International Management Essay

Chapter 1 Q1. What are the differences between international, global, and multidomestic companies? Multinational company : An organization with multi country affiliates, each of which formulates its own business strategy based on perceived market differences. Global company : An organization that attempts to standardize and integrate operations worldwide in all functional areas. International company : Either a global or a multi domestic company Q2. Give examples to show how an international business manager might manipulate one of the controllable forces in answer to a change in the uncontrollable forces. Uncontrollable forces(External forces) : Physical/political/Sociocultural/Competitive/Economic/Socioeconomic/Distributive/Financial/Legal Manager can lobby for a changing a law and promoting a new product which requires changes in a cultural attitude. Q3. â€Å"A nation whose GNI is smaller than the sales volume of a global firm is in no position to enforce its wishes on the local subsidiary of that firm.† True or False? Explain. False. GNI is different from sales volume in terms of a calculation method. GNI is a measure of value added, not sales. And each subsidiary of global firms is also a local company that must comply with law in the country where it is located. Q4. Discuss the forces that are leading international firms to the globalization of their sourcing, production, and marketing. 5 major forces : Political, Technological, Market, Cost, and Competitive Followings are the five change-based drivers that are leading international firms to globalize their operations, with an example for each kind : (1)political-preferential trading agreements, (2)technological-advances in communications technology, (3)market-global firms become global customers, (4)cost-globalization of product line and production helps reduce costs by achieving economies of scale, and (5)competitive-firms are defending their home markets from foreign competitors by entering the foreign competitors’ markets. Q5. Business is business, and every firm has to produce and market its goods. Why, then, might managers be unable to apply the techniques and concepts they have learned in their own country to other areas of the world? Despite firms have knowledges and skills for business in own country, they might not be successful in foreign countries that have their own cultures and trends of consumption. Good example for this question is Wal-mart in Korea. The international environmental defined as the interactions (1)between the domestic environmental forces and the foreign environmental forces and (2)between the foreign environmental forces of two countries when an affiliate in one country does business with customers in another. Q6. What do you believe makes foreign business activities more complex than purely domestic ones? To make a decision in foreign country is more difficult than home country. They not only must take into account the domestic forces bot also must evaluate the influence of 10 foreign national environments. Q7. Discuss some possible conflicts between host governments and foreign-owned companies. I am the opinion that restrictions for subsidiaries of foreign companies are sensitive problems. For example, If a certain nation prohibits funding for foreign companies, conflicts will increase. And complains of foreign companies will also increase. On the other hands, If a certain nation is open to the funding for foreign companies, there will be some troubles with foreign companies about taxes and incentives. Q8. Why, in your opinion, do the authors regard the use of the self-reference criterion as â€Å"probably the biggest cause of international business blunders†? Can you think of an example? If I do business in overseas, I don’t know everything exactly concerning about foreign country’s culture, policy, social situations, economy, and trends. So, doing business well in foreign country is very difficult. Self-reference criterion means unconscious reference to one’s own cultural values when judging behaviors of others in a new and different environment. Managers’ unfamiliarity with other cultures, to make matters worse, some managers will ascribe to others their own preferences and reactions. For example, selling beefs by self-reference criterion business in Muslim countries will be failed. Q9. You have decided to take a job in your hometown after graduation. Why should you study international business? Owing to globalization trends in the worlds, and importance of relationship between domestic and foreign country, we have to study hard international business. I will take a job in home country. But I might have opportunities for business in overseas and meeting foreign buyers. Thus, to obtain other countries values, cultures, policies, and trends by studying international business is very important for me. Q10. Although forces in the foreign environment are the same as those in the domestic environment, they operate differently. Why is this so? I think that domestic environmental and foreign environmental are different in terms of domestic and foreign’s culture, and international environmental. When comparing with domestic environmental, operating company in the foreign country has different environments such as company’s market share, foreigner’s own culture, and growth in global. And domestic environmental is also originated in home country’s culture which effect on the companies. Q11. What examples of globalization can you identify within your community? How would you classify each of these examples(e.g., international investment, international trade)? – International investment : I could feel the globalization by watching the Coka-Cola in every super market. – International trade : FTA(Korea and Chile) is a good example for international trade. This free trade agreements is mutually profitable for each nations Q12. Why is there opposition to globalization of trade and integration of the world’s economy? Please assess the major arguments for and against such globalization efforts. I think that this argument against globalization is originated by the different people’s valules and concepts. This argument can be examined by three primary ones (1) that globalization has produced uneven results across nations and people (2) that globalization has had deleterious effects on labor and labor standards (3) that globalization has contributed to a decline in environmental and health conditions. Chapter 2 Q1. How large and important a role do small and mediumsize enterprises play in generating export sales? The proportion of generating export sales from the SMEs in the U.S.A increased constantly. According to the Exporter Data Base in the text book, Of total exporters, 218,382 were SMEs(small and medium-size enterprises). It is 97 percent of all U.S.A exporters. Q2. How has trade in merchandise and services changed over the past decade? What have been the major trends? How might this information be of value to a manager? Although the economic growth of global has slowdowned in the 2000, the absolute value of their merchandise exports increased, the proportion of exports coming from the regions of Latin America, Africa, and Middle East decreased between 1980 and 2004. The largest exporters and importers of merchandise are generally developed countries. The results of services exports are similar with merchandise exports. Regionalization of trade is increasing more and more. It is accounted for over 70 percent by 2005. Further, South and East Asia’s share of the world’s manufacturing value added has nearly quadrupled since 1980. From this information the managers may be prepared for the increased competition from exports to their own domestic markets. Q3. â€Å"The greater part of international trade consists of an exchange of raw materials from developing nations for manufactured goods from developed nations.† True? or false? Explain. False. This is correct partially. More than half the exports from developing nations go to developed countries. Also, over 70% of exports from developed economies go to other industrialized nations Q4. â€Å"The volume of exports has increased, but the ranking of U.S. trading partners in order of importance remains the same year after year.† True or false? Of what use in this information to a manager? False. Of the top 15 nations, 8 have remained on the list over the years listed, including Canada, Mexico, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Brazil. However, each nation’s ranking has changed over time, and some new nations have been added to replace other nations that have become relatively less important as trade partners. Q5. What is the value of analyzing foreign trade data? For example, what should the quadrupling in real terms of exports in less than 35 years indicate to managers? The analysis information would be helpful to anyone just starting to search outside the home market for new business opportunities by studying the general growth and direction of trade and analyzing major trading partners. Q6. Knowing that a nation is a major trading partner of another signifies what to a marketing analyst? There are advantages to focusing attention on a nation that is already a sizable purchaser of another country – The business climate in the importing nation is relatively favorable – Export and import regulations are not insurmountable – There should be no strong cultural objections to buying that nation’s good – Satisfactory transportation facilities have already been established Q7. What are the different components of foreign investment? Why has the distinction between them begun to blur in recent years? It can be divided into two components : First is portfolio investment and second is direct investment. 1. Portfolio investment : The purchase of stocks and bonds to obtain a return on the funds invested. 2. Direct investment : The purchase of sufficient stock in a firm to obtain significant management control. Because of globalization in recent years, the distinction beetween them begun to blur. Q8. How has the level and direction of FDI changed over the past decade, both overall and in terms of annual outflows and inflows? Why would this information be of relevance to managers? Annual FDI outflows hit a historical high in 2000-$1,201 billion. However, By 2002, the total was only $647 billion, only about 54 percent of the 2000  figure because of a subsequent decline in the overall level of annual FDI flows. Outflows significantly increased to $730 billion by 2004. The vast proportion of outward FDI, over 87 percent, originates from the developed countries. This data has been associated with mergers, acquisitions; purchasing of companies in other nations. In annual inflows’ case, developed countries have been alse occupying over 70 percent of annual FDI investments. Recently for managers, important issues related to inflows are trend that proportion of Asian FDI that has been directed to China and its territories. Their combined proportion of Asian FDI grew from 52.4 percent during 1985-1995 to 75 percent in 2004. Q9. Why has FDI historically followed foreign trade? What is it about the new international business environment that is causing this path to market expansion to change? Reason is that engaging in foreign trade is typically less costly and less risky than making a direct investment into foreign markets. Also, management can expand the business in small increments rather than through the considerably greater amounts of investment and market size that a foreign production facility requires. Generally, because the local market would not be large enough to support local production by all the firms exporting to it, the situation would become one of seeing who could begin manufacturing there first. Q10. Why has most foreign direct investment gone into acquiring existing companies rather than establishing new ones? 1) Corporate restructuring in the United States caused management to put on the market businesses or other assets. 2) Foreign companies wanted to gain rapid access in the United States to advanced technology, especially in computers and communications 3) Management of foreign firms felt that entrance into the large and prosperous American market could be more successful 4) Increased international competitive pressures also could be reasons for this question. Q11. What are the main reasons that a firm might enter into foreign markets? First reason is to increase their profits and sales (Enter new markets / Obtain greater profits / Test market) Second is to protect markets, profits, and sales (Protect domestic market / Attack in competitor’s home market / Protect foreign markets / Guarantee supply of raw materials / Acquire technology and management know-how / geographic diversification / Satisfy management’s desire for expansion) Q12. What are in-bond plants? Why might they be an attractive alternative for a manufacturing company? In-bond plants, often called maquiladoras, is production facilities in Mexico that temporarily import raw materials, components, or parts duty-free to be manufactured, processed, or assembled with less expensive local labor, after which the finished or semifinished product is exported. Because the Mexican government permitted duty-free importation of parts and materials from the USA within the in-bond plant, provided that the finished products were re-exported. Q13. How can a firm protect its domestic market by investing overseas? When companies face competitor which has lower price advantage in domestic, companies can break this difficult situation by using advantages of overseas investments.(cheap labor cost, raw material, and etc.) Q14. What are the seven dimensions along which management can globalize? How is it possible for a firm to be multidomesic on one dimension of globalization and global on another? There are at least seven dimensions : 1) product, 2) market, 3) promotion, 4) where value is added to the product, 5) competitive strategy, 6) use of non-home-country personnel, and 7) extent of global ownership in the firm. The possibilities range from zero standardization(multidomestic) to standardization along all seven dimensions(completely global). The challenge for company managers is to determine how far the firm should go with each one. Chapter 3 Q1. Describe mercantilism, and explain why mercantilism has been argued to be a poor approach to use in order to promote economic development and prosperity. Mercantilism is an economic system (Europe in 18th century) to increase a nation’s wealth by government regulation of all of the nation’s commercial interests. Mercantilism that stressed governments’ promotion of limitation of imports from other nations and internal economies in order to improve tax revenues; popular during 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. The Paradox of Mercantilism is to be â€Å"rich† a country needed to have a lot of poor people. Mercantilism failed to understand the notions of absolute advantage and comparative advantage and the benefits of trade. For instance, Portugal was a far more efficient producer of wine than England, while in England it was relatively cheaper to produce cloth. Thus if Portugal specialized in wine and England in cloth, both states would end up better off if they traded. This is an example of the reciprocal benefits of trade due to a comparative advantage. In modern economic theory, trade is not a zero-sum game of competition, because both sides can benefit. Q2. a. Explain Adam Smith’s theory of absolute advantage. The ability of a country, individual, company or region to produce a good or service at a lower cost per unit than the cost at which any other entity produces that good or service. Entities with absolute advantages can produce something using a smaller number of inputs than another party producing the same product. As such, absolute advantage can reduce costs and boost profits. b. How does Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage differ from the theory of absolute advantage? Absolute advantage and comparative advantage are two basic concepts to international trade. Under absolute advantage, one country can produce more output per unit of productive input than another. With comparative advantage, if one country has an absolute (dis)advantage in every type of output, the other might benefit from specializing in and exporting those products, if any exist. A country has an absolute advantage economically over another, in a particular good, when it can produce that good at a lower cost. Using the same input of resources a country with an absolute advantage will have greater output. Assuming this one good is the only item in the market, beneficial trade is impossible. An absolute advantage is one where trade is not mutually beneficial, as opposed to a comparative advantage where trade is mutually beneficial. A country has a comparative advantage in the production of a good if it can produce that good at a lower opportunity cost relative to another country. The theory of comparative advantage explains why it can be beneficial for two parties (countries, regions, individuals and so on) to trade if one has a lower relative cost of producing some good. What matters is not the absolute cost of production but the opportunity cost, which measures how much production of one good, is reduced to produce one more unit of the other good. c. Using the example from the chapter, explain why no gains from specialization exist(and thus why two countries could not trade in a manner that benefits each) if there is no pattern of comparative advantage(if the ratios of soybeans to cloth production are the same in the two countries). China has an absolute advantage in producing both soybeans and cloth. If there is a trade between 2 countries according to comparative advantage theory, United States will have 4 tons of soybeans and 5 bolts of cloth. On the other hand, China will have 4 tons of soybeans and 5 bolts of cloth. Therefore, china will have a loss for their total soybeans compared with before trading the products. Q3. Consider the case in which a country does not have a comparative advantage in the production of a product, such as apples, because its soils or climate are not appropriate. Explain who would be likely to favor free trade, and who would be likely to oppose free trade, in this product. – Favor to free trade : countries which has a comparative advantage in production of a product, such as apples. – Opposite to free trade : countries which has a comparative disadvantage in production of a product, such as apples. Q4. What is the relationship between the Heckscher-Ohlin factor endowment theory and the theories in question 2? It builds on David Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage by predicting patterns of commerce and production based on the factor endowments of a trading region. The model essentially says that countries will export products that utilize their abundant and cheap factors of production and import products that utilize the countries’ scarce factors. Q5. Why were Leontief’s empirical results considered to be paradoxical? In 1954, Leontief found that the U.S. (the most capital-abundant country in the world by any criteria) exported labor-intensive commodities and imported capital-intensive commodities, in contradiction with Heckscher-Ohlin theory. Q6. Why does most of the world’s international trade take place between economies that are similar in their level of economic development? According to the Linder’s demand-oriented theory, The reason is 1) income levels of both nations 2) overlapping demand. Because an entrepreneur will produce goods to meet demand, the kinds of products manufactured reflect the country’s level of income per capital. Goods produced for domestic  consumption will eventually be exported, due to similarity of income levels and therefore demand in other countries. Q7. Name some products that you believe have passed through the four stages of the international product life cycle. Telegraphy. I read recently how Western Union sent the last telex / telegram in 2006, so that definitely qualifies to decline. You can literally see how this expanded based upon rail and cable laying; and didn’t start in all places on earth (let alone a single country) simultaneously; and continued to be a viable business in some countries long after voice, fax, then email and SMS replaced such. Q8. What factors increase the cost of trading goods and services across borders? Can these costs be reduced? How? I think that import/export tariffs, subsidies, expensive transaction costs, and etc are factors which increase the cost of trading goods and services across borders. This factors which occur costs can be reduced by free trade agreements(FTA) or regional trade agreements such as NAFTA, EU. It will reduce unnecessary costs and encourage trading among nations. Q9. It seems that free, unrestricted international trade, in which each nation produces and exports products for which it has a comparative advantage, will enable everyone to have a higher level of living. Why, then, does every country have import duty restrictions? Because many nation did not produce other nation’s product and the nation has lower qualities or a lot of cost better than other nation’s product. In case that many nation needs other nation’s product. At the trading among the nations, there are a lot of problems. For example, economical, historical problems, political and so on. If a nation has infant industry. For example, farming which is needed to develop for domestic market, The nation can be protect the industry from competitive companies by having import duty restrictions. And then, their nation’s infrastructure can be collapse. For  fair competition, nation have to improve the balance of the trading. Q10. â€Å"We certainly need defense industries, and we must protect them from import competition by placing restrictions on competitive imports.† True or false? Is there an alternative to trade restrictions that might make more economic sense? I think that it may be not true. All is not certainly, If nation’s competitive industry help income of nation that select and improve nation’s industry. A nation trading needs of basic infrastructure among the nations. And then, About tariff of the trading remove or a little portion levy. Q11. Suppose that a country negotiates an agreement with its trade partners to restrict its imports through voluntary export restrictions(VERs). What impacts might be expected from implementing such VERs? VER(Voluntary Export Restriction) mean’s that exporting nation restricted quantities of export and list of article. In case that at nation’s exporting product surplus or insufficiency in a given situation. In a surplus situation, nation should be restricted for their quantities. In a insufficiency situation, nation make some increasing demand and higher cost. Q12. â€Å"Workers are paid $20 an hour in the United States but only $4 in Taiwan. Of course we can’t compete. We need to protect our jobs from cheap foreign labor.† What are some possible problems with this statement? In a given situation, cheaper product come round in our nation. At the same time, our nation’s job of labor disappeared. LDC(Lower Develope Country) has cheaper wage that supply more profi better than industrialization nation. But Many industrialization nation has higher wage and lower productivity. Production costs may actually be higher in a low-wage. Q13. There are two general classifications of import duties : tariff and non-tariff barriers. a. Describe the various types of tariff barriers. An ad valorem tariff is a set percentage of the value of the good that is being imported. Sometimes these are problematic, as when the international price of a good falls, so does the tariff, and domestic industries become more vulnerable to competition. Conversely, when the price of a good rises on the international market so does the tariff, but a country is often less interested in protection when the price is higher. A specific tariff, is a tariff of a specific amount of money that does not vary with the price of the good. These tariffs are vulnerable to changes in the market or inflation unless updated periodically. A revenue tariff is a set of rates designed primarily to raise money for the government. A tariff on coffee imports imposed by countries where coffee cannot be grown, for example raises a steady flow of revenue. A protective tariff is intended to artificially inflate prices of imports and protect domestic industries from foreign competition (see also effective rate of protection,) especially from competitors whose host nations allow them to operate under conditions that are illegal in the protected nation, or who subsidize their exports. b. What are some of the nontariff barriers? Non-tariff barriers may also be in the form of product standards and technical regulations, which may dictate particular manufacturing guidelines or product specifications. If products do not meet the given requirements, they will face an import ban. Examples of this sort are the European Union restrictions on genetically-modified organisms or beef treated with growth hormones. Q14. â€Å"A firm entering the market first will soon dominate it, and the large market share it acquires will enable it to obtain the benefits of economies of scale.† True or false? Remember that there are at least two studies showing that first movers held large market shares. True. First-mover advantage theory is economic and strategic advantage gained by being the first company to enter an industry. However, If only the firm possess core strategies such as superior technology, knowledge about local market, and other advantages over indigenous firms. It could be failure that you awkwardly enter the market for the first mover without these strategies. This conclusion will bring about more advantage opportunities to the second mover who has been indirectly experienced the failure of first mover. It is never true that only the first mover strategy is the best theory. Q15. According to theories presented in this chapter, why do companies engage in foreign direct investment? For defensive reason, Refer to the international product life cycle theory. International investement as well as international trade. Refer to the eclectic theory of international production, the company must have location and ownership advantages to invest in a foreign plant. It will invest where it is most profitable in internalize. It is monopolistic advantage. Chapter 4 Q1. What are some reasons that business people should be aware of important international institutions? International institutions have resolved conflicts among nations. It is very important to make business internationally. International institutions has also valuable data which apply to business. Q2. Even though the UN is best known for peace keeping missions, it has many agencies involved in activities affecting business. In your judgement, do these activities justify support for the UN? Would it be better if the activities of these agencies were done by private entities such as trade groups? The UN has helped some countries which need support to make their industry by funding and teaching knowledges. This activities justify support for the UN because UN has a number of informations which is originated by connections of other counties. Q3. How did the WTO come into existence? What purpose does it serve? Would bilateral trading agreements work better than the multilateral WTO approach? The Bretton Woods Conference of 1944 proposed the creation of an International Trade Organization (ITO) to establish rules and regulations for trade between countries. The ITO charter was agreed at the UN Conference on Trade and Employment in Havana in March 1948, but was blocked by the U.S. Senate (WTO, 2004b). Some historians have argued that the failure may have resulted from fears within the American business community that the International Trade Organization could be used to regulate, rather than liberate, big business (Lisa Wilkins, 1997; Helen Milner 1993). Only one element of the ITO survived: the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Seven rounds of negotiations occurred under GATT before the eighth round – the Uruguay Round – concluded in 1995 with the establishment of the WTO as the GATT’s replacement. The GATT principles and agreements were adopted by the WTO, which was charged with administering and extending them. Unlike the GATT, the WTO has a substantial institutional structure. I think that the multilateral trading agreements is better than bilateral trading agreements because there will be no discrimination to all WTO members. Q4. What are the four main organs of the EU, and what is the purpose of each? 1. European Parliament: to pass European laws, voice of the European people in EU 2. Council of European Union: policy setting, voice of the member states, where decisions on foreign policy and security issues are made 3. European Commission: represents the interest of Europe as a whole, runs the day to day operations of EU 4. European Court of Justice: court that decides cases related to EU policies Q5. What is the impact of the EU on business? The European Union has had a significant influence on international trade, especially in respect of the countries that are member states in the Union. Internally, trading between the member states within the European Union has become less restrictive, because of the laws and regulations passed. Globally, the European Union has created a power that can compete internationally with superpowers such as the United States. Q6. The U.S. Congress approved the North American Free Trade Agreement despite strong opposition from organized labor. Why would labor have opposed NAFTA? I think a reason why is that they (organized labor) want to obtain working visa in North America. Q7. What is the importance of the OECD for business? OECD promotes economic expansion and provides a number of economic information/researches which can support and help its country members. Q8. Mercosur’s major trading partner is the EU rather than the United States. Why might this be the case? Mercosur is based on the EU and can trade several countries in the EU. Q9. How might a small business person in Des Moines, Iowa, who is exporting agricultural products find useful the international institutions and agreements that this chapter describes? 1. To find out which countries is available for a business person to export their productions. 2. To protect their products from other foreign competitors.

The Roles of the Mentor and of the Preceptor in Nursing

The nursing profession has found itself under siege in recent decades, facing an insufficient number of students entering the field to replace those individuals who are leaving it.   For this reason it is incumbent on those individuals already employed as nurses to assist the newly graduated nurses entering the field, easing their transition and assisting with retention. Both mentors and preceptors are practicing nurses who have put themselves into these supportive roles, ensuring that the conditions in the clinical environment create a safe and efficient workplace amenable to appropriate nursing care.   As a result of this great and continued need for the retention of new and newly advanced nurses, both mentors and preceptors are of overwhelming value to the profession.   The roles that these individuals play, however, are quite different, despite their equal value in nursing education. Mentors in Nursing Practice Mentors have long been part of professional development in other fields, dating back to ancient Greece and ancient Rome and, perhaps, beyond.   Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000), citing Hamilton, state that â€Å"it was fully expected that the youths would learn from and emulate the values of their assigned ‘mentor.’   The term mentor became synonymous with wise, faithful guardian and teacher† (37). Some of the assumptions associated with a mentor and mentee relationship are that the mentee will eventually become self-directed through guidance, rather than other-directed and that the mentee will eventually become more performance oriented through the development of critical thinking skills developed over time in practice, rather than relying on the knowledge obtained in school (Morton-Cooper & Palmer, 2000).   It is up to the mentor to help the mentee develop these skills through a collaborative effort, acting as a guide to assist the mentee with achieving his or her potential. Preceptors in Nursing Practice Like mentors, preceptors are skilled clinicians who possess a broad body of knowledge.   Many nurses who excel at their nursing practice can be preceptors, even if they do not possess the teaching skills to be mentors.   Unlike mentors who work closely with their mentees, preceptors are individuals that model behavior for the learners on the clinical floor.   In addition, preceptors observe the learners and analyze and evaluate the behaviors and activities that they observe.   Preceptors have what might be termed a â€Å"quasi-mentoring† role in terms of students, providing support when the student needs it, rather than the day to day guidance provided by the mentor.   According to Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000) the lack of understanding of the preceptor’s role allowed it to be confused with that of the mentor (p. 47). Learning Contract A learning contract is a formal tool used in mentoring situations.   This contract makes provisions for resource allocations, establishes the relationship between mentor and mentee, and provides sufficient and useful assessment of the learner’s progress (Morton-Cooper & Palmer, 2000).     In addition, preceptor learning contracts that set the learning objectives held by both the learner and the preceptor are useful documents, particularly in the case of rotating schedules and other difficulties that might prevent the preceptor and learner from being on the floor at the same time. The learning contract can also be used as a learning â€Å"diary,† in which the learner records the emotions connected with the clinical experience (Morton-Cooper & Palmer, 2000).     Because clinical nursing experience is an experiential form of learning, having records of the learning process and the emotions associated with it can provide valuable insight in connection with the environment in which the nurse is learning and working. In addition, this contract can be used to provide a roadmap that might be used to measure the learner’s commitment to the program. Conclusion The preceptor and the mentor are both valuable members of the teaching team, who act in conjunction with the nurse educator’s classroom instruction. The learning contract is also a valuable learning and teaching tool that can be used to direct both the teaching process and the learning process, as well. Reference Morton-Cooper, A., & Palmer, A. (2000).  Ã‚   Mentoring, preceptorship and clinical supervision: A guide to professional roles in clinical practice.   Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, Inc.

Introduction to Organization Structure

Introduction to organizational structure An organization structure refers to an arrangement of people, relationship and responsibilities in carrying out company activities to achieve goal. In addition it also can define as how a people in the organization are group together and to whom they report. Formal structure is needed for larger organization that decisions have to be made about the delegation of various tasks. In an organization structure clearly indicate and separate between the work activities which define by their job role.In good organization structure should explain the relationship of authority who reports to whom and for managers, who reports to them. An organization structure usually illustrated graphically in an organization chart. There are several types of organization structure such as functional organizational structure, geographic organizational structure, matrix organizational structure and product organizational structure. Functional organizational structure re fers to a group of people in the organization or department that hold similar position and perform similar task. It also indicates that who reporting to whom.The traditional way to of the organization, this is organizing people by function. A Geographic organizational structure is typically found in companies with operation spread over a large region. This includes national and international office. It will have internal structure and management layers depending on each location. While matrix organizational structure combine two or more types of organizational structure usually is product organizational structure and functional organizational structure to create a unique blend of work environment. Product organizational structure is the departmentalization based on product and.Employee work in difference unit where by each unit holds the responsibilities of producing the product or service. This structure also known as a division structure. Base on this organizational structure ever y product structure will lead by division. Each division will responsible for each product. 1. 0 Functional Structure According to O’Toole. S â€Å"The term organizational structure refers to how the people in an organization are grouped and to whom they report. One traditional way of organizing people is by function. Some common functions within an organization include production, marketing, human resources and accounting†.Base on this definition we can say that in functional structure employee are grouped together into department and hold similar position also perform similar task. Chief Executive Director Human Resource Manager Finance Manager Account assistants Manufacturing Manager Engineering Manager HR officer FOL Manager EOL Manager Test Engineering Equipment Engineering HR Assistants Payroll officer Supervisor Supervisor Engineer Enigineer Appendix 1. 0: Sample of Functional Structure for Company ABC Referring to above chart, it clearly divided the task and re sponsibilities by function.Example for this company has four main functions which are finance, human resource, manufacturing and engineering. Every department has a difference roles and responsibilities. Finance department focus on accounting and payroll, where by manufacturing can concentrate on execution in order to deliver a good result by divided into two main focus which is FOL and EOL. Both were lead by area manager to ensure the efficiency of the result. For engineering department also separate into two main focuses, they are test and equipment engineering. Each 2 function plays a role in order to achieve the company goal.Base on their expertise the result given will be very fast, efficiently and effectively. 1. 1 Advantage of Functional Structure The advantage of functional structure is employee can communicate and share information easily as they are grouping together according to similarities in their position. Beside that escalation process also can be done fast as and ef fectively. In terms of management, especially manager it easy for them to monitor subordinate performance. Another benefit of functional organization structure is coherent chain of command. For example, referring to above chart Account and payroll fall under purview of Finance department.A clear chain of command is needed, this is because it creates standard operation procedures, besides established consequences also enhanced accountability. Another advantages of functional structure is it cans expedited decision making. This is because normally group decision making will slow down progress on project due to the diverse perspectives involved. But in this structure because people have similar professional and educational background the decision making process will be much easier. In addition functional structure also allows work to be done by qualified and skilled individual in the area concern.Hence, another advantage of this structure is that it reduces cost by reducing duplication and use of resource in the organization. 1. 2 Disadvantage of Functional Structure Functional structure also have disadvantage. The disadvantage of functional structure is because functional structure separate by function, as a result employee having a very little understanding or concern for other area instead of their own area. Because of this separation there is a barrier in communication and overall cooperation and coordination. Beside that in this structure individual focus is rather than a company focus. 3 2. Geographic Structure Geographic structure often use by large company that operate in many area. The main function of this structure is to co-ordinate the work and employee from difference unit and responsible for conducting business in certain geographic locations. Each location will have its own internal structure and management layers, allowing them to run the operation. Below is geographic structure for Open University Malaysia. From the chart Open University Malaysia has divided the organizational base on geographic which is northern region, southern region, and central region, east coast and Sabah and Sarawak.Each region will cover certain state in Malaysia. For Northern region it covered Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang and Perak. For southern region represent Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka. Kuala Lumpur and Selangor is in central region. For Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang indicate as East Coast area. Last area is Sabah and Sarawak region that cover Sabah and Sarawak. Headquarters can easily monitor the performance of each area and might not need to go through every single state to check on the academic progress or activity happened at the particular centre. Open University MalaysiaNorther n region Perlis Kedah Pulau Pinang Souther n region Central region Kuala Lumpur Perak Negeri Sembilan Melaka Selangor East Coast Kelantan Terengganu Pahang Johor Appendix 2. 0 : Geographic Structure of Open University Malaysia 4 Sabah Sarawak Sabah Sarawak 2 . 1 Advantages of Geographic Structure The advantages of geographic structure are cost saving. By locating resource close to customer it will help organization to reduce the cost such as travelling expenses. Using a geographic structure allows companies to use local, experienced individuals to run the company’s operation.This is the most beneficial in international locations, where companies need help transitioning their operations to specific international markets. 2. 2 Disadvantages of Geographic Structure There are some disadvantages of geographic structure such as companies may find it difficulties to run this because it does not allow for centralized decision making. Another disadvantage is that it creates duplication of work also the use of the organization’s resource. Hence, due to the geographical area that located far from each other it will create the difficulties in coordinating between departments in organization. 3. 0 Matrix Structure Matrix structure refe rs to a hybrid structure that combines two or more departmentalization together at one time to create a unique blend of work environment. Usually matrix structure is a combination of product and functional structure. This structure created when there is an assignment or project need to carry out. In this structure employee are reporting to two difference supervisor or manager. This is the differences of matrix structure from other structure. Example is several engineer might be hired carry forth a similar function by pooling in their expertise.In addition, a single company producing two types of product with the same team in professional. For effective and smooth functioning, it is mandatory to share the information in matrix structure. Each project will have a project manager and difference team members will report to him. The matrix structure, if implemented effectively, may increase the ability to react the new customer demands. It also may potentially decrease lead times of new product. Usually employee involve in this structure have to report to 2 manager which is immediate manager and also project manager who is the person to monitor the progress of the project.When work is accomplished, the project team may get dissolved, and the workers from different functional areas may get reassigned to other project and task. Chief Executive Director Human Resource Manager Finance Manager Manufacturing Manager Engineering Manager Division of project manager FOL Manager Test Engineering manager Project manager Account assistants 1 Payroll officer 1 HR officer Account assistants 2 Payroll clerk HR Assistants Account clerk Supervisor 1 Supervisor 2 Engineer HR clerk Legends: The hilted boxes represent staff engage with project. Appendix 3. :Sample of Matrix Structure of Company ZZZ 6 Appendix 3. 0 represent matrix structure for company ZZZ. From the chart there is a project conduct by project manager from project department. To ensure this project success the project has involves staff from other functional structure such as finance, human resource, manufacturing and engineering. For this structure usually employee need to get agreement from immediate manager before they can proceed, this is because it will impact their regular job and employee also must has a strong commitment and dedicated to perform the task.There is an opportunity for them to learn a new thing that not in their job scope. The staff involve in this project will report to 2 manager which is project manager and their immediate department manager. Progress of the project will monitor by project manager while their immediate manager play a role to encourage the employee to perform the task with professionally. 3. 1 Advantages of Matrix Structure The advantages of matrix structure are allowing the organization to effectively and efficiently manage the project that is large scale and complex.The specialized employee can be chosen base on the merit of their work and functions that t hey carry forth. Involving in this structure will give chance to employee to success because of the work load and a lot of difference thinking forces is working on the project and therefore the stress, authority and problem solving skill become stronger. Another advantage of this structure is a cost saving. This is because the people working in the project is hired as a part one team also work under other teams.Meaning to say that the employee involve in the project will do the 2 difference job at one time. In addition this matrix structure will provide opportunity for both functional and product skill development. Thus it will reduce barriers between departments and increase the integration of functions. 3. 2 Disadvantage of Matrix structure Even though there are advantages of matrix structure, there is certain disadvantage as well. The disadvantages of this matrix structure are requiring higher level of management skill compare to other type of departmentalization.It will impact t he company in terms of increasing cost if there is a lot of project manager hired for the job. Another disadvantage of matrix structure is increased conflict levels. This structure also may cause participants to experience 7 dual authority, which can be confusing and frustrating. Very important in this structure is require participant to have a very good interpersonal skill. 4. 0 Product Structure Product structure define as an organization base on organizing employee and work in difference units, while each unit hold responsibility of producing a product or service.For example if company produce 4 difference products, there will have 4 difference divisions for these product. Below is a sample of product organization. In other words product structure divides the company into divisions that bring together those employee involved with a certain type of product or market service. Chief Executive Secretary Product Division Division A Beverage Division B Ice cream Engineering Division C Training Manufacturing Purchasing Division D Cereal Milk powder Infant 6 years plus 3 years plus Adult Appendix 4. 0: Sample of product Organization of Company XYZ.Referring to above chart from company XYZ can see that this company has produce 4 products which is beverage, ice cream, cereal and milk powder. For each product will have a difference division to control. Each division within a divisional structure contains all the necessary recourses and function within it. 8 4. 1 Advantages of Product structure The advantages of product structure is company has a better control for the product as each product has manage by difference division and each division can act as a separate profit centre. Hence, this structure also can create a positive competition between divisions.As every unit own and produce a difference product it will allow manager and employee to expend their expertise and experience that are related to the overall activity of the product. Beside that these structures al so allow management to evaluate the work performance of each division easily. Another advantage of this structure is, because of clear focus on market segment it help to meet customers’ needs. 4. 2 Disadvantages of Product Structure Product structure may also have some disadvantages. For example manager may only focus on their product to the exclusion of the rest of the organization.Due to each product having own functional area expert it may lead to increasing in cost. Beside that will have duplication in terms of process and material also will increase the company cost. Management may facing difficulties to coordinate across department also one of disadvantage of this structure. 5. 0 Conclusion In conclusion organization structure is important as it is a system that control and drive company performance to achieve goal. Difference structure has a difference functions, but the objective is the same which is to ensure company running with smooth and achieve the goal.Functiona l structure is a basic structure and it applies for all organization. It still relevant and can be use for any company and organization. Geographic structure is mostly use for multinational company which has many branches at other country. It also applicable for domestic company and organization such as Open University Malaysia. Matrix structure is a hybrid structure that required commitment and skill especially interpersonal skill to perform the task. For product structure basically is a organizing people base on the product.

Ethical Issue Paper - Vitamin K Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ethical Issue Paper - Vitamin K - Essay Example The Vitamin K in breast milk is also very low and thus after the birth of babies, even though breastfeeding is taking place, Vitamin K is at a low level for several weeks and only attains its required level when the alimentary canal bacteria start generating Vitamin K for the baby. Some babies are fed with infant formula that contains Vitamin K but even though this takes place, the level of Vitamin K remains at a low level for some days (E Hey, 2003). Vitamin k is thus recommended to be administered on the new born babies to increase its levels in their body (American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Fetus and Newborn, 2003). The contention now is on how to administer Vitamin K. Which method is safe and well known to have desirable results in preventing hemorrhagic disease of the newborn? The method that has been in use was intramuscular administration or administration through injection. It however has come to be questioned on its safety on babies and its possibility that it woul d be causing cancer and leukemia in the new born babies who are given vitamin K using the intramuscular administration (American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Fetus and Newborn, 2003). This led to the introduction of oral administration in some countries. The decision however on the method to be used has somehow been determined by the consent from the parent. Where the nurse administering Vitamin K is left to decide, then ethical decision making comes in. As a nurse, consideration has to be put on both methods. Their effectiveness and on the safety. This paper, with the help of research by other writers, will show the dilemma faced in making the ethical decision of the method to use in administering Vitamin K. Summary of the Issue Concerns have however been raised on either the safeness or effectiveness of both intramuscular administration and oral administration of Vitamin K. The first that has been in use is the intramuscular administration. This method has been recorded to have good results and according to study in Australia, there was no registered case of bleeding (HDN) in the children who were given Vitamin K using intramuscular administration (Khambalia et al., A.Z., 2012).. A similar test was carried out testing the effectiveness of oral administration. Most of the infant who received Vitamin K were safe from HDN but a number of them were registered to experience bleeding probably because of HDN. From this you can depict that the efficiency of oral administration is not as effective as using intramuscular administration. This can be due to several reasons that would render oral administration non-effective. The first is that in case of vomiting in the child, to whom Vitamin K is administered to, the dose needed will not have been met and hence the child will be prone to bleeding. The other is that this method is dependent on the parent compliance to bring the child back for the second dose 3-5 days after the first dose given after child birth. T his would mean that if a parent fails to comply with this say because they forget, then the dosage will not be as expected but when it comes to intramuscular administration, the dosage is given once, immediately after birth of the child. This means that the complete dose is administered at once. These two factors may lead to lack of proper dosage if the oral administration is used and thus full protection from HDN may not be in

Internet-Based Buyer or Seller Pricing Perspective Essay

Internet-Based Buyer or Seller Pricing Perspective - Essay Example Internet has changed the business environment from a Market place to a Market space. Online business has much wider scopes than offline businesses because of the wider reach-ability of it. The advent of the Internet has brought about dynamic pricing, which varies from consumer to consumer. In addition, the Internet has created price transparency that allows both buyers and sellers to view all competitive prices. This paper briefly analyses Internet-Based business and pricing of goods from a buyers perspective Barkley et al (n. d) have mentioned that by decreasing marketing, communication, and information costs and increasing access to lower cost suppliers and services, internet purchasing will help a person to buy goods for cheaper rates compared the supermarket prices (Barkley et al, n.d, p.1). It is a fact that goods purchased through internet are cheaper in price compared to the goods purchased from a dealer or shop. This is because of the fact that the dealer needs to pay various kinds of taxes to the government whereas the ecommerce site owners need not pay taxes to the government. The reduction in tax burden will encourage the ecommerce business people to offer cheaper prices to products compared to that purchased from a shop or supermarket. Recently, I have purchased a microwave oven from a supermarket. After bringing that in my home, one of my friends told me that the price of the oven was little on the higher side compared to the prices offered by the ecommerce people. I checked the prices of the same model in the internet and realized that I lost around $25 in that small deal itself. The emergence of Internet platform for business purposes has changed many of the traditional means and approaches of businesses. Companies started to devise cost effective ways to encourage their internet based businesses considering the immense advantages it provides to them compared to the

Fossil case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fossil case - Essay Example ed by Fossil can be clearly construed as heterogeneous in nature, which is so because the customers would tend to search for the products first and then chose the one which suits them best and satisfies their wants. The essential characteristics of such products and the consumer decision making is listed below. The sequence of product lifecycle is where a new product evolves through series of stages over a period of time. These stages are the development of the product, moving to introduction, then growth, maturity and finally decline. There reason that has been associated with the changes in the product life cycle and the creation of such a sequence is change in the situation of marketing which resultantly affects the marketing strategy and marketing mix,. Marketing mix is commonly referred to as the 4 P’s of marketing. These 4 P’s are the parameters that the marketing manager can control subject to the internal and external constraints of the marketing environment. Pricing is a main feature of the marketing mix and the only one which generates revenue. It would be better for the company to increase the buying capability of the customers to gather larger revenue

One flew over the cuckoo's nest by Ken Kesey Annotated Bibliography

One flew over the cuckoo's nest by Ken Kesey - Annotated Bibliography Example The significance of the book in American literature is that it is a metaphor for society – the dehumanizing force of administrative and medical power is likened to mechanical â€Å"Combine† which is a huge machinery of oppression. Normal human behaviours are suppressed and the machinery of power is challenged by the tragic hero McMurphy. In the end he is lobotomized and finally killed by the narrator. It sounds like a horror story and it has very serious themes, but there is a lot of humor in the dialogue and in the quirky character of McMurphy. This book contains a short but fascinating discussion of the character of Nurse Ratched, the Big Nurse. Using Freudian and Jungian psychological concepts, Aguiar shows how McMurphy sets himself up to fight a huge battle with a typical â€Å"ball-cutter†, which reveals his fear of the castrating female. This is then described as an archetypal mother hatred scenario, and Aguiar suggests that all of the male patients in the asylum see Nurse Ratched as a mother figure, and they apparently masochistically project their fear of their own mothers onto her. The target of McMurphy’s rebellion is not just the authority that Nurse Ratched holds, but also her actual femininity, and this is made clear when McMurphy attacks her and exposes her large breasts. Aguiar explores a Jungian analysis of this act in terms of the Oedipus complex, but somehow this analysis is unconvincing. After all Nurse Ratched triumphs over McMurphy in the end, and it could be argued that she is as much a v ictim of the oppressive system as he is. This book pursues a very strong feminist line, but in Kesey’s novel it finds more questions than answers, throwing up a number of intriguing theories, none of which address the mixed male/female/machine persona that is Nurse Ratched, or the decidedly positive view that the young McMurphy formed of women and heterosexual love. This book examines issues around the religious nature of the

Implanting a CHIP in every U.S. citizen Assignment

Implanting a CHIP in every U.S. citizen - Assignment Example There are several reasons why people consent to microchip implantation. First, it allows fast and efficient access to a person’s medical records in case of emergency (Merrill, 2009; Merill, 2007). It is highly efficient since a person will always carry the device within his body wherever he may go. Second, it could also serve as a means of identity verification (Merrill, 2007; Murray, 2004). Murray (2004) said aside from medical institutions, that the company has been working in convincing banks, credit card companies and security agencies that use of their product is highly beneficial in this aspect. Tracking would be another reason (Murray, 2004; Fuller, 2002). Kidnapping is a serious crime that is rampant today. A microchip implanted to a person can be used to track down his or her location. The microchip implant could also serve as another form of security measure. Additional security was the reason why Mexico implanted the microchip to 160 officials said Murray (2004). Th is served as another of their passes in entering and leaving classified government establishments. Further, the potential of the chip being glucose monitor is also being examined. This would be highly beneficial to diabetic patients who always monitor the level of their blood sugar. In 2007 however, the American Medical Association found several risks of microchip implantation said Merrill (2007). The first of these is that the chip migrates under the skin. Then it also disturbs the signal transmitted by electromagnetic and electrosurgical devices and defibrillators, he added. Further, the microchip might negatively react with certain pharmaceuticals. Aside from these medical issues, there are also privacy and social issues. Since tracking could be possible with the use of the device, a person could feel that his privacy is being invaded and that his moves are being watched. Instead of adding security, the microchip would then cause additional worry to its carrier. It can serve as a tracking device for law-enforcers. But the same device could also be used by criminals to hunt down their prey. If the microchip can be used for efficiency in security, then it can also be used to efficiently breach it. Just as intelligence and skills can be used for further advancement, it can also be utilized to violate laws and conduct criminal acts. There has been a fear that RFID would one day be recognized as a national ID for the Americans. It is just like a chain reaction, when more and more people use the product, then the closer it would get to being a national ID. With passage of bills in some states that ban the mandatory implantation of the said device, this worry has been somehow eliminated. Since there are states that will not mandate its people to have the chip within them, a national ID using this method will no longer be possible. The United States as a country is a leader in the word community. What gets accepted in the U.S. would be considered for acceptance by other countries if not totally accepted. The country being a super-power is a trend-setter and a leader in technological advancement. Its influence to the global community could be easily seen in various aspects such as economics, medicine, the sciences and other fields. The main concern of its leaders would be the benefit of its citizens, but when they pass a national statute, they must also

Business Proposal for Als Milk Bar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Proposal for Als Milk Bar - Essay Example The objective of the business is to provide a unique "milk bar" experience to its customers with high quality food, customer-oriented service in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The target market range covers ages 5 to 75, among the local residents, office workers, students, shoppers and pedestrians in the area of Victoria Street. Projected investment costs of less than $18,000 are deemed recoverable in less than two years with profitability from operations set at 18%. Traditionally, milk bars were local shops where people pick up milk and newspapers. Eventually, they became general stores or delicatessens, offering a wide variety of products, much like convenience stores. They also began serving milk drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages, such as milkshakes and sodas, as well as snack foods like sandwiches, cookies and pastries (Wikipedia 2008). Milk bars became popular starting in the 1930's when they became hubs providing wholesome corner shop goodies and a communal space for local interaction. Customers personally knew the people behind the counter, kids were allowed by their moms to drop by to get candy or have a milkshake, and communal tables allowed neighbors to bump into each other. The milk bars of the period had brightly lettered conspicuous signs advertising hand-made foods such as meat and vegetable rolls, hot pies and pasties, freshly made scones, double cream milk shakes, malt chocolate drink and fruity syrup slush. Dcor in the ea ting areas were a combination of colorful posters and cartoony images of the era (Neville 2008, Bells 2008). The "restaurant" portion of the 1930s milk bar is the inspiration for the new business being proposed. The business concept revolves around the idea of a bar and snack establishment serving non-alcoholic beverages and hot food, where customers can either have a quick drink or snack, as well as linger with friends. Business Description "Al's" Milk Bar is to be located at 314-316 Victoria Street. It is a bar and snack restaurant providing hot and cold food and non-alcoholic drinks reminiscent of the 1930s milk bar experience. Its menu will include all the traditional offerings of milk bars such as milkshakes, spiders, sodas, ice cream, cakes, pastries, sandwiches, hot rolls, as well as mocktails. "Al's" dcor and color schemes will mimic those of the 1930s and 40s milk bars, complete with a bar counter with seating and indoor and outdoor tables and chairs. "Al's" will be a small business established as a sole trader and will operate from seven in the morning to nine in the evening every day of the week. It will serve a high number of residents in the surrounding local residential areas as well as office workers in surrounding office buildings and shoppers at nearby retail venues. It will have product offerings to serve quick breakfast, especially to office workers, light mid-day lunches, and afternoon-evening non-alcoholic dri

Women's Rights in voting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women's Rights in voting - Essay Example Women have enough intellect to decide the kind of leader they want, one that will stand for this country. Denying women the right to vote is discriminatory. It is stealing away their voice, hushing them to the realities they face. However, I believe that one day; women will celebrate their victory in this. I believe that soon, liberation is coming for the womenfolk of this country. Men have chained women, and dominated over them today. Women attempting to vote are arrested, while men vote freely. I refuse to believe that men alone are capable of choosing good leaders. I stand up to challenge fellow women to stand up for their rights, and not languish under this psychological oppression. It is time for women to rise above male dominance today, and be advocates of their own rights. I believe in the future. Although voting is a crime for women today, I challenge all women not to despair, one day we will be smiling our way to the ballot box. One day, our daughters will choose the leaders of their choice. One day, women will rise above male chauvinism, taking up great leadership positions in this important country. No matter what, I believe, and see a day when this nation state will put the needs of women first. This is the day, manipulation of women and gender inequality will be history. This day, women will be heroes for the many challenges and oppressions of the past, which they have withstood. A little more patience and advocacy will bring us this

Maximizing Shareholder Wealth Essay Example for Free

Maximizing Shareholder Wealth Essay The goal of a firm and a financial manager should involve maximizing the wealth of a firm’s shareholders through achieving the highest possible value for the firm (Block 13). It is a vital task to oversee properly as a financial manager, and while the manager cannot directly control the firm’s stock price, it can act consistently with the desires of the shareholder. Accounting, financial and other irregularities can erode consumer confidence that says the system will operate in the best interests of shareholders, taxpayers and other constituents (Hintzen 2003). Therefore, ethical practices must be upheld to convey confidence to your clients. Your clients care about two major topics when hiring you: what is their return going to be, and is it going to occur when promised. Current stock prices as well as future expectations of value are controlled by the economic environment, but are difficult to forecast. In addition, expectations of stockholders are constantly varying depending on the economic climate. For instance, during the economic boom of . com businesses, people had high expectations of their money spent because of similar stocks. However, many companies had very high stock prices, with no real earnings yet, which distorted to economic health of some companies (Block 14). As related to business firms, social responsibility concerns such things as protecting the consumer, paying fair wages to employees, maintaining fair hiring practices, supporting education, and becoming actively involved in environmental issues like clean air and water. Many people feel that a firm has no choice but to act in socially responsible ways; they argue that shareholder wealth and, perhaps, the corporations very existence depends upon its being socially responsible. However, the criteria for social responsibility are not clearly defined, making formulation of a consistent objective function difficult (Dent 2005). As Christians, our social responsibility is defined through the Bible, and through it we should have perspective on what is right and wrong. While our job is to make money for our company and client, we must do so according to our beliefs, and what we know in our heart to be right, which God shows us. Philippians 1:9-10 (ESV) says, it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Food and Culture Essay Example for Free

Food and Culture Essay That is, both mother and child are being watched, judged, and constructed by society since making a good obento may please her child and also affirm that she is a good mother, and child consuming their entire meal in a appropriate manner is considered well-taught. This social phenomenon represents that culture is constructed with power which exerts a force which operates in ways that are subtle, disguised, and accepted as everyday social practice. Another essay Carole Counihan’s â€Å"Mexicanas’ Food Voice and Differential Consciousness in the San Luis Valley of Colorado† uses the case of Ryubal to suggest how women can display differential consciousness through their practices and beliefs surrounding food. In society where traditional division of labor in cooking is still prevalent, a Mexican women Helen Ryubal challenged the traditional views of women and cooking by rejecting cooking, making husbands respect women who cooked, and involving husband in cooking. Her strategy not only minimized the subordinating dimensions of reproductive labor but also valued and benefited from the help of her mother, sister, and husband. Her attempt has been based on her ideologies which was developed from differential consciousness which is â€Å"a key strategy used by dominated peoples to survive demeaning and disempowering structures and ideologies† (175). Both essays are focusing on the relationship between food and gender through each case. Allison considered obentos as a container of cultural meanings, and social expectations from women and their performance and effort in obentos. Counihan’s ethnographic research of Ryubal also provided evolved relationship between women and food which could be possible due to her differential consciousness. Two authors both used a certain level of methodology to associate with their claim such as Ideological State Apparatus and differential consciousness. This utilization strongly supports their claim and strengthens the relationship between gender and food in culture. Moreover, both authors imply the relationship food is not a mere subject but rather deeply involved with society and its ideology. As the readings focus on the relationship between gender and food, it is evident that this relationship is deeply rooted in cultural representation. To be more specific, culture constructs what is considered as normal, custom, reasonable, acceptable under ideology. The hegemonic view from this culture forms women’s custodial relationship with food. As an asian woman, I also have countless experience relating to food. Similar to most of asian culture, the society’s expectation from woman is still traditional- cooking is women’s role and they are suppose to serve their men and rest of the family. Like Ryubal’s challenge, the counter-hegemonic view toward woman’s relationship to food and reasonable, modern alternatives are necessary.

Role Of Stakeholders In Projects Construction Essay

Role Of Stakeholders In Projects Construction Essay The management of competing stakeholders has emerged has as an important weapon in the successful implementation of projects. According to Olander and Landin 2007, there is a growing and natural tendency for external stakeholder groups to try to influence the implementation of construction project in line with their individual concerns and needs. This presents a challenge for project managers to assessing and managing these various concerns and needs in order to ensure that the execution of the project is not hindered. Yang et al, 2009 pointed out that the construction industry has a poor record of stakeholder management over the past decades owing to the complexity and uncertainty of projects. Many problems can arise in the implementation of construction projects such as project managers having unclear objectives as regards stakeholder management and underestimation of the power of key stakeholders. In order to solve these problems, project managers needs to develop effective strategies for managing stakeholders. Proper management of stakeholders will lead to stakeholder cooperation and enhances the achievement of project objective while neglect of stakeholders can hinder it. This report seeks to analyse and establish the important role that stakeholders play in the implementation of construction projects with focus on the UK construction industry. Documentary analysis and discussion of findings are presented in this research report. Chapter 1 1.0 Introduction In the execution of any project, and especially in construction projects, there are so many different interests that need to be taken into consideration. The representatives of these interests are those that are referred to as project stakeholders (Olander and Landin, 2005). In order to effectively manage project stakeholders, there is the need for an understanding of the term stakeholders. Rodney, 2007 describes project stakeholder as a person or group of people who have a vested interest in the success of project and the environment within which the project operates. The management of stakeholders is very important in the execution of any construction project. For instance, in large infrastructure and engineering projects, several studies have revealed how stakeholders significantly influence the project outcome. Hence, there is the need to develop appropriate strategies by which stakeholders will be managed from the inception of the project up till the final closing out stages. Understanding the stakeholder theory provides a solid framework for identifying, analysing and categorizing stakeholders as well as recognizing their behaviour in order to manage them effectively ( Aaltonen, Jaakko and Tuomas, 2008). The purpose of stakeholder identification and analysis is to facilitate an understanding of how to successful manage project stakeholders in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s rapidly evolving environment. Olander and Landin, 2005 higlighted that the requirements of the community apply pressure on organisations to modify or change their working methods and the means of communicating with stakeholders. They further reiterated that any stakeholder with a negative perception can severely hinder a construction project from achieving its objectives. The concerns and interests of stakeholders if not properly managed often lead to serious conflicts and disagreements. Stakeholders are very important to the success of a project. It is vital to identify them as they affect or are affected by the project. Pan (2005) believes that the identification of stakeholders involves knowing those with high or potential interest in the project and its outcome and involves the grouping of stakeholders with shared objectives together. Winch, 2010 describes project stakeholders as those actors which will incur or perceive they will incur a direct benefit or loss as a result of the project. The execution of construction projects usually brings about new product or value, but they can also have damaging effects creating such problems as noise, dust, environmental pollution and other obstruction within the project area. These often lead to public outcry and resistance from local residents and other interest groups whom could be affected by the construction project. Winch, 2010 categorized the different types of stakeholders for a construction project in order to aid analysis and management of their problems. He classified them into two categories, which are internal stakeholders and external stakeholders. Internal stakeholders are those persons and organizations that are directly involved and affected by the project while the external stakeholders are those that are not directly involved but may be affected by the project. The internal stakeholders were broken down around the client as those on the demand side and those on the supply side while the external stakeholders were broken down into public and private actors as shown in table 1 below. This research is designed to provide essential background and recommendations for managing project stakeholders and the impact of their behavior and on project success. 1.2 Overview of the Research. According to Newcombe, 2003 the role and nature of the construction client in the United Kingdom have changed dramatically over the last 50 years. He further assert that different stakeholders have varying levels and types of investment and interest in construction projects and can be viewed as multiple clients or customers for the project in which they are involved. Stakeholders with different levels and types of power and interest in construction projects have expectations that the project manager must manage. In order to achieve these, the project manager must adequately identify who the project stakeholders are, recognise what these stakeholders expect from a construction project and then develop strategies to manage the stakeholders. It is important to state that conflicts and controversies can arise in the implementation of construction projects if the concerns and interests of the stakeholders are not properly managed. To prevent this, project managers need to take into consideration the concerns of all stakeholders and devise a means of discourse to reconcile conflicting interests. Construction projects affect stakeholders in both positive and negative ways (Olander and Landin, 2005). For instance, a construction project can be of relevant use to one stakeholder group and have negative consequences on another. Getting to understand each stakeholderà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s point of view and providing a room for dialogue will help foster good relationships and avoid potential disruption to project plans. This research will therefore examine the role in which stakeholders play in the implementation of construction projects and their impact, establish the relationship between theory and practise in relation to stakeholder participation in construction projects and propose strategies for managing external stakeholders through out the project life cycle. 1.3 Rationale The rationale for this research will be divided into three parts, namely: Academic, Business and Personal. 1.3.1 Academic The has been a wide range of literature and studies on project stakeholders and how to manage them, however this research will focus on the assessment of the impact of stakeholders in influencing project objectives and how they can be managed. The importance of managing stakeholders in a construction project to ensure its success will be analysed in this research. 1.3.2 Business Large construction projects are usually a subject of varying controversies from the turbulent environmental forces. The complexity of these projects generates a lot of interested parties who either have something to gain or loose from the development of the project (Walker). These stakeholders exert all power within reach as they seek to influence the outcome of the project. Managing the project effectively requires that stakeholders are properly managed as a function of the project management process. 1.3.2 Personal Successful project managers recognise the relevance and importance of stakeholder management to project success, and as a potential project manager, it is a necessity to have an in-depth understanding of the management of stakeholders in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s volatile environment, most especially with construction project which has generated so many tensions in the past. My previous degree in Civil Engineering has also necessitated my desired to have the construction industry as a case study. 1.4 Aims and Objectives The aim of this project is to identify and evaluate the influence and role of stakeholders in the execution of construction projects: a case study of the UK construction industry. This research will examine the role in which stakeholders play in the implementation of construction projects with particular emphasis on external stakeholders and their impact in influencing the project outcome. Below are the objectives of this research project: To evaluate the influence of stakeholders in the implementation of construction projects (using stakeholder mapping together with the power/interest matrix). To establish the critical success factors associated with stakeholder management in the construction projects. To examine the level of stakeholder involvement in the construction project life cycle. To propose strategies for managing external stakeholders in construction. 1.5 Scope The scope of this project includes: Documentary review on the subject area of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Managing project stakeholders in construction and project success. Preparing a primary research plan and proposing a primary method for managing stakeholders in construction projects. The scope exclusions include; This study will be restricted to the primary research plan only and will not include any secondary research. 1.6 Deliverables The deliverables for this research plan will be divided into two; internal and external. Internal Deliverables: A project research plan that contains the study background, aims and objectives, overview of the research study, rationale, scope and exclusion, assumptions and considerations, and structure of the report. A documentary review on the topic area. A primary research proposal Conclusion and recommendation, and highlights for further research areas. External Deliverable: A compiled Management report submitted to enhance further research. 1.7 Assumptions and Considerations. The demands of different stakeholder groups are diverse, thus project managers must be able to evaluate the variety of demands presented by stakeholders so as to enhance communication between them. However, consideration is given to the fact that the stakeholders analysed in this research will be applicable to a wide range of construction projects as well as the strategies to be proposed. 1.8 Methodology The research will employ the use of a case study to investigate the role and impact of project stakeholders in influencing their needs and expectations. The research methodology to be adopted for the research will be predominantly qualitative. The preference of the qualitative approach is driven by the objectives of the research which is descriptive and explanatory in nature. Documentation analysis will be used to analyse any relevant documents gathered that relates to the research. 1.9 Project schedule The research plan for this work which outlines the steps to fulfil the objectives as well as the timescale for the research is presented in Appendix 1 which is attached to this project research plan. 1.10 Research Structure This research will consist of an introductory part made up of the project research plan, and will further be divided into four chapters with; Chapter 2 reviews relevant literatures by other experts and documents on the research topic, and then presenting a critical analysis of facts and ideas which are significant to the topic. Chapter 3 will focus on the methodology for the research which is mainly documentary analysis and will present a proposal for the primary research plan. Chapter 4 will present a findings and discussion of the key element of the research. Chapter 5 will be a summary of the project to provide a conclusion and recommendation and also areas for further research.

Fuel for Thought Essay example -- Essays Papers

Fuel for Thought Should our government regulate the fuel economies of our automobiles or should this be left up to the market? The Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards that were implemented in the 1970s contributed to great improvements in vehicle fuel economies. While we have environmental and political reasons to want cars with better fuel efficiency, there are also costs involved. The declining fuel economies of the last fifteen years seem to reveal that many Americans are not willing to bear these costs. Still, the vehicles that we drive today may be a misrepresentation of our true values. We may value environmental quality and/or independence from foreign oil, but sometimes our individual actions misrepresent our personal or societal goals. Since people's actions can be disconnected from theirvalues and society's goals, we cannot rely solely on the market; the governmentshould take action to increase the fuel efficiency of our vehicles. The energy crisis of the 1970s led congress to pass a law requiring automakers to improve the number of miles per gallon (mpg) that U.S. automobiles used. These CAFE standards led to vast improvement in fuel efficiency ("Another Cup...", 6). In 1973 the average fuel economy of light-duty vehicles, which includes cars, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks that weigh less than 8,500 pounds, was 14mpg. By 1987 average fuel economies had reached 22.1mpg. CAFE standards were frozen in the late 1980s. Since then,fuel efficiency has declined slightly. The average fuel economy in2003 model-year cars is 20.8 mpg. This decline is mostly due to theincreased popularity of SUVs. "The SUV market share increased by morethan a factor of ten, from less tha... ...are held by people in opposition to fuel economy standards. Some people are concerned about safety implications, increased vehicle costs and/or problems within the auto industry. 7. Samaras, Zissis. "Emissions Reduction via Improvements in Engines and Fuels: The Tehran Case." Journal of Urban Technology 6 (April 1999): 63-87. In this document, Zissis Sararas looks at a two-year project done in Tehran, Iran that aimed to reduce vehicle emissions by making engine and fuel improvements. Sararas provides data on emissions in Tehran and compares that to emissions in developed countries. Sararas describes methods from around the world that are used reduce emissions and/or increase fuel economy. He discusses emissions standards, particularly in Europe, diesel engines, fuel improvements, fuel economy regulations in the U.S. and alternative technologies. Fuel for Thought Essay example -- Essays Papers Fuel for Thought Should our government regulate the fuel economies of our automobiles or should this be left up to the market? The Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) standards that were implemented in the 1970s contributed to great improvements in vehicle fuel economies. While we have environmental and political reasons to want cars with better fuel efficiency, there are also costs involved. The declining fuel economies of the last fifteen years seem to reveal that many Americans are not willing to bear these costs. Still, the vehicles that we drive today may be a misrepresentation of our true values. We may value environmental quality and/or independence from foreign oil, but sometimes our individual actions misrepresent our personal or societal goals. Since people's actions can be disconnected from theirvalues and society's goals, we cannot rely solely on the market; the governmentshould take action to increase the fuel efficiency of our vehicles. The energy crisis of the 1970s led congress to pass a law requiring automakers to improve the number of miles per gallon (mpg) that U.S. automobiles used. These CAFE standards led to vast improvement in fuel efficiency ("Another Cup...", 6). In 1973 the average fuel economy of light-duty vehicles, which includes cars, SUVs, vans and pickup trucks that weigh less than 8,500 pounds, was 14mpg. By 1987 average fuel economies had reached 22.1mpg. CAFE standards were frozen in the late 1980s. Since then,fuel efficiency has declined slightly. The average fuel economy in2003 model-year cars is 20.8 mpg. This decline is mostly due to theincreased popularity of SUVs. "The SUV market share increased by morethan a factor of ten, from less tha... ...are held by people in opposition to fuel economy standards. Some people are concerned about safety implications, increased vehicle costs and/or problems within the auto industry. 7. Samaras, Zissis. "Emissions Reduction via Improvements in Engines and Fuels: The Tehran Case." Journal of Urban Technology 6 (April 1999): 63-87. In this document, Zissis Sararas looks at a two-year project done in Tehran, Iran that aimed to reduce vehicle emissions by making engine and fuel improvements. Sararas provides data on emissions in Tehran and compares that to emissions in developed countries. Sararas describes methods from around the world that are used reduce emissions and/or increase fuel economy. He discusses emissions standards, particularly in Europe, diesel engines, fuel improvements, fuel economy regulations in the U.S. and alternative technologies.

Essay --

Child Obesity Six through eleven year old obese children have increased from seven percent to eighteen percent, for children of twelve through nineteen the percentage has increased from five percent to eighteen as stated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm. In this new decade, fast, fatty, and sugary, food has become day to day life consumption in our society. America’s children are exposed to these foods and unfortunately take part in this diet because their providers present them with this unhealthy diet. Not only do they have an inadequate nutritious diet, but they also lack of physical activity. There are millions of children who need your help to not be in danger of a serious health problem and die. Child obesity is increasing rapidly in the United States. Let’s begin by addressing the problems that can occur among child obesity. The first problem is that children may not be able to meet all of their physical needs. Example of a fifteen month old weighing fifty five pounds, twenty...

Essay --

The problems of hunger and starvation touch the lives of millions around the globe, and one of the main causes of hunger is overpopulation. One typical case is India which currently the world's second most populous country. It could be said that one-fourth of the this world's hungry live in India which according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) the number of ‘hungry’ people in India at 230 million (Deolalikar 2012). The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2010 ranks India at 67 out of 112 countries; whereas ‘2012 GHI’ (IFPRI) ranks it at 65 among 79 countries. Briefly, all measures point to the hard fact that hunger continues to affect adversely to a majority of the Indian population. (Association of Voluntary Agencies for Rural Development (AVARD) 2012). One method of solving hunger in India is â€Å"promote agricultural development by increasing investments†. Most commentators and policy makers claim that involvement in agriculture help to reduce hunger in two key criteria: 1. Increasing production of staple foods at prices that poor people can afford. 2. Creating employment opportunities and higher incomes in rural areas that will give poor people the means to access food (Agriculture and Natural Resources Team of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) 2004). India's strategy to combat financial condition and hunger has always given great importance to the agricultural sector, because of 70 percent of the population lives in rural areas and the vast majority of them depend on agriculture as their primary source of income (Montek S. Ahluwalia 2012). Acharya (2009, 4) claim that India addressed the situation of hunger and food insecurity across the two measures of long term and short term. Long-term strateg... ...ttention . If this issue is overlooked, it may provoke a repeat of the hunger of 1943, which emerged in the untimely deaths of approximately three million Indian inhabitants (Jamil 2009, 70).The solution of promoting investment in agriculture has the potential to solve the incessant problem of hunger in India. By utilizing modern biotechnology to agriculture, farmers would be making a great surge towards eliminating poverty, bettering health conditions, and embellishing the quality of life for Indian citizens. Developing a modern rural development strategy for hunger reduction in India in the coming decades requires realization of institutional and technological changes. All of this requires a fresh initiative for recognising and enforcing the applicable actions for comprehensive agricultural and rural development in India that are home to the poorest and hungriest.

Modern Slavery Essay

The Secret World of 27 Million People is an analysis of modern slavery, going back to the history of slavery and the economic and political context of the present time. Other than the fact that it really places slavery into a much larger context, the book also seems exhausting , with lots of statistical references and a broad analysis. Kevin Bales is a researcher who has devoted years to finding solutions to modern slavery. I feel that the audience of this book is the general public and those that want to learn more about slavery in the world today. The purpose of this text is to make readers more aware of what is going on and to give more information to people who are making an effort to put a stop to slavery. In order to put everything into context, the book starts with a chapter on the history of slavery, then moves into chapters that describe the different forms of modern slavery (including trafficking of women and children and child soldiers), as well as the of modern slavery on the economy, on the environment or the global health.It also contains important recommendations, in the last chapter, as to what potential solutions governments and non-governmental organizations can implement in order to combat modern-day slavery. It is a thoroughly researched book, and is something I would use to get as many details on this subject as possible. Bickerstaff, Linda. Modern-Day Slavery. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group Inc, 2010. Print. Modern-Day Slavery by Linda Bickerstaff does an great job in providing a basic introduction to modern slavery. The book uses simple terms to bring the reader in front of the terrible tragedy that millions of individuals go to. It references several central books on this topic, including several by Kevin Bales, which provides the opportunity to go through some of the ideas that these writers present in a compilation of facts. Modern-Day slavery is a book full of simple research, but it also provides several sources that someone who wants more in depth information can use. Bickerstaffs’ book is good initial research, for someone that may be unfamiliar with all the details to start the entire process of gathering information, structuring their work and providing the basis of the rest of the paper. It also provides a good number of other resources that can be used, including some of Kevin Bales’ books that have been mentioned. Kara, Siddharth. Sex trafficking: inside the business of modern slavery. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009. Print. Kielburger, Craig, and Marc Kielburger. â€Å"Obama challenges Americans to fight modern slavery.† Vancouver Sun 1 Oct. 2012: n. pag. http://Vancouversun.com. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. This news article refers to President Obama’s speech at the Clinton Global Initiative. It is an impressive news article because it clearly shows where the highest authority in the United States stands on the issue: President Obama clearly calls things by their true name, emphasizing and focusing in his speech on human trafficking and modern slavery. Kristof, Nicholas D.. â€Å"The Face of Modern Slavery.† New York Times 16 Nov. 2011: A3. nytimes.com. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. This article is about another form of modern slavery, sex trafficking. The article is important for this research because the story it tells is so vividly expressed that the reader really understands the horror of sex trafficking. The article tells the story of a young girl sold into a brothel in Cambodia when she was only six years old. The article also highlights one of the key causes of sex trafficking- demand. The only reason that sex trafficking exists and that situations like the one described in the article occur is that there are people buying these services. Combating demand is a key instrument in fighting sex trafficking. The article also talks about the importance of nongovernmental organizations that offer shelters and assistance to victims after they escape slavery. â€Å"Polaris Project | Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery.† Polaris Project | Combating Human Trafficking and Modern-day Slavery. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. . The website of the Polaris Project is focused on trafficking in the United States. It is important because many of the other existing websites are much more focused on fighting global slavery and trafficking while this one focuses on our own country. Although there is not one specific author, the organization as a whole has relevant information of modern slavery. Poorer and developing countries seem more subjected to such phenomena and the idea that this actually exists even in the US shows that modern slavery is not necessarily particular only to a certain category of countries. The website has several informative resources, including an interactive map that allows access to local information and resources. â€Å"antislavery.com: The Leading Anti Slavery Site on the Net.† antislavery.com: The Leading Anti Slavery Site on the Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2013. . This website is the site of Anti-Slavery International, a non-governmental Organization (NGO), that fights modern slavery at an international level. The website is useful from two perspectives. On one hand, it is a great informational resource for everybody interested in the subject. It does not limit itself to a particular category, it looks at everything from bondage labor to child labor, to forced labor and trafficking. On the other hand, by showing what the organization does, it also looks at some of the instruments that are employed in fighting modern slavery. Public outreach, for example, and partnerships, including with the business community, are excellent tools.