Final Project Problem at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final Project Problem at Work - Essay Example In explaining this problem, I explain how it occurs in organizations as well as in individuals. This problem takes place in two major steps. Step 1 is leaking out of this information to irresponsible individuals. In most cases these results from working routines in which the person given the mandate of safeguarding this information fails in his work. In step two, this information finds its way to an individual who use it for his malicious gains. These two steps are interconnected with step two depending largely on step one. However, step one can occur but step two fails to occur when the information lands on another responsible person. The impact of this problem is actually very great in terms of what it can cost an individual or an organization. Moreover, it does not require a lot of time so that it can yield massive losses to the victims. This is because it has been discovered that loss of Personally Identifiable Information has resulted to loss of millions of records over the past few years thus causing massive harms to both individuals and organizations (McCallister, 2010). However, in most cases the loss of Personally Identifiable Information is only discovered after it has already caused massive harm to the victims some of which are irreversible. To an individual this problem has been leading to identity theft, embarrassments, and blackmails all of which can make a person to incur losses and destroy his relationship with other people. All this are only possible when Personally Identifiable information gets lost and land on the hand of organizations or individuals who use it for malicious gains. Therefore, if we can address this problem we can be able to avoid issues such as identity theft, embarrassments, and blackmails. Among the issues caused by this problem, the most prevalent one is the identity theft. Identity theft is undertaking an activity while pretending to be somebody else. In such cases, the activity is associated with the

Riding the Rails Essay Example for Free

Riding the Rails Essay The Great depression caused time for everybody, but I think it was especially difficult for men since they were the ones responsible for making the money for food and thing for the families. This forced many of them to leave their homes in search of work, most just ride the railroads in search of work. These men were dubbed the â€Å"Hobos†. Riding the rails was also dangerous. Some left to troubled families, other because it seemed a great adventure. More than two million men, teenage runaways, and hobos were living on the road in America. Most of the people that ride the rails were and teen runaways. Jobs that existed for decades were simply not available anymore, and teenagers and men were forced to go searching for work far away in order to feed their families at home. In the 1930s, more than 250,000 teens were riding the rails, traveling illegally from town to town in search of adventure, and a food. One story that I read about riding the rails was about a guy named Henry Koczar, from East Chicago. He was 19 years old when he left his family. Being part of a big family makes hard on his parents to put food on the table every day. Henry wanted only for his family to have it a little bit easier and felt he was old enough now to start working on his own. So in September of 1932 he took off on a train in hopes of lighten the trouble on his family. Now not all of the hobos were out of high school and ready for work. Some of them were just kids when they started life on their own. Most of these stories don’t really have too much sadness in them but it was tough on them all no matter what the location. Once they got out there they found work wasn’t as available as they’d hoped it would be. Some towns didnt even want them around at all and they were actually and in words forced out of them. So the sound of seeing the world had a whole new meaning once they were in it.

The Black Cat - Symbolism Essay -- essays research papers

Symbolism in Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Black Cat" In Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Black Cat," symbolism is used to show the narrator’s capacity for violence, madness, and guilt. "The Black Cat," written by Edgar Allan Poe serves as a reminder for all of us. The Capacity for violence and horror lies within each of us, no matter how docile and humane our disposition might appear. In this story, the narrator portrays a man who is fond of animals, had a tender heart, and is happily married. Within several years of his marriage, his general temperament and character make a radical alteration for the worse. He grows moodier, more irritable, and more inconsiderate of the feelings of others. This change for the worse caused by alcohol, ends in the narrator’s waiting on death row for the murder of his wife. The symbolism of the first black cat (Pluto), the second black cat, and the white spot illustrate the narrator’s expanding capacity for evil and perverseness. The most important symbol of the story is the first black cat. The first black cat is symbolic of the narrator’s evil heart and there are many ways one can prove this. Black cat one started out in the story as the narrator’s favorite pet and playmate named Pluto,which is the name of the God of the Underworld. And one night, after returning home much intoxicated the narrator’s love for the pet seem to fade away. That night in which the narrator is...

Htc Company Analysis

Running head: HTC CORPORATION 1 HTC CORPORATION INSHA SHAH UNIVERSITY OF AKRON Running head: HTC CORPORATION 2 HTC AT A GLANCE HTC Corporation (originally High Tech Computer Corporation) is a smart phone manufacturer founded in 1997 and based in Taiwan, as an outsourcing company. HTC Corporation prides itself on offering open source mobile phones which are easy for both developers and users, and has quickly established its reputation as a leading company behind many of the markets most popular operated branded-devices. According to the HTC profile on the Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia HTC retains approximately 13,000 employees.They follow the typical tall organizational structure with many layers between workers and the CEO. It is highly centralized: top decisions are made by the CEO of the company. HTC Corporation has launched several major HTC- Branded products on the international market with the intention of becoming the leading innovative supplier of mobile information and commun ication devices. In fact, HTC Corporation was the first on the international market to offer the Android mobile device platform through its HTC Dream hardware, marketed as the T-Mobile G1 model.In support of this, HTC Corporation has expanded its technological and marketplace strength through partnership with major player Microsoft and leading mobile phone operators of Orange, O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Cingular, Verizon, Sprint and NTT DoCoMo (â€Å"HTC. Com†). Most recently in Australia, HTC Corporation launched its three latest handsets- HTC Snap, HTC Touch Diamond2 and HTC Touch Pro2 to add to its 11 devices currently in the Australian market. The new technology founded in these highly popular products is designed to be finger-touch friendly, with improved mobile integration technology, and dual microphone and speakers.The HTC Corporation’s newest feature is the â€Å"inner circle† which allows the users to bring emails from a preselected group to a top of thei r inbox, making business on the go even easier (â€Å"mobile. com†). HTC Corporation Product Innovation includes: ? ? ? ? ? ? Open Handset Alliance Smartphone S Series ( Smartphone) T Series (Touch Phone) P series (PDA Phone) X Series ( Mobile Computer) A Series ( Android Phone) According to the source of mobile. com, HTC now specializes in providing its own and other operator branded products in addition to its original equipment manufacturer partners.HTC has a subsidiary company, Dopod, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of Windows Mobile Smartphones. As a company, HTC Corporation has gone from strength to strength, with HTC receiving recognition as the second-best performing technology company in Asia in 2007 by BusinessWeek, and the number three spot in its Global Listing in 2006. Running head: HTC CORPORATION 3 The size of the corporation can be classified in two ways: (I) by revenue and (II) by market capitalization. According to the report from Taiwan Economic News, HTCâ€⠄¢s Market Capitalization has recently climbed to $438 billion.Also the corporation shipment and revenue continues to grow to $9. 449 billion. COMPANY PERSPECTIVE Their mission is to become the leading supplier of the mobile information and communication devices by providing value added designs, world-class manufacturing and logistics and service capabilities. HTC continues to establish a high volume manufacturing facility and its focus on high wireless capability. They intend to develop a software team capable of creating a world class consumer and business application that will enhance the value of their hardware.HTC is dedicated to the belief that each mobile device needs to fit its owner. Their goal is to make a product of observing, honoring how individuals choose to interact with a technology. Their mission is to strengthen the relationship through innovative design strategies and sophisticated branding initiatives (â€Å"HTC. com†) HTC’s vision is to address the communications and administration needs of a professional organization of all sizes with intuitive platforms and sophisticated branding initiatives. Their focus is to make people’s ives easier through mobility and convenience. They want users to be able to talk to friends and relatives, read books and access the internet on one device. With their smartphone they have started to see this vision come true (â€Å"HTC. Com†). HTC’s values: ? ? ? Excellence in everything they do Commitment to clients, brands, projects and industry. Honor in dealing with clients, suppliers, employees (â€Å"fastcompany. com†) CULTURE AT HTC HTC prides itself on its cutting-edge technology and innovative spirit. From studying its own website, HTC’s culture is competitive and diverse.Under the â€Å"Careers† tab, nine different employees’ pictures are featured with a video advertising HTC’s appeal as an employer. Five of the nine employees pictured ar e women; three are women of color, and all nine employees appear to be under the age of 40. HTC’s culture is hip, diverse, and fastpaced. The video stressed that technology is constantly improving and the â€Å"best idea† rather than the â€Å"biggest title† moves forward. This shows that the culture at HTC values creativity and competition (â€Å"HTC. Com†).HTC makes annual donations to the Social Welfare and Charity Foundation or Educational Foundation. This foundation funds leadership and character training for elementary, junior high and senior high students, cosponsors local community development and urban cultural revitalization efforts, targets the special needs of disadvantaged groups, and provides disadvantaged children opportunities to further their academic careers. Running head: HTC CORPORATION 4 The HTC Foundation established the nation's first institute dedicated to character-building and English training in the Hualien's Meilun District.The institute provides character-building and English enhancement curricula free of charge to fourth grade elementary school students from around Hualien County. In addition, the Foundation offers scholarships for children with special financial needs and financial aid to low-income families and sponsors after-school tutoring programs. Each year, Foundation disbursements benefit over 2,000 youth from disadvantaged families both in Taiwan and overseas (â€Å"HTC. Com†). HTC STRATEGY HTC Corporation uses a differentiation strategy to attract customers looking for more choices.HTC expects differentiation product in terms of innovation and execution. They focus on innovation and execution to enhance product proposition and offer consumers a variety of products. When they think of increasing the quality and the variety of the product, they first consider what the customer will value. They are offering a wide range of product lines to outperform their competitors like Apple and Nokia. HTC has produced an amazing number of phones, all of which have an impressive array of applications and features.They do have the cutting edge when it comes to hardware, but if a consumer can't afford these more expensive versions HTC’s older models (like the Hero) are still well built and functional. In addition, HTC offers a variety of body forms and builds, including some devices with physical keyboards (â€Å"htc. com†). FINANCIAL POSITION To shadow on the financial stability of the HTC CORP I used liquidity ratio and leverage ratio. The liquidity ratios measure the company’s ability to cover its expenses. The two main liquidity ratios I used to analyze the company’s financial health are current ratio and quick ratio (â€Å"investing. businessweek. om†). 1) The Current Ratio is a reflection of financial health. It is the number of times company’s current assets exceeds the current liabilities, which is the indication of the solvency of that business. The formula to compute the current ratio is Using the earlier Balance Sheet data of the HTC CORP, we can compute the company’s current ratio as: = = 1. 3 times This tells us that the current liabilities are covered by current assets by 1. 3 times. The HTC CORP is able to cover their short term expenses which are meant to be covered with in a period of one year. 2) The Quick Ratio is also called the acid test ratio.This is because it looks at the company’s most liquid assets and compares them to current liabilities. The quick ratio tests whether a business can meet its obligation even if adverse conditions occur. The formula to compute the quick ratio is: Assets considered being quick assets include cash, bonds, stock, and accounts receivable. Using the Balance Sheet data of the HTC CORP, we can compute the quick ratio of the company as: Running head: HTC CORPORATION = = = 1. 1 times 5 This indicates that the ratio is considered satisfactory, as long as t he collection of the receivables is not expected to slow.So the HTC CORP seems to have adequate resources to cover its debts. In order to identify the long term coverage of the company, we are focusing on one of the main leverage ratios. Leverage ratio measures the stability of a company and its ability to repay its debts. These ratios are of particular interest to banks. They should be of interest to shareholders as well since it gives the strong indication of the financial health and the viability of the business. 3) The Debt-to Equity Ratio is a measure of how dependent a company is on a debt financing as compares to owners equity it shows us how much of a business is owned and how much is owed.The Debt-to-Equity ratio is computed as follows: Using the Balance Sheet data of the HTC CORP we can compute the debt-to equity ratio: Times Since the Debt-to-equity ratio is greater than 1, i. e. , (1. 8 times), the capital provided by the lenders exceeded the capital provided by the owne rs. But because of the greater ratio it has high risk defaults too. It varies with the type of business and the risk attitude of management. Year over year HTC has been able to grow over their bottom line from $29 billion to $59 billion primarily through revenue growth ($142. 9 billion to $277. 7 billion).For a while the costs associated with cost of goods sold, and income tax all increased as a percentage of sales, the growth in top lines revenues contributed enough to still see net income. HTC Corporation uses little or no debt in its capital structure and may have less financial risk than the industry aggregate. Accounts Receivable is typical for the industry, with 58. 31 days worth of sales outstanding. Lastly, HTC Corporation is among the least efficient in its industry at managing inventories, with 30. 39 days of its Cost of Goods Sold tied up in Inventories (â€Å"investing. businessweek. com†). Therefore the overall financial tability of the corporation is stable and healthy. They have adequate resources to cover their debts and unforeseen uncertainties. MY CAREER at HTC Yes, HTC could be good place to obtain my first career oriented-position. HTC is the part of the global market that breeds flexibility, new technologies and innovation. It will create a platform for the new opportunities to explore and do creative things. I fit the HTC profile of being young, educated and a global citizen: while growing up in Kashmir and going to college in America, I’ve relied on technology and most recently, my own smartphone, to navigate my day.I would bring creativity and a fresh perspective to HTC’s worktable. Running head: HTC CORPORATION REFERENCES Bloomberg Businessweek. (2012, April 10). Retrieved from http://investing. businessweek. com/research/stocks/financials/financials. asp? ticker=2498:TT 6 HTC Corporation. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. htc. com/us/about/careers/industrial-designer-corporate-strategy-office/422 HTC Corporatio n. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. htc. com/us/about/social-responsibility HTC. (n. d. ). In Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/HTC

Human DNA and Sexual Differentiation Essay

There has with respect to understanding human evolution, thus far, hardly been any greater an academic marriage than that which has occurred between physical anthropology and genetics. For anthropologists the union has been particularly beneficial as DNA has been incorporated into the quest to understand human evolution. Some scholars have referred to this as the culmination of the evolution of the once distinct fields represented symbolically by Darwin’s theories on evolution and Mendel’s speculation regarding genes; one scholar has opined that Darwin and Mendel are the core, the essentials of understanding. These basics work together.  The gene pool — the hereditary property of a population of animals — maintains the variation of the population or species, and mutation tends to increase that variation. Darwin’s selection cuts back the less favorable variation, in that way sculpting the inheritance of the species. (Howells 8) Fossils and genes, taken together, illuminate in ways that one without the other simply cannot. This refers to the discovery of positive knowledge as well as the discovery of long-established fallacies in the field of physical anthropology (Marks 131). This essay will focus on a few types of positive knowledge regarding the evolution of human DNA. More specifically, this essay will discuss how DNA variation can be used to explain some of the evolutionary physical features for sexual differences in humans as they pertain to language, sexuality, and visual spatial skills. As a preliminary matter, it is important to acknowledge that human sex differences were not always as pronounced as they are today. There were genetic variations that occurred over a long period of time and these genetic differences are evident in the fossils used by physical anthropologists to piece together how and why DNA has evolved as it has over the course of time. Scholars seem to agree that the evolution of human DNA is unique in certain respects; for purposes of this essay, it is significant to note that, regarding sexual differences in species, â€Å"It is apparent that these same cross-species sex differences have become more pronounced in humans† (Joseph 35). The evolution of human DNA with respect to sexual differences is greater than has been found in studies of other species. It has been demonstrated that DNA evolution led to Homo erectus females experiencing a vaginal reorientation at the same time that males experienced a change in pelvic structure (Joseph 35). The consequences were tremendous as this likely resulted in the development of long-term relationships between males and females; this is because, rather than being dependent on estrus in order to get pregnant, females were now physically and genetically configured to be sexually receptive continuously rather than sporadically. These long-term relationships also seem to have coincided with males and females establishing more permanent or semi-permanent homes. It can be argued, to some degree at least, that this genetic variation led to an embryonic notion of marriage and home. These human sex differences were further accelerated with the genetic evolution of the brain; indeed, as the brain became larger, â€Å"this required a larger birth canal and an increase in the sexual physical differentiation in the size and width of the H. erectus† (Joseph 35). DNA varied to accommodate these changes and they are manifest even today in the way that women walk as well as in the more fragile nature of their pelvic bones when compared to their male counterparts. As the female was evolving there were practical consequences; for instance, â€Å"The transformation of the human female hips and pelvis, however, also limited her ability to run and maneuver in space, at least, compared to most males† (Joseph 35). These DNA variations thus functioned to separate males and females and to lay the physical groundwork for other changes. This evolution in human DNA, in turn, led to a division of labor predicated on these newly exaggerated differences between the sexes. Generally speaking, women became gatherers and men became hunters. Each of these roles demanded different types of skills and the human animal adapted through the mechanism of its DNA. The female role demanded careful language skills rather than violence whereas the male role demanded aggression and physical strength. In explaining how the male DNA evolved to adapt to the male’s developing function, one scholar has noted that â€Å"successful hunting requires prolonged silence, excellent visual-spatial and gross motor skills, and the capacity to endure long treks in the pursuit of prey. These are abilities at which males excel, including modern H. apiens† (Joseph 35). In short, many of the human sexual differences noted today can be traced to the ways in which human DNA has evolved over time in order to adapt to changed environments and to changed sex roles. In the final analysis, even a cursory examination of the history of the evolution of human DNA suggests rather persuasively that there are watershed events which can aid in underst anding the uniqueness of sexual differentiation in humans and how sex roles evolved in response to that sexual differentiation.

The new product development process

The new product development process Organizations today are constantly facing increasing global competition in the marketplace that demands more frequent innovation of goods and services that are of a high quality. The challenge such organizations face is to be more customer focused, responsive to their needs and provide goods and services that are cost effective.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on The new product development process specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This can be achieved by value delivery and creation where value delivery entails order fulfilment by ensuring the flow of materials, products and services through production and distribution while value creation entails new product or service development activities that identify the customer’s needs in the form of new products or services (Handfield, et al. 2000). The new product development process is a series of interdependent and often overlapping stages during which a new pro duct or service is brought from the idea generation stage, business or technical assessment, product or service conceptualization, product engineering and design, to the readiness stage for production or manufacturing. As the product or service concept moves through these various stages, the idea is refined and evaluated for business and technical feasibility where the design is fine tuned and prototypes are developed for testing. The design is then finalized and preparations are made for the full scale production of the product or service (Handfield et al, 2000). The new service development process which is derived from new product development is mostly concerned with the development and marketing of services instead of goods. A service is an act carried out to a customer that is intangible, inseparable and heterogeneous (Luteberget, 2005). Customer Involvement in New Product/Service Development Customer involvement in the product or service development process is the interaction o r collaboration between the users of the product or service and the employees of a company during the period of product development to actualize it into a commercial product. The customer’s involvement in the development process entails an active engagement in the process with the developing company (Pinegar, 2000). As Pinegar (2000) states, the customers role in the product or service development process is viewed in terms of their expressed wants and desires, the satisfaction that the good or service offered to them, their relationship with the developing organization and their response to previous product and/or service innovations. The customer is seen to be critical in the product or service development process because he/she is viewed as an integral component in the business strategies of an organization.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The role of customers in new product development has recently been the subject of discussion and study by researchers in the product development field. According to Pinegar (2000) the role of a customer can be classified into four categories which are coaching, partnering, reporting and advising. These classifications are used to explain the user involvement in the different stages of the product or service process. Coaching involves the identification of product problems and opportunities in the market place and generating ideas that will be used in the product development process by conducting customer surveys to find out whether the current products meet the changing needs of consumers. The partnering category involves the evaluation and analysis of alternative methods of product implementation while exploring the possible applications of the product other than those it was designed for. A business analysis is conducted where the customer partners with employees of the company to see whe ther the product or service will be viable in the market place. The analysis of new innovation ideas will involve methods such as attribute analysis which has three approaches that can be used in generating new product or service ideas. The determinant gap analysis approach entails considering the attributes of the marketplace in determining which product or service innovation a company should undertake. These attributes can be the competitor’s products/services or previous products and services the company has produced (Anandan, 2009). Perceptual gap analysis is used to analyze ideas when the attributes of the products or services in the marketplace are unknown. The similarity and dissimilarity analysis involves the evaluation of previous products/services by analyzing their similarity or dissimilarity to each other based on product/service attributes. Similarity analysis evaluates products on the same set of attributes while dissimilarity analysis focuses on the different a ttributes of the product/service (Anandan, 2009). After the idea has passed through the business analysis stage successfully, the next step will involve the actual development of the product and prototype testing. During this stage the idea is translated into more concrete and tangible terms with regards to a product while for a service it is translated into a doable act. This stage involves the consideration of customer satisfaction and technical feasibility by analyzing customer surveys and researching of the market to find out whether the product is satisfying their needs (Avlonitis and Papastathopoulou, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on The new product development process specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The advice category involves the use of product development specialists to identify product or service problems and opportunities by monitoring the trends in the market place and also the activities of their competitors. This stage is useful in the idea generation stage and also in the product testing stage of the product/service development. The product is tested in-house by the design team, a process known as alpha testing or by providing a sample to the intended market users a process referred to as Beta testing. The alpha and beta testing methods are mostly used by developers of computer software who provide beta versions of their software for testing to computer experts. Gillette Company is well known for its ability to successfully launch new products into the market and meet its consumer’s needs. This is largely due to their continued use of the alpha and beta testing methods (Avlonitis and Papastathopoulou, 2006). Focus groups are also used in this stage to test product samples by looking at what other applications the product can be used for. The last phase is the product launching phase into the market. During this stage, company finalizes and implements the pr oduction or service operations plan and also the marketing plan. The customer’s involvement in this stage will be to purchase, use and provide feedback about the product. The reporting category is useful to the company as it enables the users of the product or service to provide feedback on the tests conducted on the new innovation by carrying out customer surveys, market research and customer visits (Pinegar, 2000). Managing Customer Involvement in the Product Design Process The early stages of the product design process are sometimes characterised by uncertainty when it comes to identifying product concepts that will lead to the development of a successful product that will be acceptable by the market. Poor management of customer involvement knowledge in these early stages might lead to problems involving customer acceptance and product design in the final stages of the development process which might prove to be expensive to reverse. Because customers are the final stakeho lders of the product, involving customers during the first stages of the development process will reduce uncertainty that is usually associated the process (Bogue and Sorenson, 2006). In order to manage customer involvement effectively and efficiently, Bogue and Sorenson note that market orientation should be considered by companies that are pursuing new product innovations. Companies that have market orientation are viewed to be more proficient in gathering and analyzing information collected from consumers in the market. Customers are viewed by these market oriented organizations to be significant designers because they make important contributions to the product design.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Market oriented companies are expected to have a clear understanding of the needs of the customer which will allow them to manage the customer’s involvement and the knowledge they provide in developing the product which will in turn enable them to develop products or commodities that are of a superior quality to meet the customers needs resulting in a positive influence on the innovation activities of the company. Customer involvement management can be done by carrying out facilitation in the concept development stage by using techniques such as focus groups, sensory analysis and conjoint analysis methods. These market oriented techniques can help the company to determine the feasibility of the product design and its acceptance to the market (Bogue and Sorenson, 2006). Users of New Product/ Service Development in Companies: Volvo and Skype Skype, the global free telephony Company that is rapidly expanding in its operations around the world involves customers in its new servic e development process. In Skype’s service development, customers are allowed to co-produce the directory by downloading Skype software and then registering as users of the software. The customers can then expand the directory by recommending Skype to their colleagues, family and friends. As their friends register, they can also download the same software and expand their directories in the same way. Skype does not need any mainframes since it incorporates the unused capacity in its registered users. This means that it is the users who facilitate the creation of value in Skype’s services by sharing and developing in Skype’s services. The customers also have the opportunity to run the help desk (Edvardsson, et al. 2006) In its product and service development process, Volvo uses the program Concept Lab Volvo to inform its customers and users of its products and services about its design principles and also about emerging car design concepts. The users are allowed t o provide feedback on these car designs and they can also have one on one chat sessions with the developers and design team. The developers use this information in their ongoing design work. Volvo also uses target groups in its idea sourcing stage where people in trend sensitive markets and areas with a high design capability are invited to design parts or components of the whole car. An example of this target group is the Your Concept Car which was designed by eight women (Edvardsson et al, 2006). Success and Failure of New Product Development Sampson (as cited by Luterberget, 2005) in his 1970 studies described a new product or service to be successful by looking at whether it has satisfied the needs, wants or desires of customers. He also described a successful new product as possessing outstanding performance when compared to other products that were designed for the same purpose. Products which undergo minor or major changes might fail to meet the classification of successful n ew product innovations. A major source of successful competitive advantage for organizations in the future will be the consistent and successful development of new and modified products and services. However the product life cycles are reducing as the product variety increases because of niche market penetration. In the case of a group of consumer products introduced in the 1920s, the average time from the introduction to the peak production of the product was approximated to be 28 years. For a group of similar products introduced in the 1960s-70s the approximate time for peak production was estimated to reduce to 10 years. This trend is seen to continue and will pose a threat to the product development process (Barclay, et al. 2000). In a 1987 case study of 149 UK engineering based companies, surveys conducted found that the average product life cycle was 12 years and the average development of a new product was 22 months. The same surveys were conducted again in 1996 and they show ed that the product life cycle had now become eight years while the development of a new product would now take 15 months. Such estimations show that the number of new products introduced into the market in the next five years would be twice that of the last five years (Barclay et al, 2000). When research evidence on the success and failure of product or service development is examined, the failure rates have remained at 30% for the last 60 years. This evidence shows that companies are not improving in their product development activities and that they are also becoming more expert and critical in the approaches to new product or service development. An example of a product design that failed in the past is the Premier Safe Cigarette which was seen to be one of the biggest design failures of all time. The basic idea behind this cigarette was to have an inner cardboard tube with holes along its length which would hold the tobacco. At the end of the tube was some charcoal which when l it released nicotine. The nicotine passed through the holes in the tube which reduced the chances of smoke and tar. After seven years of development, test marketing was conducted which showed that the cigarette was difficult to light and it had a terrible taste. The failure of the cigarette cost the developing company, RJR Nabisco $500 million, a result which was partly attributed to the break up of the company. A service design that failed in the recent past was the Internet University (UkeU) which was launched in September 2003. The program was abandoned after 900 of the expected 5,600 students enrolled for courses that cost  £44,000. The failure was due to that fact no previous market research had been conducted to determine if there was any demand for e-learning. The losses incurred amounted to  £50 million (Hollins and Shinkins, 2006, p.131-132). Conclusion and Recommendation The ability to produce a steady flow of successful new products or services consistently is one of the key factors that lead to an organizations success. The role of a customer in product and service development is a fairly new concept that is yet to fully catch on with most companies when it comes to developing new innovations. However the general feeling about incorporating the user’s views while developing the products/services is optimistic and good. Researchers have also shown involving customers in the development process increases the success of the goods or services in the market in terms of launching and sales. Customer involvement will also lead to improved quality in company products or services with customer value being taken into consideration. The performance of the product in the market can also be monitored by looking at how involved the customer was in the development process. Organizations should therefore view customer involvement in the development process as vital since the success or failure of a product or service will depend on whether it meets the needs and desires of its target market. Companies should ensure there is user involvement in their new innovations as this ensures that the needs in the target market have been met, satisfied and incorporated into the new product or service. Companies should also have a clear view of what they want to achieve by customer involvement in their product and service innovations. References Alam, I. (2002) An exploratory investigation of user involvement in new service development. Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, Vol.30 p.250-261. Anandan, C. (2009) Product management. 2nd Edition. New Delhi : Tata McGraw-Hill. Avlonitis, G.J. and Papastathopoulou, P. (2006) Product and services management. London: Sage Publications Barclay, I., Dann, Z. and Holroyd, P. (2000) New product development: a practical workbook for improving performance. Great Britain: Reed Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd Bogue, J., and Sorenson, D. (2006) Managing customer knowledge during the concept  d evelopment stage of the new food product development process: Department of  Food Business and Development. Ireland: University College Cork Burmann, C., and Arnhold, U. (2008) User generated branding: state of the art  research. Berlin, Germany: Transaction Publishers Edvardsson, Gustafsson, Kristensson and Magnusson (Eds) (2006) Involving customers in new service development. London: Imperial College Press Gruner, K.E and Homburg, C. (2000) Does Customer Interaction Enhance new product success. Journal of Business Research, Vol 49, p.1-14. Handfield, R.B., Monczka, R.M., Ragatz, G.L. and Frayer, D.J. (2000) New product development; strategies for supplier integration. Milwaukee, US: American Society for Quality press Hollins, B., and Shinkins, S. (2006) Managing service operations: design and implementation. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Pp. 131- 132 Luteberget, A. (2005) Customer involvement in new service development: how does customer involvement enhance new service succes s? Master’s Thesis in Information and Communication Technology. Agder University College: Faculty of Engineering and Science, Vol (2) 12-16 Pinegar, J.S. (2000) Customer involvement in industrial product development: creating superior products. Power point presentation [online]. Web.

Eureka Stockade essays

Eureka Stockade essays Analyse the causes of the Eureka Stockade In December 1854, a hundred and fifty gold diggers on the Ballarat goldfields finally rebelled against the Victorian government and built a wooden fort on a hill that became the Eureka Stockade. A main cause for this was the high price for the gold license that every miner had to carry. Another cause was the constant harassment of the diggers by the police, or traps during the license hunts. The final event that made the diggers anger snap was the murder of a miner by a hotel owner. Tensions on the goldfields were sparked by the gold licenses that were introduced by Governor Lrobe in 1851. It was the law that every male digger has to have one regardless of whether he found gold or not. Initially, these were very expensive at thirty shillings per month, but the price was later reduced to two pounds for three months. Despite the reduction in price, the diggers were still not satisfied as they thought that the gold license system was unfair and soon, unsuccessful diggers could no longer afford to keep renewing their licenses. Another cause of the rebellion was the license hunts carried out by the police. These would occur twice a week and would consist of police requesting miners to show their licenses. This made the miners agitated as they would be asked by police to show their licenses several times in one afternoon, this meant that shaft diggers would have to climb up the deep shaft many times during the day. If a digger was found to not have been carrying his license on him, they would be chained or tied up to logs and trees and be kept there during the heat of the sun and the freezing temperatures of the night. The miners would be punished like this if they had left their gold license at home or was not carrying it. The final incident that made the diggers snap was the murder of the miner Scobie by owner of the Eureka Hotel, James Bentley. ...

Consanguinity and Medieval Marriages

Consanguinity and Medieval Marriages Definition   The term â€Å"consanguinity† simply means how close a blood relationship two persons have- how recently they have a common ancestor. Ancient History In Egypt, brother-sister marriages were common within the royal family.  If the Biblical stories are taken as history, Abraham married his (half-)sister Sarah.  But such close marriages have been generally prohibited in cultures from fairly early times. Roman Catholic Europe In Roman Catholic Europe, the canon law of the church forbid marriages within a certain degree of kinship.  Which relationships were forbidden to marry varied at different times. While there were some regional disagreements,  until the 13th century,  the  church forbade marriages with consanguinity or affinity (kinship by marriage) to the seventh degree- a rule which covered a very large percentage of marriages. The pope had the power to waive the impediments for particular couples.  Frequently, papal dispensations waived the block for royal marriages, especially when more distant relationships were generally forbidden. In a few cases, blanket dispensations were given by culture.  For example, Paul III restricted marriage to the second degree only for American Indians and for natives of the Philippines. Roman Scheme of Consanguinity Roman civil law generally prohibited marriages within four degrees of consanguinity. Early Christian custom adopted some of these definitions and limits, though the extent of prohibition varied somewhat from culture to culture. In the Roman system of calculating the degree of consanguinity, degrees are as follows: The first degree of kinship includes: parents and children (direct line)The second degree of kinship includes: brothers and sisters; grandparents and grandchildren (direct line)The third degree of kinship includes: uncles/aunts and nieces/nephews; great-grandchildren and great-grandparents (direct line)The fourth degree of kinship includes: first cousins (children sharing a pair of common grandparents); great uncles/great aunts and grand nephews/grand nieces; great grandchildren and great grandparentsThe fifth degree of kinship includes: first cousins once removed; great grand nephews/great grand nieces and great grand uncles/great grand auntsThe sixth degree of kinship includes: second cousins; first cousins twice removedThe seventh degree of kinship includes: second cousins once removed; first cousins three times removedThe eighth degree of kinship includes: third cousins; second cousins twice removed; first cousins four times removed Collateral Consanguinity Collateral consanguinity- sometimes called Germanic consanguinity- adopted by Pope Alexander II in the 11th century, changed this to defining the degree as the number of generations removed from the common ancestor (not counting the ancestor).  Innocent III in 1215 restricted the impediment to the fourth degree, since tracing more distant ancestry was often difficult or impossible. The first degree would include parents and childrenFirst cousins would be within the second degree, as are uncle/aunt and niece/nephewSecond cousins would be within the third degreeThird cousins would be within the fourth degree Double Consanguinity Double consanguinity arises when there is consanguinity from two sources.  For example, in many royal marriages in medieval times, two siblings in one family married  siblings from another.  The children of these couples became double first cousins. If they married, the marriage would count as a first cousin marriage, but genetically, the couple had closer connections than first cousins who were not doubled. Genetics These rules about consanguinity and marriage were developed before genetic relationships and the concept of shared DNA were known.  Beyond the genetic closeness of second cousins, the statistical likelihood of sharing genetic factors is almost the same as with unrelated individuals. Here are some examples from medieval history: Robert II of France married Bertha, a widow of Odo I of Blois, in about 997, who was his first cousin, but the Pope (then Gregory V) declared the marriage invalid and eventually Robert agreed. He tried to get an annulment of his marriage to his next wife, Constance, to remarry Bertha, but the Pope (by then  Sergius IV) would not agree.Urraca of Leon and Castile, a rare medieval reigning queen, was married in her second marriage to Alfonso I of Aragon.  She was able to get the marriage annulled on the grounds of consanguinity.Eleanor of Aquitaine was married first to Louis VII of France.  Their annulment was on the grounds of consanguinity, fourth cousins descended from Richard II of Burgundy and his wife, Constance of Arles. She immediately married Henry Plantagenet, who was also her fourth cousin, descended from the same Richard II of Burgundy and Constance of Arles.  Henry and Eleanor were also half-third cousins through another common ancestor, Ermengard of Anjou, so she w as actually more closely related to her second husband. After Louis VII divorced Eleanor of Aquitaine on grounds of consanguinity, he married Constance of Castile to whom he was more closely related, as they were second cousins.Berenguela of Castile married Alfonso IX of Leon in 1197, and the Pope excommunicated them the next year on grounds of consanguinity. They had five children before the marriage was dissolved; she returned to her father’s court with the children.Edward I and his second wife, Margaret of France, were first cousins once removed.Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon- the famous Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain- were second cousins, both descended from John I of Castile and Eleanor of Aragon.Anne Neville was a first cousin once removed of her husband, Richard III of England.Henry VIII was related to all of his wives through common descent from Edward I, a fairly distant degree of kinship.  Several of them were also related to him through descent from Edward III.As just one example from the multiply-in termarried Habsburgs, Philip II of Spain married four times.  Three wives were closely related to him. His first wife, Maria Manuela, was his double first cousin. His second wife, Mary I of England, was his double first cousin once removed. His third wife, Elizabeth Valois, was more distantly related. His fourth wife, Anna of Austria, was his niece (his sister’s son) as well as his first cousin once removed (her father was Philip’s paternal first cousin). Mary II and William III of England were first cousins.

The role of process modeling for Knowledge Management Essay

The role of process modeling for Knowledge Management - Essay Example he other accomplishments of the human mind today, rest on a wide foundation of previous knowledge that were â€Å"managed† or organized so it could be shared, studied further, and improved. This four-part paper explains and connects the key concepts in these initial considerations. The first three parts discuss how knowledge is managed and how it is transmitted. The fourth part is a simple case study that illustrates how these three esoteric concepts are put together to come up with useful products. The world is full of what are called â€Å"processes1†, which could be defined as a set of activities, events, or mechanisms expressed as a sequence of steps that must be performed to achieve some goal. Some processes are natural, such as the weather; others are human, such as writing an essay like this one. Anyone who wants to understand the process needs only to look at the sequence of steps or interrelated events. If the process is useful, the set of activities, their sequences, and the goal or goals achieved must be represented in a way that it could be learned by others. This representation is what is referred to as the Process Model. Examples of process models are: (1) the equation that show the behavior of a gas in an enclosed space; (2) a simple sketch by a soccer coach showing how the team will mount an offensive; and, (3) a flowchart that maps a complex piece of software. All these models represent a simple or complex process in ways that others can understand. This is why modeling the process is useful, because by describing, representing, and simulating the process, it would be easier to explain how it works, behaves, and reacts, what it’s characteristics are, where it comes from, and where it can go. Process modeling is applicable to all phenomena, from simple ones like tying a knot to complex ones such as sending people to Mars. Models are simplified abstractions of reality representing or describing its most important driving elements and

Criminal Theory Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Criminal Theory - Research Paper Example The paper also deals with the common models used by society to determine which acts are considered to be criminal, how they are affected by choice theories, and how they are enforced by the government. It is essential to identify the various choice theories and how they contribute to an in depth understanding of how crimes are being perceived by the society and the criminal justice system. Regoli and Hewitt have made some remarkable studies on the various choice theories on crimes and for the researchers choice theories hold â€Å"that people have free will, are rational and intelligent, and make informed decisions to commit crimes based on whether they believe they will benefit from doing so† (Regoli & Hewitt 66). Thus, an individual has the free will to decide whether to commit a crime or refrain from it in given situations. The ultimate choice of indulging in crimes rests on the individual himself. Very often, individuals commit crimes only after evaluating the possible ben efits as well as the consequences of the action in their lives. It can thus be inferred that individuals tend to keep themselves away from crimes when such consequences of crimes would lead them to pain, punishment, imprisonment or even death penalty. Choice theories can generally be categorized into rational choice theory, the routine activities theory and the life style theory. All these choice theories underline the fact that people are more inclined to commit crimes when right opportunities arise and there is nothing to deter or de-motivate them from such choices. The rational choice theory was developed and propagated by Ronald Clarke and Derek Cornish. The authors argue that offenders are â€Å"rational people who make calculated choices before they commit a criminal act† and as such they â€Å"collect, process, and evaluate information about the crime; they weigh the costs and benefits of the crime before they make the decision to commit it† (Regoli & Hewitt 67) . Thus, the rational choice theorists argue that offenders commit planned crimes where they decide whom to target and in what way to operate their criminal activities. The theory has great significance in the criminal justice system. It is imperative that there are powerful provisions of punishment and deterrence in the criminal justice system to put an end to rational choice crimes. From a rational choice perspective the decisions of the offenders regarding the crime are quite purposive, intentional and deliberative. However, these decisions can be â€Å"biased on limited information, made under pressure, insufficiently planned, and/or attentive only to the immediate risks of apprehension rather than to the long-term consequences of their actions† (Lilly, Ball & Cullen 342). Most often, crimes based on choice theories stem from the offender’s attempts to satisfy his/her needs to earn money, acquire social status or to take revenge. On the other hand, the offender woul d always try to get rid of the negative consequences of the crime which include arrest, punishment and imprisonment. However, rational choice theory does not focus very much on the background factors that are involved in the making of crimes. On the other hand, rational choice t

Roles of AdministratorsWK3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Roles of AdministratorsWK3 - Essay Example Staffing is one of the differentiators between both types of administrations, as private administrators can command their will freely in the staff management. Change management, on the other hand, is not easy to handle regarding policy shifts in public administration. Employees create a number of hurdles. The private sector uses the tools of profit and loss smartly to enhance performance. Coming to preferences, budget is very critical in public administration. There are procedural similarities, but cost planning is given higher importance in private management. Compare and Contrast the Roles of Administrators in the Public and Private Sectors Definition of Public Administration The core elements of public administration are policy management, resource management, and program management. These functions of public management are defined by the Interagency Study Committee on Policy Management Assistance. According to Mushkin’s Report, public management also includes personnel man agement, workforce planning, shared bargaining and union-management relations, appraisal of production and execution, organization, financial control, and examining study, program, and control audit. Regarding case studies, the public domain is in the learning stage only while analysis of case studies is one of the leading methods to manage functions in the private sector (Allison Jr., 2006). Similarities Between Public and Private Administration The general management functions, as summarized in the acronym POSDCORB, are similar: planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting, and budgeting. All these functions are not necessarily connected and related (Allison Jr., 2006). Organizing and Staffing Organizing and staffing are integral functions to control internally. The manager creates structures and processes for shared functions. Staffing goes side by side by appointing the right individuals in the related job, both in public and private administration (Allison Jr., 2006). Directing Personnel and the Personnel Management System The strength of an organization, whether public or private, is reflected through the expertise and awareness of its workforce. It is the function of the personnel management system to recruit, finalize, train, reward, and punish the staff by showing the pink slip to a human resource. Such human resource functions, similar in both sectors, help an organization in achieving its aims by taking particular instructions from management (Allison Jr., 2006). Managing Performance Different management information systems such as operations and capital budgets, accounts, reports, and statistical systems, performance evaluation and product approximation help managers in both sectors in decision-making and in valuing growth in the realization of aims (Allison Jr., 2006). Differences Between Public and Private Administration Some labels could be similar in both public and private administration, but the meaning is different. Tal king about the differences in the internal segments of administration in the private sector, it is the topmost critical task of a chief executive officer to make a judicious selection of employees. Both private and public sector organizations can work remarkably when responsibilities are shouldered by right people (Allison Jr., 2006). The pathways of executives of both sectors in staffing are different. Private sector administrators can lock plants, shift leading managers, hire and fire at will. On the other hand, policy changes are

Business Risk - Edsel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Risk - Edsel - Essay Example Although the manufacturing and launching of the Ford Edsel were done by excessive market research and lots of suspense but it could not live up to the expectations of the managers. They created the car as a medium priced automobile with unique features but customers didn’t like it at all. Apart from this, the freezing up of the push button and oil leaking leads it to maximum level of disappointment. Thus the statement states that though the managers created a car for niche market but it could not get succeeded. The car had some unique features to prove itself different from its competitors. It should have a grand success in the competition. I agree with the statement because the company had really spent long time to plan for the unique design to make a change in the market. But situation did not support it as there was a recession in USA that reduces the disposable income of general people. The situation of recession was like a catalyst in the downturn of the sales. Apart from this, some of its features were not liked by the customers and they took it as an old model that they used to get from Chrysler and GM. Along with it the timing of launching was not good as the car was not ready and the period of early fall was considered to sell off the previous models by the dealers. Thus Ford had to compete with the old models of 1957 which were given at a lower price by the dealers to clear the stock.

Jews in Babylon Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jews in Babylon - Term Paper Example The Israelites and the Hebrews joined forces after the end Israelites captivity to form the Judean or Jews. ‘Jews’ will be used to mean the Israelites, in relevance to the question. The exile of the Babylonian Jews into the Diaspora between 597 BC to 539BC is one of the most important transitional periods for the Yahweh and Israelites. The events in the Babylonian exile and the consequent return to Judea resembled that of the of Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. Despite being destined by prophet Jeremiah and told of the 70 years in exile of Babylon, the captivity of the Israelites still displayed social, religious, and cultural changes for the exiles. These changes may be attributed to the changed environment and governance as the Israelites are forced by circumstances to adapt to their new surroundings (Berger & Gerson 54). The influence of Canaanites’ culture, emphasis on idolatry, was absorbed by the Israelites. The Jews that inhabited Judea were made subjects on two subsequent deportations. The first deportation took place the year 597BC under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar after he had conquered Jerusalem (Berger & Gerson 52). The king of Babylonia attacked Jerusalem with his army to punish Jehoiakim for renouncing his allegiance to his kingdom Babylon. The king of Jerusalem Jaconiah (the son of Jehoiakim) tried fighting but Nebuchadnezzar won the battle and ordered the king and his elders and treasure to be taken to Babylon. Consequently, this meant that the Jewish people were now under the rule of Babylon and evidenced by their capture in Babylon. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian exile (597 BC) as calculated by Ezekiel the prophet. The other deportation occurred after the fall of Judah in 586 BC after conquer on Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the burning of the temple and palace, and the capture of all dwellers of Jerusalem. Another partial deportation took place after the siege o f Tyre in 582 BC, which resulted to the murder of Jewish governor of Judah, Gedaliah. This was not considered a deportation as the numbers of Jews taken to Babylon were relatively low compared to the other two deportations. Indication of the termination of the exile was first evident with the freedom of King Jehoiachin in 562 BC, and being acknowledged as above all the other leaders in the Babylon court. The actual termination of the exile occurred in 539 BC when the king of Persia Cyrus conquered the city of Babylon. King Cyrus latter ordered rebuilding of the temple of the Lord and permitted the Jews to return to their home in Jerusalem. Ezra and Nehemiah led the significant return to Judea after difficult struggles. The conditions in exile for the Jews were not favorable. The first group that had been deported initially thought that would be left to go back home hastily. They gave credit to false prophets and claimed to be the true Israel, the one favored by Yahweh because of the ir right ways of life. This was easy as they were the leading families in their time. They interacted with the Babylonians and became content with the conditions of the exile following the advice of Jeremiah. This ultimately changed their cultural and economic status as they accumulated wealth and adopted the Babylonian’s way of living. They were viewed as equals politically. While in exile, the Jews enjoyed their life more than those who had been left behind in Jerusalem. They were allowed to

Business Risk - Edsel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Risk - Edsel - Essay Example Although the manufacturing and launching of the Ford Edsel were done by excessive market research and lots of suspense but it could not live up to the expectations of the managers. They created the car as a medium priced automobile with unique features but customers didn’t like it at all. Apart from this, the freezing up of the push button and oil leaking leads it to maximum level of disappointment. Thus the statement states that though the managers created a car for niche market but it could not get succeeded. The car had some unique features to prove itself different from its competitors. It should have a grand success in the competition. I agree with the statement because the company had really spent long time to plan for the unique design to make a change in the market. But situation did not support it as there was a recession in USA that reduces the disposable income of general people. The situation of recession was like a catalyst in the downturn of the sales. Apart from this, some of its features were not liked by the customers and they took it as an old model that they used to get from Chrysler and GM. Along with it the timing of launching was not good as the car was not ready and the period of early fall was considered to sell off the previous models by the dealers. Thus Ford had to compete with the old models of 1957 which were given at a lower price by the dealers to clear the stock.

Accounting standards board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Accounting standards board - Essay Example Accounting Standards Board (ASB) believes that the statement of principles is a narrative of the fundamental approach underlining the financial statements of all profit oriented businesses.This approach is intended to be up-to-date,consistent internally and should also be in line with all other approaches adopted in the world.Despite the statement of principle assisting in the preparation of the accounting standards,they are also used by preparers and auditors who are faced with new or emerging accounting issues in order to assist them to carry out initial analysis of the issue involved.When reporting the financial position and performance of the firm, the financial statements need to reflect the effect of all transactions of the firm. This can only be achieved by specifying and classifying the items in terms of elements. These elements include: Gains: This is defined as the increase in the ownership interest. This occurs when the company has made a profit after deducting all the expenses from the sales. For example if a business sells a commodity for 4000 and this commodity had cost it 2500. Then we are told the commodity incurred operating expenses of 300, and then we can say the commodity had a gain of 1200. (Lynn, 2004)Losses: This is defined as a decrease in the ownership interest. This occurs where the business has more expenses than the sale price. For example, if one buys his goods at 1000 and sells them at 1200, we need to deduct the cost price and other operating expenses from the selling price. ... Assets: These are rights or access to future benefits controlled by a business as result of past transactions. These include things like premises, motor vehicles, stock, and cash in hand and at bank. (Lynn, 2004) Liabilities: This is an obligation to transfer the economic benefit due to past transaction. This is what the firm has in the business that does not actually belong to it but it is borrowed. For example the business might have taken a long from the bank of 10,000 to boost the business. This 10,000 loan is referred to as a liability. Ownership Interest: This is usually what the owner of the firm has actually contributed to the business. We get it by deducting the entities liabilities from the entities assets. (Accounting Standards Board, 1999) The above elements enhance financial reporting because these are elements that are included in the profit and loss account and those to be included in the balance sheet. For example, gains and loss commonly referred to as revenue and expenses respectively are included in the profit and loss account. On the other had the Assets, liabilities and the ownership interest is included in the balance sheet. (Wood and Sangster, 1999) Matching is not Regarded as the Driver of the Recognition Process The above phrase means that the gains or a loss should not be recognised at the same time. If the effect of a transaction was to create a new asset or a liability, then the new asset or liability should not be recognised immediately in the balance sheet once there is reliable evidence of its occurrence which should be in monetary value. Unless there is no change in the net asset or the change is as a result of the capital

Greek Mythology Views of Creation Essay Example for Free

Greek Mythology Views of Creation Essay The story of the creation of the universe has many different versions. In some cultures it is believed that the universe was created by the procreation of the Deathless Creatures. Other cultures believe that the creation of the universe resulted from a big bang in which all of the elements in the world gathered together to create a huge mass and then burst to create life. Lastly, and the most believed version, is that the creation of the universe came from a God who would create the world and everything in it. In the ancient cultures, the Greeks and Romans had many different versions of how the universe was created but most looked to the versions by Hesiod and Ovid. Hesiod was a famous oral poet in Ancient Greece. He is thought to have lived between 750 and 650 BC, but no one knows for sure. Along with Homer, Hesiod is believed to be the earliest of the Greek poets. But it is hard to prove which one had come first. Not only did his writings serve as entertainment, but they were also used in other aspects of Greek living. He taught them farming techniques and is believed to have been the first economist. Not only was he a businessman but he also was keen in astronomy and ancient time keeping. Hesiod is a very important man in Greek History and his early writings showcase his abilities. Theogony by Hesiod gives a Greek version of the creation of the universe. In this book, Hesiod describes how the entire universe was created from the Deathless Creature, Gaia. But he described that before Gaia came, the only thing that was in existence was Chaos. â€Å"In truth at first Chaos came to be† (Hesiod, Theogony 116). According to Theogony, Chaos suddenly rose out of nothing. Hesiod talks about how me might have been created from the area between Gaia, earth, and Tartarus, a massive pit in the earth below the underworld. After Chaos, Gaia was the next creature to be created. It was created as a place for the Gods and mortals to live in peace and harmony. With Gaia came the terrain of the world. The next Deathless Creature that came was Tartarus, a massive pit in the earth below the underworld. Ironically, Tartarus is where Zeus would banish all of the Deathless Creatures. What interested me is that the next Deathless Creature from Hesiod’s story of creation is Eros. Eros is the personification of love. I started to wonder how all of the other gods were created if there was no such thing as procreation at the time. And then I did some research and learned that before Eros the Gods were created through parthenogenesis. According to Webster’s Dictionary, Parthenogenesis is â€Å"development of an egg without fertilization†. This occurs when a male and female specimen is not needed to create an embryo. Just like the hammerhead or the blacktip shark, which can procreate without a male being. Eros changed the ways of the world with love. Chaos had many children, including Erebus and Nyx. Erebus and Nyx were born roughly around the same. Erebus was the male personification of the darkness while Nyx was the female personification of the night. Erebus and Nyx then went on to have children, Aether, the atmosphere and Hemera, the day. From Chaos came forth Erebus and black Night Nyx; of Night were born Aether being the bright upper atmosphere and Day Hemera, whom she conceived and bore from union with Erebus her brother (Hesiod 11. 116-138). The next lines in Theogony talk about Gaia giving birth to two children, Pontus and Uranus. All of the creatures represent something, this trend continues with Gaia’s children. Pontus represents the sea and Uranus represents the heavens. She created them so that she would be covered. Finally, after all of the deathless creatures were created, Gaia and Uranus came together to make the first real gods, which were known as the Titans. There were twelve Titans in all and are referred to as the second generation. The male Titans were: Oceanus, Hyperion, Coeus, Cronus, Crius, and Lapetus. The female Titans were: Mnemosyne, Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, Rhea, and Themis. Along with the twelve Titans, there were also three Cyclopes and three Hekatonkheires born. In Hesiod’s Theogony, Uranus was so disgusted by his children, the Hekatonkheires, that he banished them somewhere in Gaia. Gaia was so upset that she told her Titans to punish their father. The only one that was willing to do so was the youngest, Cronus. He castrated his father as revenge. From the castration many more creatures were born. For example, the furies were born from the blood that was spread all throughout the Earth and Aphrodite was born when Cronus threw the severed private parts into the Sea. The third and final Generation to be born from the deathless creatures was the children of Cronus and Rhea. It was prophesized to him that one of his children would over throw him. Cronus took preemptive measures and thought out an ingenious plan of swallowing his children after they were born. He had six children and one-by-one he would swallow them. His first-born child was named Hestia who was subsequently eaten. Soon to follow in her path were Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon. Zeus was the last child to be born, but Rhea could not stand to see another one of her children eaten so she replaced him with a stone. The poem does not state how, but Cronus puked up the remaining five children and they all waged war on their father. Zeus would eventually win and become king. He would then do what many of the other gods had done and banish his father. He sent them all to the bottom of Tartarus where they would never be able to escape. Hesiod’s Theogony first starts off the creation process by bringing darkness, Chaos, and creating things from that. Then it gets into the procreation of the brothers and sisters, and mothers and sons. From that point, the Olympic gods mate with each other and mortal humans as well. This is one version of the Greek story of the Creation of the Universe. Ovid is a Roman poet and in his poem, Metamorphoses, it also speaks of the creation of the universe. In his poem, he splits up the human race into Four Ages: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages. They tell of different times in the universe’s history. At first, there is nothing. Then a god comes and organizes everything and puts it where it’s supposed to be. For example, he puts fire in the farthest part of the universe and so forth. Ovid then gives 3 stories of how mankind was created recreated. First, It then talks about how the god, Prometheus, created the human race as a replica of the God. Then Ovid talks about a war that goes on between the gods and the Giants. During that war the giants stack mountains on top of each other to reach Mount Olympus. But Zeus then knocks over the pile of mountains and all of the Giants are crushed under the rubble. Meanwhile, their blood seeps through the earth. From the blood, humans arose. The final form of creation that Ovid speaks of occurs after the flood. Zeus is upset with the Humans and wants to kill all of them. He sends a massive flood to the earth to wipe them all out. When he comes to a hill he sees two pious people and decided to let them live. The two survivors, Deucalion and Pyrrha, are the ones with recreate the human race. They take the mother bones and throw them over their shoulders. From each bone, a human would sprout up. In the Bible, the story of Genesis talks about the creation of the universe. It states the God created the universe in sex days and rested on the seventh. On each day God creates a different thing. The last thing he creates was the human race. He created them last and they were created as an image of God. According to the two poems and the chapter in the Bible, the story of the creation of the universe happened it three very different ways. In Hesiod’s version, the world and nature around it all came from Mother Earth, Gaia. And the human race came from the love that was spread by Aphrodite and Eros. In Ovid’s version, the world was a chaotic mess and it was an unknown god that restored order into the world. The bible is the only version to give a time of how long it took to create the world and everything in it. Even though there are many differences in the stories, there are also a lot of similarities as well One similarity that all of the accounts of creation hold are the human race was last to be created in all versions. Mankind came after everything in the world was created for them. Another similarity is that the humans were created as an image of God. Lastly, the final similarity that comes from all the versions is; the universe started off as nothing (pure darkness) and then a god came and began the process of creation. In conclusion, Hesiod’s version of creation takes about the promiscuous ways of the gods and titans. Their promiscuity is what created the world and everything in it. According to Ovid’s version, an unknown god created the world and everything in it and gives stories of how the humans were created and recreated. In the Book of Genesis, God created the world in seven days; as well as everything in it. All three versions of creation did have some differences in their stories, but in they all ended with the creation of mankind. Works Cited Hesiod, and Norman Oliver Brown. Theogony;. New York: Liberal Arts, 1953. Print. Hesiods Creation Myth. Women in Greek Myths. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. . Ovidius, and Mary M. Innes. The Metamorphoses of Ovid. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 1985. Print. Separating, By. Xeno. ovid2. Larryavisbrown. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. . SparkNotes: Metamorphoses: Plot Overview. SparkNotes: Todays Most Popular Study Guides. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. . Theogony. Free Book Reviews | Book Summaries | Shvoong Summaries Reviews. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. . The Theogony of Hesiod. Internet Sacred Text Archive Home. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. .

Diamond Foam Business: Marketing Strategies Analysis

Diamond Foam Business: Marketing Strategies Analysis Executive Summary This study falls into three parts. The first part gives operations/transformation process in Diamond Foam and Pak Electron LTD.In this part the different strategies like marketine,competitive priorities and corporate strategies has been discussed for each organization.In second part the different concepts or frameworks like inventory management, performance measurement, total quality management, capacity planning and supply chain design has been taken. I have taken different case studies to explain the different methodologies. In the third part the impact of the different concepts and frameworks has been shown on each of the organization. a) Marketing Strategies of Diamond Foam Positioning Strategy Customer perceives Diamond Foam is high quality foam. Foam is high involvement product and people see price and quality before purchase it. Target Market Diamond Foam has broad target market in Pakistan because any product requires foam is their target market and person used that foam is their target customer. Customers in south region are furniture showrooms and in north region are dealers and they not sell their products to end-users. Diamond Foam used product development strategy with different product in current market. Marketing Mix Strategy Product Products that are sold by Diamond Foam are Spring mattress Bed sheets/comforter Foam mattress Foam products Quality Quality aspects of Diamond Foams products are given below. Complete peace of mind for their customers Diamond Foam never foregoes their responsibility in complete quality control. A good mattress isnt just dependent on its high quality standard but also the quality of after-sale service that gives you lasting comfort and security. Diamond Foam has a quality control department who manufactured products and processes according to SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for efficient and hazard-free operations. Diamond Foam offer high quality sleep products that are outstanding values with all the healthful benefits of a good night. Features Features of products that are manufactured by Diamond Foams are given below. Offer high quality sleep products that are outstanding values with all the healthful benefits of a good night. Medically it is proven that not everybody is comfortable sleeping on a plain surface, and Diamond Foam brand, Dolce Vita Adjustable bed, gives you that option to raise your head or feet to a position where you are most comfortable. Brand Name Foam mattress Europedic Memory Foam Spring mattress Dolce Vita Pocket Spring Mattresses Dolce Vita Bonnell Spring Mattress Diamond Jumbolon Jumbolon Board Jumbolon Spray Jumbolon Rolls Life style products Dolce Vita Recliner Dolce Vita Adjustable bed Packaging Diamond Foam provides good cover and polythene bag for their products. Returns In warrantee period, Diamond Foam replace foam mattress with foam mattress when it is damaged. Service Services of Diamond Foam are given below. Going beyond traditional service, to provide state of the art customer care experience, and want to earn customers loyalty by delivering services that anticipate their needs. Diamond Foam is constantly looking for ways to improve their service by listening to customers, monitoring performance and adopting the best practice. Guarantee: Guarantee that is given to customers are given below. Customer relaxation is intensified by the fact that every product is sold with reliable guarantee and superior class after-sales services. Diamond Foam take pride to be the finest mattresses company, who also adheres to its philosophy to provide superior after-sale service by giving the reliable guarantee that looks after your comfort year after year. They repair or replace your mattress, this guarantee continues from the original date of purchase. Diamond Foam also gives guarantee on stitches pulled out of the handle where sewn to the mattress. Customers guarantee is valid for original purchaser only and it protects you from the day you purchase your mattress or complete sleep system, and continues according to the Guarantee Period specified. Discounts All brands of Dolce Vita (Pocket Spring), Duet and Dolce Vita (Bonnell Spring), except Supreme Jacquard Fabric and Supreme, are discounted 23% for dealers and distributors. Supreme Jacquard Fabric and Supreme are discounted by 15%. Warranties Diamond Foam gives warranties to their customers from 10 years to 12 years. Payment Periods Diamond Foam gives a payment period to their customers up to 3 months. Credit Items Diamond Foam sells their item normally on cash basis but sometimes gives on credit to particular customers. Place Coverage Diamond Foam has coverage to Pakistan, Dubai, Afghanistan and Egypt. Locations Diamond Foam has different distribution center in and outside Pakistan, which provide foam to end-users. Inventory Diamond Foam never faces a problem of stock out because one day plant work in a day generate inventory for 2 weeks. Transport Diamond Foam has 150 trucks, which provide foam to dealers and distributors. Promotion Advertising Diamond Foam spends 10% of sales annually on advertisement and uses all means for communication (e.g. billboards, TV, radio, etc) for advertise their foam. Sales Promotion Diamond Foam gives different rates of discount to distributors on different brands. Operational Strategies of Diamond Foam Diamond Foam provides standardized foam in large quantity (mass production), continuously improves their operations and processes. Sometimes they do mass customization (in terms of size and smoothness, which is described by customers). Diamond Foam has no computer-integrated design for design of foam. Diamond Foam has skilled labor (job shop) and all plants are automated (dedicated transfer lines) and parts are not group together before the operation because one man can operate plant. Operations department is responsible for making highly economical, efficient and customer oriented operations from receipt of products to safe storage and onward dispatches to customers (dealers) timely and efficiently. How Diamond Foam make foam First of all they gather raw materials (PPG, TDI and catalysts). Three of them add in one tube and after this heat is given to their mixture and after this solution is spread by air and foam will be generated. Core Functions Following are core functions of Diamond Foams operations department: Product Receipts Handling Storage Dispatches Hospitality Operation Department Purchasing Strategies of Diamond Foam Diamond Foam purchases raw materials from many suppliers (multiple sourcing) of Korea, Taiwan and China. The basic raw material used in the process is Polypropylene Glycol (PPG), Toluene Di Isocynate (TDI) and many catalysts. Price of raw materials (PPG and TDI) is based on price of crude oil ($100/barrel). TDI prices have increased up to 35% since last 10 months. The primary function of the Diamond Foams purchasing department is to purchase the supplies, materials, equipment and services required to insure that maximum value is obtained for each rupees spent. Specific responsibilities, duties and functions of Diamond Foams purchasing department are as under: Policies and Procedures Develop purchasing objectives, policies, programs and procedures for the purchase and contracting for all materials, supplies, equipment and services. Specifications Prepare and assemble specifications and technical requirements. Consolidation Bulk Purchasing Explore the possibilities of buying in bulk to take full advantage of quantity discounts. According to the situation, Diamond Foam can purchase twice the raw material than demanded due to fluctuations in the prices of petroleum products. Standardization Work with other departments to establish standardization of materials, supplies and equipment where practicable within a competitive environment. Compliance with laws Insure that all purchases are made in compliance with applicable statutes, rules, regulations and policies. Unlawful for employees Unlawful for employees to purchase any materials, supplies, equipment, or make any contract with anyone without the consent/permission of purchasing department. PAK ELECTRON LTD PEL was established in 1956. with the technical collaboration of M/S AEG, West Germany. It is the oldest composite electrical equipment-manufacturing unit of Pakistan with the object of initially producing transformers, switchgears and electric motors. In 1962 after conclusion of joint venture agreement with AEG, total shareholding was purchased than by sponsors M/S Malik Brothers Limited. COMPETITIVE PRIORITIES: COST: Low cost QUALITY: Consistent quality with high class appliance performance. FLEXIBILITY: A lot of volume, equipment and workforce flexibility is present. OPERATIONAL/ FUNCTIONAL TESTING Here a refrigerator is operationally/ functionally tested. It is operated for a whole day. QUALITY CONTROL CHECKING Here the quality assurance is checked. The refrigerator is checked technically and physically by quality control. PACKING SECTION:- Now the refrigerator is ready for packing after quality control checking. So the refrigerators are packed according to their models and colors, and delivered to the Storeroom. INVENTORY MANAGEMENT: Pel is in a seasonal business since the demand season for their product is from April to September. PEL management estimates the demand very carefully and tries to avoid the pilling of the inventory. Production of PEL jump in Feb. to April and they need more Inventories in this season. To keep the overhead charges low PEL has a small no of permanent workers which -work through out the year. However to meet the demand of the peak season the management hire the workers at the temporary basis just before the start of the season. REORDER POINT: Optimal replenish inventory system is used by PEL. In more technical terms the minimum level serves as reorder point. For managing the Inventory of different types, The Company divides the inventory into two broad categories. Raw material Inventory Finished goods Inventory CAPACITY MEASURE In every department PEL has got several machines which are used in the production of various appliances and electrical equipment whose capacity is measured in term of the output measures. BOTTLE NECK In the whole production process there are certain stages which are more time consuming than the others. So this limits the out put rate to a minimum level to that which was expected. In the process of the refrigerator manufacturing the bottleneck is created at the thermo foaming machine. In the process; from base making to the packing at the stage of the foaming this bottleneck is created. CAPACITY STRATEGIES CAPACITY CUSHION On the average each department has the capacity cushion which varies from 5% to 15% ECONOMIES OF SCALE PEL is trying to reduce its cost through enjoying the economies of scales in his processes. Because of the purchasing in the bulk and using the activities as the measure of the overhead charges PEL has been successful in reducing The cost of materials The cost struck in the processes The cost in the overhead. b) Warburtons managing the supply chain to meet customer needs: Warburtons is a family firm founded in 1870s. It is the 2nd largest grocery brand in UK. Its main focus is on quality not quantity. It holds a market share of 25% of wrapped bread which makes it a market leader. It produces about two million of bakery products daily due to which there is an everyday fresh supply of baked products in the market. Warburtons have divided their economy into three sectors; primary, secondary and tertiary. The primary sector involves, the growing and extraction of raw materials, like grains. Warburtons work with the farmers of UK and Canada to get a very good quality of grain/wheat. Secondary sector deals with converting the collecting raw material, that is, wheat into flour and then finally flour into bread. From fifty years, Warburtons are working with millers which convert their wheat into quality flour. Then this flour is used to bake quality breads. Many modern techniques are used to perfectly bake bread and ensure quality. Tertiary sectors bridges other firms and clients with Warburtons. Tertiary sector is largest in UK as compared with primary and secondary. Warburtons have more than 900 delivery vehicles, which ensure a fresh supply of bread in market every day. It uses software to ensure efficiency of this fleet.(thetime100:Warburtons) Total Quality Management: Any company in the world can get 100% customer satisfaction and the default can be minimized to zero by using total quality management. Nissan:(thetime100:Nissan) Introduction Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK is the UKs largest car manufacturing plant. It is also the most productive plant in Europe. This success is due to careful planning and design. Total Quality Management (TQM) TQM is a key feature of Nissans way of working. It means that everyones focus is on quality at all times. It is a way of operating that requires people to take on an improvement culture where everyone is looking for ways to improve. Just in time This means that production happens just as it is needed. Cars are produced as customers need them; components arrive as assembly lines need them, and so on. In this way, production is more efficient and there is no cash tied up in stocks either of raw materials or finished goods. Every vehicle is electronically monitored at all stages of production so that its progress can be checked. Training In such a high technology environment it is important that people are trained. NMUKs training department concentrates on both technical and people development, providing opportunities for all employees. Kaizen Kaizen means continuous improvement. It means that Nissan believes that even the smallest change can make a difference. Improvements are usually suggested by small teams, who meet to share ideas for improvements. Unison:(thetime100:Unison) Every human has a right to be healthy and work in an environment where he/she is safe. Trade unions, like UNISON provides workers with their rights, health and safety. UNISON (the public service trade union) was formed in 1993, and nowadays it is UKs largest trade union. Its main focus is on providing workers with their rights, health and safety. It is a merger of three public sector unions in which two-third workforce consists of women. It has been observed that in presence of UNISONs safety representatives, ratio of accidents and death is decreased by half. UNISON plays an important role in workplace, like providing higher benefits (pays, compensations etc.) to the workers with extra holidays. It cares for the cleaning staff (as they are dealing with higher rate of accidents), looks after the catering (by improving food levels in schools and hospitals etc.) UNISONs legislation consists of two types of laws/clause; one is the HASAWA act 1974 (which bounds the employer to care and calculate risk for employees safety) and other law/clause binds the employee to look after itself and workers around him/her for their safety. UNISONs viewpoint is to provide long lasting health and safety for the workers. It focuses on women health and safety, reducing violence, bullying, passive smoking and minimizing the stress of the workers. Capacity Planning: Nissan:(thetime100:Nissan) Production Car assembly is a complex operation with many components requiring skilled assembly. Thats a crude indication of what is involved. Management are particularly keen to monitor total machine-hours and total labour-hours that each vehicle requires. So far, Nissan has invested over  £2.1 billion in the Sunderland site, taking its production capacity to 500,000 vehicles per year. Production methods must be able to produce what customers want, in the quantities customers require, at a price consumers are willing to pay, and at a cost that yields a profit to the business. That means that being efficient is vital to success. In some industries it is possible to carry out individual job production to meet a particular customers request e.g. a wedding dress, a birthday cake, a fitted kitchen. However, very nearly all of the worlds car manufacturers mass produce standard models, with individual consumer choice being accommodated by offering various colours, interior designs, and optional extras within a limited flexible production process. People can still personalise their cars further e.g. by choosing a particular car registration or accessories. In pursuit of high output at low average cost, car manufacturing typically uses a continuous flow production method, where sub-assemblies are brought together in a final assembly area. This is the most cost effective and efficient method of production and the speed of the final assembly line can be adjusted to match consumer demand. If demand picks up, the production line can be accelerated, within predefined limits. At NMUK, the production flow draws on three main production shops, as well as support areas. The three main shops are: body assembly painting final assembly. Supporting manufacturing areas are: press shop produces panels for the vehicles plastics shop makes bumpers (fenders) on site castings shop makes engine parts e.g. cylinder heads engine shop assembles engines, installs oil, coolant fuel axle plant produces axles that are joined to engines in final assembly. Widely different processes generate different jobs across three main broad areas. The machinery is scheduled to work at a given level although when demand requires it; there is flexibility in regard to both the machinery and the workforce of 4,300. At the moment, with a two-shift pattern, NMUK has a total production capacity of around 360,000 units/year a third shift can be introduced which would take production up to 500,000 units/year if and when required. Performance Measurement:(thetime100:cocacola) In any business activity it is important to be able to measure the success of strategies and operational activities. Measuring performance is the best way of assessing how effective strategies and initiatives have been, with a view to making appropriate adjustments. Organisations need to measure and report performance against stated aims contained in a business plan, eg daily output, employee turnover. The business will tend to measure and evaluate only those aspects of its business over which it has control. Ideally these measurements should also be benchmarked so that everyone can see how performance compares with others. Coca-Cola uses detailed sets of performance indicators for many areas of its activities, including its work to promote social responsibility. Community performance indicators include: Impact evaluations of community programmes. These include indicators of educational attainment as well as of environmental enhancement and conservation. Perception measures of the Company as a good neighbour. Inventory Management:( inventorymanagement.com) Inventory management is primarily about specifying the size and placement of stocked goods. Inventory management is required at different locations within a facility or within multiple locations of a supply network to protect the regular and planned course of production against the random disturbance of running out of materials or goods. The scope of inventory management also concerns the fine lines between replenishment lead time, carrying costs of inventory, asset management, inventory forecasting, inventory valuation, inventory visibility, future inventory price forecasting, physical inventory, available physical space for inventory, quality management, replenishment, returns and defective goods and demand forecasting. c) Pel does not have proper inventory planning by the management due to which heavy amount of the money is being put by the company in the inventory.PEL has the strength also that it has a good repute for the company as being the quality conscious company. It has own experts for the purpose of the control of the quality of products. Due to the good sight selection for the purpose of the power division the company has more access to the whole of the markets of the country. The company also has well established system of the distribution of the company although it is not the integrated one but it is working smoothly. The company should also make some of the methods for the purpose of the keeping the inventory at the optimal level. Proper planning of the material can decrease the amount of the investment in the inventories by the company. The management of this company does not use the sophisticated technique while making or performing the function of the demand forecasting by the company. They rely more on the judgmental methods for the purpose of the projection by the company about their sales. In Diamond Foam the training is given to workers for developing their skills for future. The promotion based on consistent with job. Training is given on following basis. Identify the gap in performance of the employees Compile detail of employee require training Identify the areas of training Identify the skills of trainees. Train the employee Management assesses the training programs success or failure. Benefits for employees Benefits for employees provided by Diamond Foam are as under. Medical allowances given by the company to the candidate Lunch and dinner facility for employees Apron, gloves and other requirements related to production of foam mattress will be provided by the company Uniforms provided by the company to helpers/guard Health and Safety policies Health and safety policies are described by Diamond Foam are given below. Production area should be clean First aid should be provided in case of any emergency Proper ventilation system/ exhaust fans to maintain the temperature In case of any fire there should be fire extinguisher and an exit door in factory and different offices Electric wires should be placed as no wires come under feet. Wire should be correctly placed Conclusion: I have researched both companies and I have gained much knowledge about different aspects,operations,frameworks in both organization Diamond Foam and PEL.Both are using different types of inventory management, Total Quality managemeny,supply chain design, performance measures,capacity planning. Buddhism: What Is Nirvana? Buddhism: What Is Nirvana? Buddhism represents one of the greatest religions in the world. Its roots are traced back in India, and today it forms the major religion of countries such as Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. Buddhists have also been found to occupy some areas in Europe including Asia, Australia and America. The major distinguishing feature of Buddhism is that, Buddhists never believe in God as with the other religions. Buddha is the figure from which they obtain and follow their religious teachings. Buddha is not recognized as a name. It stands for a title which carries the meaning of the enlightened one. All Buddhists have one main goal, to become enlightened just like Buddha and live free from all manner of desire. Buddhism came from the transformative experience of nirvana followed by his compassionate feeling of helping others realize nirvana by themselves (Ganeri, p. 3; Trainor, p. 66). The teachings of Buddhism come from the experiences Buddha has while searching the truth about suffering and how it can be ended. Buddha had several lessons. The first lesson was known as the Four Noble truths. These teachings explained that the experiences of suffering is everyone`s in life. This suffering is as a result of people not being contended with what they have. According to the Second Noble truth, suffering is caused by desire. A term trishna is usually used and implies that all human beings yearn for a number of things. These include; food, power, sex and possessions. Buddha explains that all these are world troubles and are rooted deeply in desire. Desire is known to wrap the human mind distorting our understanding and leading us to desire-driven ways. Such ways tend to ensure human continued suffering and inevitable samara. Samara is likened to a flooding river in the early texts of Buddha. This river sweeps away humanity to misery, death and rebirth. This flooding is a s a result of submitting to desire. Buddha`s teachings are likened to a raft that can be used to take refuge, overcoming the water currents and reaching the other end. This is the offshore end which is safer and is likened to nirvana. It is argued in pali texts that desire is integral in the world and because of this its power managed to shape life on earth (Trainor, p. 66). The Third Noble Truth highlights a terse reference to the Buddhists central focus on the spiritual causation. The cyclical cause pattern and the effect through which desire leads to intense suffering can be reversed. This will eventually be controlled leading to the possibilities of enlightenment and nirvana. First humans were non-material beings and enjoyed blissful and long lives. One of them happened to taste the sweetest thing on earth, and the same thing today is being consumed by crave and desire. The other humans tasted the sweet thing and the radiance disappeared. Peoples` bodies became solid as plants and other edible materials appeared. Desire became so powerful such that creatures divided themselves into gender, initiated sex along with theft, lying, and harmful actions. All these characterize the world as we know it today. Buddhism gives careful analysis in the early texts which explained that the existence of desire will prevent one from reaching nirvana (Trainor, p. 66). Philosophers in Buddhism divide desire into three kinds; for sensual pleasure, for rebirth and future rebirth. Early Buddhists found difficulties following the idea of ending desire. For Buddhists, the body is to be respected and should maintain life. It should be cared for but not loved. Desire must also be eliminated without mutilating the body. Focus on desire makes plain Buddhists` emphasis on renunciation and detachment. Buddhists everyday life involves renunciation of the everyday world of desire in favor of the monastic community. Sangha settled for a refuge just for this (Harvey, p. 69). This would offer individuals a chance to lead a simple life and thus lose their desires. At the same time, the name of Buddha would be administered as good medicine of his Dharma to sick humanity. Advanced stages in refuge lead to the desire to learn more of Buddha`s teachings. The desire to be enlightened was to be renounced so as to reach nirvana, the ultimate goal of all Buddhists (Trainor , p. 66). There is also another way of bringing the aspects of desire to an end. This is through following the lessons of the Noble Eightfold path. Buddha, from his experiences had realized that there is no happiness in great hardship or great luxury. Thus, he taught the Noble Eightfold path that is divided into eight parts (Ganeri, p. 6). Right understanding is the first part and involves gaining as understanding of Buddha`s teachings. The second part is that of right intention. This part says that people should have compassion about others and always think about them in a very kind and generous way. Rights speech is the third part and teaches people not to tell lies, speak unkindly or swear. The fourth part is right action. People are taught not to steal, kill or perform actions that might upset or harm other people. The fifth part is right livelihood and teaches people to earn their living in ways that do not cause harm to others. Right effort represents the sixth part and teaches people to make the effort of being compassionate and kind. The seventh part is that of right mindfulness, which involves being aware of your own thoughts and actions. Lastly, there is right concentration where people are taught to train their minds to be clear and calm always (Ganeri, p. 6). Life`s purpose for most people, for example, in Thailand, is to get enough merit through acting and thinking in a better way. It is also understood that it takes several lives to reach the goal of nirvana. Buddhism as discussed already, arose from the transformation of Buddha`s experience of nirvana and his compassion to help other people realize nirvana by themselves. Buddhists` wise statements compare nirvana with fire extinction. Ancients Indians understand that extinguishing a flame releases the flame so that it returns to an agitated, diffuse and eternal state. Nirvana bears these associations, although it is most often believed to be ahead of all known states of existence (Trainor, p. 69). Men and women realize nirvana through cultivation of wisdom (prajna). Prajna is the active capacity for discernment of the spiritual world, realizing the true nature of reality, which is described as something marked by suffering, impermanence, non-self and the three characteristics of existence. Complete development of prajna is vital to enlightenment. This is a view that has been shared by all Buddhists schools. Enlightenment, as a term, expresses how the fullness of prajna eliminates all aspects of ignorance and at the same time enabling the mind the see clearly, what reality is all about (Trainor, p. 70). Enlightened individuals at their death enter parinirvana which means complete nirvana. This is an after death state and is beyond description as many texts put it. Nirvana has been discussed covering both its positive and negative sides; a realm where there exists no sun or moon, going or coming; an impersonal state transcending individuality. Basing on positive terms, nirvana is at times described as eternal, pure, tranquil and deathless. Philosophers in Buddhism are known to recognize nirvana as the only reality that is permanent in the cosmos. Nirvana is famously considered as indescribable. It is not as depicted erroneously by the early Western interpreters as annihilation meaning an extreme position rejected by the Buddha. An influential definition of nirvana used by the Mahayana tradition presents the famous dictum of the philosopher Nagarjuna. Practitioners in many of the existing traditions have endeavored with beauty and eloquence in expression of their experience and enligh tenment (Trainor, p. 68). According to Buddha`s Noble eightfold path, the fourth noble truth offers the formula for getting rid of desire. The eight ideals described in the concept provide a cure for the continued cycle of rebirth, suffering and death. These eight ideals are divided traditionally into three categories, which all mark the progressive path to nirvana. The three categories include; morality under right speech, right action and right livelihood; meditation under right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration; and lastly, the cultivation of prajna under right view and right thought. Buddha`s definition of the Eightfold path rejected two ideas that are known to be central to the religions of the other world. The first idea is that there is no relationship or belief in the transcendent creator God. This God is the one who is known to sustain the world and also people depend on him for salvation and security. The second idea is that of believing in an immortal soul. This idea is rejected as false consolation that is similarly unsupported by critical analysis. Soul, just like God, is described as a projection of the human mind that is desire-driven in the search for immortality and security (Trainor, p. 68). Eightfold Path is emphasized by the Buddha as a practical guide that is goal-directed. He told his disciples to avoid engaging in mere intellectualism or idle speculations. There is one famous parable of, The Poison Arrow which Buddha uses to describe a problem facing a man who has been hit by a poison-tipped arrow. The Buddha suggests about three questions which the man should possibly ask. The first question is if the man should inquire about the person who shot arrow and the second one about the wood type the arrow is made of. The third question is whether the shot was aimed low or higher. After analyzing a series of other similar scenarios, Buddha explains that only if the man practically addresses the mortal danger that is before him, through getting rid of the poison that would kill him, can he survive. Buddha cautioned his disciples about wasting their time on pointless philosophical inquiries; they will end up squandering their spiritual opportunities (Trainor, p. 71). The path to nirvana has several classing stages. The first stage is that of steam-enterers who realize the illusion of the self and no longer doubt Buddha`s path. They thus expect more than seven rebirths before attaining nirvana. At an advanced stage, the devotee becomes a once returner. He or she has a highly developed prajna, and this means that the person will experience further human life once. Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism both consider Buddha as the highest form of being. Theravada traditions consider both the Buddha and arbat (the enlightened one) to have fully developed prajna (Trainor, p. 88). They also share the same realization of nirvana and pass into the parinirvana state (cessation of birth) (Harvey, p. 223). Buddha taught his followers to be teachers and also to realize that they are different persons, each of whom bearing different status determined by their karma. Depending on whether they are ordinary people, learners or adopts, each of them has to be instructed in a different way and led as required by Buddha`s path. Tradition puts emphasis on the opportunity of human birth that it should not be wasted regardless of the individual`s level. Life should thus not be wasted and instead, should be lived with a purpose. Buddhists have a hope of attaining nirvana in the current life they lead and if not, in their future rebirth (Trainor, p. 71). Regarding the Four Noble truths, Buddha explains that if his vision of true knowledge failed to be fully and clearly understood, he stands not to have reached perfect enlightenment. To experience Nirvana, Buddhists should progress towards being more enlightened and gain a better understanding of the Four Noble Truth. This was to happen through meditation and critical reflection of what Buddhism is all about. Knowledge on the elements of the path, however, much sophisticated it appeared, was not sufficient. Following the path and polishing one`s understanding of each of the known elements will lead one to nirvana (Trainor, p. 71). The Noble Eightfold Truth path presents the most vital summary of the Buddhist`s practice. It is known to outline the necessary and progressive ways of realizing nirvana. The path is understood as the means of cultivating morality (shila) insight (prajna) and meditation (Samadhi) as has been stated. It stresses that progress in morality forms the foundation for the successful meditation. Successful meditation, on the other hand, serves the best platform for the development and perfection of wisdom or insight (Trainor, p. 72). The stages of the Eightfold Path towards Nirvana underscore the practical emphasis of Buddhism as whether, in the goal of raising moral standards, good conduct, the society`s material welfare or eliminating desire-driven behavior, cognition restructuring and in the end realizing enlightenment. Moral practices or shila which fall under right speech, right action and right livelihood represent the starting point Buddhist`s path. A person cannot progress towards nirvana while lacking ethical integrity (Trainor, p. 72). Regarding karma, a person cannot bear the balance of karma that warrants reaching the advanced stages of the path to nirvana while behaving in an immoral way. Morality of Buddhists, when stated positively, dictates the wisdom of cultivating compassion, discernment and detachment. The morality of Buddhists hinges on three areas of human behaviors. These include; speech, actions and livelihood. Right action as per a negative description means not to steal, kill or doing harm to others. These aspects of human behavior lead to negative karmic consequences poisoning the mind and thus predisposing a person to future immorality (Trainor, p. 72). Meditation according to the Eightfold path refers to the right effort, right concentration and right mindfulness. The term meditation encompasses various techniques and traditions that work hand in hand with the mind. It is necessary for the development of the mind in terms of clarity of the mind, freedom from states of negativity, insights of conditioned reality that finally lead to nirvana. Meditation has its stem rooted in the experiences Buddha went through. Buddha`s meditation was directed by the itinerant teachers, the holy men he stayed with while he was in the forest. A practitioner of meditation following Buddha`s example may require a number of years of effort to master. He or she should also be guided by a mentor who is experienced so as to reach the advanced stages of meditation (Trainor, p. 72). Meditation develops on mindfulness together with the two elements of concentration and insight. Right concentration according to the Eightfold Path, is also known as trance meditation (Samadhi), and it involves intense focus on one object of meditation. This leads one to a state of one-pointedness through which the duality of other and self id dissolved. Standing in the conditioned or the unconditioned is a notion in nirvana taken up by the Mahayana Buddhism. It is referred to as apratisthita-nirvana or the non-abiding nirvana. It is usually seen as different from the elements of nirvana discussed in the pali texts. This nirvana as discussed by gadjin Nagao is the nirvana attained by the Bodhisattvas. The basic idea here is that Bodhisattvas attain nirvana because of wisdom and with through compassion, and also a Buddhist has no intention of reaching nirvana after death (Harvey, p. 221). Right view and right action are traditionally known as wisdom in Buddhism. They too culminate the means to nirvana. Right view is described as the thorough understanding of the Four Noble Truths while right thought is seen as a detachment from cruelty and hatred. These two aspects of human behavior are known to lead to enlightenment. Buddha`s teachings provide unique teachings of achieving this. The success of a person that is moving from morality to meditation is measured by the development of prajna (Trainor, p. 74). Buddhism as a religion provides opportunities for other comparative studies with a diversified range of studies. Its emphasis on Middle way provides different guidelines for ethics and at the same time has allowed Buddhism as a religion to coexist with other differing beliefs, institutions and countries where it is practiced and customs. Its spirituals and moral teachings go parallel with other religions. The tenets of Christianity, as has been found by many scholars around the world have represented the subjects of close studies (Weeraperuma, p. 77). Reactive Change Management: Overview and Case Study Reactive Change Management: Overview and Case Study Introduction Life and changes were born together and they will live together, till the last sunset. The concept of changes was born with the organizations, however its evolution, development and connotations have frequently changed and its horizontal, as well as, vertical expansions and applications are extending day be day, with a fast speed. Manifold and multidimensional revolutions from era has enhance the speed of changes and given it many new shapes. It is very interesting phenomenon that inventions, discoveries, concepts, hypothesis and terminologies etc are coined or designed for one specific field, but then they outgrow and enter into many other fields and areas, carrying different meaning, perceptions and interpretations. In the present era of globalization and information technology, the organizations have to face various changes on a very rapid pace. Thus, demanding an increased and active participation of management towards identifying and reacting to the changes. The different ways t o manage changes in organizations are being practice at various levels. Effective Change Management The process of effective change management enables the organizations to successfully implement changes in the strategies and plans in order to enhance their effectiveness. The strategies can be implemented to deal various changes like changes in consumer behavior, technological developments etc. This concept appears to be helpful in responding to a change in the lifecycle of goods or services produced by the company and changes in the financial stability of the company. Organizations may consider the effective change management strategies from a proactive or reactive situation. Proactive situation demands manager to vigorously assess the current economic market and business atmospheric circumstances to highlight the changes occur in the near long-term future. By assessing these information, the managers adopt to develop business strategies to improve or enhance business operation. The Concept of Reactive Change Management In order to cater the major shifts or changes occurs in the corporate world and economic market the organizations consider various strategies. Although, the approach of reactive change management normally appears to be imperceptible but the implementation of effective strategies can not only reduces its negative impacts but enable the companies to increase their market share. Factors to be Considered when Managing a Change The change agent Determining what should be changed The kind of change to make Individuals affected by the modifications Evaluation of the modification The Change Agent The identification and analysis of change agent comes out to be the most important factor while managing a reactive change in the corporate world. The change agent may requires some broad nature decisions like altering the culture of whole organization, or some narrow ones like designing and implementing a new safety program or a new quality program. Determining what should be changed Secondly the finalization of the factors which are required to be reviewed for managing changes in an organization is highly important. In common, managers should make only those changes that will increase organizational effectiveness. The organizational effectiveness primarily depends upon activities revolving around the three factors. a. People b. Structure c. Technology People factors are attitudes, leadership skills, communication skills and all other characteristics of the human resources within the organization. Structural factors are organizational controls, such as policies and procedures. And technological factors are any types of equipment or processes that assist organization members in the performance of their jobs. For the management of organization, while managing changes the theme Appropriate people must be matched with appropriate technology and appropriate structure proves to be necessary. The Kind of Changes to Make When the management has to review their current strategies for managing changes the factor of selecting appropriate areas is critical. For example in order to manage technological change the level of current technologies requires to be modified. Individuals Affected by the Change A fourth major factor to be considered by the organization while managing changes is the identification of its influences on the individuals both inside and outside of the organization. A good assessment of what to change and how to make the change will be wasted if organization members do not support the change. Evaluation of the Modifications In connection with the other factors the evaluation of the modifications being made for managing changes is very necessary. It will enable the management to evaluate the effectiveness of the modifications made to manage change. Resistance to Change Resistance to change is as common as the need of change. After managers decide to make some organizational changes, they typically meet with employee resistance aimed at preventing that change from occurring. Behind this resistance by organization members lies the fear of some personal loss, such as a reduction in personal prestige, a disturbance of established social and working relationships, and personal failure because of inability to carry out new job requirements. Reducing Resistance to Change To ensure the success of needed modifications, management should be able to reduce the effects of the resistance that typically accompanies proposed change. Resistance can usually be lowered by following these guidelines: 1. Avoid Surprises: People need time to evaluate a proposed change before management implements it. Unless they are given time to evaluate and absorb how the change will affect them. Whenever, possible individuals who will be affected by a change should be informed of the kind of change being considered and the probability that it will be adopted. 2. Promote Real Understanding: When fear of personal loss related to a proposed change is reduce, opposition to change is also reduced. Most managers find that ensuring that organization members thoroughly understand a proposed change is a major step in reducing this fear. 3. Set the Stage for Change: Perhaps the most powerful tool for reducing resistance to change is managements positive attitude toward the change. This attitude should be displayed openly by top and middle management as well as by lower management. In essence, management should convey that change is one of the basic prerequisites for a successful organization. Management should also strive to be seen as encouraging change to increase organizational effectiveness, rather than for sake of trying something new. Case Study of Strategic change at Samsung Group Case study is a research strategy which involves investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon in the real life situation using multiple sources of evidence. More elaborate explanation on the nature of the case study as a research strategy was given by Frenkel, Hommel, Dufey Markus, (2005). in whose view case study represents a specific way of collecting, organizing, and analyzing data. Grounded theory represents a strategy which posits that the data is collected through observations and compared to various theoretical frameworks in order to discover which of the data is the most appropriate. This leads the researcher into making predictions about the studied phenomena prior to putting the findings into test. However, the aim of grounded theory is to make studied data records well-developed and understood and to verify relationships between the findings and the case study in question (Frenkel, Hommel, Dufey Markus, 2005). Samsung Group, a company based in the Republic of Korea that produces electronic products like televisions and radios, was able to compete favorable in the world market on the basis of low product cost resulting primarily from cheap labor and a cheap Korean currency. But when both the competitive advantages vanished the company had to adopt some different strategies. The management of Samsung Group evaluated the circumstances and adopted a change in their strategy. They decided to utilize the factor of innovation by exploring new ideas and products instead of depending on low product cost. This change management of the Samsung Group, enabled them to grab big dividends. The top management of Samsung also enabled to guide their employees towards the new strategies of bringing innovative products. Advantage of Reactive Change Management The effective utilization of reactive change management enables the management of organizations to increase their market share and to bring success for their organization. Some of the main advantages are discussed below: -. In-depth Assessment of Changes The reactive change management provides some additional time to access the impacts of changes being faced by the corporate world. It is obvious that the results of changes at any level can be determined after its implementation and a reasonable time span. Therefore, by adopting reactive change management the organization gets the opportunity to analyze the impact of changes and then finalizing the plans and strategies to cater those changes. Evaluation of Competitors Strategies and their Outcome Reactive change management also enables the management to evaluate the changes adopted by their competitors to mange the change. Moreover, the outcome of those strategies could also be judged and considered while finalizing the change management strategies. Consultation for Change Management Strategies Reactive change management lets the management to embrace consultations within the organizational setup to evaluate the changes being encountered. Moreover, various suggestions regarding the strategies and policies can be discussed and their implications can be evaluated. This process will enable them to enhance the participating of various organizational members and results in enhancing the effectiveness of strategies and policies. Enhances the Stability of Organization Stability of organization is as important as the need of growth. If an organization adopts change management strategies on frequent basis it will questions the factor of its stability. Reactive change management enables organizations to evaluate the factor of stability before adopting any change in their strategies. Conclusion Most of the managers agree that if an organization is to thrive, it must change in response to significant developments in the corporate environment, such as changing customer needs, technological breakthroughs, and new government regulations. The study of organizational changes is extremely important because all managers at all organizational levels are faced throughout their careers with the task of changing their organization. Managers who determine appropriate changes to make in their organizations and them implement such changes successfully enable their organizations to be more flexible and innovative. Change is such a fundamental part of organizational existence and growth. In additional to organizational change, degree of stability is a prerequisite for long-term organizational success. The organizational survival and growth are most probable when both stability and adaptation are high within the organization. The organization without enough stability to compliment changes is at a definite disadvantage. When stability is low the probability of organizational survival and success decline.