Which Country Would I Love to Visit?

If I had a chance to visit a foreign country, I would not hesitate to choose South Korea. The main reason why I would choose Korea as my destination is that I want to visit Seoul and Jeju Island. Seoul, the capital of the South Korea, is one of the modern cities in the world. It is the business and cultural hub of South Korea, where skyscrapers tower over Buddhist temples. N Seoul Tower, built atop a peak in Namsan Park, allows me to view the entire city and surrounding areas from above.The teahouses and shops of Insadong give me a taste of Korean flavor, which I can further experience with a visit to the grounds and museums of Gyeongbokgung. UNESCO World Heritage Site, Changdeokgung Palace is a fine example of authentic ancient architecture which I would love to visit. In my opinion, Seoul is not just the capital of the South Korea, but a wonderful city worthy to visit. The second part of South Korea I would like to visit is Jeju Island, a hot tourist spot booming with unique attrac tions. Jeju’s romantic sunrises and sunsets, mild climate and beautiful sandy beaches totally enchanted me just with the images found on Google.I often image that I could meander along the beaches to enjoy the sunlight and breeze. I can also hike with my family to Baeknok Lake at the top of Mount Halla, South Korea’s highest peak. I would also love to see the â€Å"haenyeo,† female divers gathering fresh seafood, and the iconic â€Å"grandfather statues† displayed outside of many restaurants. Most importantly, I hope to see my favourite KPOP stars by chance!!! Of course, there are other countries I could visit if I had the opportunity to visit a foreign country. However, I think South Korea would be my first choice.

Principles of diversity, equality and inclusion in adult social care settings Essay

Diversity – The concept of diversity is to encompass acceptance and respect. It means that each individual is unique and recognizing our individual’s differences, these can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, social- economic status, age, physical abilities or religious beliefs. An example of diversity is to accept someone’s views even if you don’t agree Equality – Equality basically means access or provision of equal opportunities, where individuals are protected from being discriminated against. Equality can occur in race, sex, health, religion, family structure, age, disability or in terms of believes. An example of equality is not treating anyone different just because they have money or don’t and that everyone has the same changes if that be being prime minster or access to the same drugs or medications. Inclusion – the term inclusion is seen as a universal human right and aims at embracing all people irrespective of race, gender, disability, medical or other needs it is about giving equal access and opportunities and getting rid of discrimination and intolerance. Discrimination – discrimination is the equal treatment of individual. Usually on the basis of gender, race, age or disability. It is a negative action towards members of a specific social group. Read more: Principles of diversity equality and inclusion  essay The potential effects of discrimination can be different for different people. The effects can be physical, emotional or a combination of both. For example children with disabilities may not be given a chance to join in with activities due to others thinking that their disability prevents them from being able to do so. This will make the child feel very different from others. I have listed other possible effects below: * Feeling isolated * Low self-esteem * Depression * Fear of rejection * Stress * Low self-worth * Feeling withdrawn from society * Humiliation * Weight loss/ gain * Fear * Anger Long term effects may be: * Loss of motivation * Restricted opportunities * Limited access to services * Long term depression * Increased behaviour problems * Difficulty communicating * Lack of education * Lack of achievement The effects listed above are not only ones that affect the individual child/young person; they are effects that can be experienced by the individual’s family and friends too. The individual’s family can become isolated from society through trying to protect their family member and will often experience verbal abuse for having a family member that is perceived to be different. Family members can sometimes feel embarrassed about the shame the victimised individual brings to them and may distance themselves from the individual. Those who discriminate others often do so because they have been discriminated against themselves, are unhappy or because they have watched people close to them discriminate against others and are copying and responding to their actions. People that discriminate against others sometimes end up being isolated as many members of society disagree with it and make a stand against those who victimise others. If enough people challenge those who discriminate they may reconsider their views and actions. It can cause a split in society between those who go along with it and those who see it as an injustice. There will also be those (often the majority) who might not agree with it but don’t want to get involved – until it actually starts to affect their own lives. Practicing active participation – Active participation allows individual to realise their value and reduce isolation. Such a way an individual can gain self esteem which helps to reduce any form of abuse and discrimination. Quick and effective complaint procedure – Quick and serious effective complaint procedure helps to let individual to know that how seriously the act has taken and the consequences of discrimination. And it restrains people to engage in such act knowing the consequences of these acts. Meeting and discussion – It helps to increase awareness and carefulness to discriminatory acts. Also discussing and exercising this issue in day to day tasks help individual to challenge discrimination. Direct confrontation – this method can encourage the abuser to see and understand what they have done wrong this is more likely to promote change in their behaviour then leaving them unchallenged it would also send a message to others that discrimination is not accepted TASK B Legislation and codes of practice relating to diversity, equality, inclusion and discrimination Anti-discrimination Act 1977 The Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 is an Act of the Parliament relating to discrimination in employment, the public education system, delivery of goods and services, and other services such as banking, health care, and property and night clubs. The Act renders unlawful racial, sexual and other types of discrimination in certain circumstances and promotes equality of opportunity for all people. The Act covers the following types of discrimination: †¢ Sex (including breastfeeding, pregnancy and sexual harassment) †¢ Disability †¢ Race (including ethno-religion) †¢ Homosexuality (actual or perceived) †¢ Marital or domestic status †¢ Age (present or future) †¢ Transgender (including trans sexuality) †¢ Carer’s responsibilities (but only within employment). Racial discrimination act 1975 The Race Relations Act 1976 was established by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to prevent discrimination on the grounds of race. Items that are covered include discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, and nationality, ethnic and national origin in the fields of employment, the provision of goods and services, education and public functions. The Act also established the Commission for Racial Equality with a view to review the legislation, which was put in place to make sure the Act rules, were followed. The Act incorporates the earlier Race Relations Act 1965 and Race Relations Act 1968 and was later amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, notably including a statutory duty on public bodies to promote race equality, and to demonstrate that procedures to prevent race discrimination are effective. The Act was repealed by the Equality Act 2010, which supersedes and consolidates previous discrimination law in the UK The Equality Act 2010 The primary purpose of the Act is to codify the complicated and numerous array of Acts and Regulations, which formed the basis of anti-discrimination law in Great Britain. This was, primarily, the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and three major statutory instruments protecting discrimination in employment on grounds of religion or belief, sexual orientation and age. This legislation has the same goals as the four major EU Equal Treatment Directives, whose provisions it mirrors and implements.[2] It requires equal treatment in access to employment as well as private and public services, regardless of the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. In the case of gender, there are special protections for pregnant women. However, the Act allows transsexual people to be barred from gender-specific services if that is â€Å"a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim†. [3] In the case of disability, employers and service providers are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to their workplaces to overcome barriers experienced  by disabled people. In this regard, the Equality Act 2010 did not change the law. Under s.217, with limited exceptions the Act does not apply to Northern Ireland. The Mental Health act 1983 and 2007 amendments The 1983 Act is largely concerned with the circumstances in which a person with a mental illness can be provided with treatment without his or her consent. This is to ensure that people with serious mental illnesses can be treated where it is necessary to prevent them from harming themselves or others. Most people who receive psychiatric treatment in hospital are there on a voluntary basis and have the same rights as people receiving treatment for physical illnesses. However, a small number of people may need to be compulsorily detained under a section of the Mental Health Act. The Act explains who is involved in the decision about compulsory admission, the processes to be followed and the appeals and safeguards that are available to the patient and to their nearest relative. An application for compulsory admission must be supported in writing by two authorised practitioners. The recommendations must include a statement about why assessment or treatment is necessary and why other opt ions are not appropriate. People detained under the Act may have a right to apply to a Mental Health Review Tribunal to challenge their detention. Legal advocates are available to represent people at MHRTs and can be contacted at Sheffield Mental Health CAB From November 2008 new amendments to the 1983 Act were introduced. The following are the main changes to the Act: †¢ Introduces of the new role of Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) which replaces the Approved Social Worker (ASW). As well as social workers other professionals such as nurses, psychologists and occupational therapists can now be involved in compulsory admissions. †¢ Introduces of the Approved Clinician (AC) replacing the Responsible Medical Officer (RMO). T he RMO had to be a doctor, but the AC can now include other professions. †¢ Introduces a new ‘appropriate medical treatment’ test meaning that for a patient to be compulsorily detained there has to be appropriate medical treatment available to the patient. †¢ Gives patients the right to make an application to displace their nearest relative and appoint an alternative. †¢ Introduces Supervised Community Treatment (also known as Community Treatment Orders) for some patients following a period of detention in hospital. It will allow some patients to live in the  community whilst they continue with compulsory medical treatment. †¢ Introduces additional safeguards for patients by way of ‘Independent Mental Health Advocates’ who must be available for all patients who are detained. These are in addition to having a legal representative at a Mental Health Review Tribunal. It also reduces the time before a case can come before a Mental Health Review Tribunal. †¢ Introduces new safeguards for patients with regards to electro convulsive therapy (ECT). Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 (c 15) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom aimed at helping carers achieve fair access to training, work and leisure opportunities. It was introduced as a Private Member’s Bill by Dr. Hywel Francis and sponsored in the House of Lords by Lord Ashley of Stoke. 5.2 million People in England and Wales identified themselves in the 2001 Census as providing unpaid care to support family members, friends, neighbors or others because of long-term physical or mental ill-health, disability or old age. That represented nearly 10 per cent of the population and of those, 21 per cent (1.09 million) provided care for 50 or more hours per week. The Act requires assessments to be offered to carers, to consider the needs of carers in relation to leisure, education, training and work. Not all carers will wish to pursue all of these opportunities but practitioners completing assessments with the care should be able to signpost carers to other relevant agencies. Human Rights Act 1998 The Human Rights Act 1998 (c 42) is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on 2 October 2000.[1] Its aim is to â€Å"give further effect† in UK law to the rights contained in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, but more commonly known as the European Convention on Human Rights. The Act makes available in UK courts a remedy for breach of a Convention right, without the need to go to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. In particular, the Act makes it unlawful for any public body to act in a way which is incompatible with the Convention, unless the wording of any other primary legislation provides no other  choice. It also requires the judiciary (including tribunals) to take account of any decisions, judgment or opinion of the European Court of Human Rights, known as the Strasbourg court, and to interpret legislation, as far as possible, in a way which is compatible with Convention rights. However, if it is not possible to interpret an Act of Parliament so as to make it compatible with the Convention, the judges are not allowed to override it. All they can do is issue a declaration of incompatibility. This declaration does not affect the validity of the Act of Parliament: in that way, the Human Rights Act seeks to maintain the principle of Parliamentary sovereignty (see: Constitution of the United Kingdom). However, judges may strike down secondary legislation, so long as the legislation does not derive its power from primary legislation. Disability Discrimination Act 1995 The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c 50) (informally, and hereafter, the DDA) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which has now been repealed and replaced by the Equality Act 2010 ([1]), except in Northern Ireland where the Act still applies. Formerly, it made it unlawful to discriminate against people in respect of their disabilities in relation to employment, the provision of goods and services, education and transport. The DDA is a civil rights law. Other countries use constitutional, social rights or criminal law to make similar provisions. The Equality and Human Rights Commission combats discrimination. Equivalent legislation exists in Northern Ireland, which is enforced by the Northern Ireland Equality Commission. It is still permissible for employers to have reasonable medical criteria for employment, and to expect adequate performance from all employees once any reasonable adjustments have been made. Explanation of the possible consequences for individuals, social care workers if the legislation and codes are not followed. An explanation of the possible consequences for individuals, care workers and others if the legislation and codes of practice are not followed. If this codes of practice and legislations where not to be followed the consequences can be diverse. They can affect just one individual or can affect an entire team of social care workers. By not following the codes of practice and the legislation you could cause a service user to feel discriminated against which would have negative effects such as making them feel isolated or un-heard and could  lead to more problems that would affect the people around them as well as the individual . By not using inclusive practice you may find that the S.U might be put in a situation in which they are not happy which could make them act out in a way that could affect their future and how other team members interact with them? For example by failing to us an inclusive practice with an service user by taking them to a public park, without first consulting or discussing this with the service user they could miss out on important information. How inclusive practice can promote equality and diversity. A successful and reliable health care sector requires the promotion of diversity and equality throughout its setup. The fundamental need for this is the ability of the health care workers to promote an unwavering sense of fairness and indiscrimination for all persons involved; patients, employees, and colleagues. Inclusion refers to providing the opportunity to everyone to avail all available resources, services and facilities. Acceptance is one of the vital traits of any person who is working in the health care sector. Workers who realize the need for understanding, comprehending and respecting the needs of all patients, regardless of their diverse nature and background will be the most effective ones. Valuing the beliefs of others and keeping a wide ranging and accepting perception will aid considerably in the promotion of impartiality and equality. A community which is based on the fair rights of humanity realizes that consciousness, self-esteem, culture and physical and mental health are interrelated. In order to provide a balance in society the health care sector must be free of all prejudice and discriminatory practices. The most important factor in developing inclusive practices is to provide the necessary training to all health care and support workers. A good care worker will be ingrained with the value of accepting, accommodating and respecting the diversity of all patients /clients, therefor providing an enriched level of care. How to support others to promote diversity, equality and inclusion. You can support others to promote diversity, equality and inclusion by ensure they can life a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle, ensure they have skill development opportunities see they can have meaning full relationships with Friends and family encourage meaningful activities in their life enable them to access appropriate services ensure they can take an active part in their local community are involved in decision making (service user involvement and in their local area) have access to appropriate care and support all of the above regardless of age, sex, race, religion, sexuality and disability. Each support agency usually follows a particular model to summarize this in 5 point – but there is no way of telling what model is used. Try calling them and asking. All models pretty much cover what I have said. All support agencies base this on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs too – definitely look this up. I personally don’t think it is all that – it is very capitalist, fine for someone who can work, and ignores those who make sacrifices for spiritual enlightenment (actualization) such as monks. I once saw a manager freak a depressive out by trying to teach him about it. It made him feel he had a mountain to climb before feeling better – not good. Some examples of how you could raise awareness of diversity, equality and inclusion are Through Training and Discussion: Training and discussions are essential to raise awareness of diversity, equality and inclusion in any work settings. Discussion in meetings or group discussion among staffs play a vital role to raise awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion. The more they will engage in discussion or obtain trainings about this issue the more they will learn and be aware of and also they will be able and put them in their every day’s practice. Through providing leaflet, information and policies and procedures: Providing leaflets and sufficient information regarding diversity and equality can raise awareness to a social care worker by acquiring adequate knowledge about it. It also helps them to know about the consequences if agreed ways of working are not followed which restrain them from doing any form of  discrimination relating this issue. Task C My personal preferences, attitudes, heritage, and beliefs might impact on my working practice because I have to honor service users believes and other religion or non-religion. It is most important to remember that my own preferences are different to others and that I can never expect others to think, act or feel the same as I do about something for example I like to bath at night and have a shower in the morning but some of the service users have a fear of water and they really hate the idea of being showered, washed or baths even once a week. I have to respect their decision but at the same time I need to encourage them to maintain a health and clean state of mind and body, in cases like this I will spend more time encouraging the service user that they will feel better and not try and tell them how I feel when I am clean and fresh. It is important to understand that your attitude might have an impact on your working practice because your attitude can be broken down into a few things such as your mood, tone of your voice and your body language. So if one day you go into work in a bad mood and have an angry tone to your voice and your body language to match arms crossed etc. then the service user could feel intimidated, scared and uncooperative and less likely to do something that you ask them to do. Whereas if you go to work in a good and have a smile on your face and a cheery tone to your voice then the service user is more likely to be more cooperative and happier also it could put them in a better mood. Your heritage as a person could also have an impact on your working practice because if you have had a good caring up bringing or your parents have worked in the care industry then you would be more likely to understand what is required and a better understanding of the care sector. To ensure that your own practice is inclusive and respects the beliefs, culture, values and preferences of an individuals by knocking on the service users door asking them what they want to wear or what they wish to eat and if they go to church getting them ready even though I am not religious and you/I should also have a little understanding of a service users culture as it could make them feel more welcome and understand the service user better improving the quality of the  care that you give to that person. Mary is a 80 year old lady and before entering her room I would knock on the door and making sure that my mood, language, tone of voice, body language and approach are good and appropriate, Mary also likes to sit in her room watching TV however I like to encourage Mary to join in activates and events in the lounge so she interacts with others, Mary likes to chat and has questions so I like to chat and has questions so I like to take time to pay her attention and answer any questions she may have so that she feels listened too by listening to Mary’s ideas and concerns and taking onboard what she has said with also help make Mary more confident and by using some of Mary’s ideas may also help Mary feel more valued, by doing this will make Mary feel accepted and welcome. Types of practice that excludes an individual and that is also discriminatory is if you were to leave a service user in bed and not get them up washed and dressed or not allowing them to join in on act ivies another example is if you did not give a service user the pills that they needed therefor leaving the service un comfortable and maybe in pain also leaving them in their room with the TV on but the volume so low that the service user can’t hear the TV or if a service user is in a wheel chair and if they can’t get access to certain rooms or parts of the house, another example is if a service user is deaf and there is a meeting and they can’t join in or get their views across.

German Political Theory Essay

The early German philosophers have been some of the most controversial and well-acclaimed philosophers in the history of political theory. Individuals such as Immanuel Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Jurgen Habermas have revolutionized the mechanisms of the world of human beings with their daring thoughts and radical insights. It is through their critical thought about the things they observe around them that they have created a new way by which society has been able to move on through the years. One of the more critical aspects of German philosophy is the fact that it is highly diverse. The ideologies and principles, although supposedly based on a single culture, that have come from the different German philosophers are varied to such a point that at times they even counter each other in terms of drive and argument. Simply put, this means that there is no one theory regarding family, society, and government that generated by the popular German philosophers. The progression of theories dealing with the family, society, and government, the interaction that exists between these three, and the implications of these interactions have not bee additive or geared towards aggregation in German philosophy. German philosophy and German political theory has been an assortment of personal criticisms and associations, personal recommendations and personal assertions which were based on observations and solid evidence. Although it has not been an effort towards creating one single vantage point regarding society, German philosophy has been a regulatory force of society. Thus the fact that there are theories disagreeing with one another was highly adaptive to the creative and analytical spirit of the philosophers. The uniqueness of German theorists as compared to other theorists lies in the one characteristic that is shared by their different theories. This is the fact that German theories go to the heart of the matter. They are primarily concerned with controversial issues that are sometimes taken for granted by others. This means that they question what they observe. They question the moral, political, and economic sanctions they themselves grew up with. By changing the way people view and understand their society, German theory has been a main mover of history. How did German philosophers like Kant and Nietzsche conceive of their theories? It was simply through an observation of society and through critical analysis of the dynamics of the interactions of the different factors contributing to society’s continuation. It was through a belief and confidence that their ideas regarding certain issues were indeed more correct and more reflective of society than the theories regarding society and politics that were present during their own time. I will try to accomplish in this paper a description of my own theories regarding family, society, and government as well as the impact these three have on each other. I will include, at certain points, some of the major theories by the more popular German philosophers. However, this will not be an analysis of their theories. This will be a look into my own theories, a conception of my own German political theory, which will be strengthened by arguments from Kant, Hegel, Marx, Engels, Nietzsche, and Habermas – some of which I will agree to and some of which I will disagree to. My own definitions and perceived importance of the three concepts will also be discussed as these will form the base of my theories regarding their interactions with each other. The Family It is said that the family is the basic unit of society. This is a basic fact that is taught to everyone early on in their lives. My paper will, therefore, start off on this basic unit and will build on from here. A majority of the theories and works by the German philosophers fail to mention the family. If the family has been mentioned, it has most often been placed in the backwaters of what the philosophers considered more pressing matters such as society and the ruling class. (Poster, 1978) Definition The family is characterized as a group of individuals that are related to each other through one or a combination of the following features: a) living with each other in the same residence; b) having come from the same blood line; c) having an affinity with one another beyond that found in friends and even more so than that found between mere acquaintances and complete strangers. In today’s society, I don’t think it is appropriate to define the family using its traditional nuclear model – a model having a father, mother, and children in the picture. There are many families today that function without a complete combination of these individuals. Also, there are many cultures that regard a family to be more than just a group of individuals brought together on account of their consanguinity. One could consider, for example, that a group of unrelated individuals who have taken care and love one as more of a true family than the individuals linked directly to that individual through biology. Also, there are many instances of broken families and families with unconventional pairings of figureheads. There are families that exist without the presence of a father or a mother. There are groups considered as families regardless of the fact that the supposed father is no longer the biological father of the children. Same sex marriages with or without children are also considered families despite the traditional view of what a family used to be. It is my belief, therefore, that a family is created as a product of the coming together of individuals with common or parallel goals, who reside together in the same place, and who more frequently have positive regard rather than negative regard for one another. The family is not a unit of society that is to be disregarded as having a small role in the interplay of the various factors of society and government. Its importance and functions are critical in the continuation of the individual, of society, and of the government. Theory on its Importance Despite the fact that almost all the German philosophers have discussed society and government in relation to the individual, I believe the family is a more critical unit to the individual. In fact, the family may have a greater impact on society and government as opposed to the individual. This is not to say that the individual plays a small role as opposed to the family. What I wish to point out, rather, is that the non-consideration of the family has led to a deficit in what most of the German philosophers have conceptualized as the successful as well as faulty mechanisms behind the individual, society, and government. The family can be considered as an individual’s sanctuary from the world. By this, I mean that the family can give a person a feeling of safety, love, and positive regard. It works to encourage the individual and to foster for that individual a sense of trust and acceptance. As Hegel (2001) described it, a family is comprised of members and not individual persons. This indicates the unifying feature of a family. However, these positive regard and functions of this unit for an individual is not met in all families. There are many families with a history of violence and abuse. There are others that simply have feelings of apathy. I believe that in these cases, the individual creates for himself or herself a new family unit, one that I previously defined to have foundations not on biology and consanguinity but rather on other more spiritual and moral factors. However, when we are given the two cases of families – one fostering a positive atmosphere and one fostering a negative or neutral atmosphere for the individual – I stand firm in thinking that both have equal importance in the creation of the individual. It is the family that first affects the individual’s physical, psychological, emotional, and moral development. It is also the family that influences the direction of this growth. This is seen most clearly when we see that the family is in charge of the education of the children that are members of its structure. (Hegel, 2001) Yes, the individual has his or her own say in the way his or her life moves but which one of us can say that we have not been to a great degree relying on our families? And because we are dependent on our families, our families can dictate the decisions we make for ourselves, decisions which add up to create the type of people we are now. Also, it is undeniable that we are more likely to adapt for ourselves the principles and behavior exhibited by our family members. This is why most family members usually resemble each other with regards to likes, dislikes, and tendencies in behavior. The importance of the family to society and to the government will be discussed in the succeeding sections. Suffice it to say at this point that, indeed, as an independent unit of society, the family has important roles to play in an individual’s life. These roles are not merely based on its nurturing qualities but also on the control the family has on an individual’s personality, character, and life. However, it should be noted that the family’s success is in its eventual dissolution as children continue on to create families of their own. (Hegel, 2001) I think that Hegel is right with regards to dissolution being a necessary step in the family process. However, I also believe that this dissolution is only physical. Younger members merely begin to live in different houses in order to form new family units. This does not mean, however, that the family has ceased in its functions in the individual’s life. It still exists as a support system, a guide, and a source of love and nurture. Society The next concept has been touched on and included in the theories of the major German philosophers. Society, by itself, has been dissected and analyzed. Its functions, systems, and importance have been stated, restated, and renewed throughout the history of German political theory. Either way, it is clear that a great many of the concerns and issues faced by an individual come from a larger scale than that of his family. Definition Society is a group of individuals joined together by common interests and who may or may not be identified by similar cultural beliefs and traditions. This means that different ethnic groups may form a society. It is not necessary for society to be based on a single culture. What I mean by this is that a German, an American, and a Pole could just as easily form a single society despite the fact that their cultures of origin are different. A concrete example would be American society. America is a melting pot of cultures. Despite the great number of ethnic groups represented in America, however, all these individuals still belong to one distinct society – the American society. Society is not necessarily linked to nationhood. It can even be used to refer to the entirety of humanity. Depending on the use of the term, society can refer to both a specific group of people and also to all peoples the world over. I believe, however, that society has characteristics that help identify it. These include: 1) membership and a criteria for membership 2) an organizational structure 3) social interaction and behavior By this I mean that a particular society is exclusive. There are only a specific set of individuals who can be allowed to partake of the benefits of belonging to a given society. Because of the very fact that society is comprised of many individuals, there is a need for a basic skeletal structure by which to base its functioning. Also, a society is empty and unable to function without allowing its members to interact with each other. There is a need for the members to be able to interact either directly or indirectly in order for society to continue on its processes. The success of these processes is dependent on the quality of the interaction between the different members of society.

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Make a recommendation to Apple Inc Research Paper

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Mattel Organizational Crisis - Essay Example Reports from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, 2007) indicated that three children had been hospitalized due to ingesting some particles from the toys and all these three were diagnosed with intestinal perforation, hence required surgery. Owing to this recall, the company lost over $30 million and nearly 1.5 million toys it had sold were removed from the shelves. The Wall Street Journal (2007) notes that previous to the recall, Mattel was the biggest toy manufacturer reputed for its strict safety standards. As noted by Mitroff (1989) a positive public image could easily be destroyed in the course of a crisis. Scholar, nonetheless, have established that strategic application of corporate information, proper crisis communication and effective crisis management can assist in wining back public confidence, since communication has the ability to determine how information reaches the public as well as the media (Coombs, 2007). This paper examines Mattel crisis, the paper will specifically examine how the crisis happened, corporate communication of crisis, crisis management and give conclusion. Mattel recalled 19 million toys from August to September in 2007 because of two separate reasons (Media Statement, 2007). This was the biggest recall in the history of the company because both recalls happened at the same time. The first reason for recall of toys was due to faulty magnets used. The toys were designed in such a way that most parts had high-energy magnets. These magnets are of great effect to infants and young children because they can ingest some parts and be affected in their digestive tract. When children shallow several magnetic particles there are high chances of that they will pull together in the stomach and rip by use of stomach tissue. The combination of magnet strength with poor design of Mattel toys made these toys dangerous to the health

Philosophy- The Problem of Evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy- The Problem of Evil - Essay Example Evil can be defined as anything which is morally wrong, inhuman, or brings destruction to life and liberty. The idea of evil can be applied to thoughts, actions, persons or even objects. There is an accepted relationship between good and evil that one can not exist without the other and often both are objective viewpoints and faces of the same coin. At the surface, it is a simple concept which even children will understand that evil is representative of actions and deeds which hurt other people but in theological terms it is often seen a problem that requires explanations (Surin, 2004). I believe in the position forwarded by Nash (1994), who suggests that being certain of God’s existence is not central to the understanding of why evil exists or prevails. In the fourth chapter of his book, he outlines the idea of freewill and how the existence of human beings gives them the power to perform their actions as they choose. While God allows evil to occur, God does not condone it and the concept of justice is as attached to the idea of evil as the theme of reward is connected with the idea of moral behavior. Rene Descartes was a famous French philosopher who took a different approach to define the problem of evil. He has been called the father of modern philosophy because of his thoughts on reason and the existence of the self. His primal work on the concept of evil is considered to be Meditations on First Philosophy which is fundamentally a search for the truth. In Meditations, Descartes seeks out facts which a person can arrive at without any doubt. Like a skeptic, he considers everything and doubts everything which can be doubted even his own senses as if he is being fooled by a dream created by a supremely powerful evil entity. While dreaming is not explored in his works, the concept of an evil entity is examined in some detail. He considers deception to be the embodiment of evil because evil functioning as

The contemporary nature of primary school teaching Essay

The contemporary nature of primary school teaching - Essay Example Children, however, have few emotional resources with which to cope with problems. This is further explained by theories, which state that childhood experiences and development are critically important to their future life. (Goldman, 1996). Â  In addition, using the theories of human development by Sigmund Freud and Erick Erickson, they describe the early stages of life as crucial, critical and prone to dangers. In the Freud’s theory, he stated that if an individual’s needs in his early stage of life are not satisfied, then some negative results will happen in the succeeding stages and eventually, this may result to problems in the future life of the individual. Similarly, in the theory of Erickson, he identified the stages of development where he quoted that each of the stages of life of an individual has its corresponding psychosocial crisis that an individual must overcome. In the early life of the child until the end of primary grade, the important values and attitudes are shaped. These are enumerated as: trust, autonomy, initiative and industry. These attitudes are very important for a growing child. If these are not achieved by the child in his early years then what will happen to him when he reaches adult or old age. In this times when the child needs to have those values, the person on their sides are the parents and most especially, the teachers in the primary grades. It is therefore important that teachers should be knowledgeable to these conditions and characteristics of a growing child (Duka, 2003). The above-mentioned statements only show that children should be cared properly, nurtured well and most specially must be taught well. These duties are not only for the parents but more specially for the teachers, specifically, primary teachers because there are more times when these children are in the care of the teachers. The mission for primary education is to enable every child to acquire basic preparation that will make

Value gap in the hospitality industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7500 words

Value gap in the hospitality industry - Essay Example The literature review section (above) gives a detailed summary of the information that was obtained in the course of the secondary research. From this research two primary objectives for the study could be identified. These are: To evaluate the discrepancy gap between the customers’ expectations and perception of their overall experience with the offered service To identify the factors that enhance customer satisfaction in the hotel industry In order to investigate these objectives both qualitative and quantitative research were used. It was not practical to examine the hotel industry as a whole, an as a consequence four London based hotels were used in order to examine these factors. 3.2 Research Philosophy Yin (2003) considers two different methods that can be used while conducting research, either qualitative or quantitative. These methods refer to the way the researcher treats and analyses the collected data as well as the data itself. The qualitative research approach is less formal and based on unsystematic and unstructured observations. There is little to no numerical component of the research, and consequently it consists mostly of observations and can be difficult to analyse. According to Corbin and Strauss (2007) qualitative verbal analysis is often used in order to gain proper understanding of the phenomenon. The use of this method is to value and study the entire situation. Quantitative research has a foundation of numerical data, which then are calculated and accessible in figures with statistics; therefore, the quantitative research is more standardized (Corbin & Strauss 2007). A positive side of the quantitative approach is that it is rather easy to generalize from the gathered resources. This study took an interpretive paradigm that stresses differences in individuals’ perceptions of social reality that vary across time and place. Interpretive approach thus requires the researcher to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the phe nomenon before drawing any inferences (Klein & Myers 1999). However, since interpretive approach is predominately qualitative, elements of positivism, notably quantitative and statistical techniques were incorporated into the analysis to enhance the generalisability of results. A combined approach of both qualitative and quantitative methods enabled the researcher to understand why customer experience and customer satisfaction are different, and to identify the specific factors that make the two different. To accomplish this both interviews and the survey questionnaire were used in this study. 3.3 Population The primary mandate of the researcher was to choose a sample whose collected data could be generalised for the entire population of managers, employees and customers from the hotel industry in London. The management including CEOs, supervisors, department heads, managers, and team leaders were among the population targeted to be included in this study. This population was releva nt for this study because it has the knowledge and experience of the perceived differences between customer experience and customer satisfaction. Therefore, their views and perceptions were ideal for this study particularly in answering the research questions. For this study, staff members from four hotels were used as the study population. The specific hotels were

Ensure a Safe Workplace Essay Example for Free

Ensure a Safe Workplace Essay Chemicals purchase large quantities of cleaning chemicals. These are delivered in 205 liter drums and include solvents, acids and other corrosives, and detergents. These products are decanted by ABC chemical’s staff into retail size containers (not exceeding 30 liters/kilograms) , re-labelled and shipped in company-badged delivery vehicles to retail outlets throughout the metropolitan area. There is, within 25 meters of ABC chemical, a local nursing home that cares for elderly residents with age-related conditions including dementia. Across the road from the nursing home is a child care center that provides day care for the under 5’s. ABC chemicals employs some 50 people whose duties include the day-to-day running of the business and decanting of the chemicals into smaller containers. Small spills during the decanting procedures are cleaned up with rags, which are disposed of at the end of the day into the general waste dumpster in the rear yard of the premises. The dumpster is collected by a waste contractor on a weekly basis. The ABC chemicals building was constructed in 2000 and has been fitted with limited emergency equipment. None of the staff has received any training in safe handling of chemicals or how to cope with emergencies and there is no emergency plan displayed in the workplace. ABC chemicals is situated on a busy intersection and there have been several significant vehicle accidents in front of the premises. All empty chemicals drums are stored in the rear yard against the back cyclone fence. These drums are collected on monthly basis and as many as 250 drums can be stored there awaiting collection. Behind the cyclone fence is a large open, overgrown paddock with dry grass, which is owned by the local council. The council has advised ABC chemicals that they wish to build a community center on this site at some time in the near future.

Legal And Ethical Issues In Robotics

Legal And Ethical Issues In Robotics With the development of the technology over the past decade the Robotics has become one of conversational subject areas. As a result of mankinds ultimate innovations and accomplishments regarding to the Robotics, the social, ethical and professional norms have been affected in both positive and negative manner. Therefore, identify and analyze issues which might occur when implementing robot technologies an important and contemporary need. According to the VEX Robotics, Inc. (2012) the robotics is the science and technology which is used for inventing, accumulating, manufacturing and information processing of robots. With the robots, the tasks which are performed by humans can be automated in order to gain higher effectiveness and efficiency. A robot is an electronic device controlled by a program and able to carry out tasks of various kinds-it is a machine made to perform that humans might otherwise do (Wilson, C. 2007). In the current society robots are used in many different areas like education, entertainment, surgery, surveillance, military, farming, factories etc. The robots are capable of performing tasks accurately, high quality, speedily, safely than human beings and also they can perform dangerous tasks without much effort. Thus the robots and related robot technology provide various advantages for human lives and society with its technology. Currently robots are used to handle sensitive, critical and complex surgeries in accurate and effective manner. The robots are capable of performing surgeries with less pain, miniaturization, decrease blood loss, smaller incisions and quicker healing time. Unlike human surgeons these machines can perform tasks more smoothly with fewer side effects. It is true when there are fewer side effects patients lives will not get negatively impacted in the future after having a surgery. With the use of robots the surgeries can be done remotely, anywhere in the world without requiring the presence of a surgeon. This is very useful when handling surgeries where the surgeon and patient are not in the same geographical location. The technology made specialized surgeons to be accessed globally at anywhere in the world. Thus the robot science enhances the flexibility and availability of the medical field. Although Robots provide numerous benefits for human beings, on the other hand it might lead to create several ethical issues which may affect the patients condition negatively. Will people like to get treated from a soulless, emotionless machine? Most of the people will not like to get treated from robots because those machines dont have any idea or impression about the patients situation. Valuable human qualities like sensitiveness and carefulness is unforeseeable from robots. Another main issue is robots will not get trusted like a human surgeon. But in these cases patients are forced to trust on a machine. Thus, trust and freedom ethical principles are getting invaded. Robots are created by assembling heavy metal arms and other metal gadgets. Occasionally patient will get scared after seeing the robot because its appearance is not pleasant and familiar like a human surgeon. The situations like this might impact negatively for the patients condition. During a surgery, if machine ge ts malfunctioned or misused who will take the responsibility? The soulless, emotionless machine cannot take the responsibility like a specialized, well experienced surgeon. Thus moral responsibility and liability ethical principles are invaded. The researchers at the Harvard University has developed tiny organic DNA robot device to destroy cancer cells by sending important molecular instructions to infected cells (Mowatt 2012). This is significant invention in robot technology which can provide greatest benefit for human being by saving thousands of lives. Although these types of robot devices provide remarkable advantages, the technology can be misused. For an example if robot collected data (DNA) is used for further researchers or tests without having permission from the owner might leads to raise several privacy and security issues. DNA is strictly sensitive and confidential information of an individual where characteristics of a person can be fully exposed by analysing information. According to the Data Protection Act UK 1998 the information must be kept secure and must not be routed in any mode incompatible with the original use. When the data about a patients health is used for further researches without their knowledge, the Data Protection Act will get violated. Under the Public Interest section, British Computer Society (BCS) code of conduct defines to IT professionals that have due regard for public health, privacy, security and wellbeing of others and the environment. When robots are used as surgeons, the professionals who design those robots should concern about public health and wellbeing because it will be used to treat humans. Robots actions are very important during a sensitive and complex surgery as human life will depend on the tasks done by robot. Therefore professionals who design robots should accept the professional responsibility of their creation or design. In present robots are used for military purposes in many countries because it reduces the number of human involvement by saving lives in war. According to the article written by Marchant, G.E. et al. (2011) there are number of robots used for several wars. For an example U.S. military used unmanned aerial vehicles for unmanned air attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries. Further the article mentions that self-directed robots may be able to act more effectively than human beings because they can be designed without emotions, able to act independently, conservatively and also can process more information. When looking at the theoretical perspective according to the Deontological theory killing is wrong as destroying human life, freedom and property is not a right action. But the consequences of the action will be positively impacted on the massive number of people. Because of that from the perspective of Consequentialist theory the war can be a right action. Although robots provide various advantages for military purposes, on the other hand several ethical principles will raise. War is something about killing people and destroying their property. Human lives and property will get severely impacted though use human soldiers or robots. As a result of that right to life, liberty and security ethical principles are getting invaded. Sometimes war can be very unethical when one party uses military unmanned vehicles and other party use humans as soldiers. The situations like that become a war between humans and machines. The value of the human life will be compared with the value of soulless, emotionless machine. Human life is precious because once it lost we cant have it back. But once a machine damaged or malfunctioned, it can be repaired or replaced by another machine. Human life cannot be regenerate or replaced like robots and it is valuable gift. When using military unmanned vehicle robots against human soldiers, the value of human life wi ll be degraded in front of those metal machines. Thus human recognition and dignity ethical principles are getting invaded. The Public Interests section in BCS Code of Conduct mentions that IT professionals should have care for public health, privacy, security and wellbeing of others and the environment. When robots are used in wars human lives, privacy and security will be invaded and as a result of that public interest section of the code of conduct is getting violated. Avoiding injuring others, their property by false or malicious action or inaction is mentioned under Professional Competence and Integrity section of BCS Code of conduct. When robots are used to destroy human life and property in wars, the associated code of conduct is invaded. In wars, human life and property will be severely damaged and destroyed. According to the Human Rights Act 1998, everyone has the right to life and protection of property. Thus destroying human life and their properties in war will violate the act. The article 5 in Human Rights Act mentioned that everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. When war destroys human lives by depriving peoples liberty and protection that will also violates the Human Rights Act. Tracking someone via a robot equipped with surveillance camera can create both positive and negative issues in society. For an example tracking a criminal or terrorism suspicious person by authorized party to expose drug trafficking information and many more illegal activities can be identified as positive effects while secretly spying a person with intent to cause or harm is a negative effect. On the other hand, the privacy and freedom can get invaded when use robots to track whereabouts of an individual as these robots are capable of secretly spying without users knowledge by hiding itself. According to the article written by Hambling (2011), the Lockheed Martins Advanced Technology Laboratories has developed a robot which is capable of spying at night, hide itself when hear footsteps of an unseen guard and move again when the road is clear. Using a robot like this for tracking can be very harmful because it cannot be easily detected. When an individual is tracked or monitored by using surveillance robot wherever that person moves will be notified to a third party and that may leads to affect privacy, security and freedom of that individual. When a third party is more knowledgeable about an individual, that person can be easily controlled or blackmailed. Thus individuals freedom, autonomy and privacy rights are getting affected. Spying or tracking might not only be a risk for the person who is subject to spying but also the people that person interacts or having relationships with. If the tracker has the intention of harm to persons life, the family, relations and the society around that person might get negatively impacted. Under the Public Interest section, BCS code of conduct defines that IT professionals should have due regard for public privacy and security. When the unethical tracking is performed through a surveillance robot, the tracker breaks the public interest section of the code of conduct. Avoiding injuring others, their property by false or malicious action or inaction is characterized under Professional Competence and Integrity section of BCS Code of conduct. If the tracker does tracking with the intention of harm to an individuals life or their property, according to the professional rules the action is guilty. Tracking a person secretly can provide inappropriate ethical, religiously and politically offensive results which may be viewed as the violations of Human Rights Act UK 1998. Currently robots are used by most industries in their manufacturing processes because it is capable of generating accurate, reliable and high quality products when compared to human workers. Robots actions are controlled by programmed computer application or electronic circuit. As a result of that there is a low probability of generating inaccurate outputs unless machine gets malfunctioned. Due to its mechanical nature and computerized control, a robotic arm can carry out a repetitive task with great precision and accuracy, thus providing improved, consistent product quality (Bengtson, H. 2010). Unlike robots, human workforce gets tired and bored when carrying out repetitive tasks under long time periods and as a result that the efficiency of generating output will get degraded. When the efficiency of production gets low, the number profits made by company will become low automatically. The mechanical approach and automated control made manufacturing robots more efficient and speedy which redirects business into higher production rate where company can attain competitive advantage than with human workforce. There are some manufacturing industries where humans are required to work at uncomfortable and dangerous environments like defusing bombs, mixing chemical ingredients, attaching equipments under higher temperature etc. But robots will not get impacted by these environmental conditions as humans. Companies can purchase most suitable robots for their working environment and manufacturing process. Thus manufacture will get benefited greatly by reducing costs involve in production process through replacing human workforce by automated robot workforce. When looking at the shareholders perspective, replacing current workforce by robots will leads to make more profits for them as overall efficiency in production gets increased. Thus shareholders are greatly benefited by using robots in manufacturing processes. Consumers will able to experience accurate, reliable an d high quality products because of robot workforce. Although robots will maximise productivity by reducing costs, this might leads to create serious social issues like unemployment, employee relationships and attitudes towards to the work. When current workforce is replaced by robots the employees will become jobless. According to the studies carried out by American Psychological Association (2009), 78% of Americans reporting money as a significant source of stress. The stress created as a result of unemployment will not only affect negatively for an individual but also individuals family and well-being. The trouble of unemployment can also affect unexpected conclusions for children like sicknesses, distress and depressive symptoms. The unemployment will also create social divide within society by increasing the gap between families with children that both parents are get paid and families with children both parents are not get paid. This is terrible social issue which has indirect relationship on poverty and inequality. When poverty within a society gets increased, there is a high probability of increasing illegal activities like burglary, theft, fraud etc. According to the researches carried out by Carmichael and Ward (2000), there were high accretion in burglary, theft and robbery in 1992, 1993 and 1994 years because overall rates of youth and adult men unemployment get increased during those years. The article illustrate in 1989, 1990 and 1991 the youth unemployment rate varied between 12-18 per 100,000 population and total number of crimes were about 6562.7, 7845.8 and 9213.7. Between 1992 and 1994 the youth unemployment rate has increased and varied between 21.94 -19.5 per 100,000 population and total number of crimes were about 9816.8, 9727.5 and 9234.0. According to the statistics there was a visible increment of crime activities along with the growth of unemployment. It is true there is a fine impact on illegal activities with unemployment and poverty of a society. When human workforce is replaced by ro bots, there is a high possibility of amplifying illegal and crime activities in the society because of the increased unemployment population. Robots in a workplace will also create negative impact on human relationships, employee attitudes towards to the work and employer. When human workforce replaced by robots, the faith that the employees have kept on the organization will be dented as employees will began to think the employer only concerned about the efficiency and productivity of the work not the relationships or friendly working environment. Thus employee attitudes towards to the work and employer will get negatively affected. Robots cant be friendly or emotional like human workers and as a result of that there will not have a pleasant working environment filled with employee relationships. As robots are not able to communicate like humans the relationships and bonds among robots and rest of the employees will remain in a lowest level. Actually it is hard to justify whether the work or individual life is more important but the employer is always responsible for protecting relationships and job security of employees. What will be the impact when employees are fired from job without prior notice and compensations? The situations like this will create pathetic condition around individuals and their families. However in the social perspective, organisations can validate the importance of the robot workforce relating it to rising productivity, efficiency and minimise the wastages. Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, UK dismissing an employee without giving prior dismissal notice is illegal. The law also give right for employees to complaint the tribunal about unfair dismissal. Therefore employers are legally bound to take the responsibility of dismissing an employee. Currently robots are mostly used as human companions for elderly and childish people. Assist elderly or disable people, clean household equipment are some of core functionalities of robot helpers. United Stated National Institute of Standards and Technology (US NIST) has developed a robot to help disabled people move around their home. This robot acts as a wheelchair but also gives a helping hand to get out of bed and get on and off other seats. The robots like this are really useful to overcome physical difficulties that are faced by disable people when performing day to day tasks. The Nuresebot, Pearl is another multi-disciplinary, multi-university effort aimed to provide assistance for elderly people at homes. This robot is capable of reminding elders about regular activities such as eating, drinking, taking medicine, using the bathroom, guiding them through their environments, calling for help if they fall and display messages on the screens for people with hearing loss (Carnegie Mellon University n.d.). Elders need more care and attention because they are more vulnerable to abuse and also physical changes in old age reduce the ability to conduct activities of daily living by maintaining independence. Robot helpers or robot companions mentioned above will be a fair solution for taking care of elders and protecting them by being abused. Using robots for taking care of elders and children is very helpful in current busy life styles. Unlike Asian countries, Europeans are not having strong relationships with their parents after get married or being matured. In a situation like that robot helpers would be a best solution where protection of elders is assured. Although using robot helpers for elders is an effective, opportune solution this will leads to create several ethical issues. Elders will not able to get same experience and exposure like having companion with human being because these robots cant gossip, share ideas, emotions and communicate like humans. Therefore robots will not able to fulfil the emptiness in old heart like a human companion and as a result of that human relationships will get negatively affected. When using robot companions for children, their personality, behaviour and attitudes will get impacted. The robot will do everything that child command without questioning. Then the child began to think everyone will do everything that command without questioning and he/she can get everything without any interference. Thus robot companions will lead to create drastic negative attitude and behavioural change in child. During the infant and child years, children grow quickly and tend to learn about the environment they are interacting with. Without having a proper guiding adult to teach and guide in to the right path, child personality will also get degraded. Soulless, emotionless and inexperienced robot will not able to teach values and norms associated with human lives. Parents are the most important character in childs life and they are capable of understanding childs needs than anyone does. Love, affection and caring are critical requirements for better growth and development in a child. A metal robot is not able to fulfil these emotional feelings which are unique to living beings. Thus effects on human relationships, human personality and changes in attitudes social issues are raised when using robots as human companions or home helper. Experiences with touch, movement, voice sounds, and chances to see faces and their changing expressions these seem to be essential contributors to emotional and mental development (Mercer 2009). Without having these factors, the language development, ability to u nderstanding in the child will be weakened and as a result of that child will become socially isolated. Robots are expensive and everyone cant get the technology experience because of its high price. That will create a digital divide in the society, where only rich people can have robots experience. According to the Public Interest section in BCS code of conduct, the professionals should support equal opportunities and benefits of IT by including all sectors in the society. When robots are unaffordable and cannot experience for every human being as equal, this will breaks the following BCS code of conduct. Every technology has associated limits and vulnerabilities which may create severe negative impacts on individuals. Robots are reacting according to the limited set of tasks they are programmed into and any action that is out of the program might not be fulfilled. For an example a human companion that is programmed to take care of elderly or childish person might not be able to respond emergency situations like fire, explosion, theft etc. The situations like above can harm for people who are vulnerable to abuse. Elders are more vulnerable to abuse because physical changes appear with the age, made them to slow respond or inability of responding properly for actions. Children are also vulnerable like elders because they dont have knowledge or experience to respond emergency situations like matured people. These vulnerable groups may tend to trust on robot machine because it will be the only companion they have to interact in most of their time. If machine gets malfunctioned, the life of these vulnerable groups will be in a danger. Thus the negative implications and possible risks which may arise when adopting technologies like robotics should be much concerned. The individuals have to face both positive and negative Ethical, Social, Legal and Professional issues related to robot technology. The negative implications of robot should be clearly identified by IT professionals in order to make human lives more comfortable via secure information technologies while protecting ethical, social and legal rights of human being. By analysing and understanding both negative and positive impacts prior adopting technology may assist to reduce several issues which may arise related into robotics. In the conclusion, I recommend organisations and individuals to implement suitable policies when using new robotic inventions in their business and household that is transparent to ensure negative effects of the technology has been controlled and prevented.

Total quality management in competitive globalisation

Total quality management in competitive globalisation Global total quality management in financial service industries Total quality management The business leaders face immense pressure in todays turbulent competitive environment thats move forward by globalisation, macro-environment factors and advanced technological growth of internet. The strong market forces within this competitive environment have developed global customers who are more aware of changes in the global market. Total quality management is an important tool in any business to surmount future challenges within the turbulent financial service environment. TQM provides the financial business leaders with a formalised process in setting clear and achievable corporate objectives and at the same time guides the management in planning strategies to maximise resources and to achieve win-win partnership. Total quality management (TQM) is an organization-wide process that revolves around the Total Quality Triad. It assumes that there is never a state of perfection (Kelada, 1996). Hence, in order to that plans are developed in an integrated manner, three important total quality principles must be adhered to participation and commitment by stakeholders and senior management team, employee involvement and continuous improvements to meet customer satisfaction. Source: Bradford University Total quality management in global financial services environment In the global financial services environment, Total Quality Management (TQM) provides the overall concept that fosters continuous improvement in an organization. The implementation of a Quality Management System (QMS) does not equate to self-generated results. Continual improvement Continuous improvement of the QMS is of paramount importance for meeting and satisfying clients ever changing needs and requirements. The purpose of the project is to identify quality improvement through Kaizen program, performance measurements; benchmarking with appropriate key performance indicators; and essentially designing a balanced scorecard to achieve continual improvement. Practices by non-financial organisation Good practices implemented by construction organizations in strategic partnerships alliances and knowledge management was identified and developed recommendations for improvements to gain competitive advantage in the construction industry. TQM not suitable for financial services environment TQM is not really suitable for any service organisations but it really helps the service organisations to focus on the participation of senior management team, involvement of all employees and managing internal process towards achieving customer satisfaction. Long Term client relationship In global financial services environment business strategy is building on long-term client relationships. Over 90 percent of the work is repeated business from loyal clients. This strategy yields cost advantages, profits, and growth, allowing them to attract and retain investors and thus fuel further growth. Quality Gurus There are a number of writers whose work dominates the quality movement. Their ideas and approaches have stood the test of time and have come to from a body of accepted knowledge, to lead and advise their own movement in quality. They have become known as gurus Crosby Philip B. Deming W. Edwards Feigenbaum Armand V Ishikawa Kaoru Juran Joseph M Oakland john S Shingo Shigeo Taguchi Genichi All the above Gurus have presented their own work on quality management and have made a considerable impact on the world through their contributions to improving not only businesses, but all organizations including state and national governments, military organizations, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and many other establishments and organizations. Global inventory planning and control management What is planning and control? The purpose of planning and control is to ensure that operations are working effectively and the production of products and services as required. There is another purpose of planning which is to minimise uncertainty and risk and a clear view of future forecasting. Financial planning and control It is a well known fact that a successful business helps organisations to generate enough cash in order to cover costs and make some profit. The difference between sales and cost is profit. The businesses are not always expected to be profitable from the very first day but there should be an expected plan for them to become profitable. There should be proper financial controls for all the businesses. The records should be accurate and complete and should fulfil the legal requirements. The tight financial control always helps the financial organisations or any organisation to monitor their current situation and always predict the future environment. The information derived from financial statement analysis can be used to establish future operating goals (financial planning) and to determine how to meet established goals (financial control). Developing pro forma financial statements is an important part of the planning and control processes. Inventory planning and control in financial services environment Inventory planning and control in financial services environment is the method of organising the difference between demand and supply of financial products and services. Inventory control is not a small matter from a financial perspective way. Inventory is really important and major current asset for any business including financial services organisations.As a result, there are always policies of businesses to keep the inventory as low as possible because too much cash hold up in inventory. The objective of reducing the inventory can be accomplished with modern inventory management processes that are working effectively. Global change management strategies in financial environment In todays world of economic and technological development, the organisations have changed significantly. The change had only been possible through restructuring, technological improvement and merging with other businesses. The most important challenge for the organisations is to implement such change to achieve the behavioural and cultural change that is most likely required to achieve the planned benefits. Behavioural change does not just happen in the organisation. Change will only occur if there is leadership, clear goals and planned benefits for its stakeholders. All of these should be properly communicated in a timely manner. Strategy for Change Three important principles to manage change are: Change management is not the goal in itself: For an organisation to be successful, change management plays an important role. Change management is all about managing the process effectively and leads to an environment where an improvement in performance are realised. The change targets must play an active role in realising the change: Change in projects will identify and successfully communicate the image, therefore letting the employees know that the planned benefits have changed and play an active role in realising those planned benefits. Employees are the greatest asset for any organisation: Employees are potentially the greatest challenge for any organisation. The image or goal of any purpose can only become reality if the employees believe in the project and have the desire to achieve it. Financial services environment In the last decade, financial services sector has undergone major changes. The financial sector is a rewarding field in which there is every chance to make or improve a career, particularly if staff is loyal, hard working and have given the correct back up support. It cannot be ignored that the current process of globalization and market deregulation has often led to restructuring within organisations. If these major changes have been mis-handled, then it would bring job insecurity and resulting increased pressure on work forces, which in turn can lead to higher work related stress, and a possible lack of commitment and motivation. Change requirement in current financial environment Capital, currently, is grossly overvalued. Company objectives are all about maximizing value for shareholders, the providers of capital. This can lead to companies adopting strategies that do not necessarily benefit stakeholders such as customers and staff. The same emphasis on capital, and shareholder value, breeds an unhealthy focus on short-term results. Shareholders of stock listed companies want better results every quarter, leading management to take decisions that are not necessarily in the longterm interests of the company and its stakeholders. This needs to change.

Double Standard Essay -- essays research papers fc

The existence of a double standard for Women today is a main reason why women become extremely radical. Women that do not appreciate being stereotyped and discriminated against, protest in forms of rallying and with lawsuits against people or institutions of society. The areas of society that use or even enforce a double standard against women may consider women to be inferior to men. This idea of superiority is discrimination. Often the work place, sports, and within homes do we see this idea of a double standard for women. There has always been a double standard for women. The early twentieth century was tough for most women. They were expected to stay at home, take care of the children and cook meals for their husbands. Women were viewed as simple objects that belonged to men. It was common for women or even young girls to dress like boys, they would be raised under strict eyes and forced to learn how to cook and clean, just like their mothers did. The work force consisted mostly of men, workers and higher executive style positions. During the mid twentieth century a woman would earn about half of what men earned for the same exact job, and with the same qualifications. The reason behind this was that a woman, especially a married woman is likely to work less due to the risk of having a child. In the work place the pay for women and number of managerial jobs, doctors, and lawyers has increased, however, equal pay is still a goal. The â€Å"glass ceiling† effect is an idea tha...

Hydroponics :: essays research papers

Hydroponics Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  NAME HERE and I became fascinated by hydroponics and the idea that one doesn't have to get their hands dirty to be a great gardener, and if your like us that's a good thing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The idea of hydroponics has been around since the pyramids where build, but in all these years it never seemed to catch on. It took about forty-six hundred years before the first scientist took a look at hydroponics and adapted it to grow crops, this was a professor at the University of California, and the result was a 25 foot tomato plant that had to be harvest by a ladder. Thus hydroponics was reborn and has been advancing ever since. Yet up to 5 years ago the home grower and generally the public didn't know about hydroponics. It was only being used by commercial growers. But now it has caught on, and resulted in this experiment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When thinking about hydroponics one must think about the applications of hydroponics. Not only dose hydroponics produce bigger, better, and more healthier plants than the traditional dirt, but it can also be greatly beneficial on things like submarines, space stations, off-shore oil rigs, or any where else where dirt is hard to come by.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During this experiment we'll be looking for which plant life well do best with hydroponics, by measuring which plant has grown the highest or bushiest. We also well be looking for green and healthy looking leaves on the plants. We have no idea what the results might be, so this should be an exciting experiment. Problem   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Which form of plant life will thrive the most in a hydroponics enrichment. Will it be Tomatoes our fruit, Peas our vegetable, Tinkerbell flowers, or Beans a legume?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First we selected a suitable PVC pipe and cut it into a 4 foot long piece. Next we cut four holes into the pipe with a jigsaw. After that we drilled two holes for the brass tee's to fit into. Next we glued on the two caps. After that we drilled two holes, one for the bucket to rest on, and the other for the plastic hose to go into. Then we glued the 20mm pipe into one of the holes. After that we cut our 4 inch PVC pipe and glued the cap to it. Then we drilled two holes into the pipe, and inserted two brass nosles into the holes we just drilled. Now take the plastic hose and cut it into 4 piece. One piece is for draining, one is for sub reservoir, and two are to separate the sub

What impression do we get of the community from the descriptions Guterson provides in the opening chapters. Louise Burrow

We can see from the first page of Snow Falling on Cedars that Guterson is a very detailed author who tends to look into objects and people in depth. This style of writing is particularly useful when trying to determine what kind of people are living in the San Piedro, and the kind of lives they are living and also their reactions towards other people. Throughout this essay I am going to look in detail at the descriptions of Guterson and how his descriptions shape the characters and the atmosphere of the isolated island. Guterson starts his novel with a very detailed analysis of the ‘accused man' Kabuo Miyamoto and the court room which he is placed in at the beginning of the novel. This automatically gives the reader no chance of opinion as this character is, from the start, refused an identity by Guterson. This also gives us an idea of the opinions and views of the people who will be sitting in the public gallery. Kabuo is described by Guterson has a very withdrawn and subdued character, who is seen as having something to hide because of the way he is placed into the novel and courtroom; â€Å"Some in the gallery would later say that his stillness suggested a disdain for the proceedings; others felt certain it veiled a fear of the verdict that was to come.† Although we have not yet been told what Kabuo has done, Guterson automatically places a sense of distrust and dislike against Kabuo for the action in which he has supposedly committed. Guterson then begins to describe the atmosphere of the courtroom and of how people react to important incidents which don't occur in an isolated island such as San Piedro. He explains that a situation like this is so irregular people don't even have suitable attire except for the outfits they wear to church on a Sunday. He describes the courtroom as being run down and simple, which can also be associated with the community of San Piedro as both are of a miserable nature and only consist of the necessities. Guterson explains the jurors to be people who are increasingly uncomfortable as they are out of the situations and surroundings which they are used to; â€Å"The jurors sat with studiously impassive faces as they strained to make sense of matters. The men – two truck farmers, a retired crapper, a bookkeeper, a boat builder, a grocer, and a halibut schooner deckhand – were all dressed in coats and neckties.† Guterson is trying to show that not one of the people on the jury are in a comfortable situation and are all seen as being nervous. We are shown throughout the novel the way in which the people of San Piedro react to people are outsiders o foreigners to the people who live on the small island, we can see that the islanders feel very uncomfortable towards people who they don't know or who are from another country. The first incidence we see this is aimed at the reporters who are placed next to the radiators giving out sweltering heat, so we then see that the islanders are intentionally trying to make the outsiders feel very uncomfortable throughout their stay on San Piedro island. But we can see through Guterson's immense detail to the background and the residents of San Piedro that they are relatively hypocritical in their views. Firstly Guterson explains the background of the island and the nature of the people who lived their and their reaction to foreigners coming ashore. We can see that the opinions of the past and present residents of San Piedro are very similar, as they all felt and feel very strongly about outcasts and foreigners. But as Guterson continues his description we are shown that a very large majority of the people are not initially from San Piedro; â€Å"Larsen's Pharmacy, a dime-store-with-fountain owned by a woman in Seattle, a Puget Power office, a chandlery, Lottie Opsvig's apparel shop, Klaus Hartmann's real estate agency, the San Piedro Cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, the Amity Harbor Restaurant, and a battered, run-down filling station owned and operated by the Togerson brothers.† This shows that the people of Amity Harbor are extremely hypocritical because they choose who they treat as outcasts and ho they decide to give American citizenship to. There maybe two ways of deciding why they choose to treat differently firstly people who look physically different from themselves, for instance eyes is seen as important feature throughout the novel as the Japanese as the San Piedro citizens distinguish them as being different because their eyes are slanted unlike theirs. Also people who have the same origin as people who have attempted to destroy the people of San Piedro, for instance, the Japanese and the attack of Pearl Harbour during World War II. On the contrary they should also hold the same feelings for Carl Heine as he is German, and his Country also have a background of misery towards the people of the island as they would of fought against the Germans during World War I. This is not true as we can see through the novel as Guterson shows Carl Heine as very r espected and valued citizen of Amity Harbor. Pathetic Fallacy is seen throughout the first few chapters as Guterson describes in extreme detail, but we are also able to see the clever way which Guterson uses these details to also show the comparisons of weather and the opinions and feelings of people on the island. The majority of the time the weather on the island is very bleak and damp, throughout the novel you can see that the weather places a huge part of the activities of the people as they are restricted by the weather. Also the inhabitants of Amity Harbor are subdued and submissive to each other, as not many are seen to make an effort towards being friendly with other people on the island. This may be due to the fact that the majority of the people that live on the island make a living through fishing, this means that they will then be used to spending a lot of the time on their own, in pretty much silence for a lot of the time. There is a rational explanation for the dismissive and subdued relationships of the people of Amity Harbor, we can see through the beginning chapters that a substantial proportion of the men of San Piedro fought in the World War II. We can see through the emotions of the past soldiers that they haunted by their memories of the war, this then caused them to stop taking things for granted; to respect people and to feel privileged for what they have got and for what they have achieved; â€Å"His cynicism – a veteran's cynicism – was a thing that disturbed him all the time. It seemed to him after the war that the world was thoroughly altered. It was not even a thing you could explain to anybody, why it was that everything was folly.† Three of the main characters of the novel have all been seriously affected by the effects of war, which you can see is either used against the character or they are treated like a hero. For instance Kabuo Miyamoto was affected by the war just as much as Ishmael Chambers and Carl Heine, but only Carl Heine out of the three is treated like a war hero rather than an outsider. Ishmael Chambers is treated like an outcast because he has had his arm amputated and Kabuo Miyamoto was treated like an outcast from the outset because of his background. The community of San Piedro has no respect for all the veterans of the war as all three of the people served in World War II, but only one of the men were actually fully respected for their service. This is useful to determine the real feelings and racism of the people of San Piedro and also no-one can determine whether or not anyone is a treated like a true citizen of Amity Harbor, as Ishmael is treated as an outsider because of a loss of limb ev en though he is an American Citizen. In conclusion we can see that from Guterson's descriptions the people of San Piedro are hypocritical who are very racist towards outsiders and foreigners. We can see from past and present that this racism has always been there, the majority of the people of this isolated island feel this way. On the other hand most citizens are very subdued and appear to be very silent and private, as most live a life associating with little people and spending a lot of time on their own fishing for their families.

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FORM B (specific course information) |Course Name/Title |Process Management in Manufacturing/ OPIM 656 | |Program |MBA | |(e. g. MBA or Ph. D. | | |Required or elective |Elective | |Instructor(s) Name and email address |Anita Tucker [email  protected] upenn. du | | | | |Number of Class sessions in course |26 | |Duration of each class (minutes) |80 | |Typical number of students enrolled in recent |37 | |course offerings. | |Textbook Used |No | |Misc. Instructor comments about course | | OPIM 656 /SYS 522 Process Management in Manufacturing Fall 2004 Monday-Wednesday, 3:00-4:30 p. m. (JMHH 255) Revision date: 9/7/04 Professor Anita L. Tucker [email  protected] upenn. edu JMHH 551 (215) 573-8742 Office Hours: M 9:30-12:00; W 10:30-12:00 (or by appointment) Brief Course DescriptionThis 26-session course builds on the concepts introduced in OPIM 631 and OPIM 632 to examine how organizations can develop and leverage excellence in process management. This course uses a diverse set of ca se studies from manufacturing and service organizations in the United States, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Two modules comprise this course. The first 13 sessions focus on operations strategy. In these classes, we examine what constitutes an operations strategy and how organizations can create value by managing complexity, uncertainty, and product development.We also examine issues related to scaling up a company’s operations and challenges to capturing the value created through operations. In the second half of the course, we discuss recent developments in both manufacturing and service industries, with an emphasis on the importance of process excellence in achieving and maintaining competitive advantage. Specifically, we examine initiatives in quality (i. e. 6-sigma) and Time-Based Competition/JIT. As applications, the course considers important recent advances in enterprise-wide planning (ERP) systems, supply chain contracting and B2B interfaces.These may be viewed as att empts to align enterprise processes with customer needs and market structures and to assure continuous improvement of these processes once designed. In manufacturing, these developments have led to restructuring of the manufacturing and logistics system to provide adaptive and time-responsive supply chains, new product development processes and support functions. The results of this on-going restructuring have important implications for globalization of operations.The course is recommended for those interested in consulting or operations careers, as well as students with an engineering background who wish to develop a better understanding of managing the manufacturing process. Prerequisites and Follow-on Courses The course builds on OPIM 631 and 632, which are prerequisites. Other students must have permission of the instructor to enroll. The course is a useful precursor for OP1M 657, OPIM 658 and OPIM 762. Permission of the instructor is required to enroll under SYS 522.For either of these, basic courses in probability and statistics must have been completed prior to enrollment. Grading Your grade for this course will be based on written exercises (10%), two case write-ups (20%), class participation (30%), and a final exam (40%). Written exercises: You may work in groups to prepare the exercises, but each person must turn in his or her own hard copy (not electronically, please) set of answers. Late exercises will NOT be accepted. Date 1: Nov 24thTopic: Attribute Control charts Date 2: Dec 1st Topic: 6-sigma Case Write-ups:In groups of 3 or 4 people (or individually if you prefer), please prepare a case write up (maximum of 4 pages, including exhibits) for two cases that interest you and turn in a hard copy to me at the start of the class in which we cover that case. Please indicate the contribution made by each individual. Late write-ups will NOT be accepted. Final Exam: The final exam will be a take home case. Details TBA. Text and Materials for the Course T here is no required text for the course. Most of the readings will be found in the Course Bulkpack, which will be distributed through Wharton Reprographics.The course assignments, lecture notes and various supporting materials can be obtained from the WebCafe. Detailed Course Outline Part I: The Concept of Operations Strategy Class 1. Wednesday: September 8 (Introduction to Operations Strategy) This course introduces a common framework for the bases for operations strategy—four competitive priorities of cost, quality, flexibility, and delivery. In the first class, we consider the fundamental questions: What is operations strategy? Can an organization create a competitive advantage through its production processes?For class, please read the following articles and be prepared to discuss in class †¢ Skinner, W. 1974. â€Å"The focused factory. † Harvard Business Review May – June: 52(3):113. †¢ Hayes, R. H. and D. M. Upton. 1998. â€Å"Operations-based s trategy. † California Management Review 40(4):8-25. Class 2. Monday: September 13 (A more detailed look at two companies’ different operations strategies within the same industry) †¢ Read American Connector (A), HBS case 9-693-035. Case Synopsis: American Connector Company and DJC Corporation are two companies in the electrical connector market which have chosen different competitive and operating strategies.The case focuses on how American Connector should respond to the potential threat by DJC’s entry into the U. S. market. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. How serious is the threat of DJC to American Connector Company? 2. How big are the cost differences between DJC’s plant and ACC’s Sunnyvale plant? Consider both DJC’s performance in Kawasaki and its potential in the United States. 3. What accounts for these differences? a. How much is due to the slumping demand in the U. S. (Hint: Look at depreciation) b.How much of the difference is inherent in the way the two companies compete? (Hint: Can you roughly graph their two competitive positions (x-axis flexibility, y-axis price charged) c. How much is strictly due to differences in the efficiency of the operations? (Hint: consider materials, labor, and fixed costs) 4. What should American Connector’s management at the Sunnyvale plant do? Class 3. Wednesday: September 15 (Three views of operations strategy: Tradeoffs, Cumulative capability, Integrative) Read the following articles: †¢ Porter, M. E. 1996. â€Å"What is Strategy? † Harvard Business Review (Nov-Dec 1996):61-78. Hayes, R. and G. Pisano. 1996. â€Å"Manufacturing Strategy: At the Intersection of Two Paradigm Shifts. † Production and Operations Management 5(1):25-41. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What is the main point made by Porter, 1996? Do you agree with him? Is there anything in his article you disagree with? 2. Can you reconcile the conflicting views expressed in Porter’s 1996 article with those expressed in Hayes and Pisano, 1996? Class 4. Monday: September 20 (Tradeoffs: The value of focus) †¢ Read: Rapid Rewards at Southwest Airlines. HBS Case # 9-602-065Case Synopsis: Southwest Airlines had been consistently profitable every year for 28 years, but with firms cutting back on travel and airlines increasingly trying to cut costs and lure customers away from competitors, it might rethink its egalitarian strategy. For example, frequent fliers wanted rules changed so they could receive preferential treatment, such as being guaranteed first boarding regardless of the time they arrived at the airport, and being able to change tickets without paying upgrade fees. The case considers the implications that changing these rules might have on Southwest Airlines operating strategy.Assignment: Please prepare the following questions for case discussion. 1. What is Southwest Airline’s value proposition? What are Southwest’s sources of competitive advantage? 2. Consider the economics of the airline industry. From Exhibit 2 and Exhibits 9-15, what do you see as driving the difference in financial performance across airlines? How important are frequent fliers to airline performance? 3. From your experience, how does Southwest’s service philosophy compare to the rest of the major players in the airline industry? What are the obstacles to its successful execution?POLL QUESTIONS: Please answer the following questions on the WebCafe poll. 1. Should Southwest save a few low-numbered boarding cards for its most frequent fliers? Thought questions for class discussion: What is the key motivation for your opinion? What are the tradeoffs that Southwest must consider in making this decision? 2. Should Southwest allow its most frequent fliers who have missed their flights to take the next available flight with an empty seat or s hould these customers have to wait for the next available flight with an empty seat within the same fare class? Thought question for class discussion:What drives your decision? Class 5. Wednesday: September 22 (Cumulative view of developing operating capabilities) †¢ Read: Micom Caribe (A) HBS Case 9-692-002 Case Synopsis: Micom Caribe examines both quality improvement and the development of flexibility in a satellite manufacturing unit based in Puerto Rico. This change has been brought about through commitment of the workforce and the adoption of simple, yet effective production technologies. The aim of the case is to explore the sources of Caribe’s improvement. Assignment: Prepare the following questions for class discussion of the Micom Caribe Case: 1.What accounted for the quality crash in 1987? To what extent was the geographical location of manufacturing relevant, and what would you have done differently, as MCC, to avoid the crisis? Why were people at MCC unable t o see your solution? 2. What were the most important steps taken to reconfigure MCC’s Puerto Rican manufacturing operation and what capabilities did each build? 3. What specific capabilities does Caribe now have, and, as Moshetti, how would you develop MCC’s manufacturing strategy? Class 6. Monday: September 27 (Using capabilities to enable entry into new markets) Case: Australian Paper Manufacturers (A) HBS 9-691-041Case Synopsis: Australian Paper Manufacturers (APM) dominated the domestic paper packaging market in a long-standing industry relationship that divided the Australian paper market neatly and cordially among the country's three main paper companies. In 1987, APM invaded the fine papers market, once the sole domain of the Paper Company of Australia (PCA). Haunted by its environmental record, PCA initially found itself paralyzed, unable to modernize and expand capacity to repel its new rival. By December 1991, Ken McRae, APM's group general manager, was consi dering his options, now that APM had established a reputation for quality and nvironmental sensitivity in the fine papers market. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What opportunities and risks did Ken McRae face as he contemplated taking APM into the fine papers market? Be specific with respect to technological, operations, and capital investment (as well as other considerations). 2. As Ken McRae, what technology and operations strategy options `are available? Which do you think he ought to pursue? Why? Class 7. Wednesday: September 29 (Summary discussion) Read the following articles in preparation for class discussion †¢ Wheelwright, S. C. and K. B.Clark. 2003. â€Å"Creating Project Plans to focus product development. † Harvard Business Review September: 2-15. †¢ Thomke, S. and D. Reinertsen. 1998. â€Å"Agile product development: Managing development flexibility in uncertain environments. † California Manageme nt Review 41(1): 8-30. Part II: Creating and Capturing Value Class 8. Monday: October 4 (Managing New Product Development) Case: We’ve got rhythm! Medtronics Corporation’s cardiac pacemaker business. HBS Case 9-698-004 Case Synopsis: Medtronics manufactures implantable cardiac pacemakers. The company’s market share has eroded from about 70% in the early 1970s to below 30% in 1986.The decline stems from the way the company’s executives managed the process of defining and developing new products. The case outlines the steps the company took to try to rebuild its product development capabilities and market share. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What are the reasons behind why Medtronic nearly lost its position as market leader in the 1970s and 1980s? 2. Which of the improvements in the new product development process that the Medtronic management team implemented strike you as having been particularly crucial to turning the company around? . What do the concepts product line architecture and train schedule mean in the pacemaker business? What are the costs and benefits of having implemented these concepts as the Medtronic management team has done? What elements of Medtronic’s approach could be applied in very different business settings? 4. Evaluate the nature of senior management involvement in Medtronic’s implementation of its product development system. Which elements of the system does senior management need to be intimately involved in, and which can it delegate or pay less attention to? Class 9. Wednesday: October 6 (Managing Uncertainty)Case: Delamere Vineyard HBS 9-698-051 Case Synopsis: Delamere Vineyard is a small, integrated winemaking business in Tasmania. Richard Richardson, Delamere’s winemaker and owner, confronts a choice among three potential quality improvement projects, the merits about which customers and industry experts offer conflicting advice. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What are Delamere’s strengths and weaknesses? What does it deliver to customers that other vineyards do not? What does it take to be outstanding in the wine business? 2. What types of uncertainty does Richardson face? . What does quality mean in winemaking? 4. What principle and concepts should one apply to improving a production system such as winemaking? 5. What should Richardson do? How will his experience and personality shape his decision? Class 10. Monday: October 11 (Managing Complexity) Case: Ellis Manufacturing. HBS Case # 9-682-103 Case Synopsis: Ellis, a leading producer of small kitchen appliances has seen its market share steadily eroding over the last few years, and internally has experienced increasing conflict among sales and production groups over control of production for local markets.James Cassals, the top operations executive at Ellis has been asked to rationalize the multip lant network. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What problems does EMC face? What are the causes of these problems? 2. What is the cost of producing an average mixer at the Barnstable plant? At Georgetown? At Flower Springs? What insights do these calculations provide as to how product lines should be assigned to plants? 3. How should EMC’s multiplant network be organized? Class 11. Wednesday: October 13 (Capturing Value: Scalability) †¢ Read Fresh Connections HBS Case 5-600-108Case Synopsis: Fresh Connections is a start-up food manufacturer that hopes to exploit the growing enthusiasm of Americans for â€Å"home meal replacements†, prepared food purchased in supermarkets and eaten in the home. A startup Fresh Connections could manage operations on an order-by-order basis, as it grows the company finds it needs more formalized systems. But which system should they adopt? Assignment: Please come to class prepared to di scuss the following questions: 1. What are the most important operating and strategic issues facing Fresh Connections? (Hint: Try to estimate how many new products are developed each month. 2. Which segment(s) of the prepared foods business do you think is most attractive for Fresh Connections? 3. What choices must Fresh Connections make in developing an operations strategy? What is the effect of complexity on Fresh Connections’ operations? (Hint: Try to estimate the cost of having to change over between every batch as opposed to being able to make long runs of the same product, which wouldn’t require complete clean-outs between batches. ) 4. How will growth impact Fresh Connections’ operations? 5. What capabilities should Fresh Connections emphasize in its strategy? Class 12.Monday: October 18 (Value Capture versus Value creation) Case: McDonald’s Corporation (Abridged) HBS Case 9-603-401 Case Synopsis: McDonald’s is rightly seen as one of the gre at growth stories in American business history. The company offered outstanding consistency, service speed, and price to its customers. For almost half a century, the formula seemed unbeatable. But in the 1990s growth had stalled. New competitors entered the fast-food industry, and were apparently better able than McDonald’s to react to shifting customer preference. Can McDonald’s meet this challenge while keeping its operating system intact?Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What characteristics of McDonald’s production system have been most important in building its record of success and growth in the industry? 2. What are the downsides of their operating strategy? (i. e. what things does McDonald’s NOT do well) 3. What are the primary new challenges McDonald’s faces at the start of the 21st century? 4. How would you adapt the system to accommodate these changes in the U. S.? 5. How can McDonaldâ€⠄¢s lay the basis for future growth? Class 13. Wednesday: October 20 (Summary discussion)Read the following papers: †¢ Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HBS Technical Note 9-699-020. †¢ T. H. Davenport, â€Å"Putting the Enterprise into the Enterprise System,† Harvard Business Review, July-August 1998 Assignment: For a company of your choice, think through the costs, benefits and risks of implementing an ERP-based solution to providing the transactions-based infrastructure for materials management, manufacturing and distribution in the company. Monday: October 25: Break Part III: Managing the operations supply chain Class 14. Wednesday: October 27: (Implementing Enterprise Resource Planning, ERP) Read Cisco Systems: Implementing ERP. HBS Case 9-699-022 Case Synopsis: Upon arriving at Cisco in 1993, the Chief Information Officer, Pete Solvik, recognized that the manufacturing systems that were unstable and needed replacement Although initially hoped to replace the suite of legacy systems at a slower, more deliberate rate, the instability of the company’s systems were an obstacle to sustaining the rapid growth of the company. Thus, Pete and his fellow managers aggressively attacked the problem with an ERP approach. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1.At the start of the case, Cisco’s information systems are failing, yet no one steps forward to lead the effort to replace them. Why is this? Why were no managers eager to take on this project? 2. Cisco was highly successful with its enterprise resource planning (ERP) effort. What accounts for this success? What were the most important things that Cisco did correctly? 3. Did Cisco do anything wrong on this project? If so, what? 4. We often hear that senior management commitment is important for projects like Cisco’s ERP implementation, but senior management commitment to do what?What can top managers do to maximize chances for success here? 5. Cisco went live with ERP in a big bang fashion, which is inherently risky. How did Cisco mitigate this risk? 6. Was Cisco smart or lucky with its ERP implementation? Class 15. Monday: November 1: (Supply Chain Management and Design) The next two sessions provide a general introduction to and review of the following strategies employed in designing supply chains for flexibility, time and cost performance: Read: †¢ H. Lee, V. Padmanabhan, S. Whang, â€Å"The Bullwhip Effect in Supply Chains†. Sloan Management Review, Spring 1997, pp. 93 – 102. David Simchi-Levi, Philip Kaminsky and Edith Simchi-Levi, â€Å"Supply Chain Integration†, Chapter 5 in Designing & Managing the Supply Chain, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2003, pp. pp. 119-142. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What is the â€Å"Bullwhip or Whiplash Effect† in industries, can you give some additional examples other than those cited in the Lee et al. paper? According to Lee et al. , what are the causes of the Bullwhip Effect? Do you agree or disagree? Can you think of additional causes other than those discussed in the paper? . Why information distortion brings inefficiencies in Supply Chains? What do you think of the value of information sharing? What are the benefits of supply chain coordination? Can you give us some fresh examples from reality? How can we mitigate the Bullwhip Effect? What are additional mechanisms you think can be used for Supply Chain Coordination? 3. Based on the previous question (2), how can ERP and Business Intelligence Technology be used to develop an electronic supply chain? 4. What are the emerging business opportunities for B2B marketplaces (see Lee 2001, Simchi-Levi et al. 2003)? Class 16. Wednesday: November 3: (Business-to-business supply chains) †¢ Read Quantum Corporation: supply Chain Group. HBS Case 9-601-099 Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss th e following questions: 1. What are the biggest challenges facing HDDO? How can Information Technology help with these? 2. Why is time so critical in this business? What efforts should the eSupplyChain group advocate to allow Quantum to reduce the lead-time for its products? 3. How should the eSupplyChain group best accomplish its mission within Quantum’s organizational structure? 4.How should Quantum and HDDO use the new eHITEX consortium? If we think of the adoption of eHitex by high-tech companies as a kind of implementation process, what kinds of pitfalls with this implementation face? 5. The new IT-enabled product allocation process, which is described on p. 12 of the case, has the potential to be an improvement over the current one. What difficulties, if any, do you think there will be in moving to the new process? What organizational groups might not be enthusiastic about moving to the new process? 6. How much financial benefit will a 1-day TOO reduction realize for HDD G?Class 17. Monday: November 8: (Management of process technology in a global plant network) †¢ Read ITT Automotive. HBS Case 9-601-099 Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What are the implications for both cost and flexibility of automation? Do you agree with the assertion made by one of the managers in the case: â€Å"If you automate, you stagnate†? 2. What are your recommendations regarding the issue of standardizing process technology across all plants? Are there motives behind this proposal, other than those stated in the case? 3.As Juergen Geissinger, how would you go about implementing your recommendation? How would you overcome resistence from the plants? As Steve Dickerson, the plant manager at Asheville, North Carolina, what line of reasoning would you use to convince senior management that full automation is the less desirable alternative? 4. As Klaus Lederer, what option would you like to see pursued? How do variou s options fit into the broader corporate strategy of ITT Automotive? Class 18. Wednesday: November 10: (Vertical integration) †¢ Read Nucleon, Inc. HBS Case 9-692-041 Case Synopsis: Nucleon is a five-year old biotechnology company whose first harmaceutical product, CRP-1, is almost ready to be tested in human beings. The company has focused entirely on R&D since its founding and thus has no manufacturing capabilities of its own. It must decide whether or not to build a small-scale pilot plant to manufacture CRP-1 for early phases of clinical trials. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. What are your recommendations regarding the manufacturing of CRP-1 for Phase I and Phase II clinical trials? What are your recommendations regarding manufacturing for Phase III clinical trials and commercialization? . How would you justify your recommendation to would-be investors in the company? 3. What is your recommendation regarding Nucleon’s long-term manufacturing strategy? What should this company look like in 10 years (e. g. an R&D boutique, an R&D boutique with pilot scale manufacturing capabilities, or an integrated manufacturing enterprise)? Class 19. Monday: November 15: (Outsourcing strategies) Read †¢ David Simchi-Levi, Philip Kaminsky and Edith Simchi-Levi, â€Å"Procurement and Outsourcing Strategies†, Chapter 7 in Designing & Managing the Supply Chain, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York, 2003, pp. p. 119-142. †¢ Solectron. Stanford Case GS-24 Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. Why did IBM decide to use a contract manufacturer? Do you think there were any risks associated with their decision? 2. What strengths did Solectron have that made it an appropriate contract manufacturer for IBM? 3. What made Solectron a successful contract manufacturer in general? Note: Contract manufacturing and outsourcing have become vital ingredients of both hig h-tech sectors (e. g. aircraft manufacturing and electronics) as well as medium- and low-tech manufacturing, including that in emerging economies. Use the reading and the Case discussion to think through the basic ingredients (internal and external) for a company to survive and prosper using outsourcing and off-shoring. Class 20. Wednesday: November 17 (Managing a global network of suppliers) Case: Li & Fung (Trading) Ltd. HBS 5-396-386 Case Synopsis: Li & Fung is one of the largest trading companies specializing in low-cost, labor-intensive consumer goods from suppliers throughout east Asia.Its main work is to connect Asian factories with U. S. and European retailers and manufacturers who have their own designs for merchandise and need them turned into physical product. The case poses two decisions for students: a Li & Fung division manager must decide which supplier can best handle a particular customer order; and the Managing Director must determine whether or not to restructure all of the soft goods (textile products) divisions in a way that might dramatically change its service to its customers. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1.How does Li & Fung create value for its customers and suppliers? How do international differences in labor costs play into this value? 2. Should Charles Ho (Li & Fung’s division manager) send Classique’s order to Qingdao, China, or the Philippines? If he sends the order to China, should he ask the HV division to supervise it? If he sends it to China and has his own staff supervise it, how many visits should they make to the factory—two, three, or four? Consider the division manager’s personal interests, as well as those of the customer and of Li & Fung. 3.Assess Li & Fung’s internal structure, including its organizational structure and the ways in which it motivates its employees. How does it align employees’ interests with both customer satisf action and Li & Fung’s financial performance? 4. Should William Fung follow Danny Lau’s recommendation to extend the restructuring experiment to all soft goods divisions? 5. How do business-to-business services differ from business-to-individual consumer services? Part IV: Managing Internal Processes Class 21. Monday: November 22 (Introduction to Time Based Manufacturing) Read Hopp, W. J. and M. L. Spearman. 2004. â€Å"To pull or not to pull: What is the question? † Manufacturing and Service Operations Management 6(2):133-48. †¢ Spear, S. and H. K. Bowen. 1999. â€Å"Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System. † Harvard Business Review 77(5):96-106. Class 22. Wednesday: November 24 (Attribute Control Charts) Read the following pages out of Gitlow et al, Quality Management, 2005. †¢ Skim Chapter 6, pages 169, 170 †¢ Chapter 7, pages 184-223. †¢ Skim Chapter 8, pages 254-260; page 293. Assignment: Prepare and turn in answers to th e problems 7. and 7. 25. Prepare the following questions for class discussion: 1. What is the difference between attribute and variable control charts? When would one use one versus the other? 2. What is the difference between n, np, c, and u charts? When would one use one versus the others? 3. What, if anything, are the downsides of using control charts? What are their limitations? Can you think of alternative methods for controlling systems and improving processes? Class 23. Monday: November 29 (Application of p-charts ) †¢ Read Deutsche Allgemeinversicherung.HBS Case 9-696-084 Case Synopsis: Deutsche (DAV) is one of Europe’s largest insurance companies. To defend itself and to regain its traditional leadership position, DAV has begun a new quality initiative, focused primarily on some key processes it believed could be dramatically improved. Assignment: Please come to class prepared to discuss the following questions: 1. Why is DAV using SPC? What are the primary chal lenges in applying Statistical Process Control to a service industry compared with manufacturing? 2.If you were to explain the concept of a p-chart to a group of bank tellers without a background in SPC, in about 30 minutes, how would you do it? 3. How large should each sample be for the experiment Schoss and Kluck describe on page 7? 4. The first 12 weeks of the data in Exhibit 4 represent the diagnostic period for the Policy Extension Group. What are the 3-sigma control limits for the process? In which of the subsequent weeks is the process out of control (if any)? 5. Develop specific implementation plans for solving the problems facing Annette Kluck that are described on page 9 of the case. . How would you now begin improving the performance of the operation? Class 24. Wednesday: December 1 (6-sigma improvement programs ) Please read †¢ Chapter 10 in Evans, James R. and William M. Lindsay. 2005. The management and control of quality. 6th edition. Thomson South-western, Mason , Ohio. Pages 479-513. †¢ Dow, D. , D. Samson, and S. Ford. â€Å"Exploding the myth: do all quality management practices contribute to superior quality performance? † Production and Operations Management, 8(1), p 1-27. Please prepare the following questions to hand in at the start of class 1.What is a defect? Explain how to compute defects per million opportunities (dpmo). 2. Explain the theoretical basis for Six Sigma quality. 3. Problem # 1 on page 505. 4. Problem # 3 on page 505. Please be prepared to discuss discussion question #1 on page 504. †¢ Six-sigma has been criticized because a) The results often don’t have any noticeable impact on company financial statements. (90% of the companies that implement six-sigma don’t end up with higher stock values. ) b) Only early adopters can benefit c) Six Sigma focuses on defects, which are hard to objectively determine or service businesses d) Six Sigma can’t guarantee that your product will have a market. Class 25. Monday: December 6 (Transfer of learning) Read †¢ Pisano, G. P. , R. Bohmer, and A. C. Edmondson. 2001. â€Å"Organizational Differences in Rates of Learning: Evidence from the Adoption of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery. † Management Science 47(6):752. †¢ M. A. Lapre and Luk N. Van Wassenhove, â€Å"Learning Across Lines: The Secret to More Efficient Factories†, Harvard Business Review, October, 2002, pp. 107-113. Class 26. Wednesday: December 8 (Course Summary) Final Examination: Take Home Case Date TBA