Relationship between American Revolution and French Revolution Essay

Relationship between American Revolution and French Revolution - Essay Example No other revolution that occurred either in Europe or in Americas during that period could be compared to the French Revolution in terms of violence (Doyle 2002). The American Revolution that began in 1776 and pursued the same principles of the natural human rights the French Revolution later did was over in 1787 without leaving any disgraceful legacy of terror that might be used by the participants of the French Revolution as an example to follow. Perhaps the major reason for this was that the American Revolution took place in an absolutely new country without almost any history, while the French Revolution occurred in one of the eldest European states. Consequently, the participants of the American Revolution did not have to overthrow the established aristocratic society and absolute monarchy in order to proclaim either equality of people (because they were equal) or sovereignty of their new state (the British monarch was geographically too far from them). In other words, the birth of the new society in the United States occurred without major tension. The French Revolution began in an absolutely different situation. It was a daring attempt to establish the principle of equality in the traditionally aristocratic society and cultivate political freedom in the most powerful European monarch (Doyle 2002). Economic factors played equally important role in the onset of both revolutions. The American Revolution was largely caused by the economic pressure of Britain, which was economically dependent on the colonies, but often failed to adequately justify the increasingly burden heavy burden of taxes. This problem – often termed ‘taxation without representation’ – is reported to be one of the most essential factors that eventually led to the revolutionary situation (Wood 1998). A similar situation was observed in the pre-revolutionary France where the absolute monarch kept increasing the

General Motors Essay Example for Free

General Motors Essay 1. The history, development, and growth of the company over time (e. g. , critical incidents) General Motors (GM) was founded in 1908. William C. Durant brought together 25 independent car companies to form one large corporation. Each company held its own identity as GM operated as central administration office for the 25 divisions. Due to high cost in manufacturing of automobiles, GM was only able to target wealthy customers who could afford cars. Then Henry Ford, owner and founder of Ford Motor Company, revolutionizes the production process of manufacturing cars and takes the lead in the industry. With this new process, Ford becomes GM’s largest competitor, rapidly growing their market share by mass produce affordable cars, the Model T. GM did not have the same competency to mass produce affordable as efficiently as Ford and their sales plummeted. GM was in a bad situation, producing a wide range of expensive cars for a small target market of middle class customers. From 1910- 1920 Ford grew stronger and wealthier while GM struggled to stay afloat. In 1920, Alfred P. Sloan became the CEO for GM and made major changes to GM’s strategy to more effectively compete with Ford. Sloan restructured GM to regain its competitive advantage, targeting a different segment in the market. His consolidation of the 25 companies into 5 major self-contained and operated divisions: Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile proved to be successful. In 1925 GM took the lead in the industry, hurting Ford’s sales of the Model T so bad that Ford had to shut down his factories for several months to redesign his production line and produce new models. GM became the United States car market leader with the largest market share, 70% at its highest. 925 to 1975, GM expanded its product line to all kinds of vehicles to full-size trucks, light weight trucks, and various specialized vehicles such as vans and ambulances. GM also started to vertically integrate and at one point, made more than 65% of its cars components. From 1925 to 1975, GM dominated the United States market holding approximately 65% of domestic sales. Together, GM, Chrysler, and Ford, held more than 90% of the United States market. Due to the global oil crisis and low cost/high quality Japanese cars in 1970’s, GM lost its lead in the industry. The oil embargo of 1973 revealed the inefficiency of the American â€Å"gas guzzlers†. Neither GM nor its American competitors at this that time had the competence to build fuel efficient cars. Japanese cars now entered the American market and not only were they fuel efficient, there were reliable and affordable. In the 1970s and 1980s, demand for large sedans fell and thousands of GM workers got laid off. By the end of 1970s Americans flocked to Japanese economy cars or sleek European luxury cars and ignored high cost and low quality American cars. In 1980, GM still earned 3. 3 billion on more than 60 billion in sales. With its large cash flows, GM was still able to act as a dominant competitor. Roger Smith, GM’s new CEO aimed to regain GM’s competitive advantage and launched several major programs to reduce cost and improve quality. By 1990, these programs had cost the company over 100 billion dollars, which at the time, was enough to buy out Toyota and Honda. Smith had the most the difficulty lowering cost due to the high cost labor agreements with the UAW (United Auto Workers). GM invested more than 50 billion to improve and update technology and in 1980 started to develop automated factories using robotics to increase quality and efficiency. GM lacked the competency to effectively operate automated factories and was costing them twice as much in producing parts the traditional way. In 1982, GM created a new division called Saturn to develop low-cost manufacturing skills and produce quality cars by imitating Japanese manufacturing companies. It cost GM 2 billion to build Saturn’s plant, GM largest construction project in history. Saturns were priced to compete with Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Saturn did not meet its quotas and 1991 and lost $800 million dollars. The next year, Saturn sales picked up and were ranked top 10 in customer satisfaction but still had a loss of $700 million. Saturn could not replicate Toyota and Honda efficiency, especially its low cost supply chain. Same as other divisions, Saturn had difficulties reducing costs because high labor cost due to previous agreements with UAW. To learn Japanese manufacturing techniques GM had a joint venture with Toyota in 1983 called new United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. NUMMI). NUMMI reopened a failed plant in California under Japanese management in 1984. By 1986, with the use of flexible work teams, plant productivity was higher than any GM factory and twice as much as with the old GM management. The flexible teams were regularly rotated, trained to perform the jobs of other works in the team, taught the procedures to analyze jobs to improve work procedures, designed all the teams’ jobs. This freed managers to focus other tasks. GM quickly implemented this system to all its plants and by 2005; GM was laiming to be the most efficient United States carmaker. However, due to tariffs and high costs involved to bring foreign car to the United States, foreign car makers were eager to open their own car plants in the United States. By 1995, foreign controlled plants were making more than 1. 5 million cars a year in the United States. Although GM’s market share declined from 50% in 1978 to 35% 1992, it had not reduced it number of plants or downsized its work force significantly. In 1990 Robert Stempel became the new CEO and like Smith, Stempel did not want to down size the company at all. However, an activist GM director, John Smale, set out to stop GM’s losses and convinced the board to appoint Jack Smith as the new CEO. Smith made drastic changes and down sized the company dramatically. His new strategy for GM was to once again become profitable by aggressively focus on cutting cost, aggressive use of marketing of new designed vehicles that better satisfy customer’s needs, and create a new more-flexible decentralized organizational structure. He also reduced number of models and platforms in which they were built. In 2000, GM built a $1 billion state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Michigan to raise quality to Japanese levels. In 2005, GM did receive higher quality level similar to Japanese competitor but could not preform to be profitable due to high labor costs. In another attempt to lower value chain cost, GM closed down it Oldsmobile division in 2004. GM then focused on improving efficiency with its parts, components and suppliers, making various changes there. In 2000, GM, Ford, and Chrysler formed an organization called Covisint to gain power over global suppliers. Toyota launches program that reduces the number of steps needed to make components and car parts reducing its costs by 2. 6 billion. In 1992, it consolidated its nine groups into five and combined all its car divisions’ engineering and manufacturing units to eliminate redundancy. Also the five design and technical departments were combined into three to speed product development. To promote and improve coordination between departments, GM changed its organizational structure to a global matrix structure and invested heavily in IT to support this new global matrix structure. With the help of IBM, GM was now able to speed information transfer between its divisions all around the world. In attempts to quickly lower its cost, GM spun off several of its component parts divisions and vertically disintegrated. In 1996, form joint ventures with Isuzu Motors and Suzuki to establish facilities and make specialized engines and transmissions for GM. In 2000, GM acquired a 20% equity stake in Fuji, the manufacturer of Subaru cars and received a new CEO, Rick Waggoner. GM also establishes a strategic alliance with Honda. In 2001, GM’s new assembly plant in China begins production. In 2002, GM formed an alliance with Russian company. During this time, GM attempts to rapidly grow globally and competes with Ford to acquire premium European carmakers. GM bought many other European carmakers but did not find any to be profitable, only costing them more money and more failures. GM also acquired Daewoo and Hummer brand in hopes to strengthen product line and market share. All failed. In 2008, GM fell with the recession and spun off, sold, or digested many of its global assets. GM asked the government for bailouts and in the end filed for bankruptcy.

Abortion :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Types of abortion†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Abortion is a common practice that may be performed for several reasons, all sharing the same end result, the termination of an unwanted pregnancy. In cases such as rape, incest or a simple lack of responsibility when having sex, having an abortion is a choice that some women may encounter. There are different types of abortion in today’s society. Some which are too scary to even dream of. There are two types of abortions: Spontaneous abortions; miscarriages and Induced, this is the deliberate termination of the fetus. If the fetus weighs less than 18oz or is less than 20 weeks into the pregnancy, it is usually considered an abortion. These usually occur during the first three months of pregnancy. It is estimated that 25% of all pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion (Epner 725). The very early stage of the pregnancy, up to 49 days after conception, the woman has two choices. The first is to take a combination of drugs. The embryo is then passed out. The other method is to use a syringe, and gently suck the embryo out. The next type can be preformed six to fourteen weeks after conception. The method the doctor’s use is to insert a tube in the vagina, and then hook it up to a suction machine. The fetus is then removed. This procedure takes about ten minutes. The second trimester abortions are called D&E, which stands for dilation and evacuation. These are preformed up to the twenty-fifth week of pregnancy, and usually take ten to twenty minutes. The way they are preformed is the woman is giv en absorbent dilators, which open up the cervix and absorb the fluids. After this is left in overnight the woman then is ready for the evacuation stage. The fetus is easily removed with instruments and suction. In the last trimester of the pregnancy abortions are preformed mainly if the woman’s life is in danger or the fetus is severely deformed. Only one out of every ten thousand abortions are preformed this way. The main way that is used is by injecting a salt solution into the vagina, causing contractions. The baby is then born stillbirth (Epner 724).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second form of abortion is induced abortion. There are four main types of induced abortions. The first takes place up to 12 weeks. It is called vacuum aspiration. This is where a tube attached to a vacuum is inserted into the uterus and sucks out the embryo and all other material.

Legislations that affect school work Essay

Identify and summarise five pieces of legislation (to include codes of practice) which schools have to follow. Explain how each of these affect work in schools. Legislation refers to the actual law enacted by a governing or legislative body at national or local level. There are legislations for more or less all aspects of life but we are particularly going to discuss the ones that affect schools. These laws are produced and implemented in order to protect children and the people who work with children. Legislations ensure their safety and make sure their rights are respected. Code of practice is a practical guide that provides ways on how to effectively work under legislation. The Code of Practice is not a legislation itself that is why schools are not legally bound to follow them. Examples include: †¢Special Educational Needs Code of Practice for Wales. †¢Safeguarding Children: Working Together Under the Children Act 2004. Let us now look at five different legislations and how they affect work in schools. 1. The Data Protection Act 1998: The Data Protection Act means that schools need to make sure that all the information they hold is kept securely on site. If its paper storage it should be locked in filing cabinets. If the information is electronic it should be on password-protected computers. This legislation bounds schools to use this information only for the purpose it was collected and not share it with unauthorised people. It affects schools and staff in many ways e.gs as a teaching assistant it puts a responsibility on us to make sure that pupil information is confidential and if it needs to be shared with adults working with a particular pupil (like a speech therapist), we have the parental consent to do it. 2. The UN Convention on Rights of Child 1989: The UN Convention on Rights of Child 1989 was ratified in the UK in 1991 and adopted by the Welsh Government in 2004. It is made up of 54 articles covering rights to survival, protection, and development of children. It can be summarized by saying it protects children from any form of discrimination. Children have a right to know and access the relevant information about themselves. They have the freedom to practice their own beliefs and come together and enjoy as groups. It states that all children  have an equal right to education and a right to privacy. They have the right to express their views and feelings. Children with disabilities have a right to lead full and independent lives and they have a say in the decisions that affect them. This legislation has a major impact on schools as it bounds the staff and teachers to listen to what the child has to say. E.g. a teacher cannot just make a decision about a child on their own just because he/she is an adult. They have to respect the wishes of the child. This law gives children a voice and control over their lives. It empowers children and brings in confidence but at the same time it can be used by a child in a negative way and teachers may find it hard to discipline a child and to deal with a behaviour problem. That is where the Code of Practice comes in as a useful tool and tells what to do in a particular situation. 3. The Education and Inspections Act 2006: The Education and Inspections Act 2006 is intended to represent a major step in ensuring that all children in all schools get the education they need to enable them to fulfil their potential. The Act provides greater freedoms to schools, including the possibility of owning their own assets, employing their own staff, setting their own admissions arrangements etc. This gives local authorities more responsibility for managing schools. This law gives staff a clear statutory right to discipline students. By law, all state (not private) schools must have a behaviour policy in place that includes measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils. This policy is decided by the school. All teachers, pupils and parents must be told what it is. School staff needs to be well aware of the policy. Although these legislations must be followed but the Children Act overrides all other laws when it comes to safeguarding children. 4. Children Act 2004: Children Act 2004 is an updated version of the Children Act 1989. The Children Act 1989 allocated duties to local authorities, courts, parents and other agencies to ensure children are safeguarded and their welfare is promoted. (Wikipedia.org ‘Children Act 1989’). It centres on the idea that a child’s welfare is paramount and comes before everything else. Wherever possible, children must be cared for by their own families and that adequate  support is available for parents and children in need. The law suggests that professionals should work in partnerships with parents at every stage. The Children Act 2004 introduces multi agency approach to safeguarding children. Detailed information is available for people in the ‘Working Together Document’. The idea behind the Act is to promote co-ordination between multiple official entities to improve the overall well-being of children. The 2004 Act also specifically provided for including and affecting disabled children. This Act promotes the achievement of the five outcomes of ‘Every Child Matters’ framework, that are: †¢Stay safe. †¢Be healthy. †¢Enjoy and achieve. †¢Make a positive contribution. †¢Achieve economic well-being. This legislation has a huge impact on schools and on the way they address issues of care, welfare and discipline. Teachers and the support staff’s work has been affected directly by the act and they need to have training or guidance in its implementation. 5. The Equality Act 2010. On 1 October 2010, the Equality Act 2010 replaced all existing equality legislation such as the Race Relations Act, Disability Discrimination Act and Sex Discrimination Act. It protects the children and staff from being discriminated. It also extends protection to pupil who are pregnant, have recently given birth or who are undergoing gender reassignment. In Wales the Act applies to all maintained and independent schools, including Academies, and special schools. The Act makes it unlawful for the responsible body of a school to discriminate against, harass or victimise a pupil in relation to admissions, in the way it provides education, in the way it provides pupils access to any benefit, facility or service, or by excluding a pupil or subjecting them to any other detriment. Teachers now have to make sure that children with disabilities or additional needs are also included in and have access to all activities so there is no form of discrimination. (gov.uk ‘Equality Act 2010’)

Blue flowers (Pvt.) Ltd Essay

Executive summary Blue flowers (Pvt.) Ltd is an artificial flower manufacturing company situated in Monaragala with 350 total workforces. It provides artificial flowers for local and international markets. This has five functional departments namely Purchasing, Sales and Marketing, Production, Accounting and HR. They got a decision to increase production in 14% by last year onwards and an incentive program also implemented. When the carder produces more than the original target, company granted 10%-15% additional incentive. After 6 months company had evaluate their pros and cons and results was as follows, Production increased 1st month – 20% 2nd month-30% 3rd month-32% 4th month-20% 5th month-20% 6th month-20% Lower Quality and Rejection Rate – 10%-15% After implementing this incentive program production employees complained that the reason of this problem is the slowness of other departments, and also 60% production employees were complained their objections through their Trade Unions. After that TUs called a meeting to its members. 60% employees said that this is not an incentive scheme but just another way of exploiting labor and they suggested a TU action. Then TU representatives met management and informed them that this incentive scheme is not lucrative or equitable. But management said that if they are not in a position to carter to this increase in order in the future, they are in for a heavy loss and as a result they might even consider an employee redundancy plan also. After this meeting trade unions requested some conditions also. Problem Statement In this case we can identify several Management issues which influenced for the smooth functioning of the company. Those issues as follows; Issue 1 Organization decided to increase their production and implement an incentive program for employees who had produce more than the original target given.  But they did not screen the internal and external environment before implement this production and incentive scheme. They did not done feasibility study, SWOT analysis or a PESTEL. Issue 2 There was no any awareness program for employees about those production targets and incentive schemes. There was no any target group identification or Job evaluation. Incentive was given without any Performance evaluation therefore other department people (Other than Production dept.) were enjoyed more of this incentive scheme. Issue 3 Incentive scheme was not lucrative and not equitable. And also it was not conducted in a proper manner. Lower level workers were not reaping any benefits of this incentive scheme. Issue 4 Given target is not SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound) They only announced to employees that production must be increased by 14%. They did not specify individual goals and objectives or Team goals and objectives. They express organizational goal and tried to achieve it through an incentive scheme. They should have to inform employees through a job description but they didn’t. Issue 5 Some managers and supervisors considered employees as machines. Also there were biasness in branding low quality and product rejections. In the meeting which held between management and Trade Unions management said that if employees were not in a position to this increase in order in the future, they were in for a heavy loss as a result they might even consider an employee redundancy plan also. There was no any interrelationship between management and employees. Management implements decisions without having employee’s collaboration. Therefore Trade Unions can influence. Recommendations with Literature Review Issue 1 There was no any feasibility study. No any internal or external environmental study. Both internal and external environmental factors are widely influence for the organizational functions. Before take any strategic decision organizational management should scan the internal and external environment. In this case organization is going to increase their production through incentive schemes. That means this organization is going to develop. Organizational development is all about improving organizations performance. But this performance development should be done by facing internal and external environmental changes. To do this organization should scan the internal and external environment. For internal scan organization should implement SWOT analysis and for external scan organization should implement PEST analysis. SWOT PEST Figure 1 In this case before implement the decision of product increment and incentive scheme organization should have to scan environmental factors. First of all whether existing employees are sufficient for fulfill this current target, if not organization should recruit additional employees to fulfill this target. If existing workforce is sufficient they should have being given a proper Training to do new job well. Existing employees. (Job rotation, Job enrichment, Job enlargement, Training and Development, Promotions etc.) External employees. (Just in time talent, Identify talent pool, Attract, Gain, Retain) Not only that but also organization should have to conduct a feasibility study. They should scan whether existing technology is enough whether existing machinery or machine capacity is sufficient whether raw material supply is satisfy the given target etc. After scanning those types of internal factors organization should scan external factors also. In this case Blue Flowers did not scan anything about environment they just announced a target and told employees to fulfill it. Issue 2 No target groups, Awareness program, Job evaluation and Performance appraisals Before implement an incentive scheme organization should have to point out which group has being given the target. It will be helpful to give incentives for employees who actually meet targets. According to this case Production Department employees are the target group. By identifying the target group correctly other department people will not be able to enjoy incentives without performing towards the target. After identifying the target group organization should inform them about what to do? How to do? When to do? Which benefits can gain through the target? This can be done through conducting an awareness program or an inauguration. And also the target group can be informing by a proper job description. Not only the target group but also the other department employees also should clarify according to the target to achieve and they also inform by proper job descriptions. Then organization should conduct a Job Evaluation to grade jobs according to its worth. Job evaluation is a systematic comparison done in order to determine the worth of one job relative to another. It provides a basis for grading and establishes pay structure. After identifying the grades pay structure should established. And the incentive scheme should align with the Evaluation and target group should have being given more worth. According to this case although Blue Flowers implement an incentive scheme they did not conduct any Performance Evaluation program. Through PM organization can measure Actual performance of employees and can compare it with expected performance. Through this measurement organization can identify high performers and low performance and make rewards or punishments. Issue 3 Incentive scheme was not lucrative and not equitable. According to this case Incentive scheme was not lucrative or equitable. As production people mentioned other department employees enjoy more of this incentives. As I express in issue 2 it can be prevent by target group identification. Proper awareness, Job evaluation and Performance Appraisal based incentives. According to this case organization can introduce Group Incentive Scheme. Group Incentive Schemes are targeted at improving performance levels or the output among a group of employees. This is like an individual incentive scheme but give pay over and above base salary to all team members when the group or team collectively meets specified standards for performance, productivity or other work related behavior. Blue flowers  are going to increase production by 40%. They can introduce targets to Production team, Accounts team, Sales team, HR team and purchasing team. Then organization can introduce incentive schemes for separate departments as per its worth. But there is a disadvantage. By providing team incentives some employees can enjoy incentives without performing towards target. To prevent this organization can introduce individual performance appraisal system also and they can reward high performers and identify low performers. This will be reduce demotivation of high performers, reduce tardiness, reduce LTO, and mainly can achieve the target efficiency and effectively. Organization also can use motivation theories for implement sound incentive scheme. Basically organization can use Two Factor Theory by Fredric Herzberg, Vrooms Expectancy Theory and Goal setting theory. Two Factor Theory Herzberg view that man lives at two levels, physical and psychological level. Several factors lead to employee satisfaction while the other lead to dissatisfaction the satisfiers are called Motivators and the dissatisfies are called Hygiene factors. Motivators appeared to produce motivated behavior and hygiene factors produced dissatisfaction. Vrooms Expectancy Theory This says that an employee will be motivated to exert a high level of effort when he believes that effort will lead to a good performance appraisal; that a good appraisal will lead to organizational rewards and that rewards will satisfy the employees’ personal goals. This theory emphasize that motivation begins with a desire for something. Goal Setting Theory According to this theory, a person get motivated by following things The goal should be SMART They should be challenging but reachable Goals are seen as fair and reasonable Individual participation in goal-setting Feedback ensures that people get a feeling of pride and satisfaction from the experience of achieving a challenging but fair goal Feedback is used to gain commitment to even higher goal After evaluating above factors organization can take following steps; 1. Identify the objective properly 2. Consult with staff and trade unions 3. Relate the scheme to the business remuneration system 4. Ensure that the planned scheme is competitive 5. Decide on performance measures for organizational staff 6. Regular review and obtain feedbacks Issue 4 Target was not SMART According to this case the given target was not SMART. All organizations have their corporate targets. Those targets are divided into sections and assigned individual departments with those divided targets. Then those individual departments assigned departmental target among their department members. Those are calls individual targets. Those individual targets and departmental targets should fulfill through strategic plans, and those decisions which implement to achieve departmental targets should always align with the corporate target. Ex: Figure 2 When an organization establish a target it should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound) and also it should be structured with performance, conditions and standards. Ex: production team should produce 10000 flowers individually, 100% accurately within a given day within given machine capacity. Issue 5 Biasness of managers and supervisors. No interrelationship among management and employees In this case there was no any interrelationship among management and employees. Some managers/supervisors consider employee as machines and they reject production or brand as low quality as their wish. This is no fair and conflicts, high LTO, high absenteeism, high tardiness can be happened The best theory for the Human Relation is Hawthorne Studies. Elton Mayo was the founder and he did a research in Western Electricals. He searches how the lightning and illumination affect to the worker performance. From this research he founded that human relations can affect worker performance rather than physical conditions. We all are human being. We all are pleased to have pleasant relationships. It is a psychological need. In an organization if there are so many good physical conditions but no interrelationship between employer and employee that organization will not be able to achieve its desirable targets. According to this case thre was no interrelationship between employees and management and also biasness was there. As a result employees were get together with Trade Unions for gain their rights. That was a huge disadvantage for an organization. And also in the meeting with TUs management stance that if employees enable to fulfill targets on time they will be implement a redundancy program. That was not suitable and a point of conflict. To prevent this situation organization can Implement Soft Skill programs for managers and supervisors. Maintain fair welfare programs. Implement Participative Management System. Make standard level of production quality and make aware employees about that. Then rejection and low quality branding will not be bias. Conclusion Blue Flowers (Pvt.) ltd is a leading artificial flower manufacturer which provides artificial flowers for local and foreign markets. They desired to increase their production by minimum 40% but faced problems because of poor environmental awareness, poor targets, and weak incentives. If Blue flowers follow sound incentive system through a strategic plan they will never become unsuccessful in gaining 40% production increment.

Evaluation of Leadership Development Plan of Maersk Oil in Qatar The WritePass Journal

Evaluation of Leadership Development Plan of Maersk Oil in Qatar 1.0 Introduction Evaluation of Leadership Development Plan of Maersk Oil in Qatar ). The diverse workforce present in the organization needs to be managed in an efficient and effective manner. The dissertation will try to identify the importance of a leadership development plan, investigate the current practices of the company, evaluate its effectiveness, and identify common obstacles for employee’s leadership development plan at the company. The dissertation will also propose some recommendations based on its findings for creating a viable improvement to the leadership development program. The dissertation will be divided into five chapters. The first chapter will be comprised of the introduction, overview of the research, background, and research objectives. The second chapter will detail the research methodology. The third chapter will present a literature review and theoretical background of the research. Fourth chapter will present the findings and analyze the data. Finally, chapter five will present the results and conclusions of the research. 1.1 Research Objectives Investigate to what extent does the company care for its employees through its leadership development plan Identify the significance of employees leadership development plan Investigate practices of employees leadership development plan Evaluate the effectiveness of employees leadership development Identify most common barriers for employees leadership development plan 1.2 Research Questions What is the employees’ attitude towards the company regarding its transformational leadership development program? Is transformational leadership more efficient than other forms of leadership? How does the transformational leadership benefit the objectives and goals of the company? What is the significance of the transformational leadership development plan for both the company and its employees? To what extent do the employees consider the development plan at the company efficient? What are the common barriers associated with the transformational leadership development plan at the company? 1.3 Rationale for the Current Research Although there is a large array of literature on human resource development, practitioners often come under criticism for doing very little to evaluate the learning and development solutions that have been designed to deliver whereby significant and often scarce resources are allocated blindly in development plans that are considered to be effective (Harisson, 2005). When undergoing financial stress, organizations often downsize human resource development budgets. Human resource development personnel undergo tight scrutiny in justifying their expenditures and are required to prove the effectiveness of their employee development plans. Thus evaluation of employee leadership development plan is a viable solution. The importance of evaluation in further signified as the learning and development theory and practices in the modern day is undergoing a considerable change in order to keep up with new circumstantial requirements. In fact, one of the major changes occurring nowadays and in the upcoming years is the organizational changes driven by ‘higher integration between coaching, organisational development (OD) and performance management’ (CIPD survey, 2010: pg.6). Similarly Sloman (2007) made several important propositions regarding the ongoing change in the employee development practices and approaches (see appendix 1). The shift in the learning and development approach and employee development practices signifies the importance of evaluating the current practices of an organization to see whether they are abreast with the prevailing best practices. Additionally, employee development approaches and practices of the oil and gas rich Middle Eastern countries and the Gulf Nations is an under-researched area in HRM literature. Moreover, the available literature regarding employee development practices generalizes the Middle East and the Arab World rather than addressing individual countries or companies (Harry, 2007). The existing gap in the literature pays way for the current proposed study to evaluate the leadership development plan at Maesrk Oil in Qatar. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Definition of employee leadership development Employee development plans have been defined as a set of planned efforts by an organization which facilitates the learning and acquaintance of knowledge, specific skills and behaviors for its employees; all of which are essential for them to be successful in their current jobs (Goldstein, 1993). Dotta (2009) defines it as a â€Å"sequence of concurrent activities, initiatives and programs that an organization is involved with to maintain, improve and enhance the skills, capabilities and performance levels of its workforce and other staff members. Employee development plan encapsulates various individual development plans. A leadership development plan goes one step further than this: as well as providing all of the support listed above the employee is also being trained for a management role through the subtle development of the most desirable qualities. According to Department of Defense of USA (2006), an individual employee development plan is a tailored written plan developed by the supervisor and employee outlining the employee’s developmental objectives and the developmental activity for achieving these objectives. The purpose of an employee development plan is to increase the current proficiency, development, and progression of the employee through a systematic development plan. The personal progression of an employee can only be realized if they have been instructed in the transformational leadership qualities which will optimize the business as a whole. Based on aforementioned definitions, several important points can be stated: Employees’ development plan is aimed at enhancing the capabilities and competencies of an organization’s workforce. Employees’ development plan is also crucial for the progression of a career path. Through leadership development it is common for organizations to train and develop their employees to occupy critical positions in future. A transformational leadership development program helps employees to understand the key roles of leadership and develop qualities which will make them an inspirational motivator to their workforce. 2.2 Significance of transformational leadership development In today’s business environment, which is characterized as multi-faced, highly complex, extremely competitive, and dynamic, organizations are required to be very flexible and adaptable in order to survive and succeed. Employee development, a practice that seeks to assist organizations in meeting their business goals through continuous learning and development (Harisson, 2009) is a critical element for achieving that flexibility and adaptability. So much that often human resource development personnel are qualified as ‘agents of change’ (Harisson, 2009). It is only through continuous, effective learning and development of employees that modern day organizations can acquire the essential competencies to adapt to a new conjuncture. Transformational leadership is significant as it not only benefits the leader in question, but also the morale of the employees. Candidates for the development program will be taught the traditional methods of leadership, such as how to ta ke responsibility and effectively manage a team, while also being taught to be motivational, inspirational and influential among their colleagues (Barling, Christie and Hoption). 2.3 Best Practices in Employee Development Plan Numerous studies have recommended several successful approaches towards employee development programs. There is a general consensus among researchers regarding the foremost need for an organization to conduct an analysis of its existing needs and requirements (Jacobs and Jones, 1995; Clegg et al, 2005). According to Jacobs, (1995) an employee development can be rendered meaningless if it does not respond to the organizational needs. Existing needs and requirements can be identified through an effective market analysis, analysis of existing and future labor trends. (Clegg et al, 2005). Since every organization needs to secure its’ future in the business industry it stands to reason that leadership is a high priority in the organizations needs, and transformational leadership can arguably give the best opportunity for employees to grow and develop along with the requirements of the company. Apart from the needs’ assessment, several best practices have been identified by human resource practitioners and researchers. A survey of best practices of 71 companies practicing employee development activities identified three underlying factors important for an effective employee development plan. These are: (1) individual development plans should be developed for key and high potential employees with the ability to become future leaders (2) the individual development plans and practices should be strictly aligned with organizational strategies and goals, with the future of the company in mind and (3) the entire workforce should be facilitated for its progression through the developmental process (Reynolds, 2005). 3.0 Research Methods and Approach 3.1 Research Philosophy Identifying a research philosophy is imperative for designing a viable research method as it determines the manner in which information regarding a research problem/question is collected, evaluated and applied. Researcher have identified mainly three research philosophies namely positivist and interpretivist and realist (Galliers, 1991). A positivist research philosophy perceives reality as a constant phenomenon; something that can be perceived objectively (Levin, 1988). It is a stance of a natural scientist. According to Hirschheim (1985 p.33), â€Å"positivism has a long and rich historical tradition. It is so embedded in our society that knowledge claims not grounded in positivist thoughts are simply dismissed as ascientific and therefore invalid†. Interpretivism, on the other hand, seeks to understand reality from a subjective perception in order to make sense of motives, actions and intentions of those that they study. They emphasize the social construct of the reality (Husserl, 1965). Interpretivists contend that reality and its perceptions can be better understood by placing people in their social contexts (Hussey and Hussey, 1997). Realists believe that the existence of reality is independent of human thoughts, emotions and beliefs. The research philosophy underpinning the proposed research is interpretivism. The research aims to evaluate the employee leadership development plan of Maersk Oil through the perceptions, attitudes and beliefs of its employees, managers, and executives; thus it aims to gain subjective insights for evaluation. 3.2 Research Approach and Strategy A research approach can be either deductive or inductive. The premise of a deductive approach is to test a hypothesis, explain casual relationships and enable generalization of a theory. On the other hand, inductive approach focuses upon building a theory by understanding a phenomenon seeking an answer for a question. The approach adopted for the proposed research is inductive, as this study will look to identify the weaknesses or strengths or the current employee development plan at Maersk Oil Qatar, and answer several proposed questions pertaining to its evaluation. The research strategy for this study will be exploratory as it will aim at providing insights and understanding of the nature of the phenomenon under study in new light. Within the exploratory approach, this study will utilize both qualitative and quantitative data. On one hand, statistical analysis will carried out for the survey responses which will be distributed among the employees of a company, whilst interviews will be conducted with some senior officials and employees in order to gain insights regarding the evaluation of the employee development program. It will complement the understanding gained through the data analysis results. 3.3 Data Collection According to Yin (1994), there are five ways of collecting data; these are â€Å"experimental, surveys, archival analysis, history, and case studies†. This research will utilize a survey strategy. According to Kelley et. al, (2003) â€Å"the survey strategy refers to the selection of a relatively large sample of people from a pre-determined population, followed by the collection of data from those individuals. The researcher therefore uses information from a sample of individuals to make some inference about the wider population. For the purpose of evaluating the employee leadership development plan, a questionnaire will be prepared, reviewed, and distributed to a random sample of Maersk Oil Qatar employees and people in leadership roles. Survey strategy will allow the researcher to collect a large amount of data within in short time with minimum costs and efforts (Naresh et.al, 2003). Interviews, the qualitative form of collecting data within survey method will be used concu rrently. Semi-structured interviews will be designed and conducted of several senior officials at the company. References CIPD (2010), ‘Annual Survey Report : Learning and Talent Development’, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, {online} cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BC060DD1-EEA7-4929-9142-1AD7333F95E7/0/5215_Learning_talent_development_survey_report.pdf (cited on 13th September, 2012) Clegg ,S. et all, 2005: Managing Organizations: An introduction to Theory and Practice. Sage Cohen N., 2002Pressure on AP Moller to Be Open, Australasian Business Intelligence, April 23, Department of Defense of USA (2006) The individual development. {online} usuhs.mil/chr/idp.pdf (cited on 13th September, 2012) Dotta, P.(2009) ‘What Is an Employee Development Plan?’ {online}: ehow.com/about_5161579_employee-development-plan.html (cited on 13th September, 2012) Goldstein I. L., 1993 â€Å"Training in Organizations† (3rd Ed.) Pacific Grove, California: Books Cole Harrison, R. (2005) Learning and development. 4th ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Harrison, R. (2009) Learning and development. 5th ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Harry. W (2007) Employment Creation and Localization. The crucial human resource issue for GCC. Int Journal of Human Resource Management. Vol. 18, no.1, pp 132-146. Husserl, E. (1965), Phenomenology and the crisis of philosophy, New York: Harper Torchbooks. Hussey, J. Hussey, R. (1997), Business Research: A practical guide for undergraduate and post-graduate students, London: MacMillan Press Ltd Jacob, R L and Jones, M J. (1995) Structures on Job Training- Unleashing Expertise in the Work Place. San Francisco. Berrett Koehler. Kelley, K., Clark, B., Brown, V., and Sitzia, J (2003) Good practice in the conduct and reporting of survey research. Int. Journal for Quality in Health Care. Volume 15,  Issue 3 Pp.  261-266. Levin, D. M. (1988). The opening of vision: Nihilism and the postmodern situation. London: Routledge. LSA Global (2008) ‘Top 10 training best practices for effective learning and development programs’. {online} http://jobfunctions.bnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=375846 (cited on 13th September, 2012) Maersk Oil (2012) ‘About Us’ {online} maerskoil.com/ABOUTUS/Pages/AboutUs.aspx (cited on 13th September, 2012) Naresh,M. et.al.,(2003) Methodological issues in cross-cultural marketing research. International Marketing Review. 13 (5) 7-43 Reynolds, S.(2005) Training and development managers share best practices and courseware through LearnShare. Toledo Business Journal. 5(2) 155-163. Sloman, M. (2007) ‘The changing world of the trainer: emerging good practice’, Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Yin, R. K. (1994) Case Study Research. Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.

Free Market Systems essays

Free Market Systems essays The concept of economic society in the middle Ages, and forces of change were different from region to region and from century to century. Modern market societies were beginning to manifest in the medieval cities of Italy and Holland from the tenth to seventeens centuries to the seventeenth and into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in some places. I will discuss what agents were powerful enough to effect changes need to bring about the free market society. First I will start with list of key concepts and terms Feudalism influential forces of change included these forces Itinerant Merchants initiated trade, money, and the keen characteristics of feudalism life Urbanization a by product of the Itinerant merchant slow urbanization of medieval life as for example one house hold per year. Crusades were only a cause of European economic development, also a symptom of the development that had previously taken place, and the introduction of new ideals to which the church was vigorously apposed Unifying commerce supporting national sales The age of exploration and of the gold from Spanish mines of Mexico and Peru The emergence of new religious ideals sympathetic of business Organization of set monetary dues with in the manorial system As result of these forces we see separation of economic from social life which no longer fit with the norm of religion, social, and political customs and practices, but form a distinct area of social life it self. The advent of free laborers, and landlords selling his or her services on the market for land and capital and labor which also created different classes entering the market among these new relationships was the wage labor but the owner of the product was the employer. Unlike the previous periods for instance labor was something done by slaves or as the word the book uses serfs to build pyramids, cathedrals that were ow...

5 First Steps for Finding Your Roots

5 First Steps for Finding Your Roots Youve decided to dig into your family history but arent sure where to begin? These five basic steps will get you started on the fascinating journey into your past. 1. Begin With Names First names, middle names, last names, nicknames...names often provide an important window into the past. Names in your family tree can be found by looking at old certificates and documents, by asking your relatives, and by looking at family photos and newspaper clippings (wedding announcements, obituaries, etc.). Search especially for maiden names for any female ancestors as they may help identify the parents, taking you back a generation in the family tree. Naming patterns used in the family may also hold a clue to previous generations. Family surnames were often adopted as given names, as were middle names which sometimes indicate the maiden name of a mother or grandmother. Watch also for nicknames, as they may also help you identify your ancestors. Expect to encounter plenty of spelling variations as name spellings and pronounciations generally evolve over time, and the surname your family uses now may not be the same as the one they began with. Names are also often just written down wrong, by people who spelled phonetically, or by individuals trying to transcribe messy handwriting for an index. 2. Compile Vital Statistics As you search for the names in your family tree, you should also gather the vital statistics that go with them. Most importantly you should look for dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Again, turn to the papers and photos in your home for clues, and ask your relatives for any details they can provide. If you run across conflicting accounts - two different birth dates for great Aunt Emma, for example - just record them both until more information comes along which helps point to one or the other. 3. Collect Family Stories As you quiz your relatives about names and dates, take time to elicit and write down their stories as well. The history in your family history begins with these memories, helping you to really get to know the people your ancestors were. Among these stories, you may learn of special family traditions or famous family legends that have been passed down from generation to generation. While they will likely contain some creative remembrances and embellishments, family stories generally have some basis in fact, providing clues for further research. 4. Select a Focus After gathering names, dates, and stories about your family, the next step is to choose a specific ancestor, couple, or family line on which to focus your search. You could choose to learn more about your dads parents, an ancestor you were named after, or all descendants of your maternal grandparents. The key here isnt what or who you choose to study, just that it is a small enough project to be manageable. This is especially important if youre just starting out on your family tree quest. People who try to do it all at once tend to get bogged down in details, often overlooking important clues to their past. 5. Chart Your Progress Genealogy is basically one big puzzle. If you dont put the pieces together in just the right way, then youll never get to see the final picture. To make sure your puzzle pieces end up in the proper positions  pedigree charts and family group sheets  can help you record your research data and keep track of your progress. Genealogy software programs are another good option for recording your information and will allow you to print out the data in a nice variety of chart formats. Blank genealogy charts can also be downloaded and printed for free from many different websites. Dont forget to take a little time out to record what youve looked at and what you found (or didnt find)!

View of God in the New Testament Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

View of God in the New Testament - Term Paper Example The promise of a coming Messiah was awaited hoping that He would free people from the bondage of exile, and of subordination. But God had other plans of freedom in mind. It had been some two thousand years ago when a man named Jesus changed human history on earth. He was born in a carpenter’s household, in a manger, by a virgin. He was the prophecied Messiah as the Christian community holds upon. He is known for turning water into wine, for calming the storm and for producing food enough to feed the five thousand. He did not deny the case of Him being God himself—in human form. And with Jesus’ claims, was sentenced to die. He died the most shameful death a man could ever have during their time, a death on a cross. The story does not end there. After three days in the tomb, Jesus is resurrected back to life, he shows up to his disciples, he still eats with them, serves them food, and preached some more. It’s theological significance marked the victory of th e human race against death, against sin, against bondage, and everything else in between. He is soon then raised up into heaven after forty days upon his death and resurrectionand is presently seated at the right hand of God, the Father. The whole story can be of two natures. (1) This person named Jesus was a total lunatic who claimed He was God, a make believe story fanatics have made up to appease their fear of the afterlife—as some would say, or, (2) He changed the eternal destiny for each and every human being’s soul by purchasing with his own life and blood, as how prophecies foretold. â€Å"He has healed the blind, made the lame walk, raised the dead, and preached the good news to the poor.† (Mark) Though the question arises, why is this story still relevant to any of the estimated 7 billion people on earth in the 21st century, including me? And what would this mean for the daily habitual routine of an average American? The story may have been told a trill ion times. Some may have been twisted by some, improvised by many, and forgotten by a million, yet, its claims of being the most historical shifting event have ever offered in the Spiritual sense. It turned around, again in theological aspects, how people would and/or could actually relate and describe a divine. This story of Jesus actually changed the way the whole world can and/or will ever have to relate with the God who was viewed as a distant, angry God hundreds, and even thousands of years before the coming of Jesus Christ. The event gave being to the blueprint of the idea of a God to realting to a sinful human being. In Jesus, a fullness of how a God would walk, talk, act, weep, speak, and mourn was revealed. Jesus was, as described in the Bible, â€Å"is the image of an invisible God, the firstborn over all creation...†. It was a revelation of a diety made tangible and can be grasped. In the study of His life, He is presented as the mediator between man and God, makin g Him equal with God, at the same time, a full human being. He is presented as the Incarnate Person of the Trinity that stands in mankind’s place, this means that when God looks at the human race, He sees the person Jesus Christ instead. The doctrine of the God in the New Testament was a God shown in the person of Jesus Christ who was the sacrificial Lamb that paid the debt of mankind’s sin. This makes the whole difference as far as the Old and the New Testaments are concerned. Jesus is the mark that draws the

Why Literature By Mario Vargas Llosa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Why Literature By Mario Vargas Llosa - Essay Example Llosa stated that a widespread conception claims literature as a dispensable activity which is in no doubt not of much use for someone with a busy schedule in which only people with ample time can engage in. Since women are these people who possess ample time than men, reading literature has become more and more a female activity. He posited that a society with the absence of literature is one condemned for spiritual barbarism and is jeopardizing its freedom. This is opposed to the effects that reading literature can impact a person or society, and is hence an irreplaceable activity for the formation of a modern democratic society where individuals are free. Llosa also states that the remarkable development of science and technology allows for the emergence of the era in which knowledge is specialized, and as a result, led to the fragmentation of knowledge into numerous compartments and divisions. A person who does not read or reads little is one who suffers from an impediment, who can speak much but can say only a handful due to his deficient vocabulary in the realm of self-expression. The impediment from which he suffers is a poverty of thought since his ideas are supposed to co-exist with his words, but is not so because of foregoing the reading of literature. The term ‘literary’ is also used to define a television program or a film to denote that it is boring and rarely captures the public’s interest. This is how little we regard literature nowadays. However, Llosa claims that without literature, the critical mind would suffer from irreparable loss since it is the real locomotive of historical change and the best protector of a country’s liberty, which must hence be filled with literary feeding.

Discuss the nature of Enterpreneurship in StreetShine case. What are Essay

Discuss the nature of Enterpreneurship in StreetShine case. What are the outcomes and how do they differ from those that might be achieved by philanthropy - Essay Example In general, the level of commitment is greater in a social organization than a commercial organization. A number of scholars and experts define a social enterprise as a business whose principal business purpose is the well being of the society (Chapman, Forbes and Brown, 2007; Darby and Jenkins, 2006). These establishments use various types of methods and disciplines of business coupled with the power of the marketplace for the purpose of advancing the environmental, social and human justice agendas (Black, 2002; Vega and Kidwell, 2007). This essay seeks to throw light on the nature of entrepreneurship in StreetShine case. Furthermore, the essay will also discuss different types of factors related to a social enterprise. However, prior to getting deeper into the analysis portion, the study will at first carry out an in-depth analysis of the case. The case begins with the introduction of StreetShine, a social enterprise operating in the UK. The venture was initiated by Nick Grant in the year 2004 and operates from London. The organization is operating in association with the homeless charity, Thames Reach Bondway. StreetShine specializes in employment and training opportunities for the individuals who are in the process of rebuilding their lives or have experienced homelessness. Furthermore, the organization also runs a professional shoeshine service in hotels and city offices of London. The aim of the organization is to offer the shoe shiners to earn guaranteed income opportunity and along with that gain transferable and valuable skills. The notion of social enterprises came into existence in the mid of the 20th century for the prime purpose of addressing the needs of those segments of the society that has not been dealt properly by the government or the corporate sector (Chapman, Forbes and Brown, 2007; Vega and Kidwell, 2007). Despite the presence of non-profit organizations, since the mid of 1800s in various forms,

Interpersonal relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interpersonal relationship - Essay Example It wasn’t hard for me to listen actively with interest in what the other person was saying as I was quickly involved in the other person’s issue, but I found it difficult to restrain my mind to listen to just what they were saying instead of trying to jump out with twenty questions. Another one of the more difficult skills for me to implement was paying attention to the nonverbal cues such as body language and ‘reading between the lines’. I got caught up in the narrative of the moment and then thought more about what was communicated later. At a later time I was able to understand many of the nonverbal physical and emotional cues, meaning I must have taken note of them at some level during the conversation, but I was not sufficiently aware of them enough to take advantage of the opportunities for greater communication when it mattered. For example, when the other person expressed that not everyone was doing their fair share of the work and was looking direc tly at me, I failed to recognize the hint and assumed she was speaking generally. Later reflection of other people’s schedules forced me to realize the other person might have had a point. The conversation I had with a focus on developing my nonverbal listening skills was different from typical conversations I’ve had in that I really focused on trying to listen to what the other person was saying instead of assuming I knew what the issue was going to be. In attempting to listen, I began to realize that the questions that I was suppressing for the moment were all geared around this assumption that I was already familiar with the problem. This effort to constrain my tongue was difficult for me because I tend to interrupt in order to clarify a point or to understand a specific element better, but it was noticed by the other person. The other person, able to finish out the main points of the issue before I began

Operating System and Notepad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Operating System and Notepad - Essay Example There are many uses of an operating system but this paper will focus upon the use of operating system related to Word Pad. "WordPad is a simple proprietary word processor that is included with almost all versions of Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 upwards. It is more advanced than Notepad, which is a rather basic text editor, but much more simple than Microsoft Word. It originated in Windows 1.0x as Write." ( Wikipedia, 10 September 2008). Word Pad provides the user with numerous facilities like formatting and printing the foramtted text. A user is free to choose the text size, the font script which suits his/her requirements the best, if a user makes any mistake, it can instantly be rectified within no time. The margin facility is also at the disposal of an user, with the help of which an user can start any sentence away from the margin or can also perform various other functions. There are many other facilities provided by Word Pad, these facilities include, bold, italics, underl ine and a host of other facilities. The spell check facility is the most amazing facility where in the user can correct his/her mistake instantly. "Notepad is a common text-only (also referred to as plain text) editor. The resulting files - typically saved with the .txt extension - have no format tags or styles, making the program suitable for editing system files that are to be used in a DOS environment." ( Wikipedia, 10 September 2008). Notepad also provides the user with many facilities but its biggest drawback is that the user cannot format the text in notepad, notepad does not provide the facility of formatting the text but on the other hand the facility of copy/paste is the backbone of notepad, the copy/paste feature helps in more ways than one. Notepad allows the user to edit almost any format text file, which makes various tasks easier for any user. Notepad is also very helpful in website building, its capy/paste feature makes website building very easy.

Interpersonal relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Interpersonal relationship - Essay Example It wasn’t hard for me to listen actively with interest in what the other person was saying as I was quickly involved in the other person’s issue, but I found it difficult to restrain my mind to listen to just what they were saying instead of trying to jump out with twenty questions. Another one of the more difficult skills for me to implement was paying attention to the nonverbal cues such as body language and ‘reading between the lines’. I got caught up in the narrative of the moment and then thought more about what was communicated later. At a later time I was able to understand many of the nonverbal physical and emotional cues, meaning I must have taken note of them at some level during the conversation, but I was not sufficiently aware of them enough to take advantage of the opportunities for greater communication when it mattered. For example, when the other person expressed that not everyone was doing their fair share of the work and was looking direc tly at me, I failed to recognize the hint and assumed she was speaking generally. Later reflection of other people’s schedules forced me to realize the other person might have had a point. The conversation I had with a focus on developing my nonverbal listening skills was different from typical conversations I’ve had in that I really focused on trying to listen to what the other person was saying instead of assuming I knew what the issue was going to be. In attempting to listen, I began to realize that the questions that I was suppressing for the moment were all geared around this assumption that I was already familiar with the problem. This effort to constrain my tongue was difficult for me because I tend to interrupt in order to clarify a point or to understand a specific element better, but it was noticed by the other person. The other person, able to finish out the main points of the issue before I began

Full Corse Profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Full Corse Profile - Essay Example (2000), the manner in which culture affects decisions is through the reasons that a person responds when called upon to explain his or her choice. They further propose that cultures equips people with various principles and rules that offer guidance for decision-making. Besides, they argue that such cultural knowledge is activated by the need of providing reasons. Consequently, the proposal, which represents a dynamic instead of dispositional perspective of cultural influence, is examined in studies regarding consumer decisions (Briley et.al. 99) These studies involve an exchange between opposing attributes such as high quality and low price. From the study, the principles that enjoin compromise were more outstanding in Japanese culture than in Australian culture. In the same note, it is predictable that there will be higher cultural disparities in the propensity to select compromise options if the decision-making calls for the participants to give reasons (Simpson & Murawska 65). In the first study, the difference between Australian and Japanese participants in the propensity to select compromise goods was seen only on being asked to clarify their decisions. On analyzing the content of their reasons, it was found out that it is the cultural differences relating to the frequency with which specific types of reasons are generated that the differences in choices was mediated (Simpson & Murawska 65). ... According to Radford et.al. (1993), the effect of culture, is examined in terms of decisional stress, copying styles for the self-reported decision, and decisional self-esteem. Consequently, the authors have used both the Australian students and the Japanese students in conducting this research. In this case, 300 Australian university students and 743 Japanese were used. From both participants, there was positive correlation between the decisional self-esteem with the decision making choice style (Radford et. al. 74) However, there was negative correlation with such coping styles required in personal decision making as hyperactive vigilance, avoidance, and complacency; and decisional stress. Australian students had higher cultural differences than Japanese students did when it came to decisional self-esteem. On the other hand, the Australian students were lower on decisional stress, hyper vigilance, avoidance, and complacency coping styles. There was therefore, a relationship between the cross-cultural differences of the individualistic Australian culture and the group- oriented or collectivist Japanese culture (Wierzbicka 48). Ryuko et.al. (1999), has highlighted the way the applied linguistics literature have provided pedagogical arguments when applied on critical thinking and teaching writing by the ESL students. In this case, the author argues that through the presentation of these pedagogical arguments, the applied linguistics literature draws on cultural differences between the target academic society and ESL students (Ryuko et al. 56) The authors in this case, are trying to come up with cultural dichotomy between the west and the east, by constructing fixed, essentialized, apolitical cultural representations like harmony, deemphasis, and

Cultural Competence Essay Example for Free

Cultural Competence Essay Cultural and linguistic competence in nursing can be defined as a set of related behaviors and attitudes that integrate together within a healthcare system or institution and among the professionals that work within the system or institution with the purpose of enabling effective and efficient delivery of health services in cross-cultural scenario (Jeffreys, 2006). Below is a brief description of the eight principles of cultural competence: †¢ Broadly defining culture This involves identifying the other factors besides race, language and ethnicity that determine an individual’s sense of awareness in relation to other people (HRSA, 2001). This is because health services are delivered to an individual, and group characteristics may not be a reflection of a person’s attitudes and life experiences (Lundy Janes, 2003). †¢ Valuing Clients’ Cultural beliefs This involves caregivers or professionals in healthcare sufficiently learning the attitudes, knowledge and belief of their target population regarding healthcare and applying what is learned for the delivery of culturally competent care (HRSA, 2001). †¢ Recognizing complexity in Language interpretation This is identifying any hindrances to effective communication and targeted group due to language differences; and laying down strategies to address the same (HRSA, 2001). †¢ Facilitating learning between caregivers and communities This is the creation of environments under which caregivers can learn about the beliefs and attitudes of the targeted cultural group and their impact on healthcare; while the targeted community learns more about how healthcare works (HRSA, 2001). †¢ Involving the community in the defining and addressing healthcare needs This is getting the community to fully participate in the formulation of health policies in the system that serves them so that managed care can be fully culturally competent (HRSA, 2001). †¢ Collaborating with other agencies This is forging working alliances with groups that are familiar with the needs of the targeted community to boost the chances of delivering culturally competent services (HRSA, 2001). †¢ Professionalizing staff hiring and training This is setting cultural competence standards for new caregivers getting into the system; and continually training serving staff in emerging standards of cultural competence (HRSA, 2001). †¢ Institutionalizing cultural competence This is making cultural competence standards an integral part of healthcare planning and optimizing hiring, training and funding to meet these standards (HRSA, 2001). In conclusion, the above principles are very vital to the delivery of holistic healthcare services for healthcare professionals working in cultures different from them (Lundy Janes, 2003). ? References Health Resources and Services Administration, HRSA (2001). Cultural Competence Works. Retrieved on 14/5/2010from ftp://ftp. hrsa. gov/financeMC/cultural-competence. pdf Jeffreys, M. R. (2006). Teaching Cultural Competence in Nursing and Health Care: Inquiry, Action and Innovation. Springer. Lundy, K. S. Janes, S. (2003). Essentials of Community-based Nursing. Jones Bartlett.

Evaluation of Materials Management Information System

Evaluation of Materials Management Information System Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to assess the effectiveness of the existing Materials Management System (MMS) in â€Å"ABC Construction†, identify the gaps in business processes and define user needs and stakeholders expectations concerning the implementation of new Information System (IS) proposed by the Modernization Committee of the Company. Field study and research through questionnaires showed that there were major failures in the existing MMS in the field of planning, tracking and inventory of materials and equipment. There was no integrated automated control over the materials planning process. Vendors and Suppliers databases were poor. Tracking of materials was processed through MS Excel spreadsheet making the expediting of Suppliers submissions inefficient as sometimes the data was simply lost which led to mismatch between the Company and Suppliers data in the context of delivery status. The control and monitoring of the materials in stock was characterized by inefficient inventory paperwork. The overall MMS documentation was not comprehensive enough provoking heavy workload, manual verification of the data and unsatisfactory reporting which consequently caused failures to meet construction completion deadlines. The proposed IS SAP MM was critically evaluated as a potential solution for the automation of MMS in â€Å"ABC Construction†. Taking into consideration principle business objectives the success of IS was diagnosed by means of IS Success Framework developed by DeLone and McLean (see Appendix 1). The outcome of the analysis showed that IS proved to be applicable and could meet the expectations of either Senior Management or Materials personnel, and to align with the Companys strategy and business objectives. The main processes of Materials Management and the relations between â€Å"ABC Construction† and Vendors/Suppliers can be efficiently managed and coordinated if proposed IS is implemented. The recommendation to utilize the proposed SAP MM for efficient Material Management was supported. Professional MM IS and speed of execution can provide the Company faster time to market, potential growth as a long-term objective and thus, sustainable future of the business. Further comprehensive financial analysis for IS implementation project will be conducted by the Financial Department and presented to stakeholders in order to make final investment decision. Introduction â€Å"ABC Construction† is a medium Russian Construction Company founded in 1995 specializing in general construction, construction management, and design services. It is a material-intensive business in which control over materials required for construction has a major impact on the revenue of the company. In order to access the current performance of Material Management System, identify its inefficiency and define user needs and expectations of the stakeholders with regards to implementation of new proposed Information System (IS) a field study and research through questionnaires were conducted. Based on the results of the interviews and data from the questionnaires of 1 Project Director, 4 Project Managers, 4 Contracts Managers, 5 Chief Engineers, 3 Material Managers and 10 Materials Coordinators the major drawbacks of the existing MMS were identified in the field of planning, tracking and inventory of materials and equipment. The following implications are summarized to describe the outcome of the research with regards to MMS utilized in the Company: There is no efficient automated control over the materials planning process. Vendors and Suppliers database is poor, not up-to-date, not all the required information included. Vendor Data requirements are not defined in terms of requisitions, package and purchase orders (PO), no materials specifications available and deliveries timelines indicated. No comprehensive pricing information available in the system. Tracking process of status of materials and equipment deliveries is done through MS Excel spreadsheets making the expediting of Vendor submissions inefficient. A number of Materials Specialists and Coordinators are working on one spreadsheet at the same time and due to human element while transferring data information may be lost. This causes the mismatch between the Company and the Contractors data in terms of materials status. Inefficient control over the materials in stock. Inventory reports are not detailed; shortages of materials are not specified and can be depicted by means of PIVOT tables only. Materials Coordinators working in various projects of the Company sometimes do not have enough time for monitoring the stock which can cause such major problems as failures to meet construction completion deadlines and initial budget deficit due to incidental expenditures caused by damaged/lost or undelivered materials which were not properly indicated in craftwork database. The overall MMS documentation is not comprehensive: process sheets, inventory records, material requisitions, material call-off schedules, shortage notes, lot tickets, delivery notes and quality test sheets provide incomplete information and you have to take time and refer to another documents and spreadsheets to find the required information. There are no procedures on document standards between the Company and its vendors/suppliers. Contract Managers are not satisfied with the reporting system which is not transparent enough and is to be developed to better standards. Due to the Companys Modernization Strategy and taking into account the gaps in the existing MMS a standard integrated IS SAP MM (Materials Management) was proposed for implementation within the Company. The main objectives of IS Implementation set by the Senior Management are as follows: To ensure that â€Å"ABC Construction† has the right material, in the right place, at the right quantity and price. To develop and unify materials related procedures and make materials purchase, transfer and receipt clear for all involved parties. To stay competitive in construction market and build a sustainable future. Analysis and Implications In order to assess the integral ERP solution SAP MM (module that is used for Procurement Handling and Inventory Management) was reviewed to evaluate the applicability of IS to meet the requirements of the stipulated business objectives. IS was inspected through the application of the success metrics specified in Updated IS Success Model developed by DeLone and McLean. SAP MM success evaluation based upon success metrics aligned with stakeholders expectations is indicated in the table below. # IS Success Dimensions Valued Qualities Preliminary Assessment of SAP MM 1 Information Quality Usability Information is comprehensive and complete. Consistent track of historical data. Availability / Reliability Data can be accessed from multiple geographical locations, IS stable and reliable. Adaptability IS flexible architecture with high scalability. Response time Real-time application, response time is short. 2 System Quality Content Personalized Clear definition of user access rights. Completeness IS covers all stages from Planning to Procurement and Warehousing (see Appendix 2). High integration with other ERP systems. Relevant Single data storage with the relevant data. Secure R/3, 3-tier architecture: database, application server and client, all data stores on server side. Encrypted client-server data transfer. 3 Service Quality Assurance IS if fully integrated and do not require additional adaptation. Developer Support 24/7 helpdesk. Easy remote administration options. 4 Usage Simplicity of operation Basic training usually takes 5-10 days. User-friendly interface. Quick Access to the most updated data. 5 User satisfaction Business purposesorientation SAP MM is able to provide the required graphs and analytics for planning, tracking and inventory; reporting structures are clear and easy to reconfigure. 6 Net benefits Improved Cost Control IS lowers total cost of ownership with a scalable and flexible solution that enables to implement enterprise-wide changes and deploy them globally. IS improves efficiency with a solution that has the functionality to support the business processes. Improved Strategic and Operational Procurement IS optimizes vendor base, improves inventory turnover and cycle times, and reduces operational costs. IS covers all tasks within the supply chain, including consumption-based planning, planning, vendor evaluation and invoice verification. It also includes inventory and warehouse management to manage stock until usage dictates the cycle should begin again. Electronic Kanban/Just-in-Time delivery is supported. Information transparency IS enables management oversight; support overall decision-making processes. IS facilitates time saving. One of the main objectives of the capabilities of described IS is to improve streamline collaboration between the Materials Department and its suppliers while drastically decreasing procurement and inventory costs and maximizing the value of relationships on both sides. Thus, the supplier participation and automation of cross-company processes are increasing which leads to enhancing the supply chain visibility, to increasing the overall speed accuracy, and adaptability of Vendors which is vital for construction field. Proposed IS can improve and simplify the inventory procedures and control over stock in the Company. IS Supplier portal component is available. That eliminates manual data entry, improves internal and external communications and reduces errors and process costs. IS provides the required transparency of the Material Management processes and Supplier/Vendor base visibility enabling companies to monitor and evaluate suppliers with real-time performance feedback. The following expectations of the Company can be met if proposed IS is implemented: Automation, simplification and acceleration of Material Management processes. Less mismatching between Supplier/Vendor and the Companys status documentation Accurate and detailed information on Supplier/Vendor abilities and rates. Improved reporting system and configuration of the reports per requirements of Senior Management, Materials Staff and Financial Dept. Lowered procurement and inventory costs; improved asset utilization. Reduced risk of supply and delays through the efficient IS electronic tracking. Reduced downtime overtime; paperwork, adjustment and compilation of the forms. Recommendations Based on the results of SAP MM critical evaluation the IS proves to be applicable in order to develop or replace the existing MMS in â€Å"ABC Construction† and to meet the expectations of either Senior Management or Materials personnel, and to align with the Companys strategy and business objectives. The principal processes of Materials Management can be fully monitored and controlled if proposed IS is implemented. Therefore, the recommendation to utilize the proposed SAP MM for efficient Material Management is supported. To build a sustainable future and to remain competitive in construction market the materials and equipment as well as relations of â€Å"ABC Construction† with Vendors/Suppliers can be efficiently managed and coordinated through proposed SAP MM. Professional MM IS and speed of execution can provide the Company with faster time to market and potential growth of business as a long-term objective. Further comprehensive financial assessment in terms of costs and commercial value, benefits and risks of the IS implementation project is to be conducted by the Financial Department and presented to stakeholders in order to make final investment decision. Microsoft Rapid Economic Justification (REJ) Framework can be recommended for further reference see Figure below. Bibliography 1. Bancroft NH, Sep H, Sprengel A., 1998, â€Å"Implementing SAP R/3 (2nd edn.)†, Manning Publications: Greenwich, CT. 2. Carr N.G., â€Å"IT Doesnt Matter†, Harvard Business Review, 2003. 3. DeLone, W.H., and McLean, E.R., 2003, â€Å"The DeLone and McLean Model of Information System Success: A Ten-Year Update†, Journal of MIS, vol. 19,no.4, pp. 9-30. 4. DeLone, W.H., and McLean, E.R., 1992, â€Å"Information systems success: The quest for the dependent variable†, Information Systems Research, vol. 3, no.1, pp. 60-95. 5. Microsoft (2010). Build an airtight business case for new IT investments, 2005. [Online]. Available from: http://www.microsoft.com/business/enterprise/value.mspx [Accessed: 15 January 2010] 6. SAP (2010) Workload Overview. [Online].Available from: http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/21/2c8f38c7215428e10000009b38f8cf/content.htm [Accessed: 14 January 2010] 7. SAP (2010) MM Overview. [Online].Available from: http://www.docstoc.com [Accessed: 12 January 2010] 8. Seddon, P.B.; Staples, D.S.; Patnayakuni, R.; and Bowtell, M.J., â€Å"The dimensions of information systems success.† Communications of the Association for Information Systems, vol. 2, art. 20. Retrieved January 10, 2010, from www.clemson.edu 9. Skok, W., and Kalmanovitch, C., 2005, â€Å"Evaluating the Role and Effectiveness of an Intranet in facilitating Knowledge Management†, Information Management, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 731-744. 10. Skok, W., and Legge, M., 2002, â€Å"Evaluating Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems using an Interpretive Approach†, Knowledge and Process Management, vol.9, no. 2, pp. 72-82. 11. Skok, W., Kophamel, A., and Richardson, I., 2001, â€Å"Diagnosing Information Systems Success: Importance-Performance Maps in the Health Club Industry†, Information and Management, vol.38, no. 7, pp. 409-419. 12. Willcocks, L.P., and Lester, S (eds.), 1999, â€Å"Beyond the IT Productivity Paradox†, Wiley. Chichester.

leagalize the green :: essays research papers

Seth Ingram   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The wide ranging and imposing site of Dover Castle in Kent, England has been used in various forms as a defensive stronghold for over two thousand years (Microart ). Many years before the Normans ever arrived in 1066 to make the Dover castle we see today, this high land above the English Channel was the location of an Iron Age hill fort, which set the mold for the fortifications still visible today (Microart ). The Dover Castle at Kent has undergone many additions and reconstructions over its years, such as the great grandson of William the Conqueror, Henry II’s expansion in 1170 (Castles of Wales Web Site, www.castlewales.com). It is the best castle ever built, and its use extended into the 1940’s when it played still big roll in WWII. Dover has evolved much over it years, and its strategically positioned to be right in all of the action.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most all buildings are created to serve a single purpose, a bank, a hotel, a factory, a school, ect. A castle however does not meet this mold, it can be many things a military base, a seat of government, a court and a stronghold for the surrounding region, in certain cases it filled all of these roles at once. However, a castle was generally the private residence of its owner. Castle were a product of the period, they were built in a time period that was not safe, but a castle offered some safety. It is important to note that very few of the many castles ever built assume the forms of castles that we see today. It should also be made to realize that generally castle life was quiet and peaceful. Most castles were owned by the nobility and the lives lived in them were not as portrayed in movies. As the close of the medieval period comes to pass, and stability seems to become a more constant factor, many castles lay more stress on the comforts of life, rather than th e defense of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today’s castles first came to England in 1066 with William the Conqueror. Castles were the means by which he was able to conqueror England so successfully. By putting up these castles he was able to suppress any type of uprising that might occur. These first Norman castles were hurriedly put up to secure their foot hold in England, so as you can imagine they are not quite as glamorous as the giant heaping stone structures we see today.

Matching Dell

The Matching Dell Business case by (Rivkin. J & Porter, M) defines the personal computer industry and outlines its history and development, with focus on Dell Computers. This paper will analyze the case study by means of the Strategic Situation Analysis and Planning Method (SSAP), by portraying and comparing Dell with its main competitors, namely: IBM, Compaq, Hewllet-Packard and Gateway. Approaching the strategic situation from SSAP method’s step number one, Financial Analysis, step number two, External Business Environment Analysis and step number three, Business and Corporate Strategy Analysis, an external analyst perspective will be drawn based on past , present and future trends that will be used to give recommendations of investments to potential investors. The Personal Computer Industry From its inception the computer industry was mainly composed of large corporations such as IBM and DEC and unaffordable, heavy hardware such as mainframe computers. Having a personal computer at home was a mere aspiration those days. Between 1975 and 1981 many discoveries occurred that gained popularity with electronic hobbyists, when pre-assembled personal computers entered the market. These computers were pioneered by firms such as Apple Computers, MITS and smaller ones such as Tandy/RadioShack and Commodore. Almost immediately, other major electronic firms entered the market of personal computers. These companies focused their business on other electronic industries before this. The pioneer of the first personal computer was IBM in 1981 and its success translated to a market share of 42% of the market two years later. Although, IBM produced most of the components for its mainframes computers, for PCs it purchased from others the required parts and then assembled the machines. The operating software for IBM’s first PC was custom-made by Microsoft, which was then just a start-up software firm. The microprocessor for the operating system (OS) was designed by Intel, another corporation that benefited from the partnership with IBM. Microsoft’s first operating system to IBM is the backbone structure for all the current versions of operating systems (OS) implemented by Microsoft. A proprietary system developed by Apple, held 20% of the market by 1983. In 1982, another firm named Compaq entered the market with a low-priced portable clone and had $100 million in revenues during its first year, which turned out to be the fastest growing company in American history. By 1984, Dell Computer Corporation entered the market and transformed the way PCs were assembled and distributed. Historically, what has really revolutionized the PC industry was the establishment by IBM of an open architecture for their first PC, making its operating system and other proprietary information available to encourage software developers to write programs for the IBM PC and to motivate other firms to make compatible peripherals. Moreover, the unforeseen business strategy at IBM caused the company to become vulnerable to other market entrants and lost their sustainable competitive advantage, since many other IBM clones were manufactured. This cased the company to lose market share to competitors. Step One – Financial Analysis Financial Position Dell's financial history, like most company's, changes over different periods. These changes can be attributed to changes in the demand of the product, technological advancements, manufacturing costs, competition, and economic conditions. In 1999, the approximate cost of manufacturing a basic personal computer was between $800 and $900 (Kwak & Yoffie 1999). Dell sold computers directly, and through retail distributors. In 1994, Dell actually lost money on retail sales. When comparing Dell's direct sales to the retail channel it shows that there was a 5. % operating income through the direct sales, and a -3. 0% operating income in retail sales. Dell's market share increases from 1. 0 in 1990 to 13. 2 in 1998. Direct sales of Dell' personal computers through telephone, mail, and internet helped increase their market share. The total market size for the personal computer industry is $74. 6 million. Exhibit 4: Portion of Sales Through Each Channel by Region from the Matching Dell Case shows the highest channels in which personal computers are distributed in different geographic areas. In the Americas, the most popular channel is distributor/reseller which accounts for 41. 2% of sales, second is the direct channel which accounts for 29. 7% of sales, and third is the retail channel which accounts for 21. 7% of the sales. These three channels are the top channels world wide, and distributor/reseller is the channel with the highest percentage of sales across the board. Income Statements Dell and its competitors Compaq, Gateway, and HP all have had their revenues increase over the period between 1991 and 1998. The companies differ when the net income is compared from the same time period. In the Appendix, Table 4: Profit as a Percentage of Sales shows a comparison between 1991 and 1998. Profit as a percentage of sales is a note worthy calculation because it shows a ratio of profits to sales. If a company has high sales it does not necessarily mean that it will have high profits. In Table 4, you see that in 1998 Dell has the highest profit as a percentage of sales. Since Compaq has a negative net income in this year, its data is skewed. Dell percentage of sale has grown by 2. % in this seven year period. Using the calculation (This Year)/Base Year x 100 and data from 1991, to 1998 Dell sales increased 20. 5% and net income increased 28. 63%. This shows that profits increased more than sales in the same time period. This means that Dell became more efficient in production which yielded greater profits. Net income increasing more than sales shows Dell's efficiency in production and distribution. It cut costs of making and selling its computers to have a greater profit. In the appendix, Table 1 shows the year on year percent changes for Dell's sales. This table shows that Dell's sales continue to grow each year. Price Comparison Exhibit 9 in the Matching Dell Case shows Ratings of High-end Desktop PCs by Consumer Reports(1998). It is shown on the table that Dell's product sells for $2400, HP's product sells for $2200, Gateway's product sells for $2647, and Compaq's product sells for $2950. Data on the same table rates these computers on price, speed, quality, and other things customers value in computers with a scale of 1 being excellent and 5 being poor. When the customer ratings are averaged Gateway has a rating of 1. , Dell and HP have a rating of 2. 4, and Compaq has a rating of 2. 7. Dell is the lowest in price and second highest in rating. This shows that customers are satisfied with the dell computer, more so than some of the more expensive brands. Company Profitability Exhibit 11 from the case compares Major PC Manufactures and their financial data. Return on Equity(ROE) is calculated in this table and the major players can be compared. The ROE shows the profitability of a corporation because it shows how much profit is generated from the money the shareholders have invested. Dell has a ROE of 62. %, Gateway has a ROE of 25. 7%, HP has a ROE of 17. 4%, and Compaq has a ROE of -24. 2%. HP and Compaq have substantially more revenue than Dell. Compaq does not have a higher net income, but HP does. At first glance you would think that HP is a better company in regards to personal computers but when you look at the ROE you notice a difference. Out of all the major competitors in the personal computer industry Dell has the highest ROE. Therefore it is the most successful company in this market. It would be recommended that investors invest in Dell to achieve the most out of their investment. Revenues Dell's company became more successful when it withdrew from retail in 1994. It was losing money by distributing its computers in this channel and learned from its mistakes. In 1996 it started its website which provided another opportunity for customers to order from them directly. Exhibit 11 also shows that Dell keeps its cost structure lower than its competitors. When something is not benefiting the company, Dell does not wait, it acts on it and tries to continue to make Dell a successful corporation. Compaq has very, very high revenues but there are obviously major problems with the company. Its net income and ROE are negative numbers, which shows that the company is not profitable in 1998. Compaq only has 4. 4% of sales from direct sales, where Dell has 86. 6%. This is a major advantage to Dell because there is no middle man and Dell can obtain all profits. In ratings of PC Vendors by Corporate Managers with PC buying Responsibility (Exhibit 8), Dell Ranks high in user satisfaction, extremely high in raw technology, second highest in pricing, and moderately high in service and support. Compaq ranks high in pricing but low in user satisfaction, raw technology, and all customer relations. Having quality customer services gives Dell an advantage over Compaq. Financial Conclusion The financial performance of Dell, Compaq, HP, Gateway and other companies in the PC industry we see that high revenues do not always translate into a profitable company. Shareholders and investors are looking for high returns on the amount they invest in their respected companies. Dell is the most profitable company as of 1998 with the highest return on investment. The most valued aspect of Dell's company at this time is the use of the direct sales channel. Also, Dell sells its computers at a cheaper price than its competitors but still ranks high in customer satisfaction surveys. Dell can offer a lower price by keeping its manufacturing and selling costs down. This way it can still make a profit and keep and attract customers. Dell started out as a small operation in a college dorm room and it continues to grow significantly on a yearly basis. Step Two – External Business Environment Analysis The market for computer systems and services is subject to intense price competition. In addition to several large branded companies, there are other branded and generic competitors. Dell competes primarily based on its technology, direct customer relationships, value, performance, customer service, quality, and reliability. Its main competitors are Compaq, and Gateway, both business are 90% PC dependent. However, due to Compaq’s low financial performance, HP was Dell’s primary competitor followed by Gateway in 1998. The main stakeholders group are: customers, competitors, suppliers, shareholders, employees and the government. In Table 6 in the Appendix theTarget [Customer-or-Client] – [Product-or-Service Connections] is shown. The PC competitive environment can be distinguished between its geographic and its customer categories. The geographic market for the PC industry is segmented by worldwide and U. S basis market share, while the customer category is segmented into: Large business, small & midsize business, home and small office, government and educational institutions. Based on the information from Exhibit 11 in the Matching Dell case, Compaq leads the U.  S and the worldwide market with 16. 4% and 16. 6% of PC shares respectively. Dell comes in second place with 10. 4% in the worldwide market share and 15. 1% in the U. S. PC market share. Gateway follows in behind both companies with a 4. 2% worldwide share and 8. 1% in the U. S. By comparing the major players we can see that Compaq is a leader in the market, however these market leadership if compared with the company’s financial information is not translated into profits, since it has a negative profit marking and a negative return on equity (ROE). ROE is one of the best measures of a corporation’s profitability, since it shows investors and stakeholders how much profit the company generates with the money shareholders have invested and for Compaq a negative ROE could be an indication that even if it has the greater market share amongst the PC industry there are problems with the bottom line net income and management issues. The customer group of Large Business is dominated by Dell Computers with 33. 6% market share followed by Compaq with 27. 5%. In the case of Small & Midsize business, Dell has a 37% against a 32. % market share held by Compaq. Moreover, in the Home & Small office PC sales customer category, Gateway has the leadership by large from its closest competitor HP with a 58. 2% share against a 33. 3% held by HP and Compaq comes next with a 28. 5% stake of the market. In addition, Gateway also has a leadership in the Education segment of the market, with a 8. 2% market share trailed by Compaq with 5. 3%. The government sectors is mostly equally divided amongst the PC industry competitors, with shares ranging from 5. 1% to 6. %, leveraging a very close competition. Growth rates and the percentage changes help to analyze and understand the companies being assessed. The overall performance of the PC industry has been assessed from 1989 to 1998 and the results are as follows: (Conclusions from Exhibit 2) Dell’s growth rate on average was 50. 5% for the period 1989 to 1998, while Compaq grew an average of 17. 9%. If this percentage change had not being analyzed in depth, one could think that Gateway had a greater growth than Dell Computers; from its inception it had an 87. % growth rate. However, if the first two years of operation were removed from the calculations, we can see that the actual growth rate for Gateway’s would only be 19. 5%, which would place it behind Dell. Compaq had and average growth of 17. 9% in the same period. Five forces competitive analysis and industry value chain (Diagram 1). Dell manufactures most of the products it sells and has manufacturing locations worldwide to service its global customer base. Dell believes that its manufacturing processes and supply-chain management techniques provide it a distinct competitive advantage. Its build-to-order manufacturing process is designed to allow Dell to significantly reduce cost while simultaneously providing customers the ability to customize their product purchases. In addition, Dell purchases some of its products from third-party original equipment manufacturers and resells them under the Dell name. Dell’s manufacturing process consists of assembly, software installation, functional testing, and quality control. Testing and quality control processes are also applied to components, parts, and subassemblies obtained from third-party suppliers. Quality control is maintained through the testing of components, subassemblies, and systems at various stages in the manufacturing process. Quality control also includes a burn-in period for completed units after assembly, on-going production reliability audits, failure tracking for early identification of production and component problems, and information from Dell’s customers obtained through services and support programs.