Supply Chain Management and New Product Development Research Paper

Supply Chain Management and New Product Development - Research Paper Example   New product development is that series of events that starts with the conception of the product and its ideation and ends with reaching the product to the end user through strategic brand positioning through the meeting of competitive advantage. New product development is an important part of any and every business today in order to show a portfolio that thrives on enrichment through innovation and new experiences in the market place. It is a concept that will hold the prospective consumer's attention for long enough in order to turn him or her into an actual end user. In a nutshell, through new product development, one renders a quality of improvising and strategic branding to the business and helps reach out to more and more people and turn them into consumers. Therefore, it is an important part of meeting competition and venturing into new markets to increase profitability and brand visibility as well. (Savage, 2007)   According to the above diagram, the importance of new product development lies in the fact that there is a need in today's world of competition to keep redefining the business and its offerings. Most of the companies listed in the table have done just that by adhering to the latest technologies and making sure that their research and development department is on top of things every step of the way. This has also given rise to a particular kind of brand positioning and a pattern that these companies have constantly improved upon. (Ellram et al, 2007)  This model has been presented in the form of a flow chart with the aim of collaborating and organizing the knowledge and information within an organization to zero in on a strategy that makes the best possible use resources. (Hugos, 2005) The best option facing an organization in the context of the above diagram or flow chart is to test its supply management strategy on various suppliers instead of one supplier alone, in order to f ind the strengths and weaknesses of each of the suppliers.  

How to solve the problem of long waiting lines in public schools Assignment

How to solve the problem of long waiting lines in public schools - Assignment Example Such an implementation would reduce the waiting duration for young children before they get keep in touch with their parents considering that children might not withstand long duration in queues. In order to reduce congestion that is characterized by long parking lines that attribute to congestions within school compounds, a policy should be implemented that restrain parents from packing within school compounds to the back yard of the institution. Besides, students should be dismissed based on grading criteria as it would improve chances of the parental accessibility to their children in good time. Similarly, it is advisable for students who are using the school bus to board according to their grades. As such, only students whose grades have been read should be allowed to board. If the above implementations are followed then there is maximum possibility that the problem of long waiting lines in public schools shall be solved (Deneen & Catanese,

Building High Performance Team In A Minute Essay Example for Free

Building High Performance Team In A Minute Essay When working with a group or a company, the most expected mantra recited is â€Å"be a team player† in order contribute for the organization’s accomplishment of all its goals and objectives. To quote, â€Å"Someone may be great at his or her job, maybe even the best there ever was. But what counts at work is the organization’s success, not personal success. After all, if your organization fails, it does not matter how great you were; you are just as unemployed as everyone else† (Johnson, Kantner Kikora, 1990). This is why Kenneth Blanchard decided to jack up his One Minute Manager book series by coming up with something that will focus on teamwork, which is The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams (1990, revised 2000). With Eunice Parisi-Carew, Blanchard tackles in this book the in-depth dynamics of team structure and the most rewarding interactions of each team members. Blanchard hopes that, by reading the book, participants of these work groups will gain a clearer understanding of how their teams may function at optimal levels. As a prominent author, speaker and business consultant, Kenneth Blanchard is often described as one of the most insightful, powerful and compassionate gurus in the business world. Blanchard is chairman of Blanchard Training and Development Inc., a management consulting and training company which he founded in 1979. He co-authored four books in the One Minute Manager series that collectively sold more than nine million copies and have been translated into more than 20 languages. Also, he has regularly appeared on popular television news and business programs in the US and has been featured in leading magazines such as Time and US News. This is why if somebody has enough expertise on how teams can be made effective, Blanchard has definitely the authority to discuss how teams work to become high performing and achieve excellence for the organization. Noted for his leadership approach that promotes self-esteem and self worth through a clear and structured approach to making people accountable for their behavior, Blanchard emphasized that â€Å"people who feel good about themselves produce good results — and appeal is based on applying techniques that take only one minute to apply†. What’s most relevant in e One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams (2000) is that the authors presented seven characteristics of the perform model that identified the desired behaviors of an effective team:  · Purpose. Team members are clear about what the teams work is and why it is important.  · Empowerment. Members are confident about the teams ability to overcome obstacles and to realize its vision.  · Relationship and communication. The team is committed to open communication, and members feel that they can state their opinions, thoughts and feelings without fear.  · Flexibility. Members are flexible and perform different tasks and maintenance functions as needed.  · Optimal productivity. High-performing teams produce significant results, due to a commitment to high standards and quality results.  · Recognition and appreciation. Individual and team accomplishments are frequently recognized by the team leader as well as team members by celebrating milestones, accomplishments and events.  · Morale. Members are enthusiastic about the teams work, and each person feels pride in being a team member (p. 9-16). At 106 pages, this book is not a heavy read and filled with fictionalized dialogue to establish concrete examples. Also, this book interestingly explains the developmental stages a team goes through on their quest in becoming â€Å"high-performing† and â€Å"self-directed.† Emphasizing on the group dynamics, the authors easily described how an effective leader or â€Å"educator† can help steer the team that will empower individual members to contribute their creative ideas and talents to attain the common goal: accomplishing the team’s mission. In the work environment, teams materialize to focus on tasks or solve problems that are beyond the capacity of one individual. With this type of set-up that allow creative and innovative juices to flow through the constant sharing of information,   people could appropriate division of labor among the members of the team can lead to more effective, more efficient and less stressful workplace. Their high levels of performance with regards to quantity, quality, and timeliness of work results can contribute to their sense of satisfaction, addressing a psychological and motivational need. With incessant exposure to each other, team members and their superiors could ascertain whether they have a team that can continue working together with synergy or their togetherness poses a detrimental effect on their output and interrelationships. Thus, with the help of this book, managers, leaders and even parents can make most of their teams to have a wider perspective of the processes and a detailed coverage of the activities that occur and address what needs to be improved in their respective organizations.

Goals of Financial Management Essay Example for Free

Goals of Financial Management Essay Money required for carrying out business activities is called business finance. Almost all business activities require some finance. Finance is needed : †¢To establish a business , †¢To run it †¢To modernize it †¢To expand it or diversify †¢It is required to buy whole variety of assets, they may be tangible like machinery ,factories,building,offices or intangible like patents, technical expertise etc. Success of business depends considerably on how well the funds are deployed in assets Financial management is concerned with optimum procurement as well as usage of finance. The financial management has to take three important decision viz. (i) Investment decision i. e. , where to invest fund and in what amount, (ii) Financing decision i. e. , from where to raise funds and in what amount, and (iii) Dividend i. e. , how much to pay dividend and how much to retain for future expansion. In order to make these decisions the management must have a clear understanding of the objective sought to be achieved. It is generally agreed that the financial objective of the firm should be maximization of owners economic welfare. There are two widely discussed approaches or criterion of maximizing owners welfare – (i) Profit maximization, and (ii) Wealth maximization. Profit maximization would probably be the most commonly cited business goal, but this is not a very precise objective. Do we mean profits this year? If so, then actions such as deferring maintenance, letting inventories run down, and other short-run, cost-cutting measures will tend to increase profits now, but these activities arent necessarily desirable. The goal of maximizing profits may refer to some sort of â€Å"long-run† or â€Å"average† profits, but its unclear exactly what this means. First, do we mean something like accounting net income or earnings per share? As we will see, these numbers may have little to do with what is good or bad for the firm. Second, what do we mean by the long run? As a famous economist once remarked, in the long run, were all dead! More to the point, this goal doesnt tell us the appropriate trade-off between current and future profits. Profit Maximization: Maximization of profits is very often considered as the main objective of a business enterprise. The shareholders, the owners of the business, invest their funds in the business with the hope of getting higher dividend on their investment. Moreover, the profitability of the business is an indicator of the sound health of the organization, because, it safeguards the economic interests of various social groups which are directly or indirectly connected with the company e. g. shareholders, creditors and employees. All these parties must get reasonable return for their contributions and it is possible only when company earns higher profits or sufficient profits to discharge the obligations to them. As long as we are dealing with for-profit businesses, only a slight modification is needed. The total value of the stock in a corporation is simply equal to the value of the owners equity. Therefore, a more general way of stating our goal . Finally, our goal does not imply that the financial manager should take illegal or unethical actions in the hope of increasing the value of the equity in the firm. What we mean is that the financial manager best serves the owners of the business by identifying goods and services that add value to the firm because they are desired and valued in the free marketplace If we assume that stockholders buy stock because they seek to gain financially, then the answer is obvious: Good decisions increase the value of the stock, and poor decisions decrease the value of the stock. The goal of maximizing the value of the stock avoids the problems associated with the different goals we listed earlier. There is no ambiguity in the criterion, and there is no short-run versus long-run issue. We explicitly mean that our goal is to maximize the current stock value. Because the goal of financial management is to maximize the value of the stock, we need to learn how to identify those investments and financing arrangements that favorably impact the value of the stock. This is precisely what we will be studying. In fact, we could have defined corporate finance as the study of the relationship between business decisions and the value of the stock in the business. Wealth Maximization: The term wealth means shareholder’s wealth or the wealth of persons who are involved in business concern. this is also known as value maximization or net worth maximization The wealth maximization (also known as value maximization or Net Present Worth Maximization) is also universally accepted criterion for financial decision making. The value of an asset should be viewed in terms of benefits it can produce over the cost of capital investment. †¢Wealth maximization is based on the concept of cash flow . cash flow are a reality and not based on subjective. †¢It considers time value of money.

Sexist Attitude in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Da

Sexist Attitude in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness This paper will discuss the way Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness relies, both thematically and formally, on values that could be called sexist. By "sexism" I mean the those cultural assumptions that make women be regarded, unjustly, as in different ways inferior to men: socially, intellectually and morally. Since Heart of Darkness has often been regarded as one of the best and profoundest discussions of morality in English literature, this issue is very important. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how the narrative itself is thought of as unsuitable for women. The narration takes place on a small sailing boat, waiting for the ebb of the Thames to bring it out to the sea, and the listeners to Marlowe's story, of whom the primary narrator is one, are all men. They are, moreover, all comrades, and can be assumed to share certain fundamental values. Some of these values, a blind patriotism for example, are questioned by Marlowe's narrative, while others, such as the contemporary attitude towards women are only confirmed and reinforced. There are not only very few female participants in the story. The secondary, although most important narrator Marlowe, at several points defines the story as itself ill-suited for feminine ears: Girl! What? Did I mention a girl? Oh, she is out of it - completely. They - the women I mean - are out of it - should be out of it. We must help them to stay in that beautiful world of their own least our gets worse. Oh, she had to be out of it. You should have heard the disinterred body of Mr. Kurtz saying, 'My Intended.' You would have perceived directly then how completely she was out of it. (Conrad 75) Here, Marlow fores... ...n of action either to become passive, or to deviate from their righteous ways. By analogy, the voyages of Kurtz and Marlowe, and the enterprise of discovery of colonization themselves, can be seen as essentially masculine acts. Such acts, always perpetrated, it seems, by white men, simply befall, happen to, passive peoples or cultures. As a result, these peoples are turned into the mere receivers of the actions - military, educational, sexual - of others, and are thus, to an extent, "feminized". In this way, the racist discourses of Conrad's times can be understood as connected to the assumptions by which women were, and still are, subjected to social and cultural oppression. Works Cited: Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Norton, 1988. Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa". In Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays. New York: Doubleday, 1988.

The Struggles of the Youngers in A Raisin in the Sun Essay -- Raisin S

The Struggles of the Youngers in A Raisin in the Sun   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun depicts the struggles of three generations of the Youngers family in the 1950's of poorer Chicago.   Act 2, scene 2 of the play displays an understanding of the Youngers and the atmosphere in which they live.   In just a few pages, Lorraine Hansberry reveals the struggles enforced upon the characters individually as well as with their united desires as a family.   Individually, each character must overcome prejudice from his family and associates, while still enduring struggles and hardships that diminish any intended goals.   Together, however, the Younger family must overcome the racial bigotry incurred by society, while still maintaining social pride and integrity.   In contrast, a predominant expression of hope and encouragement is a factor in the lives of such characters, as revealed by the author.   With the use of dramatic elements to interpret the events of this section of the play, in addition to the issues of race and gender, it is obvious that the Youngers represent a black family struggling towards middleclass respectability not only in society, but in their own home as well.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To interpret the significance of this scene, it is necessary to consider the environment, including the way the scene is set up and other devices used to interpret the situation.  Ã‚   Set in the home of the Younger's, the scene represents the Youngers' living conditions.   Objects such as packing crates are thrown into the scene, representing the moving of the family.   All dramatic elements intertwine to offer an o... ...p; Props such as the bed, the phone, the radio and the newspaper had bold meanings associated with them.   The actions of the characters and the struggles they faced with issues of racial discrimination and gender differences symbolize the struggles of society as a whole.   The time, the 1950's, the reference to the Ku Klux Klan, and the place Chicago, represent a period of great trials and tribulations for black people overcoming the slavery of their people in America.   Throughout the entirety of the play, issues of gender and race play a recurring role.   It isn't until Act 2, scene 2 of the novel when hope is sought for these issues.   Through the revelation of this section, it is discovered that the Younger's are a family with a lot of pride who struggle and seek hope to better their position in the corruption around them.   

Prostitutes in Ancient Athens Essay -- History Greece Creek Females Es

Prostitutes in Ancient Athens Works Cited Missing Ancient Athens was a highly polarized society in which citizenship meant everything. Citizenship permitted individuals to not only participate in the democratic government but also gave them access to all the rights and splendors of the city. A citizen controlled influence over slaves, foreigners and most importantly women. Athenian women were relegated to the status of child bearers and keepers of the household. There was no room for personal expression or freedom and the strict moral code in many cases restricted these women from even leaving their homes. There was a select group of women however who overcame these obstacles to achieve greater sexual, economical, and social freedom. They were the prostitutes. The freedom which prostitutes enjoyed would be better understood only after first assessing the status of "respectable" women in Athens. Girls were raised from an early age to learn domestic affairs and were to be wed even as early as the age of fourteen (Just 1989: 40). Marriage was almost mandatory as single women were looked upon as shameful and might even be labeled as "whores". The wedding was almost always arranged by the father or kyrios and from this point on the woman's role was clear. Pericles gives a good explanation of the ideal wife in his famous Funeral Oration when reminding the women of Athens that: "Your great glory is not to be inferior in the way nature made you; and the greatest glory is hers who is least talked about by men, whether in praise or in blame (Thucydides: 2.45)." This implies that an Athenian's woman virtue lay in her absence from the public eye. Athenians made sure to protect their wives' virtue by excluding women f... ...culed on the stage and was later brought to trial on charges of "impiety (Cantarella 1987: 55)." Her individuality and intelligence not only angered but frightened the Athenian misogynists even though she was eventually acquitted. Aspasia clearly shows how much freedom was available to a prostitute in Athenian society. The life of the prostitute in Athens was clearly a more liberal lifestyle than most women enjoyed in which the woman could aspire to wealth, independence and even indirect political power. The only setback to these benefits was the scorn of women and the contempt of men when a prostitute became too prominent. Women like Aspasia helped introduce an early type of feminism in the unlikeliest of settings. The Athenian prostitutes were clearly women that refused to succumb to the male dominated society that saw women as inherently inferior beings.

Spoilage Rates

India Agriculture Spoilage Data Per 2010  FAO  world agriculture statistics, India is the world's largest producer of many fresh  fruits  and vegetables,  milk, major  spices, select fresh meats, select fibrous crops such as  jute, several staples such as  millets  and  castor oil  seed. India is the second largest producer of  wheat  and  rice, the world's major  food staples. India is also the world's second or third largest producer of several  dry fruits, agriculture-based  textile  raw materials,  roots  and  tuber  crops,  pulses, farmed  fish,  eggs,  coconut,  sugarcane  and numerous  vegetables.India ranked within the world's five largest producers of over 80% of agricultural produce items, including many  cash crops  such as  coffeeand  cotton, in 2010. India is also one of the world's five largest producers of livestock and poultry meat, with one of the fastest growth rates, as of 2011. India exported about 2 billion kilograms each of wheat and rice in 2011 to Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh and other regions of the world. Aquaculture and catch fishery  is amongst the fastest growing industries in India.Between 1990 and 2010, Indian fish capture harvest doubled, while aquaculture harvest tripled. In 2008, India was the world's sixth largest producer of marine and freshwater capture fisheries, and the second largest aquaculture farmed fish producer. India exported 600,000 metric tonnes of fish products to nearly half of all the world's countries. Lack of cold storage and harvest spoilage causing over 30% of farmer's produce going to waste, India lacks cold storage, food packaging as well as safe and efficient rural transport system.This causes one of the world's highest food spoilage rates, particularly during Indian monsoons and other adverse weather conditions. Food travels to the Indian consumer through a slow and inefficient chain of traders. Indian consumers buy agricultural produce in suburban markets known as ‘sabzi mandi' such as one shown or from roadside vendors. As per the report by Shri M. S. Swaminathan (Planning Commission 1981), up to 40% of certain fruits and vegetables go waste due to their perishable nature and non-availability of appropriate post harvest infrastructure. As per nother study (TIFAC – 1996), wastage in certain food is as high as over 30% and in vegetables the losses are up to 20% to 30% at the post harvest stages due to poor storage, transportation, lack of infrastructure and the inadequacy of the marketing set-up. As per this report, India wastes more fruits and vegetables than are consumed in a country like U. K. The total wastage in all food sectors is high and worth Rs. 500,000 million. It is also estimated that the wastage cost of fruits and vegetables is Rs. 350,000 millions per year which is four to five times than those of food grains.Even in food grains the loss is reckoned at 5-10% on account of insect infestatio n and inadequate storage. Types of Food Spoilage Food spoilage and contamination are defined as those adverse changes in quality caused by the action of specific conditions or agents that induce physical and chemical changes and also includes micro-organisms, insect, bird and rodent pests. Mechanical damage is also instrumental in spoilage. Bruises and wounds are such defects, which frequently cause chemical and microbial spoilage.The primary causes of food spoilage include the following: †¢ Biological – these include micro-organisms like bacteria, yeasts and molds, and other agents like insects, rodents and birds †¢ Chemical – these include enzymatic or non-enzymatic reactions †¢ Physical – these include breakage, bruises, crushing and cut or otherwise dismembered surfaces Figure 2 depicts the â€Å"Food Pipeline† and summarises the physical and biological ways of occurrence of food loss. Meat and Poultry Processing The production of meat is steadily increasing with an annual production of 4. million tonnes, which is contributed mainly by pigs followed by sheep, goat, buffalo and poultry meat. Meat producing industry in India is largely confined to the unorganised sector and there is very limited upgradation of technology. The constraints are absence of farms for rearing meat producing animals and absence of cold-chain facilities. The market for scientifically and hygienically produced meat products is expected to grow rapidly due to constantly developing urbanisation. As a result of changing lifestyles, the21 demand for ready–to–cook food is growing rapidly.Overall very little of meat production is scientifically produced, processed and packaged as branded products. Most meat consumed in India is in fresh form. Less than 1% of meat is processed into value-added products like sausages, ham, bacon, luncheon meat, kababs meat balls etc. Figure 6 gives the production of meat and meat products. Lack of cold chain demand makes the cold chain infra costly (more demand – more competition – lesser price), the additional cost (in comparison with non cool chain products) eventually gets loaded on the products serviced through high cost cold chain.Now, if supposedly some inferior product is available at a lesser price, very few in India shall buy a superior product serviced through cold chain, particularly when product in question is considered â€Å"fresh† only when it comes outside the controlled atmosphere (read cold store). Remember – fresh peas here sells @ Rs 150 a kg during off seasons against frozen at Rs 50 Kg. You need to have customers. Therefore, I am of the view that future demand for cold chain in India shall be driven not by fresh foods but by foods and pharmaceutical categories which compulsorily requires cold chain.Ready to eat frozen products, frozen vegetables, imported fruit etc comes to mind here. If these categories grow in India – inf ra to handle this shall automatically grow. Increased growth of cold chain shall drive down the cold chain price for more adopters to follow, reducing the cost. I can foresee a strong correlation between cold chain growth with growth of microwave ovens. At the end of the day it is all about markets. It is not only the demand of right products that hinders the growth of cold store industry in India, services too share equal blameFew years back we built a world class cold storage infra for potatoes and apples at the only clock auction market for fruit and vegetables in India. This cold stores had all the modern bells and whistles like pallets, forklift, screw compressors et al. Know what happened. Third party apple storage for trading at this store turned out to be a non-starter as apple trading in India is based on samples for small lots which could not be drawn out for inspection by traders as quickly as they are drawn out in an ambient environment or a traditional cold store.Moral of the story. Trade’s service demand dictate the cold storage needs. FTA agreements July 23, 2012 –  The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today met with representatives of the Canada-India Business Council in Montreal, where he highlighted the launch of a fifth round of negotiations toward a Canada-India trade agreement.A Canada-India joint study concluded that a trade agreement between the two countries could boost Canada’s economy by at least $6  billion. Reference: http://www. thestar. com/news/world/article/1176287–india-s-wheat-left-to-rot-due-to-lack-of-storage http://anilchopra. com/blog/personal/why-cold-storage-industry-is-not-growing-in-india/ http://smallb. in/sites/default/files/knowledge_base/best_practices/RoleofplasticsinconservationofFoodResources. pdf

Assignment 1: Starbucks’ Strategy Essay

The purpose of this paper is to explore key elements for Starbuck pertaining to their success their approach to organizational culture and management’s role in the proven success it has experience globally. Next, to converse about decision-making strategies that Starbuck’s management has implemented to maintain it competitive position in the market place; share a competency that is used by management and why this particular competency assist in the company’s success regarding organizational culture. Lastly, share my opinion on long-term sustainability in the global industry; in addition could the company continue without Mr. Howard Shultz as CEO. Organizational Culture In business management it is imperative that strategies are created and implemented so the company can experience growth and increase there revenue; additionally they must consider competition advantage, short and long-term planning to continue to sustain their position in the market, include the global market if it is applicable. In looking at Starbucks as a company a global leader in their respected industry, management had to consider the business strategies previously mentioned. However, management additionally had to consider organizational culture as part as of their strategic planning, along with being culturally sensitive since they operate globally. According to research, â€Å"the concept of culture helps managers understand the hidden, complex aspects of organizational life† (Draft, 2012, p.75). When Starbuck’s management strategically design plans to for company success it requires them to look at various elements both internally and eternally. This is important because when dealing globally the must understand the beliefs, values, etc. before operating in a particular area. Furthermore, internally they have to ensure that their employees understand this information as 3 well; by doing this it will make the operation operate smoothly without any interruption to the operation. For instance, gaining an understanding observing things that are visible or tangible which can be critical to internal operation such as, observing employee, beliefs, values, and much more. This requires management to incorporate the company’s mission and vision so it will eliminate conflicts so the company can function, as management desires in order to be profitable and competitive in the industry. The other key element is to focus on external elements, which will attract consumers to their stores, which is important when competing in a global competitive market. An analysis must be conducted to understand the customer; competitor positioning, and marketing plans that will gain and allow the company to build its customer base; this may require understanding customs, symbols, locations, etc. Thus, will increase profits and reduce liabilities and risk. Based on research it describes adaptability culture in both internal and eternal segments. â€Å"Managers encourage values that support the company’s ability to rapidly detect, interpret, and translate signals from the environment into new behavior responses. (Draft, 2012, p.78). This type of understanding in organizational cultural behavior promotes achievement and consistency for Starbucks. Managerial Decisions Starbucks has been successful in their operation for many reasons because management is cognizant that customers need to feel welcomed and relaxed based on the facility layout and location. Additionally, this is back by employees who share in management’s beliefs and values. Furthermore, the company is effective because they offer a variety of products that caters to their customer base. Perhaps one of the best advantages that management offers to their customers are free services such as Wifi, reduced cost on music such as CDs and free musical downloads for electronic devices, along with diverse music that caters to all ethnic groups. Management effectiveness against their competitors depends on cost, technology, productivity, and much more. The long-term goal for any company is to increase profits and decrease there lost without compensating quantity over quality. This requires management to do business with quality producers of coffee from around the world so their customers can have a variety of good to select from. Additionally, the decision-making that management made to appeal to customers relies on technology and it has proven to be effective in their competitive advantage over the competition. Research suggests that, â€Å"technology should be acquired to support the company’s chosen competitive priorities, not just to follow the latest market fad. Also, technology may require the company to rethink its strategy† (Reid & Sanders, 2010, p.43). It is imperative that management continues to be innovative in this area because technology is always changing so they have to constantly look for ways to improve marketing, quality of products, and operational procedures. Key Management Competency A key managerial competency that managers should have at Starbucks understands that customer service and productivity enhances their capabilities as being global leader. The service that customers receive in a timely fashion will always be an important factor when operating a business, thus, having knowledgeable staff that understands the functionality of the operation will minimize wait times, products will be made to company standards, and much more. Furthermore, offering the customers more service that are free and accessible is a key capability that will help them to fit into various organizational cultures; the key is that customers are the priority; having great products; effective marketing and pricing strategies, and conducting a competitive analysis quarterly so they will know how to make adjustments that best suit the market conditions. Lastly and perhaps one of the biggest competencies management at Starbucks has and must maintain is good employees because they are an asset, they have the ability to take 5 directives, initiative, and produce a quality product that will keep customers satisfied and selecting them over the competition. These are all good competencies to have when operating a successful business globally. Long-Term Sustainability As a global leader in the coffee industry it can be said that the company has they proper structure and infrastructure to remain a leader globally even if the CEO, Mr. Howard Shultz were to be replaced. Senior management has a sound business plan in place that is long-term and it will maintain its profitability as long as the company keeps its core values, beliefs, etc. Along with this the company will have to be diverse in its operation and products. Furthermore, the business will continue to thrive as long as the employees embrace change and are given rewards to help to maintain a positive morale and atmosphere, especially when operating and interacting with customers daily. It is believed that long-term sustainability involves proper planning, along with this management must understand the organizational cultures both internally and externally and must be willing to adapt. Also, in order for long-term sustainability to occur management must make periodic marketing forecast and competitor analysis; always look for ways to improve and create new products; invest in better equipment and training for employees; make cost adjustments due to economic conditions, and much more. If the company continues to embrace and operate in this manner it will achieve long-term goals and objectives without the current CEO. Conclusion In closing, Starbucks is a global leader in the coffee industry and as previously mentioned, in business management it is imperative that strategies are created and implemented so the 6 company can experience growth and increase there revenue; additionally they must consider competition advantage, short and long-term planning to continue to sustain their position in the market, including the global market. One of the elements Starbuck’s understands the importance of organizational culture; the company has been successful with their management and training department to incorporate their beliefs, values, etc. into the skills needed to compete against others in the coffee industry and by doing this the company has been able to expand, and has experienced an increase in profits. This type of business philosophy is critical when continuing long-term in achieving goals and objectivities through effective business strategies. Also, management must be confident in decision-making and must be willing to adapt when there are changes in the market, this may include but is not limited to the following, making changes to symbols, slogans, etc. Finally, it is believed that Starbucks could continue to operate as a successful company if the CEO were to change. The company has a sound business plan and training program that appeal to internal and external components to organizational culture. Additionally, management in their operation comes from diverse backgrounds and the company has been able to capitalize on their innovative ideas and have implemented changes that have not only benefited the company but more importantly the customers globally. References Draft, R. (2012). Management (10th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Reid, D. & Sanders, N. (2010). Operations Management. An Integrated Approach (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Herman Miller Inc Case Study Essay

Until 2003, HMI offered lifelong employment. How did this practice affect the company’s ability to staff the organization with managers and employees capable of executing the strategy? How did this practice build the organizational capabilities required for successful strategy execution? Lifelong employment is known as permanent employees work for a single employer and are paid directly by that employer. In addition to their wages, they often receive benefits like subsidized health care, paid vacations, holidays, sick time, or contributions to a retirement plan. Permanent employees are often eligible to switch job positions within their companies. Even when employment is â€Å"at will†, permanent employees of large companies are generally protected from abrupt job termination by severance policies, like advance notice in case of layoffs, or formal discipline procedures. They may be eligible to join a union, and may enjoy both social and financial benefits of their employment. Lifelong employment facilitates long-term growth for employees, companies and industries. It develops seasoned personnel and allows company and projects to build on lessons learned. Project in particular, benefit from this information transfer, as teams and individual are poised to take the expertise and knowledge of one experience to the next challenge, building continuity for the entire industry. This experience results in better asset management and improved life-of-field systems that are safe and efficient to operate. Lifelong employment facilitate: improved engineering designs; longer lead times for manufacturing and sourcing of equipment; improved constructability; lower cost for operations and maintenance; opportunities for expanded development; stronger knowledge base to tackle tough technical issues. Organization provides lifelong employees a much better benefit package such as paid vacation, sick leave and holidays. Most importantly, those employees normally can expect career advancement and the opportunity to be part of a larger team and the pursuit of long-term goals. Organization takes a long-term focus on employees with regard to training, benefits, retention and involvement in industry activities. Most importantly, organization focused on improvement through lessons learned, translating knowledge gained  with each project into innovative opportunities for projects worldwide. Experienced, lifelong employment makes this challenge a reality, capturing lessons, observations and new ideas for ongoing and future applications. (Bruce Crager, World Energy, Vol.9, No. 1, P88-90) Do non-monetary incentives facilitate strategy execution at HMI? Explain. Yes, non-monetary incentives facilitate strategy execution at HMI. Justifiability Tangible incentives offer features that recipients often see as luxuries. In other words, a trip or item that a sales person may not be able to justify purchasing themselves, even if they had sufficient funds, is now attainable through their performance. The need to justify the consumption of the tangible reward is eliminated by the hard work put forth to create the opportunity. The value increases in the participant’s mind with the increased difficulty to obtain it. This lack of need to justify the use of the reward increases the motivational impact of working to obtain it. ( Jeffrey, Scott A., Shaffer, V. The Motivational Properties of Tangible Incentives. Compensation and Benefits Review. May/June 2007) Social Reinforcement The high level of visibility of this reward increases the ability for family, friends and colleagues to recognize and acknowledge the tangible incentive. The ‘trophy value’ is high hence reinforcing the performance to obtain it. Tangible Tangible non-cash incentive rewards offer an immediate visual imagery and associated experience. The ability to see oneself sitting on the beach in Hawaii or watching the 60† plasma television has an immediate motivating response to individuals over the monetary value that would be equal to these items. Separate Impact A tangible non-cash award is immediately separated from the sales person’s income and therefore typically not ‘lumped’ with other funds. This  separation from regular income has positive association back to the awarding firm and provides more motivational impact for sales people or employees. Promotability/Communication Value Companies get extended value from offering tangible non-cash awards because the recipients often will share their rewards or experiences with others. They also are proud to communicate their accomplishment with others, spreading the word about the company in the process. Discretionary Reward Because tangible non-cash rewards are not designed to be used for regular bill paying, recipients feel good about using them for aspirational, memorable items or experiences. These good feelings extend toward the company whenever they use the items or look at the trip pictures. Success Creation in Program Design The incentive non-cash program should include the following key components building on the motivating factors to insure its success during implementation, acceptance and rollout. (Jeffrey, Scott, 2004, University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business, The Benefits of Tangible Non-Monetary Incentculture as ives) Describe the culture at HMI. Would you characterize HMI’s culture as healthy and largely supportive of good strategy execution? Explain. Teams were often cross-functional. Membership on a team was based on the employee’s ability to contribute to that team. Teams were often based on product development. When the product had been developed, the members of that team were redistributed to new projects. New projects could come from any level in the organization. Workers at all levels were encouraged to put forth new ideas. Because Herman Miller workers felt empowered, a new manager could run into some startling behavior. All Herman Miller employees could work 16 paid hours a year with a charitable organization of their choice. The company set goals for the number of employee volunteer hours contributed  annually to its communities. Progress toward meeting those goals was reported to the CEO. The environmental Affairs Team had responsibility for such activities as recycling solid waste and designing products from sustainable resources. Herman Miller’s beliefs carried over to the family and the community. For example, one employee chose more costly fiber cement board over PVC siding when in restoring their home, because Herman Miller had a policy â€Å"to avoid PVC wherever possible†. Another employee was involved in a youth soccer association that raised money to buy uniforms by collecting newspapers and aluminum cans. The company’s beliefs carried over to all functional areas of the business. Some of them were obviously beneficial, and some were simply the way Herman Miller chose to conduct its business. But we cannot deny HMI’s culture as healthy and largely supportive of good strategy execution. To sum up, the overall business goals of any organization are both bottom-line-oriented and employee satisfaction-oriented. In the development of an incentive reward system it is important to implement a program that will help an organization reach its organizational objectives while enhancing employee/customer satisfaction, retention and performance. The implementation of non-monetary tangible rewards in an organization’s incentive program will be the best decision for all employee/customer influencing managers to implement when working to reach sales quota, revenue numbers and overall goals for the firm. The motivating factors behind performance can be far reaching. (Jeffrey, Scott A., Shaffer, V. The Motivational Properties of Tangible Incentives. Compensation and Benefits Review. May/June 2007)

CLIENT SERVER essays

CLIENT SERVER essays Client/Server computing has become the model for new information architecture. This technology will take enterprise wide computing into the 21st century. Computing power has rapidly become distributed and interconnected throughout many organizations through networks of all types of computers. Networked computer systems are taking the form of client/server computing. With client/server computing, end users can handle a broad range of information processing tasks. This included data entry, inquiry response, updating databases, and providing decision support. How do the client/server systems at Helene Curtis illustrate the benefits of client/server computing? The client/server system allows the sales reps the ability to tap into the database to retrieve data about product sales and promotions. The reps cans tap into the systems with their palmpads. The palmpad are hand held computers linking the reps to the company's database system. With the information retrieved, the reps can give store managers fact based advice on products, promotions, and fill orders. The immediate feedback informs the reps where and which products are selling best and the promotion used to sell. The palmpad is way to maintain good relations with retailers, who pass the service to the customers. " Client/Server computing allows many users to share common data resources, including files and databases as well as computer storage and printers. Sharing data and information eliminates the need for personal management of data and/or peripheral devices. Finally, client/server computing allows the integration of geographically distributed users and computing resources into a cohesive computer and communication environment (Senn, 1995, p. 404)." The palmpads let the field sales reps visit, on average, one more store a day. How might this be a competitive advantage for Helene Curtis? Retailers require and expect special services from manufacturers. The ...

Cheating culture Research Paper Example

Cheating culture Research Paper Example Cheating culture Paper Cheating culture Paper Cheating is happening in our government and grade schools, as well as colleges, and it affects a lot of different aspects of our daily lives. Anyone can search the Internet and find hundreds of companies who will write a paper for someone. It seems that cheating Is easier and more accessible than finding the Information needed for a paper. With all the government and other public figures cheating and not getting any real punishment, It portrays the Image that cheating Is okay. How are we to be an honest society, when we live in a dishonest world It has come a dog eat dog world one is only as good as their possessions and how much money they have. It has been embedded in our brains that we have to be the best, even if it means we have to cheat to achieve it. Cheating is a taught behavior that has serious consequences that impact our childrens future. I feel that we live in a society where cheating has become a very big problem everywhere. Cheating is as American as apple pie, or so it seems that way. Cheating is everywhere it should not be including our government. The government Is made up of officials who represent our country and the people In it. If there Is cheating In our government, what does that say about our country How do other countries view It and what It stands for One good example of cheating In our government Is Bill Clinton saying did not have sexual relations with that woman in the video David Callahan talks about the Cheating Culture on CBS Morning News. His punishment for cheating was impeachment with a life time salary pay of much more than most people make in a life time. This is a great example of how a person of power and the right connections can cheat when they feel like it, and get no serious punishment. I feel this is a huge issue because it shows our society that cheating is okay, and most will not get any punishment at all. Many schools across America are cheating on the state SAT scores. They take the test answers from the students and correct them before sending them off. In the video Test Cheating Scandal Rocks Atlanta Schools they stated that 40th of 56 schools cheated. This Is a huge Issue because even the people who teach our youth are showing them that cheating Is okay to get higher scores, more grant money, or higher pay. The children and the future of our nation should be taught to achieve high scores by learning the proper information with which to answer the questions correctly, instead of cheating. Unfortunately some teachers are showing them how to be dishonest and to cheat to get ahead in life. Teachers are paid to teach our children not to cheat. Granted, there is a No Child Left Behind law, but even with that we can not expect our future leaders to be knowledgeable, if they are cheating their way through grade school. How do they punish kids for doing something they are taught to do by the people they look up to and trust to teach them the information they need to know in school What about when they get into college and they have papers to write and do not know where to start. Cheating In college has become a huge Issue when It comes to writing papers -When a student attends college and gets their first real set of homework, they realize the pressures of keeping a good GAP, but still want to malting a social life. They may come upon a solution In wanly teeny realize teeny nave a lot AT work Owe ten next clay. Remember that a fellow student told them about a website which offers to write a paper for them for the right price. This Just shows how cheating is promoted in all school levels. In 21st Century College Cheating David Mir did an interview with a man named Deed. His real identity was kept private. He wrote papers for different education levels from doctors to high school students. Deed stated he made 2000. 00 off of a one hundred and seventy-five page paper. That is a lot of money to pay someone to do a paper This example shows that if they have the right amount of money, they can cheat their way through anything in life. I feel this is a big problem because a doctor may cheat their way through college, and their accuracy and Judgment to treat a serious illness or give the right dose of medication may be impaired. The pressures of being number one and having the best are tough to ignore, as well as the pressure o keep a good GAP being very stressful. Being a college student myself, I know all to well the pressure of good grade, especially when the foot work of doing the research work for a paper and studying for a test can be very time consuming and tiring. I feel that knowing I earned that A on my own without cheating is more rewarding and more satisfying than if I had paid money I worked hard for to someone else to do it for me. The risk of cheating is too high. Having my papers written by some stranger that I do not know if they know how to write a good enough paper for me to obtain a decent grade. Cheating is a huge problem that seems to be second nature to todays society. They are teaching the future leaders to cheat, lie and steal to get ahead in life, as well teaching them to be dishonest from grade school through to college. They have become so used to the act of cheating that they do not give it a second thought to cheat. Even the most trustworthy people of this country have become some of the biggest cheaters and set a poor example for society showing that cheating is okay as long as they have the right amount of money or the right connections they can get away with it

Communication Research Paper Writing Tips

Communication Research Paper Writing Tips Tips on Writing a Communication Research Paper The name of this particular type of assignments makes it clear that a communication research paper depicts the process of interaction between people. It is based on sociological baselines in addition to other fields like ethics, anthropology, society, fine arts, etc. As a rule, it is assigned to students who have a communication study course and learn different types of interactions including rhetorical, interpersonal, theoretical, and some others. Once you have been assigned to write a paper on any of the above-mentioned topics, you should keep in mind that one theme cannot exist without a close relation with another. This is our first and foremost tip when writing a communication research paper. Now, lets have a closer look at the structure of the paper as well as general writing advice. Communication Research Paper Structure Any academic assignment is supposed to have a clear structure featuring every block logically connected with each other. The same thing is with a communication research paper. Keep an eye on every stage of the writing process to ensure the following: A Solid Introduction the first step is to write a long introduction where you highlight all the facts, problems. methodology and solutions. Not only your introduction is supposed to be informative, but also interesting for the reader. The introduction must include a strong thesis statement as well; Do the Research the term research paper considers doing some research work and analysis. The more validity your paper gets, the more trust your readers will have. State all the information in a persuasive but not intrusive way. Present yourself as an expert in a chosen field. The only way to achieve such approach is to get involved in a thorough investigation of the topic; Write the Body each body paragraph is the core of your major work. It should contain 100% of your findings in addition to argumentations and solutions to the problems raised in the introduction section. Drive your readers to a conclusion and encourage them for a discussion; Write a Conclusion a conclusion may be divided into two paragraphs when it comes to a communication research paper. They include discussion and summary. The first part should highlight the weak and strong aspects of the topic in addition to development opportunities and solutions. The second paragraph summarizes the information and introduces results. As you can see, a research paper on communication has a typical structure although it requires maximum involvement and investigation. Some General Writing Advice Most students start facing difficulties at first steps of writing a communication paper. You may boast the best analytic skills but still fail to get started. This is where our general writing advice may come in handy: Think of a provoking and inspiring topic that would be of great interest for your readers. Once you are able to grab their attention and make them read the text till the end, the academic success is guaranteed. Plan ahead and write an outline. The idea is to work out an effective writing strategy in advance. Look through as many communication articles, studies, surveys and other information sources as you can. Us experts opinions and include some of your own thoughts as a real-life example. Overview your paper before providing it to your teacher. Ask your friends or relatives to read it and share their opinion. A communication research paper is not about studying published articles and researches. It is about the ability to analyze and compare sources to provide your own summary of the problem. The idea is to help students contribute in the discipline by offering their own solutions. Write from the first person unless the requirements are different. Reference list is obligatory for this type of assignment. Mistakes to Avoid We hope our tips and recommendations will put an ease on the writing process making it as clear as possible. However, you should still avoid some of the common mistakes many students do when writing a communication research paper: Avoid presenting a simple compilation of material that has been already published by scientists and experts; Avoid all types of mistakes including grammar, stylistic and spelling; Avoid plagiarism and make your paper unique; Do not use superlatives, do not be too intensive; Include every part of the paper structure; Stick to the subject. If you still face difficulties when completing this type of assignment, you can opt for professional writing services and forget about all your education troubles for good!

À la française - French Expression

la franà §aise - French Expression Expression: la franà §aise Pronunciation: [a la fra(n) sehz] Meaning: French, French-style Literal meaning: in the French manner or fashion Register: normal Notes The French expression la franà §aise is an ellipsis of either la manià ¨re franà §aise or la mode franà §aise. Because the ellipted word is feminine in both of those expressions, franà §aise remains feminine in the shortened phrase, no matter the gender or number of the noun it modifies. Remember that franà §aise is an adjective here, so it cannot be capitalized. Examples​ Je ne comprends pas tout fait lhumour la franà §aise.I dont really understand French humor. Ah, le socialisme la franà §aise!Ah, French-style socialism! Special Uses le format la franà §aise - portrait (as opposed to landscape: format litalienne)un jardin la franà §aise - formal gardenle pain la franà §aise - French breadun parc la franà §aise - formal gardenun plafond la franà §aise - ceiling with exposed beams equal in width to the spaces between themune robe la franà §aise - sack-back gown (18th-century fashion)le service la franà §aise - several dishes served simultaneously (as opposed to sequentially: service la russe) Related Expressions The same ellipsis can be made with other nationalities and peoples: lamà ©ricaine - American-style langlaise - English-style langlo-saxonne - British-style la belge - Belgian-style la suisse - Swiss-style And with places: lafricaine - African-style la caraà ¯be - Caribbean-style la parisienne - Parisian-style la provenà §ale - Provenà §al-style la savoyarde - Savoyard-style

How to Balance Study and School Sports Essays

How to Balance Study and School Sports Essays How to Balance Study and School Sports Essay How to Balance Study and School Sports Essay How to balance study and school sports Getting behind in your studies while playing on a high school sports team? Here are tips for balancing the two. Sponsored Links Many high school students play sports and go to school at the same time. This is fun, but often we find that the balance scale is tipped towards sports instead of school. Academics should always be first in life, no matter what the circumstances. You can’t shortchange school for athletics. Sometimes you may even have to give up a sport to regain what you have lost in the learning process when assignments don’t get done or lessons aren’t remembered. There are ways, however, to stop the problem before it begins. Here are a few of them. | Number 1: Never spend too much time in sports. Many athletes practice all afternoon after school, every day, cutting into homework and study time. Instead of using all your time practicing, finish your homework, review the day’s lessons, and take another look at tomorrow’s assignments to make sure you’ve got everything covered. Many athletes put off homework until the last minute, when they arrive home, tired and hungry after hours of football or basketball practice. Postponing homework is the foundation for falling behind. Finish homework first thing before or after practice. Number 2: Always pay attention in class. Students who are involved in extra curricular activities often daydream about games or doze from being tired. There is a time for everything, so during school hours, remember to focus completely on schoolwork. This will help because when doing your homework later, you’ll understand it better than if you weren’t paying attention in class. When at study hall, skim a lesson. When you have free time, take a few notes. You don’t have to study all the time, but the more you do, the better off you’ll be. You will play better knowing that your grades are going well, and your coach may be able to help get a tutor or suggest a mentor. Coaches love it when players are good students. Number 3: Know when to quit. This may seem harsh, but if you simply can’t keep up in both sports and school, stick with school. Sports can come later. School is long term. Sports aren’t. It is well known that good-paying jobs are becoming harder to find. You need an education at just about everywhere you apply. Take advantage of your free public education. If you do drop your sport, spend the former practice time catching up in your grades, then you can join the team next year, or play for a community league later. You have the rest of your life to play a sport. Pursuing a high school diploma gets harder as you get older. Get it while you can. If you follow these steps and apply them when necessary, your grades should go up and you’ll be happier. It is always better to have a good future then a great past. Your education should always go first no matter what the circumstances. I would also recommend talking to a teacher to discuss how to balance the two. School is cool! That is why you should choose to learn first. | hbsss

Self Critique Essay

Self Critique Essay Self Critique Essay Self Critique Essay: Get a High Grade Self-critique is always a difficult and unpleasant task to any person. Of course, who likes to be criticized. The answer is no one. However, if you treat the task of self-critique essay writing in a humorous way, it will not be so difficult for you to cope with the task, because of criticizing does not mean stating that the person is bad or good one. You do not have to enumerate just bad qualities of your personality. Self-critique does not mean presenting only poor sides of your character. You have to evaluate yourself in an objective way; that is a proper self-criticizing. Write Successful Self-Critique Essays! To succeed in completing the task of self-critique, we recommend you to speak to your parents, friends, and even teachers in order they to describe your personality. However, do not simply listen what they are going to say about you. Make notes of their words as you will find this information to be very useful while your self-critique professional essay writing online. After you have gathered enough information, it is recommended dividing it into two separate columns, which you can title, for instance, positive self-critique and negative self-critique. Write down this information according to these two columns and add your own point of view about yourself. After that, start writing your self-critique essay: However, it is not advised first to enumerate all your positive features of character and after that the negative ones, as it may seem to your professor that you either boasting or humiliating yourself. That is why we recommend you to mention several positive features of character and after that to state what you want to change in yourself and so one, and so force. The Format Of Writing Self-Critique Essay The scheme of self-critique work writing is one and the same with a scheme of all the other kinds of essays. Your essay should consist of three main parts, which are introductory part, body, and conclusion. Do not neglect any part of writing and pay proper attention to each of them. In your introductory part, write which aspects of your personality you are going to deal with in your self-critique writing. In the body, present your personality with the help of deep analysis of your features of character. In the concluding part sum up all the above-mentioned information and make a proper conclusion on the subject of which kind of person you are. Follow our pieces of advice and you will write a good self-critique work and receive a high grade for it. Popular posts: Analysis Case Studies Term Paper Editing Proofread Essay Editing Paper Term Critical Essay Editing

Math Problems Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Math Problems - Speech or Presentation Example Dividends have grown at the rate of 4.8% per year and are expected to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. What is Crypton’s cost of capital where the firm’s tax rate is 30%. Q. 3: as a member of Financial Department Ranch Manufacturing, your supervisor has asked you to compute the appropriate discount rate to use when evaluating the purchase of new packing equipment for the plant. Under the assumption that the firm’s present capital structure reflects the appropriate mix of capital sources for the firm, you have determined the market value of the firm’s capital structure as follows. To finance the purchase, Ranch manufacturing will sell 10-year bonds paying 6.6% per year at the market price of $1,028. Preferred stock paying a $2.05 dividend can be sold for $25.01. Common stock for Ranch Manufacturing is currently selling for $54.41 per share and the firm paid a 3.08 dividend last year. Dividends are expected to continue growing at a rate of 3.5% per year into the indefinite future. If the firm’s tax rate is 30%, what discount should you use to evaluate the equipment

Access to Healthcare Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Access to Healthcare - Research Proposal Example When mention is made of access to healthcare, the norm has been to generalise the term to mean the reception of health services (Hendriks, 2007). The researcher sees this as a major problem that gives rise to the existing problem whereby none of the existing healthcare reforms seem to be solving the problem of access to health care for citizens. This is because there has not been any conscious effort aimed at finding the different variables that make up the components of access to healthcare to the ordinary American. In the opinion of Susser (2013), a refusal to distinguish between variables such as quality, affordability, coverage, and comprehensiveness remains a major limitation in the healthcare system. This position is shared by the researcher because healthcare reforms that have been used over the years only seem to tackle one of these variables at a time, thereby never solving the issue of access to healthcare in a holistic manner. Using the Patient Protection an Affordable Care Act (PPACA) passed in 2011 as an example, it would be noted that this reform focuses on coverage options (Access to Healthcare, 2014). Because of this, emphasise has been placed on increasing the number of insured American and reducing the number of insured Americans. But as this approach to access is taken from the perspective of coverage and affordability, the issues of quality and availability continues to exist. For example, under the PPACA, the problem of access to affordable care will be exacerbated by limited community based resources that provide preventive services, primary care access and ongoing care for patients with chronic conditions. As the number of insured citizens also increase, no one really seem to be thinking about how to make health facilities that are equipped with the right infrastructure and personnel to them. In the long run, access to healthcare services in the U.S. becomes regarded as unreliable and prohibit s people from

Environment Ptotection Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Environment Ptotection - Assignment Example (Pamela.R.Cummings, 2001) With increasing awareness among the people regarding issues like Global Warming, Water and food conservation, hotels have once again come to spotlight on how well they comply with the international standards. There have been serious allegations that hotels always tend to neglect the environmental issues and have only profit maximization on their priority list and this has clearly added onto the concerns of the consumers towards the Hospitality industry. The attitude of the major players in the hospitality industry has only added on to the apprehensions of the consumers. This dissertation will mainly focus on ways to improve the present environmental scenario in the hotels and the strategies and ways implemented by them in combating the ill effects of environmental contamination caused directly, or indirectly by them. It will also analyze as to how various hotels have been focusing on issues like minimization and management of wastage, energy conservation, and sustainable food, staff training. It will also try and come up with practical environmental initiatives for the hotels. (Conrad Lushly, 2004) As rightly pointed out in the first dissertation, the hotels, barring a few prominent and well known ones, do not configure or install any kind of energy-saving systems which clearly conflicts their statements generally about their concerns towards environment. Of course, they may be expensive to install, but the fact that the energy sources save a lot of energy clearly should send a message across that they help in reducing the overall operating costs of the hotel, if not in the short run, but definitely in the long run. Hence, in this dissertation, I also come up with a few measures for the hotels for the installation of specific devices and then will also list out the advantages of implementing the same. In the wake of globalization followed by rapid growth of various industrial sectors and the mounting concerns towards the ill effects caused by the industrial growth, this is clearly an area worth researching. Though this deals with the research of only the lodging and hospitality in UK, I can say that this will clearly indicate the amount commitment hotels give towards environment.(Tyya.N.Turner, 2001) This dissertation aims at coming up with alternatives to the existing proposals for the installation of devices and discusses the benefits for the same. It also elucidates the fact that installation of energy-saving devices will surely ensure in customer retention and moreover, will reduce the operating costs in the long run. Moreover, installation of such devices will make the hotel maintain eco-friendly and clean atmosphere which will clearly go a long way in enhancing the reputation of the Hotel and will definitely set an example for others to follow. Literature review This section deals with much more concrete measures that have to be taken up by the hospitality industry and the hotels concerning specific aspects of the environment practices being followed and how they can improve on them. Waste Reduction/Management. At a time when the natural ecologies are in the state of crises and when the rapid depletion of natural resources, it is indeed a matter of concern to the healthy nations and economies who boast if exponential growth. It is indeed a massive

Child observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Child observation - Essay Example The boy is in a white short-sleeved shirt that has black stains on the breast pocket and beige shorts. The stains are fresh, and they are oily and greasy. The mall is spacious, stocked with different accessories including electronics, toys for children, foodstuffs, oils and perfumes. As the mother passes along the department stocked with toys, the boy scratches and attempts to bite the mother’s hand and she immediately releases him, cursing silently but loud enough for the nearest shop attendant to hear. The boy mischievously glances at his mother, and he dashes across the alley, towards a big yellow toy car. However, as he attempts to retrieve it from a higher shelf, he stumbles and falls, hitting the floor head first, and the nearby toys and accessories fall on his body. His mother quickly goes to his rescue rubbing his head to alleviate the pain from the fall and warns him to stop or else she will not buy him a present. As the mother and son moves along an electronic depart ment, the boy notices a small girl almost his age accompanied by a male adult. The girl is riding a small bicycle and the boy leaves his mother and joins the girl, apparently wanting to snatch the bicycle from her. Observation sheet of the interactions and behaviors observed in the boy Interactions observed comments The most notable interactions are with his mother, and the environment, both within and outside the shopping mall.

Financial Analysis of Custom Snowboards Inc Term Paper

Financial Analysis of Custom Snowboards Inc - Term Paper Example As we are aware that there has been an immense amount of economic turmoil all around the world. Custom Snowboards Inc. was also severely impacted as the customers decreased their expenditure on leisure and sports. However, the company did not have to suffer like other companies did and it suffered from a 4% decline in Sales. Horizontal Analysis An increase in Sales Expenses are fairly consistent Interest income increased by 28% and interest expense decreased by 5% Current assets increased by more than 100% and total assets by 3.6% whereas total current liabilities had no significant impact Retained Earnings increased by more than 70% Vertical Analysis Gross Profit is 30% of Sales General and admin expenses are less than 20% of sales on average during years 12, 13, & 14 On average, current assets constitute approx. 50% of the total assets Cash comprises of more than 15% of the total assets and has the highest constituency whereas receivable come second Current Liabilities are under 10 % of the Total liabilities and equity Trend analysis - Trend analysis is the percentage changes in items of the financial statement during successive years. We can also call it an extension of the Horizontal Analysis and indicates the direction of change. The snapshot shows the sales trend during years 12, 13, & 14 respectively. ... dit risk Loaned out funds wont be no longer available for operational and other bank use Risk of incorrect assessment of interest rate (Fitzsimmons,n.d.) The bank also looks at several other things in a company's financial statements. It also looks at the Debt-ratio, Interest Coverage ratio, current income status of the company as well as its credit history and overall stability of the Enterprise. Custom Snowboards Inc. Debt-ratio is currently 49%, which is less than its competitor. Moreover, another red flag comes when we look at the Financial Statements, specifically the Income Statement and see that Net Income has suffered a sharp decline by 74% due to a sharp decline in Sales. As the bank is concerned with the stability, the declining sales and income statement pose a risk to the lender in terms of ability of Custom Snowboards to cover its debt. Risk Mitigation Credit Risk is the major risk that banks are concerned with, The financial statements of Custom Snowboards Inc. show sta bility and gradual growth The trend analysis shows that the sales would grow gradually making sure that the company would be able to meet its obligations Horizontal and vertical analysis show that the company is not under huge current and long term liabilities and the expenses are not very high Custom Snowboards Inc. is a growing concern As far as the debt-ratio is concerned, a positive aspect is that although it is higher than the competitor, it has declined from last year. The company's Income Statement does not show a very positive picture, however, it is mainly due to the massive economic recession. Moreover, if we look at the Balance Sheet, we that the Working Capital is positive and the company has enough financial strength to meet its short term obligations and remain operational.

International financial management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International financial management - Essay Example Forward contracts can be traded on recognized markets, whilst futures contracts can not Ans-9) (a). Enter into a 90-day forward contract to sell US Dollars for Euros Ans-10) (e). Insufficient data given to enable the calculation to be made Section B Q1 a) The political risk refers to the scenario where the economic yield would be influenced and undergoes due to the uncertain changes in political environment that cause volatility in the state (MCKELLAR, Robert, 2012, pp. 36). Any uncertain circumstances directly impact the investment returns that could be ranging from switching the governments, change in regulation bodies, amendments in foreign policy or military state of affairs (OVERHOLT, William H., 1982, pp.74 ). It is a common consensus that political risk cannot be measured but it can be assessed. This particular statement is quite right as political risk cannot be measured, because there is no method or tool available from which one can assess the level and proportion of risk f ound under political uncertainty (BRINK, Charlotte H, 2004,pp. 152). Political uncertainty has a definite has a definite effect over the long and short term strategy of the companies as a whole and this particular component is quite essential for the companies as far as generating net income is concerned (HOWELL, Llewellyn D., 2002, pp. 84). Number of time, it has been assessed that political problem is like to initiate soon but there is no tool which could be used in the assessment of the same. If we talk about United States of America (USA), then it is found that the internal politics of the company is quite safe and the proportion of any sort of political risk is quite minimal, while the external threats are quite high like the War on Terror (WOT) and the terrorist attack like 9/11 (THEODORE HARVEY MORAN, Gerald Thomas West, 2005, pp. 142). Analysts, even the individuals assessed this particular problem in total, but this particular problem cannot be measured quantifiably because of unavailability of any sophisticated method and tool of the same (HARMS, Philipp, 2000, pp. 186). b) Political risk can also be referred as â€Å"geopolitical risk† a factor, because of the longer the time span of the investment. On account of the inadequate sample size or case study in order to confer the political risks of the individual countries is disreputably difficult to enumerate (HANS SIEGWART, Ivo G. Caytas, Julian I. Mahari, 1989, pp. 69). Hardly any of the political risk could be indemnified alongside by means of international institutions or other government agencies. As a result of political risks may directly have an effect on return on investment, and also restricted to eliminate the withdrawal of funds from investment capacity (O'LEARY, Michael Kent, 2004, pp. 37). Alternatively to this, there are many anti political risk strategies which are being considered to minimize the explicit threats and by implementing these strategies will cause greatly to meet t he expectation and demands of overseas projects, find management and different contracts (WAGNER, Daniel, 1999, pp. 102). There are number of forms of political risk that could affect over the productivity of a company

Developing as a Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Developing as a Teacher - Essay Example In regard to motivation, pupils who are interested and active in school tend to have higher goal orientations and higher self-efficacy, which has been shown to be positively related to self-regulatory strategies such as planning, monitoring, and regulation resulting in increased pupil performance (Alsop, Bencze, & Pedretti, 2005). social concerns. As Osborne, Simon and Collins (2003) state, "attitudes are enduring while knowledge often has an ephemeral quality (and) the price of ignoring this simple fact and its implications is the potential alienation of our youth phenomenon that many countries are now experiencing" (p. 1074). Through the learning environment, teachers should motivate their pupils; teachers should convince their pupils to see the relevance of education and learning to their lives; should give their pupils the strategies, skills, and abilities to be successful in the classroom as well as out in the "real world." Therefore, the problem to be addressed in this paper is how teachers can help their pupils to actively engage in their own learning. Pintrich, Marx, and Boyle (1993) describe classroom contextual factors as six structures that define a leaning environment. These structures are: task structures, authority structures, evaluation structures, classroom management, teacher modeling and teacher scaffolding. Task structures deal with providing pupils with authentic, challenging and meaningful tasks in the classroom (Hamilton, 2007). Authority structures address the issues of providing pupils with optimal choice, optimal control and optimal challenge in the classroom. Evaluation structures (or assessment) address the issue of allowing pupil work to be improvement based and mistakes are seen as positive (Hamilton, 2007) and as an opportunity for mastery learning. Classroom management concerns the use of time and norms for engagement in the classroom. Teacher modeling directs the efforts and attention of scientific thinking and scientific dispositions as engaged by the teacher in the classroom. Teacher scaffolding addresse s the issues of cognition and motivation. In many secondary classrooms, pupils are often cognitively, emotionally, and socially dependent on their teachers who formulate the learning goals, determine the type of interaction allowed, and generally require pupils to adjust to the learning environment they have created (Boekaerts, 2002). However, classroom contextual factors such as authentic tasks or projects "without one right answer" that allow longer periods of time for completion may drive off closure and facilitate more cognitive activity and conceptual change" and may serve to actively motivate learners as well (Pintrich quoted in Alsop, Bencze, & Pedretti, 2005). Pupils who adopt a goal orientation approach (motivation) do engage in more selfregulated learning than those who do not (Pintrich, 2000). Self-regulated learning

Christian Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Christian Ethics - Essay Example (MacIntyre 1981, 169-89) In his usage, practices are socially established activities that lead those who participate in them to appreciate certain things as goods and to internalize standards f excellence in achieving them. Practices are done for their own sake, such as friendship, not for additional ends, such as practicing free throws in basketball. Martha Nussbaum recommends the engaged reading f literature as a practice that expands moral perception and empathy. This skill is a necessary component f humanistic education, even for lawyers and scientists. (Nussbaum 1997, 85-112) Diana Fritz Cates argues that the practice f committed friendship trains desires and moral vision in the virtue f compassion. The willingness to engage others, even strangers, in their suffering gains added meaning as a practice within a Christian frame f reference. Maria Antonaccio describes recent attention to "practices" as conscious efforts at moral formation. (Antoncaccio 1998, 69-92) She distinguishes between an "existential" model f askesis advocated by Pierre Hadot's study f Stoic sources, a "therapeutic" model in Nussbaum, and an "aesthetic" approach in Michel Foucault. Antonaccio doubts that these attempts to ground moral development in practical exercises can succeed while their authors refuse to consider a normative theory f human nature and moral ideals. Although theories f human nature or development are unpopular in an era that stresses particularity and pluralism, she writes that "some form f theoretical reflection is necessary in order to judge what form f therapy' human beings need, and to assess critically the processes f formation already underway." Some writings on practices use a faith tradition to specify a normative view f human nature that guides moral and spiritual development. Spiritual practices are being recognized as central to Christian moral formation. Dorothy C. Bass edited a collection f essays on 12 central Christian practices, such as hospitality, keeping Sabbath, and forgiveness, that shape the mind and heart in the Christian way f life. With Craig Dykstra she writes that "when we see some f our ordinary activities as Christian practices, we come to perceive how our daily lives are all tangled up with the things God is doing in the world." Catherine M. Wallace analyzes the virtue f fidelity as a constitutive element f the practice f marriage. Fidelity has more than instrumental value in keeping a marriage intact; more importantly, it does something to the spouses by training their desires and reshaping their identities over time. (Kotva 1997, 272-90) From the perspective f evangelical Christianity, Brad J. Kallenberg writes: "Christianity cannot be explained or understood without reference to a distinctive cluster f practices. In order to participate in the tradition called Christianity one must necessarily participate in these practices." (Kallenberg 1997, 7-29) He highlights certain practices f community moral formation: witness, worship, works f mercy, discernment, and discipleship. Reinhard Hutter points out that Luther redefined the marks f the Church to be practices. There is an

Critical Perspectives of Management and Organisations Essay

Critical Perspectives of Management and Organisations - Essay Example 87). These behaviours have become so common in the workplace to the point that they are viewed as normal and legal steps are rarely taken to discourage the same (Thomson Reuters, 2007). Although various countries have established laws to control this behaviour and minimize its effects to the employees, which are usually negative to their productivity and psychological health, most companies still tolerate them especially in the cases where seniors harass subordinates (Crosby, 2007, p. 45-50). Most of these cases are not reported as individual are usually afraid of losing their jobs. Desexualizing the work place is important both for the sake of the organization and for the employees who may become tormented by unwelcome advances of their bosses. Desexualizing is the change in direction with respect to suppressing sexuality as a way of establishing managerial control on employees. The topic of sexuality in the workplace is very important both for the employees and for the employers (O erez & Liberman, 2010, p. 102-107). The employees benefit by knowing that they have the right to be provided with a healthy working places without sexual discrimination of any kind. In addition, the topic provides information to the employees on possible steps to take in the case that they may be subjected towards sexual discrimination (Williams et al., 1999, p. 77-79). On the other hand, the employer is made aware that they may be subject to lawsuit in the event that sexual discrimination takes place in the organization and they fail to take steps to avert the same. In this essay, I am going to present the work of Katie Sullivan who outlines various claims connected to the case of sexualisation in the work place. In the essay, I am going to show how the society has accepted this behaviour and present facts to show how it can be averted especially in the profession of massage. Sullivan

English 102 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English 102 - Research Paper Example The principles that underline the seriousness of this problem include blocks like sexual activity, universal sex education, and the availability of contraceptive options. The prime and the most pondered upon issue which is being spread like fire all around the researches in contemporary literature is teen pregnancy which is why I will provide a basis of this issue with reference to its illustration through modern art. Different beliefs are held by different people; similarly various researches show various results. Hence, for the clarification of the causes and measures for the solution of this issue, all sides have been provided and presented objectively for the formulation of the readers own opinion. As the viewpoints provided are completely valid and applicable, thus this paper provides a study reference for the elimination or decrease in the problem of teen pregnancy from the society and improving the public health sector. Allen, Joseph P., Philliber, Susan, Herrling, Scott and Kuperminc, Gabriel P. â€Å"Preventing teen Pregnancy and Academic Failure: Experimental Evaluation of a Developmentally Based Approach† Child Development 68.4 (2006): 729–742. Print. The psychological reference of this work to various social and personal issues of public health is known well. The entire article puts forth the importance of social development in high school students and the scholars suggest that both teachers and parents are well aware of the practice. This article also points out the difficulty that students and teachers face in trying to implement the broad developmental tasks. According to the approach and estimates provided on page 290 of this book, it has been elucidated that the increase in the early pregnancy is among the two most troubling trends in our society. It is suggested that there is a link between the process of childbearing of the mother and that of their daughters. As compared to the above study, this book suggests various

Developing as a Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Developing as a Teacher - Essay Example In regard to motivation, pupils who are interested and active in school tend to have higher goal orientations and higher self-efficacy, which has been shown to be positively related to self-regulatory strategies such as planning, monitoring, and regulation resulting in increased pupil performance (Alsop, Bencze, & Pedretti, 2005). social concerns. As Osborne, Simon and Collins (2003) state, "attitudes are enduring while knowledge often has an ephemeral quality (and) the price of ignoring this simple fact and its implications is the potential alienation of our youth phenomenon that many countries are now experiencing" (p. 1074). Through the learning environment, teachers should motivate their pupils; teachers should convince their pupils to see the relevance of education and learning to their lives; should give their pupils the strategies, skills, and abilities to be successful in the classroom as well as out in the "real world." Therefore, the problem to be addressed in this paper is how teachers can help their pupils to actively engage in their own learning. Pintrich, Marx, and Boyle (1993) describe classroom contextual factors as six structures that define a leaning environment. These structures are: task structures, authority structures, evaluation structures, classroom management, teacher modeling and teacher scaffolding. Task structures deal with providing pupils with authentic, challenging and meaningful tasks in the classroom (Hamilton, 2007). Authority structures address the issues of providing pupils with optimal choice, optimal control and optimal challenge in the classroom. Evaluation structures (or assessment) address the issue of allowing pupil work to be improvement based and mistakes are seen as positive (Hamilton, 2007) and as an opportunity for mastery learning. Classroom management concerns the use of time and norms for engagement in the classroom. Teacher modeling directs the efforts and attention of scientific thinking and scientific dispositions as engaged by the teacher in the classroom. Teacher scaffolding addresse s the issues of cognition and motivation. In many secondary classrooms, pupils are often cognitively, emotionally, and socially dependent on their teachers who formulate the learning goals, determine the type of interaction allowed, and generally require pupils to adjust to the learning environment they have created (Boekaerts, 2002). However, classroom contextual factors such as authentic tasks or projects "without one right answer" that allow longer periods of time for completion may drive off closure and facilitate more cognitive activity and conceptual change" and may serve to actively motivate learners as well (Pintrich quoted in Alsop, Bencze, & Pedretti, 2005). Pupils who adopt a goal orientation approach (motivation) do engage in more selfregulated learning than those who do not (Pintrich, 2000). Self-regulated learning

Christian Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Christian Ethics - Essay Example (MacIntyre 1981, 169-89) In his usage, practices are socially established activities that lead those who participate in them to appreciate certain things as goods and to internalize standards f excellence in achieving them. Practices are done for their own sake, such as friendship, not for additional ends, such as practicing free throws in basketball. Martha Nussbaum recommends the engaged reading f literature as a practice that expands moral perception and empathy. This skill is a necessary component f humanistic education, even for lawyers and scientists. (Nussbaum 1997, 85-112) Diana Fritz Cates argues that the practice f committed friendship trains desires and moral vision in the virtue f compassion. The willingness to engage others, even strangers, in their suffering gains added meaning as a practice within a Christian frame f reference. Maria Antonaccio describes recent attention to "practices" as conscious efforts at moral formation. (Antoncaccio 1998, 69-92) She distinguishes between an "existential" model f askesis advocated by Pierre Hadot's study f Stoic sources, a "therapeutic" model in Nussbaum, and an "aesthetic" approach in Michel Foucault. Antonaccio doubts that these attempts to ground moral development in practical exercises can succeed while their authors refuse to consider a normative theory f human nature and moral ideals. Although theories f human nature or development are unpopular in an era that stresses particularity and pluralism, she writes that "some form f theoretical reflection is necessary in order to judge what form f therapy' human beings need, and to assess critically the processes f formation already underway." Some writings on practices use a faith tradition to specify a normative view f human nature that guides moral and spiritual development. Spiritual practices are being recognized as central to Christian moral formation. Dorothy C. Bass edited a collection f essays on 12 central Christian practices, such as hospitality, keeping Sabbath, and forgiveness, that shape the mind and heart in the Christian way f life. With Craig Dykstra she writes that "when we see some f our ordinary activities as Christian practices, we come to perceive how our daily lives are all tangled up with the things God is doing in the world." Catherine M. Wallace analyzes the virtue f fidelity as a constitutive element f the practice f marriage. Fidelity has more than instrumental value in keeping a marriage intact; more importantly, it does something to the spouses by training their desires and reshaping their identities over time. (Kotva 1997, 272-90) From the perspective f evangelical Christianity, Brad J. Kallenberg writes: "Christianity cannot be explained or understood without reference to a distinctive cluster f practices. In order to participate in the tradition called Christianity one must necessarily participate in these practices." (Kallenberg 1997, 7-29) He highlights certain practices f community moral formation: witness, worship, works f mercy, discernment, and discipleship. Reinhard Hutter points out that Luther redefined the marks f the Church to be practices. There is an

Kierkegaard Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Kierkegaard - Essay Example This aesthetic stage is criticized and held up as facile against the duty-bound nature of the ethical, but Kierkegaard did not favor one over the other. In fact, his progression of the self involved the transformation of the first two stages (aesthetic and ethical) into the third (religious) in such a way that they are both retained and yet, annulled. This higher synthesis is achieved through what Kierkegaard calls â€Å"absolute choice.† The absolute choice or decision that the individual makes at a point of crisis in their life is akin to the common phrase â€Å"leap of faith.† Both the ethicist and the aesthete find themselves questioning their mode of living at a certain point of time and it is here that Kierkegaard sees them as either taking the leap into the religious state or not. It is not necessary for the aesthete to pass through the ethical stage before reaching the religious state of Christianity, and vice versa although an individual may exist through both stages in the course of his lifetime. The decision to leap into religion, Christianity for Kierkegaard, is taken for different reasons by the ethicist and the aesthete. The aesthete, represented by A, detects irony in his lifestyle and in society around him. He is not unaware of the dangers and pitfalls of leading a hedonistic lifestyle.

Assginment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assginment - Assignment Example This is derived from the purpose of the research that was to study the concept of organisational culture in the context of four parameters of culture that include clan, adhocracy, hierarchical and market in the public and private education institutions. It was meant to establish the existing differences between the two institutions interims of cultural practices from a faculty member’s perspective. From the findings, it is clear that the OC affects progress, performance and interaction among students in schools and between private and public learning institutions. This occurs since the two category of organisations have divergent norms and ways of operations. For instance, the recruitment hierarchy of students is different in private and public institutions; there are differences in gender balance, economic restructuring, adhocracy, use of technology, and adoption of new changes. Private institutions have more streamlined cultural practices as compared to public institutions. Students in the private schools are disciplined, hardworking, industrious, caring and quality time managers. Their teachers and other concerned parties under a hierarchical system of operation as opposed to public schools keep them in close check. This opens the cultural gap that causes a huge interaction line despite the fact that the institutions work for a common purpose of enhancing knowledge and brai n development among students. The research established that clan perceptions, school hierarchy in terms of performance and reputation, and the calibre of students depending on the environment they come from leads to the current disparities between public and private schools. They have varied cultural practices that must be integrated for meaningful growth in n the sector of education. According to the study, education is vital in sharpening the minds of young