A Strategic Analysis of GE Healthcare Essay Example for Free

A Strategic Analysis of GE Healthcare Essay GE Healthcare is a unit of the wider General Electric Company. It has a global orientation, employing more than 46, 000 staff committed to serving healthcare professionals and patients in over 100 countries. It is headquartered in the United Kingdom (UK)-the first GE business segment outside the United States. It has a turnover of approximately $ 17 billion. The headquarters hosts GE healthcare corporate offices as well as finance, sales, global sourcing departments, X-Ray marketing, manufacturing, design and shipping. The finance and sales departments at the headquarters handle GE Healthcare’s high level decisions, but each modality often has its own similar departments. The global sourcing department handles all purchasing for the firm. GE Healthcare provides a variety of products services namely Technologies in medical imaging, diagnostics in medicine, systems for monitoring patients, solutions for improving performance, discovering drugs, and technologies to manufacture biopharmaceuticals. It also provides X-Ray products which include; radiography, fluoroscopy, vascular, cardiology, and the Mobile C-Arm machine. At present, GE Healthcare has six major business units; Global Diagnostic Imaging Unit: with its headquarters in the US, its business includes; digital mammography, X-ray services, Magnetic Resonance, Computed Tomography and technologies in Molecular Imaging. Integrated IT Solutions (IITS). Also headquartered in Barrington USA, IITS offers solutions in clinical and monetary information technologies, such as IT Products and service for departments, systems for picture Archiving and Communications, Information System solutions in Radiology and Cardiovascular in addition to practices and systems for managing revenue cycles. Medical Diagnostics Business Unit. This is headquartered in USA and its business includes; Researches in Medical Diagnostics, manufacturing and marketing imaging agents used in medical scanning techniques to view human body organs and tissues. Clinical Systems Unit. Also Headquartered in the US, this business offers a variety of healthcare services and technological solutions for medical officers and managers of healthcare systems. These include; Ultrasound, technologies for monitoring patients, bone densitometry, incubators, respiratory care and management of anesthesia. GE Healthcare Life Sciences Unit. This is headquartered in Sweden. It produces technologies for discovering drugs, biopharmaceutical manufacturing and cellular technologies. This division also manufactures equipment for the purifying biopharmaceuticals. GE Healthcare Surgery Business Unit. This division offers equipment and technologies for surgical care interventions, cardiac, systems and technologies for diagnostic monitoring, systems and data management technologies, to systems for mobile fluoroscopic imaging, instrumentations on 3D visual systems and navigation. Its headquarters are in Utah, USA, GE Healthcare has offices in different parts of the world. It also has primary regional operation centers in Paris, Japan, and India. (GE Healthcare Website; Retrieved December 2010) Business Strategy and Organizational Structure Analysis The world business environment is constantly changing, presenting new opportunities and challenges. This calls for competitive strategies in order to remain competitive. This section evaluates the opportunities and challenges presented by GE Healthcare organizational structure. In the Financial Year (FY) ending December 2007, the company recorded revenues of $16, 997 million; an increase of 2.7% over 2006. The operating profit was $3,056 million in 2007; drop of 2.7% from 2006. This GE business unit recorded revenues of $16,015 million, during the Financial Year (FY) ended December 2009. This reflected a decrease of 7.9% over FY 2008. The operating profit for the FY ended December 2009 was $2,240 million a decrease of 15.1% over FY 2008. Analysts attribute to both the complex internal and external environments of the company. I evaluate this argument by undertaking a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of the company and integrating it to the Porters Fiv e Forces Model. Internal Analysis GE healthcare is one of the best firms in leadership development. The firm’s Human Resources Department is keen in developing a strong workforce that responds to changing global needs. It employs strategically employs and motivates the best qualified talents globally. It invests more than $100 million annually on educational training and staff development. The GE Healthcare Institute provides advanced training for GEHC employees and customers. It combines Technical training, Applications and Leadership trainings. More than 70 laboratories with the latest equipment provide GE and customers world class instruction in all areas of equipment maintenance and operation. The Training in Partnership curriculum provides a full range of training programs. GE managers are considered one of the firm’s distinctive competencies and strengths. The challenge is maintaining employee motivation through better remuneration in a time of global economic meltdown and declining profits for the firm. GE Healthcare is capable of changing and constantly re-inventing itself to deal with changing business needs. Setting new standards for management, organizational design, Research and Development has been the pillar of the firm. This is evidenced by the establishment of the six distinctive business units stated above. Exploiting the resources that the firm has, this competency can be meant un-substitutable. The firm is continually innovating to develop solutions to customer changing needs. As Jeffrey Immelt stated, the firms’ employees â€Å"have an ability to live in the moment†. This quality is rare and not easily imitated. This organizational culture ensures that employees continue with innovation and development of new ideas. The firm has a global orientation, with production facilities outside the US and UK, a wider customer base, a superior brand, sales, marketing, IT and Production departments within every modality. This ensures efficiency of service within each business unit. To ensure financial accountability in outsourcing and procurement, decisions regarding this are handled by offices at the headquarters. GE Healthcare operates within the Rubric of the well known and established General Electric; this promotes sharing of management knowledge and experiences. General Electric is a well known Brand with a global touch. This strong internal structure has been at the core of the firm’s success. However Organizations function as systems, they interact and respond to the surrounding environment (Barnard 1938). This calls for an external analysis of this firm. External Analysis Competitor Analysis Analysts argue that competitors can ensure that similar firms remain productive. Though this can be healthy for consumers, small competitors and substitute product can drive giants out of the market. Siemens AG competes against GE group in communications, power, transportation, medical, and lighting industries. Siemens and HE Healthcare are most competitive in the healthcare industry. Siemens Medical Solutions happens to be largest supplier of healthcare equipment globally. Siemens AG is distinctive in its innovativeness and provision of complete solutions to its customers. Siemens is actually larger, with close to 440,000 employees, 70,000 of which are located in the U.S. Despite the fact that GE Healthcare outdoes Siemens AG in healthcare ($9.4 billion) and energy ($15.3 billion) it is a competitor that cannot be ignored. Both operate at virtually global scale. Other competitors include FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc. Hitachi Medical Corporation Nihon Kohden Corporation Schiller AG TOSHIBA Medical Systems Corporation Philips Healthcare Philips Respironics, Inc. Industry Analysis General Electric’s firms including the Healthcare unit have been analyzed using porters five forces model to determine which industry is more attractive. GE Healthcare industry is challenged by competitors and new market entrants. Consumers constantly demand low prices at a high quality leading to intensive bargaining. Retailers have to bargain with suppliers to fix the prices of their products. The GE retail industry also faces the threat of substitute products. For more on the competency strategy, SWOT analysis an the forces model see Appendix 1 and 2. Recommendations GE Healthcare already has a global orientation, large customer base. The success of GE Healthcare lies at how best it chooses its business focus. There is need to focus on a specific market niche. Too much diversification and provision of a wide variety of products may be a step forward but it can also become a mechanism for reversal. Much diversification can lead to lose of business focus. It is evident that new technology and the creation of a global virtual market offer an opportunity for the firm to grow its business. African and some Asian markets are still virgins to the firm. There is need to identify and exploit this business markets. Where favorable, establish production facilities. Advertising and strategic marketing remains a superior option to strengthen the firm’s brand identity. With increasing human rights concerns and demands for accountability, there is need for education and corporate social responsibility, as consumers are becoming more sensitive to scientific information. Nevertheless challenges of environmental accountability abound and cannot be ignored. Works Cited Barnard, C.I. The Functions of the Executive, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1938. Print. Barnard, C.I. Organization and Management: Selected Papers, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1948. Print. Brady, Diane. GE: When Execs Outperform the Stock. Business Week 17 Apr. 2006. Goel Sanjay et al .General Electric: Strategic Management.

Post WWI Poetry Essay :: English Literature

Post WWI Poetry Essay The poems that I will compare are Rupert Brooke – The Soldier, Seigfried Sassoon – ‘They’, and How Sleep the Brave – William Collins. Rupert Brooke - The Soldier The first few words that Brooke uses are ‘If I should die,’ He uses if as a possibility of death. He uses this because he thinks death is a possibility not a definite answer to war. The forth word he uses connects the Sestet and Octave together because ‘think’ is used in both stanza. At the end of the first line he says ‘me’. This means that he is a ‘patriotic soldier who has done his duty for his country’. ‘That there’s some corner of a foreign field’. This means where every he falls during the war, no matter if it is in a shell hole or on the edge of a river he will be able to die in a piece of England. This shows even more patriotism towards the war and his fellow soldiers. The line ‘in that rich earth a richer dust concealed’, means that the soldier’s ashes are held in the earth. They have been called ‘richer dust’ because the ashes of the people are the ashes of people who have dies for their country and their fellow countrymen. This also means that his body fertilizes the patriotism and honour of England’s people. ‘A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware’, means that the man who died was raised by England and educated. This personifies England as a mother nurturing a small child. The soldier’s body is said to be owned by England in the line, ‘A body of England’s’. In the poem the word ‘blest’ is used some this may have some religious significance. The lines 5 – 8 are describing the soldiers ‘Englishness’. It is patriotism at its most extreme. In the second stanza, the word ‘think’ arises again, joining the sestet and octave. ‘All evil shed away’, means that the person who has sacrificed their body for their country cannot sin any more because they are dead. This may also mean that they may have been forgiven for killing the enemy to protect their country and its rights of freedom. ‘A pulse in the eternal mind’ has a spiritual or religious meaning. It could mean that all of the people, who knew him in the war and his family, still remember him and will do forever. ‘Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given’, continues the patriotism and emphasizes his sacrifice for England. The last three lines describe the ‘Good of England’. The last line ‘In hearts at peace, under an

Psychology Paper on Pain

Pain Veronica Tran Essay #1 Psy 1 (#48954) Pain Everyone everywhere will experience pain; whether it is everyday or once a week. Paper cuts, pinches, or even simply jamming your fingers between your door, are all painful accidents. Pain is the undesirable feeling; the red alert which signals our attention to something unfavorable happening to our bodies. Our bodies can detect pain by nocioceptors. Nocioceptors are special nerve receptors designed for stimuli that are encountered as painful (Benjamin B. Lahey, 2009). There are two significant pathways these neural pain messages travel to our brain; fast and slow.The fast and slow pathways are the reason why our bodies endure pain at different times. The first experience would be a noticeable short pain, and realization of what’s going on. The second experience is an extended painful sensation. An example of the pathways combined would be dropping a 15lb weight on your foot. First sensation would quickly make u move that weight off and then stare at your foot. The second would make you land on the floor holding your foot while screaming. We experience these divided painful sensations for two reasons.Both experiences are on two different paths with two different speeds to our brains. The neurons are thicker, covered in myelin in the fast path making the movement quick. The slow pathway consists of smaller neurons, no myelin, and in result makes the transmission slow. Reason number two, both pathways go through different parts in our brains. The fast neural pathway moves through our thalamus and to the matosensory area. The matosensory area is located in the parietal lobe of the brains cerebral cortex. It receives and translates the sensory information from our skin and body.Which is how we are capable of locating where and what is happening to our bodies. The matosensory area locates the action but is not responsible for our emotional reactions to pain. Information moving on the slow pathway travels to the limbic system. The limbic system is where we feel the emotional experience to the pain that is happening. The gate-control theory of pain was conducted by Psychologist Ronald Melzack. The theory was that in the brain stem, a matrix of neurons regulates the circulation of impulses from the nocioceptors to the cerebral cortex.Messages from the body’s receptors go to the brain and through the brain stem. The â€Å"pain gates† is the area where the slow pain neural fibers pass. The gates in the brain stem can either be opened or closed. This really means this has part in making us more or less sensitive to the activation of the nocioceptors. When â€Å"opened† the gates can allow more slow-pain neural transmission on to the slow path to the limbic system. Therefore our emotional experience to the pain lasts longer. The gates can also be â€Å"closed†; that is less transmission of slow pain impulses, in result less pain.Fast pathway does not travel through the gates, but cannot be blocked. Endorphins signal the gates to close, preventing pain message from reaching the brain. Cancer can develop pain all on its own because it is cancer. The main cause of pain in cancer is the growing or destroying tissue near or on the cancer infected area. Cancer pain can come from where the cancer had developed. Or other areas spread around the body where the cancer had traveled. During the time when the tumor matures, it can begin to hit nerves, bones, or other organs causing physical pain to the patient.Not only can cancer be painful physically to the body, but it can also cause pain chemically. Chemicals they secrete into the region of the tumor can cause pain. Not everyone diagnosed with cancer experiences pain, usually one out of 3 cancer patients going through treatment does (Timothy Moynihan, 2010). Pain concerning cancer always depends on what type of cancer the patient is diagnosed with. Those who have advanced cancer; that is cancer that has sp read or reoccurred, unfortunately have a higher chance of experiencing the pain within cancer.Cancer treatments also take a toll on pain towards the patient. Chemotherapy, radiation, and also surgery are some sources of cancer pain. Cancer surgery usually results in painful long sessions that often take time to recover. Burning sensations and sometimes painful scars are left behind after radial treatments. If undergoing chemotherapy, painful side effects may include mouth sores, diarrhea, and even damaging to the nerves. Diet and nutrition are one of many ways to cope with pain. Medical doctors and physicians have pondered on why people suffer from pain.The solution to their problems is the one answer that have been ignored; simple diet and nutrition. Our bodies are capable of healing and repairing itself when given the opportunity to do so (Harvey Diamond, 2005). A struggle for most people in our world today is learning how to cope pain. Such struggle can result in performance at w ork. Not being able to cope can affect not only your career but also your personal life as in your family and friends. Even those who have long been cured from an illness still struggle with pain.Physical and psychological treatment can be done to help those in chronic pain such as heat and ice. This method consists of either using hot towels or cold packages over the area of pain. Though it does not make the pain magically disappear, it does relieve pain for hours. Acupuncture is an ancient eastern form of pain relief some still use today. The needles are carefully placed into nerve endings; releasing endorphins from the nerves. Like acupuncture; massage therapy helps enhance blood flow throughout the body.Loosening knots in the muscles that create the body to become tense and are now at ease. There are many ways to cope with pain without the usage of drugs and surgeries.References Benjamin, B. , Lahey, (2009). Sensation and Perception, Psychology an introduction Timothy Moynihan, (2010). Cancer Pain: Relief is possible. Retrieved from http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/cancer-pain/CA00021 Harvey Diamond, (2005). Methods of Dealing with pain. Retrieved from http://www. bestsyndication. com/2005/A-H/DIAMOND-Harvey/080905-Pain-free-life. htm

Multicultural Education Should Promote Cultural...

programs, with the goal of social justice agenda as a result. It is important to mention that the community immersion experiences are and important companion for the multicultural education classes ( Sleeter, 2001). Multicultural education should aim to creating a safe and a productive full access learning experience for all students equally with no consideration for race, color and background, Increasing awareness of global issues. It should enhance cultural consciousness, empower intercultural awareness, teach multiple historical perspectives, promote critical thinking and prevent prejudice and discrimination. On another note, teachers should benefit from multicultural education to help students to develop positive self-image, offer equal educational access and opportunity, encourage critical and multiple modes of thinking. Teachers should also eliminate and stir a way from stereotyping and prejudice in addition to teaching students to critique society from the social justice vie w. Diverse students population in the classrooms face many challenges and difficulties from approaches, settings, teachers` attitudes, testing and the lack of a sensitive cultural pedagogy that would address their needs and backgrounds. It is important to implement a student-centered environment and ensure that each students is placed and tested appropriately(Mickler Chapel, 1993). It is important to identify students` needs and be flexible in an exchangeable free democratic andShow MoreRelatedGlobalization and It Effects on Cultural Integration: the Case of the Czech Republic.27217 Words   |  109 PagesGLOBALIZATION AND IT EFFECTS ON CULTURAL INTEGRATION: THE CASE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC. INTRODUCTION I. AN OVERVIEW. With the growing standards of the world and the existing concepts and complexities in political, economic and socio-cultural ideologies, man has always and continuously pondered over the aspects of his nature. Unity, equality, trade and commerce are at the forefront of mans complexities. With these thoughts in mind, man has moved through history trying to satisfy his desiresRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 The Increasing Complexity of Human Resources Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Types of Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 The LIS Education and Human Resource Utilization Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 The Organizational Framework for Staffing . . . . . . . . . 216 Job Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Job Analysis . . .Read MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesRisk mana gement process [F.8] 11.2 Identifying risks 11.3.2.2 Impact matrix 11.4 Risk assessment 11.5 Risk responses (.2–.1.2) 11.6 Risk register 7.1.2.5 PERT analysis 7.1.2.6.3 Contingency reserves 7.3.3.4 Change control management G.7 Culture awareness 1.4.4 Project offices 8.1.2 Continuous improvement 5.1 Requirements vs. actual [5.3] Chapter 17 Agile PM 6.1.2.2 Rolling wave This page intentionally left blank Project Management The Managerial Process The McGraw-Hill/Irwin