of packets are passed through, and which protocols are allowed through.

Secondly, an encryption method should be used when sending data over a public network. Encryption is the process of taking all the data that one computer is sending to another and encoding it into a form that only the other computer will be able to decode. Most computer encryption systems belong in one of two categories either symmetric-key encryption or public-key encryption.

In symmetric-key encryption, each computer has a secret key or code that it can use to encrypt a packet of information before it is sent over the network to another computer. Symmetric-key requires that each computer that will be talking to each other have a copy of the key. Symmetric-key encryption is essentially the same as a secret code that each of the two computers must know in order to decode the information. The code provides the key to decoding the message (Cisco).

In public-key encryption uses a combination of a private key and a public key. The private key is known only to your computer, while the public key is given by your computer to any computer that wants to communicate securely with it. To decode an encrypted message, a computer must use the public key, provided by the originating computer, and its own private key. A very popular public-key encryption utility is called Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), which allows you to encrypt almost anything.

Another means of security comes by the way of IPSec (Internet Protocol Security). IPSec provides enhanced security features such as better encryption algorithms and more comprehensive authentication. IPSec has two encryption modes, tunnel and transport. Tunnel encrypts the header and the payload of each packet while transport only encrypts the payload. Only systems that are IPSec compliant can take advantage of this protocol. Also, all devices must use a common key and the firewalls of each network must have very similar security policies set up.

AAA (authentication, authorization and accounting) severs are used for more secure access in a remote-access VPN environment. When a request to establish a session comes in from a dial-up client, the request is proxied to the AAA server. AAA then checks the following Who you are (authentication), what you are doing (authorization) and what you actually do (accounting). The accounting information is especially useful for tracking client use for security auditing, billing, or report purposes (About Inc).

Depending on the VPN type (remote-access or site-to-site), that is used there needs to be a certain components to build the VPN. Such as desktop software for each remote user, dedicated hardware such as a VPN concentrator or secure PIX firewall, dedicated VPN server for dial-up services, NAS (network access server) used by service provider for remote-user VPN access, and VPN network and policy-management center. Because there is no widely accepted standard for implementing a VPN, many companies have developed solutions on their own. A VPN concentrator incorporates the most advanced encryption and authentication techniques available, Cisco VPN concentrators are built specifically for creating a remote-access VPN. They provide high availability, high performance and scalability. They also include components, called scalable encryption processing modules, which enable users to easily increase capacity and throughput.

A VPN-optimized router provides scalability, routing, security and QoS (quality of service). Based on the Cisco IOS (Internet Operating System) software, there is a router suitable for every situation. A PIX (private Internet exchange) firewall combines dynamic NAT (network address translation), proxy server, packet filtration, firewall, and VPN capabilities in a single piece of hardware

Most VPNs rely on tunneling to create a private network that reaches across the Internet. Essentially, tunneling is the process of placing an entire packet within another packet and sending it over a network. The protocol of the outer packet is understood by the network and both points, called tunnel interfaces, where the packet enters and exits the network. Tunneling requires three different protocols Carrier protocol, encapsulating protocol, and passenger protocol. Carrier protocol is the used by the network that the information is traveling over (About, Inc.). Encapsulating protocol is the protocol (GRE, IPSec, LF, PPTP, LTP) that is wrapped around the original data. The Passenger protocol (IPX, NetBeui, IP) is the original data being carried. Tunneling has amazing implications for VPNs. For example, a packet that uses a protocol not supported on the Internet (such as NetBeui) inside an IP packet and sends it safely over the Internet. A packet could be used that uses a private (non-routable) IP address inside a packet that uses a globally unique IP address to extend a private network over the Internet.

In a site-to-site VPN, GRE (generic routing encapsulation) is normally the encapsulation protocol that provides the framework for how to package the passenger protocol for transport over the carrier protocol, which is typically IP-based. This includes information on what type of packet is going to be encapsulated and information about the connection between the client and server. Instead of GRE, IPSec in tunnel mode is sometimes used as the encapsulating protocol. IPSec works well on both remote-access and site-to-site VPNs. IPSec must be supported at both tunnel interfaces be able to use. In a remote-access VPN, tunneling normally takes place using PPP. Part of the TCP/IP stack, PPP is the carrier for other IP protocols when communicating over the network between the host computer and a remote system. Remote-access VPN tunneling relies on PPP. Each of the protocols listed were built using the basic structure of PPP and are used by remote-access VPNs LF (Layer Forwarding), PPTP (Point-To-Point Tunneling Protocol), and LTP (Layer Tunneling Protocol).

The future with VPNs as in any technology is more, better, and faster, and that is what Cisco released this past May. Voice and video enabled VPN (VPN) provides cost effective, secure connectivity provided by site-to-site IPSec VPNs for delivering voice, video, and data IP networks. Integrating this solution provides a network infrastructure that enables the latest converged network applications like IP Telephony and Video. The key benefit to this new technology is to offer a decentralized office, such as home connectivity. Being able to offer off-site video-based training and other such affairs will accomplish the most important thing to the company saving the all mighty dollar. With the corporate culture what it is today where E-Commerce, telecommuting, increase in travel, and the decentralization of operations, the need for remote access in now more than ever. VPNs offer a way to keep costs in check. Using the relatively inexpensive bandwidth of the Internet or a service provider's network to connect a user to a corporate network or carry traffic between sites can reduce recurring communications charges.

Virus Protection for a Company Wide Network

Viruses are a security problem that should be addressed with normal security solutions. These include, but are not limited to, establishing written policies to address common security issues, defining appropriate behavior and best practices and publishing them, devising both detection and defense in depth strategies, and clearly defining problem identification and cleanup methodologies (Convery, 00). To combat viruses, a consistent plan must be devised for the entire network. The company must define anti-virus strategies and policies, including what anti-virus products to use, how to distribute them, how to manage them, and when and where to deploy them.

The First Line of Defense

The first line of defense in any anti-virus program is the computer desktop. Since viruses can be introduced through removable media, shared network drives, email, web pages, web mail, ICQ and any other means of transferring files, protection at the desktop is critical to a successful virus defense. This means that all desktops must have anti-virus software installed and running and it must be updated routinely and regularly.

Typically, automated updates are controlled by the anti-virus protection software. Scripts can be written to automate the installation and updating of anti-virus software on the desktop (Schmehl, 00). By doing so the scripts run anytime a user logs onto the domain servers. Virus protection updates can also be made available through a company web site that allows file transfers, particularly useful for those running on a Mac or UNIX/Linux.

The Second Line of Defense

The second line of defense is to educate the users. Instructing users not to open suspect files, not to open suspect attachments, and not to implement a suspect virus infected machine is effectively communicating a standard practice that, believe it or not, most users will tend to follow. The one to do this instructional methodology should be the one that maintains the watchful eye on the network. This would be the network administrator or one of the network administrator staff. This watch dog should involve the users quickly in the fight against virus infection, but should not be the one to cry wolf every time a hoax winds its way inside. It is necessary for the users to establish a trust in this person so that in the true event of disaster, they will be responsive to his/her lead.

The Third Line of Defense

Viruses frequently take advantage of security holes and weaknesses in software, as well as insecure default configurations and "features" that haven't been created with security in mind. According to SANS (Sans.org, 001), the same weaknesses are repeatedly exploited simply because they are seldom repaired, despite the fact that the fix is readily available. (Code Red is proof of this.)

To tackle this problem, the Windows Critical Update Notification Service can be installed so the users can be made aware of the need for updates. To cover critical cases, the install can be made to run during login.

In addition, registry changes can be made to prevent especially dangerous programs from running by default. For example, the default behavior of Visual Basic Scripts can be changed so that they open Notepad rather than running a script.

Summary of Virus Protection

Fighting viruses requires diligence and planning, but it is possible to keep the company relatively virus free. The cornerstone to a successful virus defense is company-wide policies and procedures that establish a unified approach to solving the virus problem. Then it takes a combination of desktop protection, user education, constant OS patching, defense in depth and innovative approaches to implement those policies and make them effective.

Red Cross for the Company Disaster Planning and Continuity

Disaster planning involves establishing hot sites, equipment, and material to support the backup of vital company data. Recovery and continuity in the event of a disaster involves more than these material things in that the resources need to have a method in order to continue the flow of the business process. The ability to bring the company back up on line within (hours/days) is vital to the continued success of the day to day business dealings. The important thing to consider is how well the company organizes its infrastructure to bend and shape into a new direction that even a sudden loss of a key player in the business may require.

Disasters take on many shapes and disguises natural disasters, man-made failures, business events, legal handcuffs, governmental red tape, riots, strikes, or market forces. These events are not the focus here. The focus should be on the repercussions felt by the company's infrastructure as a result of these events. At the instant of disaster, different events create different secondary infrastructure effects (Nemzow, 17). How the company handles the continued operation is the goal.

Business Continuity Planning Tools

First of all, a planned method for restoration order must be in place at all levels of the company; at each site. This planned method will disclose the order of procedure for restoring the system, as a whole and in part, with regards to the company's resources and agreed upon method. This helps to alleviate any convoluted discussion in the event of an emergency such that no misunderstandings occur as to what action is performed first.

Private firms offer insurance plans for business disasters, but that option tends to be expensive and when companies are on the tighter side of an economy, insurance payments tend to be the first cutback that occurs. Outsourced services are more commonly turned to in the recovery or replacement of damaged equipment. Key players may become incapacitated or even killed by the same disaster that damages the equipment. Planning for outsourcing agencies in the human capital must be realized too.

Advanced planning takes several forms. The simplest form up backup structuring is the use of hardware tools for media backup in the form of SANS off the main centers for doing business. Next to be considered is power protection provided by surge protectors and backup battery packs, and alternative communication lines in and out of the various business centers.

Magnetic or optical media are becoming less and less expensive making day to day backup solutions easily attainable. Media backup should be handled by all sites locally as well as remotely through hot-site mirroring. In both cases, backup should be readily accessible in the event of disaster, and that the network devices are available and compatible for recovery efforts. In addition, backup media should be tested for robustness of quality to handle a situation of rolling out for deployment in emergency events.

The next level of backup-tool justification includes communications line filters and emergency backup power supplies. First, batteries fail over time and surge protectors silently do their job without indicating that each surge literally wears them out (by burning away some of the metal oxide used to absorb the power spike). These items should be regularly checked and replaced.

It is also imperative to create a backup communications plan. This includes the redirection of routers to alternative paths in the LANs and WANs, secondary phone or data lines, and perhaps wireless service. This plan is necessary to include a know how for these secondary devices to come into play. New router tables may take hours to implement. Dial-up phone lines replacing a dedicated T- may not provide the necessary bandwidth that some of the offices need. Furthermore, people at the remote offices must know how to switch over in order to connect to affected office.

By incorporating all of these methods at each site and on the company as a whole, at the very least it can bring some sense of stability in that the course of recovery is already in place. Moreover, the losses can be measured by how soon the profits can start coming back in.

Conclusion Network Solution

In today's economy, companies always must consider the cost of doing business. Certainly there could be more stringent plans, and most certainly more flexible ones. The primary focus here is to meet a goal as required by the company. It is to provide the necessary structure in meeting the speed requirements while not being a suggestion of overkill. Security and monitoring of the system is met; backup and recovery is met; company wide policies regarding each of these areas are suggested. The necessary resources regarding this system are readily available and, within a reasonable timeline, readily deployable.

This solution represents a company-wide installation that involves all players abroad and at the home office. It provides a method where all are involved yet when implemented, will run smoothly without disrupting the primary purposes of the company its uninterruptible business.

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