Management Consultancy Services Essay

Following the Enron case and others, the place and role of professional advisers within corporate governance was thrown into public focus and as a result the professional management bodies across the world revisited their policies on various regulatory mechanisms. The policies formulated by ‘Institute of Management Consultancy’, United Kingdom is taken as a reference in the discussions below. The general principles are summarized. – Self-regulation is best delivered through a modern, professional approach, i.e. through standards backed by disciplinary arrangements that are supported by external validation and a Code of Professional Conduct and Ethical Guidelines that apply to all members. – A framework is required at the organizational and individual level to ensure that clients are able to make an informed decision about their choice of consultancy advice. – A sector-wide definition of management consultancy should be developed that will assist in a number of ways, including the debate around self-regulation, and be sufficiently flexible to accommodate new providers of consultancy. – The sector-wide definition should be â€Å"Management consultancy is the provision to management of objective advice and assistance relating to the strategy, structure, management and operations of an organization in pursuit of its long-term purposes and objectives. Such assistance may include the identification of options with recommendations; the provision of an additional resource and/or the implementation of solutions.† – The definition of a management consultant should be â€Å"Management consultants are those organisations and/or individuals that participate in the process of management consultancy within a framework of appropriate and relevant professional disciplines and ethics designed for the activity of management consultancy.† – The principle of detailed technical regulation of management consultancy should be rejected and that the essential skills of consulting are primarily behavioral, stressing the importance of competences and ethical standards. – Any regulatory regime requires a significant element of independence from the profession in terms of membership and operation. – The option of a regulatory system that provides easily accessible information from clients on the performance of firms and individuals should be considered carefully. – The global nature of consultancy means that the complexities of jurisdiction and applicable law need to be taken into account and the dangers of regulatory systems being used as restraints on trade or for the furtherance of the interests of trade blocs recognized. – The question of the interaction of parallel regulatory systems needs to be explored thoroughly with a wide range of professional and trade bodies. – Management consultancy is immensely competitive. Any self-regulatory regime must not fetter the ability of management consultants to compete for business, with the opportunities for other companies that they may bring. – The Government does not have a formal role in regulating the profession of management consultancy. Its role is to encourage and support stakeholders in management consultancy, including clients and other institutes, to develop a system that protects users and enables the UK profession to compete in a global market. 2. PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANCY ORGANIZATIONS & CHALLENGES â€Å"Traditionally the state has awarded associations of professionals the privilege of self-regulation in return for an assurance that members abide by a set of standards and an ethical code of conduct to ensure protection of the public interest. As increasing levels of education and social awareness give rise to greater expectations†¦ traditional structures, rules and regulations are challenged and justification for privilege is questioned†. The position of trade and professional bodies is also made more complex by the increasing demand from members for such bodies to defend them from these pressures. This representational role has to be balanced carefully against the public protection responsibility. The regulatory function itself is not without its pitfalls. They are cent red on â€Å"†¦ensuring that everyone in the market is covered, how any regulations are to be enforced and also possibly ensuring that restrictive trade practices legislation is not used again st them. All such arrangements are potentially unstable and perhaps are held together predominantly by the fear of more onerous statutory regulation†. But these difficulties are compounded in an international environment. The increasing globalization that result in emergence of a single market mean that â€Å"†¦the developments of rules and regulations concerning two issues – competition amongst professionals and standardization of qualifications – are of particular concern†. But the profession is also global in nature and regulation has also to be seen in against a shifting pattern of international trading and political structures. One driver for change is seen as â€Å"..deregulation and privatization, combined with a gradual shifting of policy-making to the global level†. If regulation is the key, what form should it take? It can be introduced at a number of levels, i.e. the activity (technical regulation); individuals (standards and qualifications); firms (the trade association model) or the profession as a whole (ethics and principles). All of them have their difficulties. Some believe that the accounting profession in the USA had the wrong approach, i.e. â€Å"Based on strict adherence to rules, it inadvertently encouraged innovations of the worst kind; creative accounting†. 3. SHOULD MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY BE REGULATED? There is, equally, the view that regulation is not needed at all. The market will regulate itself. This, of course, ignores that fact that business takes place within a societal framework and the view that the market is the ultimate regulator is, surely, flawed. It is based on the notion, sound in theory but questionable in practice, that the market is a perfect mechanism. Others suggest that the secret lies in the education of the client to make it an informed marketplace. It also has to balanced with the view that, if management consultancy wishes to be seen as professional, â€Å"Professional awareness and behavior come when the early juggling with a little knowledge gives way to skilled application of a generally accepted body of knowledge according to accepted standards of integrity†. It is also the case that the development of partnerships between clients and professional service firms (including investment by the latter in the former) may well limit the willingness of c lients to ‘shop around’. The key question then is what is regulation for. In essence of course it is to ensure that the customers or stakeholders receive the goods and services that they need and that the suppliers claim to provide. In the case of management consultancy this must mean that clients receive the best possible advice to help them in taking their organizations forward. In a market dominated by a few global brands, it is about extending the transparency and extent of choice to enable clients to choose on the basis of expertise, quality of delivery and cost. It is also about balancing the need to extend these principles down from the firm to the individual and the costs of any system. The government view has been that good self-regulation coupled with demanding industry and people standards help companies compete in a global marketplace. When combined with effective self-regulatory systems and where appropriate supporting mechanisms exist to encourage good practice and resolve cross-border disputes, this development will reduce barriers and realize a single market worldwide. 4. STEP 1 IN REGULATAION – WHO ARE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS? A number of definitions have been developed in recent years. The following is a small selection: Management consultants are used first to provide wider additional expertise than is available within a single organization. Thus a change in production or marketing may require expertise in designing and implementing a new system. Secondly, management consultants are used to provide objective appraisals where it is often easier for the expert outsider to see the broader picture and recognize the long-term requirements. Thirdly, the management consultant may be needed to provide additional assistance where there is a temporary increase in the management workload. This may be to cope with a major change or new development in any area of management responsibility.† The rendering of independent advice and assistance on management issues. This typically includes identifying and investigating problems and/or opportunities, recommending appropriate action and helping to implement those solutions. Management consulting is an independent professional advisory service assisting mangers and organizations in achieving organizational purposes and objectives by solving management and business problems, identifying and seizing new opportunities, enhancing learning and implementing changes. The term â€Å"Management Consultancy† applies when a firm is engaged for a definitive duration to undertake specific enquiries, conduct studies, identify options and make recommendations or give advice of a strategic nature relating to the organization, management and operation of [the organization] for consideration/implementation. These definitions or descriptions have a number of threads in common. They are concerned with management issues of a significant, although not necessarily strategic, importance. Secondly, they are concerned with the role of the expert outsider. Finally, they extend the role of management consultants beyond advice and into implementation. Taking these threads into account the Institute believes that the sector-wide definition should be â€Å"Management consultancy is the provision to management of objective advice and assistance relating to the strategy, structure, management and operations of an organization in pursuit of its long-term purposes and objectives. Such assistance may include the identification of options with recommendations; the provision of an additional resource and/or the implementation of solutions.† Some have raised the issue of whether, if the professional activity is defined, the role of the individual management consultant also needs to be placed within a definitional framework. 5. REGULATION – WIDER ISSUES Conversely, it is likely to be the case that others, even if introduced for the best of reasons, may see any system of regulation, as a restraint of trade. The danger is that the introduction of any self-regulatory system may also require an accompanying increase in bureaucracy and industry overheads and that the perceived failure of any such system may provoke a call for statutory intervention. The potential costs of any regulatory regime, however light its touch, are also of concern when Government does not seem to appreciate the costs, whether financial or opportunity, that may arise. Additional administration for practices and activity by professional bodies require resourcing and, in many cases, it is practitioners who have to bear the burden. The reality is that management consultancy, like every other business, is immensely competitive. Any regulatory proposals must take into account the need for the consulting profession to retain flexibility to adapt to a new global and technology-driven world. While global practices dominate the market, internal consultancies within domestic companies are turning to external – and, hence, foreign – markets, for business and small practices in niche markets are also competing on a global stage. The key is responding to the needs of clients rather than a regulatory regime that will always be behind developments in the marketplace. 6. CODE OF ETHICS – INSTITUTE OF MGMT CONSULTANTS, USA All IMC USA members pledge in writing to abide by the Institute’s Code of Ethics. Their adherence to the Code signifies voluntary assumption of self-discipline. The Code specifies: Clients * Members will serve their clients with integrity, competence, and objectivity, using a professional approach at all times, and placing the best interests of the client above all others. * Members will establish realistic expectations of the benefits and results of their services. * Members will treat all client information that is not public knowledge as confidential, will prevent it from access by unauthorized people, and will not take advantage of proprietary or privileged information, either for use by them, their firm or another client, without the client’s permission. * Members will avoid conflicts of interest, or the appearance of such, and will disclose to a client any circumstances or interests that might influence their judgment and objectivity. * Members will refrain from inviting an employee of an current or previous client to consider alternative employment without prior discussion with the client. Engagements * Members will only accept assignments which they possess the expertise to perform, and will only assign staff with the requisite expertise. * Members will ensure that before accepting any engagement a mutual understanding of the objectives, scope, work plan, and fee arrangements has been established. * Members will offer to withdraw from a consulting engagement when their objectivity or integrity may be impaired. Fees * Members will agree in advance with a client on the basis for fees and expenses, and will charge fees and expenses that are reasonable, legitimate and commensurate with the services delivered and the responsibility accepted. * Members will disclose to their clients in advance any fees or commissions that they receive for equipment, supplies or services they could recommend to their clients. Profession * Members will respect the individual and corporate rights of clients and consulting colleagues, and will not use proprietary information or methodologies without permission. * Members will represent the profession with integrity and professionalism in their relations with their clients, colleagues and the general public. * Members will report violations of this Code to the Institute, and will ensure that other consultants working on behalf of the member abide by this Code. The Institute of Management Consultants USA, Inc. (IMC USA) adopted its first Code of Ethics in 1968. Since that time IMC USA has modified the wording of the Code for additional clarity and relevance to clients. The current Code was approved February 22, 2002. It is consistent with the International Code of Professional Conduct published by the International Council of Management Consulting Institute (ICMCI) of which IMC USA is a founding member. Members who apply for the CMC (Certified Management Consultant) designation must pass a written examination on the application of the IMC USA Code of Ethics to client service. The CMC mark is awarded to consultants who have met high standards of education, experience, competence and professionalism. 7. CODE OF ETHICS – THE GROUND REALITY This paper is based on an Ethics Survey conducted by the Institute of Management Consultants among American business consulting clients of IMC members who are Certified Management Consultants (CMCs). Results * Over-promising expected results and/or benefits (Nearly half of the respondents-46%) * Not serving the best interest of the client (32%) * Under-delivering results vs. commitment (31%) A high percentage of respondents–40%–indicated that they believe professional service firms would lie to protect themselves. Thirty-nine percent (39%) also indicated that they think employees would lie to protect themselves. Counterbalancing this, however, was the expression of 54% of the respondents who indicted that in a difficult situation, they believe employees will behave honorably. Half of the respondents also believe that professional service firms do place a high value on the welfare of the client’s organization. It can therefore be concluded that while business executives believe that both employees and professional service firms do have an interest in the success and welfare of the organization/enterprise, they also feel that both groups would be inclined to act to protect their own interest or enhance their own position-an action which could inevitably be to the detriment of the enterprise. Two additional issues in which professional service firms can be faulted by business executives included: * Allowing the project’s scope to expand/creep. (One-fourth of the respondents indicated this was happening frequently.) * Being imprecise or non-specific when setting expectations. (Only 19% indicated that this happens frequently, yet 68% indicated this occasionally happens.)

Program for Education, Health and Food in Mexico Essay

The United Nations formulated global targets to be attained by all nations which are referred to as millennium development goals (MDGs), which need to be met by 2015. This is the foundation for the major development agendas set by separate nations in the world today that all are geared towards these goals. For instance these goals includes poverty and hunger reduction, universal primary education, equitable access to all levels of education and a reduction in maternal and child mortality (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 45). Therefore in order these targets to be achieved globally, they ought first to be achieved by the individual nations as units making the globe. This therefore calls for the commitment of nations geared towards implementing multi sectoral strategies of these individual nations in the whole world to attain these MDGs which bears the common good to the majority. In this connection, Latin America is not an exception to the global programs. In this regard, Latin America established five conditional cash transfers programs aimed at reducing poverty and to increase human capital in form of education, (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 23) health and nutrition in order to contribute to the attainment of the United Nations development targets set by the year 2015 in the globe (Coady Parker, 2004, p. 178). These programs include Bolsa Escola program (which provides school grants), Programme for the Eradication of Child Labour in Brazil, the Families in Action program in Colombia, the Social Protection Network in Nicaragua, and Oportunidades program in Mexico. However this term paper shall give focus to the Oportunidades program in Mexico (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 63). Concepts of Conditional cash transfers The concepts of CCT (Conditional cash transfers) are new development programs adapted by nations as a result of global development challenges. The approach of CCTs are adapted with an aim to foster human capital accumulation among the young generation in order to break inter-generational vicious poverty cycle in the modern generation (ECLAC, 2002, p. 82), so that tomorrow world can have a poverty free generation with reduced social crisis. Therefore CCTs involves providing and availing money to poor families conditional upon investments in human capital such educating children, improving the health through creating health centrers close to the people and nutritional aspect (Coady Parker, 2004, p. 23). This is done through the use of the demand-side interventions to support directly the beneficiaries as opposed to traditional supply-side mechanisms like provision of general subsidies or investments in health providers of social services or health facilities and centrers or schools. In this regard therefore Conditional Cash Transfers programs targets at improving children’s human capital. Which is similar to the case of Latin America and Mexico’s Programa de Educacion, Saludy Alimentacion (PROGRES) (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 131). However in order to analyse the conditional cash transfers, the analysis should be based on the new approach to social protection, that encompasses risk management approach that is aimed at enhancing human capital and defeating poverty in the longer term plans (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 5). For instance the social risk management strategy indicates that individuals, households and communities are exposed to multiple risks in their environment. Thus Poverty translates to greater vulnerability of the poor community, simply because poor people in the community or society usually are limited to access to instruments that are necessary for risk management (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 213). In addition poor sect of society or community are always poorly prepared to cope with crises whenever they occur. For example the poor sect would handle a financial crisis using an informal method and approach like taking their children out of school and keeping them at home, which is insufficient approach to crisis management. This way of handling crises results to irreversible loss of human capital and perpetuated intergenerational poverty cycle that becomes hard and difficult to reduce (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 141). In this respect the social risk management model uses three functions that are vital for the public policies. This includes the prevention, mitigation and coping, which embraces the long term benefits and reduced consequences. Therefore, it ends up helping benefiting people living in structural poverty, people who are just above the poverty line and groups with special needs in the society. Therefore, the CCTs approach is rooted from the concept of social protection as human capital investment that holds that poverty is reproduced across human generations due to a lack of investment in human capital (Behrman Sengupta, 2001, p. 63). In this respect CCTs approach is more effective than the traditional approach, since it incentivizes this human capital investment by attaching conditions to transfers to produce desired results to the community and world at large. The use of CCTs in education ensures that opportunity cost of education is reduced hence reinforces the income effect of the transfer in such a way that school attendance and child labour is not as a substitute to income effect. This is aided by implementation regulations such as compulsory attendance of school by children with income substitution to enhance its impact. In this case when the children spend much time in school they would not consume as much resources as they would consume when are at home. Hence in terms of conditional cash transfers it implies that,there will be a minimum transfer amount needed to produce incentives >0 to send children to school (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 56). Therefore, this ensures that the saved resources are put to development agendas that will enhance wealth creation and more investment realization. The program was created in the year 1997 by Mexican Federal Governments as a strategy to support rural families in extreme poverty to alleviate from those poor conditions (Cardoso Souza, 2003, p. 39). But the name changed to Oportunidades meaning Opportunities that was extended to urban populations by president Fox in the 2001. This program uses the conditional cash transfer concept within Latin America and its design marks a significant shift in social services provision in Mexico today. The guiding principles that the program uses to work are; targeting, intersectorality, empowerment of women and shared responsibility. The program was created for the purpose of increasing the capabilities of families that live in extreme poverty by investing in human capital in Mexico (Attanasio Gomez Heredia Vera-Hernandez, 2005, p. 42). This goal has three main objectives which includes education, health and nutrition. This is because the three component are dependent of each other. For instance, education will enhance technological development in the health and food production sectors to handle diseases and agricultural areas respectively, while education can not continue and progress within the environment that is infested by diseases and poor health as a result of malnutrition. Both components, if they are not balanced, can result to poor productivity in the economy and society. In this connection, the following section shall look at these three components Educational component The payments that concerns educational expenses are made to families with children under the age of 18 who are enrolled in school between the first year of primary education and the third year of secondary school. But in order to create and initiate incentive for families to invest in human capital, payments are conditional to children attending school. In addition, if a child has a non-attendance rate of over 15 percent in one academic month without a valid reason, the family does not receive the assistance that concerns education. By doing so, the government ensures that great emphasis is laid to education and eliminates unnecessary laxity in the implementation process, by involving parent to monitor their children and educationalists to keep updated record which the government uses to allocate payments to parents hence, each stakeholder participates in the process (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 272) . The amount of money that is transferred are set basing on the additional income the children would be fetching to the family if the child would be working and not attending to school. The payment rises with an increase in the age of a child. However, this is schemed higher for girls at secondary level (ECLAC, 2002, p. 71) . This is to encourage a girl child education like many parts of the world today do. In addition to regulation of the payment, the pay is designed to be inflation concious that prevents falling of value. In general, the grant is dependant on the enrolment and school attendance. While, the grant covers both direct costs required like school fees, school supplies, transportation and the opportunity costs as a result of attending school in Mexico (Davis, 2003, p. 30). Health component In relation to the health component Oportunidades program invokes the provision of primary health care to all members of the family, this to cultivate an enabling environment for the leaner to able attended to well. The health services are provided at clinics, dispensaries and health centrers which are operated and run by Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (Mexican Social Security Institute) and the Secretariat of Health (Davis, 2003, p. 128). These grants are targeted to newborn children of about 2-3 years of age (ECLAC, 2002, p. 129), hich may continue up to the time the children enrols in primary school level. In addition to the that, pregnant and lactating women are included in the program. This component consists of a cash transfer aimed at health care, nutrition education and food consumption that benefits mothers and children. The transfer is on the basis of compliance by participating household members with a pre-determined number of health centre visits and health and nutrition workshops which are attended, this ensures a full participation in the process and community unity (Gertle, 2000, p. 61). The children’s health care visits are linked to growth monitoring and vaccination protocols that needs to be observed by mothers. This ensures that, the health standards are maintained by citizen which forms a healthy nation. In addition to that, Health Care visits for pregnant and lactating women ensures appropriate prenatal, childbirth and puerperal care (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 76) through attending clinical check-ups once or twice per year in Mexico. This health component ensures that the society’s well being is taken into account therefore, this will translate to good education involvement and participatory. Therefore health component indirectly or directly promotes and support education. Nutrition component The grant provided is directed towards providing money to improve food consumption and availability, especially to children below age of 4 months to 2 years (Gertle, 2000, p. 232), weaned babies and breastfeeding mothers. This package is inclusive of children aged above the age of 2 years to 5 years who are at risk of malnutrition or those who are poorly nourished (ECLAC, 2002, p. 223) in the society. The condition to continue and get the grants is based upon ability to visit the health clinics regularly, in this way, the population continues to be updated on the health prevention and cure methods while the government gets the required statistics that are vital for planning and fighting infections to its citizens. It should be noted that the nutrition and health voucher as equivalent to the value of the time invested by the mother during the trip and waiting at the health centre to to get health services (Calde Coady, 2004, p. 267). For instance, the statistics indicate that health grant per beneficiary per month was set at the same level as the education transfer of about US$9, which is twice the monthly expenditure per person on health care and medicine costs.

Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Employment Law - Essay Example faced by UK companies who are down sizing and may find it difficult to lay off employees, especially those that are disabled or belong to a minority race. This Report will also briefly examine the rights of employees under the new TUPE regulations. [1]. The changing business scenario within the U.K. poses several challenges, especially for those businesses that function within the hospitality sector. The airline industry in particular has been adversely affected by the threats posed by terrorist activity, as a result many of the larger carriers are resorting to the launch of budget airlines to offset costs, for example GO Airlines which is an offshoot of British Airways, Other budget, â€Å"no frills† airlines functioning within the UK are Ryan Air and Easy Jet airlines, which have been able to attract their fair share of travelers by offering cut throat low fares. The larger airlines however, have faced large scale losses as a result of which employee lay offs and/or mergers with other companies are more common now than before. Moreover, several airline companies are also sub contracting their services, for example catering, ticketing etc in order to reduce expenses and the position of independent contractors under UK law al so becomes relevant. Other issues that also arise in the context of the airline industry are issues of outsourcing some services or entering into mergers with other companies for some services and this could evoke the provisions of the TUPE Regulations within the UK that spell out the manner in which employee transfers are to take place through mergers.

Explaining a Concept Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Explaining a Concept - Research Paper Example As a person becomes older, the risks of having cancer also increase (CDC b). In the absence of effective therapeutic intervention, the onset of cancer can be deadly. (Figure I – Age-Adjusted Incidence Rate of All Cancer Patients in the U.S. on page 2) Often times, cancer cells may develop in different parts of the human body (i.e. lungs, bronchus, or trachea, liver, stomach, colon, rectum, prostate, esophagus, pancreas, blood, urinary bladder, etc.) (American Cancer Society). In U.S. alone, the most common type of cancer includes prostate cancer amongst men and breast cancer amongst women followed by lung and bronchus, colon and rectum, corpus and uterus, urinary bladder, melanomas of the skin, non-hodgkin lymphoma, kidney and renal pelvis, and thyroid (CDC a). (See Figure II – Different Cancer Sites on page 3; Figure III – Top 10 Cancer Sites in U.S. on page 3) As a common knowledge, cancer is one of the most common types of diseases that can lead to the untimely death of people (Ho). As of 2012, there are as much as 14,090,100 new cases of cancer worldwide (American Cancer Society). However, not much is known with regards to ways on how zinc deficiency can lead to the development of abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells. Therefore, in the process of completing the proposed research study, it is possible to educate people about the importance of having sufficient dose of zinc in our daily nutritional intake. (See Figure IV – New Cancer Cases Worldwide as of 2012 below) The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between zinc deficiency and the development of cancer cells. In the process of conducting a systematic literature review, this study seeks to meet the following research objectives: Several studies strongly suggest that zinc deficiency can lead to the increased risk of developing

Ex-Offenders Transitioning Back into Society Research Paper

Ex-Offenders Transitioning Back into Society - Research Paper Example This essay asks that is once a criminal always be a criminal? Are there no chances left for a criminal to reform and lead a normal life? These are the questions faced by the society today. America has only 5 percent of the global population and yet 25 percent of the world’s prison population. America has 2.3 million prisoners behind bars and 5.1 million people on parole. A teaming population of 9 million ex-prisoners are reentering the American society every year. These people have already â€Å"paid their debt to the society† for committing crime and now it is society’s turn to provide them a chance to earn for their livelihood, lead normal life and become good citizens. This paper makes a conclusion that ex-prisoners form a sizeable population of workforce and their inclusion in the job market will give a fillip to the nation’s economy which is under strain. If the opportunities for employment and the other supports are denied to them, nearly half the number of ex-prisoners may return to prisons which will cost heavily on tax payers money and national exchequer. The staggering cost of maintaining prisons and prisoners have already touched $49 billion and if this allowed to increase it will add another $25 billion by the end of 2011.The nation cannot afford to spend $65000 per prisoner which can rather be spent on welfare measures of ex-prisoners and on creating employment opportunities for them thereby reducing recidivism.

Cash budjet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cash budjet - Essay Example The minimum line of credit is the amount of money that can be allocated and be made available whenever a client company needs it (Fabozzi & Peterson, 2003). BCM has shown that it needs $241,500 in the month of June. This should be the minimum line of credit from the spreadsheet. CBM’s cash position is quite strained especially in the first four months. CBM is forced to seek additional financing from outside. This is due to low cash receipts from debtors who have formed the main source of cash in the budget. The concern for the company is how to obtain extra external financing and what interest will be needed (Pineda, 2006). The cash budget also does not have a provision for repaying the short loan and interest. As a bank manager, I will not accept CBM as my client for some reasons. The first one is that CBM is a new venture which has not sold even one item and therefore the market is new. CBM needs a total of $415,250 just within the first four months. According to Bierck (2009) such an undertaking is risky since CBM does not have any historical figures which can give a clue of how much sales they can be able to generate The other point is that there is no reference for the sales forecast. I will only accept CBM once they have traded and have historical figures to rely in respect of the

Cas22 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cas22 - Case Study Example Subsequently, she files a suit against the company for deception. The following part of this paper will critically analyze Johansen’s scope of proceeding with the claim either at arbitration or at Federal court. It is stated that the contract contains an arbitration mediations clause which demands Johansen ‘to complete the process if there is a contract dispute and the results will be caused to waive her future rights in federal and state court to contest any employment violations’. Although the company can justify its employment termination on the strength of this clause, obviously the firm has violated the legal norms of the employment regulations. The case clearly indicates that the employer has breached the terms of the contract as well. She can argue that employer’s demand of being the key member of a client escort service was out of the terms of the written contract. The contractual laws clearly tell that a contract can be legally broken if any one of the parties has committed a breach of contract. In such situation, the contract loses its legal validity. Although Johansen has signed the contract containing the dispute provisions, her basic interests as a citizen has to be preserved first. She can claim compensation for her termination from the job.

Assess the claim that progress has stalled in terms of raising the Essay

Assess the claim that progress has stalled in terms of raising the proportion of women in senior executive and boardroom positio - Essay Example As argued by Howard and Wellins (2008) â€Å"in all major global regions, women are more likely than men to fall off the management ladder before reaching the top† (p. 6). They explained this through the theory of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors which involves an array of economic, organisational, and social aspects. Push factors refer to passive or unfulfilling jobs. On the other hand, the pull factors are life situations that force women to leave their jobs like health problems, family commitments, or caring obligations (Howard & Wellins, 2008). A recent study by Schneer and Reitman looked at the effects of career preference and outcomes for women in comparison to men in managerial positions (Bilimoria, 2007, p. 21). They discovered that the effect of gender differences on the work setting for women in comparison to men with MBA degrees was more pronounced in later than earlier career phases. Numerous researchers have observed that organisations are †˜gendered’, and hence view of career plans is expected to have more unfavourable effects for females than males (Fagan et al., 2012). Thus, what is most important is possibly not the quantity of work but the quality and nature of that work, particularly for career women. Another major phenomenon that has been given much emphasis recently is the issue of whether part-time job characterises unfavourable reduced work or favourable flexible work patterns for employees, particularly women. Several researchers report that women prefer or are more contented with part-time job than men, because this work arrangement offers flexibility (Burke & Mattis, 2005). Nevertheless, stages of part-time work have detrimental effects on pay, and females are more likely than males to engage in part-time jobs. This implies that earlier assumptions that career women with children can gain from part-time work arrangement without considerable negative impact on present and future career opportunities or outcomes could be flawed, especially in early stages of career (Durbin & Tomlinson, 2010). It is possible that these kinds of interruptions are not merely cutbacks in work time, but also signify a reduction or impediment in status that is disadvantageous for the women’s future career outcomes. Some claim that the higher probability of a women engaging in part-time work compared to men occupying part-time jobs signifies the likelihood of preserving or reinforcing the inferior standing of women in society (Liff & Ward, 2001). Findings on job satisfaction show that women who are voluntarily engaged in part-time jobs usually agree to weaker job security and lower pay in return for less stress and more favourable working arrangements. Mothers are usually more likely than childless women to work part-time because it facilitates reconciliation of domestic and career obligations (Durbin & Tomlinson, 2010). Mothers in the UK, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, and Austria are s pecifically likely to engage in part-time job (Rubery, 1998, 200). According to Wirth (2004), the inadequacy of quality, inexpensive childcare compels many women with children to accept part-time work arrangements. Women, across all sectors, are currently engaged in managerial work but are less likely to occupy higher level leadership positions, suggesting that obstacles to women’s career progression are still existing. The number of women occupying senior management and board positions across the globe are few compared

Walt Diseny Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Walt Diseny - Research Paper Example Competitive advantage Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Minnie Mouse are the main sources of competitive advantage. As the company owns exclusive rights to these characters, the company earns more revenue by utilizing these characters in different animated films and cartoons and products based on these characters that are sold through theme park shops (Hoskisson et al. 173). Although these are the results and innovations provided by Walt Disney, there are other manifestations of competitive advantages owned by the company. For example, â€Å"Patents shield the use of these characters protects the firm from imitation by competitors â€Å" (Hoskisson 173). Additionally, the company is actively pursing innovation and creativity to longer its effective competitive position in the global market. For this purpose, it has developed a creativity strategy. â€Å"A creativity strategy has been developed and pilot projects have been identified and the creativity grants will support non-profits that nu rture creative thinking skills in the afterschool/out of school time through multi-disciplinary learning (The Walt Disney Company). Business-level strategy On July 17, 1955, a unique destination was created by Walt Disney with the concept of parks and resorts. Due to the successful business strategy, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (WDP&R) has become a preferred family travel and leisure destination. There are 11 theme parks and 43 resorts in Asia, Europe and North America. Additionally, the Walt Disney Studios has experienced a considerable expansion after its creation more than 85 years ago. The Walt Disney Studios provides music, movies and stage plays. Both animated and non-animated movies are released under the various titles: Disneynature, Pixar Animation Studios, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel Studios; the Disney Music Group includes Disney Music Publishing, the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records; the Disney Theatrical Group licenses and produces live programs including Disney On Ice, Disney on Broadway and Disney Live (The Walt Disney Company). All these business differentiations have experienced a considerable but careful business-level strategy. Additionally, â€Å"The Company employs 5 different business models to maximize revenue, delivering what customers want and advertisers need† (Murray). Section 2: Financial Analysis Walt Disney and Time Warner Ratios    2011 2010 2009 Gross Profit Margin 19.00% 43.70%(TW) 17.67% 44.13%(TW) 15.75% 44.01%(TW) Net Profit Margin 11.75% 9.96%(TW) 10.41% 9.59%(TW) 9.14% 9.57% (TW) Return on Assets 6.66% 4.26% (TW) 5.72% 3.88%(TW) 5.23% 3.75% (TW) Return on Equity 12.86% 9.63%(TW) 10.56% 7.83%(TW) 9.80% 7.39%(TW) TW= Time Warner Source: Walt Disney and Time Warner Annual Reports 2009-2011 Gross Profit Margin Walt Disney experiences a steady rise in the gross profit. The gross profit highlights the remaining amount after paying the direct cost of sales. From the year of 2009 to 2011, the company has inc reased its gross profit ratio from 15.75% to 19.00%; the aggregate rise of 3.25% has been posted by the company during the period. On the other hand, Time Warner has showed a significant increase in the gross profit margin throughout the entire period. Except the slight margin of fall in the year of 2011, Time Warner has been maintaining comparatively better gross profit margin during the year. This shows that the company has been successful in increasing its sales volume and decreasing the cost of sales during

Retail Strategic Planning Essay Example for Free

Retail Strategic Planning Essay Organized retailing in home and building sector was expected to face stiff challenge from the existing small, independent, and powerful local retailers. Many international retailers like Home Depot, IKEA and Lowe were also eyeing the Indian market which was untapped by organized retailers. They provided all the product categories and services that were required to build a new home or for home improvement or renovation under one roof. Muebles belonging to Casa Moblaje group was a pioneer in this segment. Homepro was the first building mall, which offered a wide range of building materials, home improvements products, and furnishings. They provided information about land availability and selection, and housed offices of architects, designers and financiers. The Home Store and Zeba were in home furnishing segment; Gautier dealt in furniture; and Johnson Tiles was in the sanitary ware sector. Identify Strategic Alternatives Ansoff’s Matrix Muebles had captured a large market of the home building and construction business in Ahmedabad as well as the home improvement business of the surrounding cities and towns. The ideal strategy for Muebles would be to develop the market. The areas surrounding Ahmedabad like Baroda, Surat etc is highly industrialized and lot of construction takes place in these areas. Muebles can target these cities and can increase the size of the market to get larger sales. Retail Mix Variables Product The store stocked products under five major categories Kitchen accessories: Appliances, Crockery, Glassware, Ovens etc Furniture and furnishing: Sofa set, bed, linen etc Bathroom: Tiles, Sanitary ware, Fittings, Taps, and accessories Hardware visible: Door, Window, Safety equipment, Gardening Tools, Washing Machines Electrical equipments: Lights, Luminaries, Chandeliers, Switches, Fans, Generators etc They mainly stored branded products. The store policy was to use the number one brand or the aggressive second. If this was not possible the company entered in to contracts to with smaller players who provided with in store brands. The store stocked approximately 12000 SKUs and had 120 suppliers. As the store move upward in the retail wheel, it took the invisible and les involved products out of the shelf. The visible and high involvement products replaced the invisible. They also increased the share of storing impulse goods in the relevant home decoration and furnishing category. Price The pricing policy of the store varied across the product categories. Pricing was competitive and benchmarked against the traditional hardware and home building material stores in product categories which were usually available in traditional hardware stores . In the destination product categories, the store charged premium price. Store Layout The store was laid out in a grid format. It was functional in nature and was based on a do-it-yourself model. Thirty percent of the shop space was given to 12 partners (vendors) who complete freedom of operation. The store atmosphere was attractive. The format of the store aided the customer to find the right the product. Some products like kitchen fittings were merchandised in simulated conditions to give the customer a feel of the complete range of the store’s offering. Promotion In order to increase the levels of awareness, they were communicating by using a mix of me. dia for brand and tactical advertising. They used the Gujarati and English media to reach out to their target segments. They developed two communication packages, one for the lay consumers with low comprehension of Muebles’s value proposition, and another for the professionals (home builders) who had a relatively higher awareness of the concept. In order to increase the sales of the invisible products, Muebles decided to educate the home builder. The home builder package consisted of developing a critical mass of professionals by rewarding their purchase and then working towards giving them accreditation through a professional course so that they would buy all the materials from Muebles. The apartment package consisted of using direct mails and tie-ups with companies like Electrolux, Pergo, and ICI to give special deals to five different apartment owners. Muebles targeted the HR departments in various companies and offered special deals. The problem in this deal was the acquisition of database of apartment owners. Customer Service Muebles policy was to satisfy the customer. Managers were supposed to visit the shop floor 3 hours a day to understand shopper’s behavior and needs better. Each category had 4 personnel. The total floor level employees were around 20. The floor employees tracked the customer right from the entry to the store and observed them carefully from a distance. The motive was to help the customer in the selection without interfering. The staff was instructed to respect the privacy of the customers. Muebles provided a unique shopping experience to the customer. Consumers were provided a wide range and assured quality, competitive prices, and world class service. They provided value added services to the consumers like * Comprehensive design assistance by a panel of professionals and design consultants * Apartment Packages * Installation service and support * Info mediation through website * Home loan consultancy and loans * Certification programmes for electricians, masons, plumbers and carpenters * Educational programme on do-it-yourself techniques and procedures * Customer loyalty programmes

Development of School Software

Development of School Software 1.0 INTRODUCTION This Test Plan has been written to communicate the school easy software development and testing procedures with the client. It includes the objectives, scope, testing methods, schedule, risks, and approach. This document will clearly identify what the test deliverables will be and what is deemed in and out of scope. 2.0 OBJECTIVES AND TASKS The School Easy is a school grade and day to day management tool used to let the school and teachers communicate with their students. This software is a new product written with Java to be platform independent. The Greater Software is responsible for testing the product and ensuring it meets the clients needs. 2.2 Tasks The initial phase of this project will deliver School Easy software with functionality to the client so they can create and store the results from the alpha tests. These result will allow Greater Software to improve the updated versions of the software. The School Easy must have a full functionality by the delivery date. 3.0 SCOPE The followings are the must have requirements from clients. These and any supplementary request from the client must be all included in the final product. Create initial criteria with detailed sub-steps. Create the transfer schedule. Report and receive feedbacks from the client. Establish transition team. Conduct the tests. Create the final product. Conduct the final test. Deliver the product to the client. First of all, the liaison teacher or account will be appointed to ease the communication between the client and company. She or he will be the main line of communication with the client. The Greater Software will work with School Easy until the client will accept and sign off the final product. Rewriting, moving or porting existing test cases from the existing testing documents is not considered part of this project. Since the client is consisting of three major group of users -teachers, exam departments, and accounts and will probably include students in the future, the Beta testing period will be expected to take much longer than Alpha testing. The Greater Software is committed to delivering the best software to satisfy our clients requirements. In order to experience our pledges, the clients are asked to join our development process from the initial phases of the software development. The following approaches will describe our commitment detail: Permit our developers to own and prove the quality of our software. Engage our clients by making their feedback process easier and readily accessible to gather early possible feedback data. Conduct testing while enable the larger testing team to track faster, more flexible, and more engaging mixed development environment. These effective testing strategies will include automated, manual, and exploratory tests to reduce risk and tighten release cycles. The following tests will be conducted during the development: Unit tests: It validates the smallest components of the system, ensuring they handle known input and outputs correctly. It will individually test classes in the application to verify they work under expected, boundary, and negative cases. Integration tests: It exercises an entire subsystem and ensure that a set of components play nicely together. Functional tests: It verifies end-to-end scenarios that the client will engage in. Definition: These tests are basically written and executed by Greater Software to make sure that code meets its design and requirements and behaves as expected. The goal is to segregate each part of the program and test that the individual parts are working correctly. This means that for any function or procedure when a set of inputs are given then it should return the proper values. It should handle the failures gracefully during the course of execution when any invalid input is given. It also must provide a written contract that the piece of code must assure. It is basically done before integration after Code and Debug development. Participants: Examiners, Programmers, Teachers Methodology: The test will be conducted in the classroom setting while the feedbacks are sent to programmers with error messages. Definition: System Integration Testing(SIT) is a black box testing technique that evaluates the systems compliance with specified requirements. It is usually performed on a subset of the system while system testing is performed on a complete system and is preceded by the user acceptance test (UAT). It can be performed with minimum usage of testing tools, verified for the interactions exchanged and the behavior of each data field within the individual layer is investigated. After the integration, there are three main states of data flow: Data state within the integration layer Data state within the database layer Data state within the Application layer Participants: Examiners, Programmers, Teachers Methodology: Programmers will write codes according to the specification established by the clients requirements. There are four different system integration test techniques: Top-down Integration Testing Bottom-up Integration Testing Sandwich Integration Testing Big-bang Integration Testing Definition: Performance testing, a non-functional testing technique performed to determine the system parameters in terms of responsiveness and stability under the various workload. Performance testing measures the quality attributes of the system, such as scalability, reliability and resource usage. Participants: Examiners, Programmers, Teachers Methodology: Programmers will write codes according to the specification established by the clients requirements. There are four different Performance Testing Techniques: Load testing It is the simplest form of testing conducted to understand the behavior of the system under a specific load. Load testing will result in measuring important business critical transactions and load on the database, application server, etc., are also monitored. Stress testing It is performed to find the upper limit capacity of the system and also to determine how the system performs if the current load goes well above the expected maximum. Soak testing Soak Testing also known as endurance testing, is performed to determine the system parameters under continuously expected load. During soak tests, the parameters such as memory utilization are monitored to detect memory leaks or other performance issues. The main aim is to discover the systems performance under sustained use. Spike testing Spike testing is performed by increasing the number of users suddenly by a very large amount and measuring the performance of the system. The main aim is to determine whether the system will be able to sustain the workload. Definition: User acceptance testing, a testing methodology where the clients involved in testing the product to validate the product against their requirements. It is performed at client location at developers site. UAT is context dependent and the UAT plans are prepared based on the requirements and not mandatory to execute all kinds of user acceptance tests and even coordinated and contributed by the testing team. Participants: Accountants, Programmers, Students, Teachers Methodology: The acceptance test cases are executed against the test data or using an acceptance test script and then the results are compared with the expected ones. 4.5 Batch Testing Batch Testing of the software will be done as needed base. Definition: Regression testing is the selective retesting of a system or component to verify that modifications have not caused unintended effects and that the system or component still works as specified in the requirements. It makes use of specialized tools to control the execution of tests and compares the actual results against the expected result. Usually, regression tests, which are repetitive actions, are automated. Testing Tools not only help to perform regression tests but also helps us to automate data set up generation, product installation, GUI interaction, defect logging, etc. For automating any application, the following parameters should be considered. Data-driven capabilities Debugging and logging capabilities Platform independence Extensibility Customizability E-mail Notifications Version control friendly Support unattended test runs Participants: Accountants, Examiners, Teachers Methodology: Typically, there are 4 test automation frameworks that are adopted while automating the applications. Data Driven Automation Framework Keyword Driven Automation Framework Modular Automation Framework Hybrid Automation Framework 4.7 Beta Testing Definition: Beta testing is also known as user testing takes place at the end users site by the end users to validate the usability, functionality, compatibility, and reliability testing. Beta testing adds value to the software development life cycle as it allows the real customer an opportunity to provide inputs into the design, functionality, and usability of a product. These inputs are not only critical to the success of the product but also an investment into future products when the gathered data is managed effectively. Participants: Accountants, Examiners, Programmers, Students, Teachers Methodology: There are a number of factors that depends on the success of beta testing: Test Cost Number of Test Participants Shipping Duration of Test Demographic coverage Task Name Start Finish Effort Comments Test Planning Review Requirements documents Create initial test estimates Staff and train new test resources First deploy to QA test environment Functional testing Iteration 1 Iteration 2 deploy to QA test environment Functional testing Iteration 2 System testing Regression testing UAT Resolution of final defects and final build testing Deploy to Staging environment Performance testing Release to Production

Individual Property Rights vs Eminent Domain Essay -- Government Publi

Individual Property Rights vs Eminent Domain These days there have been many issues surrounding the topic of private property and eminent domain. I feel that eminent domain is a good way to keep the needs of the community and each person’s individual property rights balanced. Even though I believe individual property rights are more important that the needs of the community, I also believe the government sometimes has to take that property away for the better good of the community. At the same time I also understand how people feel when they talk about â€Å"NIMBY† (not in my back yard), and also about their personal needs. Let me take you back into the history of the American land. After the 18th century, Americans turned their backs on the old ideas of the Puritans. The Puritans believed in the population acting within the religious ways of the times. These new settlers had a very different idea in mind. They were going to claim this land anyway they could. This brings us to Cronon’s argument in Bounding The Land. It is referring to the different beliefs on land ownership between the English colonists and the Native Americans. The English believed that the Indians squandered the lands natural resources and that they have no natural right to the land. Indians did not own the land, but only used, and lived off the land’s resources. They only owned what they made and grew, and that was enough for them. But it certainly wasn’t enough for the English. They wanted to control the land using the technique of â€Å"ownership or private property†. That was the problem with Indian pro perty rights. They didn’t consist of any ownership or sovereignty. They had largely different perspectives on the ownership by the community and the individual ownership. Because of these large differences the English decided to take full control of the land. When they came to colonize they basically took the land from the Indians. The only land that was rightfully the Indian’s was the land that was given to them by the English. What the English were doing bring us to the concept of eminent domain. Eminent domain is the moral groundwork by which government acquires private property through compulsory purchase. The idea holds that to advance the greater welfare of the public, government must be able to use land and other private goods to which it would not otherwise have access. It is de... ...y can be condemned, often by a wide variety of articles, as long as those articles are first given that authority by the legislative body. Second, private property may be taken for public purpose, a concept that has multiple meanings, so long as just compensation is provided to the private property owner. Third, private property owners are offered statutory protection from the random condemnation of property under principles of necessity and greatest public good with the least private injury. Finally, these cases provide a glimpse into the judiciary's interpretation of laws designed to protect the public. The courts have defined concepts governing public use, due process, necessity, and just compensation. They have also demonstrated their respect for legislative authority by recognizing and upholding the understanding that eminent domain is under control of the legislative body. Central to the evolution of the eminent domain statutes was the knowledge that condemning private prop erty for public uses still required compensation, still required a legitimate purpose, and still required adequate protections for private property rights. Foot Note 1. Encarta Encyclopedia Dictionary

The Last Interview of Napoleon Bonaparte by Erica M. Historian Essay

For this interview, I went to visit the St. Helena home of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was the former Emperor of France before he was exiled to this small island. He was to spend the rest of his life here. I was lucky enough to get this interview just a few days before his passing on May 5th, 1821. Erica M. Historian: Hello, Mr. Bonaparte. It is a pleasure to meet you. How are you this evening? Napoleon Bonaparte: Hello. I am doing very well, thank you. Erica M. Historian: May I call you Napoleon? Napoleon Bonaparte: You may, but I rather you call me Emperor. Erica M. Historian: Of course. So, what got you interested in a military career? Napoleon Bonaparte: Around the age of nine, my father had sent me to a military academy in Brienne, France (The Dublin Penny Journal 394). That experience lead me to a career in military and I then became an officer around 1785 (Encyclopedia 2001). Erica M. Historian: I know that you were promoted to a general rank in 1793. You were only twenty- four correct? That is a very young age to become a general. How did you achieve that? Napoleon Bonaparte: That is correct. I became a general by proving I was made to be a leader. I had a countless amount of energy and ambition. I learned how to make the best with what I had and take advantage of opportunities. I successfully defeated the British at the siege of Toulon. After that I even had a few astonishing victories as commander in chief for the army of Italy. This was one of my many achievements (Encyclopedia, 2001). Erica M. Historian: Some refer to you as a military genius. What do you think your most successful battle was? Napoleon Bonaparte: I would have to say the siege of Toulon because this battle really showed my military expertise. If I did no... ...ee cents an acre or even leading my troops into a Russian winter. If I dwelled on my mistakes I made, I would never have time to reminisce about my great accomplishments. Erica M. I was lucky to get this interview when I did. Napoleon, once the Great Emperor of France, passed away just three days after this interview. He passed away on May 5, 1821 of stomach cancer but some believe it was arsenic poising. Most historians do not believe this theory. It was said his last wish was for his son to become emperor (Thompson 436). Works Cited "Napoleon Bonaparte." The Dublin Penny Journal 3.154 (1835): 393-94.JSTOR. Web. 03 May 2014. "Napoleon, Bonaparte." Encyclopedia of Nationalism: Leaders, Movements, and Concepts. Oxford: Elsevier Science & Technology, 2000. Credo Reference. Web. 4 May 2014. Thompson, J. M. Napoleon Bonaparte. New York: Oxford UP, 1952. Print.

The Process of Video Game Design and Creation Essay example -- Gamin

Video games have become a substantial influence on the curriculum of the modern entertainment industry. From first-person shooters to role-playing games, the video game industry has became accessible to nearly every kind of player, whether it be a person who enjoys invigorating storytelling, or somebody who just wants to reduce armies into nothing more than bloody shrapnel. â€Å"†¦developing a ‘major’ game title can be a significant task – writers, game designers, sound designers, visual artists and more must work together to create the actual game.†(â€Å"The Process of Game Creation & the Game Design Document.") One thing not often taken into consideration, though, is the hard work and dedication that goes into many of the games people play. Every video game out there had to go through a rigorous process before it could reach the public’s hands. Every game usually starts out with a basic idea, a very basic concept, whether it is a story idea, or a game play idea. An idea might consist of something as simple as â€Å"A knight tries to save a princess from a monster,† or maybe â€Å"cars race with guns attached to their hull.† These ideas are so basic that one could argue a child could come up with them, but every idea has a start. Some games also draw inspiration from other media, such as movies or books, or television shows. A game play idea is only the start, though. This idea is usually put into a â€Å"Game Design Document,† a document that all the team members working on a game use to base their work off. Concept development is where the game starts to really become pieced together. â€Å"The concept development phase takes the germ of an idea for a game, works it up as a game outline, and tests it out on potential audiences.†("The Process of Game Cr... ...s into it. It requires a lot of work, polishing, and, when working with a staff, teamwork. Nobody makes a good game in one night. A single game may take years to complete. Not every game is great, but anyone who works in the industry understands what work goes into a game. It is not just, as one might say, â€Å"Fun and games.† Works Cited "The Process of Game Creation & the Game Design Document." Digital Worlds. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2011. . "Brainy Gamer: The Cave Story story." Brainy Gamer. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2011. . "Game Development Process - Design for Development."public wiki - Design for Development. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2011.

Coach of the Army Crew

Army Crew Case Analysis Coach of the Army Crew; Coach P. selected the top eight rowers for the Varsity boat after a long series of objective tests measuring each member’s speed, strength and coordination. The Varsity team had a clear advantage over the Junior Varsity team. So, how could Junior Varsity team beat the Varsity team in two-thirds of the time in practice races? There are obvious reasons behind the bad performance of the Varsity team. Coach P. lacking a leadership couldn’t see the signs of Varsity team having serious problems as a team.The problem with Coach P. ’s coaching mistake started with the team selection process of Varsity team members. He managed to measure individual performances successfully by using ergometer and weight records. However, as important as individual skills were, it was crucial for the eight individual members to be a team and synchronize their rowing. His performance and team building criteria lacked personality factors. Howev er, rowing needs a perfect teamwork and mental strength of the crew members. U. S.Olympic Committee’s research project showed that the master coaches those who were most experienced and successful tended to focus on psychological variables as the most important criteria for a successful crew team whereas novice coaches tended to focus on technique just like Coach P. did. Selecting a team solely dependent on individual technical performance resulted in very serious problems among team members. Coach P. lacking leadership skills had no vision about the team having serious trust and coordination problems.Just before National championships races, he –for the first time- included personality dimensions to analyze the team. It revealed that the Varsity team had no team leaders and had team disrupters instead. He brought in an external party to improve their confidence, concentration and motivation of the Varsity team which the Varsity team labeled it as â€Å"touch-feelyâ⠂¬ . Other than bringing in an external party, he should have acted as a leader and make the best decision for the group by using Rational Decision Making Model steps: first by identifying the problem, generating solutions, selecting the best solution and implementing it.He should have showed a transformation leadership which would increase acceptance and support from the Varsity Team. Each set of the transformational leadership behavior was very crucial for the disrupted team: * Inspirational motivation (establishing a vision using emotion): It is very obvious that the Varsity team had superior performance individually and they can perform much better if they believe in their team. However, they are demotivated and lost their beliefs in the team. Coach P. encouraged competition between JV and V groups which affected Varsity team negatively.Other than creating a tension between teams, he should have motivated each team separately and should have built close relationships with membe rs and provided an open and direct communication with them. * Idealized influence (sacrificing for the greater good): Team disrupters decreased the motivation of the team and the team had no leaders. Coach P. relied on third parties such as Center of Enhanced Performance (CEP) and asked the group â€Å"What is your solution? † other than trying to make the best decision himself and then take the right step.For the greater good of the team, he should have demoted the team disrupters. For the rest of the team she should have worked with each member individually to set their goals and increase their motivation. * Individualized consideration (providing support): The Varsity team’s most important problem is motivation and lacking a team spirit. To overcome this problem, Coach P. should have showed his support and provide open communication with the team. Instead, he tried to find the â€Å"right combination† by switching members of the teams and causing a tension am ong Varsity and JV boats.He should have realized from the very beginning that the problem is not about physical but it was psychological. By trying different combinations, he made the team’s psychology even worse. * Intellectual stimulation (encouraging employees to question the status quo): Coach P. should have let them negotiate and come to an agreement about the situation but it was very late for him to hold a group meeting just before National championships. Coach P. should have realized the trust and coordination problems of the team and should resolve the problems much earlier.As a good leader, he should have built the team depending on both physical and personality factors in the first place. He should have demoted team disrupters for better teamwork and motivation among the rest of the team members. To resolve the conflict between Varsity team, he should have provided a better communication among them. That way, they would have come to an agreement without any support from an external party like CEP. To create a team spirit, he should have done team building games and activities and make them socialize with each other. Both the team members and the coach don’t know and trust each other.Just like basketball coach, Coach K. ’s leadership style he should have been a loved leader who creates personal interaction and drives performance through respect. He should have built trust and respect among teammates and himself. After achieving these goals, it is very important to motivate the team to achieve a better performance. For Varsity team, following Locke’s Goal Setting Theory, creating SMART (goals that are specific in their orientation, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based) and right level of goals would increase the motivation and effort.Returning to case, Coach P. should not switch Varsity and Junior Varsity boats even though Varsity will perform badly in the Championships. That way, he will show his support and tru st to Varsity team. If he chooses JV team to compete, he might lose the Varsity team forever. He shouldn’t switch team members other than the team disrupters. Varsity boat has a clear advantage over Junior Varsity team but they lacked a teamwork and synergy. As a coach he should make them feel like a team again and perform their best in the Championships.

Fast food restaurant Essay

Introduction: Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with low quality preparation and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. History: The concept of ready-cooked food for sale is closely connected with urban development. In ancient Rome cities had street stands that sold bread and wine. A fixture of East Asian cities is the noodle shop. Flatbread and falafel are today ubiquitous in the Middle East. Popular Indian fast food dishes include vada pav, panipuri and dahi vada. In the French-speaking nations of West Africa, roadside stands in and around the larger cities continue to Sell—as they have done for generations—a range of ready-to-eat, char grilled. Meat sticks known locally as brochettes. Market size and major players †¢Dominated by McDonalds having as many as 123 outlets. †¢Domino’s pizza is present in around 274 locations. †¢Pizza hut is also catching up and it has planned to establish 147 outlets at the end of 2009. †¢Subways have established around 145 outlets. †¢Nirula’s is established in Delhi and Northern India. However, it claims to cater 50,000 guests every day. It has future expansion plans for more than 50 outlets every year, for next three years. Major players in fast food †¢McDonalds 132 outlets †¢KFC 72 outlets †¢Pizza hut 147 outlets †¢Dominos Pizza 274 outlets †¢Cafe Coffee Day 833 outlets †¢Barista 200 outlets Fast food contains high amount of †¢Calories †¢Saturated Fat †¢Carbohydrates †¢Sugar †¢Sodium †¢Proteins Why do people eat it? ?Quick and Easy ?Tastes good ?Provides satiety and comfort? It’s everywhere Dual Income families ?Work day-away from home ?Shifts in Traditional Food habits ?High income urban dwellers ?Variety of choice of foods ?Home delivery, take-away restaurants, American chains INDIA EMERGING MARKET FOR GLOBAL PLAYERS The percentage share held by foodservice of total consumer expenditure on food has increased from a very low base drastically. Eating at home remains very much ingrained in Indian culture and changes in eating habits are very slow moving with barriers to eating out entrenched in certain sectors of Indian society. The growth in nuclear families, particularly in urban India has decreased drastically. India, exposure to global media and Western cuisine and an increasing number of women joining the workforce have had an impact on eating out trends. Major players of fast food in India †¢ Mc Donalds †¢ KFC †¢ Pizza hut †¢ Dominos Pizza †¢ Coffee day †¢ Barista Kentucky Fried Chicken About the Company KFC Corporation, or KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky. KFC is a brand and operating segment, called a â€Å"concept† of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. KFC primarily sells chicken in form of pieces, wraps, salads and sandwiches. While its primary focus is fried chicken, KFC also offers a line of roasted chicken products, side dishes and desserts. Outside North America, KFC offers beef based products such as hamburgers or kebabs, pork based products such as ribs and other regional fare. The company was founded as Kentucky Fried Chicken by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, Menu items. KFC’s specialty is fried chicken served in various forms. KFC’s primary product is pressure-fried pieces of chicken made with original recipe. The other chicken offering, extra crispy, is made using a garlic marinade and double dipping the chicken in flour before deep frying in a standard industrial kitchen type machine. Kentucky Grilled Chicken – This marinated grilled chicken is targeted towards health-conscious customers. It features marinated breasts, thighs, drumsticks,and wings that are coated with the Original Recipe seasonings before being grilled. It has less fat, calories, and sodium than the Original Recipe fried chicken. Nutritional value KFC formerly used partially hydrogenated oil in its fried foods. This oil contains relatively high levels of trans fat, which increases the risk of heart disease. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed a court case against KFC, with the aim of making it use other types of oils or make sure customers know about Trans fat content immediately before they buy food. Advertising One of KFC’s latest advertisements is a commercial advertising its â€Å"wicked crunch box meal†. The commercial features a fictional black metal band called â€Å"Hellvetica† performing live, the lead singer then swallows fire. The commercial then shows the lead singer at a KFC eating the â€Å"wicked crunch box meal† and saying â€Å"Oh man that is hot†. In 2007, the original, non-acronymic Kentucky Fried Chicken name was resurrected and began to reappear on company marketing literature and food packaging, as well as some restaurant signage. KFC Business Strategy KFC fast-food chains are currently under the restaurant division of PepsiCo Incorporated. Some major threats include the changing attitudes of society toward healthier eating habits, KFC has more than 9,800 outlets located in 77 countries. In marketing, KFC restaurants are not restricted from locating within close proximity of other KFC restaurants. There are two alternative strategies for KFC. The first strategy involves keeping PepsiCo beverage division and snack foods division together, and a divestiture of PepsiCo restaurant division; selling Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC. MC Donald’s About the company: McDonald’s is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 31,000 local restaurants serving more than 58 million people in 118 countries each day. More than 75% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local men and women. The strong foundation that he built continues today with McDonald’s vision and the commitment of our talented executives to keep the shine on McDonald’s Arches for years to come. To read more about McDonald’s history, vision and executives, click on their links in the left menu. We drive our business momentum by focusing on what matters most to customers. Our owner/operators, suppliers and employees work together to meet customer needs in uniquely McDonald’s ways. The powerful combination of entrepreneurial spirit and System wide alignment around our Plan to Win enables us to execute the best ideas with both large-scale efficiency and local flair. Products McDonald’s predominantly sells hamburgers, various types of chicken sandwiches and products, French fries, soft drinks, breakfast items,and desserts. In most markets, McDonald’s offers salads and vegetarian items, wraps and other localized fare. Portugal is the only country with McDonald’s restaurants serving soup. This local deviation from the standard menu is a characteristic for which the chain is particularly known, and one which is employed either to abide by regional food taboos (such as the religious prohibition of beef consumption in India) or to make available foods with which the regional market is more familiar (such as the sale of McRice in Indonesia). Advertising. McDonald’s has for decades maintained an extensive advertising campaign. In addition to the usual media (television, radio, and newspaper), the company makes significant use of billboards and signage, sponsors sporting events ranging from Little League to the Olympic Games, and makes coolers of orange drink with their logo available for local events of all kinds. Nonetheless, television has always played a central role in the company’s advertising strategy. To date, McDonald’s has used 23 different slogans in United States advertising, as well as a few other slogans for select countries and regions. At times, it has run into trouble with its campaigns. PROBLEMS OF INDUSTRY I. Environmental friendly products cost high: Government is legislating laws in order to keep check on the fast food industry and it is emphasizing more on the usage of bio-degradable and environment friendly products. But associated with this issue is the problem that fast food player faces – the cost associated with the environment friendly product. They cost much higher than the normal products that companies uses for packaging or wrapping their products. II. Balance between societal expectation and companies economic Objectives: To balance a society’s expectation regarding environment with the economic burden of protecting the environment. Thus, one can see that one side pushes for higher standards and other side tries to beat the standard back, thereby making it a arm wrestling and mind boggling exercise. Health related issues: obesity I. Studies have shown that a typical fast food has very high density and food with high density causes people to eat more then they usually need. II. Low calories food: Emphasis is now more on low calorie food. In this line McDonald has a plan to introduce all white meat chicken. Mcnuugget is with less fat and fewer calories. Swot analysis of fast food industry Strengths †¢Quick service †¢Affordable †¢AttractionWeakness †¢Different preferences †¢Lack of customization †¢Unhygienic and unhealthy Opportunities †¢Growing nuclear families †¢Growing urban lifestyleThreats †¢Oppositions from various organization †¢Location †¢Ready-to eat †¢Health concerns ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION 1. How often do you use fast-food services? a. Daily b. Weekly c. Fortnightly d. Monthly 2. Which fast food restaurant would prefer? a. McDonalds b. KFC c. Pizza Hut d. Subway 3. What are the reasons for eating fast food? (You can tick more than 1) a. Appearance of products b. Price of the products c. Flavor of products d. Convenience of the products 4. What else do you buy when purchasing fast food’? a. Carbonated (fizzy) drinks b. Coffee, tea c. Ice cream d. Crushers 5. What time would you normally buy fast food? a. Before 12 pm b. Between 12-3 pm c. Between 6-9 pm d. 10pm or later.

Aim High Soar High essay

(Goals are not only essential to motivate, but also an essential thing keeps us alive)     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Robert Schuyler. Summed up the lives of many people in that he was born and then grew up in the house of his parents and entered the school, and when he finished his high school told him: your total admits College   Entered, when graduated; told him: that you estimate this lets you work in a job well shall submit to and obtained really.When he settled in his work told him: that today you to marry this girl for you, marry her and fathered her kids with the same story repeated, that lay on his deathbed and then died buried, and remained his children to live the same story! Is not this story reflect the reality of many people today? So what is the diff erence between the owner of this story and the rest of the organisms from non-humans? Is not this story is the story of all beings?Born , full size , married , had children then died !! The primary difference between the human and other organisms that he alone who has the ability to set and achieve goals, if not determined goal of human life; it does not deserve his humanity after he lost his life in the eating, drinking and sleeping. Man is the one who gives his life value, meaning that life is to have a message we perform, and when one of us has real targets, that would be the day of his birth.But he who does not have targets it flops in his life randomly, not knowing which way exhibits, and if you have read the story of â€Å"Alice in Wonderland† for the author â€Å"Lewis Carroll†, may remember us that dialogued crossing that took place between the girl â€Å"Alice† and the cat-Hakim â€Å"Chitchayr†, which expresses this sense that we're talking abou t. When you ask â€Å"Alice† cat â€Å"Chitchayr† for the road; says: Please, I know of no way behaving? Cat is: It depends largely on where you want to go, says â€Å"Alice†: I'm not a player a lot of place, is the at: If you do not care much any roads behave, add â€Å"Alice† wondering: as long as I get to anywhere? Verde cat: Yes,   Yes ,you will arrive definitely somewhere, provided that they are going adequacy. It is obvious, there is no need to have any significant effort to reach the place indefinitely, you should not do anything and you will reach after one minute, anyway, if you want to access anywhere meaningful, you should know first where you want to go. Designed personal compass. Do you know what is the compass?It's that simple invention which consists of a magnetic needle always point towards the direction of the north, used by the traveler in the desert or captain of his ship to determine the right direction to walk. The goals in life is to serve as a compass vitae of each human being, it shall establish a direction in which it should route in this life, and constitute a frame of reference can be ascribed to him to take all decisions. If you want to take any decision in your life, such as: in any college study? Any sport practiced? Any physical level should be earned?Any business join? You must first determine your compass self, your message and your goals that will guide them in all decisions of your life, and only signed a spiral of chaos and confusion does not end until the day you die and you will, will discover looser Talk in your life. So let us in achieving our goals, but how? Beginning you select your life; a major task or a larger role which man lives in order to achieve in life, and he says the â€Å"Antoine Okcypri†: (life becomes meaningful only when witnessed by day after day for something other than life itself).This letter is the focus of human life, moving from her and activates it and slept i t and carried out. Select the vision that you want for yourself in all areas of your life ,work to determine what you want to achieve, both in the professional side or the social side or other aspects that include parts your life. Then start setting interim targets large and small, all of which hover around your message and pour in the production of your vision, and it says, â€Å"Peter A. â€Å": (the road does not go in one big step, but the ay to go in small steps). But remember the goal must carry the conditions it must be a reality can be achieved and more importantly to be clear and have a time limit for beginning and completing process determine the date began the goal and the end help to achieve the goal and then make sure that it can change the target whenever you want. Select your goal from now and remember what he said, â€Å"Harvey McKay† the best writer in the field of commercial sales: (The goal is a dream final end).

Manufacturing Technology Essay

In this article, it lists out several manufacturing technologies that set out new and easier processes for not just the workload, but set for an easier lifestyle as well. (summary) The automated systems was best said on my end. Transfer machines, cell phones and other automated devices are used to set a communication establishment upon anyone. It’s all about producing faster and having more efficiency in the industrial world. They also help reduce costs such as a bank you have ATM’s rather than having a clerk or 2 handling your withdrawals and deposits. You also have development of apps. These apps can take pictures of your checks and deposit them from there. Also manage your accounts with transfers and payments. It’s claimed that many human interactions really don’t require the human touch to it, which is true. Transfers of virtual products and or cash don’t need to be manually human handled. The article has been developed this year, which defiantl y will have a fair and accurate perspective on the manufacturing technology that we have in mind now. Timings, R., & Wilkinson, S. (2000). Manufacturing Technology (2nd ed.). 1061-2890, Harlow, Essex: Longman. In this book we come across specific detail about percentage-wise wholes in how much costs were reduced at the time of the startup in manufacturing technology. It claimed that all manufacturing technology orders dropped 20.4% at the start of its creation and then suddenly rose 9.8% later that year. Every year since then there’s been a 3% up raise since the start of it all. Having it being written 15 years ago I am heavily against this book, just due to the fact of how much our technology has advanced. The book shows how transfer machines are being held against in the workload and reducing the efficiency of work from its employees which is just a big key factor in communication. With the advancement in technology this has got to be a joke. Almost all technology is set in touch screen adaptations, faster ram processors, and larger memories to keep companies moving and cost efficient. Blaedel, K. L. â€Å"SciTech Connect: Manufacturing Technology.† SciTech Connect: Manufacturing Technology. USDOE, 1 Feb. 1997. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. This set article claims that there are 4 projects that led to the main movement of manufacturing technology. It details exactly how they got to developing such a vast movement at the time which we could easily set apart from our age having it being published over 10 years ago. It shows exactly how to â€Å"develop an understanding of fundamental fabrication process†. Heap, J. (2004). International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management (Vol. 57, pp. 156-176). Bradford, England: Emerald Group. This book had several findings of out SME’s had an early development progress against productivity and performance management throughout different AMT’s. It shows the different effects in management and what manners they had at the time to reduce operation costs and team efficiency. Acquisition of Manufacturing Technology. (2013). MENA Report, Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1419103734?accountid=27203 Throughout this article we the write to see what acquisitions were involved to establish the different types of manufacturing technology in our more recent industry. Our updated technologies have claimed to make our recent years more cost efficient and productive by over 150%! I am all up with this article because it has its cited facts and it’s only 2 years from our current date, so this would be my most supported article just due to the date it was created. Milgrom, P., & Roberts, J. (1990). The Economics of Modern Manufacturing: Technology, strategy, and organization. The American Economic Review, 511-528. In this scholarly article, we learn the economics of modern manufacturing and what came with the update at the time and how it was processed and underwent a revolution. The scholarly article stated that the â€Å"mass production model is being replaced by a vision of a flexible multiproduct firm that emphasizes quality and speedy response to market conditions while utilizing technologically advanced equipment and new forms of organization.† This was the start of a new branch in observing what could be replaced and updated with technology. I do enjoy seeing the central difference of how technology has shaped the workplace with time. Doms, M., Dunne, T., & Roberts, M. J. (1995). The Role of Technology Use in the Survival and Growth of Manufacturing Plants. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 13(4), 523-542. In this scholarly article, we come to distinguish the relationship between principal strength, how we use to come across the usage of manufacturing technology and what growth rates it came with. It stated that the main findings at the time had a mindset of higher progression rates against technology would have a far less development and production failure. Tracey, M., Vonderembse, M. A., & Lim, J. S. (1999). Manufacturing Technology and Strategy Formulation: Keys to Enhancing Competitiveness and Improving Performance. Journal of Operations Management, 17(4), 411-428. When coming across this article we see how the main set of technology was set and how that generation at the time had evolved it into a more competitive and healthier implement. As stated, â€Å"Linear Structural Equation Analysis results show that the relationships between a firm’s practices in these two areas and its competitive capabilities are found to be statistically significant and positive†, which shows me they had their own strategic role in which they followed to test out their performance and which ways they could use to improve the marketing satisfaction. Shepherd, D. A., Mcdermott, C., & Stock, G. N. (2000). Advanced Manufacturing Technology. Journal of High Technology Management Research, 11(1), 19-33. doi:10.1016/S1047- 8310(00)00019-5 We come to the instruction of AMT’s and how their benefits improved our workload and consumer satisfaction. This article shows the specific studies in how AMT’s were tested and outweighed the beneficial manufacturing firms in all over the world. The flexibility and higher efficiency claims from them outsourced many operational downfalls to provide advantage across the marketplace. Cho, K. (1993). Manufacturing Technology in Korea. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 12(3), 216-222. doi:10.1016/0278-6125(93)90331-M Set across this article we have a different perspective having most of us live in the United States. With 32 set studies across this article it has been set that they have had an establishment of implementing local manufacturers across the nation with the support of  education al programs in technology and engineering. A different set perspective against the U.S. showing us how other countries had a different goal with maintaining manufacturing technology. Anonymous. (2011, ). TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING HEALTH CARE. Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL) This article was interesting to me to see the perspective of how manufacturing technology affected the health care industry. With 2 new hospitals opening up in other countries, hospitals have set out ads over the radio and television to help drivers understand the dangers of texting while driving and the rising amount of drivers ending up in the hospital from being distracted behind the wheel. I did enjoy reading this because I do commute 80 miles a day to work on the highway and easily see how much people are distracted behind the wheel. I wouldn’t know this new advancement in technology has caused such an uprise in car accidents, enough to open new hospitals around the world.

Case study tale of two culture Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tale of two culture - Case Study Example There are surely other factors that could account for increasing incidences of divorce, crime, drug abuse, etc. Immediately pointing the finger at globalization shows a lack of understanding of the issues involved. Globalization has given poorer countries many great things, but at the same time there have been some negative influences. I just dont think that people can pin the blame on globalization for all of these things. Because Western culture is more confrontational, the only thing that globalization has done is open peoples eyes to the fact that the social issues are occur. Previously they were just swept under the carpet and everyone would pretend that they did not exist. Globalization is a good thing because it forces people to see their society for what it really is. 3. Broadly defined, Asia comprises more than 60 percent of the worlds population—a population that practices Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, and numerous other religions. Thus, do you think it is possible to carry on a valid discussion of "Asian" values? Why or why not? I think it is possible to carry on a valid discussion of "Asian" values. The reason is that culture is always changing and yet it never changes in some regards. People who view culture as something that is static are outdated because they do not realize the globalized world that we live in today. It is possible to conform to "Asian" values yet also be open to Western ideas too. In this way, a hybrid culture is almost created whereby it attempts to take the best aspects from two very different cultures and create a new culture. Indian call center workers might have to change their lives drastically, such as speaking with an American accent, wearing American clothes, and dating boyfriends, but the fact remains that they are still Indian despite all of this. It is possible to "have a hand" in both