A Lessoned Learned the Hard Way

Throughout my high school career I was dependent on my parents and friends for a ride to school and it was a little embarrassing. I couldn’t wait to get my first car. I was nineteen a college woman with a steady job, and it was finally time for me to get the car I deserved. After a couple of very generous paychecks and a lot of penny pinching, I was ready to hit the lots and get some test driving under my belt. After a few agonizing days of financing, credit approvals and signing dotted lines, I was the happy owner of a new shiny, blue Nissan Altima coupe. Although my car was supposed to be used for work and school, other plans came first. I immediately had fun in mind! Driving was my new favorite thing to do even when there was nowhere to go, there was somewhere to go. Needed a ride? I was there. Wanted to go out? I’d be there in a heartbeat. It was Starbucks every night during the week with my girlfriends, and the endless club nights during the weekend. When I was behind the wheel I felt like â€Å"speed racer†. The windows defiantly had to be down with the sunroof open because I just loved the wind hitting my face and blowing my hair back. Everyone new I was coming a mile away with nothing but Britney Spears blasting out of my speakers. Although I should have focused on school and work, having a new car to take me where I wanted only made me carefree. Little did I know I was writing my own recipe for disaster? I had started hanging out with acquaintances that liked partying more, and one of my â€Å"party† friends Karla invited me to a bar and grill called Wings N Rings on a Tuesday night. When I arrived a good friend of mine was playing that night in his band, Holly Madison. It was open bar for the band and their friends, including me. A good time was all I had planned for and I saw no harm in having a drink or two, but shortly thereafter it led to a shot or two or three. I had no idea what I was drinking but I drank it. Being that I’m not a big drinker, the alcohol hit me, and it hit me bad. I thought I’d be okay since I went home after work and had a big dinner with my family. As I sat at the bar with my friends I slowly felt a burning sensation in my stomach and my body composure was basically â€Å"loosey gossey†. People started o notice that I was feeling â€Å"tipsy† when I began slurring my words. Oh man, I couldn’t talk right for the life of me! I remember everyone just thinking it was the funniest thing they ever heard, and it probably was. In the middle of cracking up with everyone, the room slowly started to have a domino effect. It was then when I realized that I had way too much to drink. I was 2:00am and the bartender announced â€Å"You don’t have to go home, but you have to get the heck out of here! † I tried convincing myself that I was okay to drive, didn’t say bye to anyone and walked to my car. As soon as I sat in the drivers seat I threw up chunks of chicken and red hot cheetos. I thought I felt better after threw up so I left the Wings N Rings parking lot. I was so sure I’d make it home since it was only one exit way from the bar. I put my car on cruise control after I left so I wouldn’t get pulled over for speeding. While I was on the expressway I started feeling drowsy, my eyelids became heavy and I started â€Å"bobble heading† because I was doing nothing but steering. The next thing I new I was waking up to deployed airbags, blood running down my left shoulder and a burn on my forearm. The smell of gasoline made me picture explosion and I opened the drivers’ door without hesitation. I fell to the ground, looked around and couldn’t believe what I had just done. My new car was completely totaled under the expressway. It wasn’t the time to think it was a time to act. â€Å"What the hell do I do now? † I asked myself. I quickly pushed up with both my arms to get up from the floor when my left arm gave out. My arm was dislocated, but since I was so upset I popped it back in without thinking twice and didn’t feel a thing. I walked to the Stripes gas station on the other side of the expressway and asked if I can use the phone. She handed me the phone and the first person I called was my mom that was just three blocks away. She answered in a groggy voice I told her what had happened and she hung up scared for my life. I had just made the biggest mistake of my young life and stared crying. Instead of staying put I walked back to the scene of the accident and while I was crossing back I saw flashing red and blue lights heading my way. A police car pulled up next to me under the expressway and asked, â€Å"Where are you heading miss? † I gave him a blank stare back and said nothing. He then noticed the mascara running down my face from crying and the blood on my arm and figured I was involved in the car wreck up the road. I noticed my mom’s truck on the other side of the road and ran to her. I had never seen her so upset. She shouted â€Å"Que chingados estabas haciendo mija? † meaning what the hell have you been doing daughter? My answer to her was â€Å"I fell asleep mom! I’m sorry! † as tears came flowing down my cheek. It was at this time that the officer made his way over to me ask me to blow into a gadget I had never seen before, that just so happened to be a breathalyzer. As soon as he told me what it was I pretended to blow as hard as I could, but blew down so it wouldn’t go straight into the breathalyzer. I never in my right mind thought this would work, but the officer was fooled and thought the breathalyzer wasn’t functioning right. Right after that he asked me if I had been drinking and I told him I hadn’t. He read me my rights, handcuffed me and put me in the back seat of the police car. Everything was so surreal.

Prison Abuse

Prison Abuse Americans all know that our prisons are the final frontier for the socially rejected criminals and violent offenders. Once they are convicted, prison is their new home. For which it can be five years or the rest of their lives until death. When the door closes behind them the rest of the world doesn’t matter. It is inside the prison that matters. Those of us who are outside the prison are unaware of what goes on in there, such as prisoner’s abuse. Violence within America’s correctional facilities has become an increasing problem in recent years. With the largest incarceration rate in the world, it is only expected that we face these problems. Unfortunately, it is the correctional staff face with these problems. With the rising of the prison population and the decline of the number of correctional staff, it is only inevitable that violence, within the world’s largest imprisoned population, increases in America’s prison systems. Prison violence is a real issue because people every year are convicted of many different crimes, some severe and some minor. Regardless of the crime committed, everyone in the prison and jail systems is vulnerable to prison violence. Society has even labeled these criminals â€Å"Animals† regardless of the crimes they committed. While they are in prison they are treated as â€Å"Animals†. Prison violence includes the abuse of both prisoners and the guards. This is a crucial problem here in America and we are unaware of it happening in our prisons. All of the prison violence that goes on leads inmates to be severely injured or end up dying from the beat down they receive. There are several articles that are on violence in our prison system. One article by Dan Frosch informs us of an inmate that refuses to follow the orders given to him by the guards in a Utah prison. As a result of his insolence they stripped him naked and tied him to a restraining chair for sixteen to twenty hours then released him to his cell in which he collapsed and died. An autopsy showed the inmate that goes by the name Michael Valent died from a blood clot that blocked an artery to his heart. This article featured in The Nation. Valent had died due to the fact that he was confined to the chair and could not move any part of his person for those sixteen hours when he was restrained: â€Å"The chilling incident made national news not only because it happened to be videotaped but also because Valent’s family successfully sued the State Of Utah and forced it to stop using the device† (Frosch). The guards who had done this to Michael Valent also had done the same to other inmates as well but they lived or the abuse was never recorded. It is likely that incidents like this have happened around America but never been reported or made public knowledge. In some cases the prisoners do not speak out about what is happening to them fearing the consequences from the guards or fellow inmates. Another incident of prisoner abuse was a thirty-seven year old inmate strangled a fellow inmate who is a former priest to death. He was given no protection whatsoever. A former priest who was put in prison for either a minor crime shared a cell with a prisoner who killed someone. The only logical question is whether the law enforcement system inside these prisons or jails goes downhill once the criminals are put behind bars? Should the incarcerated be punished severely by the men that watch over them? Do the guards have a right to use sheer force on these men who haven’t done anything particularly wrong inside prison? Why don’t the guards prevent or stop other inmates from fighting amongst themselves. As we have seen the violence in America’s prisons has gone from bad to worse. There is no way to stop it. There needs to be a solution to this crisis that will not fail at all and will stay solid throughout the years that will not falter what so ever. A solution will protect inmates from the danger that lies within those walls. Works Citied Frosch, Dan. â€Å"Exporting America’s Prison Problems. † TheNation. com, May 12, 2004. Web. 12 Nov. 2009. http://www. thenation. com/doc/20040524/frosch Seabrook, Norman. â€Å"Prison Violence on the Rise. † BNET. USA Today Magazine, 25 Sept. 2005. Web. November 17, 2009. http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2724_134/ai_n15380394/pg_1 Chapman, Stephan. â€Å"The Prisoner’s Dilemma. † New Republic 8 March, 1980, Print.

An Analysis of Project Networks as Resource Planning Tools

| Following is an analysis of project networks as resource planning tools. The analysis will be segmented into three topical areas to include: * Risks associated with leveling resources, compressing, or crashing projects, and imposed durations or â€Å"catch-up† as the project is being implemented; * Advantages and disadvantages for reducing project scope to accelerate a project and what can be done to reduce the disadvantages * Three options for reducing project duration and advantages and disadvantages to these options Risks Associated with Leveling Resources, Compressing, or Crashing Projects, and Imposed Durations or â€Å"Catch-Up† The text (Gray and Larson, 2008) gives good definitions for the risks associated with certain actions used to offset resource constraints. The act or process of evening out â€Å"resource demand by delaying noncritical activities (using slack) to lower peak demand† (Gray and Larson, 2008) is considered leveling resources. This action ultimately increases the resource utilization, which is more than likely the desired result. Even though one may get the desired results resource-wise, leveling resources often results in pushing out the end-date of a project. In most cases, that is the extreme outcome. Another risk that bears its head when slack is reduced, is loss of flexibility which equates to an increase in critical activities. Without slack anywhere in a project network, ALL activities become critical. This means that everything has to fall perfectly in place in order to stay on the prescribed timeline. Compressing a schedule means that you will be conducting project activities in parallel. Compressing is not applicable to all project activities. A good example can be seen if you have activities labeled â€Å"Hire Workers† and â€Å"Dig Foundation†. You can’t implement the â€Å"Hire Workers† and â€Å"Dig Foundation† activities in parallel because to dig a foundation you need to have someone to do the digging. (brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0ongX7ECF, 20 May 2010). Risks of compressing include: * Increases risk of rework * Increases communications challenges, and may * Require more resources Crashing a schedule involves allocating more resources so that an activity can be completed on time or before time, assuming that by deploying more resources the activity can be completed earlier. One good aspect about crashing a schedule (just like compressing), you do not need to crash all activities. The activities that impact the schedule are those with no slack, thus being the only ones that are affected. Risks associated with this action are as follows: â€Å"Budget: Since you allocated more resources, you will not deliver the project on-budget. Demoralization: Existing resources may get demoralized by the increase in people to complete activities that were originally assigned to them. Coordination: More resources translates to an increase in communication challenges† (brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0onfuKUmj, 20 May 2010). These risks combined or by themselves can ultimately pose the overall risk of reducing the effectiveness of the existing resources. Advantages and Disadvantages for Reducing Project Scope to Accelerate a Project and what can be Done to Reduce the Disadvantages Reducing the scope of the project can lead to big savings both in time and costs. It typically means the elimination of certain tasks. At the same time scaling down the scope may reduce the value of the project such that it is no longer worthwhile or fails to meet critical success factors. An advantage to reducing project scope is the project is more likely to stay on schedule and on budget. It also allows for more focus being applied to the remaining deliverables in the project scope. A disadvantage that may arise is loss of quality in work due to key quality deliverables selected to be cut in order to balance the timeline of the project. The key to offsetting the disadvantages is â€Å"reassessing the project requirements to determine which are essential and which are optional. This requires the active involvement of all key stakeholders. More intense re-examination of requirements may actually improve the value of the project by getting it done more quickly and for a lower cost. † (just answer. com 21 May 2010) Three Options for Reducing Project Duration and Advantages and Disadvantages to these Options Reducing the duration a project can be managed by reducing the duration of an activity/activities almost always results in higher direct cost. When the duration of a critical activity is reduced, the project’s critical path can be change with other activities and that new path will determine the new project completion date. Following are three options to reducing project duration. Adding Resources: This is a popular method to reduce project time by assigning additional staff and equipment to activities-if it is assessed appropriately. The activities at hand need to be researched accordingly and proper determinations of how much time will be saved prior to just throwing bodies at it. The first thing that comes to mind when you add resources is â€Å"double the resources, reduce the length of the project in half. The unforeseen disadvantage that arises is the increase in the amount of time that an existing team member must spend in explaining what has been done already and what is planned. This increases the overall communication time spent by the team which phenomenally ends up adding/losing valuable time. Outsourcing Project work: A common method for shortening the project time is to subcontract an activity. The subcontract may have access to superior technology or expertise that will accelerate the completion of the activity (Gray and Larson, 2008). Additionally, significant cost reduction, and flexibility can be gained when a company outsources (Gray and Larson, 2008). Disadvantages that may be experienced are conflict due to contrasting interpersonal interactions and internal morale issues if the work has normally been done in-house (Gray and Larson, 2008). Scheduling Overtime: The easiest way to add more labor to a project is not to add more people, but to schedule overtime. The www. businesslink. gov outlines potential advantages of using overtime working include: * a more flexible workforce * the ability to deal with bottlenecks, busy periods, cover of absences and  staff shortages without the need to recruit extra staff * increased earning for employees * avoidance of disruption to jobs where the workload is more difficult to share,  e. g. ransport and driving * the ability to carry out  repair and maintenance which has to be done outside normal working hours However, disadvantages may include: * the expense of premium overtime rates * inefficiency if employees slacken their pace of work in order to qualify for overtime * regular long wo rking hours, which  can adversely affect employees’ work, health and home lives * fatigue, which  may increase absence levels and lead to unsafe working practices * employee expectations of overtime, leading to resentment and inflexibility if you try to withdraw it. (businesslink. gov, 22 May 2010) Conclusion Usage and availability of resources are essential considerations when establishing Project Networks in Resource Planning. This analysis has focused on some of the risks of certain actions used to offset resource constraints, advantages/disadvantages for reducing project scope, and options/advantages/disadvantages for reducing project duration. If implemented correctly, careful consideration of the outlined risks will make managing a project a little less painless. References Brighthub. com. Difference Between Schedule Crashing and Compressing, Retrieved 20 May, 2010 http://www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0onfuKUmj Brighthub. com. When to Crash or Compress a Schedule, Retrieved 20 May 2010 http://www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0onfuKUmj Read also: Conveyor Belt Project An Analysis of Project Networks as Resource Planning Tools | Following is an analysis of project networks as resource planning tools. The analysis will be segmented into three topical areas to include: * Risks associated with leveling resources, compressing, or crashing projects, and imposed durations or â€Å"catch-up† as the project is being implemented; * Advantages and disadvantages for reducing project scope to accelerate a project and what can be done to reduce the disadvantages * Three options for reducing project duration and advantages and disadvantages to these options Risks Associated with Leveling Resources, Compressing, or Crashing Projects, and Imposed Durations or â€Å"Catch-Up† The text (Gray and Larson, 2008) gives good definitions for the risks associated with certain actions used to offset resource constraints. The act or process of evening out â€Å"resource demand by delaying noncritical activities (using slack) to lower peak demand† (Gray and Larson, 2008) is considered leveling resources. This action ultimately increases the resource utilization, which is more than likely the desired result. Even though one may get the desired results resource-wise, leveling resources often results in pushing out the end-date of a project. In most cases, that is the extreme outcome. Another risk that bears its head when slack is reduced, is loss of flexibility which equates to an increase in critical activities. Without slack anywhere in a project network, ALL activities become critical. This means that everything has to fall perfectly in place in order to stay on the prescribed timeline. Compressing a schedule means that you will be conducting project activities in parallel. Compressing is not applicable to all project activities. A good example can be seen if you have activities labeled â€Å"Hire Workers† and â€Å"Dig Foundation†. You can’t implement the â€Å"Hire Workers† and â€Å"Dig Foundation† activities in parallel because to dig a foundation you need to have someone to do the digging. (brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0ongX7ECF, 20 May 2010). Risks of compressing include: * Increases risk of rework * Increases communications challenges, and may * Require more resources Crashing a schedule involves allocating more resources so that an activity can be completed on time or before time, assuming that by deploying more resources the activity can be completed earlier. One good aspect about crashing a schedule (just like compressing), you do not need to crash all activities. The activities that impact the schedule are those with no slack, thus being the only ones that are affected. Risks associated with this action are as follows: â€Å"Budget: Since you allocated more resources, you will not deliver the project on-budget. Demoralization: Existing resources may get demoralized by the increase in people to complete activities that were originally assigned to them. Coordination: More resources translates to an increase in communication challenges† (brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0onfuKUmj, 20 May 2010). These risks combined or by themselves can ultimately pose the overall risk of reducing the effectiveness of the existing resources. Advantages and Disadvantages for Reducing Project Scope to Accelerate a Project and what can be Done to Reduce the Disadvantages Reducing the scope of the project can lead to big savings both in time and costs. It typically means the elimination of certain tasks. At the same time scaling down the scope may reduce the value of the project such that it is no longer worthwhile or fails to meet critical success factors. An advantage to reducing project scope is the project is more likely to stay on schedule and on budget. It also allows for more focus being applied to the remaining deliverables in the project scope. A disadvantage that may arise is loss of quality in work due to key quality deliverables selected to be cut in order to balance the timeline of the project. The key to offsetting the disadvantages is â€Å"reassessing the project requirements to determine which are essential and which are optional. This requires the active involvement of all key stakeholders. More intense re-examination of requirements may actually improve the value of the project by getting it done more quickly and for a lower cost. † (just answer. com 21 May 2010) Three Options for Reducing Project Duration and Advantages and Disadvantages to these Options Reducing the duration a project can be managed by reducing the duration of an activity/activities almost always results in higher direct cost. When the duration of a critical activity is reduced, the project’s critical path can be change with other activities and that new path will determine the new project completion date. Following are three options to reducing project duration. Adding Resources: This is a popular method to reduce project time by assigning additional staff and equipment to activities-if it is assessed appropriately. The activities at hand need to be researched accordingly and proper determinations of how much time will be saved prior to just throwing bodies at it. The first thing that comes to mind when you add resources is â€Å"double the resources, reduce the length of the project in half. The unforeseen disadvantage that arises is the increase in the amount of time that an existing team member must spend in explaining what has been done already and what is planned. This increases the overall communication time spent by the team which phenomenally ends up adding/losing valuable time. Outsourcing Project work: A common method for shortening the project time is to subcontract an activity. The subcontract may have access to superior technology or expertise that will accelerate the completion of the activity (Gray and Larson, 2008). Additionally, significant cost reduction, and flexibility can be gained when a company outsources (Gray and Larson, 2008). Disadvantages that may be experienced are conflict due to contrasting interpersonal interactions and internal morale issues if the work has normally been done in-house (Gray and Larson, 2008). Scheduling Overtime: The easiest way to add more labor to a project is not to add more people, but to schedule overtime. The www. businesslink. gov outlines potential advantages of using overtime working include: * a more flexible workforce * the ability to deal with bottlenecks, busy periods, cover of absences and  staff shortages without the need to recruit extra staff * increased earning for employees * avoidance of disruption to jobs where the workload is more difficult to share,  e. g. ransport and driving * the ability to carry out  repair and maintenance which has to be done outside normal working hours However, disadvantages may include: * the expense of premium overtime rates * inefficiency if employees slacken their pace of work in order to qualify for overtime * regular long wo rking hours, which  can adversely affect employees’ work, health and home lives * fatigue, which  may increase absence levels and lead to unsafe working practices * employee expectations of overtime, leading to resentment and inflexibility if you try to withdraw it. (businesslink. gov, 22 May 2010) Conclusion Usage and availability of resources are essential considerations when establishing Project Networks in Resource Planning. This analysis has focused on some of the risks of certain actions used to offset resource constraints, advantages/disadvantages for reducing project scope, and options/advantages/disadvantages for reducing project duration. If implemented correctly, careful consideration of the outlined risks will make managing a project a little less painless. References Brighthub. com. Difference Between Schedule Crashing and Compressing, Retrieved 20 May, 2010 http://www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0onfuKUmj Brighthub. com. When to Crash or Compress a Schedule, Retrieved 20 May 2010 http://www. brighthub. com/office/project-management/articles/51684. aspx#ixzz0onfuKUmj Read also: Conveyor Belt Project

Human Resource Management take home exam (various topics) Essay

Human Resource Management take home exam (various topics) - Essay Example In IT industry, the human element plays a major part in the overall success of the industry. "There must be effective management of human resources - there must be an effective personnel function" (Ulrich, Lake, 1990). HRM systems can be the source of organizational capabilities that allow firms to learn and capitalize on new opportunities especially in IT industry which operates in rapidly changing environment. While innovations in high technology often receive the greatest publicity, advances have been made in many fields and at many levels of Information Technology. Some theorists argue that HRM is used to exploit workers in order to achieve strategic goals. It is possible to agree and disagree with this view because much depends upon the conception employed by the researchers. Speaking about IT industry it is possible to say that HRM can be identified as an element or support concept of the industry. In many organizations, including IT sector, human resources is very much part of the productive process and will be a task function. For example, in the IT industry many members of the workforce are seen as being involved in achieving the objectives of the organization creating a new product or service. In this case, people are part of the finished product for which the customer is paying. Customer satisfaction is likely to be affected as much by the courtesy, helpfulness and personal qualities of the staff as by the standard of services provided. This places particular importance on the managerial function which manipulates workforce to achieve o rganizational tasks (Tyson, 1997). Training, as investment in people, is also a form of manipulation. Training requires the co-operation of managers, adequate finance and resources, time, skilled staff and a supporting appraisal system: from top management and throughout all levels of the organization. Most programs of IT development are designed in accordance with the culture and specific requirements of the particular segment of IT industry or department, and the demands of particular managerial jobs. There should be a clear development policy together with regular reviews of individual performance and a program of career progression. All the forms mentioned above explain manipulation of HR through HRM systems as the inevitable part of management. The overall purpose of HRM can be seen as manipulation as well as it aims to ensure that the organization is able to achieve success through people. "HRM systems can be the source of organizational capabilities that allow firms to learn and capitalize on new opportunities" (Campbell, 1997). On the other hand, it is possible to say that training of IT personnel for its own sake achieves little. Training must be real and rewarding. The rationale for strategic HRM within IT industry is also built on the idea of manipulation which means that people and organizations engage in basically consistent, value-maximizing calculations or adaptations within certain constraints and competitive advantage. The rational model works as follows: an employee has goals or objectives and has a payoff, utility, or preference function that permits that person to rank all possible alternative actions by the action's contribution to the desired goals. The IT organization is presented with and understands alternative courses of action. Each

Medicare in 1965 to the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 Essay

Medicare in 1965 to the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 - Essay Example The current stakeholders view healthcare as justice and health, unlike the then stakeholders who saw it from a social standpoint. Finally, the current stakeholders have made more positive changes to enhance an efficient healthcare. The politics have changed since the endorsement from John Kennedy in 1965. By now health care has been transformed to find a common ground with private health care providers. During the first session of Congress, Affordable Health Care bill was passed. The bill had been introduced back on October 29, 2009. The similarity between the current stakeholders and the then stakeholders is that they both wanted a better healthcare to their people. The Affordable health care is different from the Medicare and Medicaid in the sense that Affordable care has provided more nurses to take care of the rising number of patients. One of the lessons learned is that, the issues we are facing today can be solved by employing more nurses to take care of the rising number of patients. Health care should never be politicized but should remain as a health issue. In conclusions, Affordable Healthcare has revolutionized the health care industry for American people. More people can afford better healthcare, at a very low cost rate compare to the earlier available options. Emanuel, E. (2014). Reinventing American health care: how the Affordable Care Act will improve our terribly complex, blatantly unjust, outrageously expensive, grossly inefficient, error prone system. New York: Public

Food Banks and the Need for Help with Food Banks around the World Essay

Food Banks and the Need for Help with Food Banks around the World - Essay Example Increasing unemployment, low incomes, and high domestic food prices have also contributed significantly to the problem. However, FAO (2009) indicated that the major cause of hunger crisis is â€Å"under-investment in agriculture and rural development.† Mucha (2010) quotes the United Nation’s chief food honcho as saying, "If people go hungry today it is not because the world is not producing enough food but because it is not produced in the countries where 70 percent of the world's poor live and whose livelihoods depend on farming activities.† He further noted that the challenge is not only to solve the current hunger problem but also to ensure adequate food supply for the future world population. FAO (2009) noted that to achieve this height, it requires combined efforts of governments, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), companies, people, families, and aid organizations. Therefore, in an effort to alleviate the situation, increased human participation is requi red. This paper looks into the voluntary services and their importance in alleviating the hunger problem around the world. It also probes on the importance of food banks in solving the hunger problem and the reasons behind their increase. The paper goes a step further to analyze the importance of poverty and its relationship with food insecurity. The article also gives statistical evidence of the current situation. Volunteer services Volunteerism is considered as the selfless act of giving one’s life to a worth course without expecting compensation in return. Volunteering is defined as the altruistic action aimed at improving the quality of life of other people as well their welfare. However, people offer voluntary services for other reasons social purposes i.e. to meet other people, to develop their own skills, as an entry route to employment or just to have fun. Volunteerism brings about a sense of self-worth and self-satisfaction. Xu and Ngai (2011) argued that volunteeris m especially at grassroots level can bid different organizations together and thus develop a civil society aimed at achieving a certain goal. This is an essential aspect especially in respect to world hunger problem. According to Meier & Stutzer (2004), volunteerism is self-satisfying. They argue that serving other people increases the happiness of a person. Smith (2000) who observed helping others as a means to increased well-being also echoed this. He said, â€Å"Concern for our own happiness recommends to us the virtue of prudence: concern for that of other people†. Meier & Stutzer (2004) argued that an individual’s well-being is positively affected by volunteering because of two reasons i.e. intrinsic motivation and extrinsic reward. Volunteers are internally satisfied by just helping other people since they require no material reward for motivation. Internal satisfaction comes about in three ways; care about the recipient’s utility, intrinsic work enjoyment and helping other people. According to Fehr and Schmidt, (2003), utility of people increases is other people are much better as a result of a volunteer’s work. In this contest, a volunteer becomes more satisfied by participating in feeding the hungry people. Furthermore, volunteers enjoy doing their work i.e. intrinsic work enjoyment. In this case, volunteering increases people’s sense of competence and self-determination (Deci and Ryan, 2000). In addition, people get

Proposing a Solution on Gas Prices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Proposing a Solution on Gas Prices - Essay Example We are currently in the middle of a similar crisis as the national price of gasoline is currently at $3.86 a gallon (Gasbuddy). Due to the problem Americans must find solutions to save money on gasoline. Issues The use of an automobile has become a social norm that many Americans are finding very hard to give up. An automobile gives a person a sense of freedom and it allows the user to be able to transport long distances in relative short periods of time. The normal driving speed in a highway is about 60 miles per hour. Due to the culture of driving is going to be hard to change the culture of America to give up driving. The cost of gasoline is on the rise. We have already reached very uncomfortable levels and the predictions are the prices are going to continue to rise. By the summer of 2012 the price of crude oil might reach $200 a barrel. The price of gasoline is going to continue to go up in the near future. Problem Statement The rise in the price of gasoline is an imminent threa t and the most likely scenario is that gasoline will continue to steadily increase every month through 2011. A problem statement that summarizes the problem is: Americans need to find long term solutions to reduce their dependency on gasoline. Alternative solutions An alternative solution to the problem could be finding a way to reduce the miles per gallon consumption of your current automobile. When cars are not well tuned their mpg rating can be reduced by 15% to 20%. Giving your car proper maintenance can help improve the efficiency of an automobile. A good tuned-up can do wonders to the mpg rating of a car. A second alternative solution is to lower the consumption of gasoline by changing your consumption patterns. Reducing the driving around and staying home more can help a family reduce their monthly gasoline expenses. Changing patters implies making life changes. A good way to lower the usage of gas is by car pooling to work with other colleagues. If five people get together a nd create a car pool system the five individuals could save about 75% in gasoline expenses related to their daily commute to work. A third alternative solution is to purchase a new energy efficient vehicle commonly referred to as a green car. There are two primary options which are to purchase a hybrid vehicle or to purchase a fully electric vehicle. A hybrid vehicle can give upwards of 40 miles per gallon. A unique model that is capable of greater mpg efficiency is the Chevy Volt. The Chevy volt has different driving modes one of them is capable of giving 230 miles per gallon. Nissan Corporation recently released an electric vehicle called the Nissan Leaf. The Nissan Leaf has a battery capable of driving a 100 miles range at speeds of up to 90 miles per gallon. Optimum solution The optimum solution selected to reduce the dependency Americans have on gasoline is to purchase a green vehicle. The alternative that truly enables a person to eliminate gasoline from their lives is to purc hase an electric vehicle such as the Nissan Leaf. The Nissan Leaf cost $32,780, but after tax savings the car has a net value of $25,280 (Nissanusa). The Leaf is an electric car which implies that if a person only used the Leaf to drive they would spend cero money on gas. Based on the average yearly driving of Americans of 15,000 miles per year at a price of $4 gallon a person could save upwards of $2,500 a year. The best way to implement this solution is to have a secondary car such as an old Nissan Sentra that gives a

Analysis from walden Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis from walden - Essay Example The moment we try to intrude our being’s reality and disrupt the ways of nature is the time when we fail ourselves and become unhappy. The chosen text â€Å"From Walden† by Henry David Thoreau has indeed brought up many interesting insights about life and nature and how both can perfectly co-exist to benefit each other. One of Thoreau’s ideas that totally capture a genius thought we could all make use of today would be how doctors would usually recommend the sick whose situation seems to not get better to change his or her surroundings. Though a happier and a more positive environment can uplift us, more importantly, it is better that we learn how to change our mindset and attitude towards something rather than to change the landscape we are in. As he says, â€Å"the universe is wider than our views of it† (Thoreau's Walden, Chapter 2. n,d.). It is us who needs to change ourselves as it is the only thing we can transform and not nature or destiny. Here, he directly states his point by highlighting a common reaction of human beings to problems which is a very effective tool for him to bend the knee-jerk thinking of people that the key to happiness is when situations we deem unnecessary or troublesome is not a part of life’s equation. â€Å"It is not worth the while to go round the world to count the cats in Zanzibar† is another strong line he used to back this up (Thoreau's Walden, Chapter 2. n,d.). ... Indeed, media has its way of making travel and tours play a big part in one’s life especially with the complexity of the real world everyone wants to get away from. However, it is wise to know that even after you have travelled to the most beautiful place in the world, you will still go back to the same problems you had. Indeed, a life-transforming travel does not have to involve one leaving home, instead is a constancy of being at peace with one’s soul. Another strong quote I came across the text would be â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived† (Thoreau's Walden, Chapter 2. n,d.). Here, he is trying to convey the significance of each person being able to find his or her own meaning of life. Thoreau teaches us that aside from focusing on being able to provide for our daily needs such as food, shelter, and clothing, which a lot of people today has been blinded of, focusing too much on work and succeeding to gain more, it is wise that we also take time to evaluate the quality of life that we now have. However, he emphasizes that inner fulfillment which should be the main goal for everyone can only be judged by each person to himself and no one else. â€Å"From Walden† by Henry David Thoreau is indeed a literary piece that talks about the realities of life and how to soar high while you’re at it instead of falling rock hard down. He used nature literally to explain how the world and humans are made by God and how we cannot do anything to change the fact that none of both are perfect. No matter what background or era one is born in, we all are going to go through troubles in one

((((3)))) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

((((3)))) - Essay Example Abigail aggressiveness proof that she has been involved with fighting with other children and she is also frequently punishment by her parents. Curbing Abigail situation has proven to ambiguous as whenever teacher tried to help her she would perceive that teacher is also finding ways of punishing her. This has made us to seek psychotherapist assistances For the teacher to achieve his intend goal he/she has to structure a cooperative task that will consider previous experiences of the children. Therefore, proof to ambiguous as the teacher will not be in better position to come up with cooperative task that will cover every child previous experiences Teachers can use Center Ticket to build Assessment decision that reflect age suitable in both content and the method of information collection and in achieving this teachers can share this information with families by seeking to know each child’s 1st and 2nd language, and also their prior experience at home. After visiting Colorin Colorado, I came to realize parents and teachers’ observation should be valued as source of effective assessment information. The new information I leant is that Parents and teachers involvements at assessing our learners help us to understanding the social and cognitive of children’s development, and this is vibrant at assisting the teacher develop a fair instruction method to all children including seeking to know each child’s 1st and 2nd

Cultural Diversity Presentation Essay Example for Free

Cultural Diversity Presentation Essay This presentation that I will be displaying is to demonstrate the schools, parents and teachers the importance of English language learners and to encourage all parents to get involved and be part of the school culture activities. The involvement is important in assisting students in the schools. Also these courses and affiliations to include families, parents are to value the support and raise the level of their participation, whereas students progress their accomplishment, way of thinking, and manners. Seeing as parent taking part is so significant, the presentation symbolizes a way to aid parents and to become more effective member in their children’s schooling, as well as maintaining their educational accomplishment, and support them to take the most thorough educational programs offered by their schools they go to. The three activities in which I will be displaying is based on the belief that actual parental participation schooling must present families useful guidance to brace their kid’s learning. Throughout these presentations, families will discover the choices and openings obtainable to students from all social factors and cultural groups and realistic approaches to persuade and encourage their kids as they take on the challenging school classes in elementary, middle or public high school. Goals: The major aims of the parent’s participation and training are to: 1. Improve teachers’ understanding of ideas to better intersect cultural interaction with families; 2. Improve family’s understanding on the advantages of parental participation in their kid’s education. 3. Present family with data about cultural diversity and the vital importance of their kid’s involvement in such program as this; 4. Make available to families certain ideas to assist their kids to sign up in cultural programs. Diversity and Cultural Contact Communication: Discovering and understanding more about each other and our students as associates of an exclusive cultural and verbal population is an essential idea of raising the value of interaction among educators, classmates, parents, and schools. Families who are not customary with the United States instructive academic procedure are confronted with extra disputes in their specific school participation. For example, families who were raised in different nations might act in a way steady with the means they were proposed to conduct in the lands where they were raised. In various nations/ethnicity, families are not likely to participate in the school learning activities other than assist with research and go to irregular celebrations. The American school method believes that families will take some accountability for their kid’s achievement in proper learning by fitting energetically drawn in with the school and assisting their kids. The probability is that families will be occupied not only with the obligation of homework but also with particular assignments and other linked interest. In several nations the task of the families and the task of the school are harshly outline and separated. Close relative have an important obligation to implant manner and correct conduct in their kids. It is the school’s task to implant educational understanding. Teachers may be alleged as possessing not only the accountability but also including the right to make all instructive choices about their learners. In adding together, numerous linguistically and settler families are not alert of their human rights and the dissimilar function that they can have in their own school structures. Once the parents of migrant youths have no comprehension of the learning procedure, they might sense that they are leaving behind their kids to the big, unfamiliar planet that their kids now fit in to, other than families do not. They might turn out to be puzzled, alarmed, and irritated. These arguments can generate a meaning of anguish and stress. Schools can assist parents in the course of shifting into the United States typical ethnicity by making them sense that they are wanted and worthy. While parents comprehend how they can maintain their kid’s schooling and once schools discover the means to lecture to and integrate these parents’ cultural offerings, every person gains. Activity 1 The participations of families Aim Activity one: Recommend families with information about the encouraging influence of parental participation. Estimated time involves: One hour and a half Supplies: Indicator Marker and White board Topic Number one: When families get concerned in their kid’s schooling. Your best course of action: Warm-up Activity number one (15 minutes): Previous to opening the activity make clear the specific grounds of this gathering. Then have every single close relative present him or herself and speak for a moment about his or her point of views of the value of teaching in their kids’ lives. Carry a Full Group Activity: Give a (15 minute). For a little time explaining the vital stages of family participation and the way in which they can encouragingly influence their kid’s schooling. Group Activity number one (30 minutes): Include close relatives to play a role in the next task. Split the close relatives into little groups of four. Request the families to consider the way in which they can help their children to perform better in school. Persuade them to give examples of ideas they presently use to help their kids. Include the group to take a public official and a host. Include every single group to list their own individual ideas on the white board. Make certain that the families believe and feel happy with these functions. But if required, you or a school spokesperson may need to assist them to proofread and offer their strategies. Group Activity number two (30 minutes): To track the action, asking families to go in return to their previous role and place their ideas in conditions of their usefulness. â€Å"Which of these ideas has been generally most victorious? † Include the group to rephrase the ideas in class society. When this activity is finished, include dissimilar groups to split their ideas. It is essential to allow the families to present their own individual grades. There are no right or incorrect answers. If families talk in dissimilar languages, attempt to have families who converse the identical language in the matching group to permit them to talk in their natural language if they desire. Also adding on, it is vital to have translators to assist affiliates of the group converse with one another if various affiliates of the group are not English skilled. Activity 2 Make a Change in your Kid’s Life! Aim Activity two: To give emphasis on the strength that parental might have in their kid’s educational lives when they get included. Estimated time involves: One hour and a half Supplies: Indicator Marker and White board Your best course of action: Carry a Full Group Activity: Give a (15 minute). To recite it out loud or you might have one of the close relatives read it to the group. Group Activity number one (30 minutes): Make it possible to facilitate a conversation between families. Offer and help to facilitate conversation on the inquiry: â€Å"like having you encountered similar related circumstances? What would you do or say? What was the response of your act? † Write down family’s answers on the white board. Group Activity number two (30 minutes): Split the group into little bunches. Request every single group to talk about the following inquiry: (A) what type of input or means of the school should you require to turn into a good supporter for your kid? Have the group write down their strategies on a single sheet of paper. Then share those thoughts with the whole group. Evaluating the answers to the inquiries – (15 minutes) Closing the comments – (15 minutes) The instructor will momentarily outline the ideas and the data presented to him or her from the groups and persuade the families to use the offerings and ideas to make certain that their assistance to their kids will be successful. Activity 3 Encouraging Your Kid’s School Accomplishment Aim Activity three: The aim of Activity three is to offer families truthful aims and actions that will allow them to support their kids to start setting up for university at a young age. Estimated time involves: One hour Supplies: Indicator Marker and White board Your best course of action: Carry a Full Group Activity: Give a (30 minute). To explain the importance and demands of a university and the difficult activities they may encounter. How to gain college credits in the period time there are in high school. What type of classes will assist them to be successful at a university and finish a degree? What guidance counselor they should speak to about workshops, financial aid document for students. Educators need to also explain to the parents about the amount time and work that their kids have to do and how they are being graded. Introductory Activity: Give a (30 minute). Welcoming an ex-former successful student to a meeting classroom to share his or her progress experiences in the university with present students which are also helpful. Expending families’ supportive and assistance is also very vital to students’ accomplishment. Together the parents and students ought to study about the significance of get ready for a university while in high school and the necessity of a college learning to accomplish a profitable career. Conclusion: Educators need to present families with necessary educational material on hand to support functioning school meetings and high educational prospects. We need to increase parent participation and expectations that way they can really and openly influence the progress of a stressed student. These classes are offered to parents as an important offering tool which is at their access. Educators need to supply the information, instruction guidelines and at home tactics. Families also need to work with their kids at home at a suitable time. If mutually families and educators play their task in this affiliation, they can develop a beneficial relationship where the child obtains the gains. This activity, which provides a cultural diverse program which can be utilized as a method of interaction between families and educator. The presentation provided as well the information and methods to families to allow them to become more concerned in their kid’s schooling. The presentation will determine the changes in families handling and insight of the activity establish on study and discussion. Reference: Syrja,R. C. (2011). How to reach and teach English Language Learners: Practical Strategies to ensure success. San Francisco,CA: Jossey-Bass. Increasing Student Achievement by Increasing parent Involvement By Dr. Cynthia fusilier Director of Curriculum New Brighton area School District http://www. slideshare. net/NBASD/parent-involvement-presentation Graves, S. L. (2007). Influences on preservice teachers beliefs about family involvement and cultural diversity: An exploration of mentoring relationships. (Order No. 3393768, The Pennsylvania State University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 233-n/a. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/304840371? accountid=32521. (304840371). Sturz, D. L. , Kleiner, B. H. (2005). Effective management of cultural diversity in a classroom setting. Equal Opportunities International, 24(5), 57-64. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/199537956? accountid=32521

Operation Management Report For Alton Towers

Operation Management Report For Alton Towers Introduction In my report to CEO I am going to explain the importance of operational management and how environmental factors affect the operations management then various operational strategies. Explaining the layout of the Alton towers and what the strategic importance of operational management are further more capacity planning, inventory planning and quality control planning. 1.1. Operations management Operations constitutes an essence role in all case by business enterprise, covering a broad chain of actions, not entirely making up, merely whole steps in the general supply/value chains. This let in procurement, stocktakings, adeptnesss, logistics, and statistical distribution. Operations management constitutes the management of the resourcefulnesss, techniques, and systems of rules accustomed translate input signal into end product to produce vendee rate. These courses of study concentrates on trading operations rules and methods utilized through systems contending globally although besides allowing a strong ecumenical masterminding direction ground. 1.2. Main focus of this leisure business As it is obvious from the case study the main focus of the business is to provide there customer the magnificent surrounding, historic legacy, fun and flight of the imagination which suits all ages and tastes. It is clear from this statement is that there main focus of operation is the customer satisfaction and by doing this achieve the Alton tower strategic goals and objective of profit maximization and become market leader in theme park business. To attract the visitor Alton tower new attractions like Oblivion, the Nemesis, Ugland and Energizer. Beside the ride and physical leisure for its customers it contain eating places like restaurants, shops where visitors can buy there desired product of the choice. Instead of shopping and eating Alton tower do organize and conduct exhibition and festival to attract more visitors. Alton tower do succeed in achieving there desired target as shown above in the case study there were over three million visitor in 1998 beside of attraction how Alton tower can gain this in providing their customer quality of services in lower price as Alton tower was charging Nineteen pound of the entrance which is not just entrance fee like other theme park do but this price include use of all rides for unlimited times. They do provide special discounts discount to elder or aged customers and organized parties. For the purpose of offering the high quality of services to its customers Alton tower maintain team of 1800 staff who are performing their duties like operating rides caterers, cleaning and shop supervisors and security purposes. Security department are one and only by the life-sustaining servicing in business sector alike these, Alton Towers could advance itself for a safe park to travel to along concentrating on it is safe record all over the yrs, and whatsoever safe certifications they have received. They could build safe a primary feature for whatever future rides, and promote these information. Alton tower has spent 20 million on these new rides in order maintain attraction of the park between peoples which is part of its ten year development program me. Due to size of the park as it is on 800 acres it is not possible for the visitor to visit the whole park in one attempt therefore they take step to construct the hotel in the park in which they provide comfort services to the visitor where they can stay at night by pay the attractive price which is another step of achieving its strategic objective. Alton vary its fee accordingly in peak, off peak, week days and week ends times in which there was rush of visitors. Alton tower can asses that how well they focus on their operations effectively by providing questionnaires to visitor and examine the level of their satisfaction and there opinions regarding how it can improve its services. 1.3. Environmental Factor Effecting Operations Management The type of environment within which, the operation functions. The key environmental variables for operations managers are: *Volume-refers to the number of times that an operation has to deliver a service or product. The combination of specialization, standardization and high volume and high volume also usually opens up the possibility of using technology to perform the task *Variation-describe the pattern of the volume demands. If there are many peaks and troughs in demand the situation is said to be one of high variation *Variety-is the term applied to the number of different types of service or product demanded. High variety environment s require different services or products on a frequent basis, whereas low variety demands look for the same output for most of the time There are several environmental factors that affect the business operation in an economy. They are classified into internal and external factors. The internal factors are those which relates to organization internal environment that can be under the control of the organization like its culture leadership and manufacturing processes. On the other side the external factors includes social environment, political, rivals, government bodies, rules and regulation issued by the regulating authorities like accountancy standard board etc. Environmental issues in the case The 1st issue that create environmental issue arise in 1924 when its operation was bought by Alton tower after that it was under the hold of army during the period of war. War destruction totally destroy the park as we are aware of the during and after war side effect on the local environment it was in poor condition when it handed over to Alton tower again for refurbishment it cause major effect to environment. As there is no way to mitigate the affect of such event as it arise such event are out of control of organisation, as its obvious during war period its impossible to protect any area and property. Therefore the one action is to control such events is in hands of government and their relation with other countries. 2nd impact was made by the technological era as the installation of new rides in park beside of customer and visitor attraction does have environmental issue as well like sound pollution, cutting trees and machinery waste pollution to environment. It can be mitigated by trying to preserve my natural resources like by instead of destroying they can be move them to alternative places which will overcome the overall impact to least level. Using such technology which was closer to sound reduction and produce minimum waste. Finally, as Alton tower has invested potential amount of money for new ride. Mostly rides was indoor and few which are outside is due to its limitation to cover them as this will cost the Alton tower major cost on the other hand it will destroy the natural things as well. It would have social issue as well as the visitor came there to entertain themselves with naturalistic environment. Another weather issue as the park is closed between November and February. This factor is also out off control of Alton tower as it is weather that prevent the visitor to come there one way it to create as much indoor facilities that protect the visitor from the tightness of weather as this step will cause massive investment as well agree the visitor to come which will happen only by huge marketing policy and attractive packages like reduction in price which I think is not cost benefit strategy for Alton tower as this will increase its cost but reduction in profitability. But most indoor concerts can b e organised there to attract the visitor to come and entertain themselves from it. Task 2 2.1. Various operation strategies At the mind of operations is the idea of transformation (output). Inputs are acquired, and the operations process converts them into outputs. Operations strategies in bare: Operation implies driving matters finished. Operation management comprises significant because its causative dealing administration resourcefulness. Operations are an day-after-day action. Strategy constitutes course to accomplish organisation long-run targets. Operation strategies are referred on correcting of aims for operations by whole procedure. Theres accented relationship betwixt operations and functions. There are all of the time hazards of dispute tween operations and functions. Because commercializing objectives to fulfill clients demands and expect operations to offer diversity, intensity, speed and higher quality service. This will direct to lower effective servicing till an contingent operation strategy is designed to conciliate and associated on additional roles by administration. All procedure experiences it is strategically target also equally operational objectives. E.g. Commercializing functions strategically target aspirant selecting cost, advancement etc and operational side implies daily tactics inward providing service. Operations strategies let in administration set up strategy, localization strategy, man resource strategy, marketing strategy, hence all functions of organization has operations responsibility in addition to equally long-run. 2.2. Evaluate and analyse the operation strategies adopted by the business. I am going to evaluate the operational strategies of Alton tower under following headings. Product and services Process and technology Capacity and facility Human resource Quality Product and services Under this operation strategy I believe that Alto tower are offering the design there services according to need and understanding of the taste of the Visitor so they are fully fulfil the need of the users of those services. Alton tower has installed new rides in park like Oblivion, The Nemesis, Runway mine train and haunted house etc. These are the products that meet the international standards and provide its user adventure and thrill they are willing to obtain from it. Alton tower has invested 20 million which is part of ten year program in which they are planning to launch new products and services for their users. There are few age and height restriction for the visitor which on one hand is in best interest of the user but if we see it from the user point of view some of them was not satisfied with this discrimination. Not only ride if we look at other services like shops amusement parks, live entertainment and exhibitions these are all fall in the services that Alton Tower are offering to its Visitors to entertain them and meet the expectations. Therefore I think Alton tower are fully active in its product and services operational strategy. Process and technology Alton tower was offering there customer Professional services in each section like ride operators, caterers, cleaner, shop assistant, supervisors and security personnels. Professional and trained operator was handling the rides which include the speed and safety measures for the visitors. Therefore visitors consider themselves to be safe when they using the ride as the feel they are under safe hands. Services like catering and shop supervision providing to elderly visitor who was unable to take ride can entertain them selves from the services that meet the highest level of quality their priority was customised to visitor need. In each process Alton tower are using the latest technology in offering these services. Capacity and facility In 1998 Alton tower entertained over three million of the visitors and they are planning to increase this annual volume of visitor per year for this purpose they installed new rides as described before to attract more visitors toward Alton tower. As explained in case study during east bank holiday the visitor reaches to 40000 and through out summer this limit sustain to 30000. Alton tower has so much area which is left as for exploring that can be utilise for further activities. There fore Alton tower do pass this operation management strategy of capacity and facility in order to hold the capacity it has develop market and shop exhibition hall where they can facilitate the visitors. Human resource In order to fulfil this strategy objective Alton tower recurit1800 staff members and more as needed during the peak time. As their is limited explanations of human resource policy in case study however Alton tower need to provide training for operating new ride installed in the park before its opening and they need to have policy to treat each member of staff equally and paid standard for like paying them on hourly basis or monthly basis. Teams should be maintain to support each different areas of theme park and task should be assign to them and proper supervision held on them so that they are performing their tasks accordingly. Bonus and post employment benefit schemes should be launched so that employees consider there future safe and offer highest level of quality in their work. Quality In this business the quality is extremely important as ride need regular maintenance because it raise health and safety issues. It is Obvious from the case that Alton tower in maintaining quality in each business services. 2.3. Strategic importance of operations management Each and every decision and strategy implementation was imposed from strategic level in every business. Therefore it is vital at strategic level to know whether there strategy was successful at operational level and it is the operation management responsibility to strictly implement instruction to achieve the desired targets. Operation management deal the day to day activities of the business therefore report on regular bases to strategic level the stage of completion on there strategy and if there are any problem arise at operational level that need careful consideration. Task 3: 3.1. Factors affecting the design of product and services and benefit gained from good design Operations managers have to consider factors like the nature of demand, the degree of vertical integration, flexibility, degree of automation, and quality level and degree of customer contact while making process design Nature of Demand: Organization need to produce products or design the services according the expectation of the customers. Schedule need to be made in order to produce product and services on time by take in to consideration the seasonality, growth in trend and demand of customers. Influence of demand patterns The demand pattern of the product and services are varying due to following factors influence like seasonal factors. For example demand for ice cream rise during summer season and air conditioning etc. Influence of price level Mostly customers demand more products at cheaper price, as they are price sensitive this will affect on the design of product and services. Degree of vertical integration: Vertical integration is degree in which determine the degree of product and services can produced internally. There are two types of integration: Forward integration is expansion of organization product to different chains and different markets. Backward integration organization tries to expand backward to source of supply. Flexibility: Organizations have to be flexible in order to increase or maintain their market share. In order to meet the flex demand of the customers organization need to be flexible in its operations. Flexibility can be broadly classified into: Product/service Flexibility and Volume Flexibility etc. Degree of automation: Despite the cost factor of implementing the automation operation management should focus on the automation for their production processes. This will reduce the labor cost and speed up the process of production. How ever the level of quality demand by the customers also impact upon the cost factors. Benefit of good design Below are 5 points to remember in order to assess the usefulness and potential success of a design. It can be adapted to specific design professions, even projects and used as a checklist. Benefit of good design includes: It should meet the desired objectives. It meets the desired quality standards. Customer is satisfied with the quality of service. Automation increase the processing time and reduce the labor cost. Customer is satisfied with the price of the product and services. 3.2. Discuss layout of Alton tower: Facilities Available at Alton Towers Resort: Through out the park 8 cash machines are installed which can be used by the customers for withdrawals of cash. Gift Shops. Push chair hire at Guest Services. Wheelchairs take into service for disabled guests, available from Guest Services. Lockers at Guest Services. First Aid is between the Towers Restaurant and Sky ride Station. Toilets are expediently situated in a multiplicity of spaces all the way through the park. Restaurants, bars and cafà ©s are as well situated right through the park. 3.3. Work measurement Work measurement is concerned with the relationship between units of output and resource time. It provides the factor that converts units to time and vice versa. According to Jack Greene view in the time study and work measurement. Work measurement is the place to start, for any organization where people or machines contribute to output, customer service, or cost. Work measurement also provides tools to manage your business better †¢ calculate actual capacity the operation can produce †¢ develop standard cost models for products and services †¢ justify equipment and automation acquisition †¢ meet the Sarbanes Oxley Act for financial understanding of costs †¢ adjudicate disagreements about workload, assignments †¢ analyze variance to find problems †¢ estimate potential benefit from changes beforehand According to Institute of management services: Work measurement is the process of establishing the time that a given task would take when performed by a qualified worker working at a defined level of performance. There are a variety of ways in which work may be measured and a variety of techniques have been recognized. The essential practice, irrespective of the particular measurement technique being used, consists of three stages; an analysis phase in which the job is separated into suitable, separate components, normally known as elements; a measurement phase in which the exact measurement technique is used to establish the time required to complete each element of work; a synthesis phase in which the different elemental times are added, together with appropriate allowances to construct the standard time for the complete job. Task 4: 4.1. Capacity planning In the case after the three million visitors in 1998 Alton tower took plan too increased this capacity for this purpose it had invested 20 million for extension of park, for this reason it installed new ride to attract the new visitors and in order to cope with the increased volume of visitor it constructed magical hotel where visitor can stay day and night during there visit and increased the number of shops and recruit additional staff to serve the visitor in efficient way. For capacity planning demand need to be forecasted ahead in order to analyse that demand meet the capacity of the company product and services. Demand can be converted into capacity by inserting time requirement. Or following method of capacity planning can be used to support the demand. Level capacity plan: in which capacity remains same it will not alter with the change in demand. Chase demand plan: in this expand the capacity with the increase in volume of demand through increase the shift and no of staff to cope with this. Manage demand: demand will be managed to deal with the capacity. In Alton tower case they have adopted chase demand plan for capacity planning as the increase the number of rides and shops and to handle the volume of demand they recruit the addition staff to fulfill the demand or volume of visitor. 4.2. Inventory planning Method Economic order Quantity (EOQ) The economic order quantity is the number of units that a company should order in an order to reduce the cost of inventory. Costs include cost of storage, cost of holding and cost of shortage. Benefit of EOQ is ongoing review of the inventory system it help to calculate the reorder level which help the business to determine what to order and how many time and who often to reorder to minimize the cost of inventory. Just in Time (JIT) Just in time is producing goods in required demand, in necessary quantity and in necessary Quality require by the customer. By doing this many business improve there return on assets. Cost includes Provide regular training to staff and establishing the policy so that they become flexible. Benefit of using JIT it reduce the operating cost, greater performance through put, higher quality, improved delivery and increase in flexibility. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) ERP provides business the control and visibility in operation to maximize the profitability and to fulfill the customer demand. ERP provides the business to manage there operation with dynamic forecast using formula based production. Benefits totally based on forecasting and inventory planning, easy to use, system is flexible, easy to understand, quick and reduce cost of operation. 4.3. Approaches for project management and quality control The traditional Approach In traditional approach it identifies the step that is going to be completed. It has five steps: Initial stage Planning and design stage Production stage Monitoring stage Completion stage Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) It is the method of planning that mainly focuses on resources like physical and human need to continue the project. Once the resources is final than project are plane and managed to ensure that resources that had planned are ready when critical chain starts and subordination other resources in the critical chain. PRINCE 2 It is information that describes the justification for setting up and continuing a prince2 project. It provides the reason for the project. An outline business case should be in the project. PRINCE2 provide a method for organization project within a plainly clear frame. PRINCE2 describe actions to direct people and activities in a project, how to design and supervise the project, and what to do if the project has to be adjusted if it does not develop as planned. Quality Control Approaches Total quality management This method is beyond the quality assurance under this approach business is concerned by creating the quality culture in the organization in which each employee is aware of quality demand to satisfied their customer. In this method every employee set out to satisfy the customer placing him at the heart of production process. Quality circles These are groups of employees who work on similar task or area of responsibility and sort out solutions for the problems to improve the quality of work. This team was head by the manager and supervisors which also improve the employee morale. Benchmarking In this method organization find out the leading competitor in the market who are performing at optimum level in there production and service areas, in order to benchmark its operation so that to stay level with the competitor. 5.1. Just in time: The first most suitable strategy of Toyota is just in time inventory. It means manufacture automobiles simply when you get the order from client at real time. Toyota Company establishes just in time inventory idea and gives benefit to its respected clients by providing excellence automobiles. The main advantage of just in time is help to run the Toyota companys manufacturing operations most easily and without wasting the raw material by estimating that what is required, when is required and how much amount is required in order to finish the given project. Basically, the main attitude behind just in time scheme of Toyota is removing wastes; decrease waste material and unreasonable requirements resulting in improved output. Kanban System: The Toyota Kanban system is one of the controlled developed inside the Toyota production system (the way we make things). The Toyota production system is exclusive and unmatched. The thinking after it and way of execution has been perfected after long years of test and mistakes. In a nutshell it is also a structure of construction based on the attitude of whole removal of waste that asks for highest in rationality in the way we create equipments. And it can be named as Toyota style production scheme or Toyota production structure. Only when the Toyota production system in its totality is acceptably conducted, can there be an efficient deployment of Kanban structure. Jidoka system: The word Jidoka appears under total production system of Toyota and it can be talked about as an individual aptitude and automation with a human stroke. The word Jidoka captivating its roots forms Sakichi Toyoda the creator of Toyota Group. The major advantage of Jidoka that excellence must be fabricated in the manufacturing procedure. And major purpose of Jidoka technology in Toyota manufacturing procedure is that device is automatically end when the construction is finished. It also has a purpose that device excellence or equipment problem happens, the device automatically discovers the difficulty at its own and stops, and it stops imperfect products from produced. And due to this simply those products are transported to next procedure which is fulfilling the criteria to transfer into next procedure and excellence of building products of Toyota enlarges with the passage of time without damaging the material. What are manufacturing operations? A manufacturer is an individual, an enterprise, or a body that produces something. Consequently, a produces process is a company or a plant where goods and commodities are prepared. Raw materials are used to produce these goods and are then twisted into complete goods prepared to be sold. A manufacture is an extremely significant factor in the selling procedure because without them, the products we require, utilize and enjoy would not be present. What are service operations? Service Industries comprise those industries that do not generate goods, but offer convinced services. The peculiarity of these industries is that frequently the utilization of the service takes place while it is in the generation. Typically, this segment comprises hospitality, publicity, banking, insurance, consultancy, logistics, etc. Compare and Contrast the Manufacturing industry with Service industry: Manufacturing and service business is frequently altering. Basically, in manufacturing business one can determine the presentation of the product. The presentation could be calculate by building efficient utilization of the product physically, and on the other hand in service industry its bit tough to determine the performance of ones service, because one matter is that it is intangible and it cannot be calculated, but once possible view to measure the performance of service business by captivating the feedback by companys reliable consumers. Productivity is more simply measured in manufacturing as compared to service. Services operations concerned more and through contact with customers rather than in manufacturing operations. Quality standards are simple to create in manufacturing whereas in service industry once quality is not easy to evaluate. Manufacturing operations can increase or decrease the finished goods record levels in respond to alter consumer demand pattern while servi ce operations cannot increase or decrease the customer demand models. Services can also comprise support operations which are also shaped and stocker rather than developing operations. Online actions are finished in services operations which fits to consumer rather than in manufacturing operations. Conclusion: The goal of this report satisfy importance of operations management and I have experienced the role of operational management in vital in any organization operational management is responsible for implementing the strategic orders and their implementations. I build up the understanding the key factors affecting the product design and strategic importance of operation management. I build my understanding of different planning techniques for capacity, inventory and quality control. It has enabled me to set goals and take the actions that will lead to best and desired destination.

A Summary of the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx Essay -- Communist M

A Summary of the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx Karl Marx was an idealist. He observed the cruelties and injustices that the poor working class endured during the period of industrial revolution, and was inspired to write of a society in which no oppression existed for any class of people. Marx believed in a revolution that would end socialism and capitalism, and focus on communist principles. The Manifesto of the Communist Party, written by Karl Marx and edited by Frederick Engels, describes the goals of the communist party for ending exploitation of the working class and creating a society in which there is equality in society without social classes.1 The first part of the Manifesto is entitled the Bourgeois And Proletarians. Marx begins by explaining that the history of man and society is the history of class struggles. The modern bourgeois society has developed out of the feudal society, but in a simpler form: two classes opposing one another, the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat. With the discovery of America, and expanded markets across the world, the feudal system of industry no longer satisfied the increased needs of those markets. Manufacturing and modern industry soon took its place. This is how, according to Marx, the bourgeoisie increased their capital, advanced their political influence, and distinguished themselves from the working class. Marx accuses the bourgeoisie of turning respected professionals into wage-laborers. By creating large cities, they have centralized the population and means of production. This property then, is held by few, and so creates political power. The once independent towns and provinces are now brought together under one government with one set of laws. Despite the power that the... ...he struggles between the exploiting and the exploited. Marx concludes in the Communist Manifesto that a working-class revolution would overthrow the bourgeois and a classless society would exist.11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Karl Marx, â€Å"Manifesto of the Communist Party,† The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School, 1888, (5 March 2002). 2. Marx 3. Marx 4. William Leon McBride, The Philosophy of Marx, (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1977). 5. Marx 6. Marx 7. Michael Lowry, â€Å"Globalization and Internationalism: How Up-To-Date is the Communist Manifesto?† Monthly Review, November 1998, 16-27. 8. Marx 9. Marx 10. H. B. Acton, What Marx Really Said. (London: Macdonald & Co. Ltd., 1967). 11.â€Å"Attack on Capitalism,† Canada & World Backgrounder, October 1999, 19-22.

Focus magazine :: essays research papers

History of The Company LIBERIS PUBLICATIONS S.A. was founded in its current legal status on the 2.6.1986 (Official Gazette 2324/11.6.86 S.A.s and LTDs Issue) by Antonios Liberis, with the goal of becoming involved in the sector of publications and presswork. In the course of all these years, the company has had a spectacular development, dynamically moving in the sector of publications, launching new and successful magazines that conquered the top ranks amongst their competitors. In addition, by concluding strategic alliances with large foreign companies of the sector, the most noteworthy of which being the participation of the Groupe Edipresse, the Swiss publishing group in the share capital of the company since 1998, and by founding or acquiring shares in new or well-established companies in this market, this company has fortified it position in the Greek publishing market and now expands its activities in new sectors. Today, it is one of the largest publishing companies in Greece, chartered in the stock exchange and heading a group of 2 companies (Mother company and Libecom S.A.). This group employs in total approximately 400 employees, with activities covering a broad spectrum in the media field, from the publishing sector - where it holds a leading position with 24 publications in the Greek market. In addition, the company holds 50% of DESMI PUBLISHING S.A., a company with experience in the field of publications and 10.05% of the daily and periodic press distribution company ARGOS S.A. In March 2000, the second international collaboration of LIBERIS PUBLICATIONS with GRUNER UND JAHR/MONDADORI publishing houses was put into effect with the publication of the scientific magazine FOCUS. This magazine aspires to make the reader become more involved in issues of science, technology, the environment, as well as historical issues. The way, in which all the topics are presented, in conjunction with impressive graphics and photos, has made this magazine not only impressive, but also easy to understand. Environmental analysis Marketing environment Doing a brief environmental analysis we have to examine the 6 basic forces that affect the environment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Political forces Due to the fact that the specific magazine doesn’t have any political articles with the only exception towards its tendency to protect the environment is not affected by political forces in Greece.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Legal forces There aren’t any real limitations that affect this specific magazine especially due to the fact that European legislation is currently stronger than the national one as we observed after the last periods legal adventures

Islam :: essays research papers fc

It may seem similar and it may not, but what we do know, is that they both believe that they are Muslims. The Islamic beliefs of the black American male and the males of the Middle East are the same. My argument lies in the question of whether or not Africans can call themselves true Muslims, believers and followers of the Islamic faith. To be considered a true Muslim you must follow the rules and regulations of the Islamic faith. What is Islam? Islam is defined as "the complete acceptance of and obedience to the teachings of Allah " (I. A. Ibrahim 45) As a Muslim you are to believe in Allah, who is incomparable. He has no son nor does he have a partner, he is unique and he is one. You shall not worship, magnify, or pay tribute to any other, for all others are false. Yet we see otherwise in Africans who call themselves Muslims. In John S. Mbiti's book, "Introduction to African Religion" he states traditional African beliefs mixes those of Islam to suit the require ments of the people concerned so they get the best out of both religions (188-189). How can one say such a thing? To believe in something is to fight for it, is to die for it. You can not get the best of a religion if you do not fully believe in it. You should not "adopt the way of dress and some other cultural forms" (Mbiti 189), just to suite a community. Religion is something that is held dear to the heart of many people and to mix and mingle them does not allow you to truly believe in one. When you convert to a religion it is not to convert halfway, it is not to convert three- fourths of the way, but to convert all the way. It is stated that even if Africans "convert to another religion, they do not completely abandon the traditional religions" (Mbiti 14) Here we see that the first real defiance has already occur. By mixing the two would not you be doing an injustice to the true believers of the Islamic faith and defying Allah the leader of the Islamic faith. in addition, are you not doing an injustice to the rites and rituals to the Gods, Spirits, and Divinities of the African religion? How can you please the leader/leaders of these separate religions if you are not even following them fully with your heart, mind, body and soul?

Ethical Issues Essay

Researchers found that 10 percent of employees at all levels report feeling pressured to compromise ethical standards in the workplace (Managing Business Ethics by Trevino and Nelson 2007). Ethical issues are faced by every industry in the business world as well as communities, public and private organizations and individuals. Leadership, internal practices, and training may impact the proper implementation of business ethics. Halliburton is one of the many large corporations involved in unethical business practices. This paper examines ethical issues faced by public sector employees and employees of private sector firms that conduct business with and for government agencies. The paper discusses Halliburton, a U. S. defense contractor (former vice president Dick Cheney’s old firm), ethical issues and the impact on stakeholders involved. The goal is to highlight the ethical issues and make recommendations for how prospective employees and managers can handle similar situations. Background Since 2001, energy services company Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) have performed unspecified services to the United States military in Iraq, Kuwait, and several other countries under a no-bid, long-term global logistics contract, (LOGCAP). In February 2003, Halliburton received a five-year extension, $7 billion no-bid contract for services in Iraq. During the course of awarding and executing these contracts at least two people made the decision to become whistle blowers, a government employee, and a Halliburton/KBR procurement employee. The government employee disclosed that Halliburton/KBR was involved in closed-door meetings with the Army Corps of Engineers that resulted in the no-bid, multi-year, billion dollar contract awarded exclusively to Halliburton/KBR (Morning Edition October 29, 2004). The procurement employee disclosed the specific activities within Halliburton/KBR that resulted in overcharging the government and taxpayers for goods and services while simultaneously eliminating competition among potential vendors. Some allegations include soliciting higher priced products and services because the government pays a fee based on the total of goods/services procured and manipulating purchases orders to maintain a maximum of $2,500 to avoid the bidding process between prospective vendors. Specifically, Halliburton’s subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root hired a Kuwaiti company, Altanmia, to supply fuel at about twice the going rate, then added a markup, for an overcharge of at least $61 million, according to a December 2003 Pentagon audit. The only problem is that $61 million is taxpayer money. Perception of Unethical Practices of Dick Cheney From the beginning many American citizens raised an eyebrow towards the decision to have Halliburton as a U. S defense contractor. This public outrage stemmed from the former vice president’s former employment as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Halliburton from 1995 through August 2000. KBR, the company’s former subsidiary has been the main government contractor working to restore Iraq’s oil industry that was awarded without competitive bidding in 2001. According to Cheney’s 2001 financial disclosure report, the vice president’s Halliburton benefits included three batches of stock options comprising 433,333 shares. He also has a 401(k) retirement account valued at between $1,001 and $15,000 dollars. His deferred compensation account was valued at between $500,000 and $1 million, and generated income of $50,000 to $100,000. Halliburton has contracts worth more than $1. 7 billion for its work in Iraq, and it could make hundreds of millions more from a no-bid contract. During Cheney’s tenure as the defense secretary, the Pentagon chose Halliburton’s subsidiary KBR to study the cost effectiveness of outsourcing some military operations to private contractors. Based on the results of the study, the Pentagon hired KBR to implement an outsourcing plan (Washington Post Sep 26, 2003). Many companies like Bechtel, Exxon, Blackwater and Halliburton have profited from the Iraq war. It is no secret that war creates wealth for those companies canny enough to exploit it, and not be killed by it. Is Dick Cheney one of these? After his departure from office former vice president Cheney will be free to profit in whatever way he feels. The ethical question is, however, has he ever really left it? And by not leaving it, was he in ethical violation of his oath of office, at the very least? Stakeholders The stakeholders in this situation are the client, which is the U. S. government and American taxpayers who are the investors or funders of the government; the vendors, who through the bidding process maintain a competitive and profitable business environment; and employees who make sure that their employers receive the best value for the services and products they procure. Ethical dilemmas The first ethical dilemmas is if employees should bring wrongdoing to the surface and if so, how? Will the decision violate the privacy of vendors or other employees? Is it legal to disclose certain activities related to defense contracts? Secondary ethical issues relate directly to the stakeholders. Is the U. S. government unfairly awarding contracts? Is that awarding process facilitating a culture of overcharging, which is absorbed by U. S. taxpayers? Are vendors intentionally overcharging Halliburton/KBR? Are Halliburton/KBR’s procurement practices eliminating competition in the marketplace? Analysis The primary issue in this situation is whistle blowing. â€Å"Whistle blowing means calling attention to wrongdoing that is occurring within an organization. †(Nadler and Schulman 2006) Halliburton is still under investigation by the FBI. Perhaps the negative publicity and the case caused the contract to be divided with Halliburton winning one of the parts in a public bid. The underlying secondary issues include exposing potentially fraudulent business activities, financial irresponsibility, and illegally profiting from public funding. The government employee wrote and spoke to superiors about the activities. The government employee sought legal counsel upon deciding to go public with their disclosure. Finally, both made their testimonies to the proper investigating bodies including the FBI, the U. S. House of Representatives Committees on Government Reform and Energy and Commerce. For their troubles, the government employee and Halliburton/KBR procurement employee were forced into a whistle-blowers protection program. Conclusion In the public sector, whistle blowers are often faced with the dilemma that their choice to disclose can constitute a criminal act. In both cases these employees called attention to suspected activities within their organizations before going outside or public. Employees faced with this dilemma must identify the stakeholders and ethical issues that concern them, and then make calculated decision whether or not to disclose. The facts surrounding whether or not the U. S. government are unfairly awarding contracts will be an ongoing issue. Despite all the measures set forth to regulate the procurement of contracts, greed for money will play a critical factor for the people that have weak ethical character. Whether you are the employee or employer being the standard bearer in ethical situations will earn the respect of others as well as keeping you out of big trouble. References Analysis: FBI investigates whether Pentagon officials committed fraud in their handling of a no-bid contract to a subsidiary of Halliburton before the Iraq War. (10:00-11:00 AM)(Broadcast transcript). (Oct 29, 2004). Morning Edition, p. NA. Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale. Donahue, J. (Nov-Dec 2005). Treading on the taxpayer. Multinational Monitor, 26, 11-12.p. 7(2). Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale. Nadler, J. & Schulman, M. Whistle Blowing in the Public Sector. Santa Clara University Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Retrieved February 9, 2008, from http://www. scu. edu/ethics/practicing/f ocusareas/government_ethics/introductio n/whistleblowing. html. Profile: US Army will allow bidding for contract work in Iraq initially given to Halliburton. (10:00-11:00 AM)(Broadcast transcript). (Sept 8, 2004). Morning Edition, p. NA. Retrieved February 08, 2009, from General OneFile via Gale.