Oprah Winfrey Influence on American History - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 978 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/10/30 Category People Essay Level High school Tags: Oprah Winfrey Essay Did you like this example? Heroes are often described as a person who is admired by their courage, achievements, and noble acts. There are various people today who are still looked up to as a hero. People who are recognized as a hero have made some impact on the world to be seen as a hero. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Oprah Winfrey: Influence on American History" essay for you Create order A person like Oprah Winfrey made an impact, so she would be labeled as a hero today. Oprah Winfrey is an American hero who helped stand up for her beliefs and for injustice against child molestation. Without Oprah, America and the world would not see how much of an impact someones voice can make and how powerful one individual can be. On January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi a hero was born. Oprahs childhood was challenging, but she still fought through those early battles in life. In Oprahs early life, her parents were poor teenagers, who worked as a housekeeper and a barber (Rowley 2). In her youth, Oprah was repeatedly molested by other visitors who came while her mother was out at her job, and gave birth to a son who later died at a very young age (Goodman 1). Besides the troubled times Oprah faced in her adolescence, she loved education. Oprah was taught to read by her grandmother at a young age, and had a great interest in reading. Reading was one of the most positive things from her childhood. Oprah went to Tennessee State University and studied communications. She first wanted to be famous and break her silence after she did not receive her undergraduate degree in school, and later became the first black female news anchor is what started the spark in her (Rowley 2). It takes hard work to become a hero, so Oprah had to face various acts to accomplish her battle of being a victim to victory. Oprah first started getting recognized by being a co-host for her first show, People Are Talking, and served as an anchor while being a news reporter. She got noticed and was asked to host a Chicago talk show for half an hour, and less than a year later, Oprah turned AM Chicago into a hit show. Oprah later extended the show to an hour and renamed the show, The Oprah Winfrey Show (Dillion 2-3). While she was on the show, Oprah would share her beliefs and her past, tell about how she broke her silence, and how that made such an impact on her life today. Oprah would also feature in movies that would influence her life as a hero today. Some of the movies that Oprah was featured in was, The Color Purple, Native Son, and Selma. The movie, The Color Purple, that Oprah played a major role in, impacted her majorly. Oprah said while playing this part in that movie, tha t she felt compassion for the person that she played (Dillion 2). She had to face other struggles, for example how she did not make it in her education, so she had to fight harder than most people (Rowley 2). Oprah has also started many charities and organizations that helped influenced her to break her silence and her education struggles such as, The Oprah Winfrey Foundation and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. She advocates and helps out with womens rights and education rights (Dillion 2). Becoming a hero does not just happen overnight. Like Oprah, it took time and effort to become the hero she is for todays society. Oprah Winfrey is still alive and well today. Today, she is still in book clubs, working foundations, and still giving scholarships. She is still seen and viewed as a hero today, and is featured in many advertisements, commercials, and television shows today (Cash 1). Oprah has also received various awards for her heroic acts. For example, Oprah has won medals and awards like the, Presidential Medal of Freedom, International Emmy Founders Award, and TCA Lifetime Achievement Award (Cash 1). She is still looked upon today also because of the organizations she helps out with today. She is still helping education organizations for young girls (Dillion 2). The legacy Oprah has left for the world today is by her strong voice and what she has fought for is how she is viewed on today. Her impact on people has helped out in various ways, and she is still being active in her heroic acts today. Heroes today, are viewed as influential and inspirational to society. There are numerous people still looked upon as heroes today. A hero looked upon todays world is Oprah Winfrey. Oprah Winfrey has made a vast impact on people, America, and the world today. An American hero, like Oprah, has stood up for various rights and justices from her beliefs. When Oprah was in her youth, she was molested, and has broke her silence over the years. Heroes do not just appear, they all have a start. Oprah, in her earlier life had obstacles that she had to go through in her journey. Oprah began her early works in hosting in shows, being featured on talk shows, and was viewed on news cast as well. The recognition she received from being on television helped her be acknowledged. She then spoke about her past and confessed what had happened to her. Oprah stood out to numerous people for speaking out against what she had struggled with. Many people today look up to Oprah Winfrey because of her strength and courage to fight the battle that she had been facing. She has many heroic traits like her noble act to stand up to her battle and her strength to say what her big obstacle was in her life that was weighing her down. The world without Oprah would not be complete, because one would not understand how much of an impact she applies to todays society. Her heroism has touched many lives by her courage and the voice she has.

Can Money Buy Happiness - 948 Words

Happiness can stem from many different emotions, accomplishments and you’re overall well-being, but what has been debated for years is can money buy you happiness? It can buy you material items and even a way to see the world if desired however, true happiness cannot be bought by the dollar as this version of â€Å"happiness† is temporary. In today’s society there is no level of satisfaction as we are constantly innovating and getting newer and better in short periods of time. In the article â€Å"Can Money Buy Happiness?† Levy talks about how he views the concept in two different ways in battling personal vs the national. Levy says â€Å"If survey data are to be trusted, there’s a surprisingly weak relationship between money and happiness. As national incomes rise, happiness does not increase.† What he means by this is that studies show that our happiness has been stabilized for 50 years but in those years our standard of living and income has doubled. Levy does look at the other side and agrees that those in poorer countries would benefit immensely from more wealth and acknowledges that poorer countries are not able to experience some of the same benefits that the average American does. On the other side of the argument Levy talks about how personally income plays a role in a person’s overall happiness. He says â€Å"But once people reach a certain threshold (once they don’t have to worry about a roof over their heads or having enough to eat), extra money makes very little difference† whatShow MoreRelatedCan Money Buy Happiness?1324 Words   |  6 PagesCan money buy happiness? It’s a philosophical question that has been discussed for centuries and there is no simple answer. For example, Graham Hill in â€Å"Living with Less. A Lot Less† gives his input on this highly debated topic through a multitude of short anecdotes. She asked herself not if â€Å"Money can buy happiness,† but if money could â€Å"help buy happiness† (Rubin 293). She also brings up the idea of modest splurging and spending out as methods of using money to help one buy happiness. Rubin describesRead MoreCan Money Buy Happiness?1637 Words   |  7 Pages Does Happiness Come With A Price? Malcom Williams Can Money Buy Happiness? Abstract In this paper, I argue and show various sources addressing the correlations between money and happiness through subjects such as pro-social spending, materialism, the pursuit of spending on others, and the effects of homelessness on physical and mental health. Much of the time, cash can have a negative impact on both, particularly the. Now and again, in any case, cash may positively affect satisfactionRead MoreCan Money Buy Happiness?1110 Words   |  5 PagesCan Money buy Happiness? Money is people’s number one priority. It enables them to purchase food, clothing, and shelter. Money can buy anything with a price on it, but can it buy happiness? Happiness is not an item you can buy, it is something you can feel. Money cannot bring you happiness, only satisfaction. We learn growing up not everything in this world is free. Money can only give you a short term of happiness. When you buy everything you want, you do not have anything to look forwardRead MoreMoney Can Buy Happiness : Happiness1653 Words   |  7 PagesMoney Can Buy Happiness Happiness, has long been an estate that huge numbers of individuals endeavor to create a path, that seeks to find it. Extensive research, surprisingly enough, does not have definitive answers on the concept of what makes one happy. As a matter of fact; there are as many attempts to define happiness, as there are the many scholars, theologians, psychologist and philosophers, curious enough to research it. Many ¬Ã‚ ¬; are unsuccessful in comparison to the ready definition ofRead MoreMoney Can Buy Happiness1523 Words   |  7 PagesHappiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy†. Notice that happiness is within the range of contentment to intense joy. Every single thing in the world which brings contentment or joy costs money and therefore, it is money which brings happiness. Nothing can be yours without money being spent either by the person experiencing this happiness, or by others spending money so that they can be happy. For example, even peopleRead MoreMoney Can Buy Happiness945 Words   |  4 PagesCan money buy you happiness? It is a classical debate, sparked by the left-wing communists and religious leaders who suggest that a person can live a full life without the pursuit of money, and instead one must look to a more spiritual existence above the material desires. It is perhaps conceivable in a century gone by where people grew all their food and believed in witches, that a human could forge a fulfilling existence without the need of money to satisfy our desires. However in today’s societyRead MoreCan Money Buy Happiness? Essay1321 Words   |  6 PagesThere is More Than One Path to Happiness (2D) Growing up in a family where both my parents came from poor immigrant backgrounds always made financial success a priority and when there was no need to be frugal, my parents did seem happier. But did money buy my parents’ happiness or did money lead to their happiness? Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener attempt to answer that question in their excerpt â€Å"Can Money Buy Happiness,† where they claim that â€Å"[m]oney can be a help in attaining psychologicalRead MoreCan Money Buy Happiness?891 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Can money buy happiness?† has been a cliche question for centuries, and there have been numerous studies and debates on this topic. Yet, no one seems to have a definite answer. In the video Money and Happiness, Michael Norton states explicitly that money does bring people happiness if you spent it on other people rather than on yourself. Although his interesting and novel answer is contrary to people’s natural instinct, it makes me refl ect on my past experience of spending on others, and helps meRead MoreCan Money Buy Happiness?1646 Words   |  7 PagesCan Money Buy Happiness? Happiness is a positive emotion which all humans experience but which cannot be defined through a monetary value. Money is the symbol of greed and desire. It leads to overconsumption allowing for us the consumers to forcibly satisfy all of our desires in life instead of on spending our money on our needs and on the essential things in life that people need in order to survive and maintain a well-balanced lifestyle. Although some people may say that money can buy happinessRead MoreCan Money Buy Happiness?1085 Words   |  5 PagesCan Money Buy Happiness? In the article â€Å"Can Money Buy Happiness†, by Author C. Brook, Mack Metcalf was a man who lived a normal life just like everybody else. He was the winner of the $65 million powerball jackpot, and it changed his life forever. He quit his job and he later recounted .and he never worked again. His first impulse was to quit everything, after a life characterized by many problem , Metcalf had a whole plan on what to do with the money that he won, but his plan did not go

Case Study For Our language is Important †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Case Study For Our language is Important. Answer: Risk Register PROJECT RISK OPPORTUNITY REGISTER Risk / Opportunity Identification Risk Opportunity Analysis Post Treatment Risk Opportunity Analysis Number Date Logged Raised By Status Type Description (Cause/Event/Effect) Proximity Category Likelihood Consequence Level (pre treatment) Treatment Response Treatment Treatment Update Owner Residual Impact Likelihood (post treatment) Consequence (post treatment) Level (post treatment) 1 10.09.17 Natalie Martin Active Threat It is identified that there are more than 250 indigenous languages that are on becoming extinct due to colonization the people are not allowed to speak in those languages. Additionally it is found that the elders who have proper amount of information about the in indigenous languages do not have proper resource for capturing them. 9.9.17 People Almost certain 3.Moderate High Reduce The traditional languages must be promoted within the campus of CQU so that the people including the student can get to know about the significance of different i indigenous languages that are on the line of extinction 4.03.2018 Project Manager The indigenouslanguage get extinct and as a result the community of people face the impact Possible Major Medium 2 15.09.7 Fredrick hay Active Threat It is identified that the number of English speakers rises as the people who generally speak English stimulate others for not speaking traditional languages and as a result the languages are going to extinct. Additionally the government of the country is not interested in taking any step that would be beneficial in the promotion of different types of indigenous languages. 14.9.17 Performance /Service Delivery Likely 3.Moderate High Reduce The state government of the country make take proper actions as well as adopt appropriate strategies that are helps in promoting the traditional languages which are extinction day by day. Promotion of the language by the government would be considered as one of the significant step in language promotion 14.03.2015 Project Manager It generally create effective impact on the project manager as well as on other stakeholders of the project Likely 3.Moderate Low 3 20.9.17 Richard Williams Active Opportunity It is found that the project will not get complete within the specified date or scheduled as the project manager wants to incorporate some more functionalities which are found to be quite beneficial in promoting the language. 18.9.17 Stakeholder/Community Possible 1.Insignificant Low Accept The project related planning must be done properly by taking the help of the project manager. If proper planning is done then the project manager does not face the challenges that are associated with extension off schedule Finshed Project Manager Do not create any type of impact Unlikely Significant Low Cost Baseline WBS Task Name Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 1 Project kick off $30,000 1.1 Development of charter document $11,000.00 1.2 Development of initiation documents $ 300.00 1.3 Document submission $ 900.00 2 Requirement gate $20,000 2.1 Formation of project outlining $ 800.00 $ 700.00 $ 700.00 2.2 Operation analysis $ 2,300.00 2.3 Review of project outline $ 400.00 $ 200.00 $ 1,200.00 $37,000 2.4 Design gate $ 1,200.00 3.1 Local language selection $ 2,200.00 3.2 Translation of message selection $ 3,400.00 $ 5,000.00 3.2 Translation of message selection $ 3,400.00 $ 5,000.00 3.3 Development gate $ 23,000.00 3.4 Signage board development $ 39,000.00 3.5 Putting signage board properly in the university $ 5,000.00 $ 18,000.00 4 Implementation gate $50,000 4.1 Review of the signage $ 11,000.00 $ 10,000.00 4.2 Location of different signage review $ 10,000.00 5 Closure gate $50,000 5.1 Final documentation $ 6,000.00 $ 1,700.00 5.2 Document signing $ 1,200.00 5.3 Project closure phase $ 3,100.00 Total $ 11,500.00 $ 5,000.00 $ 2,400.00 $ 200.00 $ 26,800.00 $ 50,800.00 $ 80,700.00 $11,000.00 ######### $108,100 $ 10,000.00 $ 37,000.00 Cumulative total 11500 16500 18900 19100 45900 96700 177400 188400 202700 310800 320800 357800 Funding requirements The funding requirements of the project are mainly elaborated below: Activities Funding required Selection of appropriate vendor for the project $17,000 Interface display $18,000 Design of the sign board into the campus of CQU for promoting language $15,000 Procedure of sign board installation $10,000 Procedure related with printing of sign board $18,000 Sign board collection $17,100 Total $95,100 Bibliography Abdel Azeem, S., Hosny, H., Ibrahim, A. (2014). Forecasting project schedule performance using probabilistic and deterministic models.HBRC Journal,10(1), 35-42. Andersen, E. (2014). Value creation using the mission breakdown structure.International Journal Of Project Management,32(5), 885-892. Burke, R. (2013). Project management: planning and control techniques.New Jersey, USA. Dalcher, D. (2015). Introduction to Software Project Management.Proj Mgmt Jrnl,46(4), e2-e2. Davis, K. (2014). Different stakeholder groups and their perceptions of project success.International Journal of Project Management,32(2), 189-201. Eric Kirkland, C. (2014). Project Management: A Problem-Based Approach.Project Management Journal,45(1), e3-e3. Kerzner, H. R. (2013).Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons.

The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation Essay Example

The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation Paper 1. Introduction The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation and need to be recognised, analysed and managed for the business to experience sustained success and competitive advantage in the market. These external stimuli include factors such as technological, economic and legal-political elements and customers, competitors, suppliers and employees (Bartol et al, 2003).. Organisations must look outside of their behaviour product markets only and include political and social factors, labour training and employment norms and legislation as well as culture and values when making sound business decisions (North, 1990). The elements made up in the mega and task environments are explored in this discussion as they relate to SecurityMail, an organisation specialising in the direct marketing industry. Tony Revell, the Sales Business Solutions Manager at SecurityMail, was interviewed to gain an understanding of the external factors influencing business sales operations at SecurityMail. This discussion aims to analyse the mega and task environmental elements that effect the organisation and whether all the elements are identified as being important. We will write a custom essay sample on The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer 2. SecurityMail SecurityMail was founded in 1980 in response to a demand for a secure mailing house and is the third largest mail house in Australia. SecurityMail has grown into a sophisticated information systems management business with an annual turnover of $120 million. They employ 700 people at operations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and their core business activity is defined as data and document management (SecurityMail National Employee Handbook, 2002). SecurityMail has created a niche in the market by providing a personalised service, tailored to meet the individual needs of their customers. They recognise that many clients have specific requirements that may be unique to them or their industry. SecurityMail also recognises that in order to be able to meet the requirements of their client base they must also seek and foster a responsive and co-operative approach from their suppliers (SecurityMail Company Profile, 2001). Tony Revell, the General Manager, Victoria Sales Business Solutions is well placed to observe and comment on SecurityMails relationship with its external environment. Tony joined SecurityMail in April 2001 having come from within the mail processing and fulfilment industry. He has over 24 years management and sales experience in the direct mailing and chemical and scientific industries and also has an MBA and a Bachelor of Business majoring in Economics and Marketing. At Security Mail Tony Revell manages the Sales and Business Development activities and also the Project Management arm of the operations in Victoria (refer to Appendix 1.1 for SecurityMails Organisational Chart). He is in constant contact with the external environment and is required to manage the effects and influences of both the mega and task environments and talked in depth about the effects these environments have on SecurityMails operations. 3 Mega and Task Environments 3.1 Mega Environment The term mega environment refers to the external environment that reflects conditions and trends in the society that an organisation operates within. There are five major elements to the mega environment; technological, economic, legal-political, sociocultural and international. These elements are often external to the span of control of the organisation and as such are often unable to be influenced directly (Bartol et al, 2003). 3.1.1 Technological Element SecurityMails emphasis is on harnessing technology to get information moved intelligently, reliably, quickly and securely. It is therefore paramount that management stay abreast of changes in technology. They do this through memberships on industry groups, journals, suppliers and through information extracted from the market by the sales team and by attendance at overseas trade shows. Continual re-investment of capital into technology and equipment has been essential for the organisation to remain competitive. This re-investment has ensured that SecurityMails products and services are meeting or exceeding the demands of their clients. Many of these new technologies are at the forefront in the market in which it operates. SecurityMail has invested in new equipment harnessing the latest in technology to process client work faster and more efficient than ever before. 3.1.2 Economic Element Tony Revell concluded during his discussions that the economic element does have an important impact on the operations of SecurityMail. The importance extended to national issues such as inflation and interest rates. This effect was felt recently on market forces impacting the financial services segment. Declining share prices of some of their major clients impacted the clients marketing dollar and as such SecurityMail experienced reduced marketing campaign work, a factor of which they could not exert control over. 3.1.3 Legal-political Element The organisation functions under the required legislation governing the operation of companies within Australia. This does not have a huge impact on the operations of the organisation but does still play a factor in its business decisions and application of corporate governance. The new privacy legislation that became effective in December 2001 impacts the ways in which SecurityMail can store, transfer and use the data it collects from its clients. The impact felt was relative to new processes of operation it had to adopt to comply with the legislation but has now just become part of the way the company does business. Positive legal and political impacts have been felt through the deregulation of the financial, telecommunications and utilities markets. Changes impacting SecurityMails clients through political and legal changes has created additional growth opportunities for SecurityMail. Client legislative requirements can impact the operations of SecurityMail such as legal mailings advising customers of a bank rate change. This form of communication is legislated and equates to penalties being imposed to the financial institution if mail is not received by customers by a pre-determined date. The legal environment experienced by its clients is therefore transferred to SecurityMail. The organisation recognises that it must keep abreast of legal and political changes in the external environment to ensure it complies with relevant legislation and reacts to identified business opportunities. It also must keep abreast of the legal and political factors experienced by its clients to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty and the avoidance of penalties. 3.1.4 Sociocultural Element The sociocultural element focuses on the attitudes, norms, values, beliefs and behaviours of the demographic region in which an organisation operates (Bartol et al, 2003). As SecurityMail only operates within Australia the impact is not seen as having a major influence on SecurityMails operations. When questioned further Tony Revell elaborated on regional sociocultural elements impacting the organisation: * The adoption of flexible work practices to accommodate demands in society for family friendly employers. * Recognition of language barriers and systems for overcoming these for the unskilled manufacturing labour force. * Challenges in the future with the introduction of new technology. Additional training resources will be required by the organisation to skill up its blue-collar workers. * New technology will also require labour with higher skills sets which will be harder to draw upon in the local area. * Occupational Health Safety issues with an ageing mostly female blue-collar workforce. 3.1.5 International Element This element was not seen as having a major impact on SecurityMail. The only international dealings relate to information seeking regarding new technologies and equipment. There is no move at this stage for SecurityMail to enter the international arena. 3.2 Task Environment The second external environment segment impacting on organisations is the task environment. The task environment encompasses the elements an organisation must deal with when interfacing during the course of conducting its business. Elements included in this segment are customers and clients, competitors, suppliers, employees and government bodies. As organisations confront these elements during the course of its operations the organisation is more likely to have an impact on these elements rather than those in the mega environment (Bartol et al, 2003). 3.2.1 Customers and Clients SecurityMail has a diverse client base interacting with blue-chip companies in the financial services, telecommunications, utilities and advertising sectors. Since SecurityMails inception it has been their aim to provide a customer oriented service that meets the changing needs of their clients and to create a total solution that is integrated, flexible and cost effective. They have created a niche in the market by providing a personalised service, tailored to meet the individual needs of their customers. SecurityMail works closely with their clients to ensure that requirements are understood and met and that service level agreements are both reflective of the needs of the client but also the resourcing and capacity levels at SecurityMail. Regular work in progress and client meetings are held to discuss the progress of campaigns and redevelopment work and also to address quickly any issues that require resolution. The organisation also conducts regular customer satisfaction surveys and has implemented a corrective action system to ensure any client complaints and non-conformances are communicated to senior management and are acted upon in a timely manner to achieve the best outcome for both the client and SecurityMail. Each client in excess of $50,000 has a dedicated Account Manager to service their needs and add value to their operations thereby cementing further the relationship with SecurityMail. SecurityMail manages many customer relationship programs for their clients and therefore has the opportunity to observe and adopt best practice in terms of customer relationship management principles practiced by blue-chip Australian companies. The relationship between SecurityMail and its clients is seen as having the utmost importance to the sustained success of the organisation. 3.2.2 Competitors There are many players in the mail processing industry but only five organisations who compete in SecurityMails market space and competition is fierce for new work. The market is not boyant with most work available being already won by various mail houses. New opportunities are obtained via official tender processes when contracts expire, outsourcing (of which there are not many companies who have not outsourced their direct mail needs), and company acquisitions. Competitive advantage in most cases comes down to price and service. Customer retention is a quality and customer satisfaction issue. There is little technological differentiation in the industry with no new major players surfacing for several years due to the high capital required because of the costs of technology and equipment. The mail processing industry is highly competitive and new initiatives do not remain secret for too long. Industry gossip is rife. Information on competitors is sourced predominately from personal contacts but also from the market, industry journals and publications, published materials such as annual reports, stock market reports and market research. SecurityMail is aware of the activities of their competitors and conducts various benchmarking, pricing, efficiency and customer satisfaction exercises to obtain a competitive advantage. 3.2.3 Suppliers SecurityMail is always looking to strengthen its portfolio of offerings through strategic relations with key suppliers and partners. Partnerships with suppliers exist across all aspects of the service offerings of SecurityMail. Suppliers provide service and maintenance agreements on all equipment and also provide letterhead and envelopes and printed marketing material and receive outsourced work that SecurityMail is not able to process in-house. It is imperative that these relationships are nurtured as the service provided by their suppliers impacts on the ability of the organisation to meet service level agreements with their clients. The performance of all suppliers is monitored and preferred supplier agreements are set up to ensure that the organisation receives the most cost effective, efficient and reliable service possible from their suppliers. Clients are encouraged to allow SecurityMail to source items for them such as letterhead which it does through their preferred supplier s. This ensures that SecurityMail not only makes margin on the purchase but also allows SecurityMail to control the process. 3.2.4 Labour supply and the importance of managing diversity The attraction and retention of skilled personnel is of high importance to SecurityMail. One of the organisations aims is to become an employer of choice. Career development and mentoring programs, competitive remuneration, training and development opportunities and employee benefit packages have been developed to both attract and retain staff. The mail processing industry is highly specialised and as such it is difficult to source experienced staff. The aim is to retain experienced staff and develop the skills of less experienced staff. As the organisation adopts new technologies more highly skilled staff will be required. Sourcing initiatives will need to be developed to attract potential staff from outside the local area due to a lack of the skill base available in the community within which SecurityMail operates. SecurityMail enjoys harmonious relations with the AMWU (Automaotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union). This relationship is of high importance to the success of the organisation and will continue to be developed and fostered to promote opportunities for labour force flexibility such as weekend shift work and twelve hour shifts. 3.2.5 Government Agencies SecurityMail interacts with various government agencies such as employer organisations, WorkCover and the Australian Tax Office. Interactions with these bodies are seen as being a necessary activity in the operations of SecurityMail but is not seen as being a concern in the sales process. 4 The Importance of the Mega and Task Environments Tony Revell recognises the important part each external factor has to play in the operations of SecurityMail. The only factors not viewed as being important to the sales process were government agencies and the international element. Interactions with government agencies were viewed as being a Finance function and not related to the sales process. The organization still views the element as being important but it does not impact upon Tony Revell and his team. The international element is not relevant to SecurityMail as the company only operates within Australia. Mr Revell conceded however that if operations moved off-shore then this element would become an important consideration for SecurityMail. The ability to grow and prosper in the external environment is recognised as not being the documenting of a list of policies or institutional structures but rather an ability to incorporate external stimuli into coherent internal systems (West, 2001). SecurityMail has adopted this practice and incorporates the threats and opportunities of all of the relevant factors of the external environment into their operations. 5 Conclusion Since SecurityMails inception it has been their aim to provide a customer oriented service that meets the changing needs of their clients. They have to continually respond to the increasingly complex demands of the markets in which they operate. The increasing trend during recent years to out-source non-core activities together with technological advancements has seen those demands become more time critical and sophisticated in their application. All aspects of the external environment need to be monitored for any business to experience sustained success and competitive advantage in the market. This is recognised by SecurityMail and the success of this approach has resulted in them enjoying continued growth and expansion. Monitoring the external environment has also enabled them to keep abreast of changes and opportunities within their industry and to continue to expand and improve upon their product and service base.