MSc International Management Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MSc International Management - Dissertation Example Cultural diversity is a trend in the age of globalization. Meanwhile, the demand for localized products is growing. Adaptation is one innovation that global organizations have to apply in their marketing strategies to adjust to cultural differences. McDonald’s UK is the main focus in our study of standardization and adaptation. McDonald’s originally came from the United States. When it penetrates foreign markets, it has to adapt to the cultures of the country of destination. This is what they call adaptation, as opposed to standardization of products. McDonald’s UK suffered rough sailing in the initial stages. Later on, it adapted strategies. How the company did it is a test of the company’s desire to succeed is the primary focus of this paper. There are criticisms that McDonald’s do not apply diversity in its marketing strategy and that as an international organization, it is an agent of globalization. Adaptation is coping with a culture of a count ry where an organization operates. If an organization wants to do business in a country with a different culture, it has to adapt. It always has to cope with the local culture. Cross-cultural aspects affect the people in the organization, including organizational knowledge, marketing, product mix, etc. International organizations have their own way of doing international marketing. Some modify a little of their products and strategies, or adapt to the culture and behavior of the local community. 2. Literature Review A remarkable gap between standardization and adaptation is that it is still one of the controversial issues and has always been a subject of debate among international companies since 1961 (Vignali and Vrontis 1999; Elinder, 1961 cited in Vrontis et al., 2009). To date, international companies still battle over which one to choose. There have been numerous studies conducted on these two subjects but it remains a hot topic for discussion (Vrontis et al., 2009). Vignali an d Vrontis (1999 cited in Vrontis et al., 2009) stated that the debate started as far back as 1961 when advertising was one of the primary topics. Multinational companies wanted to standardize advertising, and to further apply it to other promotional mix and marketing mix. Until now the debate whether to standardize marketing (or to adapt new products) remains a focal point for discussion (Schultz and Kitchen, 2000; Kanso and Kitchen, 2004; Kitchen and de Pelsmacker, 2004; Vrontis et al., 2009). Ryans et al. (2003 cited in Vrontis et al., 2009, p. 478) pointed out that academic research on this subject has covered much of the literature on marketing. They pointed out that because of globalization, there has been a surplus of exports over imports, prompting international companies to minimize cost of production. However, firms realized that it was necessary to answer or meet the needs and wants of consumers. Meeting the needs and wants of customers is a primary marketing strategy of i nternational companies nowadays. A study was conducted by Hite and Fraser in 1988 on whether firms used standardization or adaptation in their international trade and business throughout many countries. The study utilized a sample of 418 Fortune 500 companies, and the findings were varied and, in fact, surprising. The respondents comprised of 66 percent international firms who advertised internationally, but of this percentage, only 8

One flew over the cuckoos nest Essay Example for Free

One flew over the cuckoos nest Essay Through Keseys use of literary features, his novel helped base an understanding on what society decided to believe is normal. Kesey highlights the significance of the insane and their positive energy. He uses McMurphy as a tool to highlight each patients positive side whereas society only searches for the negative. Keseys outlook on mental illness is simple; he uses his novel to point this out. His novel shows how the patients in the ward are there because society placed them there. Society labeled these people to be against the norms or conformities, which in return allowed the patients to feel inferior and out of place. This novel stresses the fact that each person should not be forced into a corner; they should be given rights to live regular lives with other people. Society should not force inferiority complexes on these patients. The fact that most of the patients were voluntary helps prove this point. It shows how society forced them into a completely different and inhumane lifestyle. Another novel that joins this rebellion against society in relation to insanity is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. In this novel, Plath interprets insanity in her own way trying to prove practically the same point as Kesey. Plaths use of description, metaphors, and characterization help provide her main point of allowing insanity to merge with reality. The Bell Jar is a novel equipped with descriptions that allow the reader direct access to the main characters mind. Plath uses an abundant amount of physical descriptions such as the description of Esthers surroundings at all times to help give examples of how society has forced this woman to think. Esthers thoughts on life, death, and the world all seem to be reasonable and justifiable thoughts. She is capable of convincing the reader that those thoughts are not insane. Through the use of descriptions, Plath was able to highlight the unjust life of a 1950s woman. Plath also uses metaphors to highlight the suppression made by society on the women. The title of the book is the major metaphor that best represents Plaths idea on societys conformities. The entire novel revolves around the idea of the bell jar and this jar represents how society analyzes and reduces the contents provided in the jar. The jar represents insanity. Esther feels secluded and isolated from the real world when she is labeled as mad. She feels like she is an airless jar that ruins her perspective of what the real world is. It signifies a buffer that ends the connection between Esther and the real world4. These literary features were all used to highlight Esthers alienation from the real world. It shows how a young woman from the 1950s was forced to act. Esther wanted to pursue a writing career and is supported completely, but her thoughts begin to change when the fact that she cannot merge her career with being a mother come to place. Esther becomes depressed and her thoughts begin to change on the world. These individual thoughts begin to accumulate leading to actions that are condemned upon by society. Society expects a lot from Esther such as the idea of her virginity. Esther rebels against the conventional role of virginity with women at that time by embarking on a sexual experience. Esther did not become insane because she believed against the norms of society but rather insanity fell on her. The treatments in both novels are similar in many aspects. At first, the hospitals provide healthy conversations between the patient and a professional psychiatrist. In both novels, the sense of talking is important because a lot of information is released about society and what they think of it. Another treatment usually done after talk therapy is electroshock therapy. Electroshock therapy was created in 1936 in order to help patients clear their mind5. As years passed, this treatment began to evolve which therefore led to the change of its purpose. In One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, ECT was used as a form of punishment. Patients were punished for doing anything out of the ordinary. In The Bell Jar, Esther Greenwood undergoes several electroshock therapy sessions to clear her mind. She continuously states how painful the therapy is and tries to refuse treatment. Her recollections of these treatments show the inhumanity in medical treatments. Another treatment that falls into the controversial category is Lobotomy. It is shown insignificantly in The Bell Jar, one patient briefly converses about it. On the other hand, Lobotomy has a major impact in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. The main character undergoes a lobotomy at the end of the novel. This act completely criticizes the ways of society in relation to medical treatments. Many forms of medical treatments on insanity exist but whether they provide a positive outcome is the main question. Society and mental illness are very closely related in the sense that society creates the separation between sanity and insanity. That separation is miniscule and changes constantly over time. Both of these novels emphasize isolation, suppression, and seclusion forced by society. Society forces these on the ideas that are condemned or not wanted. These ideas should not force inhumane actions but rather welcome ideas as an advantage to a better society, a more open society. Mental illnesses and treatments are used as major themes in novels to help highlight the negative aspects of what society creates. Through showing the unjust actions forced by society on people, the idea of insanity should evolve from punishment to help. Word Count: 1,605 1 One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, by Ken Kesey. 2 Gale, CD-Rom, HS Library. Source 1 3 Gale, CD-Rom, HS Library. Source 1 4 Concise Dictionary of American Literary Biography, 1941-1968; Contemporary Authors, Vols. 17-20.

History Of Video Games Essay -- Video Game

Some problems are solved over a cup of coffee and some go on for decades without any sign of resolution. The reason may be that a solution can not be found or possibly that too many solutions are established. The ongoing argument of whether video games are good or bad for society is a clear example. Opponents believe they are a bad contribution to society while proponents believe they are a necessary and supportive addition to society. "William Higinbotham, who in 1958 created a game called Tennis for TwoÂ…" (The Beginning), is the one credited for the invention of the video game. At this stage in time, this new innovation did not spark much interest with the public. "Computer and video games themselves did not become part of the popular culture until the late 1970's" (The Beginning). Death Race, which came out in 1976, "Â…became one of the first controversial video games" (Controversy) to come out to the public. The purpose of the game was to run down gremlins while driving a vehicle. This type of entertainment was new and "uncomfortable"; it displayed awkward situations and was too violent for a lot of the critics. At this point it was obvious that there were two very differing outlooks on the latest technology to strike the market. But since most of the critics were against it and very few for it, including the creators and gamers, more complaints were made and the "violent" game of Death Race was eventually removed from the market. This was definitely not the end of gaming but it also was not the end criticism. The gaming industry obeyed the critic's requests and opened into 80's with "less representational, more kid-friendly games, such as Pac-Man and Donkey-Kong" (Controversy). As video games bec... ... video games showed better visual skills than those who didn't" (USA Today). Researchers have also found that the subjects who played video games "were better able to keep track of objects appearing simultaneously and processed fast-changing visual information more efficiently" (USA Today). Video games have made it a long way from when they first started. Some games actually teach children how to read, write, and even count. Teenagers also state that a little gaming after school actually helps take some stress off from classes and the overload of homework. Video games are a fast growing form of technology. This issue has to be discussed because of the two confronting sides that embark it. Because of the issue video games have to either continue growing as they are or they have to be stopped completely or a settlement between the two parties has to be reached.

Globalization and cultural diversity Essay

The forces of globalization are actually encouraging creation and promotion of cultural diversity to avoid enclosing oneself in a boring single type of culture. Today the products of cultural diversity in the global world are universally enjoyed by all peope. The arguments given by prominent critics like Thomas Freidman shows that there is no dominant culture under global jurisdiction though the aspect of globalization is derived from the American culture. In economic sector firms in company have attempted to sell their products in abroad nations without necessarily affecting the culture in their homeland. In the process the countries involved benefit by buying of ideas and materials from each other and shape them to suite their culture. Cultural diversity has helped a lot in borrowing of good aspects which steer growth in the country engaged in trade. Globalization has led to cultural diversity where life is conceptualized as composed of four issues which include dedication to learning, contribution to the society and family, reflection on what has been learned and then conceptualize it spiritually. Globalization has been driven about by forces of trade and capitalization in pursuit and economic development in home country, which in turn yields good paying jobs or improved living standards. There is curiosity among young people who wishes to know more and more about life in the global world to accept and be accepted and to be informed more of what they really don’t know. In the process of globalization, it is also evident that our cultural ethnic and societal diversities are put to the extreme ends because we want to perceive a unipolar vision of the world around us (http://www. newint. org/issue172/keynote. htm). Background information about Unilever Company Unilever is a multinational corporation formed to offer the greatest percentage of consumer products in form of foods beverages cleaning agents and other personal care products. This company has created job opportunities to more than 180,000 people in the whole world. Although in each branch there is a manager, Unilever Company has the same directors and effectively operate as a single business. Currently the chairman of Unilever Company and affiliate companies is Michael treschow, with Patrick Cescan being the group chief executive. Its products are sold widely in the whole world and their shares are listed on the world’s stock exchange markets (http://www. amazon. co. uk/review/product/1403944539? showViewpoints=1). The creation of Unilever Company is traced back in the year 1930 through merging of two companies, that is, British soap maker lever brothers and Dutch margarine producer which became as a palm oil company and maintained the importation of both margarine and soaps in large quantities. Its new ventures were launched in Latin America. Unilever Company grew bigger and purchased many companies which were in the line with the products which they were purchasing. In the year 1996, Unilever bought Helen Curtis industries which gave it a high boost as a powerful company in United States shampoo and deodorant market. In 2000 the company absorbed American businesses, best foods hence strengthening their ties in the market in North America and extended its food brands. Today the company has opened many branches in different countries and has continued to grow widely in the market industry. Recently the company has started a five year vitality company initiative to improve the products in maturity stage which are declining in terms of their sale in the market. Today unilever has ventured in various fields including agricultural sector and tea products. In the year 2008 it was honored at 59th annual technology and engineering. Emmy awards for outstanding achievement in advanced media because of creative nature of giving interactive commercial advertising delivered through digital set up top boxes for its programs axes (http://www. newint. org/issue172/keynote. htm). Corporate governance Unilever has a body and chief executive headed by Patrick cescan which is supposed to steer the organization towards maximization of profit and improve the image of the company like any other profit making organization. Unilever Company is engaged in making sure that it operates at its lowest costs and earning the highest revenue. Unilever Company has got also a chairman who is the head of all the brands in the company. There are also other officers including managers in different brands. Still in its jurisdiction there are other staff officers who are concerned with the welfare of the company in larger community. Today the company owns about 400 brands which are found in local countries which fall in the category of food and beverages home and personal care which are almost found in the whole world. Cultural diversity in the unilever company Just like any other multinational company unilever company uses aggressive policies to market their goods which is reflected in the public image. It prefers to remain largely anonymous hiding behind the hundreds of brand names and products they sell. Unilever uses television and other prominent Medias to advertise their products so that people can get to know their presence. Unilever Company has element of destroying cultural diversity and make the world more uniform. The tactics used in making profits include centralization of production and sell the same products across the nation boundary. Regardless of whom you are whether an African American Indian unilever has greatly improved the world’s tastes and their goods are replacing the organization in different countries who find rough to compete with Unilever products. The effects of unilever company on the worlds economy are experienced in south ail London when it closed it closed its branches whereby many employees we’ve rendered jobless hence the is a tragic outcome Multicultural societies across the border face a formidable political task to turn racial religious and tribal differences into strength . even in the countries experiencing strong political wrangles and clashes that has been recorded a high rate of promotion and cultural diversity. Some of the multinational companies which have established good ties sin the economic sector like IBM, GE and unilever use cultural diversity as one of their key elements in success in business are aimed at finding means and ways of harmonizing it (http://www. kmtalk. net/article. php? story=20070103041059823). One of the most important aspect of globalization is ability to boost economy in third world countries by investors from developed countries investing in those developing ones. unilever companies has developed various packs in their products which are marketed in different countries. The marketing of these products helps the government in the state to earn revenue from the abroad countries. For instance unilever has developed a program called Trumbull tax abatements which has managed to pull off several major changes of its own in different countries. One of its major changes is to boost financial position in local services. The Trumbulls boost up the local property tax by bringing expansion in the continent city. Unilever has also put numerous knowledge management initiatives in place across the border. This is meant to identify new opportunities for investment by first considering the market structure and consumer needs in every state. Unilever Company has put in place a communication strategy in personal, informal and more structured in organizational level. For the purpose of ensuring community success Unilever Company through knowledge management group. (CMG) has put in place a more formal frame work to help ensure the effective and efficient operation of the firm’s communities of practice. The community framework in unilever advocates for certain principles within which the company coops operates in order to ensure added advantage to the business value. The principles under which it works can be classified into four. This includes deliverable people operations and leverage. To strike the difference between communities of practice is defined around knowledge domain and this is where the company laid its production basis strategy. The identified deliverables should contribute to the expected results. The deliverables can be knowledge wise, Such as improved insights, training program and good practice. While business deliverables can be specific innovations, safety improvements and the like in the business (http://www. amazon. co. uk/review/product/1403944539? showViewpoints=). The people pillar concerns about roles and responsibilities of the cop members to the communities. They are experts who are recognized as such both inside community. They should effectively represent both the geographical and local versus cooperate resources. There are also activists who are supposed to continually review the roles of community for the members to fill. The people pillars address the other stakeholders and sponsors apart from the community who are necessary to validate resources for the members. The operation pillar is centered on community functions. This forms a platform for free expression of members to effectively express themselves every group is free to set its rules itself. The organization has also developed guidelines for activist training. This training is aimed at creating awareness of the importance of the community in building understanding of cooperative activities. The training offers knowledge on communities practice and ways of sustaining these communities. Unilever organization has recognized the effects of its products on to people and the diversity in cultural background. They place people at the centre of the business and everything they do. The organization has also majored a lot in the area of environmental and society growth especially in agricultural sector nutritional hygiene and personal care on the production in creation which care of different tastes and preferences and also in the sector of science and technology in making their products. Having recognized customer income differences from different countries unilever has packaged their goods in different quantities to enable them reach all consumers in different income levels. Unilever has been also received critics from different countries due to harm caused by their production either through consummation or advertisement. For example in India unilever has been accused of climbing contaminated toxic mercury in tourist sites and the surrounding . protected nature reserve and pambar ,shola in timilnadu and southern India this spills from the industry leads to health hazards which inturn can cause a lot of health problems (http://www. newint. org/issue172/keynote. htm). In UK it has been accused of misleading advertisement on cholesterol lowering margarine and flora proactive. this has a lot of negative impacts on the linage of the company when it failed to do so. All in all unilever has got advanced communication channels and is always to change from the accusation put on it. Multicultural societies across the border face a formidable political task to turn racial religious and tribal differences into strength even in the countries experiencing strong political wrangles and clashes that has been recorded a high rate of promotion and cultural diversity. One of the most important aspect of globalization is ability to boost economy in third world countries by investors from developed countries investing in those developing ones.unilever companies has developed various packs in their products which are marketed in different countries. References Information on Unilever Company, available at: http://www. newint. org/issue172/keynote. htm, accessed on July 10, 2008 Cultural diversity in the Unilever Company available at: http://www. amazon. co. uk/review/product/1403944539? showViewpoints=1, accessed on July 10, 2008 Cultural diversity and success in business, available at: http://www. kmtalk. net/article. php? story=20070103041059823, accessed on July 10, 2008

Supply Chain Management for Manufacturing Industry

The main objective is to know about the SCM of manufacturing industry to know we have analyses several topic are: †¢Supply chain is a network of all firms relationships that gat a product to market, including the original acquisition of raw materials; production of the item at a manufacturing facility; distribution to a retailer; sale of he finished item to the customer, and any installation, repair, or service activities that follow the sale. †¢ How to effectively manage the supply chain is a central issue for all levels of management, regardless of industry. †¢This workshop has been designed and tailored by Mr. Ejazur Rahman amassing his over a decade experience in working and managing the Supply chain function of a reputed global manufacturing and marketing organization. To know Successful supply chain management requires decisions.To know scm, competitive, sales and marketing strategies. Who should attend the programmed? Inventory management system of scm. How to a chieve excellence in scm. Supply Chain Management for Manufacturing Industry Supply chain management (SCM) is the oversight of materials, information, and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies.It is said that the ultimate goal of any effective supply chain management system is to reduce inventory (with the assumption that products are available when needed). As a solution for successful supply chain management, sophisticated software systems with Web interfaces are competing with Web-based application service providers (ASP) who promise to provide part or all of the SCM service for companies who rent their service. Supply chain management flows can be divided into three main flows: †¢The product flow †¢The information flow The finances flow The product flow includes the movement of goods from a supplier to a customer, as well as any customer returns or service needs.The information flow involves transmitting orders and updating the status of delivery. The financial flow consists of credit terms, payment schedules, and consignment and title ownership arrangements. †¢1. Supply Chain Management – What and Why? †¢2. Objectives of a Supply Chain †¢3. Decision Phases in a Supply Chain †¢4. Process Views of a Supply Chain †¢5. Supply Chain Performance : Achieving Strategic Fit 6. Drivers of Supply Chain Performance †¢7. Designing the Supply Chain Network †¢8. Demand and Supply Planning in a Supply Chain †¢9. Planning and Managing Inventory †¢10. Designing and Planning Transportation Networks †¢11. Achieving Supply Chain Excellence in a manufacturing/service organization 1) Supply chain management what? Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of prod uct and service packages required by end customers (Harland, 1996).Supply Chain Management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption (supply chain). – Supply chain management (SCM) is the oversight of materials, information, and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies.It is said that the ultimate goal of any effective supply chain management system is to reduce inventory (with the assumption that products are available when needed – Supply chain management (SCM) is the oversight of materials, information, and finances as they move in a process from supplier to manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer to consumer. Supply chain management involves coordinating and integrating these flows both within and among companies. It is said that the ultimate goal of any effective supply chain management system is to reduce inventory (with the assumption that products are available when needed).As a solution for successful supply chain management, sophisticated software systems with Web interfacervice for companies who rent their service. Why supply chain management The definition, put forward by an American professional association, is that Supply Chain Management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management activities. It also includes the crucial components of coordination and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers.In essence, Supply Chain Management integrates supply and demand management within and across companies. More recently, the loosely coupled, self-organizing network of businesses that cooperates to provide product and s ervice offerings has been called the Extended Enterprise. [1] Supply Chain Management can also refer to Supply chain management software which are tools or modules used in executing supply chain transactions, managing supplier relationships and controlling associated business processes.Supply chain event management (abbreviated as SCEM) is a consideration of all possible occurring events and factors that can cause a disruption in a supply chain. With SCEM possible scenarios can be created and solutions can be planned. functions Supply chain management is a cross-function approach to manage the movement of raw materials into an organization, certain aspects of the internal processing of materials into finished goods, and then the movement of finished goods out of the organization toward the end-consumer.As organizations strive to focus on core competencies and becoming more flexible, they have reduced their ownership of raw materials sources and distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other entities that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively. The effect is to increase the number of organizations involved in satisfying customer demand, while reducing management control of daily logistics operations. Less control and more supply chain partners led to the creation of supply chain management concepts.The purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, thus improving inventory visibility and improving inventory velocity. Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required to manage material movements across organizational and functional boundaries. SCOR is a supply chain management model promoted by the Supply Chain Council. Another model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF). Supply chain activities can be grouped into strategic, tactical, and operational levels of activities. Strategic Strategic network optimisation, including the number, location, and size of warehousing, distribution centers, and facilities †¢Strategic partnership with suppliers, distributors, and customers, creating communication channels for critical information and operational improvements such as cross docking, direct shipping, and third-party logistics †¢Product life cycle management, so that new and existing products can be optimally integrated into the supply chain and capacity management †¢Information Technology infrastructure, to support supply chain operations †¢Where-to-make and what-to-make-or-buy decisions Aligning overall organizational strategy with supply strategy Tactical †¢Sourcing contracts and other purchasing decisions. †¢Production decisions, including contracting, scheduling, and planning process definition. †¢Inventory decisions, including quantity, location, and quality of inventory. †¢Transportation strategy, including frequency, routes, and contra cting. †¢[Benchmarking] of all operations against competitors and implementation of best practices throughout the enterprise.†¢Milestone payments †¢Focus on customer demand. Operational Daily production and distribution planning, including all nodes in the supply chain. †¢Production scheduling for each manufacturing facility in the supply chain (minute by minute). †¢Demand planning and forecasting, coordinating the demand forecast of all customers and sharing the forecast with all suppliers. †¢Sourcing planning, including current inventory and forecast demand, in collaboration with all suppliers. †¢Inbound operations, including transportation from suppliers and receiving inventory. †¢Production operations, including the consumption of materials and flow of finished goods. Outbound operations, including all fulfillment activities, warehousing and transportation to customers. †¢Order promising, accounting for all constraints in the supply c hain, including all suppliers, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and other customers. 2)The Objective of a Supply Chain The objective of every supply chain is to maximize the overall value generated. The value a supply chain generates is the difference between what the final product is worth to the customer and the effort the supply chain expends in filling the customer’s request.For most commercial supply chains, value will be strongly correlated with supply chain profitability, the difference between the revenue generated from the customer and the overall cost across the supply chain. For example, a customer purchasing a computer from Dell pays $2,000, which represents the revenue the supply chain receives. Dell and other stages of the supply chain incur costs to convey information, produce components, store them, transport them, transfer funds, and so on.The difference between the $2,000 that the customer paid and the sum of all costs incurred by the supply c hain to produce and distribute the computer represents the supply chain profitability. Supply chain profitability is the total profit to be shared across all supply chain stages. The higher the supply chain profitability, the more successful the supply chain. Supply chain success should be measured in terms of supply chain profitability and not in terms of the profits at an individual stage. Having defined the success of a supply chain in terms of supply chain rofitability, the next logical step is to look for sources of revenue and cost. For any supply chain, there is only one source of revenue: the customer. At Wal-Mart, a customer purchasing detergent is the only one providing positive cash flow for the supply chain. All other cash flows are simply fund exchanges that occur within the supply chain given that different stages have different owners. When Wal-Mart pays its supplier, it is taking a portion of the funds the customer provides and passing that money on to the supplier. All flows of information, product, or funds generate costs within the supply chain.Thus, the appropriate management of these flows is a key to supply chain success. Supply chain management involves the management of flows between and among stage sin a supply chain to maximize total supply chain profitability. 3) Decision Phases In a Supply Chain Successful supply chain management requires many decisions relating to the flow of information, product, and funds. These decisions fall into three categories or phases, depending on the frequency of each decision and the time frame over which a decision phase has an impact. 1.Supply chain strategy or design: During this phase, a company decides how to structure the supply chain over the next several years. It decides what the chain’s configuration will be, how resources will be allocated, and what processes each stage will perform. Strategic decisions made by companies include the location and capacities of production and warehouse f acilities, the products to be manufactured or stored at various locations, the modes of transportation to be made available along different shipping legs, and the type of information system to be utilized.A firm must ensure that the supply chain configuration supports its strategic objectives during this phase. Dell’s decisions regarding the location and capacity of its manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and supply courses are all supply chain design or strategic decisions. Supply chain design decisions are typically made for the long term (a matter of years) and are very expensive to alter on short notice. Consequently, when companies make these decisions, they must take into account uncertainty in anticipated market conditions over the next few years. 2. Supply chain planning: For decisions made during his phase, the time frame considered is a quarter to a year. Therefore, the supply chain’s configuration determined in the strategic phase is fixed. The configurati on establishes constraints within which planning must be done. Companies start the planning phase with a forecast for the coming year (or a comparable time frame) of demand in different markets. Planning includes decisions regarding which markets will be supplied from which locations, the subcontracting of manufacturing, the inventory policies to be followed, and the timing and size of marketing promotions.Dell’s decisions regarding markets a given production facility will supply and target production quantities at different locations are classified as planning decisions. Planning establishes parameters within which a supply chain will function over a specified period of time. In the planning phase, companies must include uncertainty in demand, exchange rates, and competition over this time horizon in their decisions. Given a shorter time horizon and better forecasts than the design phase, companies in the planning phase try to incorporate any flexibility built into the suppl y chain in the design phase and exploit it to optimize performance.As a result of the planning phase, companies define a set of operating policies that govern short-term operations. 3. Supply chain operation: The time horizon here is weekly or daily, and during this phase companies make decisions regarding individual customer orders. At the operational level, supply chain configuration is considered fixed and planning policies are already defined. The goal of supply chain operations is to handle incoming customer orders in the best possible manner.During this phase, firms allocate inventory or production to individual orders, set a date that an order is to be filled, generate pick lists at a warehouse, allocate an order to a particular shipping mode and shipment, set delivery schedules of trucks, and place replenishment orders. Because operational decisions are being made in the short term (minutes, hours, or days), there is less uncertainty about demand information. Given the const raints established by the configuration and planning policies, the goal during the operation phase is to exploit the reduction of uncertainty and optimize performance.The design, planning, and operation of a supply chain have a strong impact on overall profitability and success. Continuing with our example, consider Dell Computer. In the early 1990s, Dell management began to focus on improving the improved performance. Both profitability and the stock price have soared and Dell stock has had outstanding returns over this period. 4)Supply Chain Process Platform The winners in fiercely competitive markets create agile and efficient business processes, supported by flexible, reliable and cost-effective technology.When your market position depends on your supply chain, you need processes and solutions that work together seamlessly to provide the information and automate the activities you need to operate most effectively. All of Manhattan Associates' solutions operate on a common Servic e Oriented Architecture (SOA) platform, to maximize the value of your technology investment. With Manhattan Associates' Supply Chain Process Platform, you can easily integrate any or all of our applications into your existing systems or add new solutions from our suite of products.That means dramatic reductions in complexity and faster implementation whenever you need new functionality. With shared master and transaction databases, data capture management (such as voice and RFID) and a real-time alert system that operates across all Manhattan Associates' solutions, the Supply Chain Process Platform provides a safeguard that flags any inconsistency in your data, ensuring a safe implementation and continued smooth operation. Our Supply Chain Process Platform offers flexibility, scalability and supportability to meet the requirements of the most complex supply chains for the most demanding companies.The Manhattan Supply Chain Process Platform: †¢Makes customizing your solutions to meet your business requirements easier than ever †¢Simplifies adding new functionalities or incorporating technical innovations †¢Provides a shared platform for collecting, managing, distributing and acting on information and events that flow through the supply chain †¢Ensures that solutions are robust, scalable, resilient and consistent across all components. Uniting the Platform Applications for Maximum ValueThe Supply Chain Process Platform provides a foundation for all Manhattan platform applications: †¢Supply Chain Intelligence: With easy-to-read reports presenting powerful analytics, you can monitor the performance of your suppliers, carriers, customers and employees from one intuitive dashboard. †¢Supply Chain Visibility: See a single, consistent, real-time view of your entire global supply chain. †¢Supply Chain Event Management: Receive notification of all supply chain events as they occur and respond immediately across your full supply chain. 5) Supply Chain Performance : Achieving Strategic Fit Competitive strategy: defines the set of customer needs a firm seeks to satisfy through its products and services ? Product development strategy: specifies the portfolio of new products that the company will try to develop ? Marketing and sales strategy: specifies how the market will be segmented and product positioned, priced, and promoted ? Supply chain strategy: – determines the nature of material procurement, transportation of materials, manufacture of product or creation of service, distribution of product –Consistency and support between supply chain strategy, competitive strategy, and other functional strategies is importantAchieving Strategic Fit(1/2) ? How is strategic fit achieved? ? Other issues affecting strategic fit How is Strategic Fit Achieved? ? Step 1: Understanding the customer and supply chain uncertainty ? Step 2: Understanding the supply chain ? Step 3: Achieving strategic fit Step 1: Understan ding the Customer and Supply Chain Uncertainty (1/3) ? Identify the needs of the customer segment being served ? Quantity of product needed in each lot ? Response time customers will tolerate ? Variety of products needed ? Service level required ? Price of the product ? Desired rate of innovation in the product Overall attribute of customer demand ? Demand uncertainty: uncertainty of customer demand for a product ? Implied demand uncertainty: resulting uncertainty for the supply chain given the portion of the demand the supply chain must handle and attributes the customer desires ? Implied demand uncertainty also related to customer needs and product attributes ? First step to strategic fit is to understand customers by mapping their demand on the implied uncertainty spectrum Step 2: Understanding the Supply Chain (1/2) ? How does the firm best meet demand? ? Dimension describing the supply chain is supply chain responsiveness Supply chain responsiveness — ability to – respond to wide ranges of quantities demanded –meet short lead times –handle a large variety of products –build highly innovative products –meet a very high service level ? There is a cost to achieving responsiveness ? Supply chain efficiency: cost of making and delivering the product to the customer ? Increasing responsiveness results in higher costs that lower efficiency ? Figure 2. 3: cost-responsiveness efficient frontier ? Figure 2. 4: supply chain responsiveness spectrum ? Second step to achieving strategic fit is to map the supply chain on the responsiveness spectrumStep 3: Achieving Strategic Fit ? Step is to ensure that what the supply chain does well is consistent with target customer’s needs Other Issues Affecting Strategic Fit ?Multiple products and customer segments ? Product life cycle ? Competitive changes over time 6)Drivers of Supply Chain Performance Supply chains are becoming increasingly global and ever more complex, as organiza tions try to support strategic management practices such as entering new markets, increasing the pace of new product introductions, improving the reliability and speed of order fulfillment . . . all the while trying to lower supply chain costs.For organizations to work closely with their suppliers, logistics providers, distributors and retailers, their supply chains must be streamlined and technology-enabled. However, organizations that want to streamline their supply chains must first understand what is working well, what is not and where the opportunities for improvement are. These companies need to have a way to measure the performance of their supply chain on an ongoing basis. Traditional approaches of measuring supply chain performance — scorecards, dashboards and reports showing supply chain metrics — suffer from three shortcomings: 1) They are not linked to strategy. ) They have a silo approach. 3) They have a flat hierarchy. Let's examine each of these shortcom ings more closely. They are not linked to strategy. It can be difficult to see how a supply chain metric affects your overall objectives. If the metric is trending in the wrong direction, which aspect of your supply chain strategy will be affected? Without a framework that links each metric to a certain element of strategy, the context behind a metric can get lost. When such context is missing, it becomes a challenge for organizations (large ones in particular) to get everyone to see the common vision.Next-generation Supply Chain Performance Management (SCPM) systems will need to be able to show the link between any metric and the element of strategy it impacts. They have a silo approach. Current supply chain analytics solutions do a good job of showing the performance of metrics for individual departments, such as cost per unit purchased, percentage of on-time supplier shipment for the procurement department, or set-up times, capacity utilization and percentage of scrap for the pla nt.However, this type of silo approach sacrifices the overall process and end goals in the interest of improving the performance of an individual department. As a result, functional silos are reinforced within the organization. The key is to measure the performance of overall business process in such a way that poor performance of a departmental metric could be overlooked in the interest of increasing the overall business process performance. To achieve this, next-generation Supply Chain Performance Management systems will need to do more than show departmental metrics – they need to have a process orientation. They have a flat hierarchy.The metrics that help you measure the overall performance of your supply chain are not standalone — they are related to each other, sometimes in a hierarchical fashion. Such relationships help you drill down and better understand root cause more effectively. For example, if a hierarchical relationship were developed between outbound sh ipment cost metric and those metrics that affect shipment costs, your system will tell you that outbound shipment costs are trending up despite the carrier rates trending down due to lower fuel costs, because your express freight shipments in a certain division are up significantly month over month.However, most current supply chain analytics have no way to define such relationships. Next-generation Supply Chain Performance Management systems of tomorrow will need to be able to define and show relationships between metrics. What supply chain performance management systems must include All these issues need to be addressed by next-generation Supply Chain Performance Management systems. Such systems should include three capabilities: an analytics framework; a process orientation; and linkages. Analytics framework.The ideal SCPM system should allow a user to define a complete framework for supply chain analytics. This framework should include: †¢overall supply chain objectives; â € ¢the top-line metrics that affect the objective; †¢the description, targets and acceptable range for each metric; and †¢a list of reports where the metric can be found. 7. Designing the Supply Chain Network Overview In today’s volatile business environment, many companies are expanding, merging, contracting, or otherwise redesigning their supply chain networks.Here learner applications of optimization models to the analysis of these network design problems. Modeling concepts are reviewed as well as practical methods for data gathering and validation, model implementation, and scenario construction. New applications will be presented including network design models to plan for new products, to manage production and inventories of products with short shelf lives, to select vendor contracts, and to control CO2 emissions. Several case studies will be presented along with discussions of network design problems faced by course attendees.Who Should Attend This program is intended for: †¢Managers and analysts responsible for network design decision-making †¢Managers and analysts responsible for acquiring or developing, and applying data-driven modeling systems to support network design decision-making †¢Consultants who direct or participate in network design studies †¢Academics who teach supply chain subjects to students in management and engineering Participants will not need advanced analytical skills to fully absorb material presented in the program. )DEMAND AND SUPPLY PLANNING IN SCM SCM facechallenges to people at manufacturing companies who need to gauge customer demand and respond to changes in demand, even when they take place at a moment's notice. Manufacturers' responsiveness and agility in the areas of sales and operations planning (S;OP) and demand management—the two major parts of supply chain planning—are still hampered by cumbersome, static processes. Common problems include: †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Lack of r eal-time, robust, and actionable data. †¢Lack of integration among financial, operating, sales, and marketing plans. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Inability of people to share information and documents. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Poor analytical capabilities and collaborative planning environments. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Lack of alert and monitoring capabilities. Solutions Supply Chain Demand and Supply Planning solutions from Microsoft and its partner ecosystem help manufacturers change the way they manage their supply chains to become more demand-driven, adaptive, and responsive.By improving people's visibility into customer demand and supplier capabilities, these solutions create an environment that enables real-time decisions about manufacturing activity, which can lower inventory while improving customer service. Demand management solutions offer real-time demand management business processes, delivered with an integrated business intelligence and collaboration framework, to empower people with collaboration a nd analytic capabilities.Sales and operations planning (S&OP) solutions, which include connected systems, process workflows, event management, and live communication, offer collaboration, analysis, integration, workflow, and monitoring functionality throughout all phases of a manufacturer's S;OP workflow—beginning with the baseline forecast created by people in the manufacturer's sales and marketing departments, all the way through the forecast for a specific customer, the creation of a consensus forecast, supply planning, resolution and exception processes, approval and budgeting, sales allocations, order promising, and communication with the manufacturer's production facilities. Infor Supply Chain Management is a global solution with implementations at over 1,600 customer sites in 40 countries. Backed by domain experts who know supply chain management and the challenges you face, our supply chain planning and execution solutions comprise the following key components: Strate gic Network Design —modeling and optimization tools for determining the most effective number, location, size, and capacity of facilities to meet customer service goals; time-phased tactical planning for determining where and when to make, buy, store, and move product through the network.Demand Planning —forecasting tools, web-based collaboration interface, and sales and operations reporting and metrics that help companies predict and shape customer demand with greater accuracy. Distribution Planning —inventory analysis and time-variable stock target calculations for ensuring the optimal balance between service levels and inventory investment; synchronized replenishment plans for all network points right back to manufacturing and supplier sources for better visibility. Manufacturing Planning —constraint-based advanced planning system for engineering, assembly, and repetitive manufacturing environments; similar tools for process manufacturers. Production S cheduling —finite capacity scheduling for engineering, assembly, and repetitive environments, as well as batch-process production facilities.Transportation and Logistics Planning —transportation planning, transportation procurement, route planning, transportation management, small parcel shipping, and international trade logistics for global, multi-modal operations. Warehouse Management System —end-to-end fulfillment and distribution including inventory, labor, and work and task management, as well as cross-docking, value-added services, yard management, multiple inventory ownership and billing/invoicing, and voice-directed distribution. RFID —comprehensive RFID-enablement framework delivering business value through process optimization for manufacturers and other companies, as well as compliance solutions for retail, pharmaceuticals, the US Department of Defense, and others.Event Management —proactive, real-time exception management technology for detecting conditional change anywhere in the supply chain and communicating it instantly for resolution. 9)Planning and managing inventory By Curt Barry Inventory is most likely the largest balance sheet asset in your company. How well you plan, purchase, and manage your inventory largely determines your level of customer service and profits. But selling goods in multiple channels means dealing with channel-specific planning and inventory needs. Planning and inventory systems In most companies, the systems for merchandise planning and inventory control remain highly fragmented by channel.For promotional planning, many multichannel companies need to be more diligent and use a single promotional calendar rather than channel-specific schedules on which merchandise planning is based. These should include in-store promotions, catalogs, and e-mail campaigns. Internet inventory management philosophies are slowly evolving in most companies. Traditional catalogers now average more than 50% of sales from the Internet, although much of that business is generated by receipt of the catalog. Products may be active and available longer if there is stock. What sells online is heavily influenced by placement on landing pages and organization and ranking within category product searches.The online product assortment can be more extensive than that in a single catalog. Internet may have a total chain assortment different from any one store or region. The Website may have a clearance or liquidation aspect. These principles of planning and managing inventory are not industry established best practices, but are being hammered out in the trenches every day. From a purchasing perspective, companies are rolling multiple channel plans and forecasts together into a single purchase order management system to write Pos. When will there be true integrated systems for planning and inventory systems? For most companies, not any time soon. Retail and direct channels have different data needs and processes.It will probably be a few years before commercial software companies that cater to retail and direct have the most basic of systems in place. MICROS Retail, Direct Tech, and Manhattan Associates all have development projects to bring channels together in terms of planning and inventory systems. Channel Inventory – a distribution view With all the complexities of planning and inventory control, how are distribution centers accommodating the channels? When multichannel marketing was in its infancy more than a decade ago, the prevalent thinking was to have a single DC that would process both direct and retail replenishment orders. There would be one pooled inventory, one staff and one facility — end of discussion. But logistics thinking is changing.But to accomplish this, they have the additional overhead of multiple facilities and staffing, and their warehouse management and order management must be capable of managing multiple inventories and allocating a nd filling orders. As e-commerce in retail companies has grown substantially, logistics management has come to realize that picking, packing, and shipping of small orders is very different from full-carton replenishment to stores. With large volumes it may prove to be more efficient to have dedicated centers for direct. Another of the real drivers behind this shift is the realization that without having separate sales and stock plans, there is no accountability by business units to make their sales plans.So if the first unit to allocate inventory gets the stock, then there may not be inventory for later drops of a catalog, e-mail campaigns, initial stocks to open stores, etc. Other companies use a â€Å"virtual inventory† concept, not in the sense of drop-shipping, but of the inventory system being able to keep planned sales by product and SKU by channel, and being able to reserve inventory for the channel business unit. Importing’s effect Where we source product is al so changing how we can plan and manage it. Much of the multichannel world relies on imported product. Even if you buy from a domestic distributor, chances are that merchandise is imported.Additionally, companies may not be looking at a fully loaded product cost including agent's/broker's fees, demurrage, duty rate, product development costs, and buyer's travel. Couple that with warehouse storage space requirements for container size receipts and the inventory carrying costs. All of this leads to higher inventory and carrying costs and slower turnover. What to do about it? †¢Use mixed container loading, where appropriate. †¢Weigh the increase in per unit cost to take smaller quantities. †¢Move the entire merchandise and creative planning calendar for promotions back and do each season earlier (no easy task). †¢Challenge merchants to look Stateside to try to get the product with smaller quantities, or to develop product in the U. S. and later roll it out off-shore if it sells. †¢Tackle the issue of ccounting for all the product costs to be sure you have an accurate, fully loaded cost and sufficient initial markup without being overstocked. Liquidating overstocks Inventory that doesn't sell and liquidation are two dreaded aspects to merchandising. Because you have to take in larger imported orders and distribute to more channels, you need a cost effective strategy for in-season liquidation and clearance. In a cost-based system it's hard to determine how much gross margin is lost in marking down retail prices. Our experience is that it may represent 2% to 4% of net sales at least. What to do about it? †¢Develop a liquidation strategy. Options include clearance catalogs, Web specials, bind-in or package inserts, sales pages, and telephone offers. Develop a report showing candidates for liquidation based on rate of sale. †¢Develop an age of inventory report that will age products in time brackets (30 days, etc. ) to stay on top of inventory. transportation, importing, retail versus direct packaging, technology used in the supply chain and DCs, etc. All this necessitates setting standards with vendors so that you aren't working on an exception basis with every one. Vendor compliance and supply chain In most multichannel businesses the size of the product assortment and vendor base have grown dramatically. Supply chains have become increasingly complex with modes of vendor compliance is at the heart of efficient supply chain management.Routing inbound shipments to reduce costs and scheduling inbound appointments can help speed product flow through the DC, significantly helping in turn to reduce inventory levels. Automating the supply chain through advanced shipping notifications (ASNs), RFID, and cross-docking to stores can go a long way toward reducing costs, but these cannot be implemented without a comprehensive vendor compliance policy. Start small by communicating your company vision, the need for on-time delivery, routing guides, inbound dock standards like carton labeling, product specifications, accounting and paperwork requirements, contact list, and the costs of back orders. Begin a charge-back policy and implement it with your largest vendors.Later, you can add other items that are typically included, such as service level standards, packaging, labeling, case labeling, valued and value-added services, logistical requirements, scheduling appointments, cross-docking and direct-to-store requirements, charge back for non-compliance, etc. The trend is to push compliance back up the supply chain. This means as many value-added services as possible — packaging, marking, quality inspections — performed by vendors or merchant reps in factories. Catching errors at the source and using source-based services speeds inventory flow, and any such issues are cheaper to deal with in the vendor's environment. 10)ACHIEVING SCM EXCELLENCE A new survey reveals what separates manufactu ring industry leaders from laggards IT HAS BEEN several years since a comprehensive and independent survey of the state of supply chain management (SCM) in the paper manufacturing industry has been carried out.A lot has happened both in the industry and in the field of SCM during this time. Moderator Consulting carried out an extensive survey during July-October 2005 to see where we stand today. Altogether 11 European paper companies participated in the survey, which covered issues such as SCM strategy, process and management models, reporting systems, managing customer relationships, efficient operations, people and supporting systems and future plans. The respondents covered all the main product groups in nine European countries. The results of individual companies were obviously kept strictly confidential. Common terminology and definitions were used in the survey to ensure common understanding of the questions and issues.The results provide a good cross-section of the industry p erformance and challenges. Besides being a major cost and working capital factor, SCM can also be considered a source of significant competitive edge. Some of the findings are listed below. 1. Nearly half the respondents still need to develop more robust SCM strategies. While all companies said they have an SCM strategy, the content, communication and integration into overall business strategy in many cases leaves much to be desired. For instance, some companies had no logistics provider strategy or did not include development of cost factors. 2. The industry has clearly been moving toward a more integrated management structure.Most SCM-related decisions, such as strategy, demand planning and vendor and location management are nowadays made at corporate / business area levels, with sales companies and mills mostly in an execution role (Figure 1). However, even though management structures are more integrated, several companies have yet to adopt more of a process approach, with the p rocesses and their ownerships defined. Systems for monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) seem nowadays to be at a reasonably good level in nearly all the respondent companies. 3. The outsourcing process appears to be complete. The dominant logistics management mode is nowadays clearly â€Å"preferred partnerships† – on average 60%, and covering the whole infrastructure.Interestingly although â€Å"preferred partnerships† was stated as the dominant transport mode, respondents still had between 50 and 100 regular haulage â€Å"partners† in use on average. This may indicate room for some further consolidation. IT systems management is the exception to the outsourcing rule: very few companies have outsourced this aspect of their operations. 4. Many companies still need to segment their customers and define corresponding service levels for each customer or customer group. This may mean that these companies are offering the same service, such as dedicate d stocks or a 24 hr/ single pallet delivery – with corresponding costs – to all or most of their customers.This can hardly be optimal from a cost-to-serve viewpoint, unless price supplements are enforced. However, customers rarely accept such surcharges nowadays. 5. Surprisingly few customers participate in the demand planning processes (only five to 10 on average). Participation in this context means active involvement and, considering the industry's forecasting challenges this may offer an improvement in some industry segments. Transaction automation with customers and logistics providers also offers big potential: only 10-20% and 50% respectively said they currently transact electronically. More standardization is needed. 6. Most companies seem quite satisfied with their IT systems.On a scale of one (very dissatisfied) to five (very satisfied), a clear majority of the companies gave a mark of four for most of their systems, such as mill execution, sales and distribu tion and data warehousing. The substantial investments in IT systems over recent years appear to have paid off in a number of cases. 7. Most companies were satisfied with both the number and caliber of their SCM personnel. Main training requirements were focused on customer relations issues. 8. Future development needs to be carefully planned. As generic future goals, most respondents stated that their main focuses are on cost and inventory reductions, as well as on improving customer service. Improved internal integration and process management was also listed as a priority generic target.However, these may be conflicting targets, unless planned carefully. More specifically, the respondents were asked to prioritize a list of 14 specific SCM initiatives provided, based on their planned implementation in the next three years initiatives included issues such as RFID, vendor managed inventory (VMI), activity based costing, harmonization of IT infrastructure, e-commmerce with logistics providers and offering outsourcing capabilities to customers. The clear â€Å"winners† were VMI, e-commerce projects and collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) following close behind. These are huge undertakings with significant risks, resource and planning requirements.However, the companies that successfully implement them would take their supply chain to an entirely new level of sophistication, responsiveness, efficiency and transparency. Finally,The industry has been moving toward a more integrated and customer-centric management approach. Industry and customer consolidation are the most likely reasons for this. IT systems and performance monitoring finally appear to be in good shape in most companies. This is a good basis for future development, even though many companies revealed some worrying weaknesses in a number of critical areas and are clearly lagging behind the leaders. The leading companies – based on this survey – can best be characterized as having a clear, comprehensive and well-communicated SCM strategy.They also have an integrated management structure and KPI monitoring in place; processes are defined in detail; service/cost tradeoffs are optimized; logistics partners are managed efficiently; they have implemented wellfunctioning IT systems; and have competent and well trained people, all of which are reflected also in their costs and performance. Is this just good, basic management? Easy to say, much more difficult to accomplish in real life! Furthermore, the leaders have ambitious plans for the future – especially in areas involving their customers. These companies are clearly outperforming their peers and they are well positioned to increase their competitive edge by efficiently and intelligently serving their customers.

Functions of Management Paper †MGT 330

Functions of Management Paper - MGT 330 Free Online Research Papers When I think about Management, I think of it as setting clear goals, planning the most effective path to achieve these goals and tasks, dividing work and having strong skills in motivating others, and having a clear standard to successfully achieve the best in each work segment. When setting goals, a manager needs to be someone who can use specific methods to work with his or her organization to successfully achieve the goals. There are four basic functions of management that one should use in order to successfully achieve his or her goals; planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. These functions are the basis of all careers. They can be implemented no matter who is setting the goals; from small, personally owned businesses to larger corporations. Within the career field I have chosen, these functions have proven to be extremely valuable in achieving the goals that I have set forth in the workplace. Planning is one of the most important of the four functions in management. To be a successful manager one has to show strong planning skills. According to (Bateman Snell, 2009), planning is specifying goals to be achieved and deciding, in advance, the appropriate actions needed to achieve those goals. The company that I am employed with, Regions Bank, formally AmSouth Bank, has been in operation for many years and is consistently planning to achieve long and short term goals. Regions Bank is a company that bases its achievements on planning out different marketing strategies for providing new innovative products to its customers. Planning new marketing techniques is the key to a successful business. The second function in management is organizing. According to (Dessler Starke, 2004), organizing is based on arranging the activities of an enterprise in such a way that they systematically contribute to the goals of that enterprise. In most companies people tend to believe that organization is more of a human resource function, but in the banking industry organization it is vital that direct supervisors are making good use of this function as well. Being in the position of a direct supervisor, it has been my duty to allocate resources and make sure that there are job duties set out in order to define individual roles. In addition to defining individual roles, I also develop and administer specific training courses to keep employees on track and keep them wanting to work together with each other in teams. In order to outline the goals of success in the workplace, the work that is set for individuals has to be organized. By keeping the work environment in an organized manner, employe e moral stays high and it keeps everyone looking forward to succeeding. Regions Bank would not have succeeded and grown into the institution that it is today without having a high degree of organization. Leading is the third function of management. Without having someone there to lead or guide an individual or group then there would not be any motivation to want to reach a potential goal. Motivating and encouraging employees is an essential part of operating the company. If employees have a good work environment they tend to be more productive and make the company more profitable by becoming involved. As a leader, I have constant daily contact with employees by using all available communication tools. This gives me the ability to provide direction to individuals as well as within teams, departments, and divisions. I believe that having good communication only builds a stronger bond between an employee and his or her supervisor. Not only are there going to be stronger bonds, but the supervisor will then gain more trust in his or her employees which will, in turn, give the employees more motivation to follow in their leaders footsteps. Controlling is the last of the four functions in management. Controlling is not just knowing what an individual is doing, but setting standards that need to be followed to accomplish a specific goal. Control is the process of monitoring activities to ensure that they are being accomplished as planned and corrected without significant deviations (Robbins Coulter, pg.38). In trying to monitor my employees, I have to stay as focused as possible on the activities being done. I have found that if a manager is not monitoring the progress within his or her department then they will not be aware of the changes that may need to be made. After having discussed the four functions in management, I believe that they all play a very important role in having a successful team and organization. There will always be room for improvement with everyone in the company. With the use of the four functions in management; planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, I believe that top, middle, and bottom management will be able to work together and keep the company motivated to achieve a desired set goals. In keeping a monitoring system in effect, it will also be easier to keep everyone on the same track to success. By having the knowledge and ability to implement the four management functions discussed above, every business has the ability to achieve any set of goals. References Bateman, Thomas S., Snell, Scott A. (2009). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World (8th ed.). , : McGraw-Hill. Dessler, Gary., Starke, Frederick. (2004). Management: Principles and Practice for Tomorrows Leaders (2nd ed.). , : Pearson Educations, Inc. Robbins, Stephen P., Coulter, Mary. (pg. 38). Available from kimba.ku.ac.th/research/Organization%20and%20Management.pdf. 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PEZ essays

PEZ essays PEZ and PEZ dispensers can be found in over 60 countries around the world! This year marks the 50th anniversary of the well-loved candy. The wordPEZ? derives from the German wordPhefferminz? which means quite simply, peppermints. They shortened the name to PEZ taking the first, middle, and last letter of the word to simplify it and keep the name easy to remember. Yes, that's right the original PEZ candies were compressed peppermints, an adult mint made to help quit smoking, and naturally, the first dispenser looked much like a cigarette lighter. A candy man named Edward Haas III first invented them in 1927 in Vienna, Austria. In 1948 they started making PEZ in a neweasy, hygienic dispenser? that we all recognize today as a regular PEZ dispenser. In 1952 Edward Haas brought his idea to America and did extensive research with his products and the way children had grown attached to them. They then placed heads on the dispensers and marketed them for children. The first dispensers with heads were a robot, Popeye, and Santa. It was in that year that the first fruit flavored PEZ was introduced. The first flavors were cherry, lemon, orange, and strawberry. Currently the United States flavors are orange, lemon, strawberry, and grape. Until a few years ago there was no grape, but it replaced cherry, which the candy company thought reminded children of cough syrup. However cherry PEZ is still available in Canada. In Spain they sell apple and raspberry flavored PEZ, and in Hungry or Thailand they have chocolate! Another rare PEZ flavor was calledKosher? which was designed to comply with Jewish dietary laws. Some other long gone PEZ flavors include chlorophyll, cinnamon, coffee, eucalyptus, flower, licorice, menthol, lime, IZO (vitamin enriched), and anise. These flavors weren't popular enough when introduced to keep producing them. In 1973 PEZ then built their United States plant that is located in Orange, Ct and in 1...

7 Ways to Determine the Person to Provide You with Professional Academic Writing

7 Ways to Determine the Person to Provide You with Professional Academic Writing 7 Ways to Determine the Person to Provide You with Professional Academic Writing The life of a student can be overwhelming. Suddenly, you have more tasks to do, and less time to for them. You haven’t been getting enough sleep and you’ve been neglecting social time with friends. You’ve finally decided that it’s time to hire a professional writer to help you with your academic paper. Unfortunately, you may find that seeking out and hiring the right professional writer is almost as much work as writing the paper yourself! The Internet turns up pages of results when you are looking for a professional academic writer. You’re probably wondering how you can narrow them down. And how do you know which ones are reputable, and which will just take your money and supply you with a low-quality work? We’re here to make this task easier for you. Here are the things that you need to look at while seeking out someone to help you with professional academic writing. 1. A College Degree It’s not hard to post something online that declares you as a professional writer. Anyone can do that. And while a college degree does not automatically mean that someone is a good writer, you do want someone who is well versed in the requirements of academia and can prove that he/she has already mastered them. 2. Certifications Most professional writers have engaged in some kind of advanced coursework or have taken on challenges that resulted in awards or certificates. Don’t hesitate to ask candidates whether they have any of these. 3. Samples There is no more genuine proof of what a writer can do than actual samples of his/her works. It’s easy for anyone to tell you what they have accomplished, but more impressive if they can actually show them to you. 4. Curiosity Always ask the candidate whether they have any questions due to the job. If they don’t, that should be a red flag. A candidate who has no thoughts or ideas about the project probably sees it as nothing more than a quick way to make a few bucks. You want someone who actually cares about the work and asks questions to determine how to accomplish it. 5. Ability to Meet Deadlines Let’s face it: you’re hiring the person purposely because you have some difficulties meeting your deadlines. If they can’t accomplish this most basic requirement, nothing else really matters. If possible, talk to other clients of this particular writer and find out how timely he/she is in completing tasks. 6. Guaranteed Originality It’s easy to copy something from a website or use a paper that was previously used by another student. Hey, you could even do that yourself. But, with the prevalence of plagiarism detecting software, you can’t afford this kind of rookie mistake. Make sure that your candidate can guarantee 100% original work. 7. Clear and Fair Payment Terms The terms of your contract should be clearly stated up front. There should be no ambiguity about the deadlines or the price. Verify how the writer expects to be paid: by the hour, by the word, or by the essay? You must clearly understand his terms so you won’t get any surprises. Also be wary of writers who demand that you pay them before they have done any work. Payment should be rendered only after you get tangible results. Take these as your guide, and there is no doubt that you will find a writer who can be a great support to you.

The Relationship Between Authoritarian Rules and Economic Growth in Essay

The Relationship Between Authoritarian Rules and Economic Growth in Russia and China - Essay Example On the other hand, Russia’s incoherent ideological range tries to mix statism, market liberalism, and its ethnocentrism, which might further be compounded by weak elite commitment, unlikely to change because of deeply entrenched weak institutions and patron-client relationships. Whether authoritarian communism would one day result in a credible option to capital tolerant democracy depends on the regime’s ability or its failure to develop a clear mission and a unique self image in the form of discrete regime ideology to lead its foreign policies and development paths (Fuh-sheng 378). Democratization weakens authoritarianism through presenting a clear alternative. Quick economic development in China shows that democracy could deliver the economic and social outcomes desired by a majority of citizens. Presently, china contradicts much of the relationship between democratization and economic development. A measure of democracy is realized in China’s small social unit that is the humble village. The democratization was approved by the communist party of in an attempt to improve the political rule of the vast number of villages in the country. The poor villagers seem to move from rural to urban centers and therefore have limited interest in improving the villages’ governance. Conversely, many rich villages are run smoothly, giving a good reason such as not paying taxation so that they can continue supporting incumbents (Fuh-sheng 379). This means that village democratization is uneven and mostly concentrated in the middle class villages. Collective economy has only grown in these villages at the same time with democratization. The two support each other and also are a central role in village autonomy. It is thus logical to argue that both China’s limitation of democracy and the general insufficiency of democracy confound the relationship between democratization and economic growth. Communism emphasizes on class struggle, vanguard pa rty, and elimination of private property. The prospects of democratization for idealists include pressure for change in the local scene and in international norms, economic development, and liberalization felt by citizens as leaders promise some hope in the future although there is no firm schedule followed. On the other hand, pessimists argue that economic growth strengthens dictatorship and therefore political liberalization is limited. To pessimists, democracy is not the only option, and this is the reason why the Russian public is disillusioned with democracy. The views of democratization are important for the quest for liberty and freedom by the citizens of China and Russia (Wong 154). Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, this country has 5recognized only one form of regime; Mao’s comparatively conventional communism, which emphasized on class struggle and isolation. During post-communism or after the death of Mao, Deng Xiaoping came up with a mar ket-based communism which had Chinese characteristics. Several significant differences are stemming up between Deng’s and Mao’s economic systems after Mao refused to implement the kind of capitalism that were permitted by Deng in his later years, yet it is thriving China. Both the authoritarian rulers

Current topics in HR Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Current topics in HR - Research Paper Example which was concerned with the installation of an appropriate course of action for trying and certifying hour and wage class judgments, made the process of class certification more accurate. The court recommended that a feasible trial plan should be set up, which should give equal contemplation to both the existing class issues along with those issues that would be practiced with managerial efficiency while respecting the rights of the employers (Crain and Kim 7-8). The plan would also sanction presenting evidences by the employer, which were pertinent to the subjects of both damages and liabilities. It must also permit the employers to formulate the use of confirmatory defenses towards the class as a whole or mainly some members belonging to the class (Jones Day Publications, â€Å"California Supreme Court Ruling to Make Class Certification Process More Rigorous†). This case came under the Supreme Court’s judgment, fought by Henry Jong, an outpatient pharmacy manager for Kaiser against the company. The manager claimed that he had owed unpaid overtime that had been earned from the suspected â€Å"off-the-clock† hours, which either the company knew or was supposed to know that Jong had worked. In his statement, the manager testified that he was aware of the policy that mentioned compensation of payment for all worked hours of Kaiser and also that he was recognizable with Kaiser’s rules of timekeeping and time recording system. Jong however agreed that he had signed a deed named â€Å"Attestation Form for Hourly Managers and Supervisors – Working Off-the-Clock not allowed†. The manager disclosed the fact that he did not knew if anybody in the Kaiser’s organization was aware that he was working off-the-clock. Finally, Jong submitted that he had rang an alarm code data from his pharmacy that was cross refer enced from his time records, which indicated that he had disarmed the alarm before the actual time, which he reported to begin his work. The subordinate trial

The Maastricht Treaty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Maastricht Treaty - Essay Example The treaty, according to Europa (2007) came about as a result of the impetus provided by the collapse in communism in Eastern Europe and the reunification of Germany. It caused Europeans leaders to feel that they should reassert themselves once more on the international scene. Internally also, there was the feeling that the timing was right to capitalize on the gains made by the Single European Act, by adding more reforms (Europa, 2007). In order to qualify for membership in the Union, two sets of requirements referred to as convergences and stability criteria, has to be achieved in their respective economies of prospective applicants, and the attainment will ensure the European Union achieve and maintain an optical currency area, according to Euro Economics (2009). Inflation was high on the convergence and stability agenda, as applicants were mandated to have no more than 1.5% above the lowest three members of the union. This performance enables all members to have similar monetary policies and prevents the development of asymmetric shocks within the financial operating system (Euro Economics, 2009). In terms of the deficit, the Maastricht Treaty requires prospective Member States incur a maximum of 3% of their GDP, while for the debt load they had report figures below 60% of the Gross Development Product, according to Euro Economics, (2009).

Student's Post Week 1 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Student's Post Week 1 - Research Paper Example Your post does not however seem to identify or compare characteristics of the practices and environments (Dlabay, Scott and Scott, 2010). I therefore think that you did not identify the exact objective of the discussion. I like your post’s concept about the United States’ reliance on foreign human resource. You also identify the concept of wage difference that encourages people to emigrate from their native countries into the United States for better wages. Based on your concepts, I identify two business environments that distinguish the United States from the international set up. The health care business environment in the United States lacks sufficient human resource for service delivery while its remuneration rates are relatively higher than rates in some segments of the international set up and this offers the nation a comparative advantage towards attracting human resource. Your experience therefore identifies sufficient knowledge of business operations and environment in both the United States and the international set up (Marber, 2007; Dlabay, Scott and Scott, 2010). Your proposed strategy to reconciling the different and contradictory views on globalization is valid, though it does not seem to be comprehensive. Researching on the views will only develop another knowledge base without significant impacts on the existing positions. This identifies the need for further initiatives and efforts for merging the views because of their respective opposition to each other. Reconciliation would also require a credible and analytical approach to merging the different opinions. I therefore believe that key parties to the different positions should be involved in the knowledge development and their hard lines determined before exploring long term and wide scoped impacts of globalization. The approach is likely to develop a central position but you only responded to one section of the discussion question

Emotions In Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emotions In Film - Essay Example Orientalism, as it was known by Napoleon, was based on just such knowledge – that is knowledge about the Orient projected upon it by the Western world. This idea of the Orient, as it was expressed among the Western scholars – overrode the true Orient. Observers entering the true Orient were already convinced of what they knew regarding an unchanging and already defined system, locking everything labeled Orient into a passive, unresisting object for study. Comparable linguistics were the basis for many of these assumptions (Said, 1979). This had, and continues to have, a negative effect upon the Western world’s perception, understanding and appreciation of a multitude of cultures that were erroneously grouped into a single identity. Philosophers continue to argue that reality, as it is presented within films and on tv, is not reflective of our ‘everyday’ reality, yet their arguments are based on water as there is as yet no true definition or conceptio n of what actual reality might be. In his book â€Å"What is Philosophy?† (1960), Jose Ortega y Gasset discusses several key defining aspects of philosophy, including a discussion regarding a definition of the focus of philosophy as a science. While earlier philosophers tended to identify philosophy by the tagline ‘the study of knowledge,’ Ortega points out that nowhere in these texts do any of the philosophers who came before him work to define what the empirical concept of knowledge is and therefore reach an understanding of what is ‘everyday reality.’ Although Ortega does not necessarily phrase his point in this exact terminology, his discussions regarding the nature of knowledge, the nature of science, and the nature of reality perception as it exists within the very human context of time make it abundantly clear that Ortega at least does not feel we will ever completely understand the world around us. To begin with, Ortega brings into clarity the idea that time

Motivation in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Motivation in the Workplace - Essay Example Motivation at the workplace changes depending on the atmosphere in the workplace. Employee motivation changes from time to time depending on the leadership structure, the changes in the workplace dynamics, the external environment, changes in culture and other similar aspects. As such, the focus of the essay is to evaluate some of the ways to induce and retain high motivation levels within various organizations.   Statement of the problem and sub problems   Motivation is modifiable from two primal aspects. One of the key ways through which the behavior can be modified is using intrinsic rewards, which appeal to human psychological needs. The use of intrinsic rewards is evident in appraisals, giving employees more challenging tasks, more responsibility, power, recognition and appreciation. Alternatively, extrinsic rewards can be used to achieve the same goal. For example, money, gifts, vacations and other similar rewards that are tangible or directly visible are effective ways to motivating employees.  Hypotheses   This study makes several unsupported truths that are require proof from the rest of the study. For instance, Motivation in the workplace is the driving force of the company that determines how industrious the company is in terms of the employees input. In addition that, the study builds in the confidence that motivation in the work place is initiated by the employer after understanding each employees potential and motivating in accordance to their uniqueness.

Emotions In Film Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emotions In Film - Essay Example Orientalism, as it was known by Napoleon, was based on just such knowledge – that is knowledge about the Orient projected upon it by the Western world. This idea of the Orient, as it was expressed among the Western scholars – overrode the true Orient. Observers entering the true Orient were already convinced of what they knew regarding an unchanging and already defined system, locking everything labeled Orient into a passive, unresisting object for study. Comparable linguistics were the basis for many of these assumptions (Said, 1979). This had, and continues to have, a negative effect upon the Western world’s perception, understanding and appreciation of a multitude of cultures that were erroneously grouped into a single identity. Philosophers continue to argue that reality, as it is presented within films and on tv, is not reflective of our ‘everyday’ reality, yet their arguments are based on water as there is as yet no true definition or conceptio n of what actual reality might be. In his book â€Å"What is Philosophy?† (1960), Jose Ortega y Gasset discusses several key defining aspects of philosophy, including a discussion regarding a definition of the focus of philosophy as a science. While earlier philosophers tended to identify philosophy by the tagline ‘the study of knowledge,’ Ortega points out that nowhere in these texts do any of the philosophers who came before him work to define what the empirical concept of knowledge is and therefore reach an understanding of what is ‘everyday reality.’ Although Ortega does not necessarily phrase his point in this exact terminology, his discussions regarding the nature of knowledge, the nature of science, and the nature of reality perception as it exists within the very human context of time make it abundantly clear that Ortega at least does not feel we will ever completely understand the world around us. To begin with, Ortega brings into clarity the idea that time

The Work of Discipleship Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Work of Discipleship - Research Paper Example Majorly, Christology bases on the Apostolic Age of the gospel that is during the days of the apostle Paul. The themes and ideas of Paul were built on the worship of Christ as Lord and Christ’s pre-existence, forming the epicenter of Christology. There have been arguments to the fact that there are several Christophany cases in the Old Testament and that the numerous biblical records account for the preexistence of Jesus Christ. In this aspect, the term Christophany is a term that is considered to be more appropriate as compared to the term Theophany because of the belief that God’s visible manifestations represent the pre-incarnation of Christ. 1There have been arguments pointing to the fact that the Old Testament’s records of the appearing of the Lord’s Angel were Christ’s pre-incarnate. The Angel of the Lord is understood by many to be a theophany that is true. Over the years, especially after the Apostolic Age, the early church was thrown into debates that often got politicized and fierce concerning issues that are interrelated in Christianity. Among the issues that were being debated was Christology, with the matter finding its way to the ecumenical councils as a contentious issue. These coun cils were dubbed as the Christological councils that base their focus on the teachings of the condemnation of interpretations that were incorrect regarding Jesus Christ’s life and works. St. Thomas Aquinas was the first to provide a systematic Christology in the 13th century. His view was instrumental in the resolution of a good number of issues that were there at that time. Aquinas in his Christology focused on the championing of the view of the perfection of the human attributes of Christ. Through the middle ages, there was the witnessing of the emergence of a different view of Christ as being a source of comfort and love and true living friend in addition to being the Lord. 2Modern Christology, therefore, seeks to

Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium Essay Example for Free

Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium Essay Figure 1 the center of gravity model According to the requirement from City Council Members, the weighted of important places (included the Population Center) had ranked in the table above. The highest weight mean the important of that location. Therefore, according to the center gravity model, the best result of the training stadium site is the red dot in the figure 1. 2) Weighted Scoring Model Table 2 Calculation of Weight Scoring Model (Considering the Cost) According to table, the best stadium site from all the candidate would be Site C, because the weighted score of Site C is the highest among all Sites. However, the weight ranked by the important of the issues in the future. On the other hand, the Site C does not include the Cost of the Land, because it is a wetland and preserve area, so that it is not fair to other sites, which they have the land cost. Therefore, I come up with the new Table that not consider the cost of the land. Table 3 Calculation of Weight Scoring Model (without Considering the Land Cost) Therefore, it turn out to be that the Site D has the best score among all the sites. PS: The minus sign means the value is negative because it is a cost. 3) Combine the result from Center of Gravity Model and Weight Scoring Model Accord to the answers from Figure1 and Table3, the best result would be the Stadium Site A because it in between the â€Å"Best Point† and the weight scoring is nearly the same as site-D 4) Final Recommendation According to these analysis and modeling, the best site would be the Site A  for two reasons. First, Site A is closed to two major Shopping Malls, which this could provide the jobs in the area and generate more revenue in the area. Second, it is very close to the Interstate 75 (I-75) which means it is very easy to access the stadium from the Airport and the stadium would be the new landmark for the city, because the stadium would huge enough for seeing from the I-75. However, the cost of the utility is highest among those sites, but for the long-run with revenue that generate from the long lease with Red Sox team, it is a guarantee that the revenue will cover all the cost and generate a really nice profit for the city. Therefore, Site A is the best suite for the new Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium that generate the better economic in the local businesses in the shopping malls and area around there and also created the new landmark for the city that is very easy to access from the interstate 75.