Business Strategy Matrix

Description of the Model The General Electric Company, with the aid of the Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey and Company, pioneered the nine cell strategic business screen illustrated here. The circle on the matrix represents your enterprise. Both axes are divided into three segments, yielding nine cells. The nine cells are grouped into three zones: The Green Zone consists of the three cells in the upper left corner. If your enterprise falls in this zone you are in a favorable position with relatively attractive growth opportunities. This indicates a "green light" to invest in this product/service. The Yellow Zone consists of the three diagonal cells from the lower left to the upper right. A position in the yellow zone is viewed as having medium attractiveness. Management must therefore exercise caution when making additional investments in this product/service. The suggested strategy is to seek to maintain share rather than growing or reducing share. The Red Zone consists of the three cells in the lower right corner. A position in the red zone is not attractive. The suggested strategy is that management should begin to make plans to exit the industry.

Characterize Your Enterprise The vertical axis represents the industry attractiveness. The expert system will position your enterprise on the chart based upon your description of: bargaining power of the buyers bargaining power of the suppliers internal rivalry the threat of new entrants the threat of substitutes The horizontal axis represents the firm's competitive strength or ability to compete in the industry. It includes an analysis of: the value and quality of the offering market share staying power experience You can trace through the supporting analysis and its conclusions, adjusting your input until you are satisfied your description accurately characterizes your enterprise.

Analysis of Your Enterprise Position
High Attractiveness Strong Competitive Position The strategy advice for this cell is to invest for growth. Consider the following strategies: provide maximum investment diversify consolidate your position to focus your resources accept moderate near-term profits to build share	High Attractiveness Average Competitive Position The strategy advice for this cell is to invest for growth. Consider the following strategies: build selectively on strength define the implications of challenging for market leadership fill weaknesses to avoid vulnerability	High Attractiveness Weak Competitive Position The strategy advice for this cell is to opportunistically invest for earnings. However, if you can't strengthen your enterprise you should exit the market. Consider the following strategies: ride with the market growth seek niches or specialization seek an opportunity to increase strength through acquisition
Medium Attractiveness Strong Competitive Position The strategy advice for this cell is to selectively invest for growth. Consider the following strategies: invest heavily in selected segments, establish a ceiling for the market share you wish to achieve seek attractive new segments to apply strengths	Medium Attractiveness Average Competitive Position The strategy advice for this cell is to selectively invest for earnings. Consider the following strategies: segment the market to find a more attractive position make contingency plans to protect your vulnerable position	Medium Attractiveness Weak Competitive Position The strategy advice for this cell is to preserve for harvest. Consider the following strategies: act to preserve or boost cash flow as you exit the business seek an opportunistic sale seek a way to increase your strengths
Low Attractiveness Strong Competitive Position The strategy advice for this cell is to selectively invest for earnings. Consider the following strategies: defend strengths shift resources to attractive segments examine ways to revitalize the industry time your exit by monitoring for harvest or divestment timing	Low Attractiveness Average Competitive Position The strategy advice for this cell is to restructure, harvest or divest. Consider the following strategies: make only essential commitments prepare to divest shift resources to a more attractive segment	Low Attractiveness Weak Competitive Position The advice for this cell is to harvest or divest. You should exit the market or prune the product line.

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Ansoff's Matrix - Planning for Growth

This well known marketing tool was first published in the Harvard Business Review (1957) in an article called 'Strategies for Diversification'. It is used by marketers who have objectives for growth. Ansoff's matrix offers strategic choices to achieve the objectives. There are four main categories for selection.

Ansoff's Product/Market Matrix

Market Penetration

Here we market our existing products to our existing customers. This means increasing our revenue by, for example, promoting the product, repositioning the brand, and so on. However, the product is not altered and we do not seek any new customers.

Market Development

Here we market our existing product range in a new market. This means that the product remains the same, but it is marketed to a new audience. Exporting the product, or marketing it in a new region, are examples of market development.

Product Development

This is a new product to be marketed to our existing customers. Here we develop and innovate new product offerings to replace existing ones. Such products are then marketed to our existing customers. This often happens with the auto markets where existing models are updated or replaced and then marketed to existing customers.

Diversification

This is where we market completely new products to new customers. There are two types of diversification, namely related and unrelated diversification. Related diversification means that we remain in a market or industry with which we are familiar. For example, a soup manufacturer diversifies into cake manufacture (i.e. the food industry). Unrelated diversification is where we have no previous industry nor market experience. For example a soup manufacturer invests in the rail business.
Ansoff's matrix is one of the most well know frameworks for deciding upon strategies for growth.

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LEARNING DISABILITY

                         Learning Disabilities :-

LEARNING DISABILITY:-

Learning disability is an unexpected & unexplained condition occurring in a child of average or above average intelligence characterized by significant delays in one or more areas of learning.

Children with learning disabilities exhibit a wide range of symptoms. These include problems with reading, mathematics, comprehension, writing, spoken language, or reasoning abilities. Hyperactivity, inattention and perceptual coordination may also be associated with learning disabilities but are not learning disabilities themselves. The primary characteristic of a learning disability is a significant difference between a child's achievement in some areas and his or her overall intelligence.

Among the symptoms commonly related to learning disabilities are:

1.                Any delay in language development

2.                Any speech disorder

3.                Coordination disorders

4.                Attention deficits & hyperactivity

5.                Undetermined hand preference

6.                Carrying out more than one instruction at a time

7.                Poor writing reversals

8.                Remembering sequences

When considering these symptoms, it is important to remain mindful of the following:

• No one will have all these symptoms. 
• The number of symptoms seen in a particular child does not give an indication as to whether the disability is mild or severe. It is important to consider if the behaviors are chronic and appear in clusters.

Areas of learning involve

• Basic academic areas 
Reading , writing, spelling, arithmetic, language expression & comprehension, ability to focus attention, visual perception.

• Non verbal areas 
Persistence, organization, impulse control, social competence, coordination of movements, flexibility.

Specific Learning Disability

1.                Spelling- Dysorthographia

2.                Handwriting- Dysgraphia

3.                Arithmetic-Dyscalculia

4.                Comprehension- Dyssymbolia

5.                Speech- Dysphasia

6.                Reading- Dyslexia

Abnormal brain structure or function causes learning disabilities. These neurological abnormalities in the brain can result from:

• Genetics 
• Factors before Birth or During Delivery 
• Factors in Early Childhood 
• Brain Trauma or Tumors

The specialist will assess the child's strengths and weaknesses by administering tests. Some of the tests are written tests, and some are oral questions. In addition, the specialist will interview the parent about the history and details of the problems that are encountered.

The specialist who can do testing and make a diagnosis can be a:

• Clinical Psychologist 
• School Psychologist 
• Educational Psychologist 
• Neuropsychologist 
• Psychometrist 
• Occupational Therapist 
• Speech and Language Therapist

Early diagnosis of learning disabilities is very important. The earlier you catch the problem, the more available it is for correction. Some types of learning disabilities, if caught early, have very good prognoses.

A learning disability affects a person in all facets of life:

• School/Work 
• Social/ Personal Relationships. 
• Emotions 
• Free time, etc 

Both the person with the learning disability and other people around the individual must adjust to the challenges that the learning disability presents.

The student with learning disabilities often feels like a failure in school when compared to other students in some skill areas. Peers may ridicule the student with learning disabilities. Teachers may misunderstand the reason for the student's poor performance and tell the student to try harder. Siblings may be resentful or jealous of the attention given to the child with the learning disability

In addition, the learning-disabled individual may have social problems in the workplace, school, and home that result from poor self-esteem or from an inability to read social cues and thus show poor social skills and inability to initiate and maintain relationships.

The good news is that with proper help, most LD children can make excellent progress. There are many successful adults such as attorneys, business executives, physicians, teachers, etc. who had learning disabilities but overcame them and became successful.

Some tips for managing learning difficulties in the classroom:

• Seat the child near the teacher, away from the door and windows to minimize distraction. 
• Use simple, brief, single-concept directions. 
• Give instructions in a logical, sequential manner, using words that make the sequence clear (e.g. first, next, finally). 
• Use visual aids or demonstrations to reinforce verbal instructions. 
• When the child fails to understand an instruction, do not merely repeat it. Rephrase and simplify the    instruction. 
• Do not demand that the child write and listen at the same time. 
• Use the strategy of 'over learning' with the child. Insist on recapitulation of previously learnt concepts     before starting a new topic. 
• Use colored chalk to color code questions from answers while writing on the blackboard. 
• Allow the use of a table chart or calculator.