Provide a balanced discussion of the factors that a medium to large Assignment

Provide a balanced discussion of the factors that a medium to large sized company should consider before adopting an ERP system - Assignment Example Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a process by which a company or manufacturer manages and integrates an important part of his business. In today’s business world, ERP play’s an extensive role in the field of business and information technology. Global strategy leader, Arthur D. Little spoke about ERP and quotes: â€Å"it is conquering the world. Almost every important company is more or less in its hand.† (ERP) There are several kinds of ERP software, but SAP is the most famous and acknowledged one. The acronym of SAP is Systems, Applications and Products in Data Processing. It is used around the globe to access the needs of the customers and offer them with widespread range of services and facilities. Leading resource companies such as Comal co Ltd., Sasol Synfuels International (Pty) Ltd. and Sasol Mining (Pty) Ltd effectively use SAP to manage assets, improve productivity and attain better decision-making abilities. ERP has not only helped large global fi rms earn gigantic amounts of revenues but small and medium enterprises also avail this system for procuring profits. It is the invaluable technology tool for the companies to increase productivity, profitability, sales and service. The implementation of ERP system does not limit to the size of the organization but the fact that where the system is implemented. Both developing and developed countries are applying and implementing ERPs. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES INHERIT IN AN ERP SYSTEM: ERP system has brought revolution to the entire framework of supervising industries. ERP system is not a stand-alone system and so, companies that fail to utilize this find themselves difficult to function with each other. It facilitates operational coordination across functional companies. It is important for medium and large scale companies to have complete knowledge of its competitor’s strategy and policies. Not only this, ERP system has a standard of collecting all business areas in one system which would makes it easier for companies to compete on the same benchmark. The foremost advantage of an ERP system is that it saves time and brings down the costs of large corporations. Large firms cannot risk wasting their time in procedural maneuvers and unwanted delays. It ensures quick processing of information and reduces the burden of paperwork. It is difficult to manage large firms without proper records, and so ERP system maintains work effectively with minimum chances of error. ERP system aims for perfection; it keeps track of its order. It serves the customers efficiently by way of prompt response and follow up. Whether it’s the case of queries of the customers or in the payment, ERP system provides them with ease in every procedure and administers them with detailed information. ERP system also excels in accounting applications. It can incorporate the cost, profit, revenue information of sales that are made by the company. It is responsible for altering the product, and upgrading it order to capture a wider audience. It can make amazing quality products by mere design engineering. Large firms are required to have greater security, for which ERP system are considered to be ideal as they are an indispensable tool in the area of security. It protects the company against some considerable crimes such as embezzlement or industrial espionage, thus safeguarding the company from massive losses every year. Large

The benefits of open source software within the government and Essay

The benefits of open source software within the government and business sector - Essay Example The open-source software is developing rapidly and their functionalities are highly competitive and in fact much better than closed-source software. Above all, all of the above advantages come at a very minimal price, not even a fraction of what is spent on the closed-source software. But, having said that, there are several disadvantages that could pose a threat to the future of open-source software. So, when considering all the pros and cons of open-source technology, the Information System (IS) managers have a very hard task in their hands on deciding whether to go for this kind of software. There are several issues that a manager has to look forward, the primary criteria, of course, to be in contention as the leader in a competitive industry. So, this decision aids a lot in deciding the future of an organization. An IS manager has to take into account, the cost involved, security, efficiency, throughput, servicing, innovation and several other issues that lead to take this crucial decision. An analysis of the benefits attained by several government organizations and private organizations and the predicted growth of these org anizations is discussed here. This includes a detailed discussion of the features of open-source software, the role of a manager with regard to open-source software, the current trends and the future of organizations implementing open-source software. The analysis concludes with the best practices for managers in organizations implementing this technology.(Fanini, 2005) Open source, in general terms, is a method followed to allow global accessibility to the source of a product. It allows people from different regions, to access the code, innovate it and improve the functionality of the software. Open source became popular only after the spread of internet, with many people from several regions getting a common point of access. It is a distributed process when compared to the centralized closed-source development. The open source

Heteromultimeric Channels Formed by Potassium Channel

Heteromultimeric Channels Formed by Potassium Channel Heteromultimeric channels formed by rat brain potassium-channel proteins SUMMARY Coexpression of RCK specific mRNAs in several regions of the brain suggested the presence of heteromultimeric potassium channels. These differ in properties compared to several copies of identical subunits in homomultimeric potassium channels, hence provides diversity. The aim of this study was to understand the components and compositions of the heteromultimeric potassium channels. RCK proteins are vital in the formation of the voltage-gated potassium channels. Normally species containing RCK proteins have homomultimeric potassium channels. In this experiment rats RCK variants: RCK1 and RCK4 were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and HeLa cells and tested their sensitivity against a K+ channel blocker (TEA). Normally K+ channels in HeLa cells do not rectify outward currents. However transfecting with plasmids consisting either cDNA RCK1 or cDNA RCK4, both resulted in outward rectifying K+ current. According to the method by Chen and Okayama, they were cultured by a standard protocol. Same pulse and cells were tested using the whole-cell patch configuration to measure the current. RCK1 and RCK4 channels both mediated a transient K+ outward current. In the presence of TEA, RCK4 is completely insensitive with 50% recovery time of 7.3(+/-3.4)s. Whereas RCK1 channels showed high sensitivity with complete blockage of current. However when cotransfection of cDNA RCK1,4 into HeLA cells resulted in a depolarising voltage step to 0mV, with outward currents consisting of an initial transient current followed by a non-inactivating component. In addition to TEA, similar expression as RCK1 channels with sensitivity and almost half blockage of current at 10mM, with 50% recovery time of 2.1(+/-0.5)s . F urther, increase in TEA to 100mM lead to complete blockage of the currents. Therefore due to different expression from homomultimeric RCK4 channels, these suggested that the cotransfection either mediated homomultimeric RCK1 channels or heteromultimeric channels being indistinguishable from RCK1 channels. Further examining of differing properties in voltage-dependent gating and conductance of the channels mediating the transient currents was done by injecting RCKs into Xenopus oocyte with cRNAs. Cell-attached marco patches configuration was used, allowing more voltage control with the presence of 10mM TEA solution. The oocyte was injected with cRNA RCKs and results of peak amplitudes of the transient currents against the voltage obtained were graphed, enabling the analysis of the saturation and inactivation behaviour. Paired conditioning and test pulses both were made to avoid test-pulse involved inactivation. Oocytes with RCK4 specific cRNA resulted in transient current peak showing no saturation until 40mV and began to inactivate during the test pulse, with 16.5(+-2.5)s at 50% recovery. Whereas coinjected RCK1,4 cRNA showed steep and shifted about 15mV towards more positive potential (~20mV) inactivation curve, with 5.7(+/-1.8)s at 50% recovery. This implied little inactivation duri ng the test pulse with faster recovery compared to RCK4 specific. Examining the gating of K+ channels resulted in linear and superlinear shape for coinjected and RCK4 specific oocytes channel opening respectively. Therefore the saturation and response of open gated channel from both coinjected HeLa and transfected oocyte cells support the characteristic of the opening of different channels and not from different activation kinetics. RCK 1,4 combinations showed intermediate sensitivity and faster recovery from inactivation to DTX and TEA, compared to homomultimeric RCK1 and RCK4 subunits. Results showed that RCK 1,4 inactivation were similar to RCK4 and single channel conductance being similar to RCK1. Overall, these results strongly support the suggestion of coexpression of RCK1 and RCK4 subunits which assemble to make a heteromultimeric RCK 1,4 channels with differing properties from homomultimeric channels.

The U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War Was Justified Essay example --

The U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War Was Justified   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Vietnam conflict has been known for being the most unpopular war in the history of the United States. The war of 1812, the Mexican war and the Korean conflict of the early 1950's were also opposed by large groups of the American people, but none of them generated the emotional anxiety and utter hatred that spawned Vietnam. The Vietnam war caused people to ask the question of sending our young people to die in places where they were particular wanted and for people who did not seem especial grateful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vietnam has a very rich and cultural diverse background dating all the way back to 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded and paved the way for English colonization. The French had been colonizing since the 19th century. The French role in Vietnams history is critical; they started out by bringing these simple peasants to the latest technology of farming and hunting (Yancey 37). The French helped these people out greatly in the beginning, but like all stories of occupation go they just got worse. They started forcing rules and laws on the people of Vietnam. Thus started the First Vietnam War, also known as the Indochina War between France and Vietnam. "The French possessed military superiority, but the Vietnamese had already the hearts and minds of the country. (38). Even from the beginning the Vietnamese had the odds to there favor. The French looked at the wars in numbers and how many lost on each side. They gathered from all the battles that they were winning because the Vietnamese casualties far outweighed the French; nonetheless they were wrong. To a certain point the French were fighting a game that they could not win at any cost. The French had the military superiority but the Vietnamese had the manpower and the Guerilla tactics. The Indochina War ended with French loosing terrible at Dienbienphu, where a whole French garrison was wiped out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh and his political organization, the Vietminh, seized control of their independence from France United States Politicians saw it as another communist take over. When really Ho was more a nationalist than a communist. All Minh wanted was for the United States to recognize its independence from France and to send aid to help it reach its nationalistic goals. "Before the Cold War Ho and the Vietmin... ... of South Vietnam that resulted in the fall of Saigon on 30 April. In the previous month a RAAF detachment of 8 Hercules transports flew humanitarian missions to aid civilian refugees displaced by the fighting, and carried out the evacuation of Vietnamese orphans before finally taking out embassy staff on 25 April (Dudley 179). The US did the same exact thing except there were many people left behind that we could not transport due to the importance of emptying out embassy. Over fifty countries pooled resources together but out of all the United States had a much bigger sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice, the sacrifice of our young men. These men started coming into Vietnam as early as 1962.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Vietnam War was a very mismanaged war but our involvement was very crucial. Some people believe that the side we were on was wrong, and the author of this completely agrees. Ho Chi Minh was really a quite conservative communist leader. He was fair and he was also was balanced. He treated his people very fairly. The beliefs of the author are that if Truman would have not set the precedent of opposing all communist leaders than the Vietnam War would have been a lot different. The U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War Was Justified Essay example -- The U.S. Involvement in the Vietnam War Was Justified   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Vietnam conflict has been known for being the most unpopular war in the history of the United States. The war of 1812, the Mexican war and the Korean conflict of the early 1950's were also opposed by large groups of the American people, but none of them generated the emotional anxiety and utter hatred that spawned Vietnam. The Vietnam war caused people to ask the question of sending our young people to die in places where they were particular wanted and for people who did not seem especial grateful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vietnam has a very rich and cultural diverse background dating all the way back to 1066 when William the Conqueror invaded and paved the way for English colonization. The French had been colonizing since the 19th century. The French role in Vietnams history is critical; they started out by bringing these simple peasants to the latest technology of farming and hunting (Yancey 37). The French helped these people out greatly in the beginning, but like all stories of occupation go they just got worse. They started forcing rules and laws on the people of Vietnam. Thus started the First Vietnam War, also known as the Indochina War between France and Vietnam. "The French possessed military superiority, but the Vietnamese had already the hearts and minds of the country. (38). Even from the beginning the Vietnamese had the odds to there favor. The French looked at the wars in numbers and how many lost on each side. They gathered from all the battles that they were winning because the Vietnamese casualties far outweighed the French; nonetheless they were wrong. To a certain point the French were fighting a game that they could not win at any cost. The French had the military superiority but the Vietnamese had the manpower and the Guerilla tactics. The Indochina War ended with French loosing terrible at Dienbienphu, where a whole French garrison was wiped out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh and his political organization, the Vietminh, seized control of their independence from France United States Politicians saw it as another communist take over. When really Ho was more a nationalist than a communist. All Minh wanted was for the United States to recognize its independence from France and to send aid to help it reach its nationalistic goals. "Before the Cold War Ho and the Vietmin... ... of South Vietnam that resulted in the fall of Saigon on 30 April. In the previous month a RAAF detachment of 8 Hercules transports flew humanitarian missions to aid civilian refugees displaced by the fighting, and carried out the evacuation of Vietnamese orphans before finally taking out embassy staff on 25 April (Dudley 179). The US did the same exact thing except there were many people left behind that we could not transport due to the importance of emptying out embassy. Over fifty countries pooled resources together but out of all the United States had a much bigger sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice, the sacrifice of our young men. These men started coming into Vietnam as early as 1962.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Vietnam War was a very mismanaged war but our involvement was very crucial. Some people believe that the side we were on was wrong, and the author of this completely agrees. Ho Chi Minh was really a quite conservative communist leader. He was fair and he was also was balanced. He treated his people very fairly. The beliefs of the author are that if Truman would have not set the precedent of opposing all communist leaders than the Vietnam War would have been a lot different.

“Blue Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose Essay

Rose challenges the view that intelligence can be measured by the amount of schooling a person has completed. He suggests that blue-collar and service jobs require more intelligence than meets the eye. He describes his experiences growing up observing his mother as a waitress in coffee shops and family restaurants. He depicts his mother as a dynamic woman who loved her job and put her heart and soul into being a waitress. He described the way she memorized who ordered what, how long each dish is supposed to take to prepare, and how she became a professional at deciphering the emotional needs of her customers and colleagues alike. He also details his uncle’s work at the General Motors factory and shows the amount of intelligence that was required of him as he rose from being on the production line to supervising paint jobs. Rose explains how he observed different types of blue- collar and service workers in action, and came to the conclusion that each of them have a skill that takes a lot of mind power to master. I agree with Rose that the amount of schooling a person complete doesn’t necessarily measure their intelligence level. Especially in today’s economy many people can’t afford to pursue higher education, and that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t make excellent doctors or lawyers if they could afford the schooling. Not everyone has the means to acquire degrees and titles; some don’t even have the desire. I believe that higher education is a worthwhile endeavor, but I also believe that it is the best route for some and not for all. Attending college is not the only way that a person can lead a happy and fulfilling life.

Role and Function of Law

The Role and Function of Law James Williams Law/421 January 7, 2012 Gail B. Jabber Role and Functions of Law According to Melvin (2011), â€Å"A generally accepted generic definition of the law is a body of rules of action or conduct prescribed by controlling authority, and having legal binding force† (p. 4). The scope of modern law is broad with tentacles that reach into every area of public and private dealings. Essentially law furnishes a process by which the rulings and directives to regulate certain behaviors, disagreements, plus unlawful acts are available to individuals for use in resolution of disputes and to enforce promises.Law weaves into practically every aspect of the daily activities of businesses as well as individuals within the society. The evolution of law from basically a way to protect property rights to the intricate and complex system it has become is astounding. The research will examine the numerous roles and functions of law in relation to business and society. Laws govern many facets of business. They regulate—business operation, environmental standards, treatment of employees, workplace requirements—to name a few.The broad design of the law is to discourage against predatory business practices and to protect the consumer from fraudulent advertising or receiving inferior products as well as provide remediation to victims when necessary. To accomplish this, the federal as well as state governments have policing powers to enforce the rules a society chooses to govern itself. This law incorporates into the fabric of the society. For example, there are federal and state laws that control e-business commerce plus international business dealings.Congress derives its power to regulate the flow of commercial activity along interstate and intrastate highways likewise railways together with the vehicles that transport the goods from the commerce clause. The application of these powers varies. According to Melvin (2011), â₠¬Å"However, the direct and broad power to regulate all persons and products related to the flow of interstate commerce is the fundamental source of its authority. † Furthermore, manufacturing, distribution, shipping, employment, patents, trademarks, and copyrights are under government regulation as well.Federal law supplants state law when they conflict in intrastate matters, e. g. Cipollone versus the Liggett Group, Inc. Laws hold companies responsible for product safety. Therefore, manufacturers as well as sellers are liable to consumers for damaged or defective products as well as injuries or deaths that may result from their use. For example, the government establishes laws to standardize the quality of food, drink, and medicines consumers ingest while issuing additional laws to control the mechanical quality of automobiles and appliances—home and commercial.Enterprises employ these laws throughout the production process to ensure compliance. Consequently, the publi c is safer from injury and disease through quality control of products. There are numerous federal agencies that regulate business (the Federal Trade Commission, U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, U. S. Patent and Trademark Office, The United States Trade Commission, plus The International Trade Commission), to name a few. Finally, antitrust laws keep businesses from monopolizing markets, price fixing, similarly cornering an industry.Laws touch every aspect of social behavior across walks of life. For example, the activities of a typical day may include waking at home, preparing breakfast, getting children to school, and arriving at the workplace unmindful of the laws that manipulate these acts. The day continues with the use of an identification badge to park, clock-in for work, and in some cases to access restricted areas of the building. The day concludes with a stop at the local grocery store to purchase a few items for dinner and pay for them with a bank card giving no t hought of the numerous laws that govern this business transaction.After all, the design of the law is to function in society and business in such a way that following them requires little thought. Laws provide order and a tool for the government to enforce satisfactory behavior with a precise set of rules (public laws) for citizens to adhere to, such as civil, criminal, administrative, and constitutional laws. By the power of public law the government imposes penalties (fines or incarceration) for breaking the law through civil and criminal court actions upon members of the society.The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church has a rigorous set of laws, policies, procedures, and committee to vet potential ministerial candidates. However, since 1984 state law requires a criminal background check from the state law enforcement agency where the candidate resides before working in a day-care facility for children or senior citizens. The law further requires a one million dollar insurance rider for sexual misconduct charges that could result from counseling or visitations.The church complies with the intent of this legal mandate to protect the congregants from predators, and to avoid potential lawsuits that could bankrupt the church. In conclusion, the influence of law upon individuals’ lives begins at birth, and ends following death and the settlement of the estate. Law functions in marriage, separation, divorce, custody of children, birth certificates, and death certificates. To start a business, a person needs a permit, business license, and an attorney. Indeed the law influences people through the entirety of life.References Melvin, S. P. (2011). The legal environment of business: A managerial approach: Theory to practice. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Azria, S. M. (2008). Wills, Trusts, Estates & Taxation. Wills, Trusts, Estates & Taxation — Research Starters Business, 1. Bednar, J. (2006). Making Dollars and Sense. Businesswest, 23(5), 18. Bod en, D. (2008). How to take (legal) action. International Financial Law Review, 27(5), 96-99. Flynn, S. I. (2008). Business Estate Planning. Business Estate Planning — Research Starters Business, 1.

CHAPMAN Surname Meaning and Origin

CHAPMAN Surname Meaning and Origin The popular English surname Chapman most commonly originated as an occupational name for a businessman, trader, or merchant. Chapman derives from the Old High German choufman or koufman, which became the Old English cà ©apmann a compound of ceap, meaning to barter, bargain, or deal, plus mann, which means man. It was often, but not always, used as a name for an itinerant merchant. Chapman is the 74th most common surname in England. Surname Origin:  English Alternate Surname Spellings:  CHIPMAN, CHAPMEN, SHAPMAN, CAEPMON, CEPEMAN, CHEPMON, CYPMAN, CYPMANN Famous People With the CHAPMAN Surname John Chapman - aka Johnny AppleseedMark David Chapman - convicted murderer of former Beatle John LennonCarrie Chapman Catt -  suffrage movement leader and founder of the League of Women Voters; Chapman was the surname of her first husband, newspaper editor and publisher, Leo ChapmanSteven Curtis Chapman - Christian music singer and songwriterEddie Chapman - British spy and double agentGeorge Chapman -  English dramatist, translator, and poetJohn Wilbur Chapman -  American Presbyterian evangelistMaria Weston Chapman -  American abolitionist Genealogy Resources for the Surname CHAPMAN Common Surname Search TipsTips and tricks for researching your CHAPMAN ancestors online. Chapman Family AssociationThis non-profit American-based family association is dedicated to collecting, compiling and editing historical and genealogical records of Chapman family members. Chapman Family Tree DNA ProjectOver 240 men with the Chapman surname have contributed their Y-DNA results to this free surname project in an effort to sort out the origins of Chapman families worldwide by identifying the Chapman families that most closely match each other. CHAPMAN Family Genealogy ForumFree message board is focused on descendants of Chapman ancestors around the world. FamilySearch - CHAPMAN GenealogyThis free genealogy website offers access to more than 3 million historical records, plus lineage-linked family trees for the Chapman surname. CHAPMAN Surname Mailing ListFree mailing list for researchers of the Chapman surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages. DistantCousin.com - CHAPMAN Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Chapman. References: Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967. Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998. Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003. Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

New SAT Essay Prompts How Are They Changing

New SAT Essay Prompts How Are They Changing SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The CollegeBoard has once again completely revamped the SAT - the changes debuted in March 2016 (tests can have debuts right? Right). We have an overview about all of the changes that have been made, but how do the changes apply to the SAT essay questions in particular? Read on to find out more about the new SAT Writing prompts.

Charles Darwin Essay Natural Selection Example For Students

Charles Darwin Essay Natural Selection Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He was the son of Robert WaringDarwin and his wife Susannah; and the grandson of the scientist Erasmus Darwin,and of the potter Josiah Wedgwood. His mother died when he was eight years old,and he was brought up by his sister. He was taught classics at Shrewsbury, thensent to Edinburgh to study medicine, which he hated, and a final attempt ateducating him was made by sending him to Christs College, Cambridge, to studytheology (1827). During that period he loved to collect plants, insects, andgeological specimens, guided by his cousin William Darwin Fox, an entomologist. His scientific inclinations were encouraged by his botany professor, JohnStevens Henslow, who was instrumental, depsite heavy paternal opposition, insecuring a place for Darwin as a naturalist on the surveying expedition of HMSBeagle to Patagonia (1831-6). Under Captain Robert Fitzroy, he visited Tenerife,the Cape Verde Is, Brazil, Montevideo, Tierra del Fuego, Buenos Aires,Valparaiso, Chile, the Galapagos, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Tasmania. In theKeeling Is he devised his theory of coral reefs. During this five-yearexpedition he obtained intimate knowledge of the fauna, flora, and geology ofmany lands, which equipped him for his later investigations. By 1846 he hadpublished several works on the geologcial and zoological descoveries of hisvoyage- works that placed him at once in the front rank of scientists. Hedeveloped a friendship with Sir Charles Lyell, became secretary of theGeological Society (1838-41), and in 1839 married his cousin Emma Wedgewood(1808-96). From 1842 he lived a t Down House, Downe, Kent, a country gentlemanamong his gardens, conservatories, pigeons, and fowls. The practical knowledgehe gained there, especially in variation and interbreeding, proved invaluable. Private means enabled him to devote himself to science, in spite of continuousill-health: it was not realized until after his death that he had suffered fromChagass diasease, which he had contracted from an insect bite while in SouthAmerica. At Down House he addressed himself to the great work of his life- theproblem of the origin of species. After five years of collecting the evidence,he began to speculate on the subject. In 1842 he drew up his observations insome short.

Progressive era through the great depression Assignment

Progressive era through the great depression - Assignment Example Another major turning point was the Depression and the Unemployment that occurred in the late 1920’s after the Great Depression; this period was characterized by extreme economic crises and high rates of unemployment. At this time several factories were shut down and many workers were laid off. Discussion 2 The two historical turning points discussed above led to several economic, social and political facets whose effects are still faced by the current American Society. To begin with, the rise of the social movements specifically the Labor Movements that were propagated by the Muckrakers who exposed the Corruption, poor working conditions and lack of respect to human rights that were experienced at working places. In this respect, various groups of activist were forced to take several actions geared to towards opposing the poor working conditions and the corruption at the work places. ... ded with proper remunerations and proper working conditions; such labor laws are currently still practiced to promote proper working conditions and promote proper employee-employer relationships. The Second pertinent turning point in the history of the American Society in the progressive era through the Great depression was the unemployment and the depression that led to an extreme economic crises featured by closing of factories, over-production and high levels of unemployment. This also occurred in the early to the late 1920’s; the crash of the stock market in 1929 in the USA which caused a drastic reduction in economic growth of the nation; workers and farmers were also faced with conditions of low income. Several organizations such as the Robert La Follett’s and the Wisconsin made various attempts to formulate strategies to enable the society to enable the society to cope up with the deteriorating economy; however, their efforts were fruitless (Wisconsin University 2008). In the Mid 1930’s the then United States’ President Roosevelt formulated the New Deal policy and the unemployment bill that was developed by the Harold Groves as an economic model succeeded in improving the economic status. These models together with the current economic models have facilitated the relative stability in the current economic status in the American Society. Discussion 3 The late 1980’s through the 1920’s saw the rise of several women empowerment movements and social groups for instance: The Women Suffrage Movement, Women and Peace Movement, Legacy of Women in the Progressive and the Status of Women. All these groups were focused towards empowering women; the American Society during the progressive era was characterized by the perception that women were the Moral Guardian

Manager Perspective on Aircraft Maintenance Essay

Manager Perspective on Aircraft Maintenance - Essay Example An FBO is principally known for the provision of support services to the general operators of aviation at a public airport that is located either on the airport leasehold property or even in a few cases, adjacent to the airport leasehold property like an operation of through the fence. In smaller airports that operate and serve general aviation in modest or far-flung societies or communities, the town itself might offer fuel services together with the operation of basic facility of FBO. Many operators of FBO that do business at moderate to high traffic volume airports are non-governmental organizations; that is either publicly or privately owned companies (Herman, 1968). The general objective of the activity of maintenance effort is ensuring availability of the aircraft that is required to meet the operational commitments. In addition, the Aircraft Maintenance Manager is fully responsible for the management of maintenance effort to accomplish this objective. The department of mainten ance organization also helps the manager of aviation maintenance in attaining this goal. Moreover, the maintenance administration offers the personnel accounting, the clerical roles that are associated with the administrative support and record keeping (Mirghani, 1996). The maintenance management consists of the management of aircraft, material, SE and personnel. The MDS (Maintenance Data System) can also help in all there functions. Business aviation allover the world, particularly in the United States has a desirable safety record, and a thorough regulatory structure that helps in keeping it in that manner. One of the fundamental requirements is that the operators of AOC have appointed post holders in key positions, and among them is the maintenance manager. Nevertheless, this critical role may be undertaken or performed by a licensed engineer, even though not necessarily. The engineering quality control, with the responsibility of maintaining airworthiness, contracts with complia nce and suppliers, the present-day maintenance manager should, above all these, be a very competent supervisor (Mirghani, 1996). For this feature, when those who are responsible for their company’s carriers maintenance are asked to tell about their duties, it is surprisingly found that nearly all of them have good relationships with their local managers, and very few troubles or problems with the requirements of EASA different from the sheer paperwork quantity. It is very possible for the maintenance manager of the aircraft manager to be the only member of staff dealing with the technical matters. Nonetheless, the hands-on maintenance will nearly always be performed by contracted corporations with proper approvals. Those who employ their own engineering staffs say that there are numerous qualified candidates available; implying that the issues of shortages of engineers are long gone (Herman, 1968). The department of aircraft maintenance at the airports helps in supporting nav al operations by conserving the aircrafts and the associated SE to the allotted maintenance level. Since all the activities involved in maintenance have similarities in management, operation and mission, these sections have standardized supervision and organization (Herman, 1968). The department of maintenance helps in the facilitation or enhancement of: Training and performance of the maintenance personnel; maintenance effectiveness and veracity for all material;

Business project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business project - Coursework Example As competitors move to produce more efficient vehicles, by producing electric cars Toyota will be tapping into the profitable unexploited market. By diversifying the range of products it offers by introducing electric cars, will further increase its market base since it will be appealing to the different tastes and preferences of various consumers. Over the years, Toyota has penetrated the automobile market in various parts of the world. Its presence in different regions and countries provides it with an added advantage in the event it launches a new product. By manufacturing quality, dependable and reliable products, it has created faith among the users of these products. The reputation it has created of production of quality products is likely to spur the sales of the electric cars since it has an already established global presence. Toyota is an established brand and by producing electric cars, it shall be remaining relevant, flexible and dynamic so that it’s able to cope with the changing business demands and environment. There are two types of business environmental factors that are likely to affect the business. They may either be micro; internal factors or macro, those outside the business. One of the internal factors has been product quality features and safety. Between November 2009 and April 2010, the company recalled over 8 million different car and truck models that had been manufactured by Toyota company in U.S.A. the models were discovered as to having a defective brake and acceleration system. For this, it received a USD $16.37 million fine by the U.S government (Toyota Website). A major strength of the company is the ability to offer quality innovative products that suit the tastes of various consumers. This is reflected in the winning of the award of being the number one car manufacturer in the year 2007, a title it also retained in 2008 (Toyota

3BM070 Strategic Corporate Finance ASSIGNMENT 2 Essay

3BM070 Strategic Corporate Finance ASSIGNMENT 2 - Essay Example The ratio is seen to be as high as 30% (Damodaran, 2012). a) Whether making investments in the shares of BP is profitable or not, has been analysed on the basis of the above calculations in respect to p/e ratio and the share price value calculated using the dividend growth model. The p/e ratio aids investors to understand the market prospects of a given stock. A higher p/e ratio is generally considered to be better as it results out of higher earnings and market value existing for a share. It is also considered that firms having a higher p/e ratio is likely to give more dividends (Bakshi and Chen, 2005). The ratio helps investors to decide upon the price at which shares must be purchased based on the evaluation of its earnings. The ratio therefore aids in establishing a relationship between earnings and the market value per share. It is extremely essential that the ratio is studied by investors based on industry average and previous year’s values. The ratio can be interpreted wrongly if not suitably compared with the p/e ratios of previous years and the general ratio existing in the industry (Sharpe, 2002). From the calculations carried out it has been seen that the p/e ratio of BP in the 2013 has been lower than the general industry standards. The industry standards were at 12.8 while the ratio for BP was as low as 6.49%. This indicates that the market value of shares and the EPS values for the year 2013 of BP were lower than the general industry standards. On the other hand, it was seen that the p/e ratio for the year 20014 had risen to 30%. This was identified due to a fall in the earning per share (EPS) values, although the price of shares had experienced lower level of decline. Although a higher p/e ratio is considered to be better, it may be judged wrongly if not compared with the figures of the previous year. In case of BP, although the p/e ratio had risen, the cause behind it was a fall

Drug and GPA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drug and GPA - Assignment Example Introduction The study on the effect of drug on individual GPA is very useful and critical. This is owing to the fact that, in developed countries, one among four young people between the age of 12 and 20 are involved in drug abuse and excessive alcohol consumption. Several studies in United States learning institutions have also confirmed that drug abuse at young age significantly affects students’ academic performance. Drug abuse also results in increased conflict in schools and school dropouts. The threatening impacts of drugs and alcohol abuse on students GPA have therefore raised the need for intensive research to understand the manner in which drugs affect Grade Point Average at all academic levels (Hommer, 2003). The study will also be critical in helping the policy makers in coming up with an effective intervention measures to address the problem. Research question Does drug effect students’ GPA? Literature review Williams, Powell &Wechsler, (2003, undertook int ensive researches to understand the impact of drugs on GPA. Howver, among there researches, there is no study that has presented a convincing answer. The available research findings in the journal have however confirmed that drug abuse has a critical students GPA. Drusg also dertemines whether a student will remain in school or will terminate their education for other social purposes. Most of their studies that were conducted in the United States of America in 2003 and they linked drug abuse to various social challenges in higher learning institutions including school drop outs, hangovers, alcohol poisoning, Neuro-cognitive defects, and brain dysfunction (Williams, Powell &Wechsler, 2003).. ... Based on this research finding, it is also clear and accurate to observe that male GPA are largely affected by drug consumption more than their female counterparts. On their part, Zimmerman, Caldwell & Bernat, (2006), obrserved that male students who engage in excessive consumptions of alcohol and drugs have a poor GPA compared to female who are involved in the same social vice. Their study further indicated that the rate of drug abuse both in high schools and in other higher learning institutions is increasing at an alarming rate. Therefore, by considering the impact of drugs on students’ performance, (Zimmerman, Caldwell & Bernat, 2006) recognised the importance of intensive research to intensively understand the manner in which drugs affects male and female students Grade Point Average (GPA) at all academic levels. The understanding of impact of drug abuse on male and female student GPA is also vital as it will help in searching for the most appropriate intervention measure s to address the vice (Zimmerman, Caldwell & Bernat, 2006) Method The study used random method to identify the sample. Data was obtained from a sample from CSUN students in June, 2009 (N=541). This sample composed of 35.6% males and 64.4% females. Respondents age was between 18-54 with mean age: 25.4 (s=5.619). The sample was also from different ethical background, 20.6% Asian-Pacific Islander, 25.6% Latino/Hispanic 8.1, 39.1% Caucasian, African American, and 5.6% other. The available information also indicates that among the 36,208 students registered at CSUN43% are men and 57% are women. Ethnically, the population is composed of Asian-Pacific

Business project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business project - Coursework Example As competitors move to produce more efficient vehicles, by producing electric cars Toyota will be tapping into the profitable unexploited market. By diversifying the range of products it offers by introducing electric cars, will further increase its market base since it will be appealing to the different tastes and preferences of various consumers. Over the years, Toyota has penetrated the automobile market in various parts of the world. Its presence in different regions and countries provides it with an added advantage in the event it launches a new product. By manufacturing quality, dependable and reliable products, it has created faith among the users of these products. The reputation it has created of production of quality products is likely to spur the sales of the electric cars since it has an already established global presence. Toyota is an established brand and by producing electric cars, it shall be remaining relevant, flexible and dynamic so that it’s able to cope with the changing business demands and environment. There are two types of business environmental factors that are likely to affect the business. They may either be micro; internal factors or macro, those outside the business. One of the internal factors has been product quality features and safety. Between November 2009 and April 2010, the company recalled over 8 million different car and truck models that had been manufactured by Toyota company in U.S.A. the models were discovered as to having a defective brake and acceleration system. For this, it received a USD $16.37 million fine by the U.S government (Toyota Website). A major strength of the company is the ability to offer quality innovative products that suit the tastes of various consumers. This is reflected in the winning of the award of being the number one car manufacturer in the year 2007, a title it also retained in 2008 (Toyota

Drug and GPA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Drug and GPA - Assignment Example Introduction The study on the effect of drug on individual GPA is very useful and critical. This is owing to the fact that, in developed countries, one among four young people between the age of 12 and 20 are involved in drug abuse and excessive alcohol consumption. Several studies in United States learning institutions have also confirmed that drug abuse at young age significantly affects students’ academic performance. Drug abuse also results in increased conflict in schools and school dropouts. The threatening impacts of drugs and alcohol abuse on students GPA have therefore raised the need for intensive research to understand the manner in which drugs affect Grade Point Average at all academic levels (Hommer, 2003). The study will also be critical in helping the policy makers in coming up with an effective intervention measures to address the problem. Research question Does drug effect students’ GPA? Literature review Williams, Powell &Wechsler, (2003, undertook int ensive researches to understand the impact of drugs on GPA. Howver, among there researches, there is no study that has presented a convincing answer. The available research findings in the journal have however confirmed that drug abuse has a critical students GPA. Drusg also dertemines whether a student will remain in school or will terminate their education for other social purposes. Most of their studies that were conducted in the United States of America in 2003 and they linked drug abuse to various social challenges in higher learning institutions including school drop outs, hangovers, alcohol poisoning, Neuro-cognitive defects, and brain dysfunction (Williams, Powell &Wechsler, 2003).. ... Based on this research finding, it is also clear and accurate to observe that male GPA are largely affected by drug consumption more than their female counterparts. On their part, Zimmerman, Caldwell & Bernat, (2006), obrserved that male students who engage in excessive consumptions of alcohol and drugs have a poor GPA compared to female who are involved in the same social vice. Their study further indicated that the rate of drug abuse both in high schools and in other higher learning institutions is increasing at an alarming rate. Therefore, by considering the impact of drugs on students’ performance, (Zimmerman, Caldwell & Bernat, 2006) recognised the importance of intensive research to intensively understand the manner in which drugs affects male and female students Grade Point Average (GPA) at all academic levels. The understanding of impact of drug abuse on male and female student GPA is also vital as it will help in searching for the most appropriate intervention measure s to address the vice (Zimmerman, Caldwell & Bernat, 2006) Method The study used random method to identify the sample. Data was obtained from a sample from CSUN students in June, 2009 (N=541). This sample composed of 35.6% males and 64.4% females. Respondents age was between 18-54 with mean age: 25.4 (s=5.619). The sample was also from different ethical background, 20.6% Asian-Pacific Islander, 25.6% Latino/Hispanic 8.1, 39.1% Caucasian, African American, and 5.6% other. The available information also indicates that among the 36,208 students registered at CSUN43% are men and 57% are women. Ethnically, the population is composed of Asian-Pacific

Fn 11 Cooking Medium Matrix Essay Example for Free

Fn 11 Cooking Medium Matrix Essay Cooked Product| Medium of Cooking| Cooking Method| Description| Sensorial Qualities| Grilled Pork Liempo| Air| Charcoal Grilling| The pork, after being marinated, is placed on a hot grill where it is cooked from the hot air caused by the heat source, coal. The pork is also cooked because of the heat transfer from the metal grill. | The pork becomes a dark brown color and is slightly chard in some areas (having grill marks); the meat is tender and easy to chew while the fat on the meat is greasy and moderately soft; the pork’s flavour is very developed due to the marinade. It also has a smoky flavour which is caused by the charcoal. | Pork Sinigang| Water| Boiling| The pork is boiled in a pot of water for several minutes with onions and tomatoes and spices like tamarind and such. When the pork is thoroughly cooked, the vegetables are then added and allowed to cook as well. | The meat and the fat are very pale in color; the pork’s meat and fat are both very tender. The fat melts in your mouth and is very gelatinous; the pork has a less developed taste and much of the flavour is transferred to the broth of the Sinigang. | Fried Pork Chop| Oil| Pan Frying| The pork is marinated and is then pan fried in a skillet with a fair amount of oil. The pork is first cooked on one side then is flipped over and cooked on the other. | The pork becomes golden brown; the skin clinging to the fat becomes crispy while the fat becomes soft and tender. The meat is often slightly tough; flavour is developed because frying lets the meat’s juices come out and because of the marinade. The taste of the pork is strong in the meat. | Savoury Pork Stew | Oil and Water| StewingSearing | The pork is first seared at high temperature for a few minutes. After this, the pork is then cooked in a pot with water and other ingredients, like tomato paste and such, to let the meat tenderize, develop flavour, and stew. After the meat is completely cooked and when the water has reduced to a thick sauce, vegetables like potatoes and carrots are added to improve flavour. | The pork becomes a dark brown and is often coated in a thick sauce; the fat and the meat are very tender and easily break apart;the meat develops a lot of flavour due to the stewing process; a lot of the pork’s fat becomes rendered into the sauce of the stew.

Understand The Importance Of Leadership Styles And Behaviour Management Essay

Understand The Importance Of Leadership Styles And Behaviour Management Essay Hersey and Blanchard developed a Situational Leadership Model of management and leadership styles in order to present the ideal progression of a team from immaturity (stage 1) through to maturity (stage 4) during which management and leadership style progresses from directing(1), through the stages of increased management involvement of coaching (2) and supporting(3) to the final stage where the manager becomes relatively removed delegating (4). This is the point at which the team is almost self-sufficient and possibly contains at least one managerial/leadership successor. I have applied a Hersey-Blanchard type questionnaire to determine my own leadership style. The analysis of the responses showed that I have a slight tendency to be directing above supporting and delegating with a lesser inclination towards a coaching style of management. Four situations where different leadership styles would be appropriate for your team Directing style this is generally applied when staff in the team are highly motivated to do their work but do not have much experience. It is characterised by the manager providing close supervision and giving specific instructions on what needs to be done. This style would be suited, for example, to a new starter to the team who may need considerable guidance relating to the processes and procedures which the team applies in the first instance. Coaching style this is most appropriate when staff have begun to develop in their roles and hence have grown in confidence which has possibly lowered their level of motivation. In this instance the manager takes on a more consultative persona, asking for questions and ideas, but ultimately makes the final decision. I would expect to apply this leadership style to staff who have perhaps been in their role around 6 months, trying to draw thoughts and ideas from people to show that their opinions make sense and are valid. Supporting style applied when staff have progressed to a higher level of competence and also have key ideas and input which they like to be heard. However, these staff may still lack confidence with respect to taking making decisions. This style is represented by a reduced level of supervision and the manager becoming more participative, forming part of the group and allowing the group to reach its own decisions and implement them. I would apply this leadership style when staff have progressed to being fully competent in their role, but perhaps there is still some self-doubt to take the final step to make a key decision i.e. they still require a level of re-assurance that the actions they are taking are the correct ones. Delegating style this is used where staff are highly competent and are also solid performers, where the team is self-managing, i.e. it can plan its own work, work through its own problems and take its own decisions. This style is appropriate when the team have reached the stage of being high-performers. This would be the point where I could step-back from day-to-day management of them, considering strategic management instead, and even think about progression to the next step in their/my own careers. Feedback from others using appropriate leadership model As I currently do not have any direct reports (vacancy being progressed). I requested 3 of my colleagues to complete a similar questionnaire (responses were anonymous). The analysis of the responses was quite varied as follows: First respondent suggested a balanced use of all of the 4 styles; Second respondent suggested directing was my least-preferred style and that I predominantly preferred a supporting leadership style; Analysis of the third respondents questionnaire showed a strong preference towards directing and coaching styles with the others to a much lesser extent. Possibly, these responses are not straightforward to analyse, as these individuals are not my direct-reports and had to use only their knowledge of my behaviour from working alongside me to determine how I would react in different situations suggested in the questionnaire. I suggest that my own hypothesis of a directing leadership style is (semi-) supported by the analysis of my collegues responses. Certainly, it has been an approach I have used when conducting Management System audits in the past. How leadership behaviour can be improved in the context of the model One area I need to develop is an appreciation of the benefits to be gained from being able to switch from one management style to another depending upon the situation (i.e. a particular task, project or challenge). A directing approach, if applied too frequently can be demotivating in that staff may feel that they are unable to be left alone to get on with their work, and also that they are also not asked to come up with their own ideas. My own leadership behaviour could be enhanced if, where the situation merited it, I took a more consultative or coaching approach to try to draw ideas out of the team and make them feel as if they are making a positive contribution. Eventually, I would like to reach the point where I am applying a participative or supporting approach i.e. still being the leader of the team but with a greater degree of integration so that planning and decisions are made collectively. The biggest shift that I need to make is away from a mindset which says no-one can do the job as well as I can and micro-managing people so that they deliver products to my exact specification and towards a philosophy where I give staff more freedom to think for themselves and come up with their own (possibly better) solutions. Understand how to build the Team Recognised model to explain how groups are formed Tuckman (1965) devised a model to explain the behaviour of groups of individuals in a variety of environments. The model suggests 4 unique stages that all groups experience and furthermore Tuckman states that a group has to experience all 4 phases to operate at their maximum potential. The progression is Forming; Storming; Norming and Performing. As a team matures in terms of its development and ability, the team dynamics change as do the inter-personal relationships between the team members. The leadership style of the team leader also modifies to suit, this has close parallels with the Hersey Blanchard model discussed earlier. I will relate examples of the formation of Central Assurance Team for Investment Projects to each stage of the Tuckman Model, as an illustration The team was formed as a consequence of a re-organisation of the whole of the Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSQE) function within Infrastructure Investment (now called Investment Projects), approximately 18 months ago. It is a combination of four sub-teams Audit, Systems, Reporting and Licensing. Forming stage- Team places high level of dependence on its leader for both guidance and direction, including the aims and objectives of the team. The roles and responsibilities of the team members at this stage are unclear. The leader may be frequently questioned on what the teams purpose is and its relationships with key stakeholders. The team members often test the tolerance level of the leader and they may also ignore process. As is suggested in the Hersey-Blanchard model, the leader applies a directive management approach. The forming stage for the Central Assurance Team (CAT) can be related to a four-day team building exercise which took place off-site, the purpose of which was for everyone to get to know each other and to understand what the role of the team was going forward. At this time, there was a certain amount of wariness between team members with respect to which role each individual was in the team for and indeed, as time progressed, some of these roles actually changed. Storming stage- The team members try to establish a pecking order within the group with respect to each other and the team leader, they may even challenge the leadership of the group. The teams purpose becomes clearer, however there is still underlying uncertainty. The team may split into cliques and power struggles ensue. The leader will adopt a coaching style of management to focus the team on its goal and avoid unproductive distractions. Very often progress may require compromises. The CAT at this point, was trying to understand a strategy of how they would deliver what was expected of them from the Investment Projects Programmes. The four sub-teams spent time drafting up strategy and functional-plan type documents to clarify their own roles and objectives. People were keen to get started on the day-job. Norming stage-The leader adopts a more participative style at this stage, and his/her main task are to facilitate and enable. The team starts to experience both agreement and concensus and their roles and responsibilities become clear. Big decisions are made by agreement between the group, smaller ones are delegated to sub-groups within the team. The team is highly committed and there is a sense of togetherness, processes are developed as well as a way of working. The leader is generally well respected at this point and some of his responsibilities are shared by the team. For the CAT, this was doing business as usual. As part of the audit team, this meant drawing up an audit plan (in-line with the strategy), producing a briefing pack, designing audit protocols and the forms and templates which form part of our day-to-day work. Then there was the actual auditing activity itself, working with the Programmes to ensure that the activity was adding value and learning lessons from each audit so that the process was improved each time. Performing stage- At this stage the team has strategic awareness, i.e. it understands not only what it is there for but why. The team has a shared vision and is independent of its leader. The team take most of its decisions in line with the criteria set by its leader, they also focus on over-achieving on their goals. The team is highly autonomous and disagreements are dealt with in a positive manner, often resulting in changes to processes and structure. The team works towards achieving its goal but also concentrates on style and process issues whilst doing so. The leaders role is to delegate and oversee tasks rather than instructing and assisting directly. With only 18 months of experience behind it, it is difficult to say whether the CAT has actually reached the performing stage in its development. As far as the audit team goes, we are still developing a long-term vision and assessing how the audit plan will be adapted to the customer/stakeholder requirements year on year. Without doubt, each member of the team is committed to producing high-quality work, it is a question of harnessing this towards a common direction. The benefits of understanding preferred team roles This was an area explored by Belbin in the late 1970s. He demonstrated that a balanced team, consisting of members of differing capabilities would consistently perform better than a less-balanced team. Belbin identified 9 roles, which, if they are all present in a team, provide good balance and increase the likelihood of success. An individuals team role(s) can be determined by the use of a Belbin-style questionnaire, examples of which are available via the internet. It is not necessary for the team to consist of 9 people, each one filling a single role, but for all of the roles to be represented by the team. When looking at the Central Assurance (Audit) team, it can be seen that, among 5 people, all 9 roles are in existence, although some are bought-in from outside of the team to provide the full complement. For example, we utilise specialists from outside of the team where we do not have an in-depth knowledge of a particular subject. The plant is seen as the senior manager who has responsibility for all four legs of the Central Assurance function as a whole. The team has a very strong completer-finisher bias. This is because the job dictates a great attention to detail and the closure of issues once identified. Additionally, the implementer role is in strong evidence as the team must convert an audit plan into reality and one senior member of staff within the team acts as the co-ordinator. Belbins study concluded that individuals are more motivated and perform more effectively when they are working in accordance with their own natural style. Hence it is a benefit to the manager to allow individuals to work to these strengths to improve team productivity and the cohesion between the team members. Know how to handle conflict What may have caused the conflict One conflict situation I was directly involved in was during my time on the Network Rail West Coast Route Modernisation Programme on the Lichfield Trent Valley 4-Tracking project (TV4). The project management team were concerned about whether the Network Rail Field Engineers were signing off a sufficient quantity of Inspection and Test data sheets. The Inspection and Test plan document is effectively proof that Network Rail has accepted the construction contractors work as being of sufficient quality and acts as a sign-off document for a particular section of work. As the Quality Engineer on the TV 4 project, I was responsible for providing assurances that these sign-offs were taking place (or that a sufficient proportion were being completed). In one particular geographical area of the works, it was discovered that very few of the Inspection and Test sheets had been completed by the Field Engineers. One of the reasons for this was that the work was spread over a 2-mile stretch of track and it was very difficult for such a small team of Field Engineers to be in place and witness the works and sign it off before the next section of works began. I reported the data to the TV4 Management Team and, unfortunately, this caused a conflict between myself and the Network Rail Field Engineers for that area as they saw the exercise that I had undertaken as something of a witch hunt resulting in a great deal of criticism of them from senior management. Effects of the conflict on individual and team performance The effect that this had was to make me very unpopular amongst the Field Engineering team and also to limit the degree to which they were prepared to assist me in future. They were also quick to make the news known to other staff working on the project! However, the exercise did highlight to management that there were resource problems if they were to provide anywhere near a significant proportion of signed Inspection and Test documents going forward. Recognised techniques to minimise and resolve conflicts In a paper called Resolving Conflict in Work Teams by the Team Building Directory, the authors state that conflict can arise from numerous sources within an team setting and generally fall into 3 categories: Communication Factors; Structural Factors and Personal Factors (source: Varney 1989). Barriers to communication are some of the most important factors and can be major sources of misunderstanding as in the example I have given. The communication barrier that has been noted here is a difference between interpretation and perception i.e. the team are not producing the required output and are therefore lazy and need to be warned to improve their performance. When perhaps the more likely conclusion was that they were drastically under-resourced to achieve the task required. The approach taken was to enforce the rules and this typically brings about hard feelings towards those who instigate it. When negative conflict occurs, there a 5 accepted methods for handling it: Compete; Collaborate; Avoid; Accommodate or Compromise (Thomas and Kilman). Each can be used effectively in different circumstances. For the particular example cited, possibly the best technique to apply was a compromise approach where a bargaining position could have been sought between two parties who had differing ideas on a solution but could not find a common ground (i.e. and agreed target for signing the documentation until the resourcing issue could be resolved). Creating a positive atmosphere and minimising the effect of conflict Negative conflict can be avoided by examining the 6 potential areas described by Nelson in the paper Interpersonal Team Leadership Skills (Hospital Management Quarterly, 1995). Administrative procedures a good groundwork for the effective coordination of work People resources adequate resources to do the job to avoid some carrying too heavy a load. Process for cost overruns proper resources in place so that the team knows what to do when cost becomes a problem and additional funding needs to be sought. This way the problem is resolved before it becomes a problem for management. Schedules the project schedule should be visible. The team should work together so that everyone achieves their deadline. Responsibilties what areas are assigned and who is responsible for them? Wish lists stick to the project in hand, avoid being side-tracked to try to fit other things into it. Do the other things youd like to after the original project is successfully completed.

Possessions of Character in The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien :: The Things They Carried Vietnam War Essays

Possessions of Character in The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien "The Things They Carried," by Tim O'Brien, contains many references to "possessions of character." Many things Lt. Cross carries were carried by all, including: military equipment, stationery, photographs, diseases, food, the land of Vietnam itself, their lives, and even more. O'Brien highlights these along with special things that Lt. Jimmy Cross carries. He, thus, reveals something of what Cross values. Belongings reflect his character and thoughts. "Grief, terror, love, longing--these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight." Lt. Jimmy Cross carries letters and a pebble from Martha, a girl whom he cares about greatly, but she does not share the same emotions for him. He carries these things to remind him of her, of his feelings for her. At the end of every day he ritually unwraps them and reads them. These letters are light in weight, only ten ounces, but prove to be a heavy burden. Above all, he carries the responsibility for the lives of his men. He is dreaming when Lavender is shot, and so he blames himself for it. Lavender's death was something which "He would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war." He does not always pay attention to what is most important, his men. Lt. Jimmy Cross burns all of Martha's letters at the end of the story, trying to forget her, to erase the memory. Still, he carries her in his mind along with the haunting memory that she was not involved. Martha is just a part of the technicalities now, he bids her farewell in his mind and decides to rid himself of the pebble. He is past his days of dreaming and hoping. Everything that Lt. Cross carries has more physical weight than those letters, but none were more of a burden to him.

Justifying the Iraq War :: Politics Wars Middle East Bush Iraq Essays

The ensuing war between the United States and Iraq has been a topic of controversy for several years now. Citizens of America have been divided since the war began and continue to cluster in groups that either fully support or have no support for President Bush and this ongoing war. Many would like to know who is right and who is wrong. Is this war with Iraq justifiable, or has America jumped into something that could have possibly been avoided? To answer these questions a comparison should be made between the characteristics of this war and those that constitute a just war. Just war is a term which implies that a certain war is acceptable and justifiable based on certain conditions. The conditions for having a just war include those which must be visible before a war can be declared (Jus Ad Bellum) as well as those that must be followed during a war (Jus In Bello). Some of the conditions that are necessary before war is declared include having a just cause for war, having the right intentions for war, and having no other alternative but war (1). Once engaged in a war other criteria apply such as the acts of war must be aimed those doing wrong and not at innocent civilians, prisoners of war should be treated humanely and with respect, and finally that there be no torture of any kind to soldiers of the opposing army. If these characteristics are put up against the United States and their strikes on Iraq, there is absolutely no way that the just war theory could classify this war as being just. The primary criterion for any war to be labeled as a just war is for that war to be declared for a just cause. The United States clearly did not have any such cause for launching a war against Iraq. The Bush administration’s newly proposed doctrine of pre-emption declares the right to initiate strikes against states that are deemed to be future threats against the US (2). Under the rules of just war, just cause is described as self defense against an attack in order to preserve innocent life, not pre-emptive strikes against possible dangers. The fact is, is that although the idea of attacking a nation that does not pose a threat today, but may pose one in the near future is as old as war itself, it completely goes against the precedents set forth by the just war theory(2). Justifying the Iraq War :: Politics Wars Middle East Bush Iraq Essays The ensuing war between the United States and Iraq has been a topic of controversy for several years now. Citizens of America have been divided since the war began and continue to cluster in groups that either fully support or have no support for President Bush and this ongoing war. Many would like to know who is right and who is wrong. Is this war with Iraq justifiable, or has America jumped into something that could have possibly been avoided? To answer these questions a comparison should be made between the characteristics of this war and those that constitute a just war. Just war is a term which implies that a certain war is acceptable and justifiable based on certain conditions. The conditions for having a just war include those which must be visible before a war can be declared (Jus Ad Bellum) as well as those that must be followed during a war (Jus In Bello). Some of the conditions that are necessary before war is declared include having a just cause for war, having the right intentions for war, and having no other alternative but war (1). Once engaged in a war other criteria apply such as the acts of war must be aimed those doing wrong and not at innocent civilians, prisoners of war should be treated humanely and with respect, and finally that there be no torture of any kind to soldiers of the opposing army. If these characteristics are put up against the United States and their strikes on Iraq, there is absolutely no way that the just war theory could classify this war as being just. The primary criterion for any war to be labeled as a just war is for that war to be declared for a just cause. The United States clearly did not have any such cause for launching a war against Iraq. The Bush administration’s newly proposed doctrine of pre-emption declares the right to initiate strikes against states that are deemed to be future threats against the US (2). Under the rules of just war, just cause is described as self defense against an attack in order to preserve innocent life, not pre-emptive strikes against possible dangers. The fact is, is that although the idea of attacking a nation that does not pose a threat today, but may pose one in the near future is as old as war itself, it completely goes against the precedents set forth by the just war theory(2).

Career Plan Essay

During the five week course of Business Communication and Critical Thinking, there were activities at the My Career Plan page on University of Phoenixes website that were required to be completed for the week. They were Career interests Profiler, Competencies, Work Culture Preferences and Reasoning Aptitude. This Author will discuss those activities that were taken and completed during this course. The discussion will also be tailored around how this course applies to the career plan. Career Interests Profiler The first activity was the Career Interests Profiler. Before the My Career Plan can give ideas as to the possible career paths for this author, a series of questions needed to be answered in order for the profiler to tailor the careers according to the answers given. Upon the completion of answering the questions, the profiler had identified three specific characteristics for this author. They were: artistic, realistic and enterprising. Below these were possible career paths that correlated with the three characteristics. Amongst the top picks were arts, designs, entertainment, media and sports. Innately a creative person, this author agrees with majority of the matches given. Critical thinking is an imperative aspect when looking at the arts and design careers. Innovation is key and requires a large amount of focused and creative perspectives. Competencies The second activity was the competencies section. This activity is to uncover the personal behaviors, skills and abilities to drive performance at work. The results from this activity were formulated by yet another series of questions to accurately identify the test takers specific competencies. Results from this test were similarly accurate as well. Organization, following instructions and innovating were among the top strengths for this author. All of these strengths are important in the world of business and communication, and also assist in the ability to critical thinking. Work Culture Preferences The third activity was Work Culture Preferences, which helped to uncover the personal ideal work culture and discover where this author would perform the best. The results form the questionnaire stated that this authors work culture is Leadership intensive, Supportive and Expert. These are cultures in a working atmosphere that are very agreeable to this author. The need for leadership, along with ongoing support from that leadership is imperative. Also, the need to be a valued member or superior in the working environment is equally as important as the others. Reasoning Aptitude Lastly, Reasoning Aptitude was the final activity required to complete the My Career Plan activities. The results form this was the same as the competencies earlier described. The objective was to formulate a personal aptitude range to career exploration. The only addition to this section stated that this author was focused. Conclusion This author sees the importance to the My Career Plan. Knowing this information can allow the user to generate a clear idea of the desired work environment in a career that suites the needs and strengths of the student. Blindly searching for a career path without knowing what interests, competencies, work culture and reasoning aptitudes align with the student can be very difficult, and next to impossible.

Marketing 300 Notes Essay

In the Summa Theologica, Thomas Aquinas uses the philosophical method to theology and addresses the question of whether God’s existence can be demonstrated as well as the question of whether we can know God completely. For Aquinas, the question of proving the existence of God is always bound up with the question of how, and to what extent, we can know God at all. St. Thomas Aquinas believes that yes, God’s existence can be demonstrated but that no we cannot know God completely. St. Thomas believes that God’s existence can in fact be demonstrated and that it can be done so in two ways. â€Å"One is through the cause, and is called â€Å"a priori†, and this is to argue from what is prior absolutely. The other is through the effect, and is called a demonstration â€Å"a posteriori†; this is to argue from what is prior relatively only to us† (Aquinas 15). In other words, to demonstrate that God exists is done in a cause and effect manner. For the question as to whether or not we can know God completely, St. Thomas answers that no, we cannot know God completely. According to St. Thomas one can know the essence of God, but to completely know God would be impossible. The differences between these two questions are that the question as to whether or not God’s existence can be demonstrated addresses God’s existence whereas the question on whether or not we can know God completely does not question God’s existence, just the amount of knowledge one can have on God. St. Thomas Aquinas proposed five proofs in which humans can use natural reason to prove the existence of God through extrinsic evidence. Through the use of natural reason we can logically conclude in the existence of God. Yet strictly speaking, God’s existence cannot be definitively proven through laboratory tests and experimental science. Experimental science and intrinsic evidence cannot definitively prove historical events, and yet by reason we know they have occurred. And surely were science falters and extrinsic evidence fail, reason and intrinsic evidence can prove the spiritual which cannot be measured by material sciences. The first way begins observing the movement all over the world and ends up asserting the existence of God as Immovable Motor; the second way observes the existence of causes in the world and concludes the existence of an ultimate Cause. The Third Way emphasizes one of the most important features of all finite objects, the radical insufficiency of their being, their contingency: the beings of the world exist but they could equally not exist, they have specific features which they could equally not have. If they do exist but could not then we can think of a time in which they didn’t; and if they were the only beings of the world, then nothing would have existed. As this is obviously not the case, then we should conclude that along with those contingent beings there must exist a necessary being, a being which has its origin in itself instead of in another being, and that being is God. St. Thomas states, â€Å"Therefore it is necessary to arrive at a first mover, put in motion by no other; and this everyone understands to be God† (Aquinas 16). In the next paragraph Aquinas says, â€Å"Therefore it is necessary to admit a first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God† (Aquinas 17). Clearly, St. Thomas Aquinas is making his point that God is the source of everything. Since God is the cause we see the effects. The effects had to have come from a cause, which is God, and therefore God must exist. St. Thomas Aquinas starts off his discussion on whether or not one can know God by discussing the senses and their role in how humans know things. â€Å"Our natural knowledge begins from sense. Hence our natural knowledge can go as far as it can be led by sensible things† (Aquinas 86). St. Thomas states, â€Å"It is impossible for God to be seen by the sense of sight, or by any other sense, or faculty of the sensitive power† (Aquinas 74). What this passage is saying is that we cannot see God and because we cannot see God, it is impossible for us to know him. As humans we can know human beings because we can see them physically, however we cannot do this with God. Aquinas says, â€Å"when any created intellect sees the essence of God, the essence of God itself becomes the intelligible form on the intellect† (Aquinas 77) and this means that for what we can see with our human eyes that is what is going to portray to us what God is like. This means that we cannot fully know God and that we can only know of him or about him. God is an infinite being and we are finite beings which mean that we can only contain so much knowledge within us. Due to the fact that we are limited with our knowledge, it is impossible for humans to ever be able to fully encompass and know God because there is too much to know about Him. God is infinite, he has always been and humans cannot understand this because there is nothing else that we know of that has forever been and always will be. For these reasons, St. Aquinas believes that humans will never be able to fully know God like how they know one another. One can also compare these two questions not just by what they are based on (existence and knowledge) but also by looking at the differences between faith and knowledge. As stated previously when discussing whether or not we can know God completely, the basis of knowledge is derived from the senses. Knowledge has factual evidence from the world around you and has to do with reason and science. â€Å"We have a more perfect knowledge of God by grace than by natural reason†¦the knowledge which we have by natural reason contains two things: images derived from the sensible objects; and the natural intelligible light, enabling us to abstract from them intelligible conceptions. Now in both of these, human knowledge is assisted by the revelation of grace. For the intellect’s natural light is strengthened by the infusion of gratuitous light† (Aquinas__). On the other hand, Faith (or a belief) in something you take without question or evidence. An example of this is if someone is inside of a building and cannot see outside and someone comes in from being outside and tells the person that it is raining. Since the person inside has no way of knowing that it is raining outside since they cannot see or hear it, then they must believe the person telling them that it is raining. â€Å"Faith does not involve a search by natural reason to prove what is believed. But it does involve a form of inquiry unto things by which a person is led to belief, e. g. whether they are spoken by God and confirmed by miracles† (Aquinas__). Teachings by St. Augustine and Pseudo-Dionysius agree with the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas about knowing God. All of them agree that it impossible to be able to fully and completely know God. Alternatively, the three of them believe that one can only know about and of God; knowing only the different aspects of God. Dionysius describes God as â€Å"wholly unknowable† and has as â€Å"incomprehensible presence† (Pseudo Dionysius 119) which is him saying that God cannot be understood completely. Dionysius also says that God is made up of infinite characteristics, which Dionysius combines to call the â€Å"Godlike oneness† (Pseudo Dionysius 36). He says that one can better know God through knowing that he has characteristics such as â€Å"good†, â€Å"fair†, and â€Å"existent† (Pseudo Dionysius 39-40) but that he is so much more than just these. This relates to St. Thomas Aquinas’ thoughts that through our senses, we can come to know more about God because of what he created, but it is still impossible to completely know God. Similarly with St. Augustine, he states that God is â€Å"high above all, uncontainable and immeasurable† (Augustine 32) which means that God is beyond our reach. Due to the face that we cannot see God, then it is impossible for us to know him fully. St. Augustine also states that God is â€Å"incorruptible, inviolable, and unchangeable’ (Augustine 90). The meaning of this passage states that God is perfect. If he were to be changed, he would no longer be perfect. This is a concept that humans cannot comprehend because humans are not perfect and perfection is an abstract thought. They can have an idea as to what perfection is, but it is impossible to fully understand. In conclusion, knowing that God exists and knowing God are two completely different questions. St. Thomas Aquinas states that one can know that God exists and that it can be proven philosophically through the effects. On the other hand he also states that one cannot know God, only aspects of Him. These two questions correlate with the different of faith and knowledge. Faith is associated with the question of knowing God (cannot be proven) and knowledge is associated with the question of knowing that God exists (can be proven philosophically). St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine and Pseudo Dionysius all state that it is impossible to fully know God. They all agree on the fact that it is possible to know aspects of God and know partially who he is through using our senses, yet God is still seen to be infinite so it is impossible for our human minds to fully comprehend God.

Analysis on Overt Covert Racism

Racism is socially constructed in society and is used to differentiate privileges, wealth, and social class amongst individuals. Overt and covert racism have unique distinction in the sense that, one is explicit and the other is implicit. Thus, in today’s society, practices of popular culture account for hegemonic depictions in overt and covert racism. Firstly, overt racism is explicit in the sense that it is intentionally out there to demonstrate differentiations in the individual or group through harm or attacks. Secondly, covert racism could be considered an implicit method in which can be thought of as the effects of overt racism. Furthermore, covert racism in the example of black discrimination would be the generalization or stereotyping of African-Americans by the mass public (non-blacks) who perhaps can be thought of as, â€Å"brainwashed†. Lastly, through social constructionism hegemonic practices can be found in overt and covert racism. With that, White America has effectively socially constructed an ideology that became hegemonic towards the Black community through the effects of overt and covert racism. Racism in, â€Å"Identity and Community† is defined as the concept in which discrimination in human beings is based on physically, biologically, and genetically distinct types. Because of that, racism is the clear distinction of these â€Å"types† which begins the hierarchical distinction between racial groups. Overt racism is depicted in the film, â€Å"Malcolm X† where it is socially constructed such that the ideology that Blacks were an inferior race and should be treated harshly because of their skin color and origins. The manifestation of racism towards Blacks by White America is clearly overt racism as it explicitly and intentionally advocates the discrimination of African-Americans. Not only that, groups such as the Ku Klux Klan in the film are a prime example of overt racism such that they are preaching to the mass public about the inferiority of African-Americans. Thus hegemony in overt racism accounts for the death of Malcolm’s father. Hegemonic practices in the film are depicted in a covert manner such that the persecution of Blacks by the White Americans is accepted by the on-victims. To elaborate, it is not forcing the non-victims of racism to accept the new ideology but because of social constructionism, the idea of stereotypes becomes acceptable. Racism was acceptable in America during the 20th century, thus the power of racism becomes legitimate. In addition, covert hegemonic racism is evident such that â€Å"integration† or assimilation has always existed to be white. This is because it is never White-Americans integrating into black colleges, culture, or neighborhoods, whereas African-Americans are forced into assimilating into the norm. It is in a sense that the bystanders become racially de-sensitized and are then able to become and accept the regime’s ideology, in a hegemonic manner. This in turn may create covert racism, such that the younger generation are educated through social learning theory and are then â€Å"racists† themselves, but may not realize it. In the book, â€Å"White Savagery and Humiliation, or a New Racial Consciousness in the Media†, Newitz further explains that as young children, the world is quickly divided into â€Å"good† and â€Å"bad† objects. This example of early covert racism surfaces in today’s popular culture as parenting and social constructionism continues to shape today’s youth into stereotyping. In comparison to the film, the African-Americans are unable to fulfill and achieve their highest level of social classes because of suppressions and persecutions from the white community. As during the time, it was socially seen to be acceptable to discriminate African-Americans because of social constructionism. In conclusion, hegemonic practices in American Popular Culture are still very resilient and real today in the sense that African-Americans still experience racism regardless of influential movements such as having the first Black President. With that said, overt racism in today’s society is becoming less explicit because of new cultural norms, and social constructionism, whereas covert racism is becoming more prevalent because of its ability to facade itself under a cloak of silent approval. This can be attributed to the idea of â€Å"Decolonization of Culture† in the chapter, â€Å"Introducing Popular Culture† where Szeman and O’Brien notes that during the civil rights movement, social groups have begun to realize the faultlines of stereotyping social norms in race. It is important to note that covert racism will always exist in America, as long as social constructionism permits it. This demonstrates the power social constructionism has in racism which ultimately becomes the foundation of hegemony in African-Americans.

Food insecurity and hunger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Food insecurity and hunger - Essay Example In other words over 43% of the population is living on less than $75 a month. These poverty figures are directly correlated with the rise of food insecurity across the world. Throughout the world there is a growing disparity between the rich and the poor. A majority of the global wealth is controlled by the private corporate world. Multinational corporations such as McDonald’s and Microsoft are worth billions of dollars. The accumulated wealth of the private sector surpasses the wealth held by the combined governments of the over 200 countries around the globe. Governmental institutions benefit from the efforts of the private sector by charging them taxes. Taxes are the primary source of income of most governments. Due to the corruption of governmental institutions in developing countries the financial resources of governmental institutions are not being effectively utilized to fight hunger. In countries such as Lybia which is in the middle of a civil war and is currently at w ar with the United States, the government is spending more on military expenses than in resources to fight hunger. In the United States the military spending is also astronomical. Hunger and food insecurity is not limited to developing nations. In the United States in 2005 approximately 37 million people were living with incomes that were lower than the federal poverty line (Rector & Johnson). The troubles of worldwide hunger and food insecurity have troubled governmental institutions due to the fact that for decades the initiatives associated with development aid, agricultural improvements, and market expansion failed to eradicate hunger. None of these solutions has been effective at battling hunger in the long term. A major issue associated with world hunger is that the prices of food items have been going up. There were major inflationary forces in the prices of food during 2007 and 2008. Food security occurs when all people have physical, social and economic forces sufficient fo od to meet their dietary needs. A factor that can turn a society instantly into a food insecurity condition is a natural event such as an earthquake. In Japan there are over 500,000 people that are homeless and living through condition of food insecurity. It is important for people in the develop world to donate when these types of events occur. The online giant Yahoo Corporation has been able to raise over $6 million in donations for the victim’s of Japan’s 9.0 magnitude earthquake. Three core elements associated with food insecurity are food availability, access to food, and food utilization. There are different reasons or motivators of why one government donates to another. The three key motivators are political, economic, and humanitarian. The United States contributes 60% of the global food aid. The US makes donation at times to improve its political relations with a particular country. The humanitarian efforts are spurred by the media, while the economic variable is a motivator because the country giving food will obtain some sort of economic remuneration for its food products. According to Barrett and Marwell (2005) food aid serves three purposes: a) short term solution when food availability is declining; b) long-term safety net; c) build assets among poor and food insecure groups when no other forms of aid are open. There are three kinds of food aids. The first option is for the government to give the food supplies to another

Materials management processes in Boeing PowerPoint Presentation

Materials management processes in Boeing - PowerPoint Presentation Example Since the suppliers are scattered internationally, they bring the materials from all over the world. Some of Boeing’s major suppliers are found in the following countries; Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Middle East, South Korea, Spain and Turkey. The company uses over  $60 billion  to buy goods and services from its suppliers and partners (Boeing Web). Boeing schedules over 4,000 deliveries to clients daily (Dale Web). The company sorts problems arising from natural disasters by delivering the daily services and support in a manner that satisfies the expectations of its customers. Accidents and damages due to bad weather or delays are compensated duly as per the company’s policies. Operations are never stopped until the situation is declared a disaster. Material and financial damages are compensated duly as outlined in the company’s policies. Boeing’s supply chain is structured to offer solutions that enable customers maximize the value of their fleet. The company operates more efficiently while lowering costs. The company’s material management services comprise integrated materials management and a future supply chain service (Dale Web). Through these, clients can change materials manage ­ment responsibility to Boeing. Boeing then manages the combined supply chain. It gives a better service level for parts and more reliability to maintenance oper ­ations. Clients only purchase parts when they are given to maintenance or on a flight per hour. Integrated Materials Management also provides a method to measure and share benefits among airlines, suppliers, and Boeing. In 2013, the suppliers of Boeing from all over the globe generated over 60 % of the value of its products. The company’s global supply chain is dedicated to high quality and reliability and consistently offering high performance (Dale W eb). They help in the creation of a long-term competitive advantage, leading to