Impressions of Visiting Vatican Museum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impressions of Visiting Vatican Museum - Essay Example Before going into the particular sensations that my senses felt, it is necessary to begin to describe the experience with relation to the mood that I had upon arriving at the Vatican museum. The mood itself was a mixture of feelings that helped to add to the overall experience and the level to which I can recall it. Firstly, I was exhausted from my travels. Secondly, I was fatigued from standing in line under the hot Italian sun for over an hour. Thirdly, I was thrilled to realize the fact that finally, I was going to be able to realize my dream. And lastly, upon entering the museum itself, I was in pure amazement. What greeted my senses was something that is difficult to retell while keeping the experience as powerful as it was to me. Upon entering the museum, I remember the distinct smells that I encountered. It was an interesting medley that recalled the smell of an air conditioner that had just been turned on for the first time of the season mixed with the powdery smell that ston e buildings often have. What was noticeably remarkable was the fact that the museum did not smell like a museum. Instead, it smelled more sterile. This had the combined effect of somewhat distancing the exhibits from the reach of the visitor. Had the location smelled more like a museum, it is likely that I would have in some way met at least a few of my prior expectations regarding the exhibits housed within. One factor that detracted from the overall experience was the sheer number of people that were in the Vatican museum at the same time that I took my tour. Although I expected that such a tourist attraction would be crowded, I had no way of preparing myself for the number of people that I encountered. Unfortunately, at times, the crush of the crowd did take away from the overall experience as I felt that at certain times I was being herded through the museum without having the necessary time to take in the setting and/or the artwork that greeted me.  

Hardware used in my created system Essay Example for Free

Hardware used in my created system Essay The hardware my system will use is a keyboard and mouse for input and it will use a monitor and a printer for output. The actual computer tower itself is obviously required hardware, and includes a hard drive, RAM for process storage, the CPU to run all the processes in the computer and there are other things too. The wage slip is my output product (as well as the leaflet), as it is what I want to get out of my system. The input is the data in the spreadsheet, and the spreadsheet is obviously the store of this data. The process itself is getting the input to the output, and the way we do that is by using mail merge. Mail merge automatically moves the data from where we input it into our wage slip which will be printed, which is our output. Each part of my system needs hardware. The input which is the data requires a keyboard. Storage requires a hard drive, obviously. The process requires a CPU and RAM to function and the output (wage slip) requires a printer monitor. My system can be described as a number of subsystems. The wage slip is a system in itself, having the spreadsheet as input data and storage, the actual mail merge being the process then the wage slip being your output. But deeper down, the spreadsheet alone is a system, with data entered in as input, the cells storing the data. Then the processes are the formulas manipulating the data, finally giving us wage figures as our outputs from the spreadsheet sub-system. The problem with the hardware I am using is that with a keyboard and mouse, lots of errors can be made, even with validation rules. Someone may type a 7 in hours instead of 8 and then that employee would get underpaid. A better system would be to use a card scanner, fingerprint scanner or barcode scanner with recognition of each employees card/fingerprint. A person could scan in when they enter the work place and then rescan back out and then the data of how many hours they had worked could automatically enter into the spreadsheet, therefore making error almost impossible. The problem with this is that there is a larger initial cost for the technology needed over a mouse and keyboard input. There are also completely different systems like using pen and paper The upside of this is that its extremely cheap as no expensive hardware or software is needed. There are many downsides to this system though. First of all, it is very slow, as each wage slip must be written out individually and all calculations have to be done by hand and then written down. Furthermore, lots of errors can be made using pen and paper because the calculations arent as consistent as using some kind of computer. Hand writing may be misread on the calculations and then it could make catastrophic mistakes when copying out the calculation results onto the wage slip. Writing each wage slip out would take so much time that it probably wouldnt even be feasible in this day and age. Automated wage slips overcome this problem Commercial systems are normally very accurate but theyre made for very large scale operations, and so cost a lot of money. Also, our system uses very basic hardware that any computer will have, and can be adapted to the users needs.

The Changing Mattress Business Essay -- Economy, Economic Downturn

Changes in the global environment, in conjunction with the deepest and most prolonged economic downturn since the Great Depression, have started a sea change in the domestic mattress industry. The end of conspicuous consumption for big-ticket items such as mattresses and foundations, is the result of declining new home sales, tightening of consumer credit, the consumer confidence index still well below pre-recessionary levels (Wang, 2010), and unemployment hovering near 10%. In order to remain viable in rapidly changing global and task environments, mattress manufacturers will need to lower material and manufacturing costs, develop products that differentiate them from their competitors, or develop new channels of distribution for their products. Domestic production of mattresses and foundations in 2010 was slightly below 6 billion dollars and almost 16% less than the peak mattress production of 2007 (International Sleep Products Association, 2010). Many consumers have lost confidence in the economic state of the country and therefore have begun to believe that, as Newt Gingrich said recently, "if you can’t afford to buy a house, don’t buy it" (Gingrich, 2010). The economic downturn has signaled the end of conspicuous consumption, defined as â€Å"the act or practice of spending money on expensive things that are not necessary in order to impress other people† (Merrian-Webster's Leaner's Dictionary, 2010). Identify functional and dysfunctional control systems within your own organization I am currently a Senior Vice-President of Sales for King Koil Licensing (â€Å"King Koil†). The company licenses mattress-manufacturing facilities, called licensees, both domestically and internationally, to produce the brands that King Koil owns. The l... ...ving the wherewithal to maintain our lifestyle will be difficult to achieve if this strategy fails. From a professional standpoint, I have had a certain level of success as a retail executive for the past 37 years, and have built a reputation that I do not want sullied through an association with a company that fails. The mattress industry in America has contracted as consumers have suffered through these difficult economic times and will continue to face more changes in the global environment and changes in the task environment. The enterprises that remain stuck in the middle, stick to the â€Å"old ways†, react to these changes too late will likely go the way of Two Guys, Kobackers, Woolworth’s, Montgomery Ward, Circuit City, Studebaker, and too many other businesses that failed to move their organizations through the economic mine fields that confronted them.

Great Leaders: Are They Made or Born? Essay

Skills such as communications skills, strategic and leadership skills are often questioned whether they are learned or naturally born within a person. These debates are caused by the bipolar opposition of an individual’s growth as influenced by nurture and nature. Human behaviors are studied by psychologists and sociologists to explain the phenomena whether those behaviors are innate or learned and acquired. One of those phenomena is a person’s success in terms of leadership abilities. Leadership skills are enhanced and developed through performance, actions and experiences; thus, triumphant and great leaders are made, not born. Leadership is defined as â€Å"working with and through others to achieve objectives† (qtd. Goldsmith). It means that any person who is in a position and whose success and achievement entails the support of others, can play the role of a leader (Goldsmith). Leaders make possibilities (Avolio 3), so the belief of most psychologists then that leadership qualities are innate are now being debated because of several researches that show the other possibility: leadership skills can be mastered and developed (Avolio). It is not enough to believe in the â€Å"Great Man† theories, which assume that the ability for leadership is inherent and inborn–that great leaders are born, not made. The theories most of the time illustrate leaders as heroic, mythic and fated to ascend to leadership when needed (Wagner). However, it is important to note that it is misjudged and underestimated if people fail to gather and learn from life and personal experiences, which are said to have an impact on developing leadership skills (Avolio 3). Great leaders emerge in a number of forms; however, there are particular characteristics that are common to the quality of leadership–a process of influencing members of the organization to commit and to work hard towards achieving the organization’s goals. Leaders can either be task-oriented–leaders who are interested most in directing behavior, training, performance and winning–or person-oriented, leaders who are enthused more on the interpersonal relationship of the organization (Sugarman 1). On the other hand, in order for a person to be addressed as a â€Å"great† leader, he or she must be both task-and-people-oriented so that every aspect of the organization will be given focus. The quote â€Å"great leaders are people persons† (Banescu), implies that a great leader is someone who likes to be with people, listens to them, relates to them, knows how to communicate well, and speaks their language and does not talk down to them. Moreover, great leaders are knowledgeable and efficient administrators. It means that the leader comprehends the works that are being done in all the areas of the organization: how the areas and the people collaborate. The leader possesses a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the people he or she administers. He or she devotes resources and time to correct the weaknesses and reinforce the strengths (Banescu). It is also essential to take into consideration that a leader needs to have the qualities that the organization is incorporating. For instance, if a leader desires his or her members to be confident and be disciplined, it is essential that he or she must first possess those traits. In order for a person to be called as a leader, he or she needs to lead by example. A leader serves as an influential model for all his or her members, so everything he or she does will be watched and looked at (Sugarman 1). Basically, the skills of a great leader revolve on his or her capacity to manage and lead the members of his or her organization, as well as to fulfill and do his or her own tasks while making sure that the organization functions well in achieving its goals and objectives. Great leaders’ qualities and abilities center on action rather than position. Leaders are in the position to supervise the organization and its members and to make sure that every aspect performs well. Leadership is not primarily about exercising one’s power and extending his or her dominion by abusing his or her authority and manipulating the members of the group. Thus, a leader guides the members of the organization, not rules them. He or she draws a course, bestows direction and enhances and develops the social and psychological milieu (qtd. Sugarman 2). Given the aforementioned premises, then, how great leaders are made? Being a leader especially a triumphant and great one is a matter of choice, a matter of priority and a matter of challenge. Of course, every individual desires to become a leader and sees him or herself as a catalyst of change. However, albeit the dreams and visions of becoming one, only those who follow their heart and who make the move have evolved to become leaders. Nevertheless, becoming a great leader is more challenging than just turning into an ordinary and usual leader. â€Å"Great† is a very powerful and strong adjective that describes the whole capacity and leadership abilities of a person. It is how a person makes use of his or her leadership capabilities as well as how he or she maximizes his or her strengths and potentials in order to manage and lead the organization properly. It is also about utilizing his or her leadership skills in order to create and discover new strategies and techniques. As what the old saying goes, â€Å"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trial;† this statement is very much suitable with regards to the explanation of making great leaders. It means that a person needs to learn from his or her personal experiences in accord to his or her leadership potentials. The acquired knowledge and experiences will definitely be of great help to an individual’s leadership development. So in order to become a great leader, a leader must first be beaten with a lot of trials and challenges during the process. Great leaders: are they made or born? That question has been commonly asked and has been studied for several decades. Psychologists then insist that great leaders are born because leadership skills are acquired from one’s ancestors. The leader’s abilities are intact on their genes. However, that notion with leadership is said to be dangerous because it promotes self-delusion and irresponsibility. It crafts an escape on one’s responsibility for taking action or for learning how to take action when he or she has seen the need of the organization or the community (Heifetz 20). On the other hand, current researches show and reveal that great leaders are made, not born. Because even though the person has been born with skills and abilities, but he or she fails to utilize them and fails to apply it in his or her experiences and leadership struggle, still, his or her innate capacities have no use. But if a person is already born with excellent skills on leadership and chooses to enhance and develop those skills, he or she has the power to transform him or herself into a person that he or she yearns for him or herself to be – a proficient leader. Great leaders are made because of several things that triumphant leaders accomplish. Such things involve getting 390 degrees feedback on his or her present effectiveness, picking the most essential behaviors for change, asking the members of the group for suggestions on how he or she can do a better job, listening to the members’ ideas, and following up and measuring change in efficiency over time (Goldsmith). Given that, an excellent leader provides a serene atmosphere where members can learn and grow. At the same time he or she gives responsibility to the group and fosters independence (Sugarman 2). Great leaders are made because they make use of their skills and abilities and apply what they have learned and what they have experienced in the course of their leadership process and development. They do not just sit on their table and order the members to do their jobs and to accomplish the organization’s goal; hence, triumphant leaders work together with their members. They motivate the group, not manipulate it. Great leaders are made because such leaders are open for crafting possibilities and achieving the unexpected. They make things happen by doing actions and taking responsibilities. They do not just allow a thing to materialize in itself; rather, they do something for it and they strive for it. Leadership is not a just a matter of choice; it is a matter of priority and willingness to act. Works Cited Avolio, Bruce. Leadership Development in Balance: Made or Born. London: Routledge, 2005. Avolio, Bruce. 1999. â€Å"Are Leaders Born or Made. † Psychology Today. 05 March 2009 . Banescu, Chris. 2007. â€Å"Key Characteristics of Great Leaders. † Orthodoxnet. com Blog. 05 March 2009 . Goldsmith, Marshall. 2008. â€Å"Great Leaders Are Made, Not Born. † Harvard Business Publishing. 05 March 2009 . Heifetz, Ronald Abadian. Leadership Without Easy Answers. United States: Harvard University Press, 1994. Sugarman, Karlene. 2008. â€Å"Leadership Characteristics. † Ottewell School. 05 March 2009 . Wagner, Kendra Van. 2009. About. com: Psychology. 05 March 2009 .

The End of Men

Hanna Rosin – The end of men When we are watching the news or reading the paper, it will sometimes be written by a women. Throughout history women have been opressed by man, but in the 21st century they are no longer opressed. They have been demanding equal rights for both genders and now Hanna Rosin has informed us that it may be the end of men. Is our post-modern world better suited for women? Hanna Rosin is saying that there has been a rapidly increase of female employers at almost any work station. 00 if not 50 years ago that would not have been possible. Many women are trying to achieve high-status jobs like Doctors and Engineers and they are really good at it. Hanna Rosin informs us that women are better in school, getting jobs, and that a new kind of alpha female has appeared. An alpha femle which is â€Å"stirring up anxiety and, occasionally, fear†. This means that she believes that the male dominance is gone and a new more frightening female has appeared. Howe ver in the text she concludes that girls have more desire than boys.She does not have anything to use as a point of view towards this statement. Therefore some of the â€Å"facts† which are given here are not to be fully trusted, since she does not document her facts very well. In the text however, she uses a few rhetorical tools as in Etos and Pathos. Hanna Rosin is an american journalist and also writes for different papers for various american companies. She is using etos because she went to university and is a journalist. She is an expert in rhetorical tools but it seems like the article still lacks of argumentation.In the text she tries to inform the reader what has happened. She is doing this by asking questions to the reader â€Å"but what if qeuality isn't the end point†. She encourages the reader to keep reading and wants to make a debate towards the subject â€Å"feninism† and â€Å"The end of men†. However in the text, she uses pathos a lot bec ause she want to gain power in her cause, because she is herself a supporter of feminism. That is seen in the text because she describes men to be clumsy and also informs the reader that some men had lost millions of jobs.If we turn it around and there were more female leaders than men, the same thing would probably happen. She just uses the same repetitive argumentations which lacks a lot of explaining. She says that the male dominance is almost gone but if we look at the stock shares. The leaders of the companies are men. She is appealing to women that they should not let themselves be opressed by â€Å"evil† which men are portrayed as. She thinks it is men which are behind all the crisis and maybe she is right, but without the proper argumentation she is wrong.We can then ask ourselves, is this a bad way of thinking, could she be right? Feminism is a very hard subject simply because it iis about women wanting equal rights, but at the same time critisites men for who they a re. Not all men are assholes, but in the eyes of true feminists they all are. This is a dangerous thought because it makes a diversity between man and woman. Since she herself watches the men as a threat or atleast a dying â€Å"species† where-as the title The End of Men, it is almost like she is doing everything she can to make women look better than men.The title The End of Men explains how she think that there will be an end to men. As she is mentioning a biologist which created a way of seperating the male-producing Y chromosome. However we still have no proof of men dying in the world, and if we look at china we will see that there are many more boys than girls. We can therefore say that women like Hanna Rosin have strong feelings towards men and seems like the would rather have feminism in men. There will therefore be no permission to be men in a feminist society and the father could be uncomfortable as a protector of his family.

Activities Shape our Personality essays

Activities Shape our Personality essays Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, Book II, Chapter 1, suggests that activities in which we participate shape the characteristics of our personality and our personality determines what we do an ongoing process of reciprocity. At the time Aristotle wrote this book, in 350 BC, he was well aware of the work of his contemporary, Hippocrates, who had been dead for 20 years. Hippocrates had more pragmatically contemplated the same problem and had divided the human personality into four general categories: [the humors of] choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic and sanguine. The purpose of Aristotles intellectual investigation was to instill the ideas of personal morality and virtue and then hold others to these [presumably our] standards. While this has appeal, it belies the complexity of human behavior and the right to judge others. It also assumes one person can correct perceived flaws in another as in some grandiose Pygmalion project. While Aristotles idea has great merit when applied providing a safe and nurturing environment for a child to properly develop, it fails to address the fact that differences in the rational wants, beliefs, needs and actions between individuals are not grounds for correcting perceived flaws. The observed differences make an individual who he or she is. Attempting to change them will result in failure. Further, attempting corrective action is based on the false assumption that someone can recreate another in his own image. Perhaps, this may be marginally possible with DNA cloning, but even this seems highly unlikely. It is obvious in a modern society that some reasonable level of conformity to the laws holding the fabric together is required, but beyond modest adherence, individuality abounds as well it should. Peoples actions are governed by the basics of reproduction, survival, necessity, fear, achievement, recognition, power, ...

Free Essays on Falling Back Into Order

Nature, which is the unchanging natural principle of the world and the preserving cause of all things,1 needs order. In the tragedies of â€Å"Hamlet,† â€Å"Macbeth,† and â€Å"Othello,† Shakespeare created worlds that were turbulently disturbed by tainted causes and needed restoration. Because of a disruption in the universal order, there were serious consequences for those who meddled with the natural course of things and those caught in the crossfire. Ironically, tragedy became the sufficient catalyst in bringing harmony back. In â€Å"Macbeth,† Macbeth says, â€Å"It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood.† Macbeth meant nature would only have its balance back if nature took the life of the one who unnaturally caused the death of another. As a result, many lives were tragically lost. However, deaths are relatively insignificant to the importance of nature’s stability in the end. Through these tragedies, Shakespeare reveals how the world’s natural order will prevail even when a person’s choices bring chaos and destruction. Othello and Desdemona’s marriage started off strong. The two brazenly defended their love despite Venice’s racist setting, and Desdemona’s hot-tempered father Brabantio. It would seem that nature was also on their side. A storm left many dead during the journey to Cyprus by ship but nature cooperated in the general movement with a storm that dispersed, while preserving the favored lovers.2 It would seem that Othello’s marriage to Desdemona had a successful future, but disarray initiated by Iago would bring that all to a sudden end. Othello and Desdemona’s reasons for marriage were highly irregular and therefore weak and unable to endure Iago’s evil schemes. â€Å"She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them.† Desdemona fulfilled a place in Othello’s view of himself.3 She merely served as the only trophy Othello had not won before then. As a military ... Free Essays on Falling Back Into Order Free Essays on Falling Back Into Order Nature, which is the unchanging natural principle of the world and the preserving cause of all things,1 needs order. In the tragedies of â€Å"Hamlet,† â€Å"Macbeth,† and â€Å"Othello,† Shakespeare created worlds that were turbulently disturbed by tainted causes and needed restoration. Because of a disruption in the universal order, there were serious consequences for those who meddled with the natural course of things and those caught in the crossfire. Ironically, tragedy became the sufficient catalyst in bringing harmony back. In â€Å"Macbeth,† Macbeth says, â€Å"It will have blood, they say; blood will have blood.† Macbeth meant nature would only have its balance back if nature took the life of the one who unnaturally caused the death of another. As a result, many lives were tragically lost. However, deaths are relatively insignificant to the importance of nature’s stability in the end. Through these tragedies, Shakespeare reveals how the world’s natural order will prevail even when a person’s choices bring chaos and destruction. Othello and Desdemona’s marriage started off strong. The two brazenly defended their love despite Venice’s racist setting, and Desdemona’s hot-tempered father Brabantio. It would seem that nature was also on their side. A storm left many dead during the journey to Cyprus by ship but nature cooperated in the general movement with a storm that dispersed, while preserving the favored lovers.2 It would seem that Othello’s marriage to Desdemona had a successful future, but disarray initiated by Iago would bring that all to a sudden end. Othello and Desdemona’s reasons for marriage were highly irregular and therefore weak and unable to endure Iago’s evil schemes. â€Å"She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them.† Desdemona fulfilled a place in Othello’s view of himself.3 She merely served as the only trophy Othello had not won before then. As a military ...

Fennec Fox Facts (Vulpes zerda)

Fennec Fox Facts (Vulpes zerda) The fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is known for its huge ears and diminutive size. It is the smallest member of the canid (dog) family. Whether the fennec truly belongs in the genus Vulpes is debated because it has fewer chromosome pairs than other fox species, lives in packs while other foxes are solitary, and has different scent glands. Sometimes fennec foxes are known by the scientific name Fennecus zerda. Its common name comes from the Berber-Arabic word fanak, which means fox. Fast Facts: Fennec Fox Scientific Name: Vulpes zerdaCommon Names: Fennec fox, fennecBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 9.5-16 inch body plus a 7-12 inch tailWeight: 1.5-3.5 poundsLifespan: 10-14 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: North Africa and the Sahara DesertPopulation: StableConservation Status: Least Concern Description The fennec foxs most distinctive feature is its large ears, which may measure 6 inches. The ears help the fox identify prey at night and dissipate heat during the day. The fox is small, with a body ranging from 9 to 16 inches in length, plus a bushy 7 to 12 inch tail. Adults weigh between 1.5 and 3.5 pounds. The fennecs thick coat is cream-colored with a black-tipped tail. The fluffy coat insulates the fox against temperatures that range from below freezing at night to over 100 F during the day. Fur covers their paws, protecting them from getting burned by hot sand and improving traction on shifting dunes. Fennec foxes lack musk glands found in other fox species, but have glands on their tail tips that produce a musky odor when the fox is startled. Habitat and Distribution Fennec foxes live in North Africa and Asia. They range from Morocco to Egypt, south to northern Niger, and east to Israel and Kuwait. The foxes are most at home in sand dunes, but they will live where soil is compacted, too. Diet Foxes are omnivores. Fennec foxes are nocturnal hunters that use their sensitive ears to detect the movement of small underground prey. They eat rodents, insects, birds and their eggs, and also fruit and other plants. Fennecs will drink free water, but dont require it. They get their water from food, plus digging in the ground causes dew formation that the animals can lick. Behavior Fennec foxes communicate using a wide variety of sounds, including a purr resembling that of a cat. Males mark territory with urine. Other fox species are mostly solitary, but fennec foxes are highly social. The basic social unit is a mated pair and their offspring for the present and previous year. The group lives in elaborate dens dug into sand or compacted soil. Fennec fox kits are born with closed eyes and folded ears. Floridapfe / Getty Images Reproduction and Offspring Fennec foxes mate once a year in January and February and give birth in March and April. Gestation typically lasts between 50 and 52 days. The female or vixen gives birth in the den to a litter of one to four kits. A birth, the kits eyes are closed and its ears are folded over. Kits are weaned by 61 to 70 days of age. The male feeds the female while she is caring for the young. Fennec foxes reach sexual maturity around nine months of age and mate for life. They have an average life expectancy of 14 years in captivity and are believed to live about 10 years in the wild. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies fennec fox conservation status as least concern. The foxes are still abundant within most of their range, so the population may be stable. The species is listed under CITES Appendix II to help protect the foxes from international trade abuse. Threats The foxs most significant natural predator is the eagle owl. Fennecs are hunted for fur and trapped for the pet trade. But, the most significant threat comes from human settlement and commercialization of the Sahara. Many foxes are killed by vehicles, plus they may suffer habitat loss and degradation. Some people keep fennec foxes as pets. petrenkod / Getty Images Fennec Foxes and Humans The fennec fox is the national animal of Algeria. In some places, its legal to keep fennec foxes as pets. While not truly domesticated, they can be tamed. Like other foxes, they can dig under or climb over most enclosures. Most canine vaccinations are safe for fennecs. Although nocturnal by nature, fennec foxes (like cats) adapt to human schedules. Sources Alderton, David. Foxes, Wolves, and Wild Dogs of the World. London: Blandford, 1998. ISBN 081605715X.Nobleman, Marc Tyler. Foxes. Benchmark Books (NY). pp. 35–36, 2007. ISBN 978-0-7614-2237-2.Sillero-Zubiri, Claudio; Hoffman, Michael; Mech, Dave. Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. World Conservation Union. pp. 208–209, 2004. ISBN 978-2-8317-0786-0.Wacher, T., Bauman, K. Cuzin, F. Vulpes zerda. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T41588A46173447. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41588A46173447.en

The US Footwear Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The US Footwear Industry - Essay Example Comfort Shoes is trying to target health conscious customers of all ages and genders in order to develop a potential customer base. However, the organization is planning to implement an online business strategy in order to achieve potential competitive advantages. At the initial stage, it may face some difficulties in finding effective employees necessary for effective business operations. The case study will analyze the scenario and discuss the case problem to make the readers understand the purpose of the study. Overview/Analysis Several organizations are trying to capitalize on the potential business opportunities that are developed due to globalization and the technological revolution. Comfort Shoes is a newly developed organization. The organization is trying to implement advanced technology in its business processes in order to meet the satisfaction level of target customers. The online shopping facility can help the customers to reduce their consumption time. At the initial st age, it is quite hard for the organization to cope with the start-up challenges. It is not easy to grab the market share of existing leading organizations through this strategy. Comfort Shoes is trying to raise capital from venture investors through the help of their business plan. Setting up an effective and fast server for online marketing activities is quite important for an online retail organization. It is necessary for the organization to conduct an effective market survey in order to determine the growth of online retail marketing. The organization is planning to provide advertisements on several social media networking sites. It is another costly effort. On the other hand, several leading footwear organizations have adopted information technology in the business processes after achieving a significant growth rate and market share. Customer awareness is another key thing for the newly developed organization. It is only focusing on online activities rather than utilization of several kinds of promotional media. It is quite important for the organization to manage cost at the initial stage of the business process. In addition, the organization should think about the implementation of unique promotional strategies to attract target customers. Status Report The management of Comfort Shoes understood the risk of intense market competition and market saturation. They did some adjustments in their marketing strategies before the implementation of online marketing activities. The marketing managers of the organization suggested the managing director of the organization to organize an urgent meeting with the stakeholders regarding this issue. The marketing manager told that the organization should conduct a real-time primary market research to understand the market trend and customers. He proposed that some executives of the company should be assigned to conduct a market research activity through the sample survey method. A questionnaire should be distributed to the people of all ages. According to the instruction, the executives conducted a survey by distributing a prepared close-ended questionnaire (Appendix). After the completion of data collection, the organization reviewed the answers. 78% of total respondents shared that the organization should try to follow print media, digital media and online promotional strategies to enhance customer awareness. After getting the outcome, the stakeholders committed to help the organization for the promotional activities. Case Problem The managing director of Comfort Shoes was concerned before the sample survey process that the management team of the organization did not avail sufficient information to make a valid decision for the future business perspective. Demand for

Lack of Effective Professional Codes and Motivation Essay

Lack of Effective Professional Codes and Motivation - Essay Example Among the sources of the problem in the company, that the auditing discovered included: Employees require a conducive working environment, one that encourages profitability. Your company lacks such a structure a feature that gives rise to numerous unethical practices most of which derail the operations of the employees at the organization. Motivation and supervision are two primary roles of the management that influences the profitability of a company since they affect the productivity of the employees. The management must, therefore, enhance the motivation of its employees besides securing a conducive working environment for the same employees. This way, it becomes possible to develop a structure of accountability in the company thus improving the productivity of the commercial organization. Two cases of sexual molestation went unreported within the last three months. Such is an avid portrayal of an unconducive working environment. Female employees feel threatened at the organization owing to the abject disregard of the sexual offenses act in the country. The cases of sexual molestation in the company portray the lack of unity between the management and the junior employees of the firm a feature that creates space for the senior managers to use their privileged position to sexually molest the vulnerable female employees. In order to curb such cases and create a conducive working environment for the employees of the firm, my taskforce recommends that the company develops appropriate professional codes of conduct. Through the codes, the management must indicate the behavior it considers unwelcome in the company. Besides the codes, the management must apprehend the specific employees found guilty of molesting their juniors in the past. Such is the only way for the management to reassure its employees of the new changes thus develop  their confidence. Additionally, the management must develop an appropriate bureaucratic structure, one that enables appropriate supervision of the employees in the company.

Motivating employees Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Motivating employees - Essay Example The management of any organization will tend to select some of the theories that connect appropriately with the long-term and short-term strategies. In this case, the theories of motivation will always integrate within the general mission and goals of any organization. The goal-theory, self-determination theory, and theory X and theory Y are some of the commonly applied theories in the pursuit of desired objectives (Hoffmann, 2007). The nature of the organization determines the kind of theory applied in accordance with the strategies and frameworks of the organization. In this regard, motivation theories help to condition workers towards the attainment of the organization goals. The theories also help in preparing the workers for personal fulfillment in terms of career growth and individual development. Some organization operate policies that project uniform achievement between the workers and the company. Such a perspective connects with the concept of total quality management. As such, it becomes necessary to consider the fact that a range of issues that connect with the processes of motivation will also involve the determination of goals and aspirations of the various. Most of the theories of motivation are tailored towards the process of controlling behavior. The acknowledgement of human nature and the power of the environment, incentives, threats, to control outcomes in organizations usually depend on the type and impact of the theory. For instance, a firm that seeks to develop the human capital of its work force may engage self-determination theory.... Self-determination theory often enables the creation of positive attitudes in the organization by encouraging workers to strive towards the attainment of the specific goals that relate to the various processes that align with the combined objectives of the company. On this matter, the determination of the levels of efficiency and productivity of a worker are regulated by the nature of the environment. A range of processes often involves the creation of systems and structures that aid the processes of performance of the workers. The self-determination theory offers employ the opportunity and support to explore the limits of their potentials and talents. Applying this theory within an organization may involve setting of targets and limits for the workers in order to assess their capabilities and capacities to achieve set goals. In the end, both the company and the workers benefit in a seamless manner that determines the degree of balance between effort and rewards. Psychological explan ations of this theory hold that humans will often respond positively to challenges that come with some levels of reward. Within an organizational set-up, there remains a range of factors that connect appropriately with the various issues related to personnel development of the workers. Rewards such as promotions and salary increments have often been used alongside the self-determination theory to align the efforts and dedication of workers towards the attainment of specific goals. Reviews of the efficacy of the goal theory show that some of the processes of motivation will tend to merge with the manner in which goals determine the processes of an organization. In normative practice, goal setting entails the determination of a range of available

Online Payments Assurance and Security Term Paper

Online Payments Assurance and Security - Term Paper Example The demand for quick, suitable and safe payment substitutes is increasing rapidly. Along with this, there is an alteration in the way commerce takes place in the recent times. One of the easiest ways to identify the significance of electronic payments is to imagine a world without them. In other words, if electronic payments come to a sudden pause then in such circumstances most of the facets of commerce such as trade, travel and internet might confront terrible consequences. Although cash and cheque still plays a vital role in making payments, there are many problems associated with these payment options such as lack of speed and convenience. These also face issues related to safety demanded by the consumers, governments as well as businesses in today’s fast-paced and ever-dwindling world. It can be mentioned that the extensive utilization of the electronic payments along with the sophisticated network that interconnects many consumers, financial institution and merchants in the world are at the center of commerce (OECD, 2012). The significance of the electronic payments is apparent not only in industrialized countries but in developing countries as well. One of such costs is related with interchange where a comparatively small fee is offered to the card issuers by card acquirers. It is worthy of stating that interchange comprises part of most of the expenses that issues are supposed to bear for the purpose of creating the advantage that merchants enjoy while accepting the payment cards. It has often been observed that the advantages of payment system and the significance of interchange go unnoticed. Most of the people are aware of the fact that electronic payments which are vast and complex permit the transaction to take place within no time. It is these systems that permit the cardholders to make use of their card at any part of the country and with the same ease and convenience that they experience at their area. The online payment system permits peo ple to travel with greater peace of mind because they are aware of the fact that they do not need to carry huge amount of money. The very same systems rationalize the checkout process for consumers as well as merchants (Master Card, 2012). Payment systems are considered to be a significant part of the electronic commerce. Even though in electronic markets, common media of interchange is generally utilized, it is observed that there is escalation of the spatial distance between the buyers as well as the sellers which in turn increases their worries after having successfully completed their dealings. There are numerous payment methods available in online auction markets. They are personal check, credit card, debit card and prepaid card among others. There are different risks, costs as well as convenience associated with each form of online payment method (Peffers & Ma, n.d.). The main objective of the study is to identify how the companies can enhance their security measures so that

Compare and Contrast Interviews Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compare and Contrast Interviews - Assignment Example Dinkins was as poised as Rahm. For every question, he had a justification that oozed his professional experience. When it comes to leadership, NYC Mayor David Dinkins defines this in many ways. Leadership is stemmed from experience or the desire to succeed beyond others. Successful leaders deflect attention away from them and encourage others to voice their opinions. Dinkins is a great leader as a person who guides a group of individual towards a certain goal. In order to rectify this issue, Dinkins took a strong initiative as he began a hiring program that grew the police force by 25%.This, in fact, is the manifestation of being a good leader because Dinkins has paid his dues in the army and improved the race relations. I asked Dinkins about his past experience and what motivated him. He explained to me that he always wanted a social reform. Social reform has been the focal point for Dinkins as he continued to champion for women rights, reduce pollution, and help lower-class families with financial assistance. This is exemplified in NYC Mayor David Dinkins because of his ability to understand the struggle of a common man. A man with a very humble beginning, Dinkins was exemplary of reform and civil rights. A man similar to his caliber was Rahm Emmanuel. The interviewer asked Rahm about what appealed to him about this position. It is clear that Rahm stated that Leaderships is undeniably stemmed from an inner motivation to excel and lead a group of individuals to a collaborative success. Under Rahm’s professionalism, harnessing the growth of the community, championing the cause for lower-income individuals. Rahm Emmanuel was a confident public speaker who was making reformations in Illinois. Cognitive research indicates that each person attributes contribute to their upbringing. The interview asked Rahm about the worst schooling system in the USA, and Rahm was quite calm. Rahm answered with a fact that he plans to propagate for more resources. Under Rahm’s leadership, the school system has drastically been enhanced.more resources. Under

Air Cargo Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Air Cargo - Assignment Example It is worth mentioning that the airline sector has been developing in a massive rate and is growing faster than any other segment across the globe (Hvidt, 2013). Additionally, with the development of logistics, the transport sector of the GCC regions is identified to be flourishing in a massive manner. The GCC countries are majorly inclined in developing mobility connections across the countries with the aim of enhancing their network and transportation facility. Furthermore, with the recent development in trade and commerce, development of roads, airports and bus networks has become quite evident. This has further promoted the development of transport sector, which evolved largely after the decision made by the government towards making the airways sector privatized (Saif, 2009). With this concern, the essay intends to analyze and discuss about the airline and air cargo operations in the three GCC countries namely Bahrain, Qatar and UAE. Moreover, an attempt has been made in identifying the factors that contributed in evolving and changing such conditions over the preceding 30 years with making future projections about the development of the same. Since World War I, the aircrafts in the GCC nations were majorly used carrying lightweight materials. Presently, world cargo exchange is majorly based on air transport for both transferring lightweight as well as heavy weight materials. There has been a series of development that has been incorporated into the cargo sector for carrying the heavy materials throughout the globe. The cargo careers are highly modified to ease carrying the different materials across diverse regions. However, there always been a strict monitoring prevalent in the sector, which enhances the credibility of the careers to carry heavy goods. The types of cargo that are carried into the varied gulf countries generally constitute most of the foreign

Compare and Contrast Interviews Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Compare and Contrast Interviews - Assignment Example Dinkins was as poised as Rahm. For every question, he had a justification that oozed his professional experience. When it comes to leadership, NYC Mayor David Dinkins defines this in many ways. Leadership is stemmed from experience or the desire to succeed beyond others. Successful leaders deflect attention away from them and encourage others to voice their opinions. Dinkins is a great leader as a person who guides a group of individual towards a certain goal. In order to rectify this issue, Dinkins took a strong initiative as he began a hiring program that grew the police force by 25%.This, in fact, is the manifestation of being a good leader because Dinkins has paid his dues in the army and improved the race relations. I asked Dinkins about his past experience and what motivated him. He explained to me that he always wanted a social reform. Social reform has been the focal point for Dinkins as he continued to champion for women rights, reduce pollution, and help lower-class families with financial assistance. This is exemplified in NYC Mayor David Dinkins because of his ability to understand the struggle of a common man. A man with a very humble beginning, Dinkins was exemplary of reform and civil rights. A man similar to his caliber was Rahm Emmanuel. The interviewer asked Rahm about what appealed to him about this position. It is clear that Rahm stated that Leaderships is undeniably stemmed from an inner motivation to excel and lead a group of individuals to a collaborative success. Under Rahm’s professionalism, harnessing the growth of the community, championing the cause for lower-income individuals. Rahm Emmanuel was a confident public speaker who was making reformations in Illinois. Cognitive research indicates that each person attributes contribute to their upbringing. The interview asked Rahm about the worst schooling system in the USA, and Rahm was quite calm. Rahm answered with a fact that he plans to propagate for more resources. Under Rahm’s leadership, the school system has drastically been enhanced.more resources. Under

Increased gas prices in the US compared to the Middle East Essay

Increased gas prices in the US compared to the Middle East - Essay Example The high prices are mainly caused by the supply and demand factor. The demand for crude oil has immensely increased which directly affects the gasoline prices at pumps of USA. The supply has not been increased in that proportion. The consumption of gasoline in developing countries like China and India has been significant as the automobile industry is skyrocketing in these countries. The gasoline consumption in USA is about one quarter of the world’s total production. However supply and demand is not only the factor but the additional cost which includes taxes, cost of refining crude oil, transportation cost, and the profit to the gasoline dealer is also the reason and contributes about increasing the cost less half then cost of gasoline in United States. Rising gas prices is a matter of concern for the USA car manufacturing companies. It is expected that the use of Subways will be increased in the future. This may result in weakening the USA economy as car manufacturers are one of major stakeholders. Last but the most important factor is recent unrest in the Arab World. Although the countries like Egypt, Syria, Jordan are not the major crude oil producers but they play significant role in determining the world oil prices. President Obama has put aside the interest shown by some Companies willing to explore oil in Alaska and other areas. The aim of these people was only to increase the domestic exploration. This action of him has resulted in complete shutting down of the present oil drilling infrastructure in USA. It is reported that about 103 permits are in waiting list for review. But the Obama administration has not renewed any single exploratory drilling plan in the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover Obama administration has also put â€Å"7 year ban† on the oil exploration in the coastal waters in Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. According to the experts

European Union as an international organization Essay Example for Free

European Union as an international organization Essay The European Union cannot be an international organization and it is not a domestic political system. It is a new and unique trend in governance, which transcends the nation – state structure. In the EU the nation – state governments are drifting away from both sub national and supranational systems. This in turn raises questions about the EU’s capacity to govern and its democratic legitimacy. The European Union is composed of democratic nations that aim to achieve peace and prosperity. It is not a nation – state but an international organization with unique features (Europeans united in diversity). However, the events that took place in the period from 1960 to 1970 changed the thinking of federalism by the people. The then French president, Charles de Gaulle was very much interested in nation – state structure in the Europe. However, he rejected the federalist system. Subsequently, the European Council was created in order to take up the matters of the Union with administrative powers. Thus there is no centralized power in the European Union and it was distributed between the primary entities, which do not fall within parliamentary control (Europeans united in diversity). The significant characteristic of the EU is that the decisions taken at the European level are ratified by its Member States in order to establish EU level common institutions, by surrendering their sovereignty on certain specific issues. There is unity in diversity in Europe where there persists a multitude of different traditions and languages. Respecting these shared values, the EU promotes cooperation among the people of Europe and it protects the interests of the individual citizens of Europe. While respecting the sentiments of European citizens, the EU promotes cooperation with external nations without comprising its solidarity and in a spirit of tolerance (Europeans united in diversity). The European Union is a distinct entity. It is not a federation like the United States. Moreover, it is not a simple form of structure as it entails inter – governmental coordination and cooperation. The European Union is composed of a number of Member States. These Member States have combined their individual sovereignty and adopted a system of shared governance, in order to achieve unity and international importance. Nevertheless, as it is noteworthy to mention, these Member States did not relinquish their national sovereignty (McCormick). Further, there is a delegation of powers by the agencies of the European Union, in areas of joint interests, upon which the EU can impose its democratic authority for the benefit of Member States. Thus the European Union is to some extent an intergovernmental organization and to some extent it is a supranational organization. The supranational aspects of the EU include economic policy, social policy, immigration policy and education. The intergovernmental aspects comprises of mutual cooperation between the member states in order to formulate a common foreign policy and security policy (McCormick). The intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations are in general constituted by several states in order to promote voluntary cooperation and coordination amongst them (McCormick). The Member States of such an organization retain their independence and the decisions and agreements taken are not enforceable. The Member States of the European Union do not surrender their sovereignty to it. However, in the supranational organization, Member States are required to surrender their sovereignty in certain key areas to the governing body of the supranational organization (McCormick). Moreover, the Member States are also required to comply with the decisions taken at the supranational level. The Courts would initiate penal actions for violations by the member states. The European Union has both the characteristics of an intergovernmental organization and supranational government. An international organization is an entity which develops voluntary cooperation and coordination among its members (McCormick). Hence the European Union cannot be a truly typical international organization. The normal features and definition of an international organization is narrow in its scope. Therefore, the European Union cannot be compared to an ordinary international organization. The European Union is founded by an international treaty like any other international organization. However, it cannot be construed to be a proper international organization and a very close description is that it is not a state, nor a nation – state; but a characterization of sui generis (Vuorinen). The fundamental characteristic that differentiates the European Union from other international organizations is that it attempts to change the Member States. Integration is the process that brings about the coalescing of state structures. The European Union has several structures combined together some of these structures represent the characteristics of a federal state while other structures resemble an international organization. In the process of evolution, the EU had gone beyond an association of states and became an economic and political union. However, the EU is not a federal state (Vuorinen). The emergence of the European Community was the result of federalist views. Its drafters were of the opinion that federalism would be the solution to the persistent problem of war in Europe. Thus their main objective was to establish a federal state. These efforts resulted in the formulation of the European Coal and Steel Community in the year 1951, which created a common market for the coal and steel industries of that period. The objective of this institution was to combine the important and strategic resources of Europe. Subsequently in 1957 The Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community or EEC and the European Atomic Energy Commission or Euratom (Vuorinen). The federalist creation of the Union was based upon the three important pillars of the EU, namely, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice. These branches of the EU, which do not pertain to any single member state of the Union, aim to promote the common European policy. The federal structure could have operated with a sufficient degree of democracy (Vuorinen). The European Union has been described as an international organization and with the adoption of a constitution it can become a supranational organization in addition to an intergovernmental organization. The Maastricht Treaty of the year 1993 established two types of institutionalized cooperation in the European Community, the Common Foreign and Security Policy or CFSP and cooperation on justice and international issues. Since, the extant system in respect of functioning of the EU involves the surrender of sovereignty by states to the EU in certain areas and the dependence of the member states on intergovernmental cooperation in other areas, it can be describes as a hybrid system (European Union). Issues of international interests of the EU are regulated by the Integration Ministry; some of these issues encompass the cooperation of EU, Nordic legislation and cooperation with the United Nation’s agencies. Extension of such cooperation is frequent to the United Nations Refugee Agency or the UNHCR, the Council of Europe, Intergovernmental Consultations or IGC and the International Organization for Migration or the IOM (The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs). Furthermore, the Ministry negotiates with many foreign nations on issues relating to repatriation agreements, other forms of practical cooperation as well as mutual exchange of information. The International Division of the Integration Ministry governs international cooperation and participates in meeting and makes the necessary preparations for meetings and discussions that involve other nations. This Division also prepares meetings in Denmark with regard to issues relating to asylum and immigration. It also makes the necessary preparations for EU casework in national procedure (The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs). The destruction and loss of a large number of human lives in the Second World War resulted in European integration, which was expected to put a stop to such killing and destruction. In the year 1950, Robert Schuman, the French Foreign Minister proposed the idea of European integration. The present European Union consists of five institutions with specific goals. These are the European Parliament, which is elected by the citizens of the Member States; the Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of the Member States; the European Commission, which is the executive branch of the EU; the European Court of Justice, which ensures compliance with the EU law by the Member States and the Court of Auditors, which controls and ensures efficient and legal management of the EU budget (The European Union). There are other important agencies, which support these five driving forces of the European Union. They are, the European Economic and Social Committee, which reflects the opinions of the civil society on issues pertaining to economic and social interests; the Committee of the Regions, which is responsible for monetary policies and regulates the euro; the European Ombudsman, which deals with the complaints of individuals in case of breach of law or failure of proper administration by any EU institution or agency and the European Investment Bank, which promotes the objectives of the EU by providing financial support to investment projects. In addition, there are several other institutions to facilitate the smooth functioning of the EU (The European Union). The functionality of the EU is based on the Treaties, which were ratified by the Member States. In the beginning there were only six nations in the EU and these were Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In 1973 Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom became members of the European Union and subsequently, in 1981 Greece became a member. In the year 1986 Spain and Portugal and in the year 1995 Austria, Finland and Sweden joined the European Union. In the year 2004 the largest expansion of the European Union took place with ten new countries being permitted to become members of the European Union (The European Union). In the beginning, much attention was bestowed on providing cooperation in the areas of trade and economy. Subsequently, the EU became the guardian of the Member States and commenced to deal with a wide range of issues pertaining to all aspects of society and humans. The EU protects the rights of individuals, ensures freedom, security and justice, employment, regional development and environmental protection. For more than fifty years the EU has been catering to the needs of its member states in respect of stability, peace and prosperity. It strived hard to enhance the standard of living of its citizens. It created a single European market, launched the euro or the single European currency and fortified the European Union’s stance on the international platform (The European Union). The European Union plays an important role in the field of international trade. It provides advantageous norms for trade to a large number of developing countries. The EU withdraws the preferential business terms from a country that violates these norms, while dealing with any member state of the EU. Moreover, the EU is the largest single donor of humanitarian and development aid in the world. The financial aid supplied by the EU and its member states comprises sixty percent of the total aid to the world. The EU also provides assistance for reconstructing nations ravaged by war and its aid projects are significant in promoting peace among warring nations and in settling disputes. The foreign assistance programs of the EU are remarkable in respect of the benefits offered to refugees of war and famine. Economic integration in the EU has become a role model for many upcoming trade blocs, which have consequently, sought the support of the EU in their financial reforms. Thus, the EU is an economic giant and a superpower. As a matter of fact, the EU influences the economic activities and policies of most nations of the world and plays a key role in the global economy and occupies the first rank in this area (The Rationale for Studying the Outcomes of European Foreign Policy Activity). In the international arena the EU had evolved as a superpower from its very inception. It underwent considerable modifications and later on it expanded itself by establishing common institutions and foreign policy requirements. In 1958, the Rome Treaty founded the European Community and established a legal pedestal on which the EU forged ahead to influence international trade activities, foreign aid programs and diplomatic terms with countries that were not its members. In 1970, the European Political Cooperation was established to facilitate governments to initiate dialogue and promote mutual cooperation with respect to foreign policy matters. In 1987, the Single European Act was developed. In 1993, the EU was institutionalized by the Treaty. The EU is supported by three pillars, the first is the European Community, the second is the New Common Foreign and Security Policy and the third pillar is comprised of by the policies with regard to anticrime and police cooperation (The Rationale for Studying the Outcomes of European Foreign Policy Activity). In 1998, the Treaty of Amsterdam had modified the Treaty of European Union. It brought about High Representation for the Common Foreign and Security Policy. The European Security and Defense Identity was supplanted by the European Security and Defense Policy in 1999. This change facilitated the EU to establish a rapid deployment force to maintain peace in the region. The Common Foreign and Security Policy is a set of objectives, procedures and devices formulated to encourage sophisticated joint actions and positions in foreign policy. The CFSP also formed the link between joint actions and civilian foreign policy of the EC. These developments transformed the EU into an international organization in the areas of commerce, trade, aid and diplomatic relations. Moreover, the European Foreign Policy addresses civilian actions, policies, relations, commitments and choices of the EU in international politics (The Rationale for Studying the Outcomes of European Foreign Policy Activity). The nature of the EFP controls the competence of the organs of the EU, so as to influence matters pertaining to international politics. As an international actor the EU enjoys a special status in international politics. However, there is still some doubt regarding the nature of the EU because it has no polity and because it is not a state or a territory with fixed borders. There are an array of tests that measure the end results of the foreign policy and decision – making power of the EU. However the scope of the CFSP was not utilized to the fullest extent by the EU. The end results achieved through this instrument clearly establish the prominence and effective role of the EU as an international actor in international politics (The Rationale for Studying the Outcomes of European Foreign Policy Activity).

Strategic Quality Change for Construction Company

Strategic Quality Change for Construction Company Gill Construction Ltd, is currently based in Alberta state, and running different construction projects all over the state. Most of the construction projects are residential based, however they have also participated in commercial projects in Lacombe, which includes Fountain Tire, Lacombe Action Group, Wilsons Funeral Chapel and numerous shops. In the recent time Mr. Amar Geet Jill believes that it is time for their company to move on and expand the business to other states and also do more projects in commercial sector. The current quality systems in place have many loopholes which allow the wastage of raw materials, high costs, untrained staff and lack of machinery. Mr Jill believes that before he expands the business he wants to gain NQI award for excellence in quality, which will add more to the business reputation and will also help them to improve quality management system and sustain growth. In order to gain the NQI Excellence award it is important to have effective quality management systems in place which requires a systematic approach. It involves following steps. Gap Analysis A technique utilized by the managers to compare the actual performance with the potential or expected performance in order to determine the whether the goals are met or not, and if resources are used effectively. It involves two questions Where are we? and Where do we want to be? Gap in actual and expected performance With the help of Gap Analysis Report, Manager will be able to identify the problem easily, Gap analysis report shows that problem is everywhere so its big task to cover all areas and rectify all problems to make a smooth system as per quality system. Depending on the situation, Gaps are classified into four types: The customer-operations specification gap: the gap identified between what customers expect and what is the outcome of the operations, For- example, Customer expects a car to give service after 15000km, but the operations specification states 10,000, At Gill Construction, customer expects the project to be completed in 3 months time, but company specifies 4 months time, same can be the concern for the costs. The concept-specification gap: the gap identified between the concept and the operations specification of a product or a service. For-example, keeping the costs low for the customer but use of low quality material to keep the costs low has compromised the quality. The quality specification-actual gap: When there is a gap between, quality specified by the organisation and the actual outcome of the operations. For-example: the specified standard was that the wall will be built using concrete blocks and mortar, but due to certain reason it was built using brick and mortar. In another case, it was specified that the wall will be at 90 degree straight but due to human error, it is not a straight wall but a slightly tilt. The actual quality- communicated image gap: The gap between, the image marketed, or communicated to the customer and the actual quality of the product or service. For-example it was advertised that the workers at Gill Construction are highly skilled and trained, and latest technology is used however that is now the case. The gap analysis report generated for a newly built house, which has 5-bedrooms with attached toilets, a sitting lounge, dining room, kitchen, and 2 car garage: A very significant gap was noticed in the report between the actual resources utilized and the expected resources. The gaps identified under each type, can lead to poor and perceived quality, and hence it is the responsibility organisation to eliminate these gaps, and come as close to the specified quality and as they. Degree of Change: In order to close the gaps, and meet the quality standard, a companywide change is required. The planned change is a continuum ranging from incremental changes, which involves the improvement in the processes and operations to a limited dimension to fundamental changes that involves the complete redesigning of its operations. Incremental changes involve the changes to decision-making process of the organisation, which exist between the business strategy and culture. Employee Participation: Employee Participation is very important to improve the quality. Managers need to encourage workers to take responsibility for the quality they provide, and meets the customers expectations. Employees are the internal customers for the organisation, who receives the product of service by their supplier. Before planning and implementing a companywide change, it is important to get their employees on board. There suggestions are very important to the management. It is in human nature that it is always afraid of uncertainty, something which is unknown and un seen. It is the job of managers to manage this uncertainty. They need to involve the employees in decision making process and take their suggestions, this increases their confidence level and motivates. If the organisation is going to get new cement mixers, then first they need to train the staff in order to operate that mixer. It is important that work-force needed to be trained to operate the new machinery so that the specified quality standard can be achieved. Resource Requirements: Following resources and tools are required to implement the new quality improvement plan. Technology In todays modern age, technology sector is growing rapidly, and everyday new machinery is invented for human comfort. If Gill Constructions, wants to improve their work build quality and speed up the construction process they need to utilize the new technology. In current process, mortar was prepared using the large mixer. This mixer was operated using the belt connected to the truck shaft, which was used to transport the mixer. This was adding an extra fuel cost. They had to use the same mixer for smaller projects. A new mixer is available in the market, which is small and portable and easily fit in the back of minivan. It also has a small generator attached to it, to power it up. Worker were using the old water-bubble scale to align walls and doors straight and levelled,. However they are not always correct. A new digital scale is required for this purpose. Training and Development It is seen that most of the work-force is from Indian Punjab, hence not very skilled and qualified to operate the new machine. In the previous construction projects, it was seen that accident rate was very high, which was also adding extra cost to the organisation. With old bigger, mixer, there was no cover to the belt connected to shaft of the truck and mixer, and many workers, got their hands stuck in their, which caused the injuries. It was also noticed that they were working without any protective gear e.g safety helmet, masks, gloves. Hence they need to be aware of health and safety hazards at work place. They also need to be trained to operate the new machinery. Transportation In the previous projects, the cost was very high due to high waste material. This was due to the over stock of the material. They were ordering material which was more than required. In order to lower the costs they need to utilize the idea of JIT ( just in time ) . This means that material should be stocked just when it is needed. For this approach to be effective, they need to have a good transportation system and good relationship with the supplier. They need to check with the supplier to provide the material when it is needed, they also need to negotiate the on the quick transportation of the material as well. Quality System   Quality Systems will be in place to ensure that quality objectives are met. The first step in this system is to identify what our customers want. At Gills Construction, customer satisfaction is very important. Customer expects the work to be done and time, and the build quality should be strong and, reliable and durable. The next step is to identify the service or product which responds to the customers need. They need to develop processes which will respond to that need. They need to give a quality and reliable build to the customers. Quality Circle: These are a group of worker or employees who work together to improve the quality and give solution to the problem. Quality Circle will be formed in order to help workers participate in the improvement process. For-example, workers can suggest the amount or type of material required. Depending on their experience they can also suggest what type of paint can be used. Total Quality Management: TQM is a philosophy of management, which addresses the means of raising the quality performance to unprecedented levels. TQM involves the participation from whole organisation and demands to be implemented in all aspects of the business processes. It focuses on the involvement of the management, workforce, suppliers and business process. This means that if the problem lies in any of the business sector that has to be addressed in order to sustain growth. Benefits of Quality Change: Following benefits can be gained with quality change Improved business performance: With the help of this quality change, Gill Construction will be able to see a improved business performance. They can keep their costs low and keep the profit margin high. They will be able to expand their business to a higher level. Training and Development of the staff will help them to get a skilled work force which will be highly motivated and professional. This way they can also keep the accidents rate low. Corporate Image: Since Canadian market is very competitive, the new improved processes and systems will also create a good image for the organisation. With the use of new machinery and training staff, they will have a competitive advantage. They can promote their business in a better way. Motivated Work Force: The use of new machinery and training and develop will assist employees to develop their new skills this will act as a motivating factor and build their confidence level. It will also make them feel empowered. Hence Gill construction will have a highly skilled and motivated work force on board. They can also assist the management to further improve the business processes. Customer satisfaction: The quality improvement technique will also help them to get customer satisfaction on a higer level. They will be able to address their customers needs in a more efficient and effective way. With this they can rebuild customer relation and help maintain business Performance measurement Even though, quality systems are in place and operations are running as per specified, but that doesnt mean, that job of manager is finished. All the operations, regardless of the fact how well they are managed and running, need to be monitored all the time. This ensures that if the Quality System has given the desire result or not. Performance can be measure using five performance objectives, it is the degree to which operations fulfil these objectives Cost Speed Quality Dependably Flexibility Total Quality Management Principles: TQM is a management approach which involves the strategy, data and effective communication to integrate quality principles into the organisation. Customer focused: The very first principle of TQM is to be customer focused. Whatever done for the quality improvement, is to gain customer satisfaction. If Gill Construction will training the work force so that they can operate the new machinery, that will be done keeping in mind, customers demand. Employee Participation: The next principle is that managers need to ensure that they have employees on board. Managers need to ensure that they have complete participation from employees Process Focused: This involves the complete focus of the management centred towards the process thinking, so that two key principles can be achieved: Prevention: the first step to improve quality is to prevent errors. It is better to train staff and avoid accidents rather than finding ways out of it Zero defects: The ultimate aim should be to provide a service with zero defects, that means no comprise at all. The mortar should be prepared by missing the correct ratio of cement and sand. Getting things right first time: The idea of zero defect gives rise to getting things right first time. This means that things need to be done in right way first time. Rather than mixing the preparing the mortar in wrong ratio in first attempt and expecting it to be correct in next attempt should be prevented, For an organisation to successfully implement a strategic quality change it is important to manage six key supporting factors: Action Planning The very first step for organisation is to devise a detailed implementation action plan. This includes chronological lists of actions (tactics) which add the necessary detail to their strategies. And assign responsibility to a specific individual for accomplishing each of those action steps. Also, they set a due date and estimate the resources required to accomplish each of their action steps Organization Structure Next step is to sort the organizational structure according to the action plan and strategy. It is very important that managers must align the strategy with organizational structure. They manage the question Is the organizations current structure appropriate to the intended strategy? Human Resources Organizations successful at strategy implementation consider the human resource factor in making strategies happen The Annual Business Plan Organizations successful at implementation are aware of their need to fund their intended strategies. And they begin to think about that necessary financial commitment  early  in the planning process Monitoring and Control Monitoring and controlling the plan includes a periodic look to see if  were on course. It also includes consideration of options to get a strategy once derailed back on track.   Linkage Many organizations successfully establish the above five supporting   factors. They develop action plans, consider organizational structure, take a close look at their human resource needs, fund their strategies through their annual business plan, and develop a plan to monitor and control their strategies and tactics. And yet they still fail to successfully implement those strategies and tactics. The reason, most often, is they lack  linkage. Linkage is simply the  tying together  of all the activities of the organizationto make sure that all of the organizational resources are rowing in the same direction. After the critical analysis of the current business situation and thorough strategic planning, it is time to implement it. Managers have planned the project to be implemented in a course of time, so that it is easy for them to manage it and also for organisation to adopt it. Staff Training: Before the strategic change is implemented, it is important to get staff on board; hence it is important to train the staff. Workers will be given training on operating the new machineries. 2 hour workshop will be held over the weekend, without affecting the daily construction work. They will be given training on importance of health and safety at work place. Transportation: To utilize the idea of JIT efficiently and effectively, it is important to have a good transportation system in place. Contract with the transportation company who transports the material from supplier to the construction site will be review. It need to be on time and as and when required basis. A penalty will be charged for late delivery. Also try to negotiate on charges, since the current charges are higher than the market rate. Supplier: Once the transportation system is in place, next is to negotiate with material supplier to provide materials on as and when required basis, this is called Just In Time. The supplier will provide the material as required by the organisation. This will help to keep the stock and inventory costs low. Good relationship will be maintained with suppliers as this will help to get good service in return. Communication: In order to keep the gaps close due to communication errors, an effective communication system will be adopted. Project Managers will be placed in organisation, which will supervise their respective construction site. Everything including the material supply and HR will be managed by them. All the workers working on that site will be answerable to the Project Manager. They will also be in direct contact with the client so that customers demand and requirement is passed down the line more effectively. Project Managers will than answer to Mr. Amaar Jeet Gill, who will supervise and discuss the issues with them on the wider perspective. Quality Culture: Before a quality change is implemented in the organisation, it is important to implement a quality culture first. A cultural and behavioural shift in the mind-set of all participants in the construction process especially top or senior management is necessary if the construction industry is to improve its performance (Kanji and Wong, 1998; Love and Heng, 2000; Haupt and Whiteman, 2004). Culture in context of organization is the ways institutes and businesses implicit beliefs, norms and values and premises which underline and govern the behaviour. Hence a quality culture in an organization can be stated as one having clear values and beliefs that foster total quality behaviour. Quality Culture in Gill Construction can be adopted in following ways: Top Management Commitment It will be important for management to commit their self in the implementation of Quality Change, since it requires everyone to work to satisfy the customers needs continuously. Without the clear commitment from top management and leadership it will be hard to get others on board. Leadership has to make this change their strategic objective. Hence Leadership will be able to provide suitable environment to the members of the organisation to improve performance. Top Management will have to put forward quality over costs and other factors, and it is due to this reason, their commitment is required. Customer Management It is important to focus the result of all the processes towards customer satisfaction. When the focus is towards customer satisfaction then it will be easy to prioritize thing. Customer oriented culture will help them to gain service and product with zero defect and right first time. Employee Participation: Employee participation is very important if quality is the goal. This will help to break down many barriers to achieve quality. They also need to be encouraged to work in a team. Team-work will help encourage them to help each other and come up with solution many problems. The use of Quality Circle will also help them to pass on their suggestions to top management. Self-Managed Teams: A self-managed team is defined as a group of employees or staff who is responsible for the management of themselves and the daily operations carried out by them. Work carried out by a typical self-managed team is handling job assignments, plan and schedule work, make decisions related to production and deal with problems. At Gills construction similar teams will be made on the operational level, they will be different from labour union. The teams will be made based on the project and the department related. Each team will have a group manager/ team leader who will be electeed by all the team members however final authorization will be from project manager. A self-managed team is different from quality circles. Quality Circles: Quality Circles are informal group of employees / team members / staff, who meet together voluntarily to discuss their work related issues. Their aim is to identify, define, analyze and solve work related problems. At Gills Construction staff will be encouraged to make quality circles, which will help them to share their knowledge and experience. They can give their suggestions to improve quality or service which will be formally submitted to group manager/ team leader who will pass it on to project manager. Monitoring and Evaluation The final step is monitoring and controlling the implementation. This step is performed throughout the life of the project and ensures that the work results lines up with the schedule plan. Schedule control requires the use of progress reporting, schedule change control systems, such as the use of project change requests, performance management, and variance analysis to determine if additional action is required to get the schedule back in line with the plan. Internal Auditing Professional Auditors will be appointed for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation. Their task will be to assist with the corrective action and investigating problems that have occurred, and taking action to prevent them from reoccurring within the process or organisation. The first step will be to identify the root cause and what really made this happen? What can we do to prevent it from happening again? Once the solution is devised for the problem, the follow up will be done to ensure that it has worked and positive results are achieved. Auditors will revisit the issue and check if it happening again. For sake of record, the problem, its root cause, the action taken, its effectiveness and the actual results will be recorded. Record the problem, the root cause, the action taken, the effectiveness of the action, and the actual results of the corrective action. Did the problem occur again? Were they able to see measurable improvement? If so, how much? What date did the problem disappear? Record the results that they observed when following up on the corrective action to determine effectiveness.

The Time Machine :: essays research papers

Chapters 1 and 2 Summary The Time Traveller is in his home, speaking to a group of men that includes the narrator. He is lecturing on the fourth dimension. He tells them that a cube exists not only in space, but also in time. Time is the fourth dimension. Many of them are skeptical. The Time Traveller claims that one should be able to move about in the fourth dimension just as one can move about in the other three. After all, he notes, we are constantly moving forward in time, why not move faster or slower or even backward? He produces a miniature time machine, the size of a clock, made of ivory and crystal. The Time Traveller explains that one lever sends the machine into the future and the other one sends it into the past. He asks one of the guests to push the forward lever, and the machine disappears in a small gust. He claims that the machine is now gliding forward into the future. The guests ask why they cannot still see it, since they too are moving into the future, and the Time Traveller explains that it is moving forward too quickly to be seen, like the spokes of a wheel or a speeding bullet. The guests are amazed. The Traveller then shows them a much larger machine, with which he plans to explore time. The narrator concludes that not many of the guests believed the Time Traveller, as he was a very intelligent man, likely to play elaborate pranks. The narrator returns to dinner at his house the next week. The guests include some of the men from the previous week and some new guests. They have been instructed to begin dinner without their host. When he enters, he is incredibly dusty and dishevelled. He quickly drinks some champagne, then goes to wash up. The narrator suggests to the other guests that their host has been travelling in time. The others are incredulous and make sarcastic remarks in reply. When the Time Traveller is finally ready to tell his story, the guests quickly raise objections. The Time Traveller says that he has no energy to argue and will speak only if everyone agrees not to interrupt. The guests agree, and sit in increasingly rapt attention as the story begins. Chapters 3 and 4 Summary The Time Traveller gets on his machine and pushes the forward lever just a little. He feels a dizzying sensation, and when he looks at the clock in his lab he sees that five hours have passed. He then presses the forward lever a bit more.

How to Combat Inflation

Recommendations Based on the results generated from the multiple regression analysis of this research, there are few recommendations that can be implemented to combat the inflation in Malaysian economy. The recommendations are: 1. Malaysia government should focus on producing export goods than importing goods from other countries in order to encourage appreciation of Ringgit Malaysia currency value. In turn, it will decrease the inflation rate and trigger the purchasing power to other currencies namely, dollar, euro and pound. This is because countries with high inflation rate will experience depreciation in their currency.However, even though the ringgit appreciation can reduce the import prices, consumers may not able to get the benefit from the reduction. According to Central Bank, the vigorous appreciation of ringgit currency can slow down the export competitiveness that can directly impact income and weaken domestic demand. 2. GDP and CPI is directly impact each other. Income is adjusted according to the CPI level. In order to reduce the inflation rate, government should monitor the growth of GDP. If GDP is increase too fast, CPI also will increase too fast and subsequently, increase the cost of living.In addition, the government is slower than the market, making it almost impossible for government to keep up with the income adjustments needed to provide good quality of life to Malaysians. 3. It is Central Bank responsibility to decide the most appropriate deposit rate to be imposed on the money savers. One of the ways to reduce the inflation rate in Malaysia is by increasing the deposit rate so that people will save more and spends less. Increase in deposit rate can discourage borrowing, and somehow reduce the consumer spending and consequently reduce the inflation rate.

What’s Stifling Creativity at Coolburst

Everyday the world is changing around us. It is an essential part of growth, maturity and effectiveness. Everything from the change in weather, an age, government, or religion affect the way people view, think and perform in certain situations and as a whole in society. History has proven that creative minds can ultimately change an outcome for the better or even the worst. From telegraphs to cellular phones, McIntosh computers to IPODs and IPADs, it was the organizations of these products that took a major risk in investing into someone’s creative idea that affect our society as a whole. These companies have seen their fair share of profits lows and highs through the toughest economy eras, but they continued to persevere and prosper through such times by thinking out the realm of possibility and making their possibilities into reality. However, what happens when an organization suppresses the thought of reinventing themselves to adapt to changes in society and even the world? Coolburst is experiencing a major organizational struggle between what worked for them to get them where they are today and what it takes to continue to strive in the future. Coolburst is located in Miami, Florida. The drink products that they serve are sold in schools and restaurants. The traditional views of during business have forwarded them much success from their beginnings. They have experience great growth through the years, but recently, they profit margin has remained steadily with no boosting sales. Director of Marketing Sam Jenkins has challenged Coolburst’s view and management on changing their way of thinking and opening their mind to new ideas under former CEO Garth LaRoue. Jenkins’s new ideas of productivity and innovation were considered unorthodox within the organization. Ultimately, Jenkins left the Coolburst to go with a company that was very more innovated and creativity. Witnessing these differences of opinions between Coolburst and Jenkins is new CEO Luisa Roberado. Now, Roberado is facing one of biggest challenges yet for Coolburst, what changes can be made to make Coolburst more profitable and more creativity to keep up or even surpassed the demand of an ever changing society. Was Jenkins’s new idea that far fetched with the organization or was he on to something that can change the way Coolburst does business to compete with potential competitor? This case study will explore why Coolburst had a hard time accepting Jenkins’s idea on making Coolburst better in the future, what the organization can do to keep with social changes, and how Roberado can implement and even changed the current ideology of Coolburst and help the company tapped into their resources and flourish the company to the top in innovation, creativity, and in profit margins.

Good And Bad Manners Essay

Good Manners have a deep Affect on our minds. As bad manners produce bad results in society, good manners produce good results. Good manners are unconsciously acquired in our childhood, but they can also be cultivated later on. Every human being should be treated with due respect and dignity. The animal instinct in us makes us rough and vulgar, but a cultured and civilized man is gentle and polite. By good manners we understand the way in which a person should behave in society. One is expected to show respect one’s elders. Good manners are necessary for everyone, in every walk of life. It is good manners to thank anybooy who does anything for you. When a waiter brings you a glass of water, you may thank him. â€Å"Friends and good manners will carry you where money won’t go.† Good manners are vital for success in life. Nobody likes a rude person, but good manners endear a man to other. A shopkeeper who behaves rudely with his customers can never flourish in his trade, but one who behaves politely and pleasantly with others attracts a large number of customers. Patients always rush to a doctor who is sympathetic towards them. A leader cannot have a large follower unless he is polite to others. In fact good manners have a magnetic influence over the people. Good manner are not, however, born with us. They have to be cultivated with great care. Childhood is the best period to cultivate good manners and so both parents and teachers have a great role to play. Bad Manners: The Height of Bad Manners is Way too Much To begin with, Bad Manners is defined by lack of polite or well-bred social behavior resulting by ignorance, this may be true, but I don ´t think so, this is because nowadays people are adopting this reprehensive conducts no just by ignorance, but for doing whatever they want, in this bad manner conducts we can see: not respecting adults, farting in front of anybody, not saluting, people that don ´t respect the third age privileges in public places/transport. In the world we can see many of this awful behavior but each day we can see it more in our community its becoming part of our daily life to be disrespectful with others and don ´t minding about if the other  person would feel bad about it. As your parents probably told you not so many years ago this â€Å"Bad Manners Acts† where severally punished with very strict sanction but now we can see a teenager threatening and old man so they give him the spot in the bus.