Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Total Quality Management - Essay Example There exist certain important factors of TQM that eventually support the modern businesses to obtain several significant benefits such as continuous product development, complying with the requirements of the customers efficiently and accomplishing superior competitive position as compared to others. In this regard, such aspects associated with TQM fundamentally include hard and soft factors (Hill, 2008). From a theoretical perspective, hard factor is majorly associated with the application of certain effective tools including statistical procedure control and problem solving mechanisms in the operational procedures of the respective business organisations (Mukherjee, 2006). On the other hand, the soft factor typically represents the management perspective relating to TQM approach with the involvement of certain valuable resources such as culture, people and improvement (Brown & et. al., 2013). With this concern, the essay intends to critique the hard factors of TQM in terms of design, planning and control with relevant examples. In this regard, Ishikawa 7 tools, ISO 9000, Business Excellence Model and Benchmarking have been selected as the hard factors of TQM based on which the entire discussion will be made. Apart from this, an attempt would be made in analysing the provided quote of Albert Einstein i.e. â€Å"The problems that exist in the world cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them† (Cavaleri & Seivert, 2012) while critiquing the above stated context. The practices and the factors associated with TQM practice are extensively used in this present day context by different business organisations operating in distinct industries with the intention of attaining their predetermined operational targets. It will be vital to mention that the hard factors of TQM largely contribute in assisting modern organisations towards

Gamification of the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Gamification of the Workplace Essay The paper examines a new trend in workplace design called â€Å"gamification†. Gamification is defined as using concepts derived from video games and applying them in businesses to enhance motivation, raise productivity and lower turnover. The areas of effect discussed are motivation, cooperation, productivity and employee happiness. The text looks at which characteristics of video games make them so engaging and translates them into examples from the workplace. It presents real examples of companies that have implemented similar techniques. Gamification in the Workplace: A New Way to Think About Work Georgi Ivanov American University in Bulgaria The workforce of today is composed of young, talented and creative people, who despite their potential are less loyal and are always on the lookout for the job that better suits their qualification. As managers continue to search for ways to attract, motivate and keep them they ask themselves what makes this generation different from the previous. One of the things that separate us from other generations of workforce, video game addiction, has become increasingly relevant in the last decade. The college graduates that enter the labor market have played them since kids and consider them a hobby. The older generations learn about them as because of the app store which is a platform for easily accessible casual games. There is something in video games that makes people play them and create them and that something has made the video game industry the fastest growing entertainment industry today. With millions of people playing video games and investingmoney in their hobby, many companies implement video game concepts in an effort to make work more engaging, raise productivity and motivation and lower turnover. The process is known as â€Å"gamification†. To understand why managers would look to video and computer games of all things to improve the work life of their employees we have to understand what makes a video game so appealing to the modern employee and what part of that appeal is relevant to their productivity and satisfaction on their job. We know that some games have bigger audiences than prime time television shows, which means that these people prefer to do something, to be involved, than just sitting there and taking it in. In his book The Game of Work: How to Enjoy Work As Much As Play (1984) Charles Conrad leans on the fact that people will often work harder or even pay money to improve their performance outside of work. He outlines five principles that would transfer part of this to the business environment and empower employees – better scorekeeping, clearly defined goals, frequent feedback, better scorekeeping and consistent coaching. When the book was issued video games were not the object of the author’s discussion, however the concepts are present in today’s most popular video games. It is common have a score number in a corner of the screen showing how you are doing and every action you take changes that score. Taking this one step further is a ladder system that shows your score in comparison to other people’s score. With the popularity of video games today it is evident that people are respond very well to such a system. Through extension, if people are willing to devote so much time and energy into improving their game scores so they can climb the ladder and win intangible rewards, then, if they knew where they stood among their colleagues, they would be more motivated to do better. In her WSJ article Latest Game Theory: Mixing work and play (2011), Rachel Silverman gives a couple of examples of successful â€Å"gamification† of tasks. Live Ops Inc. runs a virtual call center. Th e company awards employees with virtual badges and points for keeping calls short and closing sales with leader boards that allow agents to compare their achievements. According to the vice president, since the system was implemented call time was reduced by 15% in some employees and sales have gone up by between 8% and 12%. I saw this in myself when I worked as a sales representative. When I joined the company it was evident who the top sales people were. Everybody’s numbers were available every day for everyone to see. From the first day that I saw that I imagined my name on the firs position of the day end report on the cash register screen just like I did on my computer screen while playing a favorite game of mine. It helped. I was always eager to keep track of my sales and strive to improve and my boss nurtured that friendly competitive atmosphere in which I thrived. This helped me in the beginning a lot because I did not feel intimidated by the more experienced members’ numbers. One of the most popular types of games today is the Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game (MMORPG). The model is basically putting millions of players from all over the world in one universe and to let them progress in this world by developing their skills and handling challenges alone or in teams of other players who have diverse skill sets for different situations. There are player rankings and guild rankings. To climb up the ladder, players need to accomplish tasks or â€Å"quests† and apart from the regular points, they get badges, if they complete the quest not in an efficient or creative manner. As you play your character increases in strength by gaining levels. Each level requires more effort to achieve than the previous and the conditions that have to be met to advance are set in stone and they never change. You know ahead of time what you need in order to progress. Every task you’ve made has an effect on the completion and your progress is clearly visible. If we take this concept to the business world, we’d have a clear employee ranking system and a company ranking system. Each employee will aim for the top places on the scoreboard, but keeping in mind that success is only possible with cooperation. This would motivate employees not only to do their best but also to be more accommodating to newcomers because they know that the better the people in your team/ department are doing, the better they would do. We do have a leveling system in the workplace – raises and promotions – but the conditions are not always as clear. If employees do not know what the requirements are and they have no guarantees that they would reach that threshold why should they work harder? Vendor invoice transactions are a tedious task, but now, with the new reward system, employees can earn points and raise their status among other SAP teams. At the end of the month, a dollar amount is awarded to a charity of the winning team’s choice. This is all done through an upgraded version of their clerk software. It adds extrinsic value to the work, makes employees contribute to a cause they can relate to. We play games because they are fun. Play is not the opposite of work as entrepreneur Steve Keil tells us in his speech â€Å"A Manifesto for play†. It is also supported by Byron Reeves, a communications professor at Stanford University and author of the book Total Engagement (2009), who says that â€Å"The idea that work is work and play is play and never shall the two meet is melting quite a bit†. Games are fun which makes them engaging and we want our employees to be engaged in their work. One of the ways we can do that is by taking down factors that restrain and choke the individual. Once our goals are clearly defined and a scoring and reward system is set up as a frame, why do we need to keep restrictions in the workplace? Changes like making workday more flexible and eradicating fear by establishing an atmosphere of trust and cooperation instead of an authority. Like the millions of gamers around the world we want our employees to feel good when they come to work because that is going to translate into better quality of work, customer service and engagement. In a MMO there is always a comfortable social network system. No matter what they are doing, a level 1 player can contact level 60 players and ask questions. There is a strong sense of community and presence, because it is easy to form contacts. When there is a task that requires 5, 10 or 20 people, the task is divided into smaller tasks and everyone’s progress in visible from start to finish. That accessibility and transparency is not always available in businesses but they would go a long way to improving communication. In his book, Byron Reeves takes this one step further saying that some people will soon do their jobs inside a game. He draws a scenario where a woman would sit on her home computer and log on to a virtual world, in which she is represented by an avatar which she herself customized with badges and clothing, earned as rewards for completed tasks. Then she would take a look at her team’s progress by meeting their avatars. This is gamification in the modern business. When implementing the strategies from above, however there are a couple of things to be mindful of. First of all, managers have to make sure that the atmosphere of friendly competition does not go out of hand. With regard to the company’s mission statement, they have to recognize at what point employees stop working for the company and start working for themselves. The goals to reach thresholds have to be balanced. A task is engaging when it is challenging, yet accomplishable with the skill set that the employee possesses. Some business may not be well suited for gamification concepts. The data on employees will make promotions and layoffs more fair and transparent but it may also undermine the importance of a manager. Certainly the concept of gamification is still young, the interest that companies show towards implementing them points to a new trend. In her article, Silverman quotes the tech industry research firm saying that â€Å"by 1214, some 70% of large companies will use the techniques for at least one business process†. What was until recent years though to be a massive waste of time now changes the way we think about our jobs. Works Cited Rachel Silverman (October 10, 2011) Latest Game Theory: Mixing Work and Play; Retrieved from online.wsj.com Charles Coonradt (September 1, 1984) How to Enjoy Work As Much As Play; Steve Keil (January 2011) â€Å"A Manifesto of Play†; Retrieved from tedxbg.com Byron Reeves (November 2, 2009) Total engagement: Using Games and Virtual Worlds to Change the Way People Work and Businesses Compete

The Underground Railroad Essay -- History Historical Slavery Essays

The Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was one of the most remarkable protests against slavery in United States history. It was a fight for personal survival, which many slaves lost in trying to attain their freedom. Slaves fought for their own existence in trying to keep with the traditions of their homeland, their homes in which they were so brutally taken away from. In all of this turmoil however they managed to preserve the customs and traditions of their native land. These slaves fought for their existence and for their cultural heritage with the help of many people and places along the path we now call the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret operation that began during the 19th century, and reached its peak during the time of 1830 – 1865. The story of the Underground Railroad was one of individual sacrifice and great courage in the efforts of the African American people to reach freedom, with the help of many interconnected â€Å"stations† (Introduction to the Underground Railroad?). The number of sites connected with the Underground Railroad was immense. The Underground Railroad was any direction slaves traveled to freedom. It was a huge scheme of paths through marshes, over mountains, along rivers, and by sea. No real trains existed on the Underground Railroad, but guides were called conductors. Runaways escaped to the North along a series of routes that stretched through the southern Border States (â€Å"History and Geography†). Slaves who escaped into the western territories, Mexico and the Caribbean, then tried to blend in with the free African American communities, which lived in these areas (Slavery’s Past). There were many conductors in many different states, all of which were important to the Underground Railroad. The most notable of these was Harriet Tubman. Harriet made nineteen trips back to Slave States to help members of her family and other slaves to escape to freedom. She was a woman who could not read or write, but she helped over three hundred slaves to their freedom. She had many encounters with slave traders and others, who tried to capture her, but she never got caught, and she never lost a single slave (Harriet Tubman). Another important figure in the Underground Railroad was Stephen Myers. Stephen Myers helped the Underground Railroad from 1830 to 1850. In this time he helped thousands o... ...ic linking the people of Africa and America. It is a story of places, North and South. It is a story of secrets involving routes and language, codes and music. In the end it is a story of jubilation and freedom, bought at a great price by individuals. Works Cited African Genesis. History and Geography of the Underground Railroad. Nov. 7, 2000 Appleseed Recording. Free at Last.1998 Cairnes, John E. Slavery’s Past. Lilly W. The Underground Railroad. June 16, 1999 Maryland’s African American Heritage. Harriet Tubman. Siebert, Wilbur. The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom. New York: Arno Press and the New York Times 1968 U.C. Davis Division of Education. The Freedom Sympathizers and Fighters. May 1996 U.C. Davis Division of Education. What was The Underground Railroad?. May 1996. Underground Railroad Workshop. Able Brown. 2000 Underground Railroad Workshop. Stephen Myers. 2000 Underground Railroad Workshop. The role of the Quaker Community. 2000 United States. National Park Service. Introduction to the Underground Railroad. United States. National Park Service & History Association. In Search of Freedom. August 1996

Building construction for fire protection

Statistics indicate that about two hundred individuals die every year as a result of explosions and accidents in the workplace. Additionally, these same accidents injure about five thousand workers in the workplace. Businesses can spend as much as five billion dollars on fire related accidents. This shocking statistics is actually an indication of what all business in the US spent on rectifying these accidents in the year 1999. The means of egress standards are a code of practice that are designed to ensure maximum [protection in case of fire emergencies in buildings.The standards were based on the National Fire Protection Authority (NFPA 101). The means of egress can be found in the NFPA 101 in the subsection E part. 3 parts of the means of egress The means of the egress are a pathway from a building to a public area. This pathway must be continuous in nature. In encompasses three main sections that include; †¢ The route of exit access †¢ The exit itself †¢ A way of e xit discharge It should be noted that all structures and buildings designed to host human beings must have a means of egress.The main purpose and principle behind these rules is to ensure that there are fewer instances of danger to the worker or the occupant in the case of a fire. The means of egress also protect occupants from the resulting fumes or smoke that emanate from the fire and they also ensure safety as result of panic from the occurrence of the fire. It should be noted that three means of egress only apply to protection and has nothing to do with property protection. There are a total of seven requirements that buildings must conform to in relation to the latter 3 sections.First of all, buildings should be positioned such that all the exits facilitate free movement. Additionally, the means of egress must not obstructed by any materials, persons and activities for that matter. The egress must be a key component in all parts of the building and must allow occupation at all times. The second aspect about these three main components of egress is insurance of visibility. Buildings should be arranged in such a way that the routes to all exits are conspicuously located. The third aspect refers to the lighting aspect. Buildings should be such that they provide adequate illumination at all the exit areas.The fourth requirement is about fire alarms. The means of egress standards require that fire alarms be put in place in order to warn their occupants of the fire. This ought to occur in the event that the fire in itself does not provide adequate warning to the residents of the facility. The fifth requirement is in regard to how the exit routes are arranged. In the event that one means of egress is blocked by the resulting smoke or fire, then buildings ought to have two means of egress. These means of egress should not be adjacent to one another as these will beat the whole purpose of the contingency plan.The two means of egress should be located as a far way from each other or as far as the building design can allow. Additionally, constructions ought to be done in such a way that one means of egress does not block the other. This means that when fire blocks one route, then the other should be easily accessible to the building’s occupants. The sixth egress requirement refers to means of safety during building construction. Employees ought to be protected during the construction process by denying them access into the building until all the aggress means have been installed into the building and they can be utilized.In the event that a building has to be modified or reconstructed, then all the exit routes must be usable and available in case of a fire emergency. If this is not possible, then the constructors must provide resident occupants with an alternative route. The sixth requirement also protects constructors themselves; it requires that there should be no flammable substances or explosive substances introduced into the buildi ng when there are some occupants within. There should be fire permits, hot zones and fire watch precautions whenever a construction is ongoing.The last egress requirement is in relation to the maintenance practices of the occupants. Buildings should always have continuous and unobstructed egress. Structures should always have the following facilities in place in order to maintain safety. These facilities must be working well at all times and occupants should avoid giving themselves a false sense of security; †¢ Fire equipment †¢ Fire doors †¢ Exit lighting †¢ Alarm systems †¢ Fire detectors †¢ Automatic sprinklers Egress designThere are a number of unique egress components that building designs should adhere to. In this case, egress routes should be constructed using materials that are fire rated. Additionally, the egress building materials should be protected from all other parts of the building. In case a building has a one to three stories, then its egress must be made up of one hour fire resistant material. In case a building will be made up of four stories or more, then it must have two-hour-rated egress material. Additionally, the fire doors making up the egress must be self-closingAfter conforming to the material specifications, egress designs should fall within the following dimensions; the width of the egress is largely determined by the angle of inclination of the egress itself. All egress routes must have a minimum of thirty degrees elevation. This angle applies to all the sections that make up the egress system. During construction, the egress’ width should not be limited by any nearby doors. Additionally, exit doors should open in the direction of the exit direction.The means of egress should also be designed in such a way that it can accommodate occupant load where the latter term refers to the sum of persons in a particular building at any given time. Means of egress should also incorporate the Floor area to occupant load factor (OLF) ratio. For instance, if the occupant load factor within a building is ten square feet per person and if the floor area is four hundred and fifty square feet, then the occupant load is forty-five people. Means of egress should be designed such that there are two means of exist at each location.Additionally, they should be placed far away from one another. Building designs should be made in such a way that the storage rooms, lockable rooms and bathrooms are nowhere near the means of egress. The means of egress should also not be placed in an area that requires passage near a hazardous area. Exits must be made as accessible as possible this means that there should be a good arrangement on where the exit is. Additionally, there must be no mirrors or hanging drapes at the exit routes. The exterior section of the egress must be arranged in such a manner that there is a roof if it is likely to snow or rain in that area.Also, there should be no obstructions at the exterior egress. They should be made up of solid floors which are smooth in nature. The exterior egress should also have some guards on its sides; these sides should be left undisclosed. The exit discharge itself should be constructed in such a way that it gives access to a safe public area. These may include a court, yard or the street. The discharge are must be constructed in such a way that its width is adequate enough to accommodate occupants. Additionally, if there are any stairs there, they must give a direction to the streets very clearly.The egress headroom should have a minimum projection of six feet nine inches and a minimum height of seven feet six inches. A ramp or a staircase should negotiate any changes to the egress elevation. The egress must be maintained constantly through adequate checks. In this regard, the doors ramps, stairs passages must be reliable. There should be no gaps in the stairs and care must be taken to ensure that the concrete does not crumble. Occu pants should avoid placing decorations near the egress. Additionally, there should be no furniture or explosive material in the egress.Additionally, occupants must endeavor to conduct frequent inspections and tests of the sprinkler systems in the egress. All exits must be marked using colors, sizes and designs that can be easily read by observers. The ones indicating exist must contrast with existing backgrounds or interior finishes. Care must be taken to ensure that the signs have not been covered in any way or that they are no other signs near the exit sign itself. Illumination should be reliable enough in that the total level should not be less than the amount of light emanated by five candles.It is better to use internally illuminated exit signs. Exit signs must have the word ‘exit’ indicated. They must be six inches long (or more). They must not be less three quarters of an inch. Evolution of fire code history and current functions related to this In the past means of egress have been designed depending on just a few requirements. Most of the time, they used to relate to the nature of occupancy within the building. However, with time the means of egress began incorporating other aspects such as the number of persons exposed to the fire, the nature of fire protection preparations.Additionally, its design also incorporates other issues such as the nature of the building construction and how tall the specific building is. Elements of code administration, inspection practices and appeals process in code enforcement The means of egress provisions are found either in the International Building Code or the Uniform Building Code. The latter two codes are somewhat similar in nature and they provide the ways of administering these means of egress. In the Uniform Building Code the exit discharge consists of the balconies and exit staircase.However, the International Building Codes considers the exterior balconies as the exit access. On the other hand, t his code defines the exterior stairways as part of the exit. It should also be noted that both of these codes describe the means of egress in a similar format. However, the major difference comes about in the manner of arrangement. The International Building Code has more sections than the Uniform Building Code. Additionally, three is a provision for guards in the IBC. However, the same cannot be said of the UBC. ConclusionA means of egress is a pathway that facilities the safe exit of occupants from a building and does not encompass property safety. The Code gives specifications on the most appropriate material for an agrees, its dimensions and the other features that must be incorporated to make it safe and usable. Some of these features include the sign and the exit discharge. The Code also gives direction about maintenance practices of the egress. In this case, the egress must be well illuminated at all times, it must not be obstructed and fire response facilities such as alarms must be working in proper order.This goes along way in eliminating a false sense of security within the premises. References City of Seattle (2008): Means of Egress, retrieved from http://www. seattle. gov/dpd/static/1egress_LatestReleased_DPD_001932. pdf accessed on 12th July 2008 U. S. Department of Labor (2008): Occupational Safety & Health Administration, retrieved from http://www. osha. gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp. show_document? p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=13576 accessed on 12th July 2008 McMahon, D. (2008a): Means of Egress and Emergency Plans, retrieved from, http://www.ihs. gov/NonMedicalPrograms/IEH/documents/presentations/egress. ppt. accessed on 12th July 2008 OSHA (2007a): Means of Egress and Fire Protection, http://www. rrcc. edu/rmec/OSHAoutreach/10hr_gi/lessonplans/egressfireprotection. pdf. accessed on 12th July 2008 OSHA (2007b): How to Prepare for Workplace Emergencies, retrieved from http://www. osha-slc. gov/OshDoc/Additional. html accessed on 12th July 2008 OSHA (2008b)Fire Safety Advisor, retrieved from http://www. osha-slc. gov/dts/osta/oshasoft/softfirex. html accessed on 12th July 2008

Pure High Note Essay

A Pure, High Note of Anguish† by: Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver’s â€Å"A Pure, High Note of Anguish,† expresses her painful grief in seeing innocent people die without having done anything to deserve it. To Americans, Kingsolver says â€Å"There are no worse days, it seems,† referring that 9/11 is the worst thing that’s ever happened in the world. Kingsolver symbolizes the children dancing in the street as the hatred that other countries have against the United States. Kingsolver believes asking, â€Å"Will this happen to me? is the wrong question because almost always people die without having done anything to deserve it. To Kingsolver, people almost always die without having done anything to deserve it. To this I agree. Over 3,000 people were killed during the attacks in New York City and Washington, D. C. , including more than 400 police officers and firefighters (History). As of June 2006, 1577 Louisiana residents had been confirmed as deceased as a result of Katina (Sharkey). Motor vehicle crashes in the United States result in more than 40,000 deaths per year (Hitti). Each year globally, 12. million people learn they have cancer, and 7. 6 million people die from the disease (CDC). As most people would think, every one of these victims are innocent people who do not deserve to die. As seen above, these causes of deaths can be from attacks, natural disasters, accidents, and diseases. Death is something that occurs in nature and it is both inevitable and final (Cole). No one knows when, where or how they will die. The only thing that is certain is no one deserves to die. Kingsolver states â€Å"There are no worst days, it seems,† meaning that this is the worst thing that has ever happened in the world. Maybe it was the worst thing to happen in the world at that time, but for all of history no. On December 26th, 2004, in Southeast Asia an earthquake occurred out at sea in the Indian Ocean, which immediately caused a deadly tsunami to happen. An estimated 230,000 people died (Wikramanayake). Do we Americans believe that is the worst thing to ever happen in the world? Of course not because we think 9/11 is the worst thing to ever happen to us. â€Å"September 11, 2001, stands as the defining event of the 21st century. It was the worst day of my life and the best day. It was the worst day because of the incomprehensible death, destruction and evil. September 11 was also the best day because it put on display the very finest human instincts — compassion, courage, kindness, selflessness† (Giuliani). These are the words of former New York Mayor Rudi Giuliani, who was the mayor during 9/11. Kingsolver’s child was wondering why there were children dancing in the streets after the news of 9/11. I actually thought the same and remember vividly watching when this occurred on the news. Kingsolver symbolizes these children dancing in the streets as people showing their hatred towards the United States. Everybody knows there has been much anti-Americanism in the Middle East (Tooley). Yet it is undeniable that many Middle Easterners have good reason, from their perspective, to hate the USA (Tooley). In Iraq, for example, it would be amazing indeed if the ferocious death rate among civilians — especially children — since the embargo and the steady number of civilian casualties from our continued bombing had not created feelings of hatred which would give cause for celebration now (Tooley). Kingsolver and others believe that our country needed to learn how to hurt from these attacks. I believe that is true and that we have also overcome the hurt. Al Qaeda’s intentions of these attacks were to break the United States down. But I believe that it only made the United States stronger as a nation and more aware of threats against us. Psychologically, the nation joined together in a unity that had not been seen since the end of World War II (Jensen). When it comes to our national security and our awareness of the threat from Islamic extremists, we are better prepared than we were but not as prepared as we should be. Our intelligence base is better and our airport security is better, for all its frustrations,† (Giuliani). â€Å"Will this happen to me? is the wrong question, I’m sad to say. † The question should really be, when will this happen to me? That question is unknown to everyone. No one can predict the moment of death (Scott). People wake up each day and have no clue what will happen to them.

Day in the Life of Actress essays

Day in the Life of Actress essays Lights, Camera, and Action. To live a day in the life of an actress is one dream I had growing up. On August 22, 1995, I had the chance to make this dream become a reality. My name was pulled from a drawing to win a trip for two to Los Angeles and see the taping of the sitcom, Baywatch. When the radio station called my house to tell me the news, I began to cry. As I jotted down the details, my hands were shaking because I was in complete shock. In exactly one month, I would be visiting California for the first time. We arrived at Will Rogers State Beach at 8:00am. Erin, one of the producers of Baywatch, greeted my mother and me and gave us our VIP guest passes. As they began filming, standing right in front of me, was David Hasselhoff with a few other cast members. When watching Baywatch from my home television, I saw the cast as beautiful famous people, but actually seeing them perform in real life was outrageous and overwhelming. My mother and I took out our beach blanket and began to watch the filming. Fernando Castroman, the director, then walked over to me. Hey you blonde beach babe, are you an extra? Ah, yes, yes I am, what do I have to do? Go over to the dressing room which is located in that white trailer and Megan will take care of you so that you can be used in the next few scenes. The trailer looked like my bedroom with all the clothes and make-up that was in there. Because I was already in a bathing suit, they told me to wear what I had on because the colors would show up on the camera well. The only thing that needed to be done was powder to my face to decrease the shine. You are all set to go on Heather. You are now a Baywatch girl so go back and see Fernando, I think he wanted you for the next scene. In the first scene my job was to walk along the beach shores with anot...

Case Study Climate of Diversity

Case Study Climate of Diversity Introduction The art and science of hiring employees for diversity requires a perfect balance into the interplay between professional issues, job demands, and the diversity paradigms, policies, and initiatives as set out by the organization.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study: Climate of Diversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In equal measure, it is now known that to remain competitive in today’s ever changing and continuously more complex global business environment, it is important for all stakeholders involved to make a conscious effort towards attracting, hiring, and retaining highly qualified employees from diverse backgrounds, who will have the necessary strength, independence, and innovativeness to enable organizations scale new heights as they consolidate the gains made so far (Arthur, 1998). Analysis Summary The introductory remarks, in my view, inform the decision to hire the second appl icant – a recently divorced professional woman with no family attachments at the moment. The vacant position that necessitated the interviewing of the four applicants should be guided, in principle, by four critical points, namely: high professional qualifications; need to implement diversity initiatives; independence of movement by virtue of its global outreach, and; a penchant for results. It therefore follows that applicants with school-going children and other binding family commitments, though qualified to the wire, may find the position unrewarding since it involves a lot of travelling at a global level. Such a job orientation, in my view, will definitely affect their productivity and morale, implying that the organization will be unable to achieve its growth targets – both short-term and long-term. In summary, the decision to hire the professional woman divorcee for this plum position is informed by two critical factors – preservation of diversity initiat ives as underlined in the organization’s policies and the need to have an independent person fill this position. As noted by Greenburg (2009), â€Å"†¦an organization’s success and competitiveness depends upon its ability to embrace diversity and realize the benefits† (para. 5). Equally, this applicant has no family engagements and, by extension, no children. The position, by virtue of the constant travel to global cities, calls for an independent, free-minded person, who will direct all her energies to the cause of the position without getting distracted by the events occurring within the family setup.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Consequences The consequences of taking this decision, if well managed, can only bring positive outcomes. Although problems may present in terms of communication barriers and resistance from other members of the organization who may feel they deserved to be given the position, it is unprofessional to forget the many benefits associated with maintaining diversity initiatives in the workplace, which includes introduction of new thought systems and paradigms, increased adaptability, introduction of a broader range of service, and more effective execution of the organization’s policies and strategies (Greenburg, 2009). Potential Impact The decision to include diversity considerations in the hiring process will definitely bring good tidings to the marketing department in particular and the organization in general. As the head of marketing, I shall rest assured that I have an employee who will help the organization attain its growth targets. As observed by Greenburg (2009), â€Å"†¦employees from diverse backgrounds bring individual talents and experiences in suggesting ideas that are flexible in adapting to fluctuating markets and customer demands† (para. 6). However, it i s proper to prepare for a potential backlash from other senior employees from the department, who may feel that they deserved the position. The organization, too, may initially face resistance from other senior personnel who may think that they were bypassed, but such resistance must not be allowed to overshadow the potential benefits achievable through adapting diversity initiatives Global Implications At a global level, the organization will be positively impacted by this decision owing to the fact that increasing globalization of business suggests that diversity is critical to the existence and survival of organizations (Greenburg, 2009). When global organizations use diversity paradigms to attract, hire, and retain qualified employees, they not only enhance their global corporate image, but also their productivity, profit, and return on investment Reference List Arthur, D. (1998). Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, and orienting new employees. New York, NY: AMACOM.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study: Climate of Diversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Greenberg, J. (2009). Diversity in the workplace: Benefits, challenges, and solutions. Web.

Lawrence M. Lambe - Profile of the Famous Paleontologist

Lawrence M. Lambe - Profile of the Famous Paleontologist Name: Lawrence M. Lambe Born/Died: 1849-1934 Nationality: Canadian Dinosaurs Named: Chasmosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Euoplocephalus, Styracosaurus About Lawrence M. Lambe The 1880s and 1890s, when Lawrence M. Lambe made his major discoveries, were the dinosaur equivalent of the Gold Rush. The existence of dinosaurs had only recently been proposed (though their fossils had been known from time immemorial), and researchers all over the world rushed to dig up whatever they could. Working for the Geological Survey of Canada, Lambe was responsible for unearthing the famous fossil beds of Alberta, which yielded a huge number of previously unknown genera (many of which were hadrosaurs and ceratopsians). As a mark of the esteem in which he is held by other paleontologists, the hadrosaur Lambeosaurus was named after Lambe. As befitting their size, dinosaurs tend to overshadow Lambes other achievements in paleontology, which arent nearly as well known. For example, he was a noted specialist in the prehistoric fishes of the Devonian period, and had a keen interest in extinct insects as well; he also named the common Canadian fossil crocodile Leidysuchus after another famous American paleontologist, Joseph Leidy.

Investment in Nike Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Investment in Nike - Essay Example The dividends discount model makes a comparison between future forecasted dividends with the firm’s current share price and then applies the firm’s growth rate to get the total figure. Many experts believe that the dividend discount model (DDM) greatly benefits investors because it makes investors think about the different market scenarios depending on how the stock is performing. Furthermore, the dividend discount model relies upon a lot of speculation in attempting to predict future dividends. This implies that the outcomes of this model are based around generalizations that are made. It is usually hard to determine the correct growth rate because a company most likely has a wide range of growth rates over a long period of time due to the fluctuating economy. It is for this reason alone that analysts do not tend to make projections based on past growth rates. Above all, there are no direct adjustments for risk with the dividends discount model. The earnings capitalization model (ECM) is basic and easy enough to understand by practically anyone because it determines the value of a business by looking at the current benefit of realizing cash flow in the short-term, rather than in the long-term. However, this model does not accurately estimate equity costs for firms that are expanding, so it is predominantly used only for firms that are experiencing zero growth. The Discounted Cash Flow Analysis in Exhibit 2 demonstrated that, at a discount rate of 12 percent, Nike’s current share price was overvalued at $42.09. But a sensitivity analysis disclosed that Nike was undervalued at discount rates lower than 11.2 percent. We came up with an appropriate discount rate—Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC). This formula showed that the discount rate was less than 11.2 percent at around 10.59 percent.  

The Influence of The Parity Brands In Taiwan Assignment

The Influence of The Parity Brands In Taiwan - Assignment Example A research was conducted by Cheung to analyze the perception of customers on products based on various parameters like product quality, price, leadership and the difference of the brands based on the origins. Comparisons of this attributes have been carried out between national brands, international private labels, and local private labels. The hypothesis which was held for the research was that the overall quality of the products of the national brands were superior than the products which was manufactured in Taiwan but had international labels, whereas the quality of the international brands were higher than the local private labels. The second hypothesis held in the research conducted was that consumers view that the price of the national brands is higher than that of the products of the international private labels, whereas the price of the international private labels is higher than that of the local private labels. The third hypothesis for the research was that consumers had th e conception that national brands account for superior brand leadership in comparison to the international and local private label brands. The fourth and the final hypothesis for the research conducted by Cheng et al was that the brand personality of the international private brands was superior to that of the national brands and the local private labels. The research was based on primary survey and collected the views of 254 respondents all above the age of 16. The research method was based on systematic sampling and the data was gathered from the main railway station of Taipei which is located in Taiwan. In the research conducted much analysis has been done on the context of the quality of the products perceived by the customers and the factor of price has also been considered.  The study reveals that the economy of the Taiwan creates an interest among the multinational organizations to invest in the country. Owing to the flexible structure of investment, major brands have opened their business in the country. In matters of fashion brand and retail clothing, the local market is found to be largely hampered by the operation of multinational brands like Zara and Uniqlo.  Ã‚   The local brands failed to deliver the quality of the product at a lower price in comparison to the international brands and the marketing strategy of the foreign brands was also instrumental in capturing the market.

You are a new graduate LVN working in a nusing home and taking care of Essay

You are a new graduate LVN working in a nusing home and taking care of 20 patients during . How would you manage the care of the patients and the supervision of the nursing assistants - Essay Example Different nursing home patients have different needs to take care of. In this respect, the patients with most demanding needs would have the priority time as far as care provision is concerned. The idea is to categorize patient needs and subsequently ensure that all patients are accounted for. Moreover, working with nursing assistants would require that they handle relevant patient care that does not necessarily require the attention of the supervisor. Finally, supervision of nursing assistants is most effective when delegation is part of the practice (Yoder-Wise, 2013). It is vital for a new LVN to learn the art of delegation. In essence, the LVN would supervise the assistants, but allow them the autonomy to practice decision making subject to the approval of the new graduate LVN. In other words, the LVN and the nursing assistants would need to work together for enhanced provision of care to the

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Analysis - Essay Example The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Analysis â€Å"The oil spill threatens to create large-scale environmental disaster due to factors such as the toxic effects of petroleum and oxygen depletion in the water† (Turner 2010). The pollution caused due to the chemicals used to clean-up the oil spill can damage the food chain of the animals due to depletion of oxygen content in the water. Besides polluting the beaches around the actual source of spill, the oil could flow with the water current and move to the Atlantic Ocean. There it can pose a serious threat to the wild life, if they tend to swim to the area from other places. Thus, the spill has a disastrous environmental impact globally. The clean-up efforts are also not easy and the toxic compounds in the air caused due to the pollution from the spill pose great threat to the workers involved in the effort. This can be seen from the fact that ten workers involved in the clean-up operation had to be admitted to hospital with respiratory tract problems. The seafood industry is also highly endangered by this disaster as the commercial sea food swamps in the coastal areas of the spill can be contaminated. The spill has been estimated to have cost the fisheries industry an estimated $2.5billion as per initial calculations (Turner 2010). Tourism industry has also been hit badly as the beaches have to be closed down. Tourists have cancelled their vacation bookings at beaches which are yet untouched by the oil from the spill.

Course work 3 ( how the Marketing Communications Mix ) Essay

Course work 3 ( how the Marketing Communications Mix ) - Essay Example Moreover, Versace use their website as the advertising medium. They run separate advertising campaign on their website for fashion accessories and clothing, for both men and women. Versace also brings out its own magazine which keeps their customers informed of the latest trends in the fashion industry. They use their social responsibility efforts in advertising the brand. However, they do not spend money on advertising through the television. Understanding the importance of marketing, the owner tied up with a photographer to bring out the essence of his clothing in all advertisements (GLBTQ, 2002). Direct sales They reach out to the fashion conscious customer directly through Twitter where discussions on fabric, its quality and performance are openly discussed and suggestions/feedback invited. They have already segmented their target customers and know how to reach them. They have also created a string visible profile on the social networking sites and they have also ensured people know where and how to find them on the various networks. As people get connected they exchange view/opinions about the Versace products and this is how they achieve direct sales. The purpose of social media itself is to connect with people and not people connecting with brands. Sales promotions To build confidence among the customers, they offer 30-day money back guarantee (FragranceX, 2011).

Quality Safety and Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Quality Safety and Management - Coursework Example These regulations lay out the duties of all the stakeholders in the construction process, ranging from the clients, designers as well as, putting more emphasis on the CDM coordinator. Generally, issues pertaining construction industry have become of grave concern to the public in totality. For instance, it has been noted that there has been much discussion in the construction industry about the duties and powers that the CDM Coordinator currently has, and what changes to those powers could improve the effectiveness of the CDM Regulations to achieve their high level aims. More evidently, research has hinted that the UK construction industry suffers from numerous problems, not least of which is its reputation for not meeting clients’ needs. This paper seeks to analyze these two connotations with a view to make clear the recommendations for the issues. Research and evaluation Since the formulation of new regulations, researchers have sought to highlight the state of affairs of th e construction industry with an intention to bring into focus their perspective on the issue of challenges facing the construction industry as it stands today. With introduction of the CDM coordinator, a turn of events was expected. ... Notably, performance of the construction industry has been rated on the cost, quality and the time involved. According to Hunt, Robitaille and Villiams (2008) following fragmented nature of the industry there has been poor communication between the stakeholders involved in a construction project and the CDM coordinator. Investigations into the matter has revealed that, the changes previously established have never been implemented implying that the construction industry has been on the verge of resisting change (Crosby, 2004). It has also been established that although clients were the main parties in instigating change in the construction industry, they were rarely involved in the governance of the sector and also there was the need for proper communication between the clients and the contractors, and the coordinator (CIRIA, 1999). Rethinking Construction pointed out on the need for adoption of mechanisms that will guarantee quality and efficiency in the UK construction industry. Th ey identified the major drivers for the proposed change as committed leadership, better focus on the customer, Integration of systems and teams, having a quality driven agenda as well as, committed people (CIRIA, 1999). Another study revealed that, the output of the UK industry rose to a considerable level prompting a rise in the standards within the sector (CIRIA, 1999). According to a report by market and the chartered institute of purchasing, in spite of increased activity in the construction sector new forms of work and employment still stood at low margins (Chau and Lai, 1994). As indicated the construction purchasing managers index (CPI) stood at 50.9 mark in October, 2012

Course work 3 ( how the Marketing Communications Mix ) Essay

Course work 3 ( how the Marketing Communications Mix ) - Essay Example Moreover, Versace use their website as the advertising medium. They run separate advertising campaign on their website for fashion accessories and clothing, for both men and women. Versace also brings out its own magazine which keeps their customers informed of the latest trends in the fashion industry. They use their social responsibility efforts in advertising the brand. However, they do not spend money on advertising through the television. Understanding the importance of marketing, the owner tied up with a photographer to bring out the essence of his clothing in all advertisements (GLBTQ, 2002). Direct sales They reach out to the fashion conscious customer directly through Twitter where discussions on fabric, its quality and performance are openly discussed and suggestions/feedback invited. They have already segmented their target customers and know how to reach them. They have also created a string visible profile on the social networking sites and they have also ensured people know where and how to find them on the various networks. As people get connected they exchange view/opinions about the Versace products and this is how they achieve direct sales. The purpose of social media itself is to connect with people and not people connecting with brands. Sales promotions To build confidence among the customers, they offer 30-day money back guarantee (FragranceX, 2011).

Week 456 CRJ 330 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 456 CRJ 330 - Essay Example If, for example a one year in jail is increased to five years in prison, they say that it does not reduce crime, but only increase the imprisonment period. Furthermore not all are caught on their first crime. The passing of the three strike law in California saw a 27 years old man imprisoned for 25 years for stealing a pizza. Others, however, argue that if penalties on certain crimes are made harsh, people or in this case criminals will avoid crime due to fear. The American criminal justice officials implemented policies to respond to the crimes of terrorism. To them, the rights of the terrorists should not be violated as well as those of their immediate families. According to them, these criminals should be allowed judicial assistance; they should not be intimidated, and should be provided with medical, social and psychological assistance. They should also be compensated if necessary. The USA has the best police force. Their functions are clearly outlined and they do not cross borders in performing their duties. They are not a source of fear to the community but are a source of assistance. The police force is divided into different departments each performing its designated function. The departments perform their tasks without

The History of Blaan Essay Example for Free

The History of Blaan Essay The origin of the Blaan is obscured by the mist of antiquity. Though a people of rich traditional, almost nothing is known about them in view of the absence of ancient records. The Blaans belong to the second group of people who migrated to the Islands between 12,000 and 15,000 years ago. According to the Blaan folk tale told by Fulong, the early Blaans arrived the country next to the To Bali or tiny people. Historians have identified these tiny people as pygmies or negritos (little black) who said to have arrived in the Philippines about 25,000 years ago across the land bridge that was connected the archipelago with mainland Asia. It appears that the Blaans were very much ahead of the Indonesians by almost 10,000 years and cannot logically belongs to the Indonesian type A. The term Blaan, refers to a socio-linguistic group, on the Island of Mindanao, with covers coastal, lowland and highland groups from approximately as far North of Mt. Buluan, to as far South as the Sarangani Peninsula. Both the coastal, lowland and highland distinctions are based in geographical and ecological considerations as will as historical contact with other groups. The coastal and lowland Blaan groups tend to display a much more heterogeneous composition that the more homogeneous highland groups. As such the coastal and lowland groups in the highland are which display a strong sense of culture identity, as will as, more traditional Blaan practice. [pic] HISTORY OF BLAAN ASSOCIATED TO THE LAND. The people come from the land, without the land, there would be no people. The land, comes from the people for without the people, there would be no cultivated land. This is because land to the tribal is as a partner in life-not as commodity, not as a property that is owned and which may be bartered or sold. For centuries, the tribal people have been able to do just this quite successfully, maintaining ecological balance within their territory maintaining harmony with their environment. The traditional kaingin system of farming practiced by the majority of tribal Filipino has kept the soil fertile and has given flora and fauna, time regenerate land, life and power. The Fulo Bato Blaan consider themselves as one of the highland Blaan groups. According to highland Blaan traditional relief and custom, the spiritual entities, who inhabit the earth and the sky, are the true owners of the land for Blaan. [pic] Blaan says, that, the Blaan are like the banana, before a generation dies, new roots appear and grow. They grow up and always grow into bananas. They never grow into papaya. In the same way, each new generation of Blaan grow up with the same responsibilities, the previous generation, the same they never change. Blaan relationship are characterized by the interdependence, while each village has property rights over territorial lands, individuals can take as much land as needed provided that this is not in use at the time when a field is abandoned, the ownership revert to the community or (Banwu) personal property applies to products of own labor and still, house, furnishing, weapons, tools, and land crops. [pic] Many Blaan are very upset about the loss of the traditional lands to non-Blaan groups. Some Blaans believe that the purchase of land is only practical method of obtaining their land from the non- Blaan group, who currently occupy it. BLAAN LANGUAGE: Ani sen aye tana go. La ti fan don ko agtagak go di gamo. Ani sen aye go sol. Benwu fan go tayok di gamo. ENGLISH LANGUAGE: This is my traditional land. I dont want to leave this land. This is my homeland that I will leave to go. The Blaan people have been struggling for the recognition of their Ancestral Domain. The issue goes beyond simply a question of land use. The manner by which the Blaan people relate to their land resources deeply inter-wines with the customs, culture and political practices. Thus, it is an issue of a people life in its totality, and their struggle is an expression of their self-determination to carve their own destiny as a distinct people. [pic] The Blaan people have the right to maintain the distinctive spiritual relationship with their land, water and resources. They have the right to own and develop these. Their environment and their culture and intellectual property must be protected. The Blaan people have the right to control the development of their land. Government shall assist the Blaan people to preserve and protect their sacred sites. The Blaan people have the right to their own language and government hall ensure that the Blaan people can understand and he understand through interpretations and other appropriate ways in legal and other proceedings. The Blaan people value their culture and their tradition. They want to nurture it and maintain it. They want others to respect their right to do so. Blaan ancestral domain (tabi tana) and culture identity must be respected. BONG BANWU.is a big community. It is not only a community of people, but also includes their alnigo or clearing, gumlok or the hunting ground, bolol or the mountains, e-el or the rivers, ritual sites and other geographic and human features, such as burial grounds. This domain is defined by territorial boundaries. In the past, the term Bong Banwu was used by the highland Blaan to refer to a very large village and its accompanying and/ or surrounding land. One village was conceptualized by the Blaan as the residence of one mans family. The name of the familys most senior male was often used to refer to the village and its surrounding area. The locality in which the residence of the Bong Fulong is located is usually indicated by a higher population density.

Literature Review About Management Information Systems Management Essay

Literature Review About Management Information Systems Management Essay In this chapter all of the concepts, theories and methods that are related with the management Information system such as system, information system and MIS will be discussed. The concept of educational management system is also well presented. In other sections the concept of EMIS will be considered in the world by especially focusing this concept in Pakistan will be discussed. In final sections of this chapter EMIS of COMSTAS institutes of information technology will be discussed. This data will be then act as guideline to analyze the empirical findings of primary data. 2.1 Management Information system There have been numerous kinds of systems that have been developed over the past several years. These information systems had helped to fulfill the needs and requirements of decision making not only at managerial but also at the operational level. Every organization develops its own management information system (MIS) which is totally dependent on the personal needs of the organizations. Management information system developed for one organization is useless for other organizations with different requirements (Cassidy and Cresswell, 1997). In the management information system, not only the system itself is important but to get the maximum advantages from the system it is important that the human intelligence, perception and judgment must be powerful and strong enough to get combined with the system information (Thierauf 1984). This combination will provide managers with the unique and valuable tool for the information management in any company (Cassidy and Cresswell, 1997). 2.1.1 What is a system? The system is capable of converting the collected data from the routine user and machine interactions in to the effective information which later on is used by the decision makers to make efficient decisions. In the management information system, the most important entity is system itself which is set of defined and interrelated components which are generally described as all of the direct or indirect complex components or elements that are related in a casual network. Within any particular time period, all of these complex components are related in more or less stable way with at least some other components (Thierauf 1984). So a well developed and interactive system is one which provides best and useful information to the managers at all levels. 2.1.2 Information system? The best system is one that provides useful information and user interaction at all levels. An information system is a collection of activities, procedures, methods, technology and peoples that are organized to get the valuable related data and information. This system must also be able to store this information until it is required by the user. It should be capable of data processing and responding to its end user by providing the answers to all set of queries. Information systems should best interacts and communicates with the end user In order to provide the accurate required information (Knight Silk, 1990). 2.1.3 Management Information System The information system which is composed of formalized procedures that can provide all of the relevant appropriate information at all levels to all of the managers is called management information system (MIS). This system uses all of the internal and external resources to provide data and information to the end users which enable them to take timely decisions that are effective from the directing, planning and controlling point of view. As a whole this is an efficient system that can provide all of the required information to the management at all levels at appropriate times. Management information system is basically an affective combination of human and technology resources that results in data storage, collection, and communication, data retrieval and usage. In managerial operations and business planning, these MIS systems play a vital role in business success (Lucey, 1989). In literature, there are several definitions of the management information systems (Lucey, 1989, Thierauf, 1984). The system is capable of converting the collected data from the routine user and machine interactions in to the effective information which later on is used by the decision makers to make efficient decisions. The specialized systems that are being used for decision making for the management at all levels are generally known as management information systems (Thierauf, 1984). Information systems are of significant importance in any type of organization, generally, it is really impossible for any organization to operate without any sort of information system. These information systems are developed by focusing the needs and requirements of the particular organization which are unique for every other organization. In the early 1960s, the importance of system designers and administrators gained much importance and attention. In an organization, at the administrative level, management information systems are composed up of the human and machine combination that are used to fulfill the information demands at these levels. In very large organizations, these MIS are also a combination of many interrelated sub systems which are sharing the same resources for data and processing. While discussing the concept of MIS in an organization, this activity is considered just as a part of all of the other ongoing activities. This MIS activity is important because it equips the top management with all of the information about the lower management and maintains a continuous flow of information throughout the organization. MIS system also facilitates the owners of the organizations with the general information about the organization. The main advantage of MIS system in an organization is to maintain appropriate information flow that can be achieved by dividing organizations in to different sub systems with some integrated and unique functions. This function integration of the sub system must be much efficient to make the whole organization as an affective MIS system. By adopting this approach, as soon as all of the needs of the sub systems are achieved, all of the needs of the organization are achieved. In literature, there are many characteristics discussed for an effective MIS system (Cassidy and Creswell, 1997). Some of them are listed below: MIS system should be composed of integrated sub systems with the ability of forward and backward looking systems. MIS system should be capable of planning and controlling the clearly defined business activities. MIS system should be capable of generating the reports that can help the management at all level in planning and controlling all of their current and expected business activities. MIS system should be able to retrieve the information about the operations control at appropriate time and should allow the transactional data processing. For the timely response, MIS system should have the batch processing as well as interactive operational modes. In order to store the data that is being frequently accessed, MIS system should use all of the data protection procedures that can assure to authorize user in more protective way. In order to extract the relative information quickly, MIS system should have appropriate data storage medium like random or direct access storage. In order to generate the meaningful and affective output for the ongoing control operations, MIS system should enable the standard and custom made model that must have the storage medium for the online data. 2.2 Educational Management Information System The revolution in the information and communication technologies (ICTs) has greatly influenced the life style of whole world. Over the past several years, ICT infrastructure is considered as a symbol for a countrys development. In every way of life, there is a vital role of these Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) by all means to improve the quality, standardizing the different stakeholders role and imparting the operating procedures (Ed Crowley, 2003). ICTs has a proven role in the field of medical, business, industry, entertainment, communications but now these technologies has emerging efficient role in education field. In developing countries, especially like Pakistan education sector is one of the core areas that require more attention for the countrys rapid development. The goal of every educational institute is to provide the quality education to all of its students. In these institutes management at all level continuous strives to achieve this aimed goal. Universities are hiring highly qualified professors and equipping their scientific laboratories with latest equipments, adding new technologies and books to their libraries. In these educational institutes the concept of digital libraries is also introduced, in classrooms multimedia projects are installed. The concept of distant learning, different tutorials like web and disk based as well as the concept of audio and visual data to aid lectures is introduced in these instit utes. In short, ICTs have played a major significant role for knowledge dissemination among various groups in these educational institutes. In order to get the maximum benefits of the available facilities of hardware and software, it is not enough to just connecting the laboratories with the internet facility but there is lot more in to this. This type of human attitude towards the computer resources propose that there is always a need for some educational intervention to get the possible benefits. The better usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be attained by pedagogic intercessions (Jorge Ferreira Franco et all, 2006). As the issues raises, it starts creating interesting opportunities for the individuals and organizations for improving the individuals understandability and skills. From the educational point of view, it is believed that when the individuals discernment is challenged and they receive any sort of intellectual or practical support then their productive and creative talents are used which can also be enhanced (Jorge Ferreira Franco et all, 2006). In all this competitive ICTs equipped educational institutes there is much more than the quality education that is expected by the students. Students need quality service in all of the required information that is required by them. In order to present their day to day problems, students needs environment that can facilitate them in every way. Different higher educational institutes are continuously striving to achieve this target. For example when a student require his transcripts after courses finalization then it can take more than a month time when there is conventional system installed in educational institutes. It can take more time because of the limited number of acting staff members that are dealing with the results and transcripts issuing process. There are many other daily issues that can arise every day and this limited number of staff will not be able to prompt instantaneously to all of the students. In order to handle such hectic routine universities used to employee mor e employees but as its known that increasing manpower can never solve the problem so another solution is required that can cope up with all such issues. There are many activities that can not be handled with simple processing applications and they are also much time consuming but these are simple processes like admission, registration, conduction of examination, keeping track of the employees and students and managing both employees and students accounts (Marlon Pierce et all, 2002). In order to manage thousands of its students and employees the best effective way is to use the information and communication technologies in more efficient way. Educational management system (EMIS) is an example of such an information system that has been developed over past several years to get the maximum benefits from the human and machine interaction to generate the appropriate information. This concept of EMIS has been imported from the business world which represents a system for information processing for educational management. This system is not developed to replace the statistics based system and this system itself is not a statistical system. This system has been developed to handle all data types which may be statistical in nature. An authoritative professional is required to train this data as reliable, verified, authoritative and professionally trained. This authority must be professional and independent entity that must be acceptable by all of the other users in an organization. When an information system is being developed then it is very much necessary to get the exact and reliable statistics before this system get applied t o any sort of management. Information systems are always designed to process valid data into information not the garbage data. In educational management systems, these information systems should address both of the management and statistics in more efficient way and should produce information in an affective format. In literature, there are many definitions and descriptions about the EMIS systems as its being developed over the past several years (EPRD, 1997). Educational management system is a formalized collection of the operational procedures, processes and mutual agreement that are integrated in such a way that it can produce useful information and data for the educational institutes and all of related entities like teachers, students and other management at all levels. All of the data relevant to the concerned entities is aggregated, collected and organized, managed and processed which is then disseminated across the organization and is used by the concerned authorities and management at all levels to take the beneficial decisions for the educational institutes (EPRD, 1997). EMIS contains all of the relevant information that is required by the educational managers at all levels to support all of their activities. EMIS systems always responds to the consumers for the affective information and serves the needs of end users, therefore it can be said that these information systems are serving on the basis of demand response methodology. In order to get the maximum benefits out of this information system it is very much necessary that the process chain of information management and in the transaction between the end users demand of information and the system response of information delivery, all of the statistics must be updated and reviewed properly. If this whole chain of information management is not properly maintained then there will be no meaningful information from the data aggregation and processing. The system integration is also much important in EMIS to get the best possible outcome from the system because if there will be any problem with the system integration it will results in irrelevant information delivery that will make whole EMIS as an irrelevant system. In order to work these EMIS systems up to dated, it is necessary to conduct clients surveys. These surveys will help the educational institutes to cope up with all of the newly raised requirements and then it will give up dated response to its consumers. These surveys will also help to figure out the needs of producers and will generate a user friendly and interpretable services and products accordingly. Educational institutes should also create general awareness among the users about the advantages of these EMIS systems that can provide information for decision making. In order to avoid a total system loss, it is very much important that these EMIS systems should be self sustainable and they must have a back up even if master system will fail to fulfill the requirements of all of its end users. At the very earlier stage of system development it is important to train the individual entities but at the later stage of capacity building this training is not of much importance. EMIS systems have been employed in many different countries as a big success and there these systems have provided support services and capacity building to the distributed as well as the decentralized statistical functions. There are many specialized functions needed for the EMIS development such as setting the standards, development of application software, quality control, providing technical assistance and training services as well as coordinating annual statistics production. System integration is an important step in EMIS development because all of the loose parts will be combined efficiently can develop an affective system output. Quality control is also of much significance because it can assure quality checks at all levels. In educational institutes, an effective and efficient information management system that should help management at all level for planning, policy making, and management can be developed by adopting common data collection instruments, by developing data processing software and by adopting all of the procedures for quality control and assurance. Such a developed system can assure the effective performance of all of the statistical functions in the institutes. The processes of data collections its entry and verification are all very close to the source. This data is then transmitted as an electronic copy all around the institute. At every level of management, this data is analyzed on the basis of the users requirements which ensure the minimization of inconsistency and task duplications. Such a system also ensures the quality, reliability, data validity and effectiveness as well as the end users satisfaction at all levels. 2.3 EMIS in World As discussed above that the concept of educational management information system (EMIS) has been adopted by many developed and developing countries over the past several years. In some of the countries, this technique has failed because of ignoring many important entities and critical procedures that were necessary to adopt in order to ensure its success. In these countries, these EMIS were not big success because they forgot that adopting a new technical name, obtaining funds and grants and improper system adaptation never ensure the adaptation of new technology. In developing countries there are some trends listed for increasing the demand for EMIS (Chapman, 1990). They are: Explosive growth of Educational System This is the foremost and important trend that pressurized the developing countries to make them adopt EMIS systems. This trend will reflect the growth of population which afterward will show the increased rate of participation. It also puts the pressure on the teaching materials and on the stipulation of the qualified teachers and staff. This explosive growth subsequently limited the development of the educational resources and caused the decline in education quality in these developing countries (Chapman Mahlck, 1993). Increased Complexity of Educational System As the educational system has grown explosively in the developing countries, it also results in its complexity. Educational ministry has pursued multiple objective so many different and new course works has been under taken so that education quality can be improved. Increased Financial Pressure Many governments are experiencing the increased financial pressure so they need to adopt those resource allocation procedures that are efficient in longer run. International Funding In order to attract international funding agencies in the area of education, it is necessary to provide them with the quantitative data that must show the success and progress of the educational projects. These agencies are pressurizing the developing countries so that they can also justify their own accountability. In developing countries, they are financing only when they get accurate statistics and data that can evaluate their funded projects so they require strict accountability. Low Cost Information Technology As technology is advancing so it is available at very low cost. In these developing countries, large data amount is being handled by using the low cost advanced information technology. All around the world, there are policies of different organizations to improve the educational systems. UNESCO is also one of the organizations that has strategic objectives in the field of education with their clear policy of improving the quality of education. This policy includes the agenda of improving educational quality through diversification of methods and content, diffusion, experimentation promotion, dialogue, by adopting best practices, innovation and by information sharing. Information and technology advancement has put the pressure all around the globe to adopt these ICTs in their educational system and tech them to the students. This learning of advanced ICTs is very important to cope up with the challenges of 21st century. UNESCO, in its World educational report discussed some of the fundamental implications that ICTs have for the conventional learning and teaching (UNESCO World Education Report, 1998). In order to meet all of the requirements that are must for the int egration of these ICTs in the conventional systems there are some frameworks proposed in different publications (UNESCO World Education Report, 2002). These are fundamental requirements that are identified as the important strategies for the teacher education, for managing the change process in learning, for managing change process in adopting and integration of these ICTs. Technology has become a catalyst that is transforming the learning and whole education systems (UNESCO World Education Report, 1998). Different multimedia projects have been employed that are using the information visualization techniques and are beneficial for the citizens of the far distant countries. In this way, students from the distant countries are also learning new technologies. These multimedia applications are also installed in schools so that students can learn new technologies at the very basic school level. This helped the school community to explore both the real and virtual technologies within the context information and by using the interactive visualized systems (John P. Dougherty et all, 2002). In terms of information technology (IT), there have been substantial discussions for the preparation of the workforce that can work globally. In developing countries, still there are limited resources along with the limited number of professionals that can make best use of this IT so the promise to increase the productivity in educational system by the use of IT is still on hold. In order to succeed at any level of life, it is now a must to incorporate these IT in their careers so that the rapid change of the world can be handled (John P. Dougherty et all, 2002). All around the world, these EMIS started as a result of the individual research projects or as an innovative idea that has been initiated by academic individuals by taking risks that result in the development of the web based initiatives which were not a complete system. On the other hand, there are now many complete systems that are well planned, institutionally comprehensive and systematically integrated (JC Taylor, 2001). For example, at the University of Southern Queensland, where there is history of distant learning for almost 25years, there the transformation to the IT environment was a natural step. The organization itself as a whole adopted this new move rather than by just adopting by some individuals. They adopted the web based information and communications technologies at universities and reflect on element of the corporate mission statement i.e. To be a leader in flexible learning and the use of information and communications technologies (JC Taylor, 2001). The word portal has gained much attention in past several years which means door entrance or gate (Winston Dictionar, 2009). In higher educational systems, it is difficult and risky but is necessary to develop a portal so that the educational system can compete and realize the importance of ICTs. In this way, universities and colleges can get a very clear idea about the benefits of investing on to the enterprise systems, data warehouses and in other information services. By developing their own portals, educational institutes can integrate services, information and other infrastructure so that uniform information will flow all around the institute. Its a big challenge to incorporate higher education and technology, same is the case with portal strategy but the result is always beneficial to the organization. 2.4 EMIS in Pakistan EMIS is not a new field of study, but as we see that now it is receiving more importance around the globe. But in Pakistan in past few decades EMIS research encircle Basic Primary education System but my research on EMIS in HE of Pakistan is completely new area of research for Pakistan. Also the Educational Organizations are learning new methods of enhancing the efficiency of their organizations, individually and as a whole as a group. In Pakistan, many reforms have been made after the establishment of the Higher Education Commission (HEC). These reforms target the improvement of the quality of the education as well as to generate more resources for the growth of education in the higher education in the country. In Pakistan, the most recent trend is to improve the processes and resources in the universities. In these days, Engineering and Technology programs has created a big hype so majority of the students are taking admission in these areas. Higher Education Commission (HEC) as well as Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has set certain critera that universities need to fulfill before offering admissions to students in these areas. This critera required the availability of manpower, certain infrastructure, highly qualified staff, well equipped labs, and quality education process. In order to produce highly qualified and trained staff, HEC is offering certain scholarship and funding schemes so that more qualified manpower can be produced. 2.5 COMSATAS Institutes of Technology 2.5.1 EMIS in COMSATAS Institutes of Technology In order to standardize the universities much attention is driven to the adaptation of new technologies as well as towards the infrastructure development and improvement of the operating procedures. The criteria of HEC for the higher education institutions is very strict and is based on resource counting, collection of performance data and collection of all of the corresponding ratios which are in bottom up manners until the final reports are generated. This evaluation criterion demands the individual assessment system for each department in the university so that independent and quality information can be elaborated. This whole process will result in enhancing the quality of different operating procedures and processes that are being exercised in the institute and will results in enhancing the university ranking. There are many ways by which this feedback loop can be achieved in the higher educational institutions. It is possible that certain reports and indicators may be widely available all around the campus as soon as they are generated so that effective data is readily available. At various decision making points, the key personnel can take immediate corrective action when required by just keeping a sharp eye on these reports. This is significant in a way that it will increase the awareness in the whole academic community. Whenever administration decides for any required change then all of the standard measures can be taken. The possible measure that can increase the reliability of the feedback loop is to make sure that all of the relevant elements in the institutional information system are readily available. By adopting this technique, all of the entities will be permanently connected and consulted the information all around the institute. Other measure that can be adopted is that all of the old practice that are being performed at different departments can be refined. This process of refinement needs the experience that has already accumulated and it can also take into account the suggestions by all of its users or the involved entities. The intention for the development of the EMIS for COMSATS IIT was to refine most of the activities that were being performed at various levels in different departments of the university. This refinement will be done by taking in mind all of the accumulated users suggestions and from the experience of the all of the involved entities. In this EMIS, a new service layer has been added that corresponds to the extraction of all of the related derived information. This information is particularly designed to support university management at several levels. 2.5.2 COMSATS University Online System (CU-Online) In order to get the advantage of the maximum possible ICT utilization, COMSATS IIT, Pakistan has developed an automated educational management system which is commonly known as CU-Online (Iqbal Saadat et all, 2000). This system has been developed to create an integrated educational system. This system aims to maintain all of the information related to the students, facilitate the employees to access all of the resources related to the curriculum that can help them in lesson planning, examination conduction, results reporting and managing all of the other students and teachers accounts. This system has the capability to report and analyze different data and information for the individual users and collective users that can help them at all levels to get a broader picture of the whole educational institute and system. This system has been developed with the intention to provide user connectivity everywhere all times as a pure web based application. It provides academic, transactional a nd administrative access to all its users which results in development of the collaborative campus. In CU-Online system there are four main components that constitute its environment (Iqbal Saadat et all, 2000). They are: Data Student/Parent Management, faculty, staff Hardware In this EMIS system, there are various stakeholders like faculty, parents and students and management and staff. Faculty needs this system to plan their lessons and curriculum, for progress report and class assessment. This is a tool by which faculty can communication with parents and students. It also reports the progress towards students goals. This EMIS enables the parents and students to keep a check of the progress reports, work assignments. They can also check their work assignments and progress towards their graduation requirements. Management and staff use this system to achieve all of the staff and student information (Iqbal Saadat et all, 2000). This system has modules for admission, student information system, library, human resource management, course portal, inventory and hardware monitoring and for fee and accounts. In COMSATS IIT, the introduction of ICTs not only automates all of the departments but also facilitates all of the involved entities in the university. Students are getting quality education and they are required many facilitations in different aspects. In order to earn good name to university, management is required to adopt quality procedure and must assure quality at all level of management. While in a university, students can come across many different procedures and problems so this system must facilitate them in every aspect so that they can only concentrate on their studies. Similarly staff and faculty members must avoid all of the cumbersome procedures and must only perform their required duties (Iqbal Saadat et all, 2000). All of such facilities must reach to the users with ease on their desktops.

Nuclear Iconography in Post-Cold War Culture :: Culture War Nuclear Iconography Essays

Nuclear Iconography in Post-Cold War Culture I wish in this paper to sketch a project involving nuclear iconography and post-Cold War culture. At the heart of this project is the claim that the current historical moment forms a legitimation crisis for the scientific, military, industrial, governmental, and "cultural" institutions whose interests are configured in the design, manufacture, deployment, and "use" of nuclear weapons. Within this moment, a variety of progressive and regressive movements have been intitiated through the production and reception of nuclear weapons rhetoric. The role of visual iconography in nuclear hegemony has traditionally received minor attention (e.g., compared with the "nukespeak" of foreign policy, mass media news coverage, and literary works). Recent scholarly articles and books have attempted to correct this verbalist imbalance by examining the genres and discourses of nuclear art (e.g., painting), cinema and photography. Collectively, this work establishes that the Bomb is -- after W.J.T. Mitc hell -- an "imagetext" in which verbal and iconic discourses interanimate to produce ways of (not) seeing and forms of (not) feeling that have historically positioned cultural subjects in relation to the technologies, policies, figures, locations, events, and institutions (in both senses as "customary practices" and "formal organizations") which have constituted the nuclear condition . . . "Now Do You See It?": Post-Cold War Nuclear Iconography I am interested in the role of visual rhetoric in maintaining this "war of position" between military, environmental, arms-control, pacifist, industrial, scientific and federal interests [in post-Cold War culture]. Issues in this research include the nature of verbal and visual codes in nuclear representations (e.g., in critical disagreement over the success of nuclear landscape photography in evoking viewer knowledge of the deadly, invisible radiation which "really" suffuses its depicted objects), the uses to which images are put in various social contexts (e.g., in museum exhibits commemorating the Japanese atomic bombings), and the consequences of images for existing power relations between nuclear authorities and citizens (e.g., in legitimating the "accelerated" -- and arguably incomplete -- cleanup of contaminated nuclear weapons plants by federal agencies and their contractors) . . . . . . A preliminary survey of prominent nuclear weapons images suggests [this] "new" theme in this process, unique to the post-Cold War era . . . . . . "Museumification" This theme describes the inter-related processes by which the partially decrepit and moribund nuclear apparatus is being dismantled, appropriated, recycled, commodified, and memorialized in contemporary culture (e.

Philippine Presidential Elections 2016 Essay

The 2016 presidential election is one of the most talked about topic of today. To date, just more than a year from now we will again be having our new set of national leaders. It is again the time when we can use our power to vote and elect the deserving person that will eventually rule our country. The scheduled date will be on a Monday, 9th day of March, 2016. As we all know, the incumbent president Benigno Aquino III is barred from seeking re-election pursuant to 1987 Philippine Constitution. Therefore, this election will determine the 16th President of the Philippines. In recent months, we have heard so many big names that can potentially be our next Philippine president. Two of the most prominent Filipino politicians has officially declared their candidacy over presidency, both with strong will and competitiveness. Without any surprise, the current Vice President Jejomar â€Å"Jojo† Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), our first guy on the list, confirmed his plans of running as president during an interview back in September 2011. The longest-serving Makati City Mayor, now the Vice President of the Philippines not only created a strong political dynasty but he also realizes his colossal visions. While VP Binay effortlessly made it to the list of possible and feasible presidential candidate, our next guy, a potical rival of the former, and the current Senate Majority Leader, Sir Alan Peter Cayetano, needed to closely monitor surveys to make sure he’s still in the running and viewed by the Filipinos as a viable candidate, according to a source familiar to Cayetano. The 43-year-old Senator from the Nacionalista Party (NP) is serious about running that he has to put together a team to work on campaign preparations. In a March 2013 interview on Morning’s @ ANC he said â€Å"I want to be the president of this country. I think I can do something great for God and his people.† Among other politicians who would possibly run, one is Sen. Ferdinand â€Å"Bongbong† Marcos Jr. of Nacionalista Party.

Coffee and Starbucks

1 A. What is Starbucks’ â€Å"product† †¢Starbucks’ product is a casual experience in a comfortable atmosphere where the customer can enjoy a premium cup of coffee and a newspaper or relaxing conversation with friends. B. What is their â€Å"core product† and what are the â€Å"auxiliary features† and benefits? †¢The core product is a premium cup of coffee. The auxiliary features include the well-educated baristas that can help select the right cup of coffee and help customers learn how to reproduce the experience at home or the office with fresh coffee bean or grounds they can purchase in store. Along with the coffees available there are also Tazo teas, hand crafted espresso and blended drinks a little something for every taste. To go with the drink of your choice you can also enjoy a fresh pastry or a sandwich while listening to music or utilizing the free Wi-Fi to complete the experience. C. What is their â€Å"unique selling proposition† and how do consumers view it now? †¢Starbucks’ unique selling position was offering a high quality coffee for a premium price, while providing a place to relax other than work, home or going to the bar. With their comfortable seating areas and internet access they branded themselves as your â€Å"third place†. Customers bought into it but now that they have started to get more streamlined their stock is falling because they are losing a little bit of that selling position. As the stores get a little less comfortable and become a little more like an assembly line, customers are starting to see it more like a commodity rather than something special. 2. A. Are McDonald’s and Starbucks direct competitors? Yes. While they don’t offer the same quality of food or coffee, McDonalds has put a lot of emphasis on the quality of their coffee and have been able to increase their sales and profits. With the introduction of their McCafe line of coffee drinks McDonalds is looking to take a share of the market from Starbucks. B. What advantages does McDonald’s have in competing with Starbucks for coffee sales? †¢McDonald’s coffee has a very good reputation as a good cup of coffee. While it is not on par with the gourmet coffee and specialties that Starbucks has to offer it is a much cheaper alternative and with the large selection of menu items it can market to a much broader base of customers. For example parents with small children will be drawn to McDonald’s for their coffee because of what they can offer the children that Starbucks can’t. Another advantage is the speed at which McDonald’s can serve customers. Since the coffee and food they serve is less customized they are able to get people in and out at a much faster pace even with the implementation of the drive thru at Starbucks. . A. What changes in society (at the time of the case) helped Starbucks to be successful? †¢There was a steady increase in the number of coffee drinkers in the US in the mid-90s. That combined with the trend of consumers to drink more and more coffee out of the home has increased sales in the entire market. While a large increase of this coffee consum ption was among those that drink coffee at work, the benefit to Starbucks is that they are getting the coffee from somewhere other than the workplace. Along with the increase in consumption consumers have trended to being more and more environmentally conscious. So the focuses on environmentally friendly ways of doing business have helped to keep them in favor with the customers. B. How are these changes related to their target market? †¢Coffee drinkers ranging from 25-29 increased their out of home coffee consumption from 42% to 66% while in the same year 30-59 years old increased from 33 to 46%. 4. A. What are the â€Å"strategic marketing factors† that help to account for Starbucks’ long-term success in developing brand equity? The environment that they offered was one of the big factors that lead to their ongoing success. While there are more and more cafe styled coffee houses coming into the market at this time the idea was very unique and helped to differentiate them in the market. The high quality product and unique sizing of their products also set them apart. Rather than using the standard small med and large names they used unique identifies that helped make their products stand out in memory. Before they came around your options for coffee outside the home were very limited and the ability to get such high quality even at a premium price was a welcome feature in the market place. For the longest time they were really the only player in the space and that niche afforded them very rapid growth and early successes that help fuel even more growth as they expanded worldwide. 5. A. What are the advantages of the Starbucks Card to the company? †¢The most obvious advantage of the card to Starbucks is the guaranteed income. Once people load money on the card it can only be spent at a Starbucks location. It also makes tracking customer purchasing habits and preferences readily available. Then there is the case of the forgotten or lost cards that never get used that equate to pure profit. One last advantage is that with the card they have also created a secondary market for sales by placing the cards in stores like Giant Eagle where people that wouldn’t come into the stores can buy the cards as a gift. B. What are the advantages of the Starbucks Card to the customers? The consumer can control their spending with the card. By loading the card with the amount they allocate for coffee they can track their spending more effectively than before when just purchasing with cash or a random card. While there is no discount associated with the card it does give the consumer some protection when they register the card online. If the card is ever lost or stolen they can report it and a new card will be issued with the same balance and the existing card voided. 6. A. Evaluate Chairman Schultz’ global strategy. Is it â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad? † †¢The global strategy is â€Å"good†. You can build a lot of customer loyalty by taking care of your employees. If your employees are happy and well trained they will provide a much better experience for the customer. Starbucks mission and direction has a solid base in the customer experience as much as the quality of the coffee. So making sure the employees are trained well and very knowledgeable about all things coffee enables them to take the experience past just when the customer is in the store. Educating the customer on how to get the best cup of coffee at home as well will provide you a regular customer for not only their coffee at the office but also the grounds for home. †¢In addition the image they are able to betray as a company that cares about the community and the environment will help build customer loyalty. The fact that they not only work to be environmentally conscious themselves but also work with partners and suppliers to share the information and work together to buy, sell and use environmentally friendly products. B. What recommendations do you have to improve Starbucks’ competitive position domestically? †¢Starbucks needs to stick to what got them here in the first place. Don’t try to become another fast food establishment. Customers that are coming to one of their stores will respect the time it takes to get a high quality cup of coffee. Take that time to cross sell the customer on coffee beans and other goods for the home. While offering food to the customer is a natural evolution for Starbucks it is important that they put as much time and effort into providing high quality food as they do coffee. If they keep the high quality of coffee but serve a lesser food the lesser image will be what is remembered. On the same lines make sure that if you are going to provide places for the customer to sit and enjoy their coffee stick with the comfortable seating that invites the customer to relax and stay awhile. You will not only bring them back time and time again you will encourage them to spend more time in the store every time they visit and therefore increase the opportunities to sell more products. Coffee and Starbucks 1 A. What is Starbucks’ â€Å"product† †¢Starbucks’ product is a casual experience in a comfortable atmosphere where the customer can enjoy a premium cup of coffee and a newspaper or relaxing conversation with friends. B. What is their â€Å"core product† and what are the â€Å"auxiliary features† and benefits? †¢The core product is a premium cup of coffee. The auxiliary features include the well-educated baristas that can help select the right cup of coffee and help customers learn how to reproduce the experience at home or the office with fresh coffee bean or grounds they can purchase in store. Along with the coffees available there are also Tazo teas, hand crafted espresso and blended drinks a little something for every taste. To go with the drink of your choice you can also enjoy a fresh pastry or a sandwich while listening to music or utilizing the free Wi-Fi to complete the experience. C. What is their â€Å"unique selling proposition† and how do consumers view it now? †¢Starbucks’ unique selling position was offering a high quality coffee for a premium price, while providing a place to relax other than work, home or going to the bar. With their comfortable seating areas and internet access they branded themselves as your â€Å"third place†. Customers bought into it but now that they have started to get more streamlined their stock is falling because they are losing a little bit of that selling position. As the stores get a little less comfortable and become a little more like an assembly line, customers are starting to see it more like a commodity rather than something special. 2. A. Are McDonald’s and Starbucks direct competitors? Yes. While they don’t offer the same quality of food or coffee, McDonalds has put a lot of emphasis on the quality of their coffee and have been able to increase their sales and profits. With the introduction of their McCafe line of coffee drinks McDonalds is looking to take a share of the market from Starbucks. B. What advantages does McDonald’s have in competing with Starbucks for coffee sales? †¢McDonald’s coffee has a very good reputation as a good cup of coffee. While it is not on par with the gourmet coffee and specialties that Starbucks has to offer it is a much cheaper alternative and with the large selection of menu items it can market to a much broader base of customers. For example parents with small children will be drawn to McDonald’s for their coffee because of what they can offer the children that Starbucks can’t. Another advantage is the speed at which McDonald’s can serve customers. Since the coffee and food they serve is less customized they are able to get people in and out at a much faster pace even with the implementation of the drive thru at Starbucks. . A. What changes in society (at the time of the case) helped Starbucks to be successful? †¢There was a steady increase in the number of coffee drinkers in the US in the mid-90s. That combined with the trend of consumers to drink more and more coffee out of the home has increased sales in the entire market. While a large increase of this coffee consum ption was among those that drink coffee at work, the benefit to Starbucks is that they are getting the coffee from somewhere other than the workplace. Along with the increase in consumption consumers have trended to being more and more environmentally conscious. So the focuses on environmentally friendly ways of doing business have helped to keep them in favor with the customers. B. How are these changes related to their target market? †¢Coffee drinkers ranging from 25-29 increased their out of home coffee consumption from 42% to 66% while in the same year 30-59 years old increased from 33 to 46%. 4. A. What are the â€Å"strategic marketing factors† that help to account for Starbucks’ long-term success in developing brand equity? The environment that they offered was one of the big factors that lead to their ongoing success. While there are more and more cafe styled coffee houses coming into the market at this time the idea was very unique and helped to differentiate them in the market. The high quality product and unique sizing of their products also set them apart. Rather than using the standard small med and large names they used unique identifies that helped make their products stand out in memory. Before they came around your options for coffee outside the home were very limited and the ability to get such high quality even at a premium price was a welcome feature in the market place. For the longest time they were really the only player in the space and that niche afforded them very rapid growth and early successes that help fuel even more growth as they expanded worldwide. 5. A. What are the advantages of the Starbucks Card to the company? †¢The most obvious advantage of the card to Starbucks is the guaranteed income. Once people load money on the card it can only be spent at a Starbucks location. It also makes tracking customer purchasing habits and preferences readily available. Then there is the case of the forgotten or lost cards that never get used that equate to pure profit. One last advantage is that with the card they have also created a secondary market for sales by placing the cards in stores like Giant Eagle where people that wouldn’t come into the stores can buy the cards as a gift. B. What are the advantages of the Starbucks Card to the customers? The consumer can control their spending with the card. By loading the card with the amount they allocate for coffee they can track their spending more effectively than before when just purchasing with cash or a random card. While there is no discount associated with the card it does give the consumer some protection when they register the card online. If the card is ever lost or stolen they can report it and a new card will be issued with the same balance and the existing card voided. 6. A. Evaluate Chairman Schultz’ global strategy. Is it â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad? † †¢The global strategy is â€Å"good†. You can build a lot of customer loyalty by taking care of your employees. If your employees are happy and well trained they will provide a much better experience for the customer. Starbucks mission and direction has a solid base in the customer experience as much as the quality of the coffee. So making sure the employees are trained well and very knowledgeable about all things coffee enables them to take the experience past just when the customer is in the store. Educating the customer on how to get the best cup of coffee at home as well will provide you a regular customer for not only their coffee at the office but also the grounds for home. †¢In addition the image they are able to betray as a company that cares about the community and the environment will help build customer loyalty. The fact that they not only work to be environmentally conscious themselves but also work with partners and suppliers to share the information and work together to buy, sell and use environmentally friendly products. B. What recommendations do you have to improve Starbucks’ competitive position domestically? †¢Starbucks needs to stick to what got them here in the first place. Don’t try to become another fast food establishment. Customers that are coming to one of their stores will respect the time it takes to get a high quality cup of coffee. Take that time to cross sell the customer on coffee beans and other goods for the home. While offering food to the customer is a natural evolution for Starbucks it is important that they put as much time and effort into providing high quality food as they do coffee. If they keep the high quality of coffee but serve a lesser food the lesser image will be what is remembered. On the same lines make sure that if you are going to provide places for the customer to sit and enjoy their coffee stick with the comfortable seating that invites the customer to relax and stay awhile. You will not only bring them back time and time again you will encourage them to spend more time in the store every time they visit and therefore increase the opportunities to sell more products.