KM Phase Project Report

Electronics (GAPE) to analyze their processes and to come up with a KM improvement plan to shorten their product development lead-time. We took a closer look at the key activities in the product development process and identified critical activities that had most impact on the development lead- time which is the focus for our study. We also got to learn development that did not go as planned as well as getting to know what is working well in product development.Completing the KM assessment has allowed us to draw the following results: GAPE should focus on Exchange, Combination and Colonization (for both Knowledge Sharing and Discovery). Attention should be given to Routine, Direction, Sterilization and Initialization. The majority of knowledge were captured through formal procedural processes and stored in the Exchange database. But it is not easy for engineers to find them. Knowledge locator may help to solve this problem.The current KM Infrastructure does not support colonization w ell enough and does not really exhibit knowledge sharing between development teams. This could improve by setting up community Of practices. The key to success is in getting the product design requirements right the first mime, perform thorough evaluations on all project risks and get the design right the first time. This goes with the reuse of knowledge (I. E. Past product development experiences, standard proven design, lessons learned from the past so that mistakes will not get repeated and the use of best practices).This calls for all internal as well as external brains together to approve design before proceeding to the next stage of development. [2] Company Background Information Gold Peak Industries GAP (Holdings) Limited -the parent company of GAPE- was established in 1964 and it has been in the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong since 984. It is well known by the public for its battery products under the GAP Batteries brand. GAPE is in the design and manufacturing industry special ized in both consumer and professional audio products. Reduces developed range from personal audio system & HI Speakers to professional amplifiers & speakers use in cinemas, stadiums and concerts. Engineers take ideas from product concepts through to mass production, then leave the design in safe hands to their manufacturing colleagues in their Hough production plant. The Center of Engineering Department is located in downtown Sheehan and as over 135 Engineering staff. Located in the same site, there are over 65 staff from various associated activities to support the Engineering needs.The Engineering Department is organized into 3 main branches: Product Development Operation (65 persons) Technology (35 persons) Engineering Support Services (35 persons) Also the Acoustic Team at Hough factory has 44 persons And at Hong Kong office the RFC Team with 7 engineers. The Department Business Strategy is strong product development with dedicated functional teams – Electronics Teams, M echanical Teams, Software Teams, DSL Teams, RFC Teams, Quality Assurance Teams, Safety & Environmental Team, Test & Measurement Team, etc.For further information, please visit our client's websites: Gold Peak Group www. Galloped. Com Electronic Division: www. Gap-industries. Com [3] Assessment Scope and Objective Assessment Scope : Product Development Product Development is the primary task in the Engineering Department. Therefore, putting forward Product Development as our assessment scope came with no surprise. Assessment Objective : Shorten Product Development Lead-Time There are wow key strategic performances in product development, namely Quality and Time-to-Market.In order not to make our assessment too broad for this Knowledge Management project, we have chosen the latter as our assessment objective which is also the most important out of the TV'0 for GAPE. By improving Time-to-Market, in product development perspective, we are referring to shortening product development lead -time. The following are advantages from a shorten product development lead-time: Stay competitive in the increasing competition in the worldwide market Avoid back-orders and preventing lost sales. It may also lead to more orders and more sales if development is ahead of schedule. 4] Organization Chart Figure 1: Organization Chart In reference to Figure 1, we have the Department's organization chart. Sitting at the top of the chart, we have the Engineering Director and then branching down to sections Of functional teams. Starting from the left, we have the Product Development Section composed of a team of project managers and 4 Development Teams. Development teams are primarily consisted of Electronics engineers where they are responsible for electronics design and development as well as leading the verbal activities in Product Development.Next, we have the Mechanical Section consisting of Mechanical engineers. Mechanical Product development team support mechanical related design an d development of Product Development. Advance Mechanical section specialized in new design techniques and choice of materials, simulation and other tools that may help development. The Engineering Service Section provides support and services to other sections. It consists of the Safety, Environmental and Material Teams, The Artwork and workshop. Document Control takes care of all documents in & out of Engineering.The Technology Section consisting of Advance Engineering, Software Team, RFC Team and the DSL Team all working towards the same goal to maintain a competitive edge to compete with the others. These are the lucky group in the department whom will get to learn, design and develop first of the kind in both technologies and products (I . E. Technologies and products that are new to GAPE). Finally we have the Acoustic Team. This Team is responsible for design and development of drivers and speakers. 5] Product Development Process projects are initiated with feasibility and just ification with the introduction Of product design specification. In reference to the Product Design Specification Engineer, the engineers will review all past design in the Exchange system with similar specification and review all lessons learned from similar field. The engineers will then work on the initial draft design considering technical risk assessment, BOOM cost, tooling cost, development lead-time and Engineering hours and other investment that go with the project.Reuse existing design and components where appropriate. Tacit Sharing on design and progress are held on a weekly basis. Only the final sign proposal will be uploaded to their Exchange system when all criteria are met and ready for management approval. Formal procedures (routines) and document format are in place for uploading design document to the Exchange system at the end of each development stage. Design are checked according to design rules and approved by managers before the upload is approved. Please refer to the following figure for the Product Development Process Flow.Figure 2: Product Development Process The Product Development Process consists of 4 stages – Feasibility, Design & Realization, Industrialization and Mass Production. The items in the middle are key activities that we have identified in the product development process. At the bottom are the outcomes from each of these stages. Below is an explanation Of the activities in each Of the 4 Stages. Feasibility Stage The project typically starts with a set of requirements listing out the required features, the industrial design and the target cost.The engineers will need to process this information, consider their Use Cases and their User Interface. They will then find out if there are any past projects and designs that can be used to meet some of these requirements. Reusing proven designs will minimize the development lead-time and impose minimal risk to the development. The engineers will then put together a proposal for customer to sign off the project. Often a time the proposal will get adjusted to better match with the end user's needs, cost target of the customer and time to market.Any new technology, new component needed and any performance specification required beyond those achieved in the past by the department had to be found, evaluated and learned. All risks will need to be assessed before committing to the project. These are conducted in the Technology Scouting & Evaluation activity. Once all risks are assessed and requirements are met per customer wish, Engineer can proceed with the Project planning activity to draw up the development schedule and plan all resources (both man power and equipment) for the development. The concept release will be granted after successfully completing all feasibility activities.Design and Realization This involves all knowledge from past projects, lessons learned and best practices together to come up with the solution. Design involves electronic circu its, software and mechanical design. Once the design is drawn, the engineers will conduct simulations to predict if the design conformed to performance requirement. Once the design passed simulation test, Engineer will design the circuit on PC. This is the PC Layout Design activity. They will also design a test plan to qualify the design at board level as well as at system level.The realization is a collection of activities in getting physical samples, build and design tested. These activities are the Prototype Sample Build, the Engineering Sample Build and the Tool Making. Only a few samples (typically 3 sets) will be built during the Prototype stage. The Engineering Sample Build mom after the Prototype Build involving a larger quantity (typically 1 5 sets) and it will have all design improvements in place from the prototype design. Engineer will initiate Tool Making once the mechanical design is mature enough and off-tool parts will be used on the Pilot Build.The design release is granted only when enough confidence is gained from the design during the Design and Realization stage. The engineers may proceed to the next stage of development after granting Design Release. Industrialization This stage consists of 2 key activities: the Pilot Build and the Pre-production Build. Both builds are conducted on the production floor with production flow, processes and test fixtures specifically designed for the product. The design for Manufacturing issues and Standard Operating Procedure gets verified and optimized on the Pre-production Build prior to Mass Production.The build quantity is considerably larger than previous builds. These processes are also very valuable in verifying design tolerances and production process variations. Mass production At this stage, all design and production processes would have been fully verified and qualified for production in huge quantities. Product Development Process Flow will come to an end after executing the first production lot . The engineers will then leave the design, repair and product know to their Manufacturing Engineers whom will have full responsibility of the product from there onward. 6] Learning from Past Product Developments Let's take a closer look on past product development and see if we find opportunities to shorten the development lead-time if we had been given another chance to do it again. We have reviewed 10 products developed in the past 12 months. We have observed there was no hold up on schedule urine the Industrialization Stage and the Mass Production Stage. The following activities typically are more procedural and time controlled and they did not show sign to have impact on the lead-time: Project Planning, Simulations, PC Layout, Test Plan, Prototype Build, Engineering Sample Build and Tool Making.We found issues that lead to a longer lead-time fall into the following categories: Technology Scouting and Evaluation Example: Risks are not thoroughly understood before committing to d evelopment. One of the projects had its USB Audio with intermittent audio while operating from Windows XP. This intermittent problem was unknown until the team got to the evaluation stage on the first prototype sample. The problem resides in the software driver design where the solution provider could not solve in a short time and the team has no access to the driver codes to solve it.The team had to find an alternative USB Audio solution to continue the development. This had resulted in a time loss of 2 months. Circuit, Software & Mechanical Design a) Example 1: Design from scratch where they could have reused an existing proven solution. We have identified one Of the project where the engineers ad designed an all new amplifier from scratch where they could have simply reuse design from a past project. This new amplifier had no performance, cost, weight or size advantage over the existing design.The reason for designing the new amplifier was because the team of engineers was not aw are that there was an equivalent amplifier design which they could have just copied. This has resulted in a time loss of 1 month and also in a waste of engineering effort. B) Example 2: Repeating problems that had been encountered and solved by another team in past developments. [7] Critical Activities Figure 3: Critical Activities in the Product Development Process After understanding what went on with past product developments, we have concluded that some Of the activities are less critical to our assessment objective.In reference to Figure 3, these non-critical activities are highlighted in grey colored text. Activities remained in black color text are areas we have targeted to focus our study to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in order to shorten the overall development lead-time. [8) KM Assessment [8. 1] Desire KM processes We have mapped out contingency factors to each of the 2 critical sub- recesses to determine their desired KM processes.These contingency factors come from informal interviews conducted with various experienced Engineers working on product development in the department. These factors reflected how they overall judge each of these activities based on their participation in current and past product developments. Figure 4: Chart to determine desire KM Processes Major Processes Us b-processes Task Characteristics Knowledge Characteristics Organizational Characteristics Environmental Uncertainty Desired KM Process(SE) Uncertainty InterdependentTIE DIP Size Strategy Feasibility Technology scouting & Evaluation Medium High D Combination Colonization for knowledge Discovery Design Circuit , Software , Mechanical Low Exchange Colonization for knowledge sharing Projects handle by the department vary considerably in complexity ranging from a simple audio docking system to a complex Audio Visual Receiver involving complex DSL processing. By averaging out these extremes, we have decided to weight Task Uncertainty as â€Å"Medium† f or both sub-processes. This weighting is more representative of the real situations.

Bush Negroes

Columbus’ discovery of the New World in the late 15th century led to the establishment of colonies by European powers in that area. Eventually, the introduction of sugar in the Mid-17th Century gave rise to what would be known as the Sugar Revolution. A massive influx of slaves from Africa was seen during this period, as sugar required a substantial labour force.However, with hundreds and thousands of slaves being imported and only a few thousand whites to match them, the use of repressive measures through legal, psychological, cultural and physical means to control the slaves’ movement and to keep them on the plantation was of utmost importance in order to make up for this deficit. The horrors of slavery were so great that, even though they risked severe punishment, some slaves attempted to flee from their plantations. In fact, entire communities were established by runaway slaves in British Guiana and Jamaica.Moreover, these slaves, known as the Bush Negroes of Surina m and the Maroons of Jamaica, were able to survive despite the efforts of the Europeans to bring them back under their control. These two groups shared many similarities as well as differences, whether it both communities fighting with and making treaties with the Europeans or the fact that they defended their settlements differently. Also, they were differences between the social and political structure of these two settlements.To start with, both settlements fought with and made treaties with the Europeans. Also, both of these treaties were broken at some point in time. With the Maroons, two wars took place, the first after which the British Government in Jamaica came to an agreement with them. This treaty gave the Maroons freedom and possession of all the lands lying between Trelawney Town and Cockpit Country. In return, the Maroons’ promised not to attack white planters, help return all runaway slaves and assist the Government against external enemies or internal revolt.T he second war came about in 1795 as the Maroons felt they were being mistreated under the treaty that ended the first war. Eventually, the Maroons surrendered to end the war. The Maroon  leaders and Major-General George Walpole established that the  Maroons  would beg on their knees for the King's forgiveness, return all runaway slaves, and be relocated elsewhere in Jamaica. On the other hand, The Bush Negroes of Surinam made a treaty with the Dutch that granted them reedom and the right to occupy the interior, in exchange for them not stirring up slave revolts or raiding plantations. The Bush Negroes complied for thirty years, but eventually they resumed their raids on the European plantations. Despite their similarities, however, the settlements of the Bush Negroes of Surinam and the Maroons of Jamaica were different in many aspects, especially in terms of how they were defended. The Bush Negroes lived in circular clearings, with their dwellings being in the centre and their crops surrounding them.Their settlements were built in such a way that the lowest growing crops were closest to their dwellings and their highest being at the circle’s exterior. This was done for cover as well as food. More permanent settlements were surrounded by a â€Å"moat† (a deep, wide ditch surrounding a castle, fort or ton that is usually filled with water). The thick forest of the interior was perhaps the greatest protection that the Bush Negroes had, as it could only be penetrated by the use of rivers which, further into the interior, had rapids.The Maroon Settlements, like those of the Bush Negroes, were constructed with security foremost. The Maroons lived in the mountains, with the lower levels being more easily accessible and the upper levels more inaccessible. Few, if any British soldiers reached the upper levels of Maroon settlements. However, the Maroons also developed camouflage and ambush techniques in order to defend their settlements. For example, â€Å"bushing up† was a commonly used method of camouflage, as it would make them impossible to spot against the trees and plants that surrounded them.The Maroons would also bathe in a mountain stream, scrubbing their bodies with the leaves of a certain plant that gave them a fresh lemon scent. Then they would lie in wait in the brush that emitted the same odour, which would camouflage their scent. Additionally, there were differences in the political structures of these two settlements, as exemplified by the fact that the Bush Negro settlements were more politically and socially structured than those of the Maroons. The Bush Negroes were organised under leaders in a quasi-military (i. e. aving some resemblance to the military) life, with the lowest ranks performing the jobs that required little or no skill, such as subsistence (i. e. to maintain or support with provisions) and plundering the plantations on a nightly basis. On Maroon settlements, however, political and socia l structures such as these were non-existent. In conclusion, The Bush Negroes of Surinam and The Maroons of Jamaica were communities that consisted of slaves who, after enduring the horrors of slavery, took the risk of fleeing their plantations and established free communities.These two groups shared many similarities and differences, whether it was in their battles and treaties with the Europeans or the way in which they protected their settlements The focus of this extract was to show the similarities and differences between two settlements that consisted of slaves from who fled their plantations to escape the horrors of slavery, even though they risked severe punishment while doing so. From their battles and treaties with the Europeans to the way in which they protected their settlements and their political and social structures, these two groups were very similar, and at the same time, different.

8th amendment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

8th amendment - Research Paper Example Here, courts need to look for factors on how to change the standards of the community and also come up with the independent evaluation if the statutes are reasonable. For instance, in the case of Furman V. Georgia, the jury invalidated the death penalty regulation at that time because they constituted the unusual punishment and cruelty against the eighth amendment. The eighth amendment is an American amendment that bars or prevents the government from practices that may result in the violation of the freedom of people (Smith, 2010). It prevents the government from imposing cruel and unusual punishment such as torture and excess bails and fines. This amendment was adopted as early as 1791. Death sentence is a practice of the state where people are sentenced to death due to the magnitude of their crime. It is also commonly referred to as capital punishment. Overtime death penalty was not highly considered as a violation of this amendment. There were no vivid cases that had been presented there before to show the brutality of the death sentence and how it imposed cruel and unusual punishment to people. This was until 1972 when a United State Supreme Court decision called the Furman v. Georgia was ruled. The case had to be presented by three black men including Furman who had to be sentenced to death. In this ruling, the court declared that the death penalty violated the eighth amendment. However, the court did not view the death penalty as a cruel and unusual punishment. The case led to a de facto moratorium on capital punishment. The court argued that the manner in which the death sentences were being imposed was capricious. People were being sentenced to death in an erratic manner. However, this ruling by the court was not taken well by the country. People argued that there are some crimes whose best solution was a death sentence. In 1976, the court reviewed the case due to statutes presented by

Overthrow By Stephen Kinzer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Overthrow By Stephen Kinzer - Essay Example US Regime Change: Changing Tactics, Causes and Results Stay the Same The first thing one must do to understand the series of regime changes represented in Overthrow is to note the ways and reasons the methods of regime change differed throughout history. The first set of regime changes during the Imperial Era, were marked by a unique combination of willingness to use military force and a frankness about the fact that the United States had in fact orchestrated the changes in power. One can see an example of both principles in the regime change orchestrated in Panama in the early 20th century. At the outset of the 20th century, Panama was a colony of Columbia, and the Columbian government was unwilling to allow Americans to build a canal across part of their country, and rejected a treaty that would have given America the right to build one. In response to this America undertook military action in support of a rebellion it started, including sending warships to blockade ports in Panama. This rebellion, with American military support, was eventually succ essful, leading to a pro-American government in Panama. When questioned about this forceful ousting of the Columbian regime, then president Roosevelt simply said that it was Columbia’s own fault for ignoring â€Å"the plainest warnings† that America would take power if Columbia did not capitulate. This shows the way that in this Era, America was more than happy to use military force, and was so bold to even freely admit it would depose regimes who opposed American interests. Following the close of the Second World War and the outbreak of the Cold War, America had to start becoming more discreet about the ways it took power. During this period, the Soviet Union â€Å"limited [American] freedom of action,†4 because America could not risk undertaking activities which could bring on a Soviet reaction, which could possibly escalate to a war between the Soviet Union and America – a â€Å"cataclysmic† nuclear war neither side would truly win.5 These meant American operations were driven underground – covert operations such as financing opposition rebels or political parties (as Nixon did when trying to oust Allende)6 or secret assassinations (such as the â€Å"several times the CIA has tried to kill† Fidel Castro).7 Following World War II America could no longer openly attack foreign leaders, and could no longer admit to their actions publicly. With the winding down of military tensions and the eventual downfall of the Soviet Union, the major restriction on American military might was removed. The United States responded by engaging in an ever more forceful foreign policy, Probably the first instance of this new willingness to engage in full blown military conflict was the American Invasion of Grenada, conducted in 1983.8 One of the major distinguishing features of Warfare during the era of Invasion was that, though militarily America could once again act with impunity, the ideology of both the world and American

Business report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business report - Research Paper Example Business report In the present day scenario, the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry of the world is experiencing immense growth owing to augmenting demand from the customers towards the facilities served by this particular industry. The industry is precisely explained as one of the major service industries that offer wide range of services like lodging, restaurant facilities, theme park benefits and transportation facilities among others, to a wide range of customers. Correspondingly, maintaining high level of integrity and delivering due significance towards the level of employee commitment is also crucial in order to obtain overall business efficiency. 1.0. Background Considering the chances witnessed in the modern era, it can be argued that the immense growth of the hospitality and the tourism industry has been stimulated largely due to the increasing number of people getting attracted towards the wide range of services offered by the participating companies. Notably, maint aining a balance between the quality and quantity of services in the hospitality industry often raise to be a noteworthy challenge, which in turn requires effective organisational leadership practices. Implementation of this particular approach is often argued as an important aspect for the long term sustainability of the industry (Laws, 2004). Aim of the Report. The aim of this report will to evaluate the importance of customer service in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry around the world and the corresponding components that tend to influence the strategic effectives of its practices in this regard. Accordingly, the paper will recommended for the future approach that the participant companies should undertake with regard to providing effective and integrated customer services in this particular industry. 2.0. Discussion Customers are widely considered as the key attribute of any form of business, especially in the present day context, where the performance of the busin ess is entirely dependent on the behaviour of the customers. However, the importance of customers in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry resides to a higher level owing to the fact that it is a service industry and also due to the reason that customer retention by ensuring maximum customer satisfaction is the key to sustainability in the industry structure. Providing services to the customers and that too in an efficient and dedicated manner is the core success factor for companies operating in this particular industry in today’s contemporary setting (Leland & Bailey, 2006). Customer Services. As described in the above section of the report, customers are the primary driving force in hospitality business in today’s contemporary world. According to the study of Leland & Bailey (2006), customer service is regarded to be a particular approach taken with the intention to ensure better customer satisfaction through effective and integrated service based business o perations. In precise, it is the assistance or the advice any business provides to its targeted customers on the purchase of services offered. Although the mechanism is not limited to the hospitality industry, it shall not be pious to state that the approach has its maximum significance in this particular

Annotated bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Annotated bibliography - Essay Example ProQuest. Web. Oct 19, 2012. This study points out some inconsistency in human resource management (HRM) perspectives from a business standpoint. As researchers at the University of Strathclyde, the authors propose formal systems, specifically designed to improve the effectiveness of HRM in order to achieve better business practices and then corporate expansion. This research is very relevant because it calls for the implementation of more effective human resource management models fundamental to the success of any business. Indeed, efficient HRM models are necessary to the required performance of businesses. This article will be used in my paper because it exposes the limitations in HRM and demonstrates the need to set up better models. Fisscher, Olaf, and Andre Nijhof. â€Å"Research and Concepts: Implications of Business Ethics for Quality Management.† The TQM Magazine 17.2 (2005): 150-61. ProQuest. Web. Oct 19, 2012. In this article, Olaf Fisscher and Andre Nijhof, both re searchers at the University of Twente, in the Netherland, explore the relationship between business ethics and quality management. The authors demonstrate that even though business ethics and quality management have different origins, they both deal with issues of responsibility. In addition, the article presents the link between them and what quality management can learn from business ethics. The argument presented in this study is very valid because quality management goes with business ethics in order to achieve good results. The presence of responsibility in both fields reveals the importance of moral values in business management. This study will bring a valuable contribution to my paper because it labels the lack of responsibility as a serious weakness in the business sector. Gronholdt, Lars, and Anne Martensen. â€Å"Management Practices Driving Sustained Business Success.† Measuring Business Excellence 13.1 (2009): 48-58. ProQuest. Web. Oct 19, 2012. Lars Gronholdt an d Anne Martensen analyze the way different managerial practices provide sustainable and profitable growth in Danish companies. The authors, researchers at the Copenhagen Business School, present a variety of managerial tools and techniques that companies need to implement in order to achieve high performance. They also invite companies to clearly distinguish the common managerial practices that guarantee a successful business. The authors make a meaningful point in calling for selecting the best managerial tools to ensure good performance. The ability for businesses to identify the best practices allows them to make profit and ensure growth. This article will be very helpful to my paper because not all managerial tools can bring success, and it belongs to managers to choose the best. Gulledge, Thomas R. Jr., and Rainer A. Sommer. â€Å"Business Process Management: Public Sector Management.† Business Process Management Journal 8.4 (2002): 364-77. ProQuest. Web. Oct 19, 2012. R esearchers at George Mason University, Thomas R. Gulledge Jr. and Rainer A. Sommer draw readers’ attention to the difficulties in the management of the public sector. For them, much of the research has been directed toward business process management whereas the public sector management has not received much attention. This study focuses on the need to

Response to students' posting on Revenue Cycle Assignment

Response to students' posting on Revenue Cycle - Assignment Example h patient with the proper maintained history of procedures, through which the patient went through, along with the insurance provider details, to facilitate the funds collection process. In this modern time, hospitals use digital networking techniques to integrate various departments, which make the above mentioned tasks efficient and accurate. The main purpose of the whole practice is to monitor the costs and expenses on each medical procedure (Cleverley & Cameron, 2007). The observations shared by Courtney are valuable to the discussion. It is correctly mentioned, that the participation of the doctor in the process of recordkeeping is as important as other activities concerning this practice, because if doctor does not provide the details of prescription accurately, then the rest of the process becomes meaningless. The entire costing and inventory of equipment and medicines consumed while treating a patient solely depends upon the suggested treatment (Cleverley & Cameron,

Geological Society of America Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Geological Society of America - Assignment Example The presence of these plates can be confirmed by the appearance of oceanic trenches when these plates sink beneath one another. These trenches can run for hundreds of miles. Another evidence of their existence and activity is the formation of ridges where these plates pull apart. Transform faults also form where the tectonic plates slide to opposite sides of each other (Eckel, 1982). The movement of plates was used to settle the debate on how the island arcs, both continental and oceanic, form. Island arcs form where oceanic and continental, oceanic or transitional plates sink beneath each other. The past decades saw the geoscience community reject research and theories on the formation of island arcs based on the tectonic plates. To add to this conflict, there was conflicting continent formation theories based on tectonic plates. One considered seafloor-spreading while the other was in favor of pieces of continents afloat dense oceanic

The importance of remaining respectful of others, and learned that Essay

The importance of remaining respectful of others, and learned that understanding the impact of diversity in the customer service environment is essential - Essay Example Thirdly, the foreign capital enjoyed by nations under a trading umbrella allows their entrepreneurs to import or export knowledge and technology so as to help boost productivity in their respective nations. Fourthly, financial globalization principles allows foreign entrepreneurs to undertake business in capital and banking markets hence help in boosting quality of financial services. On the contrary, financial globalization has its own drawbacks. For instance, as nations get into trade ties with global financial systems, unfavourable financial shocks in one nation may be absorbed by another in form of contagion effects which may easily drag a country’s stable economy to a catastrophe. â€Å"Globalization also poses complications on the operations of banks and other businesses as it complicates management of exterior resources and liabilities† (Cline, 2010). In an effort to manage the negative effects posed by financial globalization, governments all over the world have developed multifaceted networks with the sole purpose of averting negative financial effects posed by financial crises. The roles of such networks put forth by governments include: oversight, monetary regulation and lending. However, such interventions have rarely worked towards averting financial crises to the expectation of many

Citizen Kane Essay Example for Free

Citizen Kane Essay The film Citizen Kane (1941), directed and written by Orson Welles and Herman Mankiewicz, is an American film drama that use various film techniques to illustrate themes, attitudes, and the development of a story. Welles use of camera angles, lighting, movement, symbolism and expression allow the audience to comprehend and understand the themes such as power and exploitation that are present in this movie along with many other themes that pertain to the life of the main character, Charles Foster Kane. Many of the filming techniques that are used in this film illustrate Kane and his feelings and transitions through and about his life. Citizen Kane is a film that demonstrates the importance of how simple scene techniques can help develop a story. After viewing the film, the audience comes to understand that the main theme of the movie is centered around the importance of childhood. Throughout the movie, symbolism is used to reinforce the theme. Thompson, the reporter, attempts to figure out the meaning of the word â€Å"rosebud†, Kanes last words before passing away. Kanes life seems to be a mystery to some people, and the word â€Å"rosebud† is that missing piece to Kanes life. Thompson never figures out what â€Å"rosebud† means, but at the end of the movie we see the word â€Å"rosebud† on the sled that was thrown into the fire. At this point the audience understands that rosebud is indeed symbolic of his childhood and the missing piece of his life. Earlier in the movie, Kane is outside playing with that same sled while his parents are discussing a plan to send him away. â€Å"Rosebud† can now be connected to the snow globe which represents his childhood in Colorado. Thomson said that â⠂¬Å"rosebud† was a missing piece in a jigsaw puzzle. He is illustrating that Kane always felt that he lost his childhood and himself. All he had to show for it was that sled and the snow globe. Further importance on the theme of his childhood is illustrated through lighting when Thomson the reporter investigates Tatcher to get a better understanding of Kanes childhood. When he enters the room there is a very distinct, glowing light that is angled in such away that it focuses on a book containing information about Kanes childhood. Right away, we see the importance of Kanes childhood in the developing plot. To further emphasize this importance, when Thomson opens the book, the audience notices the very distinct contrast between the bright light on the book and the dark area surrounding the book. Throughout the movie, the director is hinting to the audience that his childhood is symbolic of something very important which just might be the answer to the question, â€Å" What/who is Rosebud?† By now the audience understands that that Kane was unable to have a normal childhood due to a lack of say and power. This is illustrated using a depth and focus effect. In the early parts of the film there is a scene in which Kane is outside playing while his parents and banker are negotiating his fate. The actors are ordered in such a way that the mother is always in front, followed by the banker, Kanes father, and then Kane. Kanes mother seems to have the power due to her position in this scene. It is important to notice that although Kane is in the far depths, he is still in focus, but with limited power. As we transition through the movie, Kane gains power and is in the front of this scene but there is always depth and focus in the shot to illustrate a hierarchy of power. Another theme in the movie that is reinforced by this technique of depth focusing is relationships. As Kane develops through the movie, the audience recognizes that he is losing his power and his weakness leads to broken relationships. When he takes control of the Inquirer, he is constantly surrounded by people and they are not physically distant from him, but as his status on the hierarchical system dwindles down, he begins to distance himself from others in scenes. When Kane fires Leland, we see a great deal of depth and distance between the two but both remain in focus. In this same scene Bernstein is standing in the doorway at a distance away from Kane but he has no significance. The way the actors are positioned illustrate how Kane is developing as person and with other people around him. When Kane gets taken away by Tatcher at a very young age, his life is transitioning into one of power and corruption. When his employees and partners welcome him for the first time at the Inquirer, all the shots are low angle shots. The angle also makes it seem as though Kane is significantly larger than everyone else in the subsequent scenes. It is as though the audience is looking up to him just as his employees are, illustrating the theme of power that Kane now holds. Exploitation is a theme that begins to develop after Kane has taken control of the Inquirer. His need for power continues to grow and he becomes more and more corrupt. Not only is there corruption within his company, but he comes to exploit other peoples thoughts and ideas. As Kane obtains more power and greed, he gets the idea to run for governor, but in the process he gets exploited in regards to his developing relationship with Susan. This is where the movie transitions from power to weakness. Up until this point there has been many low-angle shots to illustrate Kanes growing power. When Kane loses the election, the film moves transitions into high-angle shots. Prior to anyone even saying that the election was over, the scene setting clearly illustrates that the election was lost. Even though the office looks like it is a mess, it is very empty. No campaign crew, no feeling. The shot then moves to Kane. During this scene Kane speaks with two different people but his face is down and hidden from the audience. The camera is constantly at a low angle illustrating Kanes diminishing power. Furthermore, this is the first scene with Kane in which there is limiting lighting in the room, which reinforces the concept of an empty feeling. As mentioned before, the director uses deep focused shots to illustrate a hierarchy of power. Throughout the movie, deep focused shots are also used to put significance on a specific actor. In the deep focused shots, actors are usually separated by long distances, like in the scene where Kane is talking to Susan across a long corridor with Thompson as the interviewer. When either Kane or Susan speak, the camera shot is always focused in front of them to draw attention to what they are saying. Another technique used to put focus on Kane throughout the movie is by drawing in on Kane by passing through and object or person through a continuous shot. This filming technique is used in the first scene of the movie. The scene begins with the audience closing in on a â€Å"No Trespassing† sign, and then passes through the sign to reveal a house with light coming from one window. This might not be a significant amount of light, but the lighting does illustrate the importance of what lies beyond those windows. The scene continues through a garden, over fences, etc. but the whole time the lighted window stays in the same position, continuously bringing a attention to its significance. Of course as the scene continues it is that of Kane passing away and revealing the mystery which follows throughout the film. The director attempts to always keep the attention on Kane even when it seems as though he is fading out of the discussion. The audience can always find a relationship between the characters of a story/film and the main themes. In the film Citizen Kane, the relationship between the characters and important themes are illustrated by filming techniques that range from camera angles to symbolism. Throughout the movie symbolism played an important role in determining the main theme and what â€Å"rosebud† meant. Kanes development as a person and place in society was illustrated through camera angles, lighting, and depth. These techniques not only assists the audience in understanding Kane, but also understanding other characters and the relationship Kane had with them.

Post-War Technological Advances | Essay

Post-War Technological Advances | Essay In the autumn of 1945, Hitler was dead and the war in the west was over. The Japanese had retreated from the Asian countries under their occupation and were determined to protect their homeland till the last man. The Kamikaze attacks of the Japanese Air Force and the militarily expensive battle of Okinawa had driven home the message that a military invasion of Japan would be very dear in terms of human life and could take months to achieve. The official estimate of likely casualties was pegged at between 1.4 to 4 million allied soldiers. The Japanese were obdurate in their decision not to surrender. On August 6, and 9, 1945, the Americans revealed the potential of their weapons technology. Two atom bombs, the â€Å"Little Boy† and â€Å"Fat Man† were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The allies did not need to negotiate any further. Emperor Hirohito surrendered within a month. The episode, however ghastly, drives home as nothing else, the tremendous ability of technological innovation to increase bargaining power. The post war period has seen the emergence of stunning new technological innovations in diverse areas of science and technology. Many of these have arisen in weaponry and space science and effected major changes in power centres and national equations on a global scale. Technological innovations in other areas have given rise to a slew of products, created billions of pounds worth of assets, shaped huge corporations and generated massive economic empires. The names of Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Google and Nokia, to name but a few, flash through the mental landscape when the issue of innovation comes up. Bargaining power, while being practically tantamount to unionism, is more specifically a tool to enhance control over or influence economic decisions like â€Å"the setting of prices or wages, or to restrict the amount of production, sales, or employment, or the quality of a good or a service; and, in the case of monopoly, the ability to exclude competitors from the market.† (Power, 2006) Technical innovations have been principal drivers of change in human society since prehistory and have often created huge economic advantages for its creators or owners. The principal reason behind this is exclusivity, the owner of the innovation being the sole possessor of a particular technological item that can be used to achieve significant economic returns. This exclusivity also gives the owners sharply increased bargaining powers through access to a technology outside the reach of others and meant for the possessors’ sole discretionary use. The owners of the innovation are able to use this bargaining power in various ways, which include speed to market, early mover advantage, setting of prices, fixing of terms of credit, negotiating of contracts, asking of advances, obtaining supplier credit, accessing venture capital or institutional funds and organising alliances with large corporates. The ability to innovate technologically has, on many occasions given its owner enormous economic clout and led to the formation of giant mega corporations. It has verily proven to be the biggest leveller in the marketplace, witness the effulgent rocket trail of the growth graphs of Microsoft and Google and the slow decline of numerous economic giants who have not been able to come up with anything new or worthwhile. When discussing the bargaining power of technological innovation it would be appropriate to refer to Intel Corp and the manner in which it used its technological knowledge of chips to drive home terrific contracts with IBM and other PC manufacturers and thereby transformed itself from a small start up to a successful and respected corporation with an international footprint. Jane Katz, in a 1996 article called From Market to Market for Regional Review elaborates on the great Intel story. IBM, at one time far behind Apple in the PC race, entered into alliances with Intel and Microsoft for microprocessors and operating systems and also took the decision to go in for open-architecture to allow other firms to develop compatible products and to avoid possible anti trust issues. Intel, at that time was an untested company and IBM, concerned about Intel being unable to meet its supply commitments forced Intel to give up its right to license to others in order to supply to Big Blue. PC sales did very well and Intel grew furiously and fast. In any case, this success led to Intel quickly developing the next generation of chips. The number of new players having grown rapidly, thanks to the open architecture policy of IBM, Intel’s bargaining power grew significantly with all PC makers. Thus, the balance of power shifted. When it came time to produce the 286 generation of chips, Intel was able to limit licensing to five companies and retain a 75 percent market share. For the 386 chip and beyond, Intel regained most of its monopoly, granting a single license to IBM, good only for internal use. The market for PCs grew, and Intel became fixed as the industry standard. Ultimately, IBM turned to Apple and Motorola in a belated and still struggling effort to create a competitor to Intel chips, the Power PC. (Katz, 1996) Technological innovation, of course, gives rise to very significant powers in the hands of its owners. It however needs to be remembered that an innovation is no more than another valuable possession, comparable to significant capital, excellent technical skills or valuable confidential information. It needs great commercial acumen, business foresight and knowledge of human psychology to convert this asset into an extremely effective bargaining tool for obtaining a competitive edge or significant economic benefits. All too often, it is squandered away because of an inadequate knowledge of law or business and it is left to others to pick up the pieces and enjoy the benefits. In most cases, innovation is not restricted to one huge big bang or tremor causing development. It is a series of small innovations in the technological development of a product that at one stage results in the emergence of a product sharply differentiated from the others available in the marketplace; a product impossible to emulate or bring into play within the immediate future. A truly innovative technological development is one that makes a giant leap in the benefits to cost ration in some field of human enterprise. It is this quality that sets up the platform for emergence of big bargaining power. Another way of putting this is that an innovation lowers the costs and/or increases the benefits of a task. A wildly successful innovation increases the benefits-to-costs ratio to such an extent that it enables you to do something it seemed you couldn’t do at all before or didn’t even know you wanted to do. Think of the following examples in these terms: the printing press, the camera, the telephone, the car, the airplane, the television, the computer, the electrostatic copier, the Macintosh, Federal Express, email, fax and finally the web. (Yost, 1996) This power that technological innovation gives is used by different people in diverse ways. It often comes the way of young and brilliant techies who decide to sell, using their bargaining power to get the best possible price for their product from available bidders. Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith launched Hotmail, a free web based email service accessible from anywhere in the world and designed specifically to give freedom from restricting ISPs. The service notched up subscribers rapidly and Bhatia got a summons from the office of Bill Gates soon after he got his venture capital backing. When he was only 28, Sabeer Bhatia got the call every Silicon Valley entrepreneur dreams of: Bill Gates wants to buy your company. Bhatia was ushered in. Bill liked his firm. He hoped they could work together. He wished him well. Bhatia was ushered out. Next thing is were taken into a conference room where there are 12 Microsoft negotiators, Bhatia recalls. Very intimidating. Microsofts determined dozen put an offer on the table: $160 million. Take it or leave it. Bhatia played it cool. Ill get back to you, he said. Eighteen months later Sabeer Bhatia has taken his place among San Franciscos ultra-rich. He recently purchased a $2-million apartment in rarified Pacific Heights. Ten floors below, the city slopes away in all directions. The Golden Gate Bridge, and beyond it the Pacific, lie on the horizon. A month after Bhatia walked away from the table, Microsoft ponied up $400 million for his startup. Today Hotmail, the ubiquitous Web-based e-mail service, boasts 50 million subscribers one quarter of all Internet users. Bhatia is worth $200 million. (Whitmore, 2001) Sometimes technological innovation does give a person the power to refuse 100 million dollars, confident in the knowledge that he will be able to bargain for more! While many individual developers or smaller companies favour to take Bhatia’s route, preferring to cash the cheque first, others go for more, develop the product and try to take it to its full economic potential. The biggest hurdle to the exclusivity of a product comes from clandestine copying as Microsoft and the drug majors have found out in South East Asia and China. Rampant piracy and copyright breach lead to a situation where the latest software and drugs are available within weeks of being released in the market. While this problem is being resolved at the national level with both India and China beginning to take stringent action for IPR protection the lesson to be learnt in direct and oblique ways is that the bargaining power of a technological development will vanish, vaporise into nothingness if its exclusivity can not be maintained. While retaining all of its excellence and potential to effect change and bring about improvement, a technological investment loses all of its economic advantage and bargaining power the moment it loses its exclusivity. Humanity gets to be served, possibly even at a lower price, but the creator, individual or organization ends up unrewarded and short changed for all the sacrifice, talent, expenditure and effort incurred in the development of the product or service. It thus becomes critical to arrange for the exclusivity of the innovation if it needs to be used for economic advantage. This is generally done in various ways, an important route being to keep on working at further innovations to add value and to ensure that a significant differentiation always exists between it and other similar products in the marketplace. Microsoft and Google are excellent examples of this approach where continuous R D efforts work towards creating a slew of features which become difficult to emulate and thereby continue to provide the bargaining edge. In conclusion the importance of hard nosed business acumen to protect the technological innovation needs to be stressed. Measures for this include the arrangement of adequate security to protect the product or service from espionage and cloning, sufficient care in licensing and similar arrangements and the adoption of necessary business and commercial safeguards for appropriate trademark, copyright, patent or IPR protection References Katz, J, (1996), To Market to Market, Regional Review, Retrieved September 28 2006 from www.bos.frb.org/economic/nerr/rr1996/fall/katz96_4.htm Power, (2006), Wikipedia, Retrieved September 28 2006 from. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power Whitmore, S, (2001), Driving Ambition, Asiaweek.com, Retrieved September 28 2006 from www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/technology/990625/bhatia.html Yost, D.A, (1995), What is innovation, Dream host, Retrieved September 28 2006 from yost.com/misc/innovation.html

Food Irradiation Essay -- essays research papers

Food Irradiation: Solution to Hunger or Killer Mutagen? People all over the world are starving for fresh, uncontaminated food. Insects, pests, and invisible microorganisms are not what the public want to find on their dinner plates. Throughout history, life has depended on ways of treating food to reduce or destroy these naturally occurring harmful contaminants and to enable foods to be stored after harvesting so that they can be saved for use at other times of the year. With increasing populations and the growth of cities, it is even more important to be able to preserve food so that it can be transported over considerable distances and stored for long periods before it reaches the consumer. The relentless pressure to supply safe foods to mass markets has led to major contamination problems arising in recent years. The food industry has responded by developing new methods to treat food, such as food irradiation. To some in the food industry, irradiation is a wonderful new technology that could solve many contamination problems without any apparent effects on the treated food. To the consumer, it is a new process that has unknown threats and benefits. Currently, 37 countries, including the United States, permit the use of irradiation and approximately 25 actually use it. Irradiation will remain an expensive and little used technology until there is general acceptance of irradiated foods by consumers. The modern food industry has to make certain choices as to how and when it treats food during the food production cycle. It can start by reducing the level of microorganisms and pests in food by using chemical treatments and pesticides during growth. For this to be effective the food must then be protected against fresh contamination during transport and storage. An alternative approach is to do very little to the food as grown and harvested, but to treat it nearer to the point of consumption. This is common with herbs and spices. The food industry will tend to choose the way it deals with contamination based on the economics of each case, in other words, the cheapest way possible. Even where food is produced relatively close to the point of consumption, it may have to be treated because contamination is inherent in the production process. This is why milk has to be pasteurized. Pasteurization is the most effective way of killing microorganisms with m... ...where the greed of people like Gustavus Swift turned meat-packing plants into death traps and sold ground cardboard, rats, and fingers to the public as ‘fresh meat’ while sweeping the floors of the plant to recover the sliced-off bits and package them as potted meat. Clearly the food industry is driven by capitalism, and not by concern for the consumer, and although I am wholeheartedly in favor of capitalist businesses, I do think federal regulation needs to come into play not just in the United states, but in other countries where most of the people have no legal recourse at all if they fall ill or die as the result of unclean food. Education of the consumer is the key to this problem, as is objective research. Governments around the world should be made to adhere to guidelines recommended by people whose main concern is the safe and healthy production of food, instead of the cheapest way to produce it, or what would be best for the businesses already irradiating fo od, as is the case for the federal government. Without measures taken during all aspect of food production to ensure cleanliness, the consumer is doomed to a lifetime of choices between dirty food, and dirtier food.

Mirroring an Exposed World :: Dance Dancing Art Papers

Mirroring an Exposed World I recently saw a photography piece, "Dancer" by Irving Penn on exhibit at the Whitney Museum. The striking thing about the photos was not that they were of a nude Alexandra Beller, but that hers is not what one would typically think of as a naked dancer's body. She's not tall and thin with well-defined muscles and barely developed breasts. No. She's fat. Beller took a big risk posing nude for Penn's camera. She dared people to see her as a dancer, not just a fat woman. She dared people to see her as a sex symbol, not just a fat woman. She dared people to see her as an emotional woman- sensitive, powerful, frightened, bold, shy, loving, rebellious. She owns her body, and she challenges the audience to own their hesitation and move past it to see her exposed for the woman she really is. The exhibit made me immediately curious about Beller and her work. Formerly dancing with Bill T. Jones' company, Beller is now choreographing her own works. When I heard she would be presenting her latest work, It's Not You, It's Me at the Joyce Soho, I got out my umbrella and waited for over an hour in a standby line to see her perform. My friends had teased me for wanting to see Beller's show, saying "Wouldn't it be weird. I mean you saw her naked," and "Do you think she'll dance naked too?" But that was one of the reasons I wanted to see the show. I really identified with Beller in many ways. I was deeply impressed with her confidence to pose nude in the first place. Obesity, seen as repulsive, is despised at best, yet politely ignored. But Beller will not be ignored. I wondered what it was that gave her this confidence in her body. And I wondered what she would express with her body in her dance works. I was compelled by the risks she had taken with Penn, and compelled to see what else she would risk. When I saw It's Not You, It's Me, particularly the last piece, 50 Ways to Find a Mate, I was bombarded by feelings of pain, sadness, confusion that come with rejection, insecurities that are connected with bodies and body images. I got the feeling that Beller, though a beautiful and talented dancer is still an imperfect woman who struggles with her self-confidence, especially in romantic relationships.

ICT Systems and Business :: ICT Essays

ICT Systems and Business Use of computers has brought profound change to business. The electronic office is an obvious example. In this, every desk in a business is likely to have a computer. The computers will be networked and have communications facilities. The work done in offices is usually; * receipt, * processing, * storage, * despatch Computers and ICT systems can do these things more efficiently and faster than manual systems. Businesses now advertise FAX numbers and email addresses prominently. This affects the number of letters sent by post but FAX and email cannot completely replace the postal service as original, hard-copy letters are still needed for legal reasons. Products can be ordered on-line via the internet and most businesses now have their own website. Electronic Data Interchange is used to send orders, pay invoices and transfer information generally. Employees are paid using electronic funds transfer. ICT AND MANUFACTURING Many industries now use Computer-Aided Manufacture (CAM), eg. cars are manufactured by robot welders and paint sprayers, Benetton manufactures clothes more quickly using CAD-CAM. The quality of computer-manufactured articles is more consistent and better, leading to greater productivity and reliability. Working conditions are often cleaner and safer. There may be shorter working hours but this could mean more reduncancies or redeployment. Skilled workers have seen their skills made redundant by CAM. Companies must modernise to remain competative and viable; if non-viable then there may be even more job losses. Use of computers has created a range of new jobs; * hardware manufacture, * sales, * servicing, * technical support (call centres) * consultancy. New products manufactured due to computers; * mobile phones, * CDs and DVDs * videos * satellite receivers, * video cameras, * digital cameras ICT AND COMMERCE The number of banking transactions is now so huge they could not be carried out without computers: * electronic transfer of funds, * elctronic payroll * ATM transactions, * credit/debit card transactions * home banking. There is a movement towards the cashless society. Our shopping habits have changed due to ICT; * digital TV shopping channels, * internet shopping. Supermarkets offer loyalty cards to encourage customers to shop at their stores. All records are stored on computer and the store can gain useful demographic information. Computerised stock control using barcodes is used by many shops. Supermarkets have grown bigger at the expense of the corner shop. The use of phone cards has resulted in less theft from call boxes. Internet shopping is increasing and lead to the growth of internet only companies, eg. ebay.com, and internet only banks, eg. cahoot. Security is a problem for companies and the system is open to credit card fraud especially for services, eg. payment for a subscription-only service. Internet shopping has lead to companies closing their retail outlets and consequent loss of jobs, eg. ICT Systems and Business :: ICT Essays ICT Systems and Business Use of computers has brought profound change to business. The electronic office is an obvious example. In this, every desk in a business is likely to have a computer. The computers will be networked and have communications facilities. The work done in offices is usually; * receipt, * processing, * storage, * despatch Computers and ICT systems can do these things more efficiently and faster than manual systems. Businesses now advertise FAX numbers and email addresses prominently. This affects the number of letters sent by post but FAX and email cannot completely replace the postal service as original, hard-copy letters are still needed for legal reasons. Products can be ordered on-line via the internet and most businesses now have their own website. Electronic Data Interchange is used to send orders, pay invoices and transfer information generally. Employees are paid using electronic funds transfer. ICT AND MANUFACTURING Many industries now use Computer-Aided Manufacture (CAM), eg. cars are manufactured by robot welders and paint sprayers, Benetton manufactures clothes more quickly using CAD-CAM. The quality of computer-manufactured articles is more consistent and better, leading to greater productivity and reliability. Working conditions are often cleaner and safer. There may be shorter working hours but this could mean more reduncancies or redeployment. Skilled workers have seen their skills made redundant by CAM. Companies must modernise to remain competative and viable; if non-viable then there may be even more job losses. Use of computers has created a range of new jobs; * hardware manufacture, * sales, * servicing, * technical support (call centres) * consultancy. New products manufactured due to computers; * mobile phones, * CDs and DVDs * videos * satellite receivers, * video cameras, * digital cameras ICT AND COMMERCE The number of banking transactions is now so huge they could not be carried out without computers: * electronic transfer of funds, * elctronic payroll * ATM transactions, * credit/debit card transactions * home banking. There is a movement towards the cashless society. Our shopping habits have changed due to ICT; * digital TV shopping channels, * internet shopping. Supermarkets offer loyalty cards to encourage customers to shop at their stores. All records are stored on computer and the store can gain useful demographic information. Computerised stock control using barcodes is used by many shops. Supermarkets have grown bigger at the expense of the corner shop. The use of phone cards has resulted in less theft from call boxes. Internet shopping is increasing and lead to the growth of internet only companies, eg. ebay.com, and internet only banks, eg. cahoot. Security is a problem for companies and the system is open to credit card fraud especially for services, eg. payment for a subscription-only service. Internet shopping has lead to companies closing their retail outlets and consequent loss of jobs, eg.

Conducting a Strategic Management Project Essay

Introduction Shell is one of the world’s leading energy group and petrochemicals companies. It has around102000 employees in more than 100 countries. The objectives of the Shell Group are to engage efficiently, responsibly and profitably in oil, oil products, gas, chemicals and other selected businesses and to participate in the search for and development of other sources of energy to meet evolving customer needs and the world’s growing demand for energy. Mission Statement Shell’s innovative approach ensures that they are ready to tackle the challenges of new energy futures. 1.1 Topic of investigation having a strategic implication. This report explains the team buildings and teams work in Shell and development of its research work progress within the organization. It also presents suitable analysis of the project management and planning, advisory and project implementation of work. In this report, positive results of theories and its test showed that effective teamwork can lead to a success and achieving critical goals of Shell. It may also be able to gain the sustainability of competitiveness. Moreover, study explains that how team performance can be improved through leadership with project planning to face the upcoming challenges in modern era of business environment Shell operates in. 1.2 The aim, scope and objectives of the project. †¢ How can we improve Shell’s research study about lubes oil? †¢ What strategy we should adapt for improving Shell’s research? †¢ How and effective team force can be made for this purpose? The aim of the project is to achieve such team management, technology and resources that meet the new emerging energy challenges. Shell need to adapt such management strategies which will make a strong workforce with experienced and skilful team members. Shell wants to be recognised as a great company-competitive successfully and a force for progress. Shell has a fundamental belief that they can make a difference in the world because of it’s worth in the global market. A strong consumer proposition has been developed for the brand and embodied in the line â€Å"World Quality† which communicates Shell value-based offering in a precise manner, to its core target audience. The purpose of the advertising in the first instance is to support this strong value pr oposition and secondly to tailor the media solution to the store. 1.3 Justifying the scope, aim and objective. In meeting the energy challenges, the world faces three hard truths. The first is that there has been a step-change in global energy demand, with rapidly developing countries like China and India entering the energy-intensive phase of growth. Even with huge improvements in energy efficiency and substantial growth in renewables, fossil fuels will still be the main element of the energy mix by mid-century. The second hard truth is that easy-to-access oil and gas is in decline. As a result, energy will come increasingly from unconventional sources, such as oil sands. The third hard truth is that the increased burning of fossil fuels especially coal for power generation could mean unacceptably high emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming and climate change. Meeting the energy challenge Shell is helping to meet the energy challenge with a broad range of approaches. It uses advanced technologies that can unlock oil and gas in more remote or hostile environments, and new techniques to extend the lives of existing fields. We are increasing production from unconventional sources, including oil sands. Shell helps make the most of cleaner-burning natural gas through our output of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas to liquids (GTL) products. We are helping to develop second-generation bio fuels that do not compete with food crops; and we are developers of wind and solar power. 1.4 Evaluation of project research methodology. Methodolgy Research Study should be verified by seniors because all research is based on practical data and that data may vary by location of the research and by person. Need to Understand the Hypothesis before research and development. Which department are more feasible and which person is more interested and suitable for that research. Research should be complete on time. Research conduct at same time on different locations 2.1 Identify sources of data and information that will support the aim of the project. For a company like Shell having the right information about the environment, customs, laws and customer needs is of key importance. To gather this information the company will firstly see the law of the country in which it is going to start business, as we are talking about their business in UK the law allows this business. Here in UK there is a high demand it is a rich environment for the company to run their business. Data about this can be obtained by doing surveys and examining the current market i.e. by observing the similar businesses running in the country. Scanning the Environment In this research study, an appropriate approach of environmental scanning is considered in the industrial organisations that are operating in the chemical industry. Different types of information were used in this study. It included general information about the industry and specific about the participating companies. The type of data that was included was; †¢ Formal data that concerns the company’s character. †¢ Data that is publicly available, like in annual reports. †¢ Interviews of managers that provided the history and culture of the companies. This information was very important to analyse and research the topic and to see how other companies are operating in the industry. Strauss (1987) emphasizes the usefulness of the case study approach when used with grounded theory. Grounded theory seeks to generate theoretical statements and, ultimately, complex theories based on empirical evidence, although it can be used in different ways and reach various degrees of complexity. The research design framework adopted in this study can be described as a multiple case study, composed according to the theory building structure, as described by Yin (1989), i.e., where the sequence of chapters follow a theory-building logic, and using the grounded theory method of qualitative data analysis. 2.2 Synthesise the data and information for options or alternatives that support the project aims. An effective information infrastructure was implemented to assess the information required in this research, which included technological information, processes and information acquired by people. A rich collection of scientific and technical information was gathered, which was managed by professionals having different backgrounds. However, some companies just provided a consistent picture which was a small collection made up of journals, literature and reports mainly. The information being pervasive is one of the main reasons in having difficulty in accounting for the costs involved in the research as it depends on specific roles and their performance. The data that was collected showed that in medium or large chemical companies data and information was being handled by 50% staff while in smaller companies about 9% staff was involved. The scope of the companies was assessed by their li nks with Research and Development organisations and hoe they collaborate with the regulatory agencies. Strategic change Larger companies like Shell influence the planning adoption but some other factors also interfere with the tendency, for example in what form the organisation is and what is the management style of the organisation. No evidence was found that suggests that the subsector companies should adopt the planning technique as a planning tool. While, the planning offices are also rare and their main duty is to collect the difficult data which is needed by the top management for decision making. The strategic change analysed mainly talked about increasing the quality of the product, which includes mainly improving the conditions of production. Environmental protection was also an issue in some cases there were highly pollutant industries. Globalisation and diversification were also some important strategic changes. Companies that targeted globalization pursued growth in the industry but some companies just secured their positions in the internal market due to the threat of major competitors operating in the main market. Companies which had a little scope of growth adopted specialization. The main target was to improve the product quality. Some companies claimed that they always pursue improving the production quality while other companies admitted that they have to improve the quality of the product to satisfy the EC regulations. 2.3 Determine an option or alternative that supports the project aims. Other way of supporting the project aim is to use theoretical information and implement it directly on the company. Information is like team management theories. Inductive and deductive research can be used to gather information and to move towards the aim. Deductive research Deductive reasoning works from the more general to the more specific. Sometimes this is informally called a â€Å"top down† approach. Conclusion follows logically from premises Inductive research Inductive reasoning works the other way moving from specific observations to broader generalizations and theories. Informally, we sometimes call this a â€Å"bottom up† approach. Conclusion is likely based on premises..It involves a degree of uncertainty. Inductive type based on induction. Data is collected on a subject and researcher tries to develop theory from this data. 3.1 Evaluate the research analysis to enable conclusions to be made. Team Management It is difficult to build a team and maintain good working relationships. However, team members go through a number of development stages to work together effectively in team performance management. Individuals performing well are rewarded while those who are not performing good are motivated. The functions and roles of its members should be recognised by its team. The leader should establish continuous communication lines and set clear goals that are understood. A team that performs well accomplishes projects quickly and with less difficulty, misunderstanding, and divergence. Strategic Objectives Strategic goals or objectives are broad, high level aims, derived from organisation’s mission statement and purpose, affecting the whole organization (sometimes referred to as corporate aims). These will be: †¢ Long term (time horizon of several years), although they should be monitored regularly (typically annually) and may be revised periodically. †¢ Responsive to external factors such as new competition, changes in global economic conditions, or customer demands. The term ‘strategic’ denotes a particular focus of the managers’ planning and decision making responsibilities. Senior mangers focus mostly on ‘why’ questions, concentrating on the ‘big picture’ and providing vision and leadership for employees across the whole organisation. Alignment of team performance and corporate goals To achieve the corporate aims it is necessary that the direction of the teams is towards the long term strategic goal. Managers and team leaders have to keep in mind what they need to achieve overall. And hence, to control the teams in such a way that either they are working on long projects or short it’s all adding up to the final goal. In the case of Shell the main objective of the company is to provide good quality chemicals. To achieve this there has to be a proper direct and control system of the staff working at the stores from the top management to the staff working on the floor. A good communication and understanding will always lead to easy achievement of goals, satisfying the customer at the end. Mangers are supposed to take into account the demand and supply of the products to make sure every product is available on time and then work should be allocated to the subordinates in a proper system to get all the work done systematically and easily. Proper team management should be done by the supervisors and the team leaders. All the staff should be divided into small teams which have to work in different sections. Proper training should be given to all the team members and a standard way of achieving the goal. This performance target should be given to all the team members and should be monitored and reviewed constantly. This standard should be according to the company policy and should be according to health and safety and customer satisfaction oriented. Providing good work at the end of every shift, which is the availability of all the products on time with good customer service. 3.2 Recommend a course of action that achieves the project aim. Skills that need some development †¢ Communicating †¢ Decision-making †¢ Leadership †¢ Prioritizing †¢ Valuing and †¢ Skills need to be achieved. †¢ To respond problems, experiences and opportunities from which to learn. †¢ To generate ideas without constraints of policy or structure or feasibility. †¢ Involving with other people i.e ideas bouncing off them, solving problems as part of a team. †¢ Need to have a limelight/high visibility i.e can chair meetings, lead discussion, and give presentations. †¢ To be engaging myself in short, activities such as business games, competitive teamwork tasks, role playing exercises. Supporting Others †¢ Motivating †¢ Analysing †¢ Delegating †¢ Reporting 3.3 Analyse the impact of the recommendations. Training courses at Shell for career progression. Management Development Programme Includes: †¢ Consumer Legislation †¢ Customer Service †¢ Employment Law †¢ Health and Safety †¢ Human Resource Management †¢ Policies & Procedures Opportunity development builds competitive positions by identifying and utilizing opportunities in the environment. Opportunity development is necessary because your existing positions are constantly being degraded by change. Opportunities exist as â€Å"openings† in the environment that allow you to advance your position in the direction of your mission. These openings are usually small, but by taking advantage of the small openings, you eventually position yourself for the big advances you want. Training After the initial audit our ethical trade specialists work with the suppliers to support them through remediation of any issues that are found. Training is offered to suppliers on particular issues and best practice, at regular intervals. Shell is in the process of more than tripling the size of its own ethical trade team that focuses on training and intensive problem solving with its suppliers. These individuals are trained to the highest levels and are equipped to address endemic problems in the supply chain and come up with viable solutions for the suppliers. 4.1 Produce the results of the investigative project. The purpose of this study was to explain the team buildings and teams work in Shell and development of its research work progress within the organization. It also presents suitable analysis of the project management and planning, advisory and project implementation of work. In this report, positive results of theories and its test showed that effective teamwork can lead to a success and achieving critical goals of Shell. It may also be able to gain the sustainability of competitiveness. Moreover, study explains that how team performance can be improved through leadership with project planning to face the upcoming challenges in modern era of business environment Shell operates in. The main result was in the adoption of the learning and training courses within the company in order to prosper and enhance in the future. Shell is one of the leading companies in the world in the chemical an oil sector and it felt pride in taking these training and development steps in order to move forward and to achieve its project aim as a result of the research program. 4.2 Evaluate the impact of the investigative project The future sustainability of any organization heavily depends on the quality of project management to be able to cope with today’s dynamic business environment. There is direct co relation between stake holder business project and the people within the firm. Shell is one of the four largest companies in the UK and has been ranked number one of the top 100 graduate employers in the UK and all over the world. The sustainability of Shell competitive advantage of its brightest people is depending on the successful team work and leadership. The best leaders know how to get others to follow and the best team members know how to follow their leaders. REFRENCES BOOKS: Aguilar, F.J. (1967) Scanning the Business Environment. New York: McMillan. Robert , buttrick ,(2005).The project workout: pearso education limited Edinburgh gate Education 3rd (1) pp, 305-350 Strauss, A. & Corbin, J, (1990). Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. London: Sage. Strauss, A. (1987) Qualitative Analysis For Social Scientists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Total Quality Management: The route to improving performance by John S. Oakland (Hardcover – 15 Mar 1993) Shell employee control hand book 07/08 Personal development as a strategic manager unit 7001: level 7 strategic management and leadership CMI Checklist: †¢ Personal development planning †¢ Developing strategy for world class business E-learning †¢ Your role in improving personal effectiveness †¢ Development needs and planning development Web links: †¢ www.milum.net 13/12/2009 †¢ www.enotes.com 13/12/2009 †¢ www.quickmba.com 13/12/2009 †¢ www.managers.org.uk 10/12/2009 †¢ www.shell.co.uk 20/12/2009

IFRS vs GAAP †Equity Accounts Essay

In discussing Equity Accounting standards of GAAP and IFRS we specifically look at Stockholders’ equity in regard to corporations. Of course there are many differences in language; however, we will review some major differences in accounting standards with respect to Equity accounts. There is a glaring difference in the two methods with regards to Distributions to Owners. Under US GAAP, disregarding dividends paid on unallocated shares (Employee Stock Ownership Plans), tax benefits can be received. It follows that the tax expense is reduced and no allocation is made in stockholders equity. The IFRS impose rules where entities must reduce equity accounts for the amount of any distribution, net of tax benefits. To elaborate, a company under GAAP pays 1 million dollars into pensions and 200 thousand would be the taxable amount. It would reduce the stock holder’s equity by 1 million; the 200 thousand would credit the tax expense. A company under IFRS would report 800 thousand as a debit to the equity account, with no tax liability. A broader topic is the issuance of equity instruments which includes stock. Minor differences related to stock are observable in linguistics, or account titles. GAAP accounts are labeled Common Stock and IFRS accounts are labeled Share Capital. One significant difference in accounting methods occurs in the presentation of increasing equity, specifically in regard to issuing stock. An IFRS entity may report Par value and nominal value separately in its equity account. There are some other differences in the accounting practices of IFRS and GAAP to make note of in regard to equity accounts. One difference is the recording of changes in equity. The IFRS implements a financial statement for this specific known as the, â€Å"Statement of changes in Equity.† The statement shows more than just changes. First, the statement reports profits or loss; what follows are incomes or expense titled â€Å"other comprehensive income.† Lastly, the statement shows changes in accounting policies and the financial effects incurred as a result. It’s used for compliance with IFRS accounting policies, estimates and error rules. US GAAP does not require a separate financial statement and can record changes simply in the notes of financial statements.

Impact of Caste System in India Essay

1. Introduction 1.1 Brief introduction of the background: Feminist translation rose in the process of â€Å"cultural turn† proposed by Bassnett Susan and Lefevere at the end of the 1970s and in the early 1980s, it was the product of the latest advances in translation theory and the vigorous development of the feminist movement that first launched in Canada by some outstanding Canadian translators, like Susanne de Lotbinià ¨re-Harwood, Barbara Godard and Kathy Mezei.(Susan 1990) A strong movement of French-language feminist experimental writing in Quebec stimulated their desire to promote and to theorize activities of literary mediation. Since then, some feminist theorists came up and made a lot of critics about the feminist translation theory, the most typical and influential ones are: Sherry Simon’s Gender in Translation: Cultural Identity and the Politics of Transmission; Luise Von Flotow’s Translation and Gender : Translating in the Era of Feminism; and Barbara Godard’s Views on feminist translation studies. The purpose of feminist translation theory is firmly opposed to placing women in the lower social class and making translation subsidiary to literature. They are against that, as John Forio summarized:â€Å"translators are handmaiden to authors, women inferior to men.† This is the core of feminist translation theory, which seeks to ‘identify and critique the tangle of concepts which relegates both women and translation to the bottom of the social and literary ladder’. We can see that it stressed the subjectivity of translation, hold the idea that original is equivalent to the translation and the gender discrimination can be eliminated by rewriting the translation. (ç ®â‚¬Ã¤ ¸ ½Ã¤ ¸ ½2012:1-27) From this point of view, the theory is accepted by most, especially translation theorists, since it has provided a new learning perspective for them in translation theory research and translation practice. 1.2 The application of the feminist theory in literature. As one of the most important foundational texts of our Western culture. However, there are many masculine language, image and metaphor in the early Bible so that it is hard to avoid not to consider God as male. With the rising of feminism, women Christian became awakening to the situation of women’s oppression, so they reacted strongly against the overwhelmingly masculinist bias of the Bible, and the way it had for so long been used to constrain women. While the method they adopted is to reinterpretate the Bible from a feminist point of view, to translate the Bible by means of â€Å"neutral† or â€Å"gender-inclusive language† and propose several amendments of the translation of the Bible, which resolves the concept of feminist translation. However, some people think that the rewriting of the Bible may lead a misunderstanding of it, for the fact is that the social status of female in that era is extremely low. We can judge from the following: The Bible teaches that woman brought sin and death into the world, that she precipitated the fall of the race, that she was arraigned before the judgment seat of Heaven, tried, condemned and sentenced. Marriage for her was to be a condition of bondage, maternity a period of suffering and anguish, and in silence and subjection she was to play the role of a dependent on man’s bounty for all her material wants, and for all the information she might desire on the vital questions of the hour, she was commanded to ask her husband at home. Here is the Bible position of woman briefly summed up. (Stanton l972:7) Different translation versions of the Bible are allowed nowadays, on condition that the religious rules and the historical truth of the original text not be violated. Otherwise it won’t become an authorized and popular one. With the rapid development of the feminist translation theory, there sprang up numerous recomments on the reinterpretation of feminist literature in China and abroad. Some main research texts are: Pride and Prejudice; Zhang AIling’s translations; Jane Eyre; Diary of a Mad Black Woman; A Frolic in the Snow; The Color Purple;《王å ®â€°Ã¥ ¿â€ Ã¯ ¼Å¡Ã§â€ ·Ã¤ º ºÃ¥â€™Å'Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã¤ º ºÃ¯ ¼Å'Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã¤ º ºÃ¥â€™Å'城å ¸â€šÃ£â‚¬â€¹and so on. Through the recomment on the feminist literature, and the comparison of different versions from gender point of view, more and more people were awakened by the feminist consciousness, it earned widespread attention to some extent, it even changed the position of men and women in an unnoticed , fast way. For example, there are two different translated versions of Li Limei and Sun Zhili to Pride and prejudice. As far as Austen’s ideas on marriage are concerned. Li Limei’s preface for her translation of Pride and Prejudice:She criticized most of the marriage at that time†¦(she thought) the base of an ideal marriage should be mutual love and understanding†¦but she never put money and love ai the opposite position; instead, she showed that money played a key role in an ideal marriage. In Sun Zhili’s preface for his translation of Pride and Prejudice : she accepted Collin’s proposal just for the purpose to have a good home, a â€Å"safe box† whi ch ensured that she can be protected from cold and hunger. She didn’t mind the fact that she couldn’t enjoy the happiness of love after she got marriage. And to some extent, it reflects the miserable fate of women. It shows us that how the subjectivity influences the translation, in the example above, the female translator, influenced by gender consciousness, can better grasp and reproduce the details related to feminine in the original text. However, the male translator, lacking the gender consciousness, often neglects these details, and even weaken or distorts the feminist purpose in the original text. 2. Theory foundation and their strength and weakness 2.1 Sherry Simon and her Gender in Translation: Cultural Identity and the Politics of Transmission Sherry Simon and her Gender in Translation: Cultural Identity and the Politics of Transmission, which is one of her most significant monographs of translation studies and is also the first comprehensive discussion of the western translation studies from feminist perspective. The book mainly explored the influence on translation theory and practice on the part of feminism based on political and literary movement. In Simon’s words, the book is the product of feminism and translation studies from the perspective of culture. It abandoned the traditional translation theory and held that translation was not a simple mechanical language conversion ,but also the constant extension the renewal of an unlimited number of text discourses. Therefore, translation, considered as an act of writing through highlighting the subjectivity of the translator, is also a rewriting behaviour in specific social, historical and cultural context. Sherry Simon concentrated on the discussion of replacing those hackneyed language by means of the positive discourses that enable to convey the function of identity in translation practice. Sherry Simon’s feminist theory has broken the shackles of translational translation theory, promoting the play of individual initiative, advocating individual interest and needs and recognizing the individual world view.(Simon 1996:105-108) Simon focus on underlining the importance of the cultural turn in translation. Cultural studies brings translation an understanding of the complexities of gender and culture. It allows us to situate linguistic transfer within the multiple ‘post’ realities of today: poststructuralism, post colonialism and postmodernism. (Simon 1996:136) Thus Simon links gender and cultural studies to the development in the post colonialism. The exact scope of post colonialism is open to some debate; however, it is generally used to cover studies of the history of the former colonies, studies of powerful European empires , resistance to the colonialist powers and, more broadly, studies of the effect of the imbalance of power relations between colonized and colonizer. The consequent crossover between different contemporary disciplines can be seen by the fact that essays by her and Lefevere appear in collections of postcolonial writings on translation, and Simon herself makes extensive reference to the postcolonialist Spivak.(Jeremy 2010:133) 2.2 Luise Von Flotow’ Translation and Gender : Translating in the Era of Feminism Followed by Sherry Simon, Luise Von Flotow wrote her Translation and Gender : Translating in the Era of Feminism . After the publication of this book, there came into being a lot of thesis about the feminist translation theory almost at the same time. The importance of it is quite evident. However, does it rightly or properly criticize and comment on the feminist translation perspective? We know that (a) the book systematically expounded the origin, development of the feminism, as well as its relationship with translation. (b) And it perfectly combined theory and example by citing abundant cases. The most heating topic was her three feminist translation strategies: â€Å"supplementing†, â€Å"prefacing† and â€Å"footnoting† as well as â€Å"hijacking†. She explained to us those methods the translators use in their work elaborately. (c) More importantly, as a women, Luise did not hold a bigoted idea, but a justice one to feminism. All of those are strengths, but (a) the language she studied focused on Hebrew, French, and German which all of them have typical gender, number and case. It is not convincing for the Chinese, Japanese and Korean readers for their language can not be obviously distinguished. (b) her criticizes from Outside Feminism and Within Feminism leave us an impression that the feminism overemphasize their manipulative and political act by tampering and the authors’ writing style, without regard to the readers’ feeling. Presenting to us their colonialism in translation. (Flotow 2004) 2.3 Barbara Godard’s Views on feminist translation studies. Barbara Godard was born in Toronto in 1941, she was one of the most famous feminist translators who were the first to engage in feminist translation. She published six translation works including dozens of translations of poetries, proses and fiction excerpts. Godard emphasized on the profiling of women and the translator in the translation. She wrote prefaces all her translators, showing her rejection of invisible women, translators and translations. An important discovery she found was that the language differences between women and men, she found that women must put female language translated in to patriarchal language when they got involved in to the public domain, so women were â€Å"bilingual†, with at least two kind of visions of looking at reality. However, men has a single perspective because of their power positions of masters. When it came to the translation of women’s work, this narrow perspective of men were fully exposed. What she sought was not the â€Å"one to one correspondence† between the translation work and the original texts, but the recreation of the translation to the feminism in the original text. Godard was absolutely a pioneer in western feminist translation and her feminist translation practice and theory were extremely important for us to study the western feminist translation. However,(a) her works were so radical that it was almost impossible for the translators to find the so-called equivalence of the original work and the translation work. (b) Godard’s translation were indeed limited to the highly educated elite readers for she thought it was one of the strategies of feminism that required the text of elitism to make the text more readable. 3. Conclusion It is regarded as a good way to improve the women’s social status with language and translation, we are also delighted to see the improvement of the subjectivity and the translators, but it will become debateable if the translators attempt to change the style of the original work, or rewrite it to serve their political act. If the translation is not fidelity ,we won’t care whether it is beautiful or not. What we should do is not to rewrite all the works forcefully, but fully analyzing and translating the feminist works with female consciousness, so that our voice can be heard,and our female consciousness can be released from the male-centered one.(ä ¹ Ã© »â€ºÃ¤ ºâ€˜ 2002) The translation theory and translation practice now mainly focus on some typical literary translation and texts, but not spread to the people at bottom. It is suggested that the mass reading and some other aspects should also be involved. As for China, we still did not have any formal feminist movement, plus we lack of the deep research about translation. Hence we haven’t achieved a remarkable achievement concerning the feminist translation. We should avail ourselves of this opportunity to call on Chinese translators apply this feminist consciousness into their translation. Because it benefits not only the development of feminism, the gender study, but also the translation studies. The revolution of the translation may be a revolution of literature, and a revolution of human culture.