Evaluating the Impacts of Californias Criminal Justice Realignment Thesis

Evaluating the Impacts of Californias Criminal Justice Realignment - Thesis Example The results indicate that realignment has led to the reduction of felonies in prisons by 17%. Crime rate has also increased in the state; while there is lack of sufficient resources. Numerous problems such as overcrowding in jails have resulted from the relocation of criminals to jails. The lack of a solution to this problem may render realignment to be an ineffective solution to overcrowding in California. The state of California developed the criminal justice realignment legislation in May 2011. The state developed the realignment program following an order to reduce the number of inmates in prisons from the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court required the state to reduce the number of inmates from 180% to 137.5% of the capacity of the prisons by May 2013 (Green, 2014). This meant that California had to reduce the number of inmates in state prisons by 25,000. In response to the Supreme Court’s order, the state developed the prison realignment reform under Bill 109 and Penal Code 1170h in 2011. Bill 109 transfers the responsibility of imprisoning non-violent offenders from state prisons to county jails (Green, 2014). According to this bill, non-violent offers are those who commit crimes that are ‘non-serious,’ and ‘non-sex related (Hunter, 2013).’ This means that the prisoners who commit serious, violent, and sex-related crimes will be incarcerated in state prisons instead of county jails. The penal code 1170h, on the other hand, states that individuals who are realigned in county jails must undergo compulsory supervision; while out of custody. County probation officers conduct the Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS) (Caffiero, 2013).The code also requires those who disobey the mandatory supervision to be imprisoned in county jails instead of prisons. This is different from probation, which requires prisoners who are released from state

The Order of Things by Gladwell Malcolm Assignment

The Order of Things by Gladwell Malcolm - Assignment Example At first, one thought that the article is directed to sports car buyers but only to find out later that the author used the topic on cars to get the attention of the readers. The article is not targeted at a particular audience; rather, it is directed to anyone who tends to believe rankings done by magazines or newspapers or other private groups. Maybe the aim of the author is to warn people that not all rankings are accurate; therefore, must be taken with a grain of salt. One would not like to read articles by this author because it seems that the author is making hasty generalizations. Furthermore, one does not approve of the way he presents his arguments because he jumps from one topic to another. This can be observed when first he talks about car rankings then proceeds to discuss rankings of universities then presented data on suicide rates in several countries. After a discussion of suicide rankings, he goes back to university rankings and then shifts to hospital rankings and back again to university rankings. There is a lack of coherence in the way the information is being offered to the readers.   One may still read articles of this type provided that it is clearly presented.                  One has not read articles which support the author’s arguments, neither has one read articles which are against his arguments.

Proses Kebijakan

Proses Kebijakan REVIEW 2: CHAPTER TIGA BUKU PUBLIC POLICY: Proses Kebijakan Pada bagian yang ketiga ini, buku public policy karangan riant nugroho ingin menceritakan mengenai mekanisme pembuatan kebijakan juga masalah yang terkait dengan mekanisme tersebut. Secara garis besar buku ini menceritakan mengenai alur kebijakan public diproses mulai dari perumusan kebijakan, implementasi sampai evaluasi. Terdapat banyak alur berpikir mengenai proses bekerjanya kebijakan public. Dalam perumusan kebijakan public, penulis banyak penyertakan berbagai cara untuk merumuskan kebijakan public. Banyak sekali model yang diterangkan oleh penulis, mulai dai model yang tidak demokratis sampai dengan model yang demokratis. Dalam banyak ceritanya model yang tidak demokratis selalu menempatkan Negara sebagai actor yang dominan yang dapat membuat kebijakan. Menganggap proses perumusan kebijakan publik adalah mutlak kewajiban Negara dan hak Negara, rakyat tidak dapat berpartisipasi dalam hal ini. Dan pada akhirnya kebijakan public yang seperti ini tidak juga membawa dampak yang signifikan terhadap public karena kurang mengapresiasikan masalah public yang sebenarnya. Sedangkan proses perumusan yang demokratis, penulis ingin menegaskan bahwa perumusan yang demokratis haruslah mengelaborasi semua suara stakeholders Negara. Model ini adalah model yang dianut oleh Indonesia. Model ini banyak berkembang karena memiliki keterkaitan dengan implementasi good governance[1]. Bukan berarti model perumusan yang demikian ini, tidak memiliki kelemahan. Kelemahan yang dimiliki adalah kebijakan mengenai isu-isu yang vital dan masalah krisis terkadang kurang menjadi efektif dalam prosesnya. Dimana terkadang domain yang seharusnya dikerjakan dan menjadi otoritas penuh Negara menjadi otoritas public, sehingga kebijakan yang dibuat tidak efektif juga efisien. Rian nogroho juga tidak hanya menerangkan berbagai permasalah mengenai perumusan kebijakan public dia juga menyodorkan kepada pembaca mengenai bentuk yang baik dalam perumusan kebijakan. Selama ini kita tahu bahwa banyak masalah yang timbul saat proses perumusan kebijakan seperti masalah cultural yang menganggap bahwa kebijakan public adalah hukum[2], masalah teknis juga transparansi. Dari masalah-masalah tersebut kita disodori penyelesaian ala penulis mengenai perumusan kebijakan public. Penulis ingin proses perumusan kebijakan tetap berjalan demokratis namun juga strategis dan merata. Tahapan berikutanya setelah perumusan kebijkan adalah implemntasi kebijakan. Implementasi kebijakan juga melibatkan rakyat secara langsung sebagai actor yang secara langsung merasakan dampak dari suatu kebijakan. Implementasi merupakan hal penting yang harus diperhatikan, karena pada proses inilah suatu kebijakan diuji. Suatu kebijakan dapat dikatan berhasil atau tidak tergantung pada pengimplentasian kebijakan tersebut. Benar adanya jika studi pengenai implentasi kebijakan akan mati jika hanya masuk dalam ilmu administrasi Negara dan ilmu politik saja, mengingat kompleksitas actor yang masuk kedalam proses ini. Proses implementasi kebijakan ini banyak menyangkut dimensi ekonomi juga dimensi sosial. Seperti pada proses perumusan kebijakan, pada proses implementasi kebijakan pun penulis banyak menerangkan mengenai model pengimplementasian kebijakan, mulai dari model yang paling sederhana sampai model yang rumit. Model yang sederhana yang saya maksudkan adalah model yang tidak banyak melibatkan actor dan kepentingan pada suatu kebijakan. Dan model yang rumit adalah model yang banyak menampilkan actor yang terlibat juga kepentingan mereka. Selain itu pula model-model yang diterangkan oleh penulis sebenarnya juga berkaitan mengenai pola kebijakan, seperti pola yang bersifat top-bottomer atau pola bottom-topper[3]. Rekomendasi yang ditawarkan oleh penulis adalah efktifitas bagi terselenggaranya implementasi kebijakan public. Penulis tidak pernah suka menggunakan kata â€Å"mix† atau campuran dalam rekomendasinya. namun sepertinya penulis juga mengarahakan kita pada model yang nantinya itu adalah sebuah model campuran yang dapat kita sesuaikan sendiri dengan setiap kebijakan yang lahir. Satu hal lagi yaitu mengenai bagaimana proses kebijakan yaitu sosialisasi. Prose ini penting agar suatu kebijakan dapat diimplementasikan dengan baik juga efektif. Jika efktifitas penting dalam implementasi kebijakan makan sosialisasi pun demikian adanya. Jika suatu kebijakan telah dibuatkan dan dilaksanakan program realisasinya sebelum disosialisasikan maka hal tersebut mustahil untul berhasil. Karena actor yang secara langsung memperoleh imbas dan sekaligus pelaksananya (birokrat atau rakyat) akan kebingungan dalam pelaksanaannya. Proses berikutnya setelah implementasi kebijakan adalah evaluasi kebijakan. Proses evaluasi kebijakan merupakan proses yang tidak dapat dihindari mengingat ini adalah proses yang membantu sebuah kebijakan untuk beradaptasi. Penulis menerangkan bahwa suatu kebijakan tidak dapat dengan mudah diganti dengan kebijakan yang baru sehingga evaluasi kebijakan adalah solusi yang ditawarkan. Tujuan utamanya adalah mencari kekurangan dari suatu kebijakan dan kemudian menutup kekurangan tersebut[4]. Evaluasi kebijakan tidak hanya memiliki tujuan namun juga memiliki ciri. Ciri kebijakan public adalah: (1) tujuannya menemukan hal-hal yang strategis untuk meningkatkan kinerja kebijakan; (2) evaluator mampu mengambil jarak dari pembuat kebijakan, pelaksana kebijakan, dan target kebijakan; (3) prosedur dapat dipertanggungjawabkan secara metodologi; (4) dilaksanakan tidak dalam suasana permusuhan atau kebencian; (5) mencakup rumusan, implementasi, lingkungan dan kinerja kebijakan. Evalusi pun bervariatif seperti halnya perumusan kebijakan dan implementasi kebijakan. Dalam berbagai model yang telah diterangkan oleh penulis diawal mengenai berbagai model perumusan kebijakan didalamnya juga telah tercantum mengenai evaluasi kebijakan. Namun penulis juga memberikan alternative pilihan lain lagi mengenai model lain dari keseluruhan yang telah ada di awal buku, seperti model evaluasi William N. Dunn sampai model Howlet dan Ramesh. Dari kesemua model baru yang diterangkan oleh penulis terdapat garis besar yaitu proses evaluasi selalu berkaitan erat dengan kinerja suatu kebijakan public. Evaluasi lingkungan kebijakan public pada prinsipnya adalah memberikan gambaran atau diskripsi mengenai konteks dirumuskan dan diimplementasikannya suatu kebijakan[5]. Dengan adanya pendiskripsian mengenai kinerja kebijakan maka itu memberikan sebuah gambaran akan pemahaman mengenai proses berjalannya kebijakan yang baik dan efektif. Mengingat efektifitas penting dalam setiap proses kebijakan public. Selain itu pula evaluasi kebijakan merupakan bagian dari pelaksanaan good governance, utamanya dimensi akuntabilitas[6]. Dengan disuguhakan berbagai model evaluasi kebijakan public sepertinya hal tersebut cenderung membuat bingung pembaca. Bahwa ada tumpang tindih dalam pemikiran atau tulisan sang penulis. Karena dengan semakin bervariatifnya suatu pilihan hal tersebut justru tidak baik karena akan tumpang tindih, sehingga para pembaca justru semakin tidak paham mengenai bagaimana pemikiran punlis mengenai proses yang satu ini, proses evaluasi kebijakan. Proses terakhir dari rangkaian pembuatan kebijakan public adalah proses revisi kebijakan. Proses ini adalah tindakan lanjutan dari evaluasi kebijakan. Jika dalam proses evaluasi kebijkan diperoleh kesimpulan bahwa suatu kebijakan tetap dilaksanakan namun hal tersebut perlu perbaikan, maka revisi kebijakan adalah jalannya. Jika hasil dari evaluasi adalah tetap dijalankan tanpa revisi maka proses ini tidak dijalani. Itulah kenapa proses ini tidak mutlak ada pada setiap kebijakan public. Proses ini bersifat fleksibel dalam rangkaian proses kebijakan public. Proses kerja revisi kebijakan juga tidak jauh berbeda dengan perumusan kebijakan, sama rumitnya. Namun perbedaan ada pada permulaan suatu kebijakan diproses, pada proses ini dimulai dengan evaluasi kebijakan, jadi ini hanya bersifat memperbaiki masalah dan mempelajari kembali suatu masalah public. Dengan adanya revisi diharapkan suatu kebijakan dapat bekerja lebih efektif daripada sebelum direvisi. Dan kali ini penulis tidak menuliskan berbagai model yang dapat kita pakai saat kita akan melakukan revisi kebijakan. Si penulis hanya menerangkan sedikit mengenai proses revisi kebijakan. Bahwa prose ini jga tidak kalah rumit dan panjangnya dengan proses awal pembuatan kebijakan. Dalam buku riant nugroho ini pembaca dapat mengentahui berbgai varian model prose pembuatan kebijakan, implementasi kebijakan sampai evaluasi kebijakan. Itu adalah bentuk dari kelebihan dari tulisan riant ini. Namun kelemahan yang juga ditunjukkan oleh penulisnya dalah dengan terlalu banyak menerangkan varian-varian atau model-model prose kebijakan justru nanti akan semakin tumpang tindih dan membingungkan. Walau setiap rekomendasi yang ditawarkan oleh penulis adalah bukan model campuran tapi sepertinya penulis ingin agar pembaca sendiri yang membuat model campuran tersebut. Alur pemikiran yang dibuat oleh penulis juga sepertinya lebih mengarah pada alur pemikiran studi administrasi Negara. Proses-proses politik dalam proses pembuatan kebijakan public kurang dipertajam. Itulah salah satu lagi kekurangana yang ditunjukkan oleh penulis. JURUSAN POLITIK DAN PEMERINTAHAN FISIPOL UGM LEMBAR COVER TUGAS 2010 Nama : SURYANINGSIH No. Mahasiswa : 07/257095/SP/22444 Nama Matakuliah : KEBIJAKAN PUBLIK Dosen : PURWO SANTOSO BAYU DARDIAS Judul Tugas : REVIEW2: PUBLIC POLICY Jumlah Kata : 1208 CHECK LIST Saya telah: Mengikuti gaya referensi tertentu secara konsisten†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Memberikan soft copy tugas†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Deklarasi Pertama, saya menyatakan dengan sebenar-benarnya bahwa: * Karya ini merupakan hasil karya saya pribadi. * Karya ini sebagian besar mengekspresikan ide dan pemikiran saya yang disusun menggunakan kata dan gaya bahasa saya sendiri. * Apabila terdapat karya atau pemikiran orang lain atau sekelompok orang, karya, ide dan pemikiran tersebut dikutip dengan benar, mencantumkan sumbernya serta disusun sesuai dengan kaidah yang berlaku. * Tidak ada bagian dari tigas ini yang pernah dikirim atau dinilai, dipublikasikan dan/atau digunakan untuk memenuhi tugas makuliah lain sebelumnya. Kedua, saya menyatakan bahwa apabila satu atau lebih ketentuan diatas tidak ditepati, saya sadar akan menerima sanksi minimal berupa kehilangan hak untuk menerima nilai untuk mata kuliah ini. Suryaningsih 8 Maret 2010 Tanda Tangan Tanggal [1] Riant Nugroho, Public Policy, 2008, Hal: 376 [2] Ibid, Hal: 424 [3] Ibid, Hal: 451 [4] Ibid, Hal: 472 [5] Ibid, Hal: 488 [6]Ibid, Hal: 492

Strong Shadows :: essays research papers

1. I believe that Dr. Zuger chose the people she did because she was trying to get a large amount of differences of infections the patients could contract and also show the patients' similarities in lifestyle and the similarities in the way in which they grew up to try and educate people on the lifestyle one must live to put oneself at higher risk for contracting this terrible disease. The characters all seemed to have come from a home without much love from their family members, or they had something major missing in their life that could have caused a great amount of stress not normally experienced in an average person's life. All of them were uneducated and careless leading us to believe that Dr. Zuger was trying to show that education and responsibility are the best ways to prevent one's contraction of this disease. Some of them got HIV from reckless lifestyles such as drug use involving needle sharing to prostitution while others got it merely by having sex with casual partners. The decision to pick this array of patients again strengthens the fact that Dr. Zuger is trying to tell us that it is possible to get AIDS in many ways and that just because one is having casual sex does not mean that he is immune from its effects. These are probably a few reasons why Dr. Zuger chose them for her book. 2. The human frailty that Deborah Sweet possessed was that she was untrustworthy, she was always trying to get Dr. Zuger to get something for her such as prescriptions for drugs that would sell on the street or get her to write her a note to be allowed to miss court. The human frailty that Michael Soto has was when he first got the HIV virus and when he was using drugs. He is a very nice and willing patient and does not want to burden others with his problems. This shortcoming was very hard to decide on because he was such a good person. Cynthia Wilson's human frailty was that she needs help and that she is uneducated. She thinks that they should just be able to fix her problem without a problem and without delay. She seems to be very ungrateful for all the help she is receiving. She also does not know how to teach her children how to avoid becoming like her.

Discussion/ Technology and Operations management

Customization is here to stay and has become part of us. An achievement begins with strategies that know what to modify instead of only dealing with difficulties in management. The Working together of both the operations and marketing departments improves results (Orlando, 2007). According to Booz & Company (2008) lack of coordination by the marketing department and project management in doing some particular activities sets prices too high. This in turn affects the performance of customization strategies. Relationship between project management and marketing managementThe o relationship between project management and marketing management is the objectives need to be the same. Marketing’s main objective is to meet the demand and supply of consumers without thinking of prices. The project manager is supposed to find a way to minimize these costs. (Booz & Company, 2008). They need to come to some level of agreement in terms of setting objectives so that they set specific objecti ves that reduces costs and keeps consumers satisfied. The other relationship between marketers and operations is cutting costs and satisfying consumers’ needs.There seems to be a conflict between project management and marketing department. Instead of cooperating with each other, they are at loggerheads. Marketing wants many varieties to choose from while operations want to make those changes at low costs. The other relationship between the two departments is that they are reimbursed differently. Marketing revolves around unit sales while project management main concern is about reducing manufacturing cost. Project managers and marketers do not have the same interests.This factor can strain there relationship between them. Project managers are technicians and doers. While marketers do not deal with specific issues (Booz & Company, 2008). Other relationship that they share between them is reduction of costs. When project managers, cut down costs and do not consult marketersâ⠂¬â„¢ then that becomes a problem. Relevance of project management in the work force Project management and marketing management are important to each other and there is need for harmonization for the two when working together.One department cannot do without the other, they are essential to each other (Booz & company,2008). The operations person assumes that, the sales people do not appreciate the cost factors while the sales people assume that the operations people do not appreciate that consumers are everything (Booz & company, 2008). There is need for a truce because in the event that they do not consult with each other it can bring to much variety of goods or cause costs to escalate (Booz & company, 2008).Another importance is the involvement of top leadership in encouraging dialogue between the two departments. In addition, there needs to be a meeting where both, project management and marketing department discuss about strategies to create teams that are cross -functional. Th e relevance of finding a common ground to discuss these issues is of great importance as it attributes to actions that solely base on costing analysis (Booz & Company, 2008). What is apparent is what choices are made and when to make them.The importance is to know the main objective of your organization’s purpose, as this will boost productions as well as marketing productivity. Appreciating both the real price and worth of the goods is important (Booze &Company, 2008). Organizations should centre there attention on customer understanding and set customizable elements into specific packages as an alternative of giving thousands of variations (Booze &Company, 2008). Incorporating strategic partners is essential in investigating costs productions (Orlando, 2007).Conclusion It is therefore apparent that project management helps in reducing cost productions, in the case of Egol, Booz &company, (2008) remembers a situation where he modified nearly all the machinery in trying to pl ease the consumers wants because they had specific requirements. If consumers are overwhelmed with goods to buy, they get so confused until they do not but at all. If here was an operational management they would have stopped the over indulgence. Reference Booz & Company. (2008).The challenge of customization: Bringing Operations and Marketing together the global commercial consulting firm. Retrieved on 22nd July 2009. Available at http://www.strategy-business.com/press/sbkw2/sbkwarticle/sbkw040616?tid=230&pg= Orlando, F. S. (2007). Centered collaboration2007, Retrieved on 22nd   July 2009. Available at http://www.gmaonline.org/events/2007/isld/presentations/overcomingc.pdf. Discussion/ Technology and Operations Management International Project management is very essential to control resource usage to ensure quality productions. International projects involve many people with different cultures and backgrounds. It is therefore necessary to have management system that harmonizes the cultural, social, political and economic differences amongst them. Project manager should be tactical and wise in decision making to ensure every project member is well catered for and maximum utilization of the resources is achieved to meet project objectives (Kwak, 2002). Development of an international project management plan in workplaceInternational project development environments are affected with many factors originating from within and outside the development environments by nature. International project development plan may be affected by cultural, social, political and economic factors and so the management plan should consider all these factors (Kwak, 2002). The international project management plan should consid er all possible physical factors in the countries involved for mitigation. In addition, the laws and regulations governing different countries should be considered to ensure political stability.With the political factors solved, there will be improved returns on investments due to reduction in risks resulting from uncertainties in the international project development environment. In any business, there has to be legal requirements to be met. An international project development management system has to meet all the legal requires in terms of government policies and regulations. These factors may affect prices, exchange rates in the markets, taxations and even financial management systems. This may lead to some people losing their jobs and others incurring losses in the business.As a business right, political factors should be well managed to ensure market stability for the market users (Kwak, 2002). Cultural factors such as style or values should be considered when developing an in ternational project development management system. Since some countries are not aware of the some cultural resources in other countries, assistance should be provided to facilitate the international projects development process. Cultural value should be put into consideration when designing the management system. When planning for an international project management system, technological factors should be put in to consideration.This is because technological designs and level of use vary from country to country (Kwak, 2002). This may lead to varied participation levels in a project and so a project manager should consider the variation to successfully manage a project. Employing project management techniques to skillfully and ethically lead complex international projects in organizations Project management is a technique through which projects can be evaluated to encourage soft skills application in contrast with the hard skills to achieve the project goals.Soft skills are mostly ba sed on the technical resources required to carryout a project such as stakeholders’ contributions, collaboration or teamwork, organizational behaviors and management strategies (Marques, 2005). According to Harold (2005), for a successful project management in an organization, skillful and ethical techniques for a success in a complex or large organization are as follows. First, there has to be process integrations in the organizations. Integration of processes involves forming teamwork or collaborations in a project to ensure every member’s requirements are catered for in the product design.In addition, teamwork ensures success because of improved participation amongst members. Second, incorporation of cultural values at the design stages of a management system. Incorporation of the cultural values in multicultural organization will ensure equitable presentation of all members rights and therefore not to lower their dignity or abuse their rights (Harold, 2005). Third, information and support managements, which includes monitoring and assessing the communication systems to capture everyone’s views in terms of comments or suggestions.Forth, trainings should be provided to all members of an organization particularly in technology use to enable them to embrace technology use. In many occasions, management well trained employees in an organization are highly empowered and they participate fully in all areas within the organization to improve productivity. Fifth, behavioral excellence that involves instilling ethical values to the employees. Employees have to know their rights and how to protect them in the organization.Management system should provide fro a way in which petitions in the working environment can be solved fairly to create unity and harmony amongst workers (Harold, 2005). Diversity & cross-cultural perspectives, Team building skills, Decision making in the workplace In a multicultural environment, there has to be change managemen t, which enables new members in the organization to be induced well and successful fit in the new working environment. Decision-making based production methods should be put in to considerations to avoid resource wastages and satisfy all internal requirements in an organization.Lean manufacturing should be adopted to only produce when needed to minimize resource consumption in the organization (Joomla, 2009). In addition to lean manufacturing, project management should be carried out in all projects in an organization. This is to ensure quality performances to continuously improve in productions. Project management will also ensure cost effective use of resources particularly in a large and complex organization. In diverse and multicultural organizations, conflicts are likely to happen due to the cultural and environmental differences.Conflict management system should be availed to provide fair judgments to the organizational members. Teamwork or collaboration should be encouraged t o facilitate decision-making and enhance innovativeness (Joomla, 2009). Enhanced decision making and innovativeness will lead to quality production through making good plans for investments. Innovation may also lead to improvements in the supply chain levels. A well-managed supply chain model can be improved through innovation or technology use to eliminate non-value adding processes to production processes.Conclusion Project management is very fundamental in all projects whether in large or small organizations. International project management is just as necessary as the local ones (Marques, 2005). In multicultural organizations, the employees have to be trained on various social, cultural, political and economic factors to ensure uniformity during a joint project. Project managers are required to consider the cultural factors when designing a management structure for all the members to be accommodated and be free to fully participate in the organizational tasks. Reference: Harold, K. (2005). Advanced Project Management best Practices on Implementation, 2nd ed, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey Joomla. (2009). Certification, Innovation, Decision Making, Project Management, Team Building, Conflict Management: Certification Programs for Educational and Business Organizations Standards or Courses Custom Designed for your Organization. Joomla. Viewed on 13th June 2009, Available at http://endeavourprojects.com/Joomla Kwak, Y. H. (2002). Critical Success Factors in International Development Project Management. Viewed on 13th June 2009. Available at http://home.gwu.edu/~kwak/Kwak_CIB65_2002.pdf Marques, G. M. (2005). Discussion of the distinguishing features of Project Management in the 21st Century. Viewed on 13th June 2009. Available at http://www.caaei.org/anexos/65.doc

The Most Devastating Lifestyle Disease

Disease concept note: Type 2 diabetesBy:College:Course:Professor:Date:Type 2 diabetesDiabetes has been named as one of the most devastating lifestyle disease on the globe. Unlike other diseases caused by lifestyle practices like cancer; it has no curative medicine. If affected one is advised to maintain a strict prescribed routine and medication to help return body cells to their normal functioning. Only two types of diabetes exist and both have the same causes. Apart from Glucose levels; insulin levels dictated by livers production in ones bloodstream that dictate if he or she affected with either type of diabetes strains. In type 2; better as diabetes mellitus, the glucose measure in blood is comparatively high to the insulin to counter it in the blood stream. Insulin is a fluid originating from the liver to facilitate the intake of processed glycogen into all body tissues, glucose is essential as it acts like the fuel that make all the vital organs function. Surprisingly, the two types of diabetes have same origins and use almost the same treatments. A slight disparity is only noticed when two patients in question come from distinct age brackets. If so, there treatment differs. It is mostly adults above 41 years that get the disease due to inactivity and obesity. If exhibited in children the cause is usually narrowed to one hence treatment becomes easy.Signs and Symptomsfrequent thirst and urination When glucose builds up in the body, tissues usually become dehydrated because the glucose will be sucking water from them too maintain it aqueous state. In effect the patient will feel dehydrated, drink water frequently and urinate all the time.Increased hunger; if the tissues exhibit prolonged resistance to insulin, their glucose levels will gradually decrease and this will culminate their inactivity. They will send hunger triggers to the brain and the affected patient will be compelled to feel hungry from time to time.Weight loss; if tissues in the body resist insulin all the time, the body will adjust naturally by slowly burning the glycogen deposits in muscles into glucose. This will lead to a drastic loss of body weight. General body weakness and fatigue; these effects are caused by prolonged hunger and weight loss. The muscles in limbs will be dehydrated and the patient will frequently feel tiredBlurred vision; the body will naturally tend to dehydrate other body organs to stabilize its level of manufactured glucose running in the blood. The eye balls will be dehydrated; this will be followed by an uncomfortable itchy and eventually a blurred vision.Slow scab formation on injuries and sores; high sugar levels hamper the production of heparin; the effect being reduction coagulation. After this; untreated wounds and sores will take long to heal if not heal at all. Acanthosis; this is the appearance of dark spots and skin fold and creases. High Sugar level will cause the body defense system to become weak and the patient will have an altered skin appearance due to fungal and bacterial inhibitionCausesLifestyle; One's lifestyle is always pivotal to how his body functions, if one fat and sugar consumption has risen then he or she is more likely to experience devastating effect of diabetes mellitus. Generic trait transfer; If from the patients lineage there has been history of the diseases then it is more likely that that the disease was inherited.Insulin resistance: when tissues in the body frequently resist insulin, the likelihood of type 2 diabetes to take effect increases. As the absorption rate of glucose reduces the chances of disease creeping in skyrockets. ComplicationsWhen type 2 diabetes goes is not stabilized or of the treatment does not work then the following complications will appear. Note; these complications may appear gradually, or sporadically.Atheroscherosis; it is the hardening and tightening of blood vessels. When blood sugar levels rise they will corrode then clog the walls of veins. This may lead to insensitivity of limbs.Cardiovascular disease; the effect of glucose clogging the walls of blood veins is that the lumen will narrow and blood will pressure will increase. The later consequence of this is heart attack, stroke and eventually death.Neuropathy; high sugar levels cause severe injury on capillaries. he effect of this are tingly, burning, numbness or pain feeling arising from the feet up to other body organs in the thorax. Kidney damage; delicate capillaries located in the kidneys will be damaged and the blood filtration process will halt causing the kidney to fail.RemediesThere is no curative medicine for the disease and medicine is only prescribed to help calm the effects or hasten some the healing process. The below remedies are given as recommendations as they only touch on the patient's lifestyle.Diet check; a diabetic patient must be cautious of the fat and sugar levels in his meal. Foods that have cholesterol, trans fat, and saturated fats should avoided at all costs.Regular exercise; this helps reduce the fat level in blood. Excess fat makes body tissues resistant to insulin. Exercise will also maintain the blood flow in one's body. It doesn't have to vigorous; a 30 minute a day is enough.Weight check; drastic weight loss is a sign of the disease advancing and weight gain to uninfected people increases the infection risk. These are enough reasons to keep ones weight in check. Regular medical checkup; glucose tests should be done regularly to ascertain the sugar levels in ones blood. It is only by the checkups that a patient will monitor the progress of the disease.ReferencesSource of symptoms and signs of type 2 diabeteshttps://www.mayoclinic.org/disease-conditions/type-2-diabets/symptoms-causes/Source of causes and remedies type 2 diabeteshttps://www.everydaydiseases.com/heart-health/heart-disease-and-diabetics

Business Essays

Business Essays Business Essay Business Essay Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was asked to come back as Chief Executive in 1997 when the business was making a loss. Job’s was appointed to provide a clearer vision for the business and to improve its profitability. How easy is it for a Chief Executive to change a struggling business into a more successful one? Justify your answer with reference to Apple and/or other organisations you know. (40 marks) Depends upon/ points : How respected the leader is: Steve Jobs acted as an inspiration to many in the digital world, one which grabbed my interest was from competitor Bill Gates who stated â€Å"Of all the leaders in the industry that Ive worked with, he showed more inspiration and he saved the company. â€Å" Jobs is well known for being high on innovation and initially changing the technological world from large desktops to retina display thin and portable devices which we know today at the lowest possible cost, which has initially lead to Appleâ⠂¬â„¢s net worth to escalate to $567bn as of 2013. The extent that Apple struggled when Steve was fired: Steve jobs was fired in 1985 for an 11 year period, whilst researching I found that during this period sales rose in apple from $2m- $10m through till 1996, then with the re-hiring of Steve Jobs came a larger escalation from $10m-$65m a figure based until 2006. This is an 650% increase in sales (CHECK), which indicates that Jobs himself through innovation and brand new designs aimed at the variety of audiences through new products such as online music e. g. Tunes open for download in April 23, 2003 leaving jobs to quote â€Å"It will go down in history as a turning point for the music industry† those who thought piracy would end the music industry were proved wrong through a 10bn downloads from 2003-2009. Another example of Job’s success can be seen through the portable music player- iPod, released October 23, 2003 that gave the ability to achieve commercial success and innovation where others tried and failed. Job’s insistence on a simplified user interface changed the way everyone now buys and listens to music. It wasn’t until Apple’s iPod and iTunes Store took off that the recording industry begun embracing the digital distribution of its content as a viable business model. Therefore leading us to say he did not inspire only those within the technological market, but a wide range of stakeholders. However, one cannot fully justify that all this success was from Steve alone, as the success with sales and net worth of the company grew through the rise in demand for such technical goods that had seen a rise in the capability of technology and a fall in market price that initially lead to the goods being available to a mass audiences on a global market. Success from one person alone is debatable: Steve showed great leadership, control and management can lead to efficiency and productivity within the business, but the way all coincide to produce success depends on a variety of factors which may include the culture, resources, necessary demand for the goods, which we know was high d ue to the strategic marketing techniques used, as well as the low-price aiming at wider segmented audiences. Also, the actions of competition, for example IMF who showed great threat at the beginning of Apple (extend with history)– More recently we can see that Apple, Samsung dominate the smartphone industry ( zdnet. com/apples-iphone-5-overtakes-samsung-as-best-selling-smartphone-in-q4-2012- 7000011547/,) (extend with this example. ) Experience of Steve jobs: ‘Think different’ – producing new products ever so often to stimulate excitement thus demand whereas in 2012 we saw a huge release of apple goods such as the Ipad mini, retina display of all products etc. which some argue may have damaged the prestige of awaiting the new apple products that allows them to place such high prices on. (Article/quotes)

Comparing The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan Essay Example

Comparing The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan Essay Example Comparing The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan Paper Comparing The Longest Day with Saving Private Ryan Paper Essay Topic: Film The Longest Day was filmed in 1962, and was made to celebrate the victory for the Allies in World War II. All of the stars of the time appeared in it, including John Wayne and Richard Burton. Saving Private Ryan was filmed in 1998, and was purposely made to show how grim and horrific war is, and the director, Stephen Spielberg, researched a lot about the war by interviewing people involved in the specific events during the war. I am going to compare the D-Day sequences from both films, looking at the leaders, sergeants, the importance of individual soldiers and the way the Germans and Americans are filmed. I am also going to compare how each director tells the story using cameras, sound effects, mise-en-scene and editing. In The Longest Day, General Cota leads his men from the front, holding a cigar in his hand, looking rather relaxed. He announces, There it is, men. Omaha Beach and also waves the troops forward. Cota gives the troops a pep talk, as though he knows what to do. He also sends a soldier back through the battle to get his rifle, which tells the audience and the soldiers that he cares, but also is in control. In contrast, Captain Miller leads his men from behind, and seems nervous beforehand when we see his hand shaking to open the water bottle. This is shown to us at the beginning and the end. A lot of the battle is seen through Captain Millers eyes as a POV shot, as though we are Captain Miller, which gives you a good idea about how awful the war was. We do not get this in The Longest Day, as General Cota is seen to be a big hero and cannot put a step wrong. Captain Miller was white faced with fear, and when we see the battle as Captain Miller, most of the noise is shut out due to shell shock, and a soldier is shouting for orders, but is not heard, and then suddenly all the noise floods back to our ears. The Captain then puts his helmet back on to get back into battle, which shows that he snapped out of captain mode for a second, saw the horrific scenery, then remembered he had to be the boss again. The helmet is full of watered-down blood. Captain Millers orders are short and snappy, and very rushed, whereas General Cotas orders were rather long and cheery. We also dont see General Cota with a gun, but we see Captain Miller shooting the enemy. Captain Miller says Quite a view twice, which is usually said when theres beautiful scenery, but in this case he means the complete opposite-total carnage. Theres then a slow panning shot with the first music of the clip, which shows how ugly war really is. The sergeant in The Longest Day raises his hand, and shouts STAND BY! then just jogs behind the troops, copying the General. The sergeant in Saving Private Ryan (Sergeant Horner) is always focused, and just gets on with what he has to do. He says, Were in business! quite often, and there are lots of close ups on his face, showing detachment. He collects soil from Africa, Italy and now France. This is his way o blocking out the horror of the war. War is like a business to Horner, but he is also likeable as he cares about what happens to his men. Both sergeants give clear orders to their troops, and rally their men well. The Longest Day does not really have many individual shots of people; it is mainly midshots of lots of things or a long tracking shot. It is a very short scene compared to Saving Private Ryan, which is ten times longer, and contains a lot of ECUs and CUs, angle shots and tilt shots. At the beginning, we are shown close ups of lots of different soldiers, some being sick, some looking very determined to get out there, which gives us a sense of how they felt before going out to fight. There were lots of different ways in which soldiers die in this horrific film; some were shot down or blown up by bombs. It seemed absolutely terrifying and very painful. This is quite authentic because of the interviews with war veterans Spielberg did before directing the film. The medics are quite brutal, and just stab the wounded with needles loaded with morphine. They didnt have time to save anyone properly, but in The Longest Day, you see medics wrapping a soldiers arm with a clean white bandage, and the soldier was waiting as though his mum was going to come along and kiss it better. Private Jackson, in Saving Private Ryan, is an important character in the film. He is the sniper, and a very religious young man. He kisses the cross on his chain each time he goes to shoot, and also says a prayer beforehand. He carries his rifle in a plastic cover (and his bayonet is bone handled, too) to keep it pristine when he has to start shooting. It has a beautiful leather strap on it which all makes him look a little bit like a war fanatic. Jackson kills the first German, which we see, with this wonderful rifle. The audience feels glad about this: as we see so many of our own men dead, its good to see the opposition go down. The Germans are seen as killing machines in Saving Private Ryan as you see down the barrel of their guns to start with. The first you see of the Germans is when three Germans surrender, and two are shot down. The anger of the troops shows at this point, and also when they put a flamethrower into their trenches, and say, Let them burn! Spielberg is showing that war is beyond civilisation, and that when soldiers have had enough, they will kill others to get their own back. In The Longest Day, the Germans are seen almost the same amount as the American troops, and are filmed from the sides of the trenches for most of the scene. They are seen in mid shots, the same as the Allies, which shows fairness. There were caricatures of stereotypical Germans, like a fat German on a horse and a blonde German trying to run the troops in an office. It does not seem very realistic after seeing Saving Private Ryan. In The Longest Day the shots of guns and bombs seem to be in the background, and cheering of troops along with commands from officers are mainly what is heard. The explosions look feeble in black and white, as there is no brightness to show the effect of the bombs and how big they were. Saving Private Ryan was quite different. There were mainly shots and bombs heard all the way through the dramatic footage, which gives you a real life imitation, as though you were actually there. The contrast of the dull sand and sky and the bright oranges of flame throwers and bombs was very effective as it highlighted the different perspectives on war, the good side, winning, and the dull side, fighting. The cumulative effect of so many different details in this version was brilliant, as it really showed you how awful and unlike normal life war was, and is. It is not to be glorified. Spielberg does a wonderful job in creating an atmosphere where anything and anything could, and did, happen, along with some humour, too. For example, a soldier gets shot on his helmet, and takes it off thinking how lucky he was. He then gets shot in the head when he is holding the helmet in his hands in awe. I think the two films are trying to say different things about war and heroism because of the different purposes. Back in 1962, the war was still quite fresh in peoples minds, and nothing could have been made which would have offended these people. So The Longest Day was made to show how brave and strong the soldiers who fought were, and how much glory there was in the war. Spielberg made Saving Private Ryan to show the true effects of war, and how different individuals handled it. The heroes in The Longest Day were the leaders, but in Saving Private Ryan, most of the men had heroic moments. He was saying that there is no glory in war, but the director of The Longest Day was telling the audience that war could actually solve something.

Biography of Gilles de Rais 1404 - 1440

Biography of Gilles de Rais 1404 - 1440 Gilles de Rais was a French noblemen and noted soldier of the fourteenth century who was tried and executed for the murder and torture of numerous children. He is now remembered chiefly as a historical serial killer, but may have been innocent. Gilles de Rais as Noble and Commander Gilles de Laval, Lord of Rais (thus known as Gilles de (of) Rais), was born in 1404 at Champtocà © castle, Anjou, France. His parents were heirs to wealthy land holdings: the lordship of Rais and part of the Laval family possessions on his father’s side and lands belonging to a branch of the Craon family through his mother’s side. He also married into a wealthy line in 1420, uniting with Catherine de Thouars. Consequently Gilles was once of the richest men in the whole of Europe by his teens. He has been described as keeping a more lavish court than even the French king, and he was a great patron of the arts. By 1420 Gilles was fighting in the wars over the succession rights to the Duchy of Brittany, before being involved in the Hundred Years War, fighting against the English in 1427. Having proved himself an able, if brutal and low level, commander, Gilles found himself alongside Joan of Arc, taking part in several battles with her, including the famed rescue of Orlà ©ans in 1429. Thanks to his success, and the crucial influence of Gilles’ cousin, Georges de Ka Trà ©moille, Gilles became a favorite of King Charles VII, who appointed Gilles Marshall of France in 1429; Gilles was only 24 years old. He spent more time with Jeanne’s forces until her capture. The scene was set for Gilles to go on and have a major career, after all, the French were beginning their victory in the Hundred Years War. Gilles de Rais as Serial Killer By 1432 Gilles de Rais had largely retreated to his estates, and we dont really know why. At some stage his interests turned to alchemy and the occult, perhaps after an order, sought by his family in 1435, barred him from selling or mortgaging anymore of his lands and he needed money to continue his lifestyle. He also, possibly, began the kidnap, torture, rape and murder of children, with the number of victims ranging from 30 to upwards of 150 given by different commentators. Some accounts claim this ended up costing GIlles more money as he invested in occult practices which didnt work but cost regardless. We have avoided giving too much detail on Gilles crimes here, but if youre interested a search on the web will bring up the accounts. With one eye on these infractions, and possibly another on seizing Gilles’ land and possessions, the Duke of Brittany and the Bishop of Nantes moved to arrest and prosecute him. He was seized in September 1440 and tried by both ecclesiastical and civil courts. At first he claimed to be not guilty, but â€Å"confessed† under threat of torture, which is no confession at all; the ecclesiastical court found him guilty of heresy, the civil court guilty of murder. He was sentenced to death and hanged on October 26th 1440, being held up as a model of penitence for recanting and apparently accepting his fate. There is an alternative school of thought, one which argues that Gilles de Rais was set-up by the authorities, who had an interest in taking what remained of his wealth, and was actually innocent. The fact his confession was extracted through threat of torture is cited as evidence of severe doubt. Gilles wouldnt be the first European who was set up so people could take wealth, and remove power, by jealous rivals, and the Knights Templar are a very famous example, while Countess Bathory is in much the same position as Gilles, only in her case it looks very likely she was set up instead of just possible. Bluebeard The character of Bluebeard, recorded in a seventeenth century collection of fairy tales called Contes de ma mà ¨re l’oye (Tales of Mother Goose), is believed to be partly based on Breton folk tales which are, in turn, partly based on Gilles de Rais, although the murders have become of wives rather than children.

Ward of Arles Hospital by Vincent van Gogh Essay

Ward of Arles Hospital by Vincent van Gogh - Essay Example In order to understand this image, it is imperative that a multidimensional analysis be undertaken which includes formal, content and iconographic. Figure 1: Ward of Arles Hospital Source: http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/722/Ward-in-the-Hospital-in-Arles.html 1889. Formal analysis The Ward of Ales is a painting done in application of numerous paints. This painting has been accomplished by use of short paint brushes and the oil on canvas technique. The painting contains a hospital ward scene with waiting bay outside. Some people are seen outside sited, others are standing while women dressed in nun clothes are moving and one man in a hat is leaving through the corridor. The central part of the image is a wide corridor that leads to the entrance, which is still the exit, of the hospital. On the sides, there are curtains- closing wardrooms with beds. The beds do not have any occupants. The front part contains a cylindrical object with tapped connection to the roof of the corridor with men sited in wooden table chairs around it. The wards and the corridor fit very well into the frame of the painting while the front part is slightly cut off by the frame. Its axis is vertical with a bird’s eye view of the objects. ... The colors employed in the painting are largely brown, on the floor and wooden table chairs, and blue varying from faint to deep, on the walls and the ceiling or roof. Curtains contain a light green finishing. The texture of the painting is almost smooth as depicted by Van Gogh in April 1889. The painting presents scenery of people in the hospital ward outside. The â€Å"most distinct feature of the painting† (Feldman 30) involves the central cylindrical object where men are sited around. The application of different colors on the fore ground, painting objects and the back ground produce a good balance within the painting. Image contrast is also achieved through the employment of many features which guide a viewer excellently into understanding the scene. By application of swirling paint motions especially at the front and central parts, Van Gogh creates a dynamic feeling in the painting; especially by using big lines that swirl around parts of the image. The texture appears a little rougher on the foreground while ending up smoother at the background. The combination of the hospital wards and the people in the corridors of the hospital with ceiling objects bring a harmonious existence of the objects. The painting brings forward a great sense of unity and brings a friendly feeling. Iconographic analysis Iconographic description of an image is entails imager-viewer interaction abilities. The Ward of Arles is a beautiful and one of the most important paintings on the nineteenth century. It uses complex techniques that lead to accomplishment of marvelous effects that do not seem to lose value with time. Van Gogh relies on the people and the ward in the hospital to tell a story of being hospitalized in the Ales hospital in France. Upon first

Cold War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cold War - Essay Example Soviet Union tried to empower communism all over the world while United States and its alliance supported many countries of the world to weaken the communism. After the end of World War II, the Soviet unions decided to spread communism all over the world. The United States determined to stop the spread of Soviet power and communism. For this purpose it provided much financial support to its alliance. The alliances were democracies that were not in favor of communists too. Though they were not able to stop the spread of communism in Eastern Europe, the U.S and Britain were determined to preserve Western Europe from the reach of communists. In the World War II Soviet Union has gained much popularity in the West Europe due to the resistance against the Nazi forces. So there was a chance of election of communist parties in France and Italy. Harry Trumann was the first US president started to fight the cold War. Britain was the first country that investigated for the nuclear weapons' development. In 1945, Britain was an activist world power. It possessed the second largest national navy, and its Empire-Commonwealth was genuinely global. The Dominions stretched from Canada to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa; it had colonial possessions from the north to the south of the African continent, to the east of Suez, in south and south-east Asia, as well as many scattered, and often strategic, island outposts. India was proclaimed as the 'jewel in the crown' of the Empire. A major problem for the historians analyzing the impact of military expenditure on the usual working of the economy of a country just after the war is the fact ignored by the liberal economic theory. This theoretical shortfall reflects the fact that the mobilization for industrial warfare can only be achieved through suspending the normal economic operation. While accepting necessity to plan the wartime economy, most British economists considered that after the hostilities and War activities, the resources will be allocated to the market as usual. This is what the liberal economists oppose. As a part of conversion, the British policy makers faced crucial situation about scaling down the Britain's efforts with its diminished economy and military power in the post war world. Alec Ciancross accepts that the Britain's Defence efforts may have been extraordinarily large and says that the real problem for Britain was the role it was asked to play was beyond its strength. But the other historians criticize the leadership of Britain who did not face the fact that Britain would not be able to meet the global military commitments. The question arises here is this that did the excessive military costs were responsible for low investment leading to weak economy of Britain Usually it seems to be answered that the short term expenses of the war would not affect the long term economy policies. Defence economists analyze short term and even small changes in the economy and

Isb dis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Isb dis - Essay Example I think both coal plants and nuclear power plants are equally dangerous. The contaminants leaked from either can pollute the air and water bodies and even underground water sources for miles around. I would however feel that the coal plant would be the more dangerous choice. Coal plants regularly disgorge carbon dioxide and toxins like nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide. Coal fly ash that pours into slurry pits contains toxic heavy metals. Coal pollution exposes people to low doses of radiation. Statistics show that these emissions kill 24,000 Americans every year. The cumulative effects of these on humans promise to be catastrophic. In normal circumstances Nuclear power plants produce cleaner energy. Since there is no burning, there are no emissions either which makes it the safer choice. Of course if there should be an accident like Fukushima or Chernobyl or a terrorist attack, the results could be unimaginable. The choice of living near either a coal plant or nuclear power plant is like choosing between the devil and the deep sea. I think living near a nuclear plant would pose a lesser risk, although I would prefer not to live near

Review of the Annual Report & Accounts regarding the financial Essay

Review of the Annual Report & Accounts regarding the financial performance of the QE11 for the year ended 31 March 2013 - Essay Example This improvement can be attributed to improved strategies that helped the centre maximise in potential. The first main reason for the improvement in cash flow was the presence of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in London between July and August 2012 (QEIICC, 2013).During this period, the centre operated as the Olympic House for Italy. This booking acted as a very strong boost for a positive cash flow. Another reason for the improvement of the cash flow was a change in strategy where the centre decreased its dependency on government bookings and concentrated on hosting both local and international professional associations and corporations. During the 2013 financial year, the centre received 326 meetings and events with government bookings accounting for only 18% of these bookings translating to only 5% of the revenue received the whole year (QEIICC, 2013). The final reason for this improvement in cash flow is an extensive and effective marketing campaign instituted. The marketing campaign targeted both the local and international markets and it was maximised through the sale and subsidiary services and opportunities. During the financial year ending 31 March 2013, the QE11 planned to achieve a minimum divided payment to the local government and to the Department of Communities equal to 6% of the total capital employed. This step was taken to ensure that the centre retains cash. Stutely (2007) notes that in some situations Chief Financial Officers may choose to retain cash rather than paying out dividends to shareholders for a variety of reasons. In the case of the QE11 several reasons may precipitate the retention of cash. Atrill and McLaney (2011) argue that retaining surplus cash is important as it provides more flexibility in an uncertain market. The government’s decision to severely cut down the number of government bookings has resulted in creating a volatile situation

Finish the question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Finish the question - Essay Example directly applicable to the company’s overall strategy of achieving financial success while providing shareholder value and maintaining focus on environmental sustainability. Additionally, the TBL rhymes to the company’s mission of producing financial rewards to investors in addition to growth and development opportunities for employees, business partners and communities. The SunChips brand of Frito-Lay concentrates on sustainability as the fundamental driver of their business strategy. The company uses environmentally-friendly production and transportation methods in order to minimize harm to the planet. The Modesto, California plant, for example, has adopted an environmentally-friendly ways of cooking sun chips. The plant currently uses solar panels to generate energy for cooking chips. The company has implemented sustainable methods of reclaiming waste water and managing other production wastes. These include a 36-acre solar filled for reclaiming water and a biomass b oiler for proper solid waste product management. Frito-Lay is proud of SunChips brand for being a snack characterized by environmental friendliness. The company strives to ensure that the consumer walks away with the knowledge that each SunChips product is produced using the most environmentally sustainable methods. Thus, the Triple Bottom Line rhymes with the overall strategy of SunChips and it creates a value for the company and the

Practicum Experience Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Practicum Experience Journal - Essay Example This was attributed to the fact that at times the nurses had little time to do the documentation, thus compiling the information inappropriately leading to loss of vital information. This problem led to redoing of a lot of documentation at later stages by the nurses. For instance, failure to record full information immediately after a home visit led to inaccurate information since errors arose later when trying to figure out what was done during the home visit. This observed phenomenon is apparently one of the causes of the nursing shortage experienced over the recent past. Most of the nurses perceive this process of documentation as either redundant or potentially unnecessary (Lippincott et al., 2003). However, on the contrary this process is one of the most critical ones in administering effective care to patients. This is because it enables different nurses to keep track of a patient’s development even in the absence of others thus enabling proper cares by different nurses. Therefore, whether the documentation is manual or electronically, it should be done with utmost care so as to enhance accuracy in the information of patients hence efficiency of their

Finish the question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Finish the question - Essay Example directly applicable to the company’s overall strategy of achieving financial success while providing shareholder value and maintaining focus on environmental sustainability. Additionally, the TBL rhymes to the company’s mission of producing financial rewards to investors in addition to growth and development opportunities for employees, business partners and communities. The SunChips brand of Frito-Lay concentrates on sustainability as the fundamental driver of their business strategy. The company uses environmentally-friendly production and transportation methods in order to minimize harm to the planet. The Modesto, California plant, for example, has adopted an environmentally-friendly ways of cooking sun chips. The plant currently uses solar panels to generate energy for cooking chips. The company has implemented sustainable methods of reclaiming waste water and managing other production wastes. These include a 36-acre solar filled for reclaiming water and a biomass b oiler for proper solid waste product management. Frito-Lay is proud of SunChips brand for being a snack characterized by environmental friendliness. The company strives to ensure that the consumer walks away with the knowledge that each SunChips product is produced using the most environmentally sustainable methods. Thus, the Triple Bottom Line rhymes with the overall strategy of SunChips and it creates a value for the company and the

Treaty of Versailles Essay Example for Free

Treaty of Versailles Essay The Members of the League recognize that the maintenance of peace requires the reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety and the enforcement by common action of international obligations.The Council, taking account of the geographical situation and circumstances of each State, shall formulate plans for such reduction for the consideration and action of the several Governments. Such plans shall be subject to reconsideration and revision at least every ten years. After these plans shall have been adopted by the several Governments, the limits of armaments therein fixed shall not be exceeded without the concurrence of the Council. The Members of the League agree that the manufacture by private enterprise of munitions and implements of war is open to grave objections. The Council shall advice how the evil effects attendant upon such manufacture can be prevented, due regard being had to the necessities of those Members of the League which are not able to manufacture the munitions and implements of war necessary to their safety. The Members of the League undertake to interchange full and frank information as to the scale of their armaments, their military, naval, and air programmes and the condition of such of their industries as are adaptable to war-like purposes. The Members of the League recognize that the maintenance of peace requires the reduction of national armaments to the lowest point consistent with national safety and the enforcement by common action of international obligations. The Council, taking account of the geographical â€Å"situations† and circumstances of each state, shall formulate plans for such reduction for the consideration and action of the several Governments. Such plans shall be subject to reconsideration and revision at least every â€Å"five years.† After theses plans shall have been adopted by the several Governments, the limits of armaments therein fixed shall not be exceeded without the concurrence of the Council. The Members of the League agree that the manufacture by private enterprise of munitions and implements of war is open to grave objection. The Council shall advise how the evil effects attendant upon such manufacture can be prevented, due regard being had to the necessities of those Members of the League which are not able to manufacture the munitions and implements of war necessary for their safety. The Members of the League undertake to interchange full and frank information as to the scale of their armaments, their military, naval, and air programmes and the condition of such of their industries are adaptable to war-like purposes. A permanent Commission shall be constituted to advise the Council on the execution of the provisions of Articles 1 and 8 and on military, naval, and air questions generally. A permanent Commission shall be constituted as having as members representing all nations to advice the Council on the Execution of Articles 1 and 8 and on military, naval, and air questions generally. Sources: http://net.lib.byu.edu/-rdh/wwwi/versa1.html â€Å"Treaty of Verailles† Microsoft Encarta 2006 (DVD). Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2005.

Hersey Blanchard Situational Leadership Management Essay

Hersey Blanchard Situational Leadership Management Essay The term leadership is a word taken from the common vocabulary and incorporated into the technical vocabulary of a scientific discipline without being precisely redefined. As consequences, it carries extraneous connotations that create ambiguity of meaning (Janda, 1960). Additional confusion is caused by the use of other imprecise terms such as power, authority, management, administration, control and supervision to describe similar phenomena. An observation by Bennis (1959, p. 259) is as true today as when he made it many years ago: Always, it seems, the concept of leadership eludes us or turns up in another form to taunt us again with its slipperiness and complexity. So we have invented an endless proliferation of terms to deal with it. and still the concept is not sufficiently defined. Most definition of leadership reflect the assumption that involves a process whereby intentional influences is exerted over other people to guide, structure, and facilitate activities and relationsh ips in a group or organisation. The numerous definitions of leadership appear to have little else in common. They differ in many respects, including who exerts influence, the intended purpose of the influence, the manner in which influence is exerted, and the outcome of the influence attempt. The differences are not just t a case of scholarly nit picking; they reflect deep disagreement about identification of leaders and leadership processes.(Gary Yukl, 2010) Theories of leadership: Douglas McGregor described Theory X and Theory Y in his book, The Human Side of Enterprise. Theory X and Theory Y each represent different ways in which leaders view employees. Theory X managers believe that employees are motivated mainly by money, are lazy, uncooperative, and have poor work habits. Theory Y managers believe that subordinates work hard, are cooperative, and have positive attitudes. Theory X is the traditional view of direction and control by managers. 1. It is the nature of average human being who dislikes doing work and will avoid if he or she can. 2. Because of this human characteristic of dislike of work, most people must be controlled, directed, and threatened with punishment to get them to put forth adequate effort toward the achievement of organizational objectives. 3. The average human being prefers to be directed, wishes to avoid responsibility, and has relatively little ambition, wants security above all. Theory Y is the view that individual and organizational goals can be integrated. 1. The expenditures of physical and mental effort in work are as natural as play or rest. 2. External control and the threat of punishment are not the only means for bringing out effort toward organizational objectives. 3. Commitment to objectives is a function of the rewards associated with their achievement. 4. The average human being learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but also to seek responsibility. 5. The capacity to exercise a relatively high degree of imagination, ingenuity, and creativity in the solution of organizational problems in widely, not narrowly, distributed in the population. 6. Under the condition of modern industrial life, the intellectual potentialities of the average human being are only partially utilized. Fred E. Fiedlers contingency theory postulates that there is no best way for managers to lead. Situations will create different leadership style requirements for a manager. The solution to a managerial situation is contingent on the factors that impose on the situation. For example, in a highly routinized (mechanistic) environment where repetitive tasks are the norm, a certain leadership style may result in the best performance. The same leadership style may not work in a very dynamic environment. Fiedler looked at three situations that could define the condition of a managerial task: 1. Leader member relations: Compatibility between the manager and the employees? 2. The task structure: Is the job highly structured, fairly unstructured, or somewhere in between? 3. Position power: How much authority does the manager possess? Managers were rated as to whether they were relationship oriented or task oriented. Task oriented managers tend to do better in situations that have good leader-member relationships, structured tasks, and either weak or strong position power. They do well when the task is unstructured but position power is strong. Also, they did well at the other end of the spectrum when the leader member relations were moderate to poor and the task was unstructured. Relationship oriented managers do better in all other situations. Thus, a given situation might call for a manager with a different style or a manager who could take on a different style for a different situation. Another aspect of the contingency model theory is that the leader-member relations, task structure, and position power dictate a leaders situational control. Leader-member relations are the amount of loyalty, dependability, and support that the leader receives from employees. It is a measure of how the manager perceives he or she and the group of employees are getting along together. In a favorable relationship the manager has a high task structure and is able to reward or punish employees without any problems. In an unfavorable relationship the task is usually unstructured and the leader possesses limited authority. Positioning power measures the amount of power or authority the manager perceives the organization has given him or her for the purpose of directing, rewarding, and punishing subordinates. Positioning power of managers depends on the taking away (favorable) or increasing (unfavorable) the decision-making power of employees. The task-motivated style leader experiences pride and satisfaction in the task accomplishment for the organization, while the relationship-motivated style seeks to build interpersonal relations and extend extra help for the team development in the organization. There is no good or bad leadership style. Each person has his or her own preferences for leadership. Task-motivated leaders are at their best when the group performs successfully such as achieving a new sales record or outperforming the major competitor. Relationship-oriented leaders are at their best when greater customer satisfaction is gained and a positive company image is established. Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership theory is based on the amount of direction (task behaviour) and amount of socio-emotional support (relationship behaviour) a leader must provide given the situation and the level of maturity of the followers. Task behaviour is the extent to which the leader engages in spelling out the duties and responsibilities to an individual or group. In task behaviour the leader engages in one-way communication. Relationship behaviour is the extent to which the leader engages in two-way or multi-way communications. This includes listening, facilitating, and supportive behaviours. In relationship behaviour the leader engages in two-way communication by providing socio-emotional support. Maturity is the willingness and ability of a person to take responsibility for directing his or her own behaviour. People tend to have varying degrees of maturity, depending on the specific task, function, or objective that a leader is attempting to accomplish through th eir efforts. To determine the appropriate leadership style to use in a given situation, the leader must first determine the maturity level of the followers in relation to the specific task that the leader is attempting to accomplish through the effort of the followers. As the level of followers maturity increases, the leader should begin to reduce his or her task behavior and increase relationship behaviour until the followers reach a moderate level of maturity. As the followers begin to move into an above average level of maturity, the leader should decrease not only task behaviour but also relationship behaviour. Houses Path-Goal Model The path-goal theory developed by Robert House is based on the expectancy theory of motivation. The managers job is viewed as coaching or guiding workers to choose the best paths for reaching their goals. Best is judged by the accompanying achievement of organizational goals. It is based on the precepts of goal setting theory and argues that leaders will have to engage in different types of leadership behavior depending on the nature and demands of the particular situation. It is the leaders job to assist followers in attaining goals and to provide direction and support needed to ensure that their goals are compatible with the organizations. A leaders behaviour is acceptable to subordinates when viewed as a source of satisfaction and motivational when need satisfaction is contingent on performance, and the leader facilitates, coaches and rewards effective performance. Path goal theory identifies achievement-oriented, directive, participative and supportive leadership styles. In achievement-oriented leadership, the leader sets challenging goals for followers, expects them to perform at their highest level, and shows confidence in their ability to meet this expectation. This style is appropriate when the follower suffers from lack of job challenge. In directive leadership, the leader lets followers know what is expected of them and tells them how to perform their tasks. This style is appropriate when the follower has an ambiguous job. Participative leadership involves leaders consulting with followers and asking for their suggestions before making a decision. This style is appropriate when the follower is using improper pr ocedures or is making poor decisions. In supportive leadership, the leader is friendly and approachable. He or she shows concern for followers psychological well being. This style is appropriate when the followers lack confidence. Path-Goal theory assumes that leaders are flexible and that they can change their style, as situations require. Effective leaders clarify the path to help their followers achieve their goals and make the journey easier by reducing roadblocks and pitfalls. Research demonstrates that employee performance and satisfaction are positively influenced when the leader compensates for the shortcomings in either the employee or the work setting. Leadership plays an important role in ones life. If one is a business owner he needs to be a leader in the field of your business. To be a successful leader, one must demonstrates some or all of the following characteristics: 1. The ability to listen: Most leaders do too much talking but not enough listening. Feedbacks to a persons company services or products are important to that person as they demonstrate the customers needs. 2. The ability to acknowledge and change: This is probably the hardest part to do. People often refuse to change. They believe their services or products are the best, which, theres nothing wrong with that. But when there are feedbacks coming from customers you have to listen, then acknowledge them and make changes to provide better customer service. 3. The ability to form one-on-one relationships: People will need to be able to reach you. If you are just starting a business its especially important for you to be able to spend some time to get to know your customers, and/or employees. If you do that, over time, you will develop a strong trust between you and your customers. 4. Successful people make sure they surround themselves with like-minded people. Im not saying millionaires should just ignore the poor. But you need to spend time to communicate with like-minded people. You cannot survive by yourself, and by interacting with others you can motivate others or give others a chance to motivate you. 5. The ability to know yourself: It is very important to know what youre best at, and what your weaknesses are. A business is a team sport. Often one cannot handle all the aspects of a business and need to know when to seek for assistance. 6. Successful people refuse to let other people dictate how they should do certain things. We are not living under someone elses shadow. We must take control and ownership of our lives and careers and never let go. 7. The ability to communicate: Communication is really very important. Even if you are running a home online business and you use email as a communication channel. Down the road, you might want to do a video to promote your company. You might receive TV interviews. Its never too late to practice your presentation and communication skills. 8. Successful people display high levels of optimism and confidence. They believe in themselves and they are not afraid of failures. They see every obstacle as a stepping-stone to their success. They turn challenges into motivators and become their advantages. 9. People who are successful are the ones who are passionate at what they do. 10. People who are successful are the ones who develop high levels of patience and dedication to see the results. http://ezinearticles.com/?Top-10-Characteristics-of-a-Successful-Leaderid=1552997 Characteristics of Successful and Effective Leadership It is not only inborn personality traits that are important but also styles and behaviours that a person learns. Strong autocratic leaders set their goals without considering the opinions of their followers, and then command their followers to execute their assigned tasks without question. Consultative leaders solicit the opinions and ideas of their followers in the goal-setting process but ultimately determine important goals and task assignments on their own. Democratic or participative leaders participate equally in the process with their followers and let the group make decisions. Extremely laid-back leaders, so called laissez-faire leaders, let the group take whatever action its members feel is necessary. A research team at the University of Michigan, inspired and led by Renis Likert, studied leadership for several years and identified two distinct styles, which they referred to as job-centered and employee-centered leadership styles. The job-centered leader closely supervises subordinates to make sure they perform their tasks following the specified procedures. This type of leader relies on reward, punishment, and legitimate power to influence the behaviour of followers. The employee-centered leader believes that creating a supportive work environment ultimately is the road to superior organizational performance. The employee-centered leader shows great concern about the employees emotional well-being, personal growth and development, and achievement. A leadership study group at Ohio State University, headed by Harris Fleishman, found similar contrasts in leadership style, which they referred to as initiating structure and consideration. The leadership style of initiating structure is similar to the job-centered leadership style, whereas consideration is similar to the employee-centered leadership style. It was the initial expectation of both research groups that a leader who could demonstrate both high initiating structure (job centered) and high consideration (employee centered) would be successful and effective in all circumstances. Many students of leadership today believe that there is no one best way to lead, believing instead that appropriate leadership styles vary depending on situations. Fred Fiedler (1967), for instance, believes that a task-oriented leadership style is appropriate when the situation is either extremely favorable or extremely unfavorable to the leader. A favorable situation exists when the relationship between the leader and followers is good, their tasks are well-defined, and the leader has strong power; when the opposite is true, an unfavorable situation exists. When the situation is moderately favorable, a people-oriented leadership style is appropriate. Some theorists suggest that situational factors-the type of task, nature of work groups, formal authority system, personality and maturity level of followers, experience, and ability of followers-are critical in determining the most effective leadership style. For instance, when followers are inexperienced and lack maturity and respons ibility, the directive leadership style is effective; when followers are experienced and willing to take charge, supportive leadership is effective. (http://www.answers.com/topic/leadership)

Issues on Patent and Copyright Laws In China Essay -- China Patent Cop

Issues on Patent and Copyright Laws In China This site contains information on China's patent and copyright law. It goes on to discuss some ethical issues about China's lack of law enforcement on intellectual property protection. History of Patent System China’s patent system can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty when China began signing international treaties. For example, on August 18, 1903, China and the United States agreed on a treaty on navigation and commerce. The treaty provided for a â€Å"reciprocal patent-granting arrangement whereby citizens of one contracting party could apply for and secure patent rights for their inventions in the other contracting party.†1 After the Qing Dynasty was over thrown in 1911, the Nationalist government created the Interim Charter on Rewarding Industrial and Artistic Products. And soon thereafter, in 1944, the Patent Law of modern sense was created. Although the Patent Law was adopted in China, the Nationalist government was forced to Taiwan and thus the Patent Law had no effect in mainland China. In 1949, the new government adopted the Provisional Regulations on the Protection of the Invention Rights and Patent Rights, whose purpose was to encourage invention. In 1978, t he government reissued the Regulations on Awards for Technical Improvements and the Regulations on Awards for Inventions which were first issued in 1963 and abolished soon after. Then in 1985 the Patent Law was introduced. China’s Patent Law went through a critical revision in 1992. Amendments were focused on the areas pharmaceutics, chemicals, food, beverages and condiments.1 Current Patent Law The Patent Law of the People’s Republic of China was adopted at the Fourth Session of the Standing Committ... ...g, 1994) p. 64-65. 3 Brahm, p. 65. 4 Brahm, p.116. 5 Brahm, p. 110-111. 6 Brahm, p. 111. 7 Brahm, 17. 8 China Daily Online, IN BRIEF (Page: 3, Date: 04/22/2003), <http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2003-04-22/112904.html> 9 Noah J. Smith, China Implements New Software Regulation To Streamline Registration, Boost Protection, Patent, Trademark & Copyright Law Daily, 6 Mar. 2002, <http://subscript.bna.com/SAMPLES/ptd.nsf/85256269004a99228525625400656cb3/ 4d9c50eea1edd85185256b740006aecb?OpenDocument> 10 China says "no" to pirated software, China Daily, 5 Apr. 2002, <http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/news/cn/2002-04-05/64442.html> 11 Solving the problem of pirating, etaiwannews.com, 5 May 2001, <http://www.etaiwannews.com/Editorial/2001/05/05/989030288.htm>

Roselily :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alice Walker’s â€Å"Roselily†, when first read considered why she decided to use third person. Especially when the story is in such a private line of thought, but then after my second time reading the story I decided that Roselily would not be a strong enough woman to speak about the social injustices that have happened to her. One key part of the story is her new life she will be facing after she is married in Chicago, while comparing it with her old life she is leaving in Mississippi. In Chicago she will no longer have a job, but instead be a homemaker where she will be responsible for the children and home. Also, in Chicago she will become a Muslim because it is what her new husband will want her to be, but back in Mississippi she was of the Christian faith. One of the more positive outcomes of her marriage is that she will go from extreme poverty, to not having to worry about money on a day to day basis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Next, consider the text trying to express her frustration with life: â€Å"She wants to live for once. But doesn’t quite know what that means. Wonders if she has ever done it. If she ever will.† (1130) You can sense her need and wanting to be independent of everything and everyone, to be truly a woman on her own free of any shackles of burden that this life has thrown upon her. Also, there is an impression that her family does not really care that she is leaving from her sisters to her disinterested father. â€Å"Roselily†, the name is quite perplexing considering a rose stands for passion, love, life; while the lily has associations with death, and purity. Still at the same time the name aptly applies to her because the reader knows she is ultimately doomed to wilt away in a loveless marriage in Chicago. Even though she is convincing herself that she loves things about him it is all just a ploy to trick herself into believing that this marria ge could be the answer to all her problems. Now on to the men of Roselily’s past most of which are dead- beat dads that could not care about what happens to their children, or where they go.

Emerging Trends in Training and Development in West Bengal Essay

The progressive labor force with dynamic management and responsive government and responsible society are the pillars of the tourism industry. 1 Issues and Constrains in Manpower Supply in Indian Hospitality Industry, P. Srinivas Subbarao, W. P. No. 2008-02-03 February 2008. 50 Traditionally, the employment has been seen as an area that is reactive to changes in the wide business environment. There is a widely accepted assumption that the role of people within organizations is required to change and develop in response to developments in markets, products and technology. Most of the large hospitality companies recognized this assumption and has started organizing work and support human resource functions such as training and development. This is possible only when the external labor market permits employers to adapt these changing dimensions. Human resource in hospitality industry – Supply side 2 Some of the services required in the tourism and hotel industries are highly personalized, and no amount of automation can substitute for personal service providers. Human resource development in the tourism industry normally includes manpower training in two main areas, the first being the hospitality and catering sector and the travel trade and tourism sector. 2 Issues and Constrains in Manpower Supply in Indian Hospitality Industry, P. Srinivas Subbarao, W. P. No. 2008-02-03 February 2008. 51 The hotel and catering sector is now highly personalized. Customer satisfaction is the prerequisite for a smooth and successful operation in the hotel industry, requiring professionally trained and highly skilled personnel. According to estimates of requirements for additional hotel rooms, the number of personnel who will need formal training in the hospitality and catering sector would increase by about 25 percent, from 16,000 to 20,000 people a year by 2010 end. The existing training facilities currently produce only about 5,000 to 6,000 trained personnel a year. Different types of jobs are available in the hospitality industry at different levels. The central government and the state governments have collaborated to provide resources in order to train people in the hospitality sector as part of overall development efforts. As per the survey the requirements for trained manpower at each level of employment would focus on general management trainees, trainees in kitchen management, housekeeping management, operational trainees, front office and accounting management, chefs, butlers, captains, bakery, confectionery and other specialized cooking. 52 Middle management positions would be filled by people holding three year diplomas, while other jobs could be filled by craft trainees. Craft institutes could be targeted for expansion in order to meet the needs for lower level skill areas. Working towards this objective, the Government run Institute at the Institute of Hotel Management at Kolkata has increased their seats. Human resources in Hospitality Industry – demand side In India there is a tremendous shortage of trained manpower in the hospitality sector. Tourism sector on an average requires more manpower than what is available from the catering colleges. Thus there need to develop required human resource in various segment of the tourism industry, as a consequence of the rapid growth in tourism, changing technology and markets both national and international level. By the very nature of tourism as a service industry, its efficient administration and successful operation depend largely on the quality of manpower. In the Asian and Pacific region, the shortage of skilled manpower poses a major threat to the overall 53 development of tourism. International tourism is a relatively new phenomenon and therefore the lack of managerial capability exists at all levels of the industry. In particular, the rapid expansion of hotels of an international standard in the region is creating a high level of demand for skilled and experienced staff. The nature of the decisions facing hotel management is continually expanding. For their business to remain competitive, managers must be skilful in many diverse areas. For instance, they must possess a good understanding of how current events and the economy affect the market and develop skill in marketing their products. They must also strive to keep up with the technological innovations in the operational side of the industry. As part of the service industry, tourism is labor intensive and generally requires well developed social and language skills in a cross cultural working environment. These demands have placed considerable strain on small, independent operators, who cannot rely on the broad management expertise available to their multinational hotel chain competitors. The availability of skilled and trained manpower is a crucial element in the successful long term development and sustainability of a tourist destination. In the 54 ultimate analysis, skilled and trained human resources will ensure the delivery of efficient, high quality service to visitors, which is a direct and visible element of a successful tourism product. High standards of service are particularly important in sustaining long term growth, since success as a tourist destination is determined not only by price competitiveness or the range of attractions available, but also by the quality of the services provided. Repeat visits, a vital factor in maintaining growth, will be deterred if standards of service do not meet expectations. 55 2. Link of Training and Development with Human Resource. 3 Training and Development helps in optimizing the utilization of human resource hat further helps the employee to achieve the organizational goals as well as their individual goals. On the other hand, Training and Development helps to provide an opportunity and broad structure for the development of human resources technical and behavioral skills in an organization. It also helps the employees in attaining personal growth. Training and Development plays a vital role in inculcating the sense of team work, team spirit, and inter team collaborations and inculcating the zeal to learn within the employees.

Case: 7-Eleven Japan Co. Essay

Question 1: A convenience store chain attempts to be responsive and provide customers what they need, when they need it, where they need it. What are some different ways that a convenience store supply chain can be responsive? What are some risks in each case? A convenience store can be more responsive by doing exactly what Seven-Eleven Japan is doing; many locations, rapid replenishment, appropriate technology deployment, and an equally responsive supplier (vertical integration for many of their SKUs). The risks associated with this system are the costs coupled with demand uncertainty. If demand patterns change dramatically, or the customer base changes, then Seven-Eleven is left with an operation that is not needed. Offering variety of services in the case of this case study Seven Eleven offered attractive services to customers such as ski lift voucher pass, payment of mail order purchases, internet shopping, a meal service delivery, automatic teller machines installation in each store, pick up online services, electronic money service that allow customers to prepay and use a card or cell phone to make payments etc. on the other hand, a short coming might result due to the failure of one or more information system due to failure or break down. Question 2: Seven-Eleven’s supply chain strategy in Japan can be described as attempting to micro-match supply and demand using rapid replenishment. What are some risks associated with this choice? Question 3: What has 7-Eleven done in its choice of facility location, inventory management, transportation, and information infrastructure to develop capabilities that support its supply chain strategy in Japan? Information infrastructure: 7-Eleven implemented a Total Information System through which the company could efficiently share its information thus making its supply chain responsive. The system was installed within each store, headquarters, suppliers and vendors. And also the system linked all the stores with each other. The Total Information System comprises of POS registers, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Graphic order terminal, scanner terminal and store computers. The data related to the sales as well as the purchaser is collected through the POS register for analysis. For efficient management of the inventory, the graphic order terminal, scanner terminal and store computers are used thus assists in improving both the efficiency and responsiveness. Inventory management: The store owner or the manager makes use of the graphic order terminal to place orders so as to replenish inventory in order of their arrangement on the store shelf. The owner had access to analysis of waste, 10 day and 10 week sales trends SKU, sales trends of new products, sales analysis by day and time etc that help him in forecasting demand. On the other hand, the Scanner terminal receives products from a distribution center and therefore monitors inventory by checking whether the order received matches with the original order placed. The store computer helps in tracking store inventory. Transportation: Trucks are used to transport goods to the stores. 7-Eleven makes use of a flexible distribution system which means that it can alter the delivery schedules according to the varying customer demand. Also, the suppliers send orders via trucks to the distribution centers. The latter cross docks inventory from supplier truck to distribution trucks. Moreover, to maintain the quality of the products, the distribution trucks are temperature controlled of four categories for different types of products such as frozen/ chilled foods, processed foods etc. Facility location: The facility location of 7-Eleven comprises of two types namely, the distribution centers and retail stores. 7-Eleven follows a market or area dominance strategy through which it forms clusters of stores in the area where already a 7- eleven store exists rather than having a handful of stores dispersed over a wide geographical area. Among the clusters there’s a distribution center which is surrounded by 7-Eleven stores. Approximately, there are 50-60 stores in each cluster. Question 4: 7-Eleven does not allow direct store delivery in Japan but has all products flow through its distribution center. What benefit does 7-Eleven derive from this policy? When is direct store delivery more appropriate? 7-Eleven has the policy of delivering its products to the retail stores via the distribution centers. Through these distribution centers, the replenishment cycles are reduced and a proper sales record can be maintained and monitored. Through the Point of Sale registers, signals can be transmitted to both the distribution centre and the supplier hence orders can be organized accordingly. Also, orders are sent directly to the distribution centre so that they can be allotted to the appropriate vehicle. A combined delivery system is used by 7- Eleven, in which four groups of temperature-controlled trucks are used to send fresh products. The trucks are sent several times a day during peak hours in order to avoid delays. Also, confidence is maintained between the supply chain partners and an additional person is not needed while the load is being received and checked. The process reduces delivery time. However this system might require a number of daily deliveries, but the number of trucks needed is much lesser therefore it reduces the delivery cost and facilitates a more prompt fresh food delivery. And hence the stock is continuously replenished. This network process ensures flexibility in the sense that it can alter the delivery schedules due to any demand fluctuations. There is a twelve-hour limit upon the restocking of food items. The disadvantages however include that the retail stores will have little control when the restocking takes place. Also, a number of stores rely on just one combined distribution centre. Also, if the system goes down while the delivery is at CDC, then all the stores can be affected and timely deliveries might not be possible. Hence accurate forecasts are needed. Direct delivery system might be a useful technique as the stores follow variant patterns. If the demand increases and a store require a greater number of deliveries then the demand can be met more efficiently as the deliveries can be made directly to the stores. Question 5: What do you think about the 7dream concept for 7-Eleven Japan? From a supply chain perspective, is it likely to be more successful in Japan or the United States? Why? In February 2000, 7-Eleven established 7dream.com, an ecommerce company, the goal of which was to exploit the existing distribution system and the fact that stores were easily accessible to most Japanese Stores served as drop-off and collection points for the customers and proved successful as 92% of their customers preferred to just pick up their goods from the local convenience store which they ordered online rather than have them delivered to their homes. This was understandable given the frequency with which Japanese customers visit their local convenience store. 7dream hoped to build on this preference along with the synergies from the existing distribution system as the company required an effective and efficient supply chain to cater to the demand of the customers who ordered online and provide the company with a time frame for delivery. From a supply chain perspective, it is believed that the 7dream concept is likely to be more successful in Japan than in the United States. The reason for saying so is that, the Japanese market is much smaller as compared to that of United State. In 2008, there were 12,071 stores in Japan where as the stores were nearly half the number in U.S that is 6,262. The density of stores in Japan was hence greater as the area of Japan is much smaller as compared to that of the U.S. and therefore, in Japan the company had a greater customer reach as 7–Eleven stores are easily accessible throughout Japan. The ecommerce company itself could probably be a greater success in U.S. however; it would be a better idea if the orders are directly sent home rather than have them delivered to the nearest 7-Eleven store. In this way, the company can tap in to a bigger market that is the U.S. market but get the goods delivered to the customer’s doorstep would be a better idea. Also, the stores in the U.S. were replenished using direct store delivery (DSD) by some manufacturers, with the remaining products delivered by wholesalers. DSD accounted for about half the total volume, with the rest coming from the wholesalers. This meant that direct delivery is a more popular concept in the U.S. Keeping into consideration the current strategy of the 7dream concept, it is more likely to be successful in Japan than in the United States. However, if the strategy is molded according to the U.S. market, it can become a greater success. Question 6: 7-Eleven is attempting to duplicate the supply chain structure that has succeeded in Japan in the United States with the introduction of CDC’s. What are the pros and cons of this approach? Keep in mind that stores are also replenished by wholesalers and DSD by manufacturers. After 7 Eleven acquired Southland Corporation they tried to improve their operations in America. The main improvement was an introduction of a new component in the supply chain completely novel to the US market. This component, the Combined Distribution Centers (CDCs), was however used in Japan at that time. Initially the stores in US used the Direct Store Delivery (DSD) in which stores were replenished by manufacturers accounting for half of the goods volume and the rest half was done by whole sellers. CDC delivered perishable products like bread, sandwiches and the rest of the bakery products. Pros Using CDC all perishable -food items would be delivered by a single distributor which would increase overall efficiency. Having fresh-food items at 7-Eleven convenience stores helped in users getting variety of fresh food from convenient locations. Uncertainty of delivery times was minimized by systematic delivery system. The inventory costs were low as fresh food items cannot be inventoried. With daily replenishment of fresh-food items, the stock would be fresh and it reduced consumer concerns of stale items to a large extent. Centralization gave a greater control to the management and more processes were now under the supervision of the company hence improving efficiency. Cons There could have been a difference in quality delivered through CDC and DSD. DSD was a tested system so company might be unwilling to shift to the new system as there is always a reluctance to change. In US stores fresh products may not sell very well. Training would be required for all the supply chain members as the new system tends to be more time sensitive. Manufacturers might not be willing to go with the idea of CDC’s as they might lose on their relative dollar revenues and with the loss in revenues they might also reduce control. As the new system would be very time specific, the supply chain might not be very responsive and if updates are required the company might lose on its sales. Question 7: The United States has food service distributors that also replenish convenience stores. What are the pros and cons to having a distributor replenish convenience stores versus a company like 7-Eleven managing its own distribution function? With the outsourcing decision in mind an organization always tries to outsource activities that lie beyond their core competencies and their scarce resources are wasted in performing tasks that they are not specialized at. With outsourcing the organization tries to focus on activities that they can do best. The advantage is that managing the distribution is the sole headache of the distributor and with his specialized expertise it might be more cost effective. However outsourcing does have its repercussions as well. The control over the quality of items and the replenishment time might not be as effective as doing the distribution yourself. With the outsourcing of distribution the communication gap can affect the replenishment distribution. However taking the advancements in communication and technology this statement may be rendered void. Convenience stores are successfully communicating with their distributors and make uninterrupted storage of data and information transmission from 3PL WMS to internal systems for real-time visibility of stock in hand and customer service. Moreover outsourcing decisions affect both the efficiency and responsiveness of the supply chain. A retail store can achieve improved efficiency by having a distributor replenish its stock, but he does not put his heart and effect they can have on their long term aims.