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

Trans-European Plastics.

Its French factory makes a range of over 500 products that are sold to wholesaler and large retailers throughout Europe. The company dispatches orders within 24 hours of receipts using an international carrier. All consumers would expect received their requirements in tull within one week. The manufacturing operation Is based on batch production, employing 24 large Injection molding machines.Mould changes (Set-ups') take on average three hours, at an estimated cost of ‚Â ¬ 500 per set-up. TEP had faced declining in delivery reliability, increased levels of flnlshed goods Inventory and falling productivity. Falling productlvlty apparently resulting from Split-betches' where only part of a planned production batch is produces to overcome immediate shortages. Because of current high demand for many products, the backlog of work for planned stock replenishment currently averages two weeks and so all factory orders must be planned far In advance.Recently. however, to minimize the t otal cost of set-ups and to maximize capacity utilization, all products are planned tor a minimum production run ot 20 ours. The factory operates on three seven-hour shift, Monday to Friday: 105 hours per week, for 50 weeks per year, Regular overtime, typically 15 hours on a Saturday, has been worked most of the last years. Sunday is never used for production, allowing access to machines for routines and major overhauls.Speculate on what the company's strategy appears to be. 6. Compute quality-sales indices and quality cost indices for each of the five years. Is it possible to access the effectiveness of the company's quality-management program from these index values? (10 Marks) 7. List several examples of each quality-related cost; that is, prevention, appraisal, and internal and external failure that might result from the production of TEP products. Improvement and Strategy 8. Adapt an Implementation of six-sigma breakthrough strategy for TEP.Explain each section of TEP six -sigm a clearly. 9. Anticipate if the cost of fuel increased by 25% per liter it would greatly affect the overall of TEP cost of production, price per unit product, and many more. Do estimation of increased in cost on few of TEP product. Some of the product may be above its acceptable price range. And suggest action needed to be taken by TEP to strategize its company. 10. If TEP needed to boost up the positioning in the manufacturing industries.

Retail Services Characteristics

In this paper the most common services characteristics, namely perishability, intangibility, inseparability and heterogeneity will be applied to a well – known retail services brand. In this case the focus shall be on how the aforementioned characteristics apply to Starbucks. In order to better understand the problem the history of the company alongside current corporate objectives will be briefly described. In the following paragraphs the notice will be mainly on the retailer’s ability to cope with the theory’s implications. The first Starbucks coffee shop was opened in 1971 in Seattle.The name was inspired by Moby Dick and the logo which has now become somehow of a cult figure is a twin-tailed mermaid. However it wasn’t until 1987 when a major breakthrough came and the brand started to receive a world – wide recognition. In August, Howard Schultz backed with the capital from local investors bought the Starbucks. Since then the company grew in an e xponential manner which resulted in opening more than 16,000 stores in over 55 countries to this day. Similar as the majority of large enterprises Starbucks also incorporates its own business and social objectives.The goal is to project the brand image in a consumer and environmental friendly way. Their mission statement is to inspire and nurture the human spirit through their exceptional service and high quality coffee. In a very holistic approach they are aiming to improve every aspect of the business, from the customers and employees to the suppliers and shareholders. Moving on from this brief description of Starbucks the focus will now shift to the retail services characteristics, more precisely on intangibility and its implications. Experts agree that a service is intangible because the customer cannot sense it (Newman and Cullen, 2002).It is an abstraction which cannot be directly examined before the purchase. In the case of most goods a prospective buyer is able to inspect th e quality of the good by relying on his senses, whereas a pure service has to be purchased and consumed to fully verify its quality. The level of services’ tangibility can be seen from tangible goods, which are included and consumed within the service offer, it can also be extracted from the physical environment which surrounds the service or with the tangible evidence of the service performance (Palmer, 2005).In the case of various food and drink outlets, goods form an important component of a service offer. This also applies to Starbucks and therefore it is possible to place it somewhere in the middle of the tangible to intangible service dominant scale (Shostack, 1977). Starbucks uses scent of fresh coffee to attract customers and make them sense a tangible good which can be purchased at the premises. The physical environment also plays a big part in customer’s perception of service quality.Starbucks acknowledged this and therefore their outlets are usually very wel l furnished with comfortable chairs, Wi-Fi and other features which give a customer a sense of quality and comfort. Tangibility can be further provided with the evidence of service production methods. This is certainly the case in Starbucks where you can see the whole process of making a cup of coffee. A lack of physical evidences of services quality can increase the level of uncertainty that a customer faces when choosing between competing services.However, Starbucks developed a strong brand associated with quality of services provided and the company values therefore creating a positive image in consumers’ perception. From describing how intangibility applies to Starbucks we shall now turn the attention to another service characteristic, namely heterogeneity. Services heterogeneity means that the quality of services depends on who provides them as well as when, where and how they are provided. Products can be standardized and basically the same for every customer.However, s ervices on the other hand can be delivered in different ways, regarding on customer’s personal requirements. The service must normally be produced in the presence of the customer without the possibility of intervening quality control. Specific problems can occur where staff is involved in providing services on a one-to-one basis. In these cases no easy method of monitoring or control is possible. There are two particular aspects of heterogeneity which are relevant to the services. The first one is the extent to which production standards vary from a norm, both in terms of outcomes and of production processes.The second one is the extent to which a service can deliberately be varied to meet the specific needs of particular customers (Palmer, 2005). In order to tackle the aforementioned aspects of heterogeneity and also to satisfy customer needs retailers usually standardize the service as much as possible without noticeably affecting the perceived customer value. Many service organizations have reduced variability by adopting equipment-based production methods or by offering already prepared menus or meals. However Starbucks took a slightly different approach here then some fast-food outlets.They are offering more than 87,000 different drink combinations. With that in mind they cannot simply standardize the whole process of coffee making. Customers want to see consistency and quality in their stores so for that purpose they offer their front-line staff a basic training and they are also using some motivation tools to enhance staff performance. So for instance they refer to their employees as partners and their pay package is called â€Å"Your special blend†. The heterogeneity of service output can sometimes pose problems for brand-building in services compared to tangible goods.However Starbucks cope with these problems quite well through their excellent staff to management relation which results, again in a strong brand personality. From heteroge neity we shall now shift our attention to another characteristic, which is perishability. Perishability applies to services because unlike goods services cannot be stored for later use. So for an example a factory which produces cars and is unable to sell all its output in the current period can carry forward stocks to sell in a subsequent period.The only significant costs are storage and financing or the possibility of loss through obsolescence. However on the contrary, a producer of a service which is unable to sell all of its output produced in the current period gets no chance to carry it forward for sale in a subsequent period. A great example of perishability is an airline company. For instance if the plane departs at twelve o’clock and the airline company didn’t sell all the available seats, then it is impossible to sell the rest since the plane is already in the air. Another problem which defines perishability is the demand pattern through time.Demand fluctuate s because of many reasons however most common reasons for inconsistency of demand occur during the day, week and season. A typical example of seasonal fluctuation of demand is tourism. During the summer the demand for holidays is often off-peak and hotels by the sea are required to bring in extra work-force. On the other hand the demand in winter is significantly lower and some hotels are therefore unused. Inability to store services and short-term supply inelasticity are leading causes for perishability of services.As mentioned before problems occur when demand pattern is irregular. It can also happen where there is requirement for â€Å"just-in-time† production of service or if demand is not managed effectively (Palmer, 2005). Services providers are trying to even the demand with the use of pricing and promotion or with locating places where demand is more or less even during the day, such as it is in city centres or busy airports. Problems with storing the services have no w also been reduced with recent advancement of technology (Newman and Cullen, 2002).For instance Starbucks uses RFID technology to track perishable food delivered to its cafes thus ensuring freshness of products. Starbucks is usually located there where demand is relatively constant, such as shopping centres and airports and they are also using a lot of promotions ensuring a steady demand through the day. Even their menu is adapted to different seasons of the year. It does not consist only of hot drinks but they also offer other trendy beverages such as smoothies and a variety of bottled drinks which are suitable for hot summer days.Now we shall take a look at the last of four services characteristics. Inseparability of services should be the main topic through the following paragraphs. Inseparability means that the service is produced and consumed at the same time. Both, buyer and seller must be present for the exchange to occur (Newman and Cullen, 2002). The service provider is at the same time also a marketer and promotes both the service and the company. Interaction is of extreme importance in services and therefore the key to success is competent personnel.Inseparability of services leads to customers being co-producers and often being co-consumers of the service with other consumers. They are also usually required to travel to the service provider. This results in management to attempt to separate production and consumption. They are also trying to manage the consumer to producer interaction and improve the service delivery system. Starbucks is a typical example of services inseparability. They are offering a wide range of beverages and customers can choose their own mix.That means that customers are contributing in the production process of a cup of coffee. As mentioned before Starbucks normally furnish their stores in a very comfortable way which means that a lot of customers are consuming the product there, which results in being a co-consumer. Starbu cks stores are often located in city centres and this means that customers have to travel there to receive the service. Maybe in the future Starbuck will offer delivering their products to customers home, but this could possibly take away the charm of visiting a Starbucks coffee shop.However, they are already improving their service system with the opening of drive thru stores. In conclusion it is possible to say that all four services characteristics can be applied to Starbucks. However, some are more visible than others. Starbucks developed an extremely strong brand image and a loyal global population of consumers. This has established them as one of the biggest brands in the world. Through excellent quality of their products, care for the environment and bringing back the sense of community they have already become a household name.They are coping very well with all the services characteristic implications and are always striving for perfection. They are a prime example of the so called â€Å"cultural capitalism† and are setting an example for many companies. References: Adrian Palmer, 2005. Principles of services marketing, 4th edition. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education Andrew J Newman and Peter Cullen, 2002. Retailing: environment & operations. London: Cengage Learning Starbucks, 2011. Our heritage [online] Available at: http://www. starbucks. com/about-us/our-heritage [Accessed 16 April 2012 ]. RSA animate, 2010.Slavoj Zizek, First as tragedy, then as farce Available at: http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=hpAMbpQ8J7g [Accessed 16 April 2012 ]. Starbucks, 2011. Our mission statement [online] Available at: http://www. starbucks. com/about-us/company-information/mission-statement [Accessed 16 April 2012 ]. Des Monk, Daniella Ryding, (2007),†Service quality and training: a pilot study†, British Food Journal, Vol. 109 Iss: 8 pp. 627-636 G. Lynn Shostack, 1977. Breaking Free from Product Marketing, Journal of Marketing, [online] Available at: < http://www. jstor. org/discover/10. 307/1250637? uid=24747&uid=3738032&uid=2134&uid=373370127&uid=2&uid=70&uid=3&uid=373370117&uid=24745&uid=5910784&uid=67&uid=62&uid=60&sid=47698847505567 > [Accessed 16 April 2012 ]. Lena Goldkuhl, Maria Styven, (2007),†Sensing the scent of service success†, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 41 Iss: 11 pp. 1297-1305 Marketingmagazine. co. uk, 2011. Starbucks to open 200 drive-thru stores [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 April 2012 ].Pedro M. Reyes, Patrick Jaska, (2007),†Is RFID right for your organization or application? â€Å", Management Research News, Vol. 30 Iss: 8 pp. 570-580 Starbucks, 2011. Store design [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 April 2012 ]. Starbucks, 2011. Working at Starbucks [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 April 2012 ]. Superbrands. co. uk, 2012. Starbucks [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 17 April 2012 ].

Strategic marketing based on case study Maytag Corporation Research Paper

Strategic marketing based on case study Maytag Corporation - Research Paper Example The main problem in this case is the decision of buying the Maytag Corporation. The deadline regarding the offer is getting near and Qingdao Haier was still undecided whether or not to acquire the other company. Alongside with the main problem is the issue of what would Maytag bring to Qingdao in case it has made its decision to finally acquire it – whether it will be beneficial to the company or would just be a burden to the firm. Moreover, the changes that the acquisition would bring to the company such as the structure, the operations and even the policies are also the things that Qingdao should consider. All these should be evaluated in order to come up with a sound decision of Qingdao’s acquisition of Maytag. SWOT Analysis †¢ Strengths Qingdao Haier Ltd. is a very powerful company operating for more than two decades already. With this, the company has become one of the top 50 corporations in developing countries. Its ability to manufacture appliances at a wide range is also a strength that the company has, not to mention its diversified marketing strategy. Being able to conquer even the foreign lands is a proof of how well the company is going. The strength of going in for a difficult market, just like what the company did shows how strong the company is and reaching those markets is another strength for the company since this would mean that they are able to influence more people, thus bringing in higher income to themselves. As for Maytag Corporation, its edge on advertising is a big strength for the company. The quality of their appliances is also well-known. Maytag has as well made a mark in the home appliance industry by selling their appliances on the large retailers and numerous independent distributors. Con quering the United States, the company is said to be at large in this country. Maytag Corporation can also be said as a diversified corporation when it comes to their products. They are able to compete with other companies by producing appliances that meet the needs of different people. Weaknesses The Qingdao Haier Ltd. is weak at its advertising campaigns. Though this could not be seen as much of a hindrance to the company’s success, still, it can be viewed as its weakness, as advertisements make a huge impact on everything especially when you are selling something. Another weakness that Qingdao possesses is the pricing. Qingdao prices its products lower than any other brands like Whirlpool, General Electric and Maytag. This can be viewed as a weakness since by pricing your product on a lower level; consumers can have the mentality that your product is a sub-standard one as well. On the other hand, Maytag Corporation’s main weakness is its lack of innovation. The need s of people changes as time passes by and Maytag failed to deliver these needs, unlike what the other brands did. This has caused for the decline in sales and revenues for Maytag Corporation for the past years. With this, distributors as well stopped selling the brands thus giving