Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management Essay - 1

Effective Approaches in Leadership and Management - Essay Example Adequate staffing is the solution to reduce the workload on nurses that is how a seasoned manager will look at it. Nurses usually leave due to excessive work pressures and that will be eased to a certain extent through this action. On other issues raised by the nurses, the top management of the organization must formulate a strong retention policy and for that the company needs to pay nurses generously. McConnell (2010) emphasizes on proper reward system to recognize the work of employees and that is where effective and appropriate leadership style is necessary. The issues that concern nurses and raised so far are mostly tangible and needs to be tackled by the top management of the organization where nothing much can be done at intermediate levels such as supervisors or managers because number of nurses in the healthcare unit and their salary structures are largely governed by the corporate recruitment and compensation policies (managerial decisions); however, even a well-formulated retention policy may fail if it is not supported by staff motivation and recognition efforts. It is precisely here that effective leadership is necessary at all levels. Issues That Need an Effective Leadership Approach In CareerBuilder (2010)’s survey on nurses, many issues raised by nursing staffs fall in the category of work culture, lack of training, and poor fit with boss. Yukl (2006) argues that effective leaders are usually transformational leaders. They do not hesitate to delegate authority to others, help create self-managed teams, eliminate unwanted controls; helps develop skills and self-confidence of staff so as to create self-managed teams and work toward staff... As the report states efficient managers assess the situation before resorting to any solution. Many of the issues that come out in the survey are interrelated such as fewer staff and high workload issue. Lower staff will obviously lead to the situation of high workload on nursing staff in any healthcare setting. Adequate staffing is the solution to reduce the workload on nurses that is how a seasoned manager will look at it. Nurses usually leave due to excessive work pressures and that will be eased to a certain extent through this action. On other issues raised by the nurses, the top management of the organization must formulate a strong retention policy and for that the company needs to pay nurses generously. According to the paper stresses concern nurses and raised so far are mostly tangible and needs to be tackled by the top management of the organization where nothing much can be done at intermediate levels such as supervisors or managers because number of nurses in the healthcare unit and their salary structures are largely governed by the corporate recruitment and compensation policies (managerial decisions); however, even a well-formulated retention policy may fail if it is not supported by staff motivation and recognition efforts. It is precisely here that effective leadership is necessary at all levels. Several transformational leadership frameworks are in operation and one of them is engaging leadership model.

Scholastic Corporation Essay Example for Free

Scholastic Corporation Essay Hi! I would like to welcome you and your child to Third Grade! I am excited to have an opportunity to be an important part of your child’s education. Third grade is an important step in your child’s education. It consists of many new tasks and skills for your child. They are required to think more critically and work more independently. My goal is to guide and instruct your child so that he/she will be fully prepared for fourth grade. In order to accomplish this, teamwork is critical. My role as teacher for your child is to provide daily instruction, meaningful class work and homework assignments, and to provide a stimulating environment and opportunities for success. To ensure that the opening of school goes smoothly, we would like to bring your attention to activities and procedures that are important to the third grade level. All toys are to stay AT HOME unless specifically requested by teachers. Any materials (including clothing) should be clearly marked with your childs name. Organization and Homework To assist your child in developing good organizational skills, the following routines are necessary: 1. Review and sign all homework and planner nightly. 2. Work is to be completed in pencil only unless otherwise stated. 3. Homework is written, by your child daily, in their agenda. Check off work completed and initial planner nightly. 4. Homework is an opportunity to practice material learned in the classroom to the level of mastery. In order for us to maintain daily contact, we ask that you check your childs homework daily for accuracy and understanding. Do not sign homework or planner unless you have checked over homework and are sure it has been completed. 5. Take Home Folder: Your child will be bringing home a folder every night. The homework folder should be cleaned out nightly and only papers that need to be returned to school should be left in the folder. 6. I will try to make homework free weekends. There may be times when this isn’t possible, but I will do my best to make this happen. 7. All homework assignments are due on the following day. If your child forgets their homework or planner, they will have to miss noon recess to complete assignments. If your child forgets to get homework or planner signed they will have to miss 10 minutes of recess. (1/2 recess). Your child will not be allowed to call home for forgotten homework. Reading/Spelling Reading will be a part of daily homework. Your child needs to read at least 20 minutes each night. A portion of this time may be spent reading aloud to a parent and discussing content. Vocabulary Lists and Spelling Lists will be sent home for your child to study for that week’s story. Please review them nightly. Math Math will also be a part of daily homework. Your child will complete side B of the fact practice and written practice nightly. Scholastic Book Orders Make checks payable to: Scholastic Books. More than one book order may be sent home at one time, return a slip for each catalog that you want to order from however, one check may be written for all. Book Donations If you have books that your child has outgrown or no longer reads, send them to school and I will get them to the appropriate classrooms. Parent Teacher Communication Please feel free to call me at school or home at any reasonable time. You can also email me at school or â€Å"friend† me on facebook and send private messages. School 886-2251 Available times: 8:00 a.m., School email [emailprotected] Home – 822-3272 Cell – 886-4077

The Social Convention Of Death In Literature :: essays research papers fc

Our environment dictates how we live our lives and how we handle situations. Our environment also dictates how the people around us handle our death. Death is one important social convention of a society depicted in The Call of the Wild, Garden Party, the Great Gatsby, Bone, and Dulce Et Decorum Est. Death and the handling of death is a social convention portraying values and ways of living in two main ways: â€Å"respect† of the body and acceptable manners to die such as through violence, illness, caring, etc. In the Call of the Wild, by Jack London, death is a game where survival is a tactic, kill or be killed (manner of death) and the body is a trophy (â€Å"respect† for the body). For example, â€Å"He [Buck] was ranging at the head of the pack, running the wild thing down, the living meat, to kill with his own teeth and wash his muzzle to the eyes in warm blood.† (London 49). This game Buck played with the other dogs was a challenge of who will catch the snowshoe rabbit. It shows a twisted regard for life. Buck wanted to wash his nose in the rabbit’s blood to smell the kill. In this game, the only respect for life is the trophy that the body will make in death. Another example of the game is â€Å"From then on, night and day, Buck never left his prey, never gave it a moment’s rest, never permitted it to browse the leaves of trees†¦ Nor did he give the wounded bull opportunity to slake his burning thirst in the slender trickling stream they crossed.â₠¬  (London 95). Buck played with the bull’s fear and he showed no mercy. He showed no respect, he gave the bull no honor and the bull finally died of exhaustion, falling over, only to become Buck’s prize that also fed him. â€Å"For a day and a night he remained by the kill [moose], eating and sleeping, turn and turn about. Then rested, refreshed and strong,† (London 96). Buck nourished himself off the bull and became stronger and more resilient. To eat Buck must hunt his food in the uncaring wild, it was his only choice for survival. The game that Buck played with life did not always give respect to the dying, though this seemed necessary to his survival, giving the deaths more acceptability as a source to nourish the winner of the game.

Communication Is A Two Way Flow Essay

Communication is a two way flow of conversation where something is achieved e.g information effective communication is important in health and social care because through communication which is listening and talking you can make a better relationship with client. effective communication can make you understand your client emotions and feelings for example if a nurse is having a conversion with a patient and the nurse seem friendly , have positive body languages and interacting well, the patient is likely to open up to the nurse and discuss any worry that he/she is facing, which lead to better relationship. when communicating you need to show that you’re interested in what the person is saying, the more you look interested the more the person is going to trust and open up you. In health and social care you communicate with patient, colleague and other professionals for example if you were a doctor and you want to refer a patient to a surgeon, you would have to talk to the surge on to sort the patient operation. Conjunction with colleague us important because if you have a good relationship colleagues it would make the work a better place and make patients feel comfortable because they can sense if staffs are getting along. There are different types of communication informal and formal. informal: this is used between family and friends. Different social groups use different informal language to communicate so it might be hard for other people to understand. formal: this is used in health and social care for example if you went to a service they would say ‘good morning, how IIvan I help’ thus us to show that they respect you. multi agency working. Working with other professional for example GP ,hospital service require formal communication. non verbal communication is communicating without speaking, like facial expressions, sign language, gestures, eye contact, posture and tone of voice, this kind of communication can sometimes speak louder than words. Written communication, This is central to the work of any person providing a service in a health and social care environment when keeping records and in writing reports. Different types of communication need different styles of writing but all require literacy skills. A more formal style of writing is needed when recording information about a patient. It would be unacceptable to use text message abbreviations, such as ‘l8er’. Effective communication, including active listening, can be hard work. People  who work in health or social care environments tend to enjoy learning about other people and their lives. Things can go wrong, however, if: †¢ the context is wrong, e.g. the surroundings are unsuitable due to lack of privacy †¢ the service provider and service user are mismatched. Sometimes communication breaks down because of factors such as age, education level, gender and ethnic background †¢ a person withholds information because they fear being judged, for example, they have taken illegal drugs †¢ a person fears that confidentiality will be broken, even though this should never happen, for example, about their sexual orientation †¢ the service user thinks that the advice given is too vague and has not asked for clarification †¢ the subject matter is embarrassing, such as talking about sex or intimate body parts †¢ a person fears they are going to hear bad news so avoids going to a service provider until it is too late to help. If health and social care workers do not develop good communication skills, the effectiveness of their work will be reduced and things can go wrong. This will not help service users to feel good about themselves and can lead to worse consequences. Remember, it is important to overcome problems such as those listed above, communicate effectively, including checking understanding, so that you get the best out of your interactions with colleagues and service users. Formal or Informal Group conversations are more formal, clear and straight forward, eye contact, listening to everyone, pronociation Informal is less formal, don’t have to speak loudly, back and forward talking, more personal Argyle’s theory of the communication cycle centre’s on six core concepts, or, a cycle. The cycle is as follows: 1. An idea occurs. For example, let us say that our idea is wanting to buy a  car. 2. Message coded. This would be us putting our desire of a car into whatever medium we wish to communicate with. This may be a language, pictures, writing, or any other medium you can think of. 3. Message sent. Here we have communicated our desire for wanting a car. 4. Message received. The person or perhaps target audience we wish to notify of our desire to have a car [perhaps a parental figure] has received our message. 5. Message decoded. They now must take what we have said and attempt to decode it. Now, â€Å"I want a car† is pretty straightforward, but remember, not everyone is as transparent as this, and this is the step where communication breakdown may occur as they may decode our message incorrectly. 6. Message understood. Hopefully the last step was effective and they understand what you were trying to communicate. Now the cycle can begin anew. Burnard and Morrison According to the Philip Burnard and Paul Morrison (1997), A lot of communication in care work involves building a relationship with the service user. This involves giving them emotional support which builds trust. They also argued that communication without caring for the person in some way would not be able to work. Service users that go through emotional issues i.e. A teenager being sexual abused by a youth worker, is often at first a difficult and sensitive issue to talk about has a social worker for example. Any difficult and sensitive issues should focus on the emotional needs of the service user rather than giving out advice and information that is not needed since it is not needed since the service user is already likely to be overwhelmed with grief. In health and social care setting, Professionals should always try be supportive within difficult situations since this will help would towards making effective communication start between the  professional and the service user. Tuckman The environment can affect how well a communication goes, if the environment is a distraction it can cause a conversation to not flow very well, however the environment could help create a cincerarion.

Mohandas Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi

â€Å"I am not a saint who has strayed in politics. I am a politician who is trying to become a saint. † Gandhi In the 1800†³s most of the cultures and ethnic groups in South Africa were treated with less respect than deserved. The Indians were forced into South Africa because of the British Empire expansion. These Indians, mostly poor, were in a system close to slavery. In South Africa the non-whites didn†t get very many job opportunities. In South Africa they had very few landholders, teachers, or businessmen who were non-whites. Most of the non-whites got their education in a mission and took up Christianity. The Colored people were a mix of different ethnics except black or white. These people were the 2nd largest group in South Africa. The Indians were mostly farmers, but some went on to do their education and became rich with their shops and warehouses. The British ruled the people in South Africa. In April of 1893, a lawyer by the name of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi came to South Africa on a business trip to take a case in an Indian Firm. Gandhi only intended on staying in South Africa for the case. Little did he know that it would change his life forever. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2nd 1869 in Porbander, Kaithiawad. He was born to Karamchand and Putibai Gandhi. Gandhi was the youngest son of his fathers† fourth wife. In 1876 Mohandas started Primary school. During this time Gandhi was betrothed to Kasturba, which his parents had to set up. Gandhi went on to high school tin Rajkot, named Alfred high school. As a school boy Gandhi was a shy person who never talked to any of his classmates, but in 1883 he was married to Kasturba. They were both 13. When Gandhi married he didn†t think anything of it, and thought it meant he could control his wife†s life. Kasturba was a little more controlling of her own life, and let Gandhi know when he stepped over the line. The tradition for youth marriages is very common for Hindus. Two years later on November 16th of 1885 Mohandas† life took a sudden turn when his father died, after by being ill for two years. Gandhi was not there when his father died; he had left moments before. In 1887 Gandhi applied to college, and got in at Samaldas College, but Gandhi found the studies hard and only stayed for one term.

Young Childrens Symbolic Behaviour Essays

Young Childrens Symbolic Behaviour Essays Young Childrens Symbolic Behaviour Essay Young Childrens Symbolic Behaviour Essay This assignment is about Young Childrens Symbolic Behaviour: theories of representation. It consists of an observational study carried out on one particular childs development in various areas of provision which supports mode of representation. I am however aware of the other forms of representational modes in the setting.  The summarised observations will be based on the weekly tasks which are clearly labelled in the appendix session. Before I move on to the main part of the essay, I will give a brief biography and reasons for choosing this particular child. I will move on to discuss different theorist research about representation and the implications of early childhood practices.  I will then make references in connection to the findings of the observations through the various forms of the childs representations. Photographs and samples of the childs form of representation will be included. I will demonstrate the role of the adult in this area throughout. This assignment will be concluded by demonstrating why it is important for all children regardless of who they are, to have the opportunities in representing themselves through various forms and media.  Symbolic Representation is whereby children represent their world and play in different and various ways such as language, feelings thoughts and understanding. According to Gardner (1983p304), during childhood children acquire certain basic understanding of symbolic activities and systems and which during school age, having achieved some basic competence in symbolization the child goes on to acquire higher level of skills in certain culturally valued domains. These symbolic behaviours and representation emerges as schemas during early childhood. Schema has been described as patterns of early repeatable behaviours Athey (1990p128). In observation 3(p15-16). Target child was demonstrating a high level of symbolic representation with actions. She performed these actions by putting food on a plate, pretend sprinkling salt on the food and offering it to the people (her peers) for lunch. This demonstrates Piagets notion that thought consists of internalized and co-ordinated actions schemas (Piaget 1959p357-386) in Athey (1990p128). Target child displayed transporting schema as well as pilling and moving food from one place to another as The Froebel Education Project termed as action representation of the dynamic aspects of object and events.. Nutbrown (1994) in Smidt, (1998p111) said the early years educator can, through observations identify the schematic interest and nourish it with worthwhile curriculum content The research of theorist such as Piaget, Bruner and Vygotsky has helped practitioners to explore presentation Bruce (1987p66). They also contributed towards the understanding and development of presentation and symbolic behaviours. Observation 2(p12-14) shows how target child represents her play symbolically by using her imagination of sitting on a donkey and riding it. This Piaget in Ginsbury Opper (1988p70) termed as appearance of the semionitic function which means children uses objects in representing something else which is not present. This observation also identifies Bruners enactive, iconic and symbolic mode of representation. Target child did replace the action with an image and used appropriate language in describing her play. Bruce (1987p66) Vygotsky on the other hand talked about the theory of actual development which links in to where target child initiated her own imaginary play without the help of an adult or peer Bruce (1987). Children represent themselves in various ways. Target childs preferred representation is mark making, which Matthews (2003p74) termed it as Visual representation and expression. Samples of these mark making can be found on (p24). Her representation in this observation (observation 4p19) reflects Matthews (2003pg27) idea about how first and second generation mark-making gestures are organised together and undergo transformation.

How to Deal with Bad Lab Partners

How to Deal with Bad Lab Partners Have you ever taken a lab class and had lab partners that didnt do their share of the work, broke equipment, or wouldnt work together with you? This situation can be really hard, but there are steps you can take to make things better. Talk to Your Lab Partners This may be harder than it sounds, if your problem is that you and your lab partners dont speak the same language (which is relatively common in science and engineering), but you can improve your working relationship with your lab partners if you can explain to them whats bothering you. Also, you need to explain what you would like them to do that you feel would make things better. Be prepared to compromise, since your lab partner may want you to make some changes, too. Keep in mind, you and your partner may come from very different cultures, even if youre from the same country. Avoid sarcasm or being too nice because theres a good chance you wont get your message across. If language is a problem, seek an interpreter or draw pictures, if necessary. If One or Both of You Dont Want to Be There The work still has to get done. If you know your partner wont do it, yet your grade or your career is on the line, you need to accept that youre going to do all of the work. Now, you can still make sure it is evident your partner was slacking. On the other hand, if you both resent doing the work, its reasonable to work out an arrangement. You might find you work better together once you acknowledge you hate the task. Willing But Unable If you have a lab partner who is willing to help, yet incompetent or klutzy, try to find harmless tasks that allow the partner to participate without damaging your data or your health. Ask for input, let the partner record data and try to avoid stepping on toes. If the clueless partner is a permanent fixture in your environment, its in your best interest to train them. Start with simple tasks, clearly explaining the steps, reasons for specific actions, and desired results. Be friendly and helpful, not condescending. If you are successful in your task, youll gain a valuable ally in the lab and possibly even a friend. Theres Bad Blood Between You Maybe you and your lab partner had an argument or theres past history. Perhaps you simply dont like each other. Unfortunately, its not always possible to escape from such a situation. You can ask your supervisor to reassign one or both of you, but youll run the risk of getting a reputation of being hard to work with. If you decide to ask for a change, its probably better to cite a different reason for the request. If you absolutely must work together, try setting boundaries that limit how much you actually have to interact. Make your expectations clear so both of you can do the work and retreat. Take it to the Next Level Its better to try to work out problems with your lab partners than to seek intervention from a teacher or supervisor. However, you might need help or advice from someone higher up. This might be the case when you realize you cant meet a deadline or complete an assignment without more time or changing the work dynamic. If you decide to talk to someone about your problems, present the situation calmly and without bias. You have a problem; you need help finding a solution. This may be difficult, but its a valuable skill to master. Practice Makes Perfect Having trouble with lab partners comes with the territory. The social skills you can master dealing with lab partners will help you, whether youre only taking one lab class or are making a career out of lab work. No matter what you do, youll have to learn to work well with others, including people who are incompetent, lazy or just dont want to work with you. If you are making a career of science, you need to recognize and accept youll be a member of a team.

Definition of Auxiliary Verb

Definition of Auxiliary Verb A verb that is used with a main verb that follows to help indicate its tense or some other way in which the verb is understood. As such, the auxiliary verb often doesnt have any meaning in itself, only in how it affects the main verb. The auxiliary verb and the main verb together form what is known as a compound verb. Auxiliary verbs are used much more often in English than they are in Spanish ​since Spanish is able to use conjugation to indicate tenses that sometimes are expressed in English with auxiliary verbs. For example, the future tense in English uses the auxiliary verb will as in I will study. But Spanish needs no auxiliary verb in this case, as the future is expressed through a verb ending: estudiarà ©. English also uses the auxiliary verb do to form many questions, as in Do you study? Such an auxiliary isnt needed in Spanish:  ¿Estudias? Two very common English auxiliaries have equivalents in Spanish: In English, forms of to have are combined with the past participle to form the perfect tenses; in Spanish, haber is used. In English, forms of to be are combined with the present participle to form the progressive (or continuous) tenses; in Spanish, forms of estar are used with the gerund. Also Known As Helping verb. The Spanish term is verbo auxiliar. Examples of Auxiliary Verbs Auxiliary verbs are in boldface; note that sometimes an auxiliary is used in one language but not the other. I have bought the medicine. (He comprado los medicamentos.)We are celebrating. (Estamos celebrando.)He does not work. (No trabaja.)I can swim. (Puedo nadar.)I usually drive fast. (Suelo manejar rpido.)

Did Credit Rating Agencies do good work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Did Credit Rating Agencies do good work - Essay Example Data is collected from secondary sources considering the importance of statistical data for reaching a conclusion. A proper analysis and evaluation is done to understand the findings of the study and indicate the key factors underlying the report. Introduction-Background The essential role of the Credit Rating Agencies have been particularly highlighted during the period of global economic crisis in 2008 which affected even the strongest economies in the world. The Credit Rating Agencies essentially served the main purposes of mitigating the asymmetrical information system existing in the markets between the investors and the businesses in requirement of financing modes, bringing a solution for the collective action issues existing in the market and solving the major agency problems existing in the economies. After the global financial crisis of 2007-2009 affecting all the economies of the world, it was stated by many researchers that the financial system followed in the GCC countrie s were much more equipped to cope with the economies following the conventional financing systems. The financial crisis of 2008 proved that the Credit Rating Agencies are not full proof in predicting the defaults that may occur in the market in future and the over dependence on the credit rating Agencies can be considered as one of the primary reasons underlying the cause of the global financial disruption. The Credit Rating Agencies, though regarded as powerful institutions have several drawbacks like information asymmetry and conflict of interest which often have negative impacts on the businesses and the economy has a whole. The effect that the global financial crisis had on the creditworthiness of the various economies throughout the world is depicted below: (Source: International Monetary Fund 2) Literature Review Credit Rating Agencies are regarded as influential institutions which can impact the market and the survivor of the companies and economies by influencing the directi on and working of the market through their effective rating mechanisms. But there exist debatable views on the actual effect of the Credit Rating Agencies on the market where some researchers have pointed out the Credit Rating Agencies more effectively react to the occurring of the events in the market than anticipate the events. The role of the Credit rating Agencies is critical for an economy which was especially reflected during the global financial crisis in 2008. The anticipatory or follower roles of Credit Rating Agencies are critical from the viewpoint of financial stability of a country or an economy. If the Credit Rating Agencies play an anticipatory role in the market, the ratings given by them are critical for influencing the financial stability and the policies in the economy. Conversely, if the Credit rating Agencies are only followers of the events in the market, then their ratings and actions do not have major impact and only end up reflecting the condition of the mar ket and the information gathered from the market events (Kiff, Nowak and Schumacher 159). There are many theories proposed over time relating to the role of the Credit rating Agencies as influential institutions in the normal as well as crisis situations prevailing in the economies. The major theories presented

ART HISTORY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ART HISTORY - Assignment Example Through the friendship, the affiliates of Kino sculpture were reassured of free enterprise on the either side of the borderland. More so, the proponents so the sculpture of Kino as the reminder of modernization that will encourage economic development and prosperity through the removal of discrimination. Paradoxically, those who opposed it so took it as a poignant reminder of discrimination that was prominent at his time (Widdifiied 212). On the other hand, the Villa sculpture was also received with both hospitable and hostile response. The proponents of the Villa sculpture perceived it as a source of inspiration for the continued pursuit of justice and equality as he did in his time of struggle with impartiality. Widdifiied, the mission that Villa came up with in Christianity that helped many through faith are among sweet memory the sculpture invokes (220). Those that opposed the sculpture were a reminder of the sad regional history of those days. To them, a sculpture was evocative of the struggle that the two regions have

Business law article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business law - Article Example For example, in Europe, a three week vacation is normal but workers in America are not keen in even taking a week off much less three week vacation. Employers however are encouraging tenured employees to take vacation by giving them incentives ranging from $750 to $1,000. The idea was to avoid being burned out at work and to reduce work related stress. Nobody will disagree that everybody needs to rest and have a break at some point. Studies have shown as indicated in the article that employees who unplugs from work reduces the risk of being burned out and reduces work related stress. But having a mandatory long break in a business setting where long breaks are not typically taken may have an adverse effect on the operations and bottom line of a business which is not desirable particularly at this time where companies are still in the process of recovery from a long period of recession during the 2008 financial crisis. Employees having long vacation will obviously leave the business understaffed and a business who is not used to being undermanned may have hard time adjusting and this may affect the company’s competitiveness. Having fewer tenured staffs around meant that the inexperienced employees have to step up and this could make the business under its optimal performance that could leave many customers dissatisfied thus undermining the competitiveness of the business. The timing of implementing sabbaticals or long vacation is also a suspect. It raises the question whether employers can actually afford giving its employees long vacation and to top it, with an incentive that goes with it. It is only recent that companies have recovered from the crisis and most companies may not yet that have deep reservoir of resources to send their employees on long vacation. The efficacy of the sabbatical program is also doubtful in American context who have the penchant of working long as â€Å"work martyr complex†

Messaging apps Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Messaging apps - Research Paper Example Some of the most common messaging apps that allow users to send free messaging texts, images, photos and free calls over a data connection include Whatsapp, Tango, Viber and iMessage, Skype among others (Olson, 2013). These apps have been a threat to the conventional message carriers considering that they have done away with the fees that people used to pay for the same services. As such, the traditional message carriers have to close shop or innovate better ways to attract customers. Therefore, the use of messaging Apps in sending contents through mobile networks has led to a transformation in the usage of mobile phones, making them ideal gadgets to communicate and receive content in real time. Messaging apps have challenged the incumbent social messaging sites such as Facebook and Alibaba. The apps facilitate chatting and sending of different contents a much better way compared to the conventional methods of sending the same contents. Tango is one of the most commonly used messaging apps. Currently, Tango has over 70 million monthly active users and enables members to send video and voice calls along text messages in real time (Kan 2014). Tango has capitalized on the fact that most of the calls that people make are not answered, especially at nights. As such, the company has come with special services to users that facilitate recording of messages, which are then viewed later after the person wakes up (Kan, 2014). Thus, the company has to store such messages in their servers, where they are accessible to any member with an android device, devices using apple operating system or through any web browser (Kan, 2014). The company plans to start making money by requiring that users pay minimal charges on using special services such as the Tango surprises that allows animations of messages. For instance, users of the Tango Surprises will get a single animation free of charge

Ontology Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ontology Concept - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that ontology concept discusses the existence of cabbages and apples. For example, Douglas Adams uses his Madagascar experiences to explain how the concept of evolution. Further, ontology focuses on why the above categories exist. Specifically, ontology delves into the reasons why dogs, cats, humans and other animals were placed into our material world. Next, the study of ontology includes determining the significant purpose of the existence of vegetables, fruits, and other plants. Answering the first ontology topic, the person’s describing the physical features and actions shows the existence of the dog, cat, human or other animals. Hearing an animal that barks definitely shows the dog exists. Seeing the animal’s long hair Seeing an animal that has two arms, two legs and speaks Spanish shows a human exists. Seeing an animal gallop indicates the existence of the horse. Next, ontology zeroes in on the reasons for the existence of the above living things. Observing the dog will show that the dog exists to ward off the cat’s intrusion into the dog owner’s home. Likewise, the dog exists to safeguard the dog owner’s car from trespassing thieves. Observing the cat in its own free environment shows the cat exists to eat rats and mice. Eating the rats and mice reduces the pests’ population. With lesser population, people are assured of lesser rodent attacks. Delving into ontology’s existence topic, authentic thinker Albert Camus espoused the philosophical concept of Existentialism. Existentialism states that each individual uses his or her existence or experiences as the basis for generating the individual’s own philosophies, values, and concepts. People use their preferred philosophies, values, and concepts to add meaning to their existence. Further, different individuals go through different paths add meaning to their lives. A hungry individual can generate meaning in hi s life. First, the individual observes how another person cooks food. Next, the individual uses the observation to cook the individual’s food.

Messaging apps Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Messaging apps - Research Paper Example Some of the most common messaging apps that allow users to send free messaging texts, images, photos and free calls over a data connection include Whatsapp, Tango, Viber and iMessage, Skype among others (Olson, 2013). These apps have been a threat to the conventional message carriers considering that they have done away with the fees that people used to pay for the same services. As such, the traditional message carriers have to close shop or innovate better ways to attract customers. Therefore, the use of messaging Apps in sending contents through mobile networks has led to a transformation in the usage of mobile phones, making them ideal gadgets to communicate and receive content in real time. Messaging apps have challenged the incumbent social messaging sites such as Facebook and Alibaba. The apps facilitate chatting and sending of different contents a much better way compared to the conventional methods of sending the same contents. Tango is one of the most commonly used messaging apps. Currently, Tango has over 70 million monthly active users and enables members to send video and voice calls along text messages in real time (Kan 2014). Tango has capitalized on the fact that most of the calls that people make are not answered, especially at nights. As such, the company has come with special services to users that facilitate recording of messages, which are then viewed later after the person wakes up (Kan, 2014). Thus, the company has to store such messages in their servers, where they are accessible to any member with an android device, devices using apple operating system or through any web browser (Kan, 2014). The company plans to start making money by requiring that users pay minimal charges on using special services such as the Tango surprises that allows animations of messages. For instance, users of the Tango Surprises will get a single animation free of charge

Language ,culture and knowledge Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Language ,culture and knowledge - Coursework Example ould thoroughly explore the importance of language in our society if we want to gain an accurate understanding or appreciation of the social change mechanisms which we observe working all around us. Basically, language is an indispensable element of human communication and is a vital component of all forms of society and culture. It is an open and multifaceted structure that enables change, adaptation, and progress (Agha, 2007). It can be conveyed or passed on in a number of ways—verbally and non-verbally. Language is important to culture and society, with human beings making use of it not only to communicate or express themselves, but also to relate to a specific cultural or social group (Agha, 2007). Language is a medium of expression and enables an individual to take part in community or societal affairs. It may be used as an instrument to build and sustain a democratic society. It is also vital as shared human achievements and continuing expressions of human innovation and creativity. This is supported by the rationale of UNESCO for language conservation that the world’s languages embody a remarkable fortune and array of human ingenuity (Agha, 2007). They comprise and convey the overall traditions and wisdom cultivated over time through rituals and heritage passed on through native languages. In essence, our culture and society are preserved or continue to exist because of language. I have heard the programme of UNESCO and strongly agree to their efforts to preserve the world’s languages because, as already mentioned, language is the vessel and the medium of traditions that uphold culture and society. Furthermore, language can create opportunities, facilitate social mobility, and endow power. Some scholars compellingly claim that in several aspects, language is power. A society’s linguistic status generally reveals its power structure, since language is a potent mechanism of social control. In my experience, it is true that those speakers of minority

Product positioning Essay Example for Free

Product positioning Essay What do you do? Keep in mind that the question has to be answered from the customers point of view and clearly state what the product does for the customer. Customers develop opinions about companies and products, and the positioning of each in the mind of the customer always occurs in relation to the competition or the customers other alternatives (which may include doing nothing). While marketing communications play a part in developing the desired position, its worth noting that in reality customers make up their minds based on a wider range f factors, including packaging, pricing, product performance, references and media recommendations. Positioning fundamentals: Positioning is the single greatest influence on a customers buying decision. Each customer evaluates products in the market according to their mental map of the market. Positioning exists in customers minds, not in positioning statements. People do not easily or willingly change their minds about a products positioning. Positioning must first demonstrate a products relevance, using supportable, credible, nd factual terms. Making the product easier to buy through effective positioning makes the product easier to sell. Mapping the market Mapping the market involves identifying and staking out the most relevant customer segments. It enables you to establish and potentially control how your product is viewed in terms of benefit and differentiation. Benefit: The advantage conveyed by the product to the target customer based on his compelling reason to buy. makes you unique in the marketplace, at the same time bearing relevance to the Positioning template The positioning template can help you to express the fundamental value proposition that your product provides to a target customer and the market. It must identify the: target customer or market compelling reason to buy products placement within a new or existing category key benefit that directly addresses the compelling reason to buy primary alternative source (i. e. , competitor) of the same benefit key difference or point of differentiation Positioning statement The positioning template enables you to create a positioning statement, which xplains who you are, what you offer, whom it is for, and why it is important and compelling. The positioning statement should meet several key criteria: It effectively identifies the target customer or segment, and makes the situation clear and understandable. It makes your claim (and related benefit) concise, singular and compelling, and supports it by credible evidence. It makes the differentiation statement concise, singular, compelling, and supportable, and it reflects the target customers attributes and environment. It passes the elevator test (i. . , it can be explained in a few words). Using the template, a positioning statement can be structured like this: For (target customer or market) Who (have a compelling reason to buy) Our product is a (products placement within a new or existing category). That provides (key benefit that directly addresses the compelling reason to buy) Unlike (primary alternative source (i. e. , competitor) of the same benefit) Our product (key difference or point of differentiation in relation to the specific target customer) Positioning and market type In a new market, you must define the market and your companys place within it. This involves positioning your company to visionary buyers as a thought leader within an emerging, highly promising market category. You must also demonstrate your products benefit or competitive advantage against existing products and the status quo. In an existing market, the positioning changes. Here, it must demonstrate to credible and comprehensive option for the customers needs. In order to achieve the desired positioning, your communication must clearly articulate your unique points of differentiation.

The Strategic Rationale For Outsourcing Decisions

The Strategic Rationale For Outsourcing Decisions By reviewing the relative and risks of making or buying, firms can persuade their expertise and resources for improved profitability. Combining two strategic approaches accurately permit managers to coordinate their companies skills and resources efficiently beyond levels obtainable with other strategies. 1- Concentrate companys possessed resources on its core competencies through which the company can achieve definable incomparability and offer unique value for customers. (Quinn, and Doorley, 1990) 2- Outsourcing strategically other activities of the companies consisting of many conventionally believed primary to a company which are neither special capabilities the firm nor affect critical strategic requirements. (Quinn, 1992) Substantial gains can be achieved from effective combining of the two approaches. Directors leverage their firms resources in four manners. First, they expand returns on in-house resources by focusing investments and energies on the enterprises best jobs. Secondly, if core competencies are well-developed a company can supply astounding barriers for present and forthcoming competitors that look for entering into the companys areas of interest, thus assisting and shielding the strategic advantages of market share. Third, conceivably the utmost leverage of all is the full deployment of external contractors, investments, innovations, and specialized professional capabilities that would be unaffordable or even not possible to replicate internally Fourth, in rapidly shifting marketplaces and technological circumstances, this cooperative strategy reduces risks, shortens discovery and manufacturing cycle times, decrease investments, and generates better responsiveness to customer needs. (Quinn and Hillmer 1995) Earning sustainable competitive advantage through Outsourcing Managers can combine core competency concepts and strategic outsourcing for maximum effectiveness. Managers can analytically select and develop the core competencies that will provide the firms uniqueness, competitive advantage, and basis of value creation for the future. Core competency strategies The basic ideas behind core competencies and strategic outsourcing have been well supported by research extending over a twenty-year period.[4] In 1974, Rumelt noted that neither of the then-favored strategies unrelated diversification or vertical integration yielded consistently high returns.[5] Since then, other carefully structured research has indicated the effectiveness of disaggregation strategies in many industries.[6] Noting the failures of many conglomerates in the 1960s and 1970s, both financial theorists and investors began to support more focused company concepts. Generally this meant sticking to your knitting by cutting back to fewer product lines. Unfortunately, this also meant a concomitant increase in the systematic risk these narrower markets represented. However, some analysts noticed that many highly successful Japanese and American companies had very wide product lines, yet were neither conglomerates nor truly vertically integrated.[7] Japanese companies, like Sony, Mitsubishi, Matsushita, or Yamaha, had extremely diverse product offerings, as did 3M or Hewlett-Packard in the United States. Yet they were not conglomerates in the normal sense. They were termed related conglomerates, redeploying certain key skills from market to market.[8] At the same time, these companies also contracted out significant support activities. Although frequently considered vertically integrated, the Japanese auto Industry, for example, was structured around mother companies that primarily performed design and assembly, with a number of Independent suppliers and alliance partners without ownership bonds to the mother companies feeding into them.[9] Many other Japanese hi-tech companies, particularly the more Innovative ones like Sony and Honda, used comparable strategies leveraging a few core skills against multiple markets through extensive outsourcing. The term core competency strategies was later used to describe these and other less diversified strategies developed around a central set of corporate skills.[10] However, there has been little theory or consistency in the literature about what core really means. Consequently, many executives have been understandably confused about the topic. They need not be if they think in terms of the specific skills the company has or must have to create unique value for customers. However, their analyses must go well beyond looking at traditional product or functional strategies to the fundamentals of what the company can do better than anyone else.[11] For example, after some difficult times, it was easy enough for a beer company like Fosters to decide that it should not be in the finance, forest products, and pastoral businesses into which it had diversified. It has now divested these peripheral businesses and is concentrating on beer. However, even within this concept, Fosters true competencies are in brewing and marketing beer. Many of its distribution, transportation, and can production activities, for example, might actually be more effectively contracted out. Within individual functions like production, Fosters could further extend its competitive advantage by outsourcing selected activities such as maintenance or computing where it has no unique capabilities. The essence of core competencies What then is really core? And [emailprotected] The concept requires that managers think much more carefully about which of the firms activities really do or could create unique value and which activities managers could more effectively buy externally. Careful study of both successful and unsuccessful corporate examples suggests that effective core competencies are: 1. Skill or knowledge sets, not products or functions. Executives need to look beyond the companys products to the intellectual skills or management systems that actually create a maintainable competitive edge. Products, even those with valuable legal protection, can be too easily back-engineered, duplicated, or replaced by substitutes. Nor is a competency typically one of the traditional functions such as production, engineering sales, or finance, around which organizations were formed in the past. Instead, competencies tend to be sets of skills that cut across traditional functions. This interaction allows the organization consistently to perform an activity better than functional competitors and continually to Improve on the activity as markets, technology, and competition evolve. Competencies thus involve activities such as product or service design, technology creation, customer service, or logistics that tend to be based on knowledge rather than on ownership of assets or intellectual property per se. Knowledge-based activities generate most of the value in services and manufacturing. In services, which account for 79 percent of all jobs and 76 percent of all value-added in the United States, intellectual inputs create virtually all of the value-added. Banking, financial services, advertising, consulting, accounting, retailing, wholesaling, education, entertainment, communications, and health care are clear examples. In manufacturing, knowledge-based activities like RD, product design, process design, logistics, marketing research, marketing, advertising, distribution, and customer service @ also dominate the value-added chain of most companies (see Exhibit 1). 2. Flexible, long-term platforms capable of adaptation or evolution. Too many companies try to focus on the narrow areas where they currently excel, usually on some product-oriented skills. The real challenge is to consciously build dominating skills in areas that the customer will continue to value over time, as Motorola is doing with Its focus on superior quality, portable communications. The uniqueness of Toys R Us lies in its powerful information and distribution systems for toys, and that of State Street Boston in its advanced information and management systems for large custodial accounts. Problems occur when managers choose to concentrate too narrowly on products (as computer companies did on hardware) or too inflexibly on formats and skills that no longer match customer needs (as FotoMat and numerous department stores did). Flexible skill sets and constant, conscious reassessment of trends are hallmarks of successful core competency strategies. 3. Limited in number. Most companies target two or three (not one and rarely more than five) activities in the value chain most critical to future success. For example, 3M concentrates on four critical technologies in great depth and supports these with a peerless innovation system. As work becomes more complex, and the opportunities to excel in many detailed activities proliferate, managers find they cannot be best at every activity in the value chain. As they go beyond three to five activities or skill sets, they are unable to match the performance of their more focused competitors or suppliers. Each skill set requires intensity and management dedication that cannot tolerate dilution. It is hard to imagine Microsofts top managers taking their enthusiasm and skills in software into, say, chip design or even large-scale training in software usage. And if they did, what would be the cost of their loss of attention on software development? 4. Unique sources of leverage in the value chain. Effective strategies seek out places where there are market imperfections or knowledge gaps that the company is uniquely qualified to fill and where investments in intellectual resources can be highly leveraged. Raychem and Intel concentrate on depth in design and on highly specialized test-feedback systems supporting carefully selected knowledge-based products not on volume production of standardized products to jump over the experience curve advantages of their larger competitors. Morgan Stanley, through its TAPS system, and Bear Stearns, through its integrated bond-trading programs, have developed in-depth knowledge bases creating unique intellectual advantages and profitability in their highly competitive markets. 5. Areas where the company can dominate. Companies consistently make more money than their competitors only if they can perform some activities which are important to customers more effectively than anyone else. True focus in strategy means the capacity to bring more power to bear on a selected sector than any competitor can. Once, this meant owning and managing all the elements in the value chain supporting a specific product or service in a selected market position. Today, however, some outside supplier, by specializing in the specific skills and technologies underlying a single element in the value chain, can become more proficient at that activity than virtually any company spreading its efforts over the whole value chain. In essence, each company is in competition with all potential suppliers of each activity in its value chain. Hence, it must benchmark its selected core competencies against all other potential suppliers of that activity and continue to build these core capabilities until it is demonstrably best. Thus the basic nature of strategic analysis changes from an industry analysis perspective to a horizontal analysis of capabilities across all potential providers of an activity, regardless of which industry the provider might be in (see Exhibit 1). 6. Elements important to customers in the long run. At least one of the firms core competencies should normally relate directly to understanding and serving its customers that is, the right half of the value chain in Exhibit 1. Hi-tech companies with the worlds best state-of-the-art technology often fail when they ignore this caveat. On the other hand, Merck matches its superb basic research with a prescription drug marketing knowhow that is equally outstanding. By aggressively analyzing its customers, value chains, a company can often identify where it can specialize and provide an activity at lower cost or more effectively to the customer. Such analyses have created whole new Industries, like the specialized mortgage broker, syndication, secondary market, transaction-processing, escrow, title search, and insurance businesses that have now taken over these risks and functions for banks and have disaggregated the entire mortgage industry. 7. Embedded in the organizations systems. Maintainable competencies cannot depend on one or two talented stars such as Steven Jobs and Stephen Wozniak at Apple or Herbert Boyer and Arthur D. Riggs at Genentech whose departure could destroy a companys success. Instead, the firm must convert these competencies into a corporate reputation or culture that outlives the stars. Especially when a strategy is heavily dependent on creativity, personal dedication, and initiative or on attracting top-flight professionals, core competencies must be captured within the companys systems broadly defined to include its values, organization structures, and management systems. Such competencies might include recruiting (McKinsey, Goldman Sachs), training (McDonalds, Disney), marketing Procter Gamble, Hallmark), innovation (Sony, 3M), motivation systems (ServiceMaster), or control of remote and diverse operating sites within a common framework and philosophy (Exxon, CRA, Inc.). These systems are often at the heart of consistent superior performance; in many cases, a firms systems become its core competencies.(12) Preeminence: The key strategic barrier For Its selected core competencies, the company must ensure that it maintains absolute preeminence. It may also need to surround these core competencies with defensive positions, both upstream and downstream. In some cases, it may have to perform some activities where it is not best-in-world, just to keep existing or potential competitors from learning, taking over, eroding, or bypassing elements of its special competencies. In fact, managers should consciously develop these core competencies to block competitors strategically and avoid outsourcing them or giving suppliers access to the critical knowledge bases or skills that underpin them. Honda, for example, does all its engine RD in-house and makes all the critical parts for its small motor design core competency in closely controlled facilities in Japan. It will consider outsourcing any other noncritical elements in its products, but builds a careful strategic block around this most essential element for all its businesses.(13) Most important, as a companys preeminence in selected fields grows, its knowledge-based core competencies become ever harder to overtake. Knowledge bases tend to grow exponentially in value with Investment and experience. Intellectual leadership tends to attract the most talented people, who then work on and solve the most interesting problems. The combination in turn creates higher returns and attracts the next round of outstanding talent. In addition to the examples we have already cited, organizations as diverse as Bechtel, ATT Bell Labs, Microsoft, Boeing, Intel, Merck, Genentech, McKinsey, Arthur Andersen, Sony, Nike, Nintendo, Bankers T rust, and Mayo Clinic have found this to be true. Some executives regard core activities as those the company is continuously engaged in, while peripheral activities are those that are intermittent and therefore can be outsourced. From a strategic outsourcing viewpoint, however, core competencies are the activities that offer long-term competitive advantage and thus must be rigidly controlled and protected. Peripheral activities are those not critical to the companys competitive edge. Strategic outsourcing If supplier markets were totally reliable and efficient, rational companies would outsource everything except those special activities in which they could achieve a unique competitive edge, that is, their core competencies. Unfortunately, most supplier markets are, imperfect and do entails some risks for both buyer and seller with respect to price, quality, time, or other key dimensions. Moreover, outsourcing entails unique transaction costs searching, contracting, controlling, and recontracting that at times may exceed the transaction costs of having the activity directly under managements in-house control. To address these difficulties, managers must answer three key questions about any activity considered for outsourcing. First, what is the potential for obtaining competitive advantage in this activity, taking account of transaction costs? Second, what is the potential vulnerability that could arise from market failure if the activity is outsourced? Conceptually, these two factors ca n be arrayed In a simple matrix (see Exhibit 2). Third, what can we do to alleviate our vulnerability by structuring arrangements with suppliers to afford appropriate controls yet provide for necessary flexibilities in demand? The two extremes in exhibit 2 are relatively straightforward. When the potential for both competitive edge and strategic vulnerability is high, the company needs a high degree of control, usually entailing production internally or through joint ownership arrangements or tight long-term contracts (explicit or implicity). Marksk Spencer, for example, is famous for its network of tied suppliers, which create the unique brands and styles that underpin the retailers value reputation. Spot suppliers would be too unreliable and unlikely to meet the demanding standards that are Marks Spencers unique consumer franchise. Hence, close control of product quality, design, technology, and equipment through contracts and even financial support is essential. The opposite case is perhaps office cleaning, where little competitive edge is usually possible and there is an active and deep market of supplier firms. In between, there is a continuous range of activities requiring different degrees of control and strategic flexibility. At each Intervening point, the question is not just whether to make or buy, but how to implement a desired balance between independence and incentives for the supplier versus control and security for the buyer. Most companies will benefit by extending outsourcing first in less critical areas, or in parts of activities, like payroll, rather than all of accounting. As they gain experience, they may increase profit opportunities greatly by outsourcing more critical activities to noncompeting firms that can perform them more effectively independence and incentl,v In a few cases, more complex alliances with competitors may be essential to garner specialized skills that cannot be obtained in other ways. At each level, the company must isolate and rigorously control strategically critical relationships between its suppliers and its customers. Competitive edge The key strategic issue in insourcing versus outsourcing is whether a company can achieve a maintainable competitive edge by performing an activity internally usually cheaper, better, in a more timely fashion, or with some unique capability on a continuing basis. If one or more of these dimensions is critical to the customer and if the company can perform that function uniquely well, the activity should be kept in-house. Many companies unfortunately assume that because they have historically performed an activity internally, or because it seems integral to their business, the activity should be insourced. However, on closer investigation and with careful benchmarking, a companys internal capabilities may turn out to be significantly below those of best-in-world suppliers. Ford Motor Company, for example, found that many of its Internal suppliers quality practices and costs were nowhere near those of external suppliers when it began its famous best in class worldwide benchmarking studies on 400 subassemblies for the new Taurus-Sable line. A New York bank with extensive worldwide operations Investigated why its Federal Express costs were soaring and found that its Internal mall department took two days more than Federal Express to get a letter or package from the third floor to the fortieth floor of Its building. In interviews about benchmarking with top operating managers in both service and manufacturing companies, we frequently encountered some paraphrase of We thought we were the best in the world at many activities. But when we benchmarked against the best external suppliers, we found we were not even up to the worst of the benchmarking cases. Transaction costs In all calculations, analysts must include internal transaction costs as well as those associated with external sourcing. If the company is to produce the item or service internally on a long-term basis, it must back up its decision with continuing RD, personnel development, and infrastructure investments that at least match those of the best external supplier; otherwise, it will lose its competitive edge over time. Managers often tend to overlook such backup costs, as well as the losses from laggard innovation and unresponsiveness of internal groups that know they have a guaranteed market. Finally, there are the headquarters and support costs of constantly managing the insourced activity. One of the great gains of outsourcing is the decrease in executive time spent managing peripheral activities freeing top management to focus more on the core of Its business. Various studies have shown that when these internal transaction costs are thoroughly analyzed, they can be extremely high.(14) Since it is easier to identify the explicit transaction costs of dealing with external suppliers, these generally tend to be included in analyses. Harder-to-identify internal transaction costs, however, are often not included, thus biasing results. Vulnerability When there are many suppliers with adequate but not dominating scale) and mature market standards and terms, a potential buyer is unlikely to be more efficient than the best available supplier. If, on the other hand, there is not sufficient depth in the market, overly powerful suppliers can hold the company ransom. Conversely, if the number of suppliers is limited or individual suppliers are too weak, they may be unable to supply innovative products or services as well as a much larger buyer could by performing the activity in-house. While the activity or product might not be one of its core competencies, the company might nevertheless benefit by producing internally rather than undertaking the training, investment, and codesign expenses necessary to bring weak suppliers up to needed performance levels. Another form of vulnerability is the lack of information available in the marketplace or from individual suppliers., for example, a supplier may secretly expect labor disruptions or raw material problems, but hide these concerns until it is too late for the customer to go elsewhere. A related problem occurs when a supplier has unique information capabilities: for example, large wholesalers or retailers, market research firms, software companies, or legal specialists may have information or fact-gathering systems that would be impossible for the buyer or any other single supplier to reproduce efficiently. Such suppliers may be able to charge what are essentially monopoly prices, but purchasing from them could still be less costly than reproducing the service Internally. In other cases, there may be many capable suppliers (for example, in RD or software), but the costs of adequately monitoring progress on the suppliers, premises might make outsourcing prohibitive. Sometimes the whole structure of information in an industry will militate for or against outsourcing. Computing, for example, was largely kept in-house in Its early years because the information available to a buyer of computing services and Its ability to make judgments about such services were very different for the buying company (which knew very little) than for the supplier (which had excellent information). Many buyers lacked the competency either to assess or to monitor sellers, and feared loss of vital information. A company can outsource computing more easily today, in part because buyers, computer, technical management, and software knowhow are sufficient to make informed judgments about external suppliers. In addition to information anomalies, Stuckey and White note three types of asset specificity that commonly create market imperfections, calling for controlled sourcing solutions rather than relying on efficient markets.(15) These are: (1) site specificity, where sellers have located costly fixed assets in close proximity to the buyer, thus minimizing transport and inventory costs for a single supplier; (2) technical specificity, where one or both parties must invest in equipment that can be used only by the parties in conjunction with each other and has low value, in alternative uses; and (3) human capital specificity, where employees must develop in-depth skills that are specific to a particular buyer or customer relationship. Stuckey and White explain the outsourcing implications of information and specificity problems in the case of a bauxite mine and an alumina refiner. Refineries are usually located close to mines because of the high cost of transporting bauxite, relative to Its value. Refineries in turn are tuned to process the narrow set of physical properties associated with the particular mines bauxite. Different and highly specialized skills and assets are needed for refining versus mining. Access to Information further compounds problems., if an independent mine expects a strike, it is unlikely to share that information with its customers, unless there are strong incentives. As a result, the aluminum industry has moved toward vertical integration or strong bilateral joint ventures, as opposed to open outsourcing of bauxite supplies despite the apparent presence of a commodity product and many suppliers and sellers. In this case, issues of both competitive advantage and potential market failure dictate a higher degree of sourcing control. Degree of source control In deciding on a sourcing strategy for a particular segment of their business, managers have a wide range of control options the Exhibits 3 and 4 for the most basic). Where there is high potential both for vulnerability and for competitive edge, tight control is indicated (as in the bauxite case). At the opposite end is, say, office cleaning. Between these extremes are opportunities for developing special incentives or more complex oversight contracts to balance intermediate levels of vulnerability against more moderate prospects for competitive edge. Nikes multi-tier strategy offers an interesting example (see boxed insert on page 62). The practice and law of strategic alliances are rapidly developing new ways to deal with common control issues by establishing specified procedures that permit direct involvement in limited stages of a partners activities, without incurring either ownership arrangements or the loss of control inherent ln arms-length transactions. Flexibility versus control Within this framework, there is a constant tradeoff between flexibility and control. One of the main purposes of outsourcing is to have the supplier assume certain classes of investment and risk, such as demand variability. To optimize costs, the buying company may want to maintain its internal capacity at re atively constant levels despite highly fluctuating sales demands. Under these circumstances, it needs a surge strategy. McDonalds, for example, with $8billion in sales and 10.1 percent growth per year, needs to call in part-time and casual workers to handle extensive daily variations yet also be able to select its future permanent or managerial personnel from these people. IBM has had the opposite problem, since its core demand has been declining, the company has had to lay off employees. Yet it needs surge capacity for: (1) quick access to some former employees, basic skills; (2) available production capacity without the costs of supporting facilities full time; and (3) the ability to exploit strong outside parties specialized capabilities through temporary consortia for example, in applications software, microprocessors, network development, or factory automation. Strategically, McDonalds has created a pool of people available on call options, while IBM through spinouts of factories with baseload commitments to IBM, guaranteed consulting employment for key people, flexible joint venturts, and strategic alliances has created put options to handle surge needs as it downsizes and tries to turn around its business. There is a full spectrum of outsourcing arrangements, depending on the companys control and flexibility needs (see Exhibit 4). The issue is less whether to make or buy an activity than it is how to structure internal versus external sourcing on an optimal basis. Companies are outsourcing much more of what used to be considered either integral elements of their value chains or necessary staff activities. Because of greater complexity, higher specialization, and new technological capabilities, outside suppliers can now perform many such activities at lower cost and with higher value-added than a fully integrated company can. In some cases, new production technologies have moved manufacturing economies of scale toward the supplier. In others, service technologies have lowered transaction costs substantially, making it possible to specify, transport, store, and coordinate inputs from external sources so inexpensively that the balance of benefits has shifted from insourcing to outsourcing. In certain specialized niches, outside companies have grown to such size and sophistication that they have developed economies of scale, scope, and knowledge intensity so formidable that neither smaller nor more integrated producers can effectively compete with them (for example, ADP Services in payroll, and ServiceMaster in maintenance). To the extent that knowledge of a specific activity is more important than knowledge of the end product itself, specialized suppliers can often produce higher value-added at lower cost for that activity than almost any integrated company. Strategic benefits versus risks Too often companies look at outsourcing as a means to lower only short-term direct costs. However, through strategic outsourcing, companies can lower their long-term capital investments and leverage their key competencies significantly, as Apple and Nike have done. They can also force many types of risk and unwanted management problems onto suppliers. Gallo, the largest producer and distributor of wines in the United States, outsources most of its grapes, pushing the risks of weather, land prices, and labor problems onto its suppliers. Argyle Diamonds, one of the worlds largest diamond producers, outsources virtually all aspects of its operation except the crucial steps of separation and sorting of diamonds. It contracts all its huge earth-moving operations (to avoid capital and labor risks), its housing and food services for workers (to avoid confrontations on nonoperating issues), and much of its distribution (to De Beers to protect prices, to finance inventories, and to avoid the complications of worldwide distribution). By outsourcing to best-in-class suppliers in each case, it further ensures the quality and image of its operations. Important strategic benefits Strategically, outsourcing can provide the buyer with greater flexibility, especially in the purchase of rapidly developing new technologies, fashion goods, or the myriad components of complex systems. It reduces the companys design-cycle t

The Holy Virgin Mary :: essays research papers

What a sensation was made about the Sensation exhibition in the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The focus of Mayor Giuliani’s outcry was the piece â€Å"The Holy Virgin Mary† by Chris Ofili. Funny, he didn’t give attention to some of the other outrageous works including the pubescent female mannequins studded with erect penises, vaginas, and anuses, fused together in various postures of sexual coupling, or the portrait of a child molester and murder made from what appears like child hand prints or bisected animals in plexiglass tanks full of formaldehyde. Would it ever have made headlines with a different title, like â€Å"Afro-lady†? I don’t think so. I guess targeting religion gets a little too personal. Giuliani said, â€Å"You don’t have the right to government subsidy for desecrating somebody else’s religion. If you are a government-subsidized enterprise, then you can’t do things that desecrate the most personal and deeply held vi ews of people in society.† You would think that the government paid these artists, right? It turns out that the show consisted of Charles Saatchi’s privately owned collection VIEWED in a public museum. So what does that mean to you? Well, when I found out that tidbit of information, it didn’t seem so offensive anymore. Taxpayers didn’t pay these young British artists to create controversial pieces. Taxpayers fund the museum itself to stay open. Museums have a variety of exhibitions all year. What is wrong with having one displaying a private collection? This is a common thing with museums. Otherwise, how would the public ever get to view extensive artistic compilations of the wealthy? Some collections are beautiful, others perturbing. But, who draws this line? Who gets to decide? The individual. If you do not want to submit your eyes to horrendous, offensive creations, then don’t! It’s interesting to note what happened to the art world after Duchamp revolutionized art into meaninglessness. Artists seem to be exempt from the moral laws that are binding to ordinary people. Everything is O.K. under art’s magic umbrella: rotting corpses with snails crawling over them, kicking little girls in the head, rape and murder recreations, women defecating. Where does it stop? What is art and what is porn? What is art and what is disgusting? Where is the line? There isn’t one anymore. The effect of Duchamp’s pranks was to point out that anything could be art. All it took was getting people to agree to call something art.

Ramadan Celebration Essay

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar, is considered as one of the holiest months of the year. In this month when the prophet Muhammad was said to have received the holy book (Quran). Each day during Ramadan, followers of Islam, known as Muslims, do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset; they are also supposed to avoid bad thoughts and bad behavior. Muslims break their daily fasts by sharing meals with family and friends. During Ramadan Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. All Muslims who have reached puberty and are in good health are required to fast. At sunset, families get together to break the fast known as Ifatr. You start eating with two or more dates like the Prophet Peace Be Upon use to do. The Ifatr meals consist on milk, water, dates, and desserts. (A team of cardiologists in the UAE found that people observing Ramadan enjoy a positive effect on their lipid profile, which means there is a reduction of cholesterol in the blood) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan It is very important in Ramadan to pray 5 times daily, and recite Quran every day. Ramadan helps us become patient and washes away our bad deeds. It reminds us of the people that are starving and teaches us that how lucky we are that Allah-Tallah provided us with these benefits and help us become better Muslim. After the Ifatri you go to Mosque and pray Magrib and Isha to complete your fast. Thirdly, in Ramadan avoid bad thoughts and bad behavior. Respect your elder and listen to them, you are not allowed to use foul language or hit someone. Keep your mind away from the bad thoughts and the best way to do that is pray and keep saying Allahakabar, Alhumdullah, and Astagfirullah it will keep your mind away from bad thoughts. In Quran Allah- Tallah said if one does not abandon falsehood in words and deeds, Allah has no need for his abandoning of his food and drink.’

Vietnam Research Paper

Why is the Vietnam War so significant in American history? How did it really affect America? The Vietnam War was the prolonged struggle between nationalist forces trying to unify Vietnam under a communist government, and the United States attempting to prevent the spread of communism. There are many lessons learned throughout this war that America, hopefully, will never undergo again. There are a series of events that led up to this full-scale war. First, the U. S. tried to prevent Vietnam from becoming a communist nation, so they sent the French military aid to help rule against this. Soon enough, France wanted to withdraw their troops out of Vietnam; the Geneva Conference was a meeting between many nations deciding how France could peacefully pull out troops. A bit later, there was supposed to be a General democratic election held, but America refused to agree to the election, afraid that the communists would win. In 1965, the U. S. sent ground troops to help South Vietnam, sparking tensions between the U. S. and North Vietnam. From 1965 to 1969, America was involved in a limited war in Vietnam, meaning weak efforts to attack North Vietnam. U. S. orces became easily frustrated because war in the jungle was found difficult. Vietnam would attack in ambushes, set up booby traps, and escape through underground tunnels. To prove even more difficult, Northern Vietnam troops and the Viet Cong surprised South Vietnam and U. S. troops. On January 30, 1968 they attacked hundreds of South Vietnamese cities and towns, known as the Tet Offensive. Without a doubt, it showed that the enemy was stronger and better prepared. While the public’s support for the war was way gone, there was new hope with Richard Nixon, the new president of America. Soon after taking office, Richard Nixon planned the policy Vietnamization, which was a process to remove U. S. troops from Vietnam while handing back the fighting to the South Vietnamese. While America had almost completed the withdrawal of their troops from Vietnam, the North Vietnam attacked South Vietnam and the remaining troops on March 30, 1972. This attack is known as the Easter Offensive. This rough battle resulted in about 40,000 deaths and 60,000 people wounded or missing in the People’s Army of North Vietnam (PAVN). The Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) estimated at 10,000 deaths and 33,000 troops wounded. The offensive was defeated, but the PAVN continued to occupy about 10 percent of South Vietnam after this battle. Nixon was in the process of his Vietnamization policy, when discussions had arisen about restoring peace in Vietnam. Soon began peace talks in Paris that finally succeeded in producing a cease-fire agreement. Nixon declares the news of the decisions made during the Paris peace talks. â€Å"Good evening. I have asked for this radio and television time tonight for the purpose of announcing that we today have concluded an agreement to end the war and bring peace with honor in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia. The following statement is being issued at this moment in Washington and Hanoi: At 12:30 Paris time today [Tuesday], January 23, 1973, the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam was initialed by Dr. Henry Kissinger on behalf of the United States, and Special Adviser Le Duc Tho on behalf of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The agreement will be formally signed by the parties participating in the Paris Conference on Vietnam on January 27, 1973, at the International Conference Center in Paris. The cease-fire will take effect at 2400 Greenwich Mean Time, January 27, 1973. The United States and the Democratic Republic of Vietnam express the hope that this agreement will insure stable peace in Vietnam and contribute to the preservation of lasting peace in Indochina and Southeast Asia†¦The important thing was not to talk about peace, but to get peace and to get the right kind of peace. This we have done† (â€Å"Peace with Honor† 1). After signing the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam, on March 29, 1973 the last group of U. S. troops left Vietnam. The North Vietnam toppled the Southern Vietnamese government, and South Vietnam officially surrendered in 1975 to communist North Vietnam. Tolerating all the hard work and fighting was proved pointless for American and ARVN troops when Vietnam was reunited as a communist country in 1976. Often in history, major events such as wars or disasters are the key elements that seem to influence and shape our society. The major event that shaped American society during the ‘70s was the Vietnam War, having a massive social impact. The Vietnam War acted as a catalyst to the counterculture movement, and changed the art, music, and education.

Memory Keepers Daughter Essay

Truth be told nobody is normal or perfect each and every one of us have our flaws, insecurities and concerns. In The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards argues that . In life, there are many things that we can neither cure nor accept nor overcome; sometimes all it takes is one choice to determine the rest of our lives. One winter night in 1964, a Dr. David Henry makes a decision that will haunt his life forever. On a winter night in 1964, an unusual Kentucky blizzard forces Dr. Henry and his nurse Caroline Gill to deliver his own twins for his wife, Norah. First born is the boy, Paul, who is a visibly perfect baby. Shortly after, the baby girl Phoebe is born and is noticed to have symptoms of Down Syndrome. David cannot accept his baby girl because he does not want his wife to go through the same trauma his mother went through with the death of his little sister due to a heart defect. In a split second, David decides that the girl should be placed in an institution to spare Norah the suffering, and he asks the Caroline, the nurse, to take Phoebe to the institution. After Caroline left the Henry’s house, and seeing the horrible conditions of the institution, Caroline decides to keep the baby and raise Phoebe herself. David then lies to his wife and says that their daughter died at birth. This quick lie David Henry tells his family changes their life forever. The â€Å"death† in the family immediately causes a distance between David and Norah; David becomes infatuated with a camera that Norah bought for him while Norah turns to drinking. The distance between the Henry’s continues to grow even further while David and Norah aspire to do totally different things with their lives. David wants to become a photographer and tries to immerse himself in his work, he tries to ignore the resulting toll it takes on his family by viewing everything through a camera lens, almost†¦ We as people are in general very bias even if you don’t mean to be, you can be bias to the types of foods that you prefer, or to people who may or may not have mental illnesses. Life is filled with things beyond our control, and we must rely on ourselves to discover the link between suffering, joy and acceptance. There will always be thing that we can neither cure nor accept nor overcome; sometimes all it is going to take is one choice to determine the rest of our lives and The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards proves this.

Reading Response Question 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reading Response Question 2 - Research Paper Example Ergo, with an educated crop of youth, posterity would be supplied with learned men to manage the affairs of the nation. He recalls that the original settlers who had created the foundation on which America was built had received a good education in Europe and juxtaposes them with the present youths who are not thought to be of the same caliber owing to lesser academic aptitude. To this end, he proposed that an academy should be opened for the sake of educating the youth and the state or any other organization with an interest should provide teachers and learning materials, which will be updated and improved with time as par the educational demands (Franklin 87). Furthermore, the members of the cooperation should strive to regularly visit the school so as to mentor the students and assist the masters as well as serve as inspiration to the proteges. The academy, he suggested should be located in the city or not very far rom it, that way, the youths within who would be undergoing traini ng could be closely observed by the community. The Rector should be an outstanding scholar and well versed in the sciences arts and languages, he should have masters of his caliber and it is also crucial that all have excellent mastery of the English tongue. The students should be trained in both academic and non-academic pursuits such as would strengthen them both physically and spiritually. They should be rendered physically active through wrestling, swimming running reaping and any other appropriate exercise. The scholars in this academy should distinguish themselves from other youth by the peculiarity of their habits, which should reflect studiousness and great self-discipline. As pertains to the content taught therein, he suggests several disciplines and justifies their necessity. The English language is to be taught by grammar and it should encapsulate the works of great writers such pope Cato, and Tillotson, it should also include reading and pronunciation skills. Their writi ng skills can be honed through the writing of letters to each other all which should be read and revised under the supervision of a qualified master. History should also be introduced so the learners may benefit from the experience and leisure that is contained in knowledge of past diverse past events such as Greek and/or world history. This should be combined with geography in which the scholars would be taught to read and interpret maps as well as point out specifically where certain historical events took place. Franklin further proposes that learner could benefit from knowledge of ancient customs of different cultures and religious education. Through the constant examinations of the rise and fall of man’s character, learners should be schooled in matters of morality which has substantial advantage in that it inculcates virtues such as temperance frugality and persistence among others. An in-depth study of historical events will undoubtedly, according to Franklin serve to inspire the learner to do great things and also learn from the experiences and mistakes of their forbearers. He argues that learning of language such as Latin is crucial since many

Case Study 6 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study 6 - Research Paper Example Dell was accessible and delegated authority believing in, â€Å"turning loose talented people who can be relied upon to do what they’re supposed to do.† Dell also spent 30% of his time at company operations and meeting with customers. The issues with Dell's performance are his lack of understanding the employee's initially and Dell's inability to communicate. The Five tasks of crafting and executing strategy by â€Å"Crafting and Executing Strategy† are discussed below: 1. â€Å"Developing a strategic vision of where the company needs to head and what its future product/customer/market/technology focus should be.† Dell took the right approach in desiring to sell directly to the customer, custom to the customers needs build-to-order computers. Dell also wanted to take the discount pricing approach for the company. 2. â€Å"Setting objectives and using them as yardsticks for measuring the company’s performance and progress .† During the early y ears the company did not seem to have many hard set objectives. Dell's objective was to adhere to the strategic vision while also improving quality control. Dell also began to partner with key suppliers and incorporating e-commerce technology and use of the internet. 3. â€Å"Crafting a strategy to achieve the objectives and move the company along the strategic course that management has charted. â€Å" Dell began to increase his workforce, and his marketing capabilities in order to sell directly to individuals desiring a 2nd and 3rd computer. By doing this Dell became a cost leader, due to direct sales. 4. â€Å"Implementing and executing the chosen strategy efficiently and effectively.† By allowing the company to be managed by a more experienced person in the early stages of the company Dell was able to implement and execute the discount strategy very well. 5. â€Å"Evaluating performance and initiating corrective adjustments in the company’s long-term direction, objectives, strategy, or execution in light of actual experience, changing conditions, new ideas, and new opportunities.† Dell was able to become one of the industry leaders in quality, price, and market share within a 20 year period. When Dell realized the margin was low on using retail stores to resell dell computers, the company made the correct adjustments and began to only sell, as was their strategy, directly. 2. What are the elements of Dell’s strategy? Which one of the five generic competitive strategies is Dell employing? How well do the different pieces of Dell’s strategy fit together? In what ways is Dell’s strategy evolving? Dell's strategy involved: â€Å"1. Selling direct to customers is the most efficient way to market the company’s products because it eliminates wholesale and retail dealers that impede Dell’s understanding of customer needs and expectations and that add unnecessary time and cost. 2. Allowing customers to purc hase custom-built products and custom-tailored services is the most effective way to meet customer needs. 3. A highly efficient supply chain and manufacturing organization, grounded in the use of standardized technologies and selling direct, paves the way for a low-cost structure where cost savings can be passed along to customers in the form of lower prices. 4. Dell can deliver added value to customers by (1) researching all the technological options, (2) trying to determine which ones are â€Å"

Business Environment Demand and Supply Assignment

Business Environment Demand and Supply - Assignment Example 2. If the price of Snickers increases, then the substitute for the Mars bar has become more expensive. As a result at each price, people will buy more Mars bars. Therefore, at each price there will be a higher quantity demanded of Mars bars. So the demand for Mars bars will increase. In figure 2 suppose the initial demand curve at the old price of Snicker bars is D0. This curve shows at price ?0.6 per unit of Mars bars, Q1 units are demanded. Now if the price of Snickers bars goes up, at the same price of Mars bars, more units are demanded. So, the demand curve shifts up to D1. In this new situation, at the old price of Mars bars Q2 units are demanded. Figure 2: Effect of increase in the price of substitutes 3. In figure 3, D0 is the initial demand line for Strawberries. If the price of cream fell, then a unit of Strawberries and cream together is less expensive. Since Strawberries and cream is consumed together, the quantity demanded of strawberries and cream together rises. As a re sult, at each price, the quantity demanded of Strawberries is now higher. So, the demand curve for Strawberries shifts out to the right to D1. Figure 3: Effect of fall in price in cream on demand for Strawberries 4. If the interest rate increases, then people have to pay more to repay the same amounts of loans. As a result, the income falls. If income falls, given the same price of cars, people can afford to buy fewer cars. Therefore, at every price, the quantity demanded of cars falls. As a result, there is a decline in the demand of cars. This is shown in figure 4. The demand for cars drops from D0 to D1. Figure 4: Effect of rise in interest rates on demand for cars 5. If the cost of production of Mars bars falls, then every unit of Mars bars can be supplied at lower price. Therefore, at each price the quantity supplied increases. This leads to an outward shift in the supply on the Mars bars. The effect is shown in figure 5 below. The initial demand and supply curves are D0 and S0 respectively. The equilibrium occurs at point A where these two curves intersect one another. Note from the vertical axis that at the initial equilibrium the price is 0.6p. Now, suppose the production cost falls. As a result, the supply curve shifts out to the right to S1. The new equilibrium is point B. Note from the vertical axis, the new equilibrium price of Mars bars is lower than the initial equilibrium price. Figure 5: Effect of reduction in producing costs 6. In figure 6, the effect of a reduction in a tax on the sales of the product is shown. Suppose initially, the tax is ‘t’. The relevant supply curve is S0+t. If the tax is taken off, the cost of the firm goes down, as a consequence the firm can supply more at each price. The supply curve without the tax is S0. Observe, if a tax is charged, then to supply an output of Q1 the firm has to charge a price of P0+t. But if there is no tax, the firm can supply the same output at a lower price of P0. Therefore, the ef fect of a reduction in tax is to shift the supply curve out to the right. Figure 6: Effect of a reduction in tax on the supply 7. If there is an increase in technology, the inputs become more productive. As a result, at the same per unit cost, the firm can now produce more. Therefore, at each price, the firm now is able to offer a higher quantity supplied. Therefore, due to the improvement in technology, the