Growth Through Inequity and Key Performance Indicators Assignment

Growth Through Inequity and Key Performance Indicators - Assignment Example It has been operating its business operations currently for over a hundred years. After the mineral mining proved to be unsuccessful, the company owners were forced to sit and rethink on the course to take. They decided to buy minerals that could enable them produce finished products, which greatly saved the company setting the base of the entrepreneurship spirit that has since been shaping the company. It is from this weak start that the company has developed tremendously into a multinational organization. Currently the organization produces and sells over 50, 000 different items for commercial use, industrial purposes or healthcare products. Most importantly, it sells its products in over two hundred countries around the world. 3m has worked tirelessly to bring changes in its products while inventing and producing new versions of items. It is in this spirit that the organization has been able to identify consumer needs in the market and respond to them accordingly for example, the post-it ® Note. The organization undergoes different stages to come up with an item on the market. It taps the original ideas, designs the product, manufacture it and deliver the finished product on the market. The 3m does not base on one particular style to generate its ideas. It uses manager’s method to tap ideas from people and its own employees. At the same time, remains proactive in encouraging all workers to come up with new ideal processes, which makes the organization active in developing new products on the market. The company produces goods with customer requirements in mind. This enables it to provide various solutions to customer needs around the globe. In developing the goods, it starts with focusing on custo mer requirements then make decisions on the products to manufacture.

Dog Bite Law - The Diane Whipple Case Research Paper

Dog Bite Law - The Diane Whipple Case - Research Paper Example No one else was seen in the immediate area. The victim was Diane Whipple, a lacrosse coach, who lived in an apartment a short distance from the apartment where the dogs lived. San Francisco General Hospital pronounced Diane Whipple dead at 8:55 p.m. that night. Bane and Hera, the Presa Canario dogs that savagely killed Whipple were originally bred for fighting, guarding and herding in the Canary Islands. The breed, being almost extinct in the 1950s, was mixed with mastiffs and others and reintroduced in the US in the 90s. The dogs were obtained through a website called â€Å"Dog-o’-War.† The dogs lived inside the apartment of Robert Edward Noel, Attorney-at-law and Marjorie F. Knoller, Attorney-at-Law, his wife. The Suit: Sharon Smith, Diane Whipple’s life partner, filed a wrongful death suite against the dogs’ owners on March 12, 2001. The criminal law applicable to the case against Noel was Death caused by a mischievous animal and involuntary manslaughte r. And the criminal law applicable to Knoller was death caused by mischievous animal, involuntary manslaughter, and second-degree murder. The basis for the charges and recovery against Noel and Knoller were formed from three theories of California law. In the state of California the owner of the dog is liable for dog bit injuries unless the victim was a trespasser on the property or provoked the dog. Noel and Knoller claimed that they were not owners of the dogs but â€Å"trustees.† This indicated they intended to defend themselves against a civil suit on the grounds that they were not the owners. They were also subject to either one or both of the defendants being negligent in handling of the dogs. The final basis of recovery was common law and liability for keeping a dog that has dangerous tendencies. If Noel and Knoller had known that the dogs Bane and Hera had dangerous traits to kill and attack a person, then both could be held accountable. In any dog bite case, possible civil defendants can include owners and caretakers of the dog, the landlord and property manager where the dogs resided, the breeder, trainers and even others. The legal basis for all civil claims is negligence. In order for landlords and property managers to be held accountable, they would need to have actual knowledge that the dogs had bitten another person or exhibited dangerous tendencies. Since Whipple died the legal coarse of action is for â€Å"wrongful death.† Whoever can inherit your property if you die without a will can also sue for your wrongful death. Sharon Smith and Edythe Pamela Whipple-Kelly filed wrongful death suits against the dog’s owners and against the owner and property manager of the apartment building where the dogs lived. The value of the case is based on the value of the person’s life and their relation to the person suing. Therefore, it is very hard to establish a rule on potential damages. The Prosecutor’s Case: The belief t hat the breed Presa Canario dogs are dangerous was the basis for the prosecutions case. Noel and Knoller were fully aware that these particular dogs had bitten people and animals, but neither took precautions to protect someone like Whipple. A witness, Neil Bardack, testified that Knoller knew she could not control the dogs, as he had seen the dogs dragging her down the street in the past. There were other witnesses that testified the dogs had previously attacked them or shown extreme aggression. It was determined that Noel and Knoller

Critical Analysis of Organisational Change Development and Management

Critical Analysis of Organisational Change Development and Management INTRODUCTION Sometime in the 5th century BC, Heraclitus of Ephesus philosophised the only constant is change. (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Heraclitus). All organisations go through change as they develop and evolve, whether to success or to failure. This essay will look at two companies as they go they go through change, planned and unplanned, their approach and the extent to which they succeeded and applying organisation development and change theory to these two case studies. Organisational change is a recurring theme in the study of organisational development there are several factors, internally and externally, that will influence the development of the organisation, initiating a change which may, or may not, lead to success and sustainability. How the change is implemented is essential to its success as it often impacts one, if not all, areas of the organisation. Early change management theorists include: Kurt Lewin (1951). Doug Stace and Dexter Dunphy (2001) identify organisations which they describe as prudent mechanistics, which retain traditional structures, avoid the organisational fashion show, and perform well. (Buchanen, p566). Harold Leavitt (2003) argues that, while rigid beaurocratic structures encourage authoritarianism, distrust, dishonest, territoriality, toadying, and fear, they also provide ways of handling complexity, give us structure and predictability, and offer psychological rewards by fulfilling needs for order and security. It is argued that the study of change is paradoxical (Buchanan, 565) as the reasons for organisational change are many and complex and because change is a process not a static moment in time, hence can be only understood in relation to continuity. Not all change needs to be deep change it can be a fine tuning to an appropriate response. Transformational change of the Australian Defence Force. The companies were chosen because other their organisational similarities. Company A Company B Similarities Large > 20,000 Reactive International Public Sector Strong corporate culture Founded 1921 Large >20,000 Reactive International Public Sector Strong corporate culture Founded 1922 Differences Australia 90s Organisational structure Approach to change England 00s Organisational structure Approach to change Scope: PESTEL Organisational behaviour terrain. Study this at the organisational level. This essay is not going to examine the group or individual level. Australia has maintained military forces since federation as a nation in January 1901. Upon Federation, the Australian Government established the  Australian Army  and Commonwealth Naval Force. In 1909, the Government established the  Royal Australian Navy, which absorbed the Commonwealth Naval Force. The Army established the Australian Flying Corps in 1912 although this separated to form the  Royal Australian Air Force  in 1921. The services were not linked by a single chain of command, as they each reported to their own separate Minister and had separate administrative arrangements. The three services saw action around the world during  World War I  and  World War II. The importance of  joint warfare  was made clear to the Australian Military during World War II when Australian naval, ground and air units frequently served as part of single commands. Following the war, several senior officers lobbied for the appointment of a  commander in chief  of the three services. The government rejected this proposal and the three services remained fully independent.[13]  The absence of a central authority resulted in poor coordination between the services with each service organising and operating on the basis of a different  military doctrine.[14] The need for an integrated command structured received more emphasis during  the Australian militarys experiences in the Vietnam War.[14]  In 1973, the Secretary of the  Department of Defence,  Arthur Tange, submitted a report to the  Government  that recommended the unification of the separate departments supporting each service into a single Department of Defence and the creation of the post of Chief of the Defence Force Staff. The government accepted these recommendations and the Australian Defence Force was established on 9 February 1976.[15] The  British Broadcasting Corporation  (BBC) is the principal  public service broadcaster  in the United Kingdom. It is the largest broadcaster in the world with about 23,000 staff.[1][2][3]  Its global headquarters are located in London, and its main responsibility is to provide  public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom,  Channel Islands  and  Isle of Man. The BBC is an autonomous public service broadcaster[3]  that operates under a  Royal Charter.[4]  Within the United Kingdom its work is funded principally by an annual  television licence fee,[5]  which is charged to all United Kingdom households, companies and organisations using any type of equipment to record and/or receive live television broadcasts;[6]  the level of the fee is set annually by the  British Government  and agreed by  Parliament.[7] he BBC was the worlds first national broadcasting organisation[8]  and was founded on 18 October 1922 as the  British Broadcasting Co mpany Ltd. The original company was founded in 1922[9]  by a group of six telecommunications companies-Marconi, Radio Communication Company,  Metropolitan-Vickers,  General Electric,  Western Electric, and  British Thomson-Houston[10]-to broadcast experimental radio services. The first transmission was on 14 November of that year, from station  2LO, located at Marconi House, London.[11] Outside the UK, the  BBC World Service  has provided services by direct broadcasting and re-transmission contracts by sound radio since the inauguration of the BBC Empire Service in December 1932, and more recently by television and online. Though sharing some of the facilities of the domestic services, particularly for news and current affairs output, the World Service has a separate Managing Director, and its operating costs are funded mainly by direct grants from the UK government. These grants are determined independently of the domestic licence fee. How do organisations change why do they change. How change is implemented, their impact and their success factors? Two organisations will be compared and contrasted against the various theories, their similarities being that they are both large and complex organisations whose purpose is to serve the public. Initition What are the triggers for change? Why did the organisation have to change. Organisational life cycle (Greiner L) Mintzberg types of change possible step change (company 1) Elements of change : Whipp, Rosenfeld and Pellige The Change Kaleidescope Bolgrum, Barly Whitepaper 1986 Organisational behaviour terrain. Types of change planned and unplanned Strategy Safari Punctuated equilibrium Organisational structure Cultural Era Implementation Strategic Elements of change (Whipp) Levels of change Change Kaleidescope Factors faciliting change Levels of change Wilson, D Forces for change, Lewin K (disagree in co1 cas but potentially for co 2) Total quality management nstep process : c1 y c2 elements of Resistance to change bellelan co1 n long terms, c2 yes short-term bursts Managing resistance : Kotter Co1 yes, co2 no The coping cycle Kublar-Rosser co2 yes ; n/a to company 1 Factors facilitating change Yes co1 2 but co2 fainlied in mid-implementation Unless structure follows strategy, inefficiency results. (Chandler 1962: 314) Impact Contingency approaches Dunphy and Stacy : Yes can be applied to both Effectiveness of change strategy The change kaleidoscope (culture leadership) Time Preservation Capability Scope diversity Organisational structure- tie into first part (initiation) Organisational culture- tie into first part (initiation) Efficiency Resistance 5 types of organisational structure : Mintzberg Divisional Form, mechanistic 1982 : Peters and Waterman in search of excellence Mckinney 7 steps Elements of change context : Economic Political ? Organisational effiveness/ development maturity? Transformational Political and economic forces Restructure of organisation Culture Organisational design IT communciation Conclusion: Bluprint for change One must consider the culture re: effectiveness and how deep it is to go Contigiency Approach Lawrence and lorsh structure depends on factors from the environment. Contingencey Theories : imprecise specification of factors such as environment Ashridge leadership and management BPR radical decentralisation BBC petal. The management of innovation burns stalk mechanistic Æ’Â   organic The Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) has an enduring strategic priority is to keep Australia and the Australian people safe from attack or the threat of attack, and from economic or political coercion. To meet this requirement, the Defence Department employs a full time workforce of over 92,000 personnel consisting of both uniformed Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and civilian Australian Public Service (APS) personnel. The Defence Environmental Scan 2025, identified that the Defence Organisations workforce consists of an ADF with 50,600 full time members and 20,600 Defence Public Servants. In addition, the ADF has 21,000 Active Reserve members.2 2. As a whole, the Defence workforce is responsible for delivering the range of defence outcomes required by Government. While the military and civilian components of the Defence Organisation are required to contribute collectively to the achievement of these Government objectives, the management of the Defence workforce is currently stovepiped along ADF and APS lines, with limited consideration of the workforce as a total resource. Scope. This essay will examine the theories current Defence workforce structure across the ADF and APS. It will consider the potential disadvantages of the current stovepiped separation of ADF and APS personnel management, and examine the merits of moving towards an integrated and total Defence workforce. It will explore the potential benefits of increasing the number of contested positions available to ADF and APS members, particularly in middle and senior management. ONE DEPARTMENT TWO WORKFORCE COMPONENTS Experience and Opportunity 7. The Department of Defence is consistently praised for its success in the planning and conduct of military operations, while also being criticised for failings in its corporate and strategic management. This somewhat paradoxical situation is in part a result of the Defence Departments personnel management processes, where on one hand significant effort and resources are applied to ensure that ADF personnel are adequately educated, trained and prepared for roles they are likely to undertake within the Defence Organisation, while within the APS, individuals are expected to undertake any task without subject matter expertise or professional qualification.6 8. The structured and formalised ADF approach underpins a culture where the importance of experience and professional development are valued and built into career pathways. The APS personnel management approach is not supported by the appropriate personnel structures or management mechanisms required to enable this development. While ADF senior commanders understand and expect ADF personnel to be released from mainstream responsibilities at certain times during their career to meet professional development milestones, the APS management framework does not offer senior managers this flexibility. The APS workforce structure provides limited ability to backfill APS staff undertaking formalised professional development and as such, it is very difficult for senior APS managers to release personnel for extended periods professional development and education. 9. The lack of opportunities for professional development in the APS is compounded by the relative inexperience of the APS workforce when compared to their ADF counterparts. This inexperience has been exacerbated by the accelerated promotion of individuals in recent years as a byà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ product of the rapid growth in civilian numbers.7 A comparison of the relative experience levels of senior and middle management in the Defence Organisation shows that 27 %of all APS Senior Executive Service (SES) staff are under the age of 45 and 26 %of Executive Level 2 (EL 2) staff are below the age of 40.8 For ADF members, the minimum period of commissioned service for promotion to one star rank is approximately 23 years, with a minimum of 20 years service required before being eligible for promotion to colonel equivalent rank. The accelerated progression to middle and senior management in the APS limits the time and opportunity for staff to pursue professional development and education for civilian personnel is very much an exception rather than a rule. A TOTAL AND INTEGRATED WORKFORCE Workforce Integration 11. The Chief of the Defence Force and Secretary are currently focussed on moving the Defence Departments people management in a more strategic direction so we [Defence] can better recruit and retain the talent we need to meet the security challenges of the future.11 To meet these challenges, the Defence Department will require a people management framework that draws together the capabilities of the current personnel resources available to the Department more effectively. Key to this approach is breaking down the culture of stovepiped management of ADF and APS personnel. A move to a more integrated workforce management framework, that selects the most experienced and qualified candidate from across the Defence Organisation for particular appointments, would provide significant benefits to the Department. 12. While acknowledging that certain areas of the Defence business requires a degree of specialisation, particularly in the ADF for the planning and conduct of operations and the APS in the delivery of specialist services, there is a great deal of scope for a more integrated approach to personnel management across large sectors of the Department. This is particularly the case across middle and senior management within the Department at the EL 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ lieutenant colonel (05) equivalent level and above, where the requirement for specialisation is often not as important as a sound knowledge of the broader functioning of Defence. 14. In relation to the ADF, an integrated workforce would significantly improve the capacity of the Defence Organisation to better leverage the experience and skills of ADF members. ADF members detailed knowledge and skills gained through experience in a variety of operational and nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ operational appointments, and structured professional development, can be applied in a range of areas within Defence. For ADF members, an integrated approach would provide increased career opportunities for the large majority of ADF officers who currently find themselves with limited options midà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ career. Achieving Improved Effectiveness and Efficiency 15. An integrated personnel management framework and the corresponding improvement in experience and professional development across middle management within the Department would provide considerable scope and opportunity for senior management to consider delegating additional responsibility to a more capable middle management group. This would assist in focussing the decision space of senior management on the strategic direction of the Defence Organisation as opposed to the more routine issues currently consuming their limited time. The empowerment of middle management would also provide increased job satisfaction, leading to improved productivity and retention. This is a significant benefit in an environment where the Defence Organisation is aggressively competing to recruit and retain the best. 16. The introduction of an integrated workforce will require cultural change within both the ADF and APS. There will need to be an acceptance that the lines of accountability for personnel issues to the Secretary for APS members and CDF for ADF personnel will become less clear. The personnel management framework will need to move away from a differing model for the APS and ADF to a more integrated management system, particularly in the area of middle and senior management. The recent appointment of a human resource management professional into the role of Deputy Secretary People Strategies and Policy, provides a real opportunity to realign personnel management across Defence. 17. To assist in this process, a review of all middle and senior management positions from EL 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 05 equivalent and above is required. The review should focus on identifying which positions are suitable to be classified as contestable between APS and ADF members. With an understanding of the nature and scale of these contestable positions, an overarching management structure that incorporates both APS and ADF senior and middle managers can be developed. This overarching approach requires Defence senior and middle management personnel to be centrally managed to best meet Defenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ wide requirements. For this approach to be successful, the Departments personnel numbers would need to be managed in a more flexible manner, with a move away from separate ADF and APS caps, towards an overarching cap on total Defence employees. 18. There are many examples within industry and other Government agencies where personnel with diverse skills and backgrounds are managed as a total resource. Studies of these approaches would be of benefit when developing a revised framework for the Defence Organisation. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has addressed these issues very effectively and achieved a wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ integrated workforce incorporating both sworn and unsworn officers. Defence should consider using the AFP experience as a case study on how to integrate differing elements into a total workforce. CONCLUSION (Substantial conclusions are drawn about the implications of the analysis for theory and practice) 19. The Defence Department can no longer afford a stovepiped approach to workforce management and must move towards greater integration between the ADF and APS components where the total personnel resources of the Department can be applied to achieve best affect. A move to a more integrated workforce, particularly in the areas of middle and senior management would have significant benefits for the individual APS and ADF members and the Department as a whole. It would provide opportunities to build mechanisms and flexibility into APS personnel management to enable increased professional development and enhanced experience levels. This will improve the job satisfaction and overall employability of APS members both within the Defence Department and the wider APS. For ADF members, greater workforce integration will provide improved career opportunities for the majority of experienced and qualified personnel who, under the current construct have limited career options once they reach the mid career point. This will have significant benefit for ADF retention. 20. A more integrated workforce would provide a framework that ensures the most qualified and experienced personnel from across the entire Department are identified for appointments at the middle and senior management level. Increased integrated can only improve overall workforce effectiveness and efficiency as the Defence Organisation confronts the complex security challenges of the future. RECOMMENDATIONS (Detailed, relevant and considered recommendations for practice are offered).In developing a total and integrated Defence workforce the following is recommended: TQM-What Is It?   If you are reading this book, it is likely that you already know what we mean when we use the term Total Quality Management. Still, its a good idea to define the term, and provide a brief overview.   Certainly TQM can be defined in a number of ways, and the details of different approaches can vary somewhat. However, a good starting definition, drawn from Capezio Morehouse is:   Total Quality management refers to a management process and set of disciplines that are coordinated to ensure that the organization consistently meets and exceeds customer requirements. TQM engages all divisions, departments and levels of the organization. Top management organizes all of its strategy and operations around customer needs and develops a culture with high employee participation. TQM companies are focused on the systematic management of data of all processes and practices to eliminate waste and pursue continuous improvement.    Perhaps a better way of understanding TQM is to compare a TQM organization with what we might call a traditional organizations. tets look at a number of differences.   1. Customer-Driven vs. Company-Driven   Traditional organizations tend to make their decisions based on what is most convenient for them, rather than what is wanted and expected by their customers. Being customer-based means gatf7ering information from customers/clients and modifying services and processes to meet those needs as well as possible. In government, this is not always easy, due to the conflicting responsibilities of a department, and the multiple customers/stakeholders involved in government situations. However, in many cases moving to a customer-driven organization can yield many positive results for government departments.   2. Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation   Traditional organizations tend to think and plan with respect to short term outcomes, white TQM organizations tend to think in much larger time spans. A typical example might be that a TQM organization would look at downsizing as having effects over a decade or two, while a traditional organization would look only at the immediate budgetary issues, letting future chips fall where they may.   Also, successful TQM organizations make a long term commitment to the principles of TQM, rather than looking at TQM as a program; something with a beginning and end. This means patience.     3. Data-Driven vs. Opinion-Driven   Traditional organizations tend to be managed by gut feel, or by opinion. They guess at what their customers want, and guess at the costs of waste, etc. TQM organizations base their decisions on data they collect; on customer needs, on waste, on costs, and on the sources of problems. While judgment is always involved in any decision, TQM organizations begin with the data, not with the solution.   4. Elimination of Waste vs. Tolerance of Waste   Most organizations operate with a high degree of waste and inefficiency. Traditional organizations consider waste, whether it be in time, materials, etc, as a normal part of their operation. TQM organizations are very active in identifying wasteful activities, and eliminating them.   5. Continuous Improvement vs, Fire Fighting   Traditional organizations tend to address problems with the way they do things only when there is a major problem or crisis. The watchword in traditional organizations is: if it aint broke, dont fix it, except that often it IS broke, but nobody is paying any attention .   TQM organizations are always looking for improvement, and are constantly engaged in problem-solving to make things better.   6. Prevention vs, Inspection   Traditional organizations tend to fix problems after the fact. Rather than trying to prevent problems, they catch them after the fact, which is very costly. TQM organizations work to prevent problems and errors, rather than simply fixing them.   7. Cross-Function Teams vs. Fortressed Departments   Traditional organizations tend to have sub-units that work autonomously and with little communication or involvement with other units. For example, personnel may have only limited interaction with other departments. Or, on a local level, administrative staff may have little communication with other staff in a government branch, and have a different reporting structure.   In TQM organizations, there is more use of cross-functional teams; teams convened for a particular purpose or purposes, with representation from a number of units or levels in the organization. The use of cross-functional teams means that input is gained from parts of the organization that need to be involved.   8. High Employee Participation vs. Top-Down Hierarchy   Traditional organizations tend to have very restricted communication and decision- making patterns. Employees are told what to do, rather than being inctuded in figuring out what to do. Information tends to flow from top to bottom.   In TQM organizations, employees are much more actively involved in both the decision-making and communication processes. Information flows both top to bottom and bottom to top. For that matter, information also flows sideways.   9. Problem-Solving vs, Blame   Traditional organizations tend to look to affix blame for things that go wrong. TQM organizations attack the problems in their organizations rather than the people. They fix things.   10. Systems Thinking Vs. Isolation   Traditiona~ organizations tend to see the parts and processes of their organization as single things, unretated to other part of the organization. TQM organizations tend to recognize that most often, probtems arise as a result of multiple causes, and that sub- units are interdependent. TQM organizations tend to see problems as a result of the entire system.   11. Leadership vs. Management   Traditional organizations tend to see people as objects to be managed; told what to do, disciplined, tracked, etc. TQM organizations exhibit more confidence in staff and more trust, and expect MORE from them, not less.   Thats a good starting point. There are probably a number of other comparisons to be made, but that gives us some common ground for discussion.   The Three Quality Gurus   While TQM may seem to be a new development to many, it has been around since the 1940s. One of the reasons why TQM seems to be the newest fad was that it was not embraced by North Americans, but it did find a home in post-WWII Japan.   The most well-known advocate of TQM was W. Edwards Deming, a statistician who, while largely ignored in North America, was actively involved in the 40 in the rebuilding of Japan. Deming passed away recently, and was in his 90s.   Two other gurus are Philip Crosby and Joseph Juran. Both are a bit younger than Deming, but have been influential in the field. It is worthy of note that the three gurus do not always agree, probably due to differences in terms of what each thinks is important, rather than in basic principles.   For those interested in learning more about TQM, it might be a good idea to read material from each of these experts.   TQM As Organizational Change Overview Moving to TQM is like any other organizational change. It must be managed effectively, and leaders of the change must take into account aspects of the organizations current culture. In fact, although TQM brings a number of benefits to those in the organization, you can expect some people to be cynical and resistant to change. Lets face it. Everyone in government has seen management fads come and go. Thankfully, a well managed TQM organizational change is likely to bring most if not all people on side over time. Organizational Change Principles 1) Time Any change (and its attached benefits) will take longer to realize than you expect. Typically, it may take as long as two or three years to have TQM working at its peak. 2 Resistance Regardless of the objective nature of the change, some (even many) people will resist it because it is unfamiliar. TQM must be introduced so that it maximizes peoples enthusiasm and minimizes resistance. 3. Leadership Any change will succeed or fail based on the ability of the change leaders to lead. People will take their cues about TQM from the management. If management show that they are committed, employees will become so. If management waffles, hedges, and backs off, then employees will see this as just more rhetoric of little importance. 4. Persistence Nobody is telling you that this process is easy. The worst thing a manager can do is start the process, and when it gets difficult, stop it. That breeds contempt for both the process and the manager. Managers need to commit over the long haul and realize they must be persistent while the rest of the organizations works at getting it. 5. Consistency The primary mistake managers make is that they become inconsistent. Perhaps most of the time, their thinking and actions reflect the principles of TQM. However, not all the time. This tells employees that the manager is not serious. As soon as a manager suggests that a poor product or service be delivered, the game is up. Instant lack of credibility. Consistency also means including employees in the planning of TQM activities, treating employees as the managers customers, and a number of other things. 6.Incentive People will embrace changes that they see are in their own self-interest. When presenting or deal ing with TQM changes it is important that managers highlight and focus on the benefits to the other people in tt7e organization. 7. Communication Change will be accepted or rejected based on the effectiveness of the communication about it. Communication must be frequent, of a two-way nature, and balanced (both positives and negatives). It must begin as early as possible in the process. http://work911.com/articles/tqm2.htm accessed 23102010 Impact Culture does not change because we desire to change it. Culture changes when the organization is transformed; the culture reflects the realities of people working together every day. Frances Hesselbein The Key to Cultural Transformation, Leader to Leader (Spring 1999) Implementation Ten years ago, Peter Senge introduced the idea of the learning organization Now he says that for big companies to change, we need to stop thinking like mechanics and to start acting like gardeners. Alan M. Webber, Learning for a Change Vision without action is merely a dream Action without vision just passes the time Vision with action can change the world Joel A. Barker The Power of Vision In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy. J. Paul Getty Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. Confucius

Johnny Tremain :: essays research papers

Johnny Tremain a young boy grown up as an apprentice during the 1700’s in Boston was an unfortunate but lucky kid. In the next several paragraphs, I will describe interesting parts in the book and also described the Authors factorial & emotional feeling and not to mention my feelings toward the book.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of my favorite parts of the book was when Lyte came in and wanted a silver piece made by Mr. Lampham in which he had made one before, years ago, Mr. Lamphem wasn’t quite sure if he he still had it, so he was thinking of not doing it, but Johnny was so brave and sure only as an apprentice, he offered to do it. To me that really showed how enthustatic and dedicated Johnny was to the silversmith, when he did ask to do it, Mr. Lampham doubted very seriously that Johnny could do such a thing, but he still trys and works on it very hard and time consuming.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another good part of the story is when Johnny is basically crippled with one of his hands, and is basically worth nothing, when at one time Johnny was wanted by a lot of masters because he was very talented with his hands. It really makes you think if you were to lose a talent how you would feel about it and act upon it, it made me feel thankful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another interesting part of the book was when Johnny went to look for a job. Johnny was so persistent when trying to find another apprentice job. He didn’t really care about what kind of job it was he just wanted a job, he went from place to place trying as hard as he could to hid his crippled hand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Johnny started his job with the Sons of Liberty as a news paper route boy it came to be a very interesting section of the book. It was interesting because, he was giving a code to all of the Sons of Liberty members saying â€Å" You owe the Boston herald 6 schilling†, meaning that night there would be a meeting at 6:00 PM that night. He was becoming part of the Sons of Liberty and it was starting to get really good, especially when he started trying to find out when the British attacking , posting at, and grouping at. It was also good when John Adams has him blow a whistle to send the Sons of Liberty to

Analysis of Alice in Wonderland

Adulthood in Wonderland A journey begins with a single step. It may be an African safari, a rocket to the moon, or even a voyage around the world. Whatever the adventure, it must start somewhere. It could begin with a leap of faith, a glint of hope, or just a flicker of curiosity. In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll, curiosity is what brings Alice, a young British girl, to the start of her incredible, yet puzzling expedition. Her journey through Wonderland is strange, but through her experiences, Alice grows up along the way.Through his use of symbolism, Lewis Carroll displays that it is a struggle for a child to make the transition into adult life. The character of the White Rabbit is the first symbol used to present the difficulty of becoming an adult. The rabbit is very official and is a symbol of an adult itself. For example, he is exceptionally busy and always running late, just like an average adult. He gives the King of Hearts, the ruler of Wonderland, advice although he is beneath him, which demonstrates that he is also wise like an adult.When Alice first sees the rabbit she is filled with curiosity as she â€Å"had never before seen a rabbit with a waistcoat- pocket, or a watch to take out of it† (2). Without thinking, Alice follows the rabbit into the rabbit- hole and falls â€Å"down, down, down† into Wonderland (4). Since the White Rabbit symbolizes an adult, it is as if Alice is following him into adulthood. The rabbit travels throughout Wonderland, and wherever he goes, so does Alice. For example, the White Rabbit travels to the Queen of Hearts’s garden, and eventually Alice arrives also.The White Rabbit acts as a guide for Alice as she goes on her journey. As the White Rabbit symbolizes adulthood, he leads Alice through the process of maturing. Even though Alice does not confront any struggle with the White Rabbit, her following of him brings her to the challenges she endures later on. The White Rabbi t’s symbolism carries Alice through the puzzling task of growing up. Another use of symbolism that represents maturing occurs when Alice encounters the Caterpillar. Alice discovers the Caterpillar when she stumbles upon his mushroom.The Caterpillar addresses her and asks, â€Å"Who are you? † (45). Alice cannot answer the Caterpillar as she is unable to explain herself and does not know who she is at the moment. She tells the Caterpillar, â€Å"I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then† (45). Alice’s words display that her identity has been altered and that she is having a difficult time trying to keep up with these changes. A child going through puberty encounters similar changes also. Children lose a sense of their innocence and discover themselves as they mature.As demonstrated by the scene with the Caterpillar, Alice’s loss of identity is a symbol of a child’s loss of onese lf when growing up. Alice’s episode with the Caterpillar also symbolizes another point of becoming older. The Caterpillar demands Alice to recite the poem â€Å"You are old, Father William. † Alice does as she’s told, but as she is reciting the poem, she becomes confused and mixes up the words. Because Alice struggles with this, it symbolizes a child having a hard time adjusting to the demands of adulthood.The Caterpillar’s request represents a demand that adults must face; while Alice’s mixing up of the poem’s words signify a child failing at meeting the requirements of that demand. The symbolism found in Alice’s encounter with the Caterpillar demonstrates the effort of transitioning into adulthood. Finally, Alice’s changes in size illustrate the difficulty of maturing. Throughout the book, Alice becomes a variety of different heights. One minute, she is three inches tall and the next, she is â€Å"opening out like the larges t telescope there ever was! (11). Alice’s size changes are sudden and random. For example, Alice drinks a liquid from a small bottle and rapidly shrinks to ten inches high. Alice does not expect this and finds it â€Å"a curious feeling! † (8). Since Alice’s changes are unexpected and uncontrollable, they symbolize what a child experiences through puberty. Children are unaccustomed to the changes in their bodies and struggle to adjust to their new selves. Alice’s growing and shrinking proves to be a challenge when her identity is mistaken for another.In one episode where Alice grows to enormous heights, she comes in contact with a pigeon. The pigeon mistakes her for a serpent, because of her long neck. Alice tries to convince the bird that she is just a young girl, but the pigeon does not believe her. Alice is frustrated by this and does not understand why the bird won’t take her word, even though she is telling the truth. This encounter, caused by Alice’s ridiculous size, again represents a child adjusting to their changed body while going through puberty.However, this example also illustrates that as children mature, adults immediately believe they have new identities. Adults view children differently, even when those children haven’t adjusted to their selves yet. The height changes that Alice endures create an image of the struggles of puberty. Through his work, Lewis Carroll demonstrates the difficulty of growing up by the use of symbolism. Maturity is a challenging journey, but one that must be taken. No matter when this adventure occurs, it begins with an individual step and remains the rest of a lifetime.

Kantian and Utilitarian Essay

Kant believed in an absolute moral law that he called the Categorical Imperative. It is this imperative that determines our duty. (2) Two formulations of this imperative can be used to determine the morally correct action that Alistair should choose. The first formulation, The Formula of Universal Law: â€Å"Act only on that maxim through which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law [of nature]. â€Å"(2) Alistair has two possible maxims to act upon. These maxims, if it were universally applicable, are: â€Å"Anyone may lie in order to promote increasing human welfare† and â€Å"Everyone always tells the truth†. The first maxim is contradictory. If people had the option to lie, it negates the system of trust on which the world is built. When, for example, I put my money in the bank, I trust them to keep it safe. If the first maxim was universally accepted, I could not trust without reservation that the bank would keep my money safe because they would be able to give my money away if they felt it would increase the welfare of those less fortunate. If this was the case, there would be widespread mistrust and, ironically, it would have a negative impact on human welfare. The second maxim is universally applicable and is thus, according to Kant, the maxim on which to act upon. The second formulation, The Formula of the End in Itself: â€Å"So act as to treat humanity, both in your own person, and in the person of every other, always at the same time as an end, never simply as a means. †(2) If Alistair were to withhold the truth about the bribery, he denies the rationality of the board and denies that there is any rational action for them to perform. He denies them the option to rationally make a decision on what to do about the situation. In doing this he is using the board merely as a means to ensure the delivery of the medicine. According to Kant, for Alistair to use the board as a means in themselves, he would have to tell the truth. According to Kant’s theory, the action of ignoring the bribe fails the first and second formulation of the Categorical Imperative, thus the right thing to do would be to tell the truth to the board of directors. Utalitarian Theory Looking back at the case study it is clear that, on the one hand, people are receiving inexpensive kits of medicine, the drivers don’t get shot and the reputation of the relief organisation and the director is still intact. On the other hand, the board doesn’t know about the bribery, thus the unethical activity cannot be put to a stop. Utilitarianism is a theory based on consequences, not the action leading to the consequence. This theory holds that we should choose those actions that would result in the greatest amount of good in the interest of the greatest number of people affected by our actions. 1)(4) The â€Å"good† is anything that, directly or indirectly, brings happiness or pleasure. (4) The consequences of each particular action is considered to determine which outcome will best serve the greater good. (3) Act Utilitarianism prescribes that every situation be evaluated independently. The action that leads to the greatest net outcome of utility is then c onsidered to be the correct choice. According to this theory, Alistair should choose the action that will maximise happiness and minimise unhappiness. Alistair has two possible choices with two different consequences. The first is that Alistair tells the truth about the bribery. The possible outcome of his choice are the following: the drivers stop receiving cash and get shot, the contract is terminated and the less fortunate stop receiving their medicine, the director in charge of the contract is fired, and the relief organisation suffers great embarrassment. These are all negative effects and cause great unhappiness. On the other hand, the happiness of the board is increased because they can put a stop to more unethical activity. The second choice that Alistair has to consider is to keep silent and overlook the bribe. This would lead to the situation staying the same (as stated in the case study) and would secure the happiness of the greater good which include: the director, the relief organisation, the drivers and the people receiving the medicine. The board of directors would not know about the bribe, so there would be no unhappiness to consider. Considering the consequences of both actions, the happiness of the greater good is maximised when Alistair keeps silent.

Tedtalk by Christen Reighter I Dont Want Children Stop Telling Me Ill Change My Mind! Professor Ramos Blog

Tedtalk by Christen Reighter I Dont Want Children Stop Telling Me Ill Change My Mind! This Tedtalk by Christen Reighter is about women not having children and how bizarre it seems to a lot of people. She understood at a young age that her role in life was to have a baby, and to get married. But she knew she didn’t want that. When she would respond to her relative’s comments on her not wanting to bare children, they would question her and say that she is selfish for abstaining from motherhood. No one explained to her all of the risk factors of having a child. The risk of passing on hereditary illness, danger of having to stop life-saving medication during pregnancy, over population, and access to recourses. If that wasn’t enough there is 415,000 children already in foster care for probably one of those reasons listed. Many of these reasons helped her decide to be surgically sterilized. Christen began to do research on getting her tubes tide. She learned that she wasn’t alone. 1 in 5 women will not have a biological child by choice or by chance. Kristen stated that woman had reported â€Å"medical practitioners as condescending and dismissive of their motivations†. Many woman appeal to OB/GYN’s but were most often turned down for the procedure with disrespect. Doctors mainly said that they were too young, didn’t have enough children, or that they should get married before making this decision. On Christen’s first dr. appointment she had dressed up in a professional manner and she had told the Doctor all of her credentials and all of her research so he could take her serious, but that was not the case. Instead, biased questions were thrown at her, it almost felt like she was being interrogated for a serious crime. The doctor wanted her to think about all of the future possibilities, basically trying to talk her out of it and trying to belittle her. â€Å"But what if you want a child 20 years from now?† Christen replied with, â€Å"Truth is, I only removed a single path to parenthood. I never needed biology to form a family anyway.† She had went to the doctors for more information and support instead was insulted. She would soon have to be seen by 5 doctors before she got the approval for her surgery. Christen stayed persistent with her decision as she signed her consent papers. The doctor nodded his head as she signed the papers, saying, â€Å"You’ll change your mind†. Christen didn’t realize how strongly society clings to this â€Å"woman will be mothers† roll. She was appalled by society not being able to distinguish her from being a woman and not a mother. A statement that stood out to me is when she said â€Å"Being a mother is the extension of womanhood not the definition. Woman have this amazing ability to create life. But when we say that that is her purpose, that says that her entire existence is a means to an end.† â€Å"I wanted woman to know that there absolutely is a choice behind maternity, and it is yours, and yours alone.† Questions: 1. Do you think doctors should stop putting their own emotions into your life choices?

English Dialects What Is British English

English Dialects What Is British English English Dialects: What Is British English? English may have begun in England (sort of – it’s a Germanic language, after all). But it is now spoken in dozens of countries all around the world. As such, you may sometimes hear people refer to â€Å"British English† (sometimes shortened to BrE, BrEng, or en-GB) rather than English in general. But what is British English? And how does it differ from American English? In this post, we’ll take you through the basics of how to use it in your writing. What Is British English? British English is the type of English spoken in the UK. It includes a range of regional and local dialects, such as Scottish English. It sometimes even includes the English spoken in Commonwealth countries. These dialects differ in some ways, but the term â€Å"British English† refers to the areas where they overlap (e.g., where they share a standard spelling or grammatical form). How Do American and British English Differ? Written American English and UK English (we’ll leave pronunciation to the linguists) are similar in many ways, but there are differences. These include: Spelling – American and British English differ in the spelling of many words. Some of these follow patterns (e.g., words like humor and color become humour and colour in UK English). Other differences are unique to specific words (e.g., the extra â€Å"i† the British put in aluminium). Vocabulary – As well as using different spellings, UK English uses completely different words in some cases. The punctuation mark we know as a â€Å"period† in American English, for instance, is a â€Å"full stop† in the UK. Grammar – There are not as many grammatical differences between American and British English as there are in spelling and vocabulary, but there are a few. For instance, while American English uses â€Å"gotten† as the past participle form of the verb â€Å"get† (e.g., I have gotten good at spelling), British English uses â€Å"got† in its place. Punctuation – There are also minor differences between American and British punctuation. For instance, American English favors â€Å"double quote marks,† whereas ‘inverted commas’ are standard in the UK. Keep an eye out for these issues if you’re writing for a British audience. Tips for Using British English We won’t attempt a definitive rundown of everything that makes UK English unique here. But we will offer a few helpful guidelines that you can follow when using British English: Remember that some British dialect terms are informal. For example, the term â€Å"cracking† can mean â€Å"excellent† in UK English. But this word is informal, so you would not use it in formal writing such as a college paper. Dictionaries should tell you when a word is informal. If you have a style guide from your school or publisher, check whether it specifies dialect-specific spelling or punctuation rules. British English often accepts multiple spellings (e.g. organise and organize). Make sure not to mix different spellings of the same word in a document When writing in Microsoft Word, set it to use British English by going to Review Language Set Proofing Language on the ribbon and selecting â€Å"English (United Kingdom).† Finally, you can have your work proofread by someone who knows British English. This is especially useful if you are less familiar with UK English, as a native speaker may spot things you have missed.

How to Write Essays of Any Kind

How to Write Essays of Any Kind Writing good essays is a tough task. You have to be focused. You need discipline, strategy, and flexible research abilities. If you do everything right, you’ll be happy with a result. Generally, any paper, such as a college essay, research paper, or even some kind of an office paper will be easy for you if you follow the proper strategy. Many students discovered that due to their own experience. Those who use a proper approach can easily write any paper really fast. Some methods become some popular that even teachers include them in an English curriculum to let students know the right way of writing different papers. In 2007, the Spartan System of writing was published on the internet. Since then, thousands of students have an opportunity to appreciate all the advantages of this method. The author of the Spartan System managed to write more than 70,000-word long book. The whole writing process took just two months. What Is the Secret? The author of this method was interested in Greek history, and in military tactics of the ancient Greeks, in particular. He thought that the approach that allowed generals rule a 10,000 army, moving it across the country, may help students who need to write a lot of words in a short time. This is what their strategy looked like: they brought troops together, keeping supplies in a center of a square-shaped unit. The strongest soldiers were placed at the front and back. Every time they faced any danger, these troops left their positions to just repel an attack, and then moved back immediately. This structure was impenetrable. They easily demoralized their opponents and could travel long distances even under the most difficult circumstances. Xenophon wrote that their idea was that, when the attack happens, they don’t plan defense on the go but immediately use soldiers who were specifically trained for this situation. The Spartan method of essay writing works exactly the same way: you create an introduction that determines the shape of your â€Å"army†, and then write paragraphs, creating the strong sides. Your paragraphs may act independently sometimes, but they should always follow the purpose of the entire formation. You have to maintain the square because it’s the key to success. When writing an essay, you write a text that consists of many sentences. It includes an introduction, a topic, a thesis, a mini-thesis at the beginning of each paragraph, and a conclusion that sums up everything written before and explains the general meaning of your paper. These four sentences are basic models that determine everything else. All sentences correspond to these universal models and create an undefeatable square. If you take a look at Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club, you will notice that every time the plot moves in a new direction, it immediately returns back to remind the main point. Now, forget boring prompts that you’ve been given. Forget all these â€Å"Commentary/Details† stuff, and let’s think about real work. Here is the example of the outline for a five-paragraph paper: Introduction Start with a catchy and broad hook. Consider it as a meta-topic of your paper. Write your thesis. Here you have to specify and develop the idea of your hook, taking into account your prompt and the subject of your paper. Write the sentence that forms the basis for the first body paragraph. Do the same thing for the second body paragraph. and repeat this step for the third body paragraph. Take a look at your hook and thesis and write a cohesive transitional sentence that will lead your readers to the first body paragraph. Some people say that the thesis must be written at the end of the introduction, but this point is quite controversial. The point of an essay is to come up with an idea and then support it. You can’t support a thought that hasn’t been written yet. The First Body Paragraph Rewrite the thesis of the first body paragraph. Support this mini-thesis with facts and analysis. Restate the mini-thesis in a context of the general thesis of the paper. When supporting a thesis with evidence, always begin with the strongest piece of evidence. Start with broad ideas, then move to more specific ones. After this, draw a conclusion. Make sure that your quotes are properly integrated into the sentence. Don’t make your quotes longer than 5-7 words. The Second Body Paragraph Rewrite the thesis of the second body paragraph. Support this mini-thesis with facts and analysis. Restate the mini-thesis in a context of the general thesis of the paper. The Third Body Paragraph Rewrite the thesis of the third body paragraph. Support this mini-thesis with facts and analysis. Restate the mini-thesis in a context of the general thesis of the paper. The Conclusion Restate the meta-theme (the hook of the introduction). Restate the general thesis statement once more. Write one sentence for the first body paragraph. Write one sentence for the second body paragraph. Write one sentence for the third body paragraph. Write a conclusion sentence based on your hook and your thesis. The last sentence of your essay must address a broad issue that is worth further consideration. It also must reflect the value of your point. That’s it. No, really. Now you can understand why such a method simplifies your task. You only need six original sentences, and then you play with them and write all the rest. You can apply this method when writing 500-word papers, as well as when working on 500-pages texts. This method allows you to write an essay that is self-supporting, self-generating and self-concluding. Follow this method and you’ll feel like a Greek general who built the square and trained troopers in advance so that they can do what they are supposed to do, while you don’t need to improvise. You follow the pre-determined boundaries, so you control the whole situation. Every sentence of your essay has its particular purpose. Now you shouldn’t worry about professors checking your essay with a prompt because you made the structure first and filled it with the content later. The middle of the square is the place where your readers are. You arrange everything around them and they can understand you clearly, being protected from doubts and misreadings. The introduction and the conclusion are where you write your strongest points. These thoughts lead your readers through the essay and push them forward. In the hook, you look in the future. In the conclusion, you look back. Everything between these two parts is just details. Your thesis statement is the backbone of the essay and it represents the whole paper, just like it’s supposed to do. Once you’ve written the thesis statement, the whole paper is almost done. After this, you won’t have any problems with filling the body part with evidence and other details. The meta-theme is directly related to the central theme, just like all the mini-themes. The interesting thing about this method is that you follow the pre-defined rigid structure that gives you the real freedom. Once you’ve created the structure, all you need is to fill it with ideas, placing each point in its specific place. This is your opportunity to take the topic and the thesis statement to a completely new level, making your papers understandable like never before. Obviously, it’s your simplest and fastest way to get high grades. The Spartan System allows you to reduce stress and write papers easily, regardless of the topic or length. Just try this system now and see how it works. Set a certain goal and a time limit. For example, 10 pages in 4 hours. You’ll see how a big A+ will appear on the front of that paper!

The Case of Pulte Group, Inc Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The of Pulte Group, Inc - Case Study Example This paper analyzes Pulte Group as a case study of company analysis. The study is divided in two phases. First, an understanding of the company’s business, strategies and industry is presented to show relation of activities to its spending. Second part is a ratio analysis to understand the relationship of ratios from previous years for internal trends and ratios of other firms for external trends for comparison. The importance of a financial analysis nowadays cannot be discounted because of its contributions to decision-making. As a guide to interested stakeholders, an Analysis of Pulte Group, Inc. is being done for the purpose of reviewing trends of financial performance of the company to find if there its strategies are consistent with their spending; and to know if the company measures up with competition. Comparing the company with competitors will give light as to the standing of the company. As this company is a publicly listed company, shareholders of the company are interested to know status of the company because of their personal interests of investments. Credit institutions and suppliers are likewise paying attention to its credibility due to risks involved in doing business with the company. Finally, the government, as the controller of institutions concerned with the implementations of SEC rules of submission of its annual Report, has to check compliance. The Analysis reviews company strategies in the first part of the study; then ratios are calculated for internal and external trends. Data used come from published Annual Report of the company, and published analysis of experts. Sources of financial information are the Financial Statements of the company published in Morning Star (2013) and Pulte’s Annual Report for 2011. Advice of Lermack, H.(2003) a professor in Philadelphia University in conducting financial analysis, was consulted in this study and used it as guide for comments. Background of the company Pulte Group is one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S. It was incorporated in 1987 and is a listed company in the stock exchange. Its strategies are divided into two operations: the homebuilding and financial services. Company operates in 3 brands: the Pulte Group Homes, Centex, and Del Webb. In homebuilding operations, strategies used are offering of single-family detached, townhouses, condominiums, and duplexes at di fferent prices, options and amenities to its customers. Customers are segmented as to as to entry-level, move-up, and active level. Company also acquires land for construction of homes for sale to homebuyers. It employs realty as it sells parcel of land to third parties for development. In order to attract prospects, company advertises, use brochures, and displays. It has opened a website to facilitate views of products, sites, negotiations, and information. For financial operations, company has own financial services that include mortgage and title operations through Pulte Mortgage and other subsidiaries. As an originator of mortgages, it uses its own funds and borrowings in mortgage and title

Porters Views on Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Porters Views on Strategy - Essay Example Michael Porter is a University Professor at Harvard Business School and a very contributor to the fields of management and economics. In an article he wrote for the Harvard Business Review in 1996, and also in one of his books, he argues that competitive strategy is "about being different". He adds, "It means deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value". It is important to note that Porter has focused on discussing competitive strategy and his views are based more on differentiating the company in the view of the customers. Porter has defined competitive strategy as "a combination of the ends for which the firm is striving and the means by which it is seeking to get there". Porter has provided for a very fresh and different view on the meaning of strategy. He highlights and emphasises on the facts that operational effectiveness is not strategy. Porter has in his article ‘What is Strategy?’, in the Harvard Business Review brought o ut some very important points. He argues that ‘Positioning’, which has been one of the major elements of strategy and has acted as the ‘heart of strategy’, is not being rejected by most managers. He discussed in this article that the current period believed that positioning is considered to be too static in the current dynamic world and the high use of technology. It is important to note that the information that has been provided here has been based on three major heads: 1. variety-based positioning 2. Needs-based positioning and 3 Access-based positioning

Food Insecurity in Ethiopia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Food Insecurity in Ethiopia - Essay Example Ethiopia has a population of approximately 75 million people, making it the second most heavily populated country in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the people in Ethiopia rely on agriculture as the main means of subsistence, and the agricultural industry is controlled by smallholder agriculture. The risk of famine in Ethiopia is extremely high. With the fast increase in population, food shortage has escalated. The researcher gives some explanations on Ethiopian market, that is still weak, with extensive price fluctuations and instability. Besides fast increasing population, the causes of food insecurity include incompetence in the organisational, institutional, policy, market, and production sectors. Food security is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a condition â€Å"when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life†. Due to the complexity of the causes of famine, manifold measures are needed to le ssen or totally prevent it from occurring. To conclude, the researcher sums up that food insecurity in Ethiopia has been primarily caused by rapid growth of population, environmental destruction, and overexploitation of natural resources, recurring drought, climate change, poverty, and civil conflicts. Ethiopian governments have made an attempt to resolve the country’s food insecurity. Unfortunately, as the researcher states none of these measures have effectively dealt with the issue. Therefore, drastically new measures are needed.

Marcel Breuers Tubular Metal Chair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marcel Breuers Tubular Metal Chair - Essay Example The discussion regarding the legacy of Bauhaus chairs reveal a number of aspects of the design and its connection with the modern designs. Many artists and others concur that the design of the classic Bauhaus chairs depicts the contemporary modern lifestyles. On the other hand, tubular metal chair predominantly paved way for a more advanced invention and innovativeness in the field of furniture design. This design in the artistic field paved way for a more chronologically advanced design industry whereby each and every individual artist is guided by their own liberally generated ideas. The functionalism of the modern furniture designs were particularly influenced by the post World II ideals of commoditization, cutting down excess and design practically. The remarkable shift from the decorative principles to minimalism as seen in the design of the Bauhaus chairs was generally attributed to the introduction of new technology as well as the changing philosophy of architecture. For examp le, the tubular metal chair was the revolutionary design in the furniture project under which bent tubular steel and canvas as well as manufacturing methods was powerfully used. The handlebar of Marcel’s Adler Bicycle inspired him a great deal in the adoption of the use of steel tubing to construct this chair. Through this design, it was proven that steel tubing was actually an appropriate material proposal by Marcel as it was available in larger quantity. The periphery of the tubular metal chair exhibition room was divided.

Health Care Reform Bill Obama Care Research Paper

Health Care Reform Bill Obama Care - Research Paper Example Even though, the government is spending billions of dollars every year to help the public, it is not reaching the ordinary people because of the administrative problems and the exploitation of the private insurance companies. Still United States has the highest healthcare costs compared to some other developed countries. President Obama, even before his election promised that he will make immense changes in the healthcare sector in order to make it more public-friendly. Obama has assured the public before the election that he will increase the insurance coverage, decrease the cost and social burden of healthcare, implement reform in insurance sector and increase the government involvement, once he succeeded in winning the election. After winning the president election, Obama introduced the legislations (Senate bill and Reconciliation bill) in both houses of the U.S. Congress and succeeded in passing it in March 2010. It is estimated that more than 50 million American citizens do not have the health insurance coverage at present. One of the major criticisms labeled against Obama’s health care bills is the annual increases in healthcare costs per person and the enormous budgetary strain this bill may cause on U.S. state and federal governments. In other words, The nationalization of health care should be unconstitutional because it conflicts with American civil liberties, and it allows some Americans to live off of the government rather than making something themselves.   â€Å"A U.S. district judge in January 2011, Judge Roger Vinson, in Pensacola, Fla., ruled that as a result of the unconstitutionality of the "individual mandate" that requires people to buy insurance, the entire law must be declared void† (Judge Rules Health Care Law Is Unconstitutional). The court declared that the over involvement of the government in healthcare sector is not necessarily the duty of the government. It is unconstitutional to spend the taxpayer’s money in this way. The primary role or the duty of the government is to give protection to the life and property of the citizen. However, the primary duty of the government does not include the protection of the public health according to the ruling of the court. The court also observed that the Congress does not have the authority or power to pass such a bill according to American constitution. It is the duty of the Congress to reform or regulate the healthcare market, when we consider the huge size of the health care sector with respect to national economy. However, Congress does not have the authority to put the entire responsibility of keeping the health of the public intact, upon the government. A federal judge in Virginia also ruled against the bill a week before. The judge declared that the â€Å"law's requirement that citizens buy health insurance or pay a penalty starting in 2014 is invalid† (O’Dell). However, the Obama administration argued that the above clause was attached in the law based on a constitutional provision, giving Congress power to regulate interstate commerce. Even though the Congress argued in favor of the bill, the court rejected the argument of Congress, citing reasons that: The means of payment for services in the interstate health care market is an economic activity that substantially affects interstate commerce, and the requirement that participants in the health care market have insurance to pay for the services they consume is thus a quintessential exercise of the commerce power (O’

Internal Control in the Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internal Control in the Business - Essay Example They include; orderly and efficient conduct of business, adherence to management policies, safeguarding of company assets, prevention and detection of fraud and error, accuracy and completeness of accounting records, and timely preparation of reliable financial information (Simkin, Rose & Norman, 2012). The world business network has encountered challenges involving the internal control systems in businesses; hence there has been deliberate monitoring of the area through legislation and authentic reports. These have provided guidelines on how to incorporate internal control systems in small and big businesses. For instance, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Section 404 that requires public companies to operate with an internal control system (Simkin, Rose & Norman, 2012). In addition, it ought to be effective and audited by an external auditor regularly (Li, Peters, Richardson, & Weidenmier, 2012). Others include; the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) report whose focus is on enterprise risk management, COBIT, and SAS NO.112 just to mention a few (Simkin, Rose & Norman, 2012). The growth in information technology has prompted some business security measures. For instance, COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and related Technology) was formulated to put checks on the exposure of data through computers. The involvement of IT in business has resulted to benefits and risks in the internal control systems of the businesses (Simkin, Rose & Norman, 2012). On its establishment, COBIT came up with objectives that would govern the internal control of information and related technology which it has continued to improve over time. The control objectives include; strategic alignment, Realization of expected benefits of IT, Continual assessment of IT investment, Determine risk appetite, measure and assess performance of IT resources (Simkin, Rose & Norman, 2012). There are five components that constitute

Health Care Reform Bill Obama Care Research Paper

Health Care Reform Bill Obama Care - Research Paper Example Even though, the government is spending billions of dollars every year to help the public, it is not reaching the ordinary people because of the administrative problems and the exploitation of the private insurance companies. Still United States has the highest healthcare costs compared to some other developed countries. President Obama, even before his election promised that he will make immense changes in the healthcare sector in order to make it more public-friendly. Obama has assured the public before the election that he will increase the insurance coverage, decrease the cost and social burden of healthcare, implement reform in insurance sector and increase the government involvement, once he succeeded in winning the election. After winning the president election, Obama introduced the legislations (Senate bill and Reconciliation bill) in both houses of the U.S. Congress and succeeded in passing it in March 2010. It is estimated that more than 50 million American citizens do not have the health insurance coverage at present. One of the major criticisms labeled against Obama’s health care bills is the annual increases in healthcare costs per person and the enormous budgetary strain this bill may cause on U.S. state and federal governments. In other words, The nationalization of health care should be unconstitutional because it conflicts with American civil liberties, and it allows some Americans to live off of the government rather than making something themselves.   â€Å"A U.S. district judge in January 2011, Judge Roger Vinson, in Pensacola, Fla., ruled that as a result of the unconstitutionality of the "individual mandate" that requires people to buy insurance, the entire law must be declared void† (Judge Rules Health Care Law Is Unconstitutional). The court declared that the over involvement of the government in healthcare sector is not necessarily the duty of the government. It is unconstitutional to spend the taxpayer’s money in this way. The primary role or the duty of the government is to give protection to the life and property of the citizen. However, the primary duty of the government does not include the protection of the public health according to the ruling of the court. The court also observed that the Congress does not have the authority or power to pass such a bill according to American constitution. It is the duty of the Congress to reform or regulate the healthcare market, when we consider the huge size of the health care sector with respect to national economy. However, Congress does not have the authority to put the entire responsibility of keeping the health of the public intact, upon the government. A federal judge in Virginia also ruled against the bill a week before. The judge declared that the â€Å"law's requirement that citizens buy health insurance or pay a penalty starting in 2014 is invalid† (O’Dell). However, the Obama administration argued that the above clause was attached in the law based on a constitutional provision, giving Congress power to regulate interstate commerce. Even though the Congress argued in favor of the bill, the court rejected the argument of Congress, citing reasons that: The means of payment for services in the interstate health care market is an economic activity that substantially affects interstate commerce, and the requirement that participants in the health care market have insurance to pay for the services they consume is thus a quintessential exercise of the commerce power (O’

Assesment Reporting Essay Example for Free

Assesment Reporting Essay Reporting and Resource Development Kate McGrath Student ID 11479964 Emt446 Assessment, Reporting and Resource Development 08 Fall 08 Fall Indicative Time Allocation The HSC course is 120 hours (indicative time). The following table shows the appropriate amount of time you should spend on each unit of work. HSC modules| Approx. number of weeks| Hours | The Australian Food Industry| 8 weeks| 25| Food Manufacture| 12 weeks| 40| Food Product Development| 12 weeks| 40| Due week 10 Weight 20%| Food manufacture ‘ Developing the undeveloped’Students are to research an Australian Food product and analyse the chosen product from ‘Farm to fork’. This includes the process of transforming the raw materials into a new product. The level of manufacturing and of the organisation will influence the amount of information gathered and the processes used. The assignment should include: manufacturing diagram, HACCP, QA, QU, principles of preservation along with external impact. Due week 10 Weight 25%| Product Design ‘The never ending design’Students are design, develop, create and produce a food item which caters for high school students. This item must be relevant to their recommended daily intake and the requirement that it helights, the food item must also have appeal to this target market. The food item must be designed for consumption for breakfast, recess or lunch, and is to be consumed at school. The limitationas that this places must be explored and addressed along with a list of product criteria. The food item can be a breakfast food item, a snack consumed during recess or a lunch product. The product must be relevant to the recommended daily intake for teenagers ager 13-17, the food item must also have appeal to this target market. The product must be justified as to how it meets these requirements. A series of tests and surveys must be conducted in establishing the target market and the products ability for success, this will be written in experimental format as found on page 261 of foodtech in action text.

A Review On Internet Cafe Networks Information Technology Essay

A Review On Internet Cafe Networks Information Technology Essay This assignment is based on the network implementation of internet cafe which is based near the campus of University of East London. We have to design and implement a network and describe the Local Area Network and Wide Area Network management. We have to describe the cost effectiveness solutions with software and hardware we use in this network with justifications. Different layers will also be discussed at different stages in this assignment. Different IP schemes and other network suggestions will be discussed. This assignment also includes conclusion and references of the research used to build this assignment. Research method plays an important role in this assignment. Introduction to ARPANET: Advance Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) is the worlds first Network which gives Packet Switching and allows access over network widely. Packet switching helps in establishing a communication link. It was started in the mid 1968. It started through LAN. Phenomenon of Internet cafe: We have to work on internet cafe project which is close to University of East London. This cafe is exists on three floors, and we have to connect or share 75 computers in cost effective solutions. These all computers should be registered with the single IP address. OSI layers have to been defined at different stages on the network. TCP/IP systems relate to local area network and the internet. This network has to been defined using network layout diagram. Network Cost and specifications: This project of internet cafe would require 75 computers, 1 router, 4 switches, LAN cables and 3 printers. A normal computer specification should be: 1 GB RAM At least 2.1 GHZ processor (Intel or Atom) 150 GB hard disk 17 Display Standard USB keyboard Standard USB mouse CD/DVD ROM This is normal system specifications which could be used in internet cafe and can be easily used by the customer. Normally when computers are purchased in bulk for a computer lab or internet cafe system, loyalty discount is normally given by that provider. This specification would estimate cost around  £250  £300 as according to Currys or PC world. Dell computers are normally recommended and purchasing from DELL can be more cost effective. Router We also have to use a router. As this is internet cafe connection, so there should be powerful router connection which could enable more surfers to use internet more easily. There is a router which has recently been launched (EDIMAX BR-6574n Wireless Gigabit Router) this is really power and is available at Currys store for  £80. Apart from that, there are other NETGEAR routers as well which range starts from  £30. Switches We would also need at least 4 switches. Cisco switches are normally recommended by engineers. They are quite fast and comply with the requirement of network. It normally costs around  £100. Some Belkin and Netgear switches are cheaper as well. LAN cable We wo ­uld need LAN cables to make connections overall on the network to connect computers with switches and router. RJ-45 connector cable is used for this purpose. A 50 meter Ethernet LAN cable costs about  £5. The more length would be needed, more prices would be increased. Printers We can also add Printers to the network. It is essential in network computers to have a printer but it is not recommended or compulsory. Normally Printer ranges from  £40 that is all in one, which is better for home and office purposes as it includes Printer, Scanner and Copier. Implementation of Network: We have to work on internet cafe. Cafe has 3 floors and we have arranged 75 computers over three floors. We have to place 3 computers for server purpose. We can divide 25 computers on three floors and also 3 computers as server on third floor. To make a network local, we connect computers first using switch. On first floor, we will place 25 computers, and we have connected these 25 computers using Fibre cable for LAN (Local Area Network). Also we need 3 printers to share on three floors and we connect 1 printer on each floor. We connect all 25 computers and 1 printer with switch. This process has to be repeated on three floors, and then we have to connect them with router. Server computers will be connected with router directly but through switch. When server is directly connected with router, it enables firewall implementation and sharing among the network with secure authentication. LAN is used to connect computers within local area and make a network between them. We use this network in this case to connect computers within the same building. After connecting them through LAN cable, we connect them to Switch. HUB is also called concentrator or multi station access unit (MAU). A normal hub contains 8 to 24 ports for the computers and other devices. It works as a multiple port repeater. It receives a digital signal and re amplifies or regenerates that signal. It then forwards the digital signal to all ports on the hub without looking at any data. Switch is also used for the same purpose as hub but it is more intelligent device. It operates at data link layer of OSI model. The biggest benefit of using switches instead of hubs is that each switch port has its own collision domain. Switch plays really an important role in network. Once they are connected with hub or switch, they will be connected with ROUTER. ROUTER ROUTER is a device which connects multiple networks using similar or different protocols. It manages the route between any two communication networks. IP address will remain the same because there is just one router and it will supply access to all four switches. Each Switch which is having 25 computers and 1 printer on three floors and third one is also having server computers on it will connect with switch which will lead to router. Each computer will have different IP but their ISP will be one only as this will be provided by service provider. After three sets of 75 computers and three printers connected with Switch which is connected to router, after this process we connect one more switch with router which has 3 server computers on it. One server would be file server or printer server, and one would be DHCP/Authentication/Certification server and DNS server. This server system would help in file or printer sharing along the network to protect the computers with firewall option and also to provide certification to computers for different task over the network. OSI OSI stands for Open System Interconnection. It is a set of protocols that allows any two different systems to communicate regardless of their underlying architectures. This physical connection of router with switch and computers comes in Physical Layer of OSI model. Physical layer relates the electrical, optical, mechanical and functional interface to the cable as it defines how the cable is attached to the network adaptor card. Connection of computers with Switch includes Data Link Layer of OSI model. It sends data frames from network later to physical layer. Router is supplying single IP address, and each computer has different IP address. This concept involves Network Layer of OSI model which is responsible for putting data segments into packets. Transport layer works after Network Layer which is responsible segmenting data. It ensures that packets are delivered free of errors with no loss. For implementation of Network especially of Internet cafe, some softwares have also been recommended. Cyber cafe management and installation of networking protocols like IPX, SPX and TCP/IP. This thing comes in Session Layer. The main purpose of session layer is to establish a connection through application running on two different computers. Presentation layer and Application layer are after session layer. Presentation layer is used to determine the format of exchanging the data among network. Application layer handles network access, control the flow and recover errors. Addressing Scheme: Addressing scheme plays an important role in network. TCP/IP, IPv4, IPv6 are essentials of Network scheme. They are normally set to default but they can be changed according to the requirements. Each network system must be identified as unique. This is done through MAC address of device. Each machine always has different IP address on the network. TCP/IP is known as transmission control protocol/Internet protocol. It is a technology that is used to manage the transmission of data by breaking it into packets. These packets travel through router. TCP/IP addressing scheme is used in implementation of this network. This network scheme is normally used for sharing of computers over the network and gives them internet access. IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) addressing scheme is really important in a network. The most important aspect of IPv4 is its size. It is most widely organized internet layer protocol. It is a connectionless protocol used for packet switching link layer. IPv4 can establish more than 256 connections. Its range starts from 0 255. This connection is really helpful in internet cafe setup. Normally IPv4 is set to default which detects IP automatically, but we can define IPv4 manually as well which can be allocated. Manual configuration can change IP of the system for some purposes as well. Sub-netting plays an important role in networking. It is a subdivision of an IP network or when the network is divided into several small networks. It results in logical division of an IP address. Subnetting an IP can be done for the various reasons which generally include different physical media, address space, security, control network traffic etc. Subnetting makes it easier to manage the smaller network as well. Subnet masks are also used with IP. Computer performs a bitwise logical AND operation between the address and subnet mask in order to find the Network Address or number. The general syntax for Subnetting is 255.255.255.0 There are generally three classes used for Subnet masks Class A: 255.0.0.0 Class B: 255.255.0.0 Class C: 255.255.255.0 Calculations of Network Subnetting: We have to implement a network with single registered IP which is given by our service provider. 195.5.20.0 This is known an IP address. The default subnet mask for this one would be 255.255.255.0 We have to implement 4 networks and they should be provided with different IP addresses. We use the following steps to find out the network and host computers over the network and range as well 195.5.20.0 255.255.255.0 We use 8 bits for binary written form. 255.255.255.0 = 11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000 This is default Subnet of network We have to implement four networks in a network, so we will do with 4 in binary 2 4 2 2 0 1 0 4 Decimal = 100 binary We will take 3 bits as a result of binary conversion from bit scale. The bit scale helps in implementing a network more easily 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1 We will take 3 bits for new subnet mask and new Subnet mask will be 11111111.11111111.11111111.11100000 This will be equal to 255.255.255.224 Our new IP range will be 195.5.20.0 195.5.20.31 195.5.20.32 195.5.20.63 195.5.20.64 195.5.20.95 195.5.20.96 195.5.20.127 This is our range of new 4 Networks made by Single registered IP. Network Layout Diagram: Analysis and Synthesis: This research is a conceptual base in which most of the prediction has also been used apart from research on different structures and equipments used in this setup. A concept has been taken from http://www.ccautosoft.com/2011/03/connecting-all-hardwares-in-internet-cafe/ which shows the setup for the internet cafe. This is was quite helpful in equipment structure. This project has been designed to improve the performance of internet cafà © setup with compare to new technology as of library or lab network. Conclusion: This has been concluded from this project that it is reliable and secure network. It can easily give access to all the computers equally. There is less risk of virus spreading over the network as secure switches have been used which gives the high profile for Firewall and other activities. This project uses the latest technology routers and switches which enables the network to communicate more effectively. Also this project is cost effective, and it allows less cost to be spent over the network. Computers have been used with moderate specifications which are compatible to run over network properly.

The Dispossessed and Invisible Man :: Invisible Man Essays

The Dispossessed and Invisible Man      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Darko Suvin defines science fiction as "a literary genre whose necessary and sufficient conditions are the presence and interaction of estrangement and cognition, and whose main formal device" (Suvin 7-8) is a fictional "novum . . . a totalizing phenomenon or relationship" (Suvin 64), "locus and/or dramatis personae . . . radically or at least significantly" alternative to the author's empirical environment "simultaneously perceived as not impossible within the cognitive (cosmological and anthropological) norms of the author's epoch" (Suvin viii). Unlike fantasy, science fiction is set in a realistic world, but one strange, alien. Only there are limits to how alien another world, another culture, can be, and it is the interface between those two realms that can give science fiction its power, by making us look back at ourselves from its skewed perspective.    The Dispossessed takes as its novum a general theory of time, illustrated by the paradox of a rock thrown at a tree, a rock that can never reach its target because "there's always half of the way left to go" (Le Guin 26). Shevek, Le Guin's protagonist and formulator of the general temporal theory, sees himself as one who "'unbuilds walls'" (Le Guin 289), as the "primal number, that [is] both unity and plurality" (Le Guin 30) crossing interfaces. Walls abound in The Dispossessed: the wall between Anarres and Urras (Le Guin 1-2), the wall that separates one individual from every other (Le Guin 6), the wall of social conscience (Le Guin 287), the wall between men and women (Le Guin 14-16), the wall of time--Zeno's paradox--the limit that prevents the rock from striking the tree (Le Guin 26).    But as Shevek knows, the rock does strike the tree; that is the joke (Le Guin 27). The wall can be crossed. He crosses it when he leaves Anarres; he crosses it in his love for Takver and Sadik; he crosses it with the Syndic of Iniative, and he crosses it with the Terrans and the Hainish. This need to "unbuild walls" is his "'cellular function,'" his "moral choice," but it is "process" and not "end," a "journey and return" and not merely a "repetitive, atemporal" cycle (Le Guin 290-291). The paradox of sequence and simultaneity is that nothing stays the same; it is not the same river going past the bank, or the same wind blowing through the same tree as last spring.

Benito Mussolini :: essays research papers

Benito Mussolini   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Benito Mussolini was the founder of Italian Fascism and premier of Italy ruling as a dictator from about 1925 until his dismissal in 1943. Mussolini was born to a socialist blacksmith. As a child he was unruly and undisciplined. He shared his fathers views picking up other ideas from authors of the time. Mussolini became a schoolteacher and journalist. He spent several years in Switzerland and took Rachele Guidi as is wife, they had five children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1913 Mussolini became editor of the Milan Socialist newspaper Avanti! When World War 1 began in 1914 he first opposed Italy's involvement, until he changed his mind, saying that Italy should take a stand with the Allies. This got him expelled from the socialist party. He soon founded his own paper, Il popolo d'italia, which became the backbone of his Fascist movement. He then served in the Army until he was wounded in 1917.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1919 Mussolini and some other war veterans founded a nationalistic revolutionary group called the Fasci di Combattimento. His movement turned into powerful radicalism, obtaining support from landowners in the Po valley, industrialists, and many army officers. Fascist blackshirt squads carried on civil war with Socialists, Communists, Catholics, and Liberals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In October 1922 Mussolini secured permission from King Victor Emmanuel lll to form a coalition government. In 1925-26, after a lengthy crisis with the parliament following the killing of the Socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti, he imposed a Totalarian Dictatorship. His Corperative State came to terms with Italian Capitalism but abolished the free trade unions. In 1929 he ended conflict with the church through the Lateran Treaty of 1929.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1930's Mussolini turned to an aggressive foreign policy, conquering Ethiopia(1935-36) and helping General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War. In 1936 he joined with Hitler's Germany and soon formed a military alliance(1939). In 1939 Mussolini ordered his armies to occupy Albania. However he kept out of World War ll until 1940, when the fall of France was imminent and the Germans seemed to be winning the war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After a series of Italian military disasters in Greece and North Africa, the leaders of his party abandoned him. The king dismissed him on July 25,1943 and had him arrested. On September 12 the Germans rescued him, making him puppet head of a government in northern Italy. In April 1945 Mussolini and