Social Psychology and the Sustainable Future Essay

What has Global warming, Ozone Layer Depletion, Soil Erosion, Air Pollution, Carbon Emissions, and other environmental issues have to do with Social Psychology? One of the reasons for writing this paper, is to answer that question by showing the relationship between the environment in which we live and social psychology. I will endeavor to do this by looking at a root cause behind our ecological dilemma, as well as offering possible solutions and suggestions for social behavioral changes that each one of us could employ, as not only caring human beings, but as Christians fulfilling our God-given mandate to rule over the earth He created in the capacity of caretakers and stewards. As explained by Dr.  David G Myers in his excellent book entitled â€Å"Exploring Social Psychology†, the study of social psychology is a study in which â€Å"social psychologists scientifically explore how we as humans think about, influence, and relate to one another† [ Myers 2009 p. 1]. He goes on to quote novelist Herman Melville’s poignant observation, which states, â€Å"we cannot live for ourselves alone, for our lives are connected by 1000 invisible threads† [Myers 2009 p. 1]. And therein lies the root cause of our ecological problems. Because of our social orientation [being our personality psychology or â€Å"psychodynamics† which forms our â€Å"worldview† by the way we’ve been taught to think and act within the society in which we grew up], most people and societies, if not all, are inherently self-centered. A perfect example of this societal â€Å"self-centeredness† is clearly seen here in the United States of America, more so than in any other place in the world. The unrestrained, unbridled, and unprecedented consumerism and waste has sadly become this countries â€Å"social norm†. Generally speaking, we as humans, tend to give little thought, either intentionally or unintentionally, about how our attitude, actions, and behaviors might affect others in the society in which we live: or for that matter, the rest of the world. Because our lives are connected by 1000 invisible threads, our attitude, behavior, and actions cannot help but effect others. We are connected in many different ways, but primarily we are connected by being members of one and the same human race, sharing an earth which we all call home. Therefore, social psychology and the sustainable future of our environment are connected in the sense that as human beings, sharing the same earth, social psychologist can positively influence societies to bring about change through implementing strategies within a society through educational and other means, that would address the need for â€Å"other-centeredness†, as opposed to â€Å"self-centeredness† within our societies. This hopefully, through educational campaigns, would over time alter social norms throughout global societies, and help to positively shape our attitudes, behaviors and actions toward the environment in which we live, and encourage a more sustainable environmental future. The purpose of environmental education, is to bring â€Å"social awareness†of how each individual’s attitude actions and behavior, can and does have an environmental affect [whether positive or negative], not only themselves and their own environment, but on the environment of others also. So, environmentally speaking, this means that each individual person, group, society and nation’s environmental habits and lifestyle [which is mainly guided by the â€Å"social norms†of the country and the culture in which they are living], can have a global environmental impact. Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 4 Social, psychologically formed thought processes, cause individuals and groups within a society or culture, to behave in ways that are considered normal to them, even though they’re ttitude, behavior and actions are environmentally devastating. One of the ways I can illustrate the fact of how our attitudes, behaviors, and actions [another words what we do and how we live], can and does affect others environment [even though they may be living on the other side of the world], is by looking at the worldwide issues of air pollution and its causes. Air is something that every living thing needs, as the famous 70s hit song sung by the British group†The Hollies† states, â€Å"all I need is the air that I breathe. Another translation of that song humorously states â€Å"I need to be able to breathe. † That we need air to breathe is an axiom, a self evident truth, for without it we die. In actual fact, air is one of the reasons why Earth is the only planet within our solar system that can sustain life, and in which life can be found. Air supports life, but the air has to be clean for life to be sustained. We don’t really need to be told that the air is polluted these days because we can see it. This is especially true if you happen to live in the city of Los Angeles, which for many years has been the butt of â€Å"smog† jokes, and recently topped the American lung Association’s bad air list of â€Å"most polluted cities in America† [GMA news 2012]. Why is the air polluted so badly? How did it get that way? The city of Los Angeles, like many other places in the world today are to a great degree responsible for producing much of the â€Å"bad air† in their cities. However, â€Å"bad air† is now being found in cities and other places where there is no air polluting factories or industry to blame. This is because air pollution does not recognize international boundaries, and like the proverbial trapeze artists, pollution in the form of toxic emissions can and do â€Å"fly through the air with the greatest of ease. † Because of this, â€Å"bad air† has † turned up† in places where it did not originate; such as National Parks and wilderness areas in remote parts of the United States. This is due to the fact that one countries air polluting practices can have a dramatic effect on another countries air quality located on the other side of the world. Toxic pollutants and emissions rise from factory smokestacks, power plants, and exhaust emissions , from countries who have no â€Å"clean air act† and therefore are under no threat of penalty or prosecution for noncompliance. These toxic emissions, are the result of unrestrained air polluting practices by countries who show little or no interest in environmental conservation. This toxic pollution rises into the wind currents and jet-streams, which carry the poisonous air hundreds, or even thousands of miles away to another part of the world, where it then affects the air quality of the place where it settles, creating health hazards and pollution within that cities population and location. So, the irresponsible polluting behavior and actions of one group/country, can have a drastic negative effect on another person/s, group/s, country/or countries, causing them to suffer debilitating health hazard consequences for which they were not responsible in creating. So you see in this one small illustration, how another person/s, group/s, or even other countries irresponsible attitude, actions, and behavior toward environmental conservation issues, can inadvertently and negatively affect another person/s, group/s, or even a whole country’s population’s health and well being. Many first world countries have environmental laws that heavily penalize companies for noncompliance, and therefore helps to limits air pollution to varying degrees. Yet there are more countries who don’t have any environmental laws, restrictions, or boundaries in place, and who Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 6 do not recognize or practice environmental conservation. And so these developing countries by their â€Å"who cares, it’s business as usual† attitude and behavior, become one of the major contributors of â€Å"bad air† on a global scale, through their uncontrolled, unrestrained, release of toxic emissions into the atmosphere where it becomes an international traveler. However, air pollution caused by toxic emissions is only one of the environmental concerns facing humanity today. Another environmental concern, which we are being constantly reminded of through the news reports, newspapers, Internet, etc. is the issue of â€Å"global warming†. This is also known as â€Å"climate change†. Scientists use the name, or term global warming, so as to identify what types of climate change is actually happening i. e. , the planet is not getting cooler but warmer, ergo, global warming. One of the reasons they state this is happening is due to the excessive amount of a gas known as CO2. This is carbon dioxide, which is something that we, after taking in oxygen through the air, actually exhale. While CO2 is an odorless, tasteless, inert gas, it is also a byproduct of combustion, which is generally contributed to automobile emissions. However, while CO2 is a byproduct of automotive engine gasoline/diesel/natural gas combustion, it is also a byproduct of combustion associated with the burning of coal and oil to generate electricity and heat buildings. In fact, anything that burns will have CO2 as one of its emission byproducts. Because of the increase of automobiles, trucks, factories, etc. here is an excessive amount of carbon dioxide constantly being released into the atmosphere. Along with the deforestation of whole rainforests [note: trees absorb CO2 gases and convert CO2 into oxygen by the process of â€Å"photosynthesis†. This is one of God’s brilliant ideas for replenishing the oxygen we use. However, by cutting down all the trees in the forest, we re destroying the earth’s Co2 converter], Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 7 and the combination of other greenhouse gases , which come from agricultural and industrial sources, global warming is the result. However, there is also another detrimental effect of having too much CO2 in the air that has to do with one’s respiratory health, and is known by a condition called hypoxia, or hypoxiation. [West, 1995 p. 22] This is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole, or region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. This is due to the fact that the body is deprived of oxygen because CO2 in the lungs is inhibited from being released, and so accumulates causing too much CO2 to be where oxygen needs to be, and therefore death ensues as a result. West, 1995 pp. 22]. The use of CO2 displacing oxygen is great for firefighting is actually a preferred fire extinguisher in place of chemical powder for distinguishing fires, but it’s no good for breathing. The world climate is changing because CO2 is in excess, and humans are the reason why it is so. So far we’ve looked at some causes of air pollution and how it can originate from one part of the the world an d through air currents effect everybody globally. But in discussing social psychology in the sustainable future air pollution is only one component of many. There are many environmental concerns for a sustainable future, which also include water pollution. Just as we need clean air to survive, so also we need clean water for both drinking and food. In actual fact, it is quite possible for a person to go many days and even weeks without food, but only a few days without water. Clean water is essential for drinking as well as sustaining aquatic and marine life in our rivers and oceans. However, with the high human demand for oil, environmental catastrophes and disasters such as the â€Å"Exxon-Valdez oil spill†off the coast of Alaska in 1989, and most recently the BP oil Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 8 spill of 2010, have polluted the life-sustaining ocean waters and left a path of ecological destruction, which much like the fallout from an nuclear bomb, may take forever, if ever, to recover. Even now as I write this, we’re told by BP officials and their advertising campaigns, that the waters in the Gulf are back to pre-oil spill status. However, a recent study reported by Brian Williams on NBC national news states that marine life such as dolphins are seriously ill and due to â€Å"health problems consistent with exposure to oil. Illness ranging from lung disease, kidney malfunctions and liver disease has been found throughout dolphin population which cause has been attributed to the ingesting of oil† [NBC nightly news March 23 2012]. Basically what we’re being told through the million-dollar advertising campaign by BP, is not true. We are still reaping the consequences caused by the massive oil spill where oil spewed out from the ground unrestrained for months. On top of water pollution, the sea is being devastated daily by the huge nets and â€Å"Longlines† of commercial fishing vessels. Longline fishing is a commercial fishing technique. It uses a long line called the main line which can be up to 50 miles long, with thousands of baited hooks attached at intervals of approximately every 20 yards. Hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks can hang from a single line. Although â€Å"Longliners† commonly target tuna, cod, halibut, unfortunately a baited hook is not very selective and many other species are caught and killed inadvertently. This is very troublesome, especially for those animals, mammals, and fish species that are on the endangered list, i. e. The Leatherback Sea Turtle. [Seaturtles. org 2003] Can you imagine a 50 mile long fishing line with corks set at every 20 yards, or huge Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 8 dragnets, scraping the bottom of the sea for its fish, crap, shrimp and other marine life. This is all done to fulfill the growing populations appetite for seafood. Yet he growing need for bigger harvest is only one part of this very important ecological problem. Another part is the damage that is caused by the implements used in harvesting. I have personally seen the damage to the bottom of the sea caused by the nets being used to harvest fish from along the bottom of the sea beds. These nets are called â€Å"drag-nets† for good reason, as they scrape the bottom of the ocean’s floor so that nothing escapes. As they scrape along the bottom of the sea, they â€Å"drag† every kind of a marine life you can imagine into the net. The ocean floor then looks like it’s just been â€Å"plowed†. Thus, these â€Å"drag-nets† leave behind a path of destruction in their wake, by destroying all aquatic plants, and marine life forms and the environment in which they live. Another issue that is caused by fishing trawlers using dragnets, is waste. Nets are by no means † selective† as anything and everything gets caught in the net. Once these nets are hauled in, much of what is caught in the nets is not used, but thrown out for reasons of either being under size, wrong variety, or in some way illegal etc. Some of the seafood is kept, and the other is thrown out to die. The fish and marine species that are caught in the nets or on the long lines as a â€Å"byproduct†, sea turtles, including the extremely endangered â€Å"Leatherback sea turtle†, various sharks, including some species which are also endangered, and also others. Seeing there is no international laws to reduce â€Å"bycatch†, we can expect that many more species will be added to the endangered list as part of the long-term decline, caused by these devastating fishing practices. So apart from destroying the environment which sustains our fish and marine life in our oceans, rivers and waters through pollution, waste and harvesting practices, we continued the Psychology and Sustainable Future 9 devastation by â€Å"overfishing† the waters to to the extent that fish that were once found in abundance 50 years ago, are now at the point of extinction and have been placed on the endangered list. Two of the fish species I would like to talk about here were, up till recently, very common. One is the Atlantic cod, and the other the Giant Bluefin Tuna. These two fish species once abundantly populated the Atlantic Ocean until the implementation of gill nets, drag nets, and now the dreaded long-lines of commercial fishing vessels. In a relatively short amount of time, the use nets and long lines have devastated the cod and tuna populations worldwide through â€Å"overfishing†. Even though size limits and harvesting amounts have been supposedly set by international bodies, Atlantic Cod, Bluefin Tuna, and many other fish species are â€Å"under the gun†, and may never recover, especially the majestic bluefin tuna, which is much coveted by â€Å"sushi chefs† and is considered a delicacy in Japan. Maybe it is for this reason that Japan, under the guise of supposedly abiding by the international fishing laws, have reportedly and consistently ignored the international laws for size limits and harvesting amounts. Through their longline fishing vessel fleet have continued at a ever increasing rate to catch bluefin tuna, to the point that they, could be considered to be the major contributing factor, as to why this fish species is numerically declining to a point of having to be put on the endangered fish species list. [Glover, Charles. The End of the Line. 2008]. It is a well-known fact that the Mitsubishi Corporation. Not only owns several long line ships which go out to sea for months at a time and don’t come back until their freezes are all full of bluefin tuna, but is the major purchaser of bluefin tuna. As well as fishing for bluefin tuna with their own fishing vessels. They have also been known to purchase as much bluefin tuna as they Social Psychology in the Sustainable Future 10 can, from other fishing vessels. These vessels are known as â€Å"Pirate Fishing Vessels†, ignore international fishing laws and catch all they can in what you might call an â€Å"undercover operation†. These pirate fishing vessels have, within the past 10 years, come under a lot of scrutiny by the Greenpeace organization: who sail the seas searching for these pirate fishing vessels so as to â€Å"catch them in the act. † Of illegal fishing, netting, long lining etc. [Greenpeace. org 2011]. Although many nations, including the United States, supposedly participate as international management bodies to maintain global tuna populations, the species continues to decline at an alarming rate and are now on top of the endangered species list because it’s numbers have depleted to such a point that it may never be able to recover. As you can tell air and water pollution combined with overfishing is a concern of mine, mainly because I see it is preventable, but for the selfish, self-centered, all-consuming greed of people from all walks of life I could continue on for quite some time, however I must bring this article assignment to a conclusion by talking about causes of environmental damage. As much as we like to blame tornadoes and hurricanes for most of the environmental damage, the biggest cause of environmental damage is man himself. Mankind is now the number one cause of all the destruction happening on Earth. We are the major cause of environmental disasters, beginning with the industrial exploitation of the resources of the Earth, which has become especially bad since the population of the Earth has trippled in the last fifty years to a point which, even with more efficient means of distribution, there is simply not enough food to go around. Obviously the reasons for the possible future scarcity of food, water, among other things, is the wasteful lifestyles that we have become accustomed to, especially here in the United States. All you need to do is look around in any restaurant here in the United States and see the huge Social Psychology and a Sustainable Future 11 amounts of food being thrown out in the trashcan while people on the other side of the world starve. It’s been noted in the book, exploring social psychology by David G Myers, that the human demand for things such as land, timber, fish, and fuels is increasingly exceeding the Earth’s regenerating capacity. [Myers, 2009 p. 378-379]. My point is this, with the present consumption of resources by our, wasteful habits and devastating harvesting techniques, coupled with the destined growth of population, further pollution, global warming, and environmental destruction, seem inevitable unless there is change. For the average American who lives with luxuries unknown by even royalty just a century ago, our lifestyle of unrestrained, unbridled, ever wanting more consumerism will be brought to a screeching halt unless there is change. Let’s face it our wasteful lifestyles cannot continue forever. For beyond the sunny skies of comfort and convenience. Dark clouds of environmental disaster at gathering. Sciences have accredited this coming ecological, environmental disaster to increasing population and increasing consumption. [Myers, 2009 p377]. I come to this conclusion; due to my observations of the wasteful practices I see around me every day of my life here in the United States I offer this small yet effective illustration of the environmental conservation. In Australia where I was raised, we grew up with â€Å"tank water. † Where you rely on the rain to fill a tank that is used for your drinking water, bathing, and bathroom uses etc. Under these conditions you learn to conserve and not waste water in every way possible. One of the ways I taught my children to conserve water was not to leave the tap running when they were brushing their teeth. They were instructed to turn the tap on to wet the brush, then turn the tap off while they apply the toothpaste to the brush and brush their teeth. After they had brush their teeth, they could then turn the tap on to rinse out their mouth and clean their toothbrush. Idiosyncratic? Not really. Just letting my children learn not to waste water and to appreciate the God-given resources we have available to us.

Differentiating Between Market Structures

Public goods are goods from which the whole community can take benefit without the need of purchasing them. Private goods on contrast are ones from which the public can only take benefit by purchasing them. And it holds no external benefit for others. Public goods are more to do with government actions, while markets can efficiently allocate private goods. Ten loaves of bread can be divided in many ways but others cannot take benefit of the loaf I eat. I pay for it and thus only I can benefit from it as it’s a private good.On the other hand national defense once provided, affects everyone equally. Nothing would change the amount of national security being provided. It’s the same for all (Blurt it, 2009). Common resources are goods that are rival but not excludable. This means that the fishes in the ocean for example are rivalries because when a person catches the fish, there are fewer fish for the next person to catch whereas they aren’t excludable because it is difficult to stop people from fishing. Public goods and common resources are both available to all.Natural monopoly exists as a result of high fixed costs operating in an industry. It’s a situation where for technical reasons there cannot be more than one provider of a good. Public utilities are usually considered to be natural monopolies. Basically, private goods are those that are excludable and rival both. Public goods are which are neither excludable nor rival. Common resources are rival but not excludable and lastly the natural monopolies consist of goods that are excludable but not rival.The demand and supply of labor are determined in labor market. The participants in the labor market are workers. Workers supply labor to firm in exchange for wages. Firms demand labor from workers in exchange for wages. The labor demand is the amount of labor a firm is willing to employ at a given point in time. This type of demand may not necessarily be in long-run equilibrium and is d etermined by the real wage, this labor is paid willingly by the firms and the amount of labor the workers are willing to supply at that wage.The labor supply in a market is the number of workforce available or the human resources in a particular labor market. The supply of labor is the number of hours the workers work at a given real wage rate. An increased wage rate increases the number of income earned and increase the opportunity costs (Cliff Notes, n. d. ). Supply and demand curves shift and intersect. Where they meet is current labor equilibrium. The labor equilibrium is where the demand for labor and the supply of labor are equal. Labor demand curve shifts with changes in booms, recessions, and productivity etc.Supply curve shifts with things such as increase in working population, decrease in non-work benefit etc. An increase in labor demand results in an increase in both the equilibrium wage and the equilibrium level of employment. A reduction in it results in a decrease in both the equilibrium wage and the equilibrium level of employment. An increase in labor supply whereas results in a lower equilibrium wage, but an increased equilibrium level of employment. Conversely, a reduction in labor supply results in a higher equilibrium wage but a lower equilibrium level of employment. Differentiating Between Market Structures Kudler Fine Foods is an organization that offers gourmet foods and wines to the San Diego Metropolitan area. The organization currently has three locations (La Jolla, Del Mar, and Encinitas). Kudler Fine Foods stocks its fresh bakery, fresh produce, fresh meats and seafood, condiments and packaged foods, and cheeses and specialty dairy departments with local and imported goods. Kudler Fine Foods’ motto is Shopping the World for the Finest Foods and its mission statement is Kudler Fine Foods is committed to providing our customers with the finest selection of the very best foods and wines so that your culinary visions can come true.Both Kudler’s motto and mission statement speak to the organizations passion of wanting to provide only the very best to their customers. In reviewing Kudler Fine Foods’ information, the organization appears to be competing quite well in the marketplace. The financials portion of Kudler’s strategic plan show the organization stay ing on the positive side of the profit margin despite only four months out of the year of above average sales. Also noted in the strategic plan are every store that in some way are similar to Kudler Fine Foods. These stores are more focused on supplying their customers with one or two services.Because Kudler Fine Foods carries a larger variety of items, these stores only pose a small threat, if any, to Kudler Fine Foods. Kudler Fine Foods does plan to close one of their current locations and open a store in another location but this is not because of competition, rather a smaller customer base. Kudler Fine Foods’ marketing overview shows an aggressive plan on how the organization will change certain aspects in different areas of the company. There is plan for a new frequent shopper program, which is nontraditional in a sense and will give customers rewards instead of discounted prices.Ideas on how to expand the organizations services to for its customers increase revenue as w ell as how to increase efficiency and cut costs for the company are also mentioned. The expansion of services will include offering parties in the store to teach the consumer on how to prepare properly gourmet dishes using items sold at the store locations. These sessions will be conducted be celebrity chef, food experts, and others. Merchandise selection and pricing is also addressed in the marketing overview.Providing total customer satisfaction by way of constantly introducing new food items is the focus on how to accomplish this task. The marketing surveys for Kudler Fine Foods shows an average of about 71% of customers shopping at the Kudler Fine Foods to be satisfied all around. However, the customer satisfaction rate did drop by 1. 02% from 2011 to 2012. Although a one percent drop in customer satisfaction is not largely significant, if the issues in which the drop is associated with are not addressed, Kudler Fine Foods can expect a bigger drop every year as customer find new er stores to shop at.Looking more closely at the surveys, they focused on the stores hours, atmosphere and decor, selection of products, whether the merchandise was a good value for the money, attractiveness on how the merchandise is displayed, satisfaction with the purchased merchandise, if the customer service representatives were courteous and knowledgeable, and the customers over-all satisfaction with the store. Although most of the areas the surveys touched on showed a customer satisfaction rate of 70% or more, there were a few areas that were at a satisfaction rate in the 60% range.However, the survey results do show one area in which the customers were more dissatisfied than satisfied in both 2011 and 2012. This area was whether the merchandise sold was a good value for the money. In 2011, 58. 22% of customers were dissatisfied in this area. That number went up to 58. 83% in 2012. Although not a large increase in percentage, this still does reflect the dissatisfaction rate in this area is climbing every year. Kudler Fine Foods organization appears to fall under the monopolistic competition market structure.First, in the strategic plan it states â€Å"Kathy Kudler is the vision behind the organization. She intends to grow and expand the business for 10 – 15 years, at which time she will reach retirement age. Her intent is to sell the entire organization at that time and no longer be involved in the operation†. This signifies that there is an easy entry and exit in this type of market, which is a feature of a monopolistic competition market structure. Second, in the Competitive Analysis section of the strategic plan it lists multiple stores in the same area as the Kudler Fine Foods location are and sell similar products.However, since the products being sold at these other stores are not exactly equal in brand and quality as what Kudler Fine Foods offers, this also points to the organization as being a monopolistic competition market structu re. Although Kudler Fine Foods is defined as a monopolistic competition type market structure, it does not fully fall under the same set of rules that a full monopoly type organization has. For instance, Kudler Fine Foods can set prices for the products it sells because its competition only offers similar products rather than exact product.However, if Kudler Fine Foods sets its prices too high, its customers have the option to shop for similar products elsewhere where the price is more to their liking. Kudler Fine Foods must find the precise price where it can maximize profits but not run their supply to low where the run the risk of not being able to meet the customers’ demands. Once Kudler Fine Foods finds the correct equilibrium price, it can expect to see long-term profits. Some recommendations of competitive strategies for Kudler Fine Foods would be to continue to offer new products to their customers on a regular basis.Offering new products that competitors do not offer will ensure that Kudler Fine Foods controls that portion of the market. Another recommendation for Kudler Fine Foods would be to investigate and determine why eight months out of the year their profits are lower than the other four months. After concluding why this is, Kudler Fine Foods should proceed with a more aggressive ad campaign, initiate special product pricing, and any other strategies to increase their profits in these low performing months.A company comparable to Kudler Fine Foods would be Williams-Sonoma. With 252 locations that span 45 states, four provinces, and two countries, the Williams-Sonoma organization is enormously larger than Kudler Fine Foods, but offers the same type of products. These products range from organic and gourmet foods and wines and high quality and high priced utensils, cookware, bakeware, and many other items needed to produce a gourmet meal.

Application Of Types Of Lubricant

Application Of Types Of Lubricant A lubricant is a substance (often a liquid) introduced between two moving surfaces to reduce the friction between them, improving efficiency and reducing wear. They may also have the function of dissolving or transporting foreign particles and of distributing heat. Basically there are many types of lubricants; solid lubricant, liquid lubricant and gaseous lubricant. They have their own purpose and application. They are as follows: Purposes: Almost all the Lubricants perform the following key functions. Keep moving parts apart Reduce friction Transfer heat Carry away contaminants often it is made from a mineral oil and a soap. It may be applied in various ways: by packing enclosed parts with it, by pressing it onto moving parts from an adjacent well, by forcing it through grease cups by a spring device, and by pumping it through pressure guns. Solid lubricants are especially useful at high and low temperatures, in high vacuums, and in other applications where oil is not suitable; co mmon solid lubricants are graphite and molybdenum disulfide. Application of Liquid Lubricants Liquid lubricants may be characterized in many different ways. One of the most common ways is by the type of base oil used. Following are the most common types. Lanolin (wool grease, natural water repellant) Water Mineral oils Vegetable (natural oil) Synthetic oils Other liquids Mechanical devices to supply lubricants are called lubricators. A simple form of lubricator is a container mounted over a bearing or other part and provided with a hole or an adjustable valve through which the lubricant is gravity-fed at the desired rate of flow. Wick-feed oilers are placed under moving parts, and by pressing against them they feed oil by capillary action. Horizontal bearings are frequently oiled by a rotating ring or chain that carries oil from a reservoir in the bearing housing and distributes it along the bearing through grooves or channels. Bath oiling is useful where an oil-tight reservoir can be provided in which the bearing journal may be submerged; the pool of oil helps to carry away heat from contact surfaces. Splash-oiling devices are used where gears, bearings, or other parts contained in housings have moving parts that dip into the lubricant and splash it on the bearings or into distribution channels. Centralized oiling systems usually consist of a reservoir, pump, and tubes through which oil is circulated, while heaters or coolers may be introduced to change the viscosity of the lubricant for various parts of the system. Many oiling operations are automatically synchronized to start and stop with the machinery.

The Possibility of Ethical Leadership, Pro and Con Essay

The Possibility of Ethical Leadership, Pro and Con - Essay Example The pros and cons of ethical leadership are then dependent on belief systems, definitions and current trends in society. Understanding how these influence others within a society helps to create and define several aspects of those that are considering the practice of ethical leadership. The concept of ethical leadership is one which is currently considered a central issue among businesses, educational systems, institutions, politics and other areas where leaders are required. The history of ethical leadership begins with types of leadership values which have been defined in each of these segments. This is inclusive of characteristic tests, such as kindness, sobriety and altruism. This aspect of leadership is often referred to as the 10 commandments of leadership. The concept continues with values which individuals have when becoming leaders, including ethical and moral values of the individual as well as strategic positions which each use with personal and social behaviors that are a ble to influence those in the surrounding area. The ethical definition is one that is then based on how one interacts with others and the characteristics which an individual has to influence others that are within a specific social status (Ciulla, 2004). The defining points of leaders in any situation also give question to the pros of having the characteristics and ideologies of belief systems among leaders. ... This is combined with the ideology of personalism, in which the leader is able to become a servant leader while working with others. By having a sense of morality among those, there is the ability to transform and empower others that are in the surrounding environment while helping to change the understanding of the vision and the actions which are taken among those who are a part of the community and which have a personal relationship to those that are in power (Whetstone, 2002). Another aspect that is currently a part of ethical leadership is based on the ability to create standards for upholding representations of integrity, sincerity and value. Businesses have created a general stigma in relation to the ethics that are withheld at a global level, specifically through standards such as corporate leadership. The attribute of ethical leadership is based on upholding standards of morality in various regions, specifically which upholds corporate standards, laws of a given region and s ocial expectations within that region. The outcome that is expected is based on the capability of creating ethical responses and social reforms that offer fair and accurate information through reports and expectations that are from those in society. These may be based on trends and standards of institutions or may be associated with overcoming challenges that are within a given region (Laufer, 2003). Even though it is expected that ethical leadership is able to provide a value base for every realm of action, there are also several cons to the concept of morals in leaders. The first is based on the concept of authentic leadership. This states that there are leaders who comply with

French policing- Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes Essay

French policing- Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes - Essay Example The minister of Budget, Public Accounts and Civil Service controls the Directorate-General. The Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes is responsible for ensuring that fraud is detected and tackled, indirect taxes are levied accordingly, smuggling is prevented at borders, counterfeit products are detected and dealt with, drug trafficking is prevented, money laundering is stopped, and borders are thoroughly surveyed (IMF, 1996). The Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes in France serves the purpose of guarding the borders, guarding the coasts, handling custom services and conducting rescue operations in the sea. The history of French custom services can be traced back to the revolutionary period. France formed a military custom service responsible for fighting in major wars which included the First World War and the Franco-Prussian War. This custom service was referred to as the General Firm. The servicemen who served in this custom service were armed and they acted as frontier guards, as well as performing other functions related to para-military activities such as patrolling to prevent smuggling (IMF, 1996). During that time, custom service workers were divided into two groups, those working in brigades and those working in offices. Those working in brigades were well organized, armed, disciplined and operated along military lines. Those working in offices were given the same duties and respon sibilities as custom inspectors in other countries. Individual custom officers serving the customs department later on wore blue uniforms with red stripes on the trousers. Most of them were known to be former soldiers. The customs service of the military took part in the initial stages of the Second World War. However, after French was defeated, the service was disbanded and never reconstituted again. The custom service in France has been tasked with the responsibility of custom and immigration checks at certain

The wrong girl Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The wrong girl - Assignment Example Matt is surprised that he feels so passionately about Anna considering that he only met her a few weeks ago. Matt is pleased with himself for expressing his thoughts, so he decides to take a break by walking away to get a bite to eat. Matt completely forgets about the email that he had written for Anna. It turns out there was nothing much to eat at home, so he went out to the local burger restaurant. Matt is stressed out from his long day, so when he gets back home he wants to just sit in his room and chill. However, as soon as he walks into his room he tries to save his email for Anna but accidentally clicks the â€Å"send† button. Matt is immediately horrified with himself for what he has done because he was not ready to tell Anna how her felt about her yet. Matt spends a long time at his computer trying to undo his mistake, but he realizes that there is now nothing he can do about it. Matt did want to express his true feelings to Anna, but not like this. He wanted to do it in a romantic way that truly showed he cared about her. His email was very direct, and Anna may not like that. After spending a couple of hours fretting about his mistake, Matt decides that he has no choice but to delete the email. However, that only means one thing: he must delete the email from Anna's email account. Matt immediately packs up his things and sets out for Anna's house. He has never been to her house before, but he has a fairly good idea of where it is. The street that Anna lives on is dimly lit, with only one flickering light way off in the distance providing any sort of path along the roadside. Matt finally comes to what he believes to be Anna's house. He sees that the gate is locked, so he attempts to climb the fence. However, he gets the fright of his life when a huge dog begins to bark so loud that all the neighbors can hear it. Matt is concerned that someone might mistake him for a burglar, so he backs off for a while. It seemed a shame to come all this way only to turn back now. Matt has a light bulb moment about how to distract the dog. He still has some leftover hamburger from before, so he tosses it far away from the fence, giving himself long enough to climb over and make his way through a window. Having conquered the dog, the challenges don't stop there for Matt. He guesses that Anna's bedroom must be upstairs. However, Anna's grandmother is sleeping in the living room just in front of the stairs. He cannot seem to get past without disturbing her. Matt decides to take his shoes off so he can be as quite as possible. He manages to tiptoe his way up the stairs without getting noticed. Once up the stairs, Matt quickly locates Anna's room and finds the computer switched on. Once Matt logs onto Anna's email account, he has little difficulty deleting the email. However, just as he is doing this, Matt hears Anna's voice coming up the stairs. This sends Matt into a panic, as he is not sure how to explain himself for being in Anna's house, le t alone her bedroom! There is no place to hide, so Matt has no choice but to stand there like a man and accept the consequences. As Anna opens the door, Matt has a look of shock and horror on his face because he thinks he is about to be exposed. To his surprise, Anna does not seem to mind he is there; in fact, she walks straight up to Matt and plants a kiss on his cheek. Matt is consumed by a mix of emotions, but most of all he cannot believe what is really happening.

Case consruction studies for civil engineering Essay

Case consruction studies for civil engineering - Essay Example Twenty-four others were injured, including 11 first responders eight remained hospitalized, officials said. (FOXNEWS Monday, March 17, 2008). This was just another heart wrecking and most unwelcome accident that happened in the construction industry. In an era of highly advanced science and technology as of now, we expect that deaths caused due to accidents at work sites, should be the least ever but survey reports and statistics show an increase directly proportional to the advancement in science and technology applied in the construction and civil engineering sector worldwide. Statistics from the UK Health and Safety Executive show that on average one or two people are killed every week as a result of construction work. Occupational ill-health, which can accumulate over time, accounts for further loss of life. What is health and safety In simple terms, health and safety is about identifying risks and eliminating or controlling them to prevent accidents and occupational ill-health. Even though it's inevitable that no job is free from any occupational hazards, measures can adopted to minimize the risks by eliminating or controlling the factors that give rise to unnecessary ones. What are the risks Statistics show that people falling from heights and objects falling from heights and strik... onal health problems arise from chemical hazards, such as liquid, dusts, gasses and fumes, or physical hazards such as cold, heat, noise, vibration, ionizing radiation, compressed air, lasers and manual handling. Why are good health and safety processes important Accidents and ill-health have both a human cost and a financial cost. Lost time and materials, higher insurance premiums, compensation claims and possibly legal costs are the most obvious potential impacts. There are also indirect costs in terms of potential damage to reputation which can make it harder for a company to attract business or new employees or for a project to obtain funding. Good health and safety processes demonstrate respect for people whether they are employees, clients or local communities hosting a construction project. Long-term health effects are usually slower to be realized but the costs and long-term implications can be far more significant than accidents and should not be underestimated. Construction has one of the highest rates of accidents and incidences of ill-health of all employment sectors. High risk activities, poor training and inadequate safeguards all contribute. It need not be this way. There are measures that can be taken to minimize the risks. Constructing a health and safety policy and program: This is a simple but effective strategic framework: 1. POLICY 2. ORGANISING 3. PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION 4. MEASURING PERFORMANCE 5. REVIEWING PERFORMANCE Policy Every organization needs to draw up a statement of policy on how it will manage health and safety, including how responsibilities will be allocated. The policy should take into account the nature of the construction activities involved and the size of the organization. Organizing An adequately resourced and

Pulmonary Hypertension Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Pulmonary Hypertension - Essay Example Genetic factors may account for mutations in the blood vessels which may manifest in the increased prevalence of smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts in the walls of the blood vessels (Ali, Summer, and Levitzky, 2005). Pulmonary hypertension may also be caused by congenital heart defects like atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, and congenital heart problems which have left to right shunts (Ali, Summer & Levitzky, 2005). In instances when the pulmonary hypertension would worsen, the right-side pressure may overwhelm systemic pressure and â€Å"poorly oxygenated mixed venous blood bypasses the lungs and enters the systemic circulation, causing severe shunt-related hypoxemia† (Ali, Summer & Levitzky, p.129, 2005). Non-specific symptoms like dyspnea on exertion, fatigue, angina pectoris, and syncope (Ali, Summer & Levitzky, 2005). These are however symptoms which also apply to other cardiopulmonary disorders like ischemic and valvular heart disorder. Hoarseness is a symptom more specific to pulmonary hypertension because it is caused by compression of the recurrent laryngeal nerve due to the enlarged main pulmonary artery (Ali, Summer & Levitzky, 2005). In cases of cardiac overload, sodium and water retention increases under the influence of the aldosterone hormone. Sodium and water retention consequently manifests as volume overload causing distended neck veins (jugular vein distention), ascites, and leg edema. Other symptoms may include tachypnea, dizziness, apprehension, fear, persistent hypoxemia, excessive fatigue, and cyanosis (Canobbio, 2006). Dizziness, fatigue and syncope are largely due to insufficient cardiac output (Newman, 2008). Initial diagnostic tests may include chest x-ray, spirometry, ECG, and echocardiography, and CBC following a complaint of significant exertional dyspnea in patients who seem relatively

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Marketing Plan - Essay Example Moreover there is a feeling of belongingness for The Big Three among Americans. Hence the market is highly competitive. The report makes an attempt to develop a marketing plan that would help Toyota to regain its market share and become a market leader once again. A detailed analysis of the internal strengths and weakness, market scenario, competition analysis is done to identify the gap and accordingly new ways of meeting these gaps through an effective market plan is devised. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Toyota believes in the philosophy that it is as strong as its weakest supplier. Hence Toyota believes in building long term relationship with its supplier’s and also goes to the extent of providing support and technical guidance which promotes a â€Å"win-win† situation for both. Hence Toyota’s suppliers are always loyal and also strive to deliver the best quality of materials (Lean Enterprise Institute, 2006). Toyota does not change suppliers based on cost considerations because it upsets the entire working model of Toyota. Toyota’s success depends on strong alliances with its vendors. It is something that Toyota lives with every day (LaFlamme, n.d.). Bargaining Power of Buyers: Buyers in U.S. are very well informed about the automobile market and the latest cars. A wide variety of choices is available to the customer. Some of the big names include General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Hyundai, Mitsubishi etc. With information available easily in the internet customers can dictate terms. They can negotiate on price, mode of payment, more discounts on used cars, free accessories etc. Hence bargaining power of buyers is high (Gatton College of Business & Economics-a, n.d.). Industry Rivalry: US market has been dominated by the Big Three namely, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. In addition there are others like Nissan, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi and BMW having significant

Petitions of African Chiefs Essay Example for Free

Petitions of African Chiefs Essay 1. When the slave trade was abolished in certain regions of Africa, the Africans were forced to find other alternative sources of livelihood such as entering in a legitimate trade of shipping various products.     Ã‚  Instead of selling human beings as merchandise, the Africans accepted the timber trade when it was introduced by the Europeans.   However, when   the timber trade did not succeed, they turned to growing and exporting ground nuts and when this too did not come through, the Africans resorted to palm oil trading – the subject of King Ockiya’s letter to the Earl of Derby. 2. Since the abolition of the African slave trade, Africans having been trying to find other sources of income and livelihood.   Among such is the valued palm oil which they collected from the hinterlands.   However, greedy British traders wanted to bypass them and go directly to the source of these valued commodity.   Hence, the African leaders were asking the British to let them have their own source of livelihood, free of intervention from the Europeans who were already encroaching on their trading posts thereby stopping the African trade completely. The petitions and demands of the African leaders show how powerful the Europeans are that even building huts or places of abode are considered taxable.   Nonetheless, these ruthlessness of the Europeans paved the way for the Africans to wake up and saw all of these as an assault to their customs, livelihood and traditions. Lin’s Letter to Queen Victoria 1. The rise of the opium trade in China according to Lin has poisoned and injured its people.   The laws of the country have been disregard in lieu of the temptations and addiction of the opium drug. 1. Lin tries to convince Queen Victoria to stop the opium trade by appealing to their conscience and strict morality. He tries to emphasize that since opium is forbidden in Britain and brings harm to the British people, the Queen must condemn it as well especially its importation.   As Lin proudly said, China has only exported things that are beneficial to the people and opium is not one of them. By giving the impression that China only exports things that are beneficial, from which the world has undoubtedly benefited, Lin thinks that Queen Victoria and the rest of Britain might be convinced of his argument.   However, the tone of Lin’s letter is also threatening whereby he gives the appearance that China in consonance with its laws will not hesitate to execute anyone caught selling and using the prohibited drug. Hence, the response of the British will naturally be to disregard Lin and his contention, even get angry at such preposterousness.

Organisational Structure and Corporate Strategy of Toyota

Organisational Structure and Corporate Strategy of Toyota There are many factors other than organizational structure that have a significant bearing upon the performance of an organization. However, organizational structure is a particularly important aspect as, if properly designed, it allows the other aspects e.g. strategic work, to function properly. For example, Alfred D Chandler (in Foss, 1997) argues that firm structure follows strategy. That is not to say that, if an organization is inappropriately designed, it will not perform adequately (Walker, 1996). ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES All organized human activity give rise to two basic and differing requirements: the distribution of labour into various tasks to be performed, and the coordination of these tasks to complete the activity. The structure of an organization can therefore be defined merely as the sum total of the ways in which its labour is divided into distinct tasks and how its coordination is achieved amongst these tasks (Mintzberg, 1983). To design an effective organizational structure the elements of structure, (the organizations niche, how large it grows, and the methods used to produce) should be selected to achieve an internal consistency, as well as a basic stability with the organizations context (its size, its age, the kind of environment in which it functions, technical systems used and so on) (Mintzberg, 1983).Coordinating an organization engages a range of means. These can be referred to as coordinating mechanisms and are equally concerned with control and communication as coordination. Fiv e coordinating mechanisms appear to explain the basic ways in which organizations coordinate their work: mutual adjustment, direct supervision, standardization of work processes, standardization of work outputs, and standardization of worker outputs. Mutual adjustments realize the coordination of work by the simple process of informal communication. Meaning, the control of the work rests in the hands of the doers. Direct supervision attain coordination by having one person in charge for the work of others, issuing them instructions and monitoring their actions. Work can also be coordinated without mutual adjustment or direct supervision, through standardization. Workers that constantly work in a certain way and know what is expected, proceed accordingly. Work processes are standardized when the contents of work are specified, or programmed. Outputs are standardized when the results of the work, for example, the dimensions of the product or the performance, are specified. Skills and knowledge are standardized when the kind of training required to perform the work is specified. As organizational work turns into more complicated activities, the preferred means of coordination seems to shift from mutual adjustment to direct supervision to standardization, preferably of work processes, otherwise of outputs, or else of skills, finally reverting back to mutual adjustment (Mintzberg, 1983). As is illustrated in the figure above, Mintzberg (1983) illustrates and describes an organization in five basic parts: Strategic apex, techno structure, middle line, support staff and operating core. The strategic apex mission is to ensure that the organization serve its mission in an effective way, and also that it serve the needs of those who control or otherwise have power over the organization (its owners, government agencies, and unions of the employees). This involves three sets of duties. First, direct supervision, which is already discussed. To the degree that the organization relies on this mechanism of coordination, it is the managers of the strategic apex who affect it. They allocate resources, issue work orders, authorize major decisions, resolve conflicts, design and staff the organization, monitor employee performance, and motivate and reward employees. The second obligation is the management of the organizations relations with its environment such as negotiating major agreements, ceremonial activities and informs the organizations external stakeholders about the organizations activities. The third set of duties relates to the development of the organizations strategy. Strategy could be seen as an intervening force between the organization and its environment Formulating strategy entail many aspects as will be discussed more in further chapters. However, the managers of the strategic apex should develop an understanding for its environment and try to adapt the strategy to its strengths and needs. Yet, the process of strategy is rather complex and is not as cut and dried as it seems. What should be said is that he strategic apex typically has the most important role in the strategy process. In general the strategic apex takes the widest and most abstract, perspective of the organization. Work at this level is normally characterized by a minimum of repetition and standardization, considerable prudence, and relatively long decision making cycles. Mutual adjustment is a favoured mechanism for coordination among managers of the strategic apex itself (Mintzberg, 1983). The strategic apex is united to the operating core by the chain of middle line managers with recognized authority. This chain runs from the senior managers to the first-line supervisors, who have direct authority over the operators, direct supervision. Like the top manager, the middle manager is required to do more than simply engage in direct supervision. He also has boundary conditions to manage. Each middle line manager must maintain liaison contacts with other managers, analysts, support staffers, and outsiders whose work is mutually dependent with that of his own unit. The middle line manager, like the top manager, is concerned with formulating the strategy for his unit, although this strategy is, of course, significantly affected by the overall strategy. But managerial jobs shift in nature as they fall in the chain of authority. They become less abstract and comprehensive and more focused on the work flow itself (Mintzberg, 1983). In the techno structure the analysts is found who serve the organization by affecting the work of others. The analysts are separated from the direct operative work flow but they may design it, plan it, change it, or train the people to do it, but they do not do it themselves consequently, the techno structure is only effective when it can use its analytical techniques to make the work of others in the organization more efficient. In a fully developed organization, the techno structure might perform at all levels of the hierarchy. At the lowest level of the manufacturing firm, analysts standardize the operating work flow by scheduling production, carrying out time and method studies of the operators work, and instituting systems of quality control. At middle levels they try to standardize the intellectual work of the organization. At the strategic apex, they design strategic planning systems and develop financial systems to control the goals of major units (Mintzberg, 1983). If one gl ance at almost any large organization, a large number of units is exposed, all specialized, and exist to provide support to the organization outside its operating workflow. Those make up the support staff. None is a part of the operating core. Nevertheless, each gives indirect support to these basic missions. CORPORATE STRATEGY The operating core of the organization encompasses those members that perform the basic work related directly to the production of products and services. The operators perform four prime functions: They secure the inputs for production, they transform the inputs into outputs, they distribute the outputs and they provide the direct support to the input, transformation, and output functions. The operating core is the heart of an organization, the part that produces the essential outputs that keeps it alive. Yet, all organizations need the administrative components described above as well (Mintzberg, 1983). Centralized- and decentralized organization The terms centralization and decentralization have historically been used in many different ways and with different definitions. This thesis discusses the issue of centralization and decentralization in terms of decision making power in organizations. When all power for decision making rests at a single point in the organization, eventually in the hands of one person, one shall call the structure centralized; to the degree that the power is dispersed among many people, one shall call the structure decentralized. As could be understood, centralization and decentralization should not be thought of as absolutes, but rather as two ends of a scale (Mintzberg, 1983). Mintzberg (1983) separates the two terms in vertical and horizontal centralization and decentralization. Vertical decentralization is concerned with the delegation of decision making power down the chain of authority, from the strategic apex into the middle line. Horizontal decentralization includes the transfer of power from managers to non-managers, more exactly from line managers to staff managers, analysts, support specialists, and operators. Strategy In the complex world of organizations it must be stated that there is no best way to generate strategy and strategic management, and nor is there any one best form of an organization (Mintzberg, Ghoshal and Quinn, 1998). The context in which the strategy is set is therefore of great interest. Strategy context and content has been discussed and considered of by mankind, since organizations exist to fulfil a purpose and to create value (Schilling, 2005, De Witt Meyer, 2005). Strategies are then employed to guarantee that the organizational purpose is realized (De Witt Meyer, 2005). In the generic literature a split is made between the strategy analysis stage, the strategy formulation stage, and the strategy implementation stage (Thompson Strickland, 2001; Mintzberg, Ghoshal and Quinn, 1998; De Witt Meyer, 2005). In the analysis stage, strategists recognize the opportunities and threats in the environment, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. Next, in the formulation stage, strategists decide which strategic options that are obtainable to them, evaluate each and select one. Lastly, in the implementation stage, the selected strategic option is translated into a number of actual activities, which are then carried out (De Witt Meyer, 2005). Those di fferent stages will be discussed and explained further in the sections below. However, as the thesis focus on implementing strategies the analysis and formulating section  will not be as vast as the implementing section. TOYOTA Toyota management leads the way in many aspects of business strategy and strategic management and numerous companies have followed the lead of the Toyota business model. A key architect of the Toyota management style was Taiichi Ohno, who developed the Toyota Production System. Ohno summed up his theory behind the management of Toyota thus: I feel strongly that the word work refers to the production of perfect goods only. If a machine is not producing perfect goods, it is not working. On that philosophy the Toyota Production System was built, in which sensors halted machines when they started to malfunction. Those machines were operated by the workforce who could likewise halt the production line when imperfections occurred. The Production System adhered to the Toyota corporate strategy of cutting waste, listing specific advice such as: Cut down on the distance that things move throughout the plant. Another example of this advice, representative of Toyota strategic management and its attitude towards its workforce is: Utilise the inherent talent of your workers. Toyota business strategies include the development of hybrid cars. Part of Toyota strategic planning is developing a premium position in hybrids in tune with present consumer values. Seisei Kato of Toyota summed up a further example of the Toyota leadership model by saying: Never fail to reward merit, but never let a fault go unremarked. All the Japanese triumphs were personified by Toyota, including, of course, the worldwide drive to setting new standards of production engineering that left Detroit far behind. The foundation of the engineers breakthroughs was quality. Americans had seen the promise of a new philosophy of raising quality standards by systematic approaches. The pioneering hero, W. Edwards Deming, was credited with exporting these new ideas to Japan. They were just as valid for US use and would have won the same painless rewards. But Detroit didnt want to know a wilful ignorance repeated time and again in industry after industry. The Toyota Production System became the world standard, bringing fame to a simple engineer named Ohno whose pupils demonstrated their methods without any fear of successful imitation from the West. It was easier; it seemed, to write off the Japanese revolutions as products of a different culture which was inimical to Western ways. That was nonsense. The cultural advantage, put simply, lay in defining what needed to be done and working out better systems of doing it. That included rigorous methods for checking that the task was indeed better designed and done. At Toyota, the recalls of cars and vans to check on faulty brakes and accelerators represent a staggering failure of this basic philosophy. There must have been a breakdown in the mental conditioning at the Toyota factories, resulting in design and production faults that were as systemic as the traditional hit-or-miss performance of the Western rivals. Since these are beset by troubles enough of their own, such as GMs sorry bankruptcy, there is no room for self-congratulation. Toyotas fall isnt just a Japanese incident, but rather a sign that management in general is failing to deliver. If the management knew about the problems, did it fail to identify the root causes? If the causes had been identified correctly, was the reaction delayed while the company ignored the damage to its market status? If Toyota was capable of timely repair, why wasnt this put in hand? Remember the simple problem-solving rules: Identify the task that needs to be done. Work out systematically better ways of doing it. Employ rigorous methods for checking that the task is better designed and executed. The Toyota affair emphasises some basic points of management. First, any company, no matter how large and how famous for its merits, can stumble into grave error. Second, damaged pride and nervous fear make it difficult to correct the error in good time. Third, management decisions should normally never be taken on the basis of profit forecasts alone. RED CROSS Positioning We will make sure key people and groups know what we do and why and how they can help. By investing more in promoting our work, we will encourage beneficiaries, volunteers, the government, service commissioners, potential supporters, educators and the media to understand us, work with us or join us. We will also speak out more and advocate for change that will improve the lives of vulnerable people and promote our mission. Organisational development We will ensure those who use our services, and who support us in other ways, trust us and have confidence in how we work. We need to clearly demonstrate the difference we make to the lives of people vulnerable to crisis. It is important to us to be accountable to our beneficiaries, supporters and partners. Through doing this we will listen and learn from our beneficiaries, supporters and each other, and continually improve what we do. Funding the strategy We will maximise our net income as cost-effectively as possible. Every donation we receive strengthens our ability to respond to emergencies and help people prepare for and recover from crises. We will inspire more people to support our work by giving what they can, especially through regular donations, bequests, and the relationships we build with trusts and companies. Our charity shops will continue to provide a place for people to donate and shop on the high street and support our work at the same time. There are a variety of perspectives, models and approaches used in strategic planning. The way that a strategic plan is developed depends on the nature of the organizations leadership, culture of the organization, complexity of the organizations environment, size of the organization, expertise of planners, etc. For example, there are a variety of strategic planning models, including goals-based, issues-based, organic, scenario (some would assert that scenario planning is more of a technique than model), etc. Goals-based planning is probably the most common and starts with focus on the organizations mission (and vision and/or values), goals to work toward the mission, strategies to achieve the goals, and action planning (who will do what and by when). Issues-based strategic planning often starts by examining issues facing the organization, strategies to address those issues and action plans. Organic strategic planning might start by articulating the organizations vision and values, an d then action plans to achieve the vision while adhering to those values. Some planners prefer a particular approach to planning, e.g., appreciative inquiry. Some plans are scoped to one year, many to three years, and some to five to ten years into the future. Some plans include only top-level information and no action plans. Some plans are five to eight pages long, while others can be considerably longer. Quite often, an organizations strategic planners already know much of what will go into a strategic plan (this is true for business planning, too). However, development of the strategic plan greatly helps to clarify the organizations plans and ensure that key leaders are all on the same script. Far more important than the strategic plan document, is the strategic planning process itself. Major differences in how organizations carry out the various steps and associated activities in the strategic planning process are more of a matter of the size of the organization than its for-profit/non-profit status. Small nonprofits and small for-profits tend to conduct somewhat similar planning activities that are different from those conducted in large organizations. On the other hand, large nonprofits and large for-profits tend to conduct somewhat similar planning activities that are different from those conducted in small organizations. (The focus of the planning activities is often different between for-profits and nonprofits. Nonprofits tend to focus more on matters of board development, fundraising and volunteer management. For-profits tend to focus more on activities to maximize profit.) Also, in addition to the size of the organization, differences in how organizations carry out the planning activities are more of a matter of the nature of the participants in the organization than its for-profit/non-profit status. For example, detail-oriented people may prefer a linear, top-down, general-to-specific approach to planning. On the other hand, rather artistic and highly reflective people may favour of a highly divergent and organic approach to planning. CONCLUSION Corporate Strategy is concerned with the overall purpose and scope of the business to meet stakeholder expectations. This is a crucial level since it is heavily influenced by investors in the business and acts to guide strategic decision-making throughout the business. Corporate strategy is often stated explicitly in a mission statement. Operational Strategy is concerned with how each part of the business is organised to deliver the corporate and business-unit level strategic direction. Operational strategy therefore focuses on issues of resources, processes, people etc.

Essay on Jealousy in Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and Winters Tale

Jealousy in Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and Winter's Tale    The common thread of jealousy ties together the main plots in Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and The Winter's Tale. In each of these plays, the main conflict is centered around some form of jealousy. While jealousy is the mutual, most prominent cause for turmoil in these plays, its effects on the characters, and ultimately the plots, is different in each case. This difference has much to do with the way in which the concept of jealousy is woven into each play, and what it is intended to accomplish. In Othello, the jealousy factor is deliberately introduced by Iago, with the precise intention of destroying those whom he feels have wronged him. Since it is intentionally used with malicious intent, it has catastrophic results. Iago himself is jealous of Cassio; he feels that he should have been appointed to Cassio's position by Othello, and since he wasn't he hates both Othello and Cassio. Iago channels the jealousy that Othello and Cassio have made him feel, and uses it against them in a hateful plan. Iago starts the process by planting the seeds of jealousy in Othello's mind, telling him Desdemona has been unfaithful. He then proceeds to cultivate the growing jealousy by feeding it with more lies, and twisting innocent events into situations which would serve his needs (his telling Othello that Cassio and Desdemona met in secret, and convincing him that Desdemona vied for Cassio's reinstatement as lieutenant because she loved him, for example). When the seeds had flourished, and Iago had succeeded in driving Othello mad with jealousy, Iago harvested his crop and convinced Othello to kill Desdemona. Othello's killing Desdemona would both rid Iago of Desde... ...l effects, and when the mistake of jealousy was revealed the problem was solved and every one could be happy. In each of these plays, jealousy is used as a means of producing a conflict and creating trouble in the lives of the characters. The jealousy in each play, although it is introduced in a different way, always involves a man being jealous of his wife (or fiancà ©e, in Hero's case) being unfaithful with another man. Whether he misinterpret something he sees, or believe slanderous lies, the man's jealousy builds until it forces him to do something to punish his unfaithful woman. At the end of each play, the man is made to realize his mistake, but sometimes the damage can not be undone. Jealousy is the main crisis in each type of play - tragedy, trage-comedy, and comedy - but its results lie strictly in the way it is introduced, and the intended severity.   

Evaluation of Blood Brothers, by Willy Russell Essay -- Blood Brothers

Evaluation of Blood Brothers On 3rd March I went to the Phoenix Theatre in West End to watch a production of one of Willy Russell's greatest plays, Blood Brothers. â€Å"Blood Brothers† is set in Liverpool in the early eighties. The play follows the life of two main characters: Eddie Lyons and Mickey Johnstone, who are twins split at birth. In Blood Brothers the characters fall into two stereotypical groups: the working class and the upper-middle class. The reason the play focuses on the difference in class is that the play was written in the reign of Margaret Thatcher who told the people of Great Britain to look after themselves, and that there is no such thing as a society. Willy Russell was against this way of thinking and wrote plays opposing it. Mrs. Johnstone is a typical working class woman who lives on her own and spends more money than she earns. Mrs. Lyons is a typical upper-middle class woman, married and doesn't want her possessions being contaminated by the filth of the world, the working class. Mickey, the twin that was kept by Mrs. Johnstone, is an archetypical lower class boy, dirty ripped clothes and a mouth like a sewer. Edward however is a stereotypical upper-middle class boy, smart, clean uniform that uses correct English grammar. These are the four main characters, although there is one more character that plays a significant role in the musical, the narrator. The job of the narrator in this play is to set the scene and bring aspects of superstition into the play. He does this through his songs and his dialogue. It seems slightly ironic that although the Johnstone family is very poor they start off cheerfully, compared to the Lyons who are rich and never seem happy. This mak... ...projection of the tree on the floor. At the tensest moments the lights dimmed and a spotlight was put on the narrator to add dramatic tension. The actors worked very well, the fact that adult actors played children characters was barely noticeable. This is probably due to the costumes that the actors wore. The actors that played the two boys I feel were especially good because not only did they have to look different ages throughout the play but they acted the ages as well. I feel this musical as a whole was excellent, there was very good uses of the dramatic techniques and staging techniques used by the Phoenix theatre. Overall I enjoyed the play and would recommend it to people that enjoy plays where they don’t have to follow on every detail in order to understand it. The way the narrator ties everything together makes the story line make sense.

A Warning to Society :: English Literature Essays

A Warning to Society Fahrenheit 451 Essay--A warning to society Social Satire: â€Å"trenchant wit, irony, or sarcasm used to expose and discredit vice or folly†, as defined by Merriam-Webster Online. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury uses social satire in a most direct way to expose censorship today. When Bradbury wrote this book, censorship was just creeping into the lives of humans, and today censorship has built a protective bubble around everything we do. Fahrenheit 451’s satire of censorship is aimed at American media and mind, American society, and our entertainment. The medium in Bradbury’s book is the epitome of a controlling media. Due to books being burned and forgotten, the government is capable of changing the outcome of history by rewriting it; therefore, history can be whatever the media want it to be. America’s government is autonomous in that they are afforded the same liberties as the free media. If the media get their hands on a certain story, they can change or omit important details that affect the story. The media of our time can censor what they want, and moreover, control the minds of American citizens. In Bradbury’s world, the media is so powerful that they burned books to oppress any uncontrolled thoughts or subliminal messages. As a result, people are then forced to stop reading. Books are condensed into smaller and smaller pieces, removing all â€Å"unimportant† information in today’s world, and the general public doesn’t care. Many pieces of literature in our world are now abridged; people can not get the full meaning of these books by reading a much shorter version. In Bradbury’s book, both the media and government were guilty of censoring books to the point of nonexistence; the written word had no substantial meaning. School is described by Clarisse as a place where one can’t think. With our society’s increasing stupidity, how long will it be before our books become burned? Much of American society today is focused on what we censor, and we are so worried about the small things in life that we don’t focus on the big things. In the land of Fahrenheit 451 the people of the society focus on the burning of books, and they don’t seem to care that the overall quality of life is declining in their society. Parallels can be drawn with our world today. For example, the government has groups specifically focusing on the censorship of media.

Dillon V. Champion Jogbra Case Essay

Going green is the new trend now in corporate America. Everyone wants to save in some type of way. Human Resource Management is one of the biggest changes in corporate America today with HRM being the main source for all employees. When someone is employed majority of the time they have to deal with the HR department and this is where they fill out all of their forms and paperwork to make sure that they are legally able to work in United States. It is also where they go to fill out their tax forms and sometimes this is where they do their initial orientation. Times are changing and the changes could be great but then can also cause disappointment. The technological change going on today is the movement from paper to all electronic submissions. Some at first thought this to be a great initiative but later seen that I could cause problems. Take Cari Willis the manager of HR e-business solutions at IBM, she stated that it was absolutely a breakthrough for the HR department, but since the breakthrough happened it got harder to provide self-service in order to meet the needs of more than 140,000 active employees and 116,000 U.S. retirees (Greengard). IBM’s human resource department is almost all electronic today allowing for electric benefits enrollment, succession planning, e-recruiting, and online learning. Even though this new revolution has dropped cost and depleted paperwork there still needs to be someone who can manage the task most efficiently (Greengard). There is a lot that goes into building an e-procurement system; one had to determine what can all be included such as payroll, benefits, and training. You also would need to distinguish what type of access to have available to employees, whether they can access at work or at home. There is now a product out called TrainingNet which is a good example of how an e-marketplace can transform business to business transactions. TrainingNet aggregates various types of instruction such as classroom,  on-site, online, books, videos, and CD-ROMs from over 1,200 providers (Greengard). This hub allows employees to access courses online without having to sit in a classroom with an instructor. Genzyme Corp, a biotechnology firm started using this system in 1999 to move towards e-HR. Before turning to this new revolution they had their own training program that became costly and inefficient (Greengard). Senior vice president of HR Russell Campanello stated that employees from 20 Genzyme offices around that country had to fly into corporate every time that they need instructions (Greengard). The site also allows HR to monitor how employees click through the site and also allows for analysis of what training is needed. HRM has also gone electronic for recruiting as well. Companies are now able to post positions on websites like Monster.com or Indeed.com. These websites also allow perspective employees to apply directly for posted positions. Different websites also give people the opportunity to post their resumes and employers can contact people based on their qualifications. This revolutionary change is great but is it taking away from putting in hard work to find a job. One can sit at home and do nothing and get calls, when years ago you had to get up, get dressed, and go job searching. Now a job can come knocking at your door literally. Lawson Software vice president Larry Dunican believes that this revolution has only begun stating â€Å"Dramatic changes are a foot in the way HR users interact with each other and the external buying community, thanks to the evolution of e-business (Greengard). He also states that it will not be easy and that HR departments need to be aware fully of this new economy, they must understand that there would be new setups of portals and new tools that have to be established for this new evolution to work for them. Here are some ways that human resource can benefit through electronic systems. Portals can create a single interface for accessing key date. Online recruiting eliminates paperwork and can speed up the hiring process. Having self service can automate record keeping. Electronic payroll cuts cost. Electronic travel and expense reporting will cut out paper usage and speed up reimbursements. Online retirement planning can map out employees  future thus eliminating paperwork and questions (Greengard). In conclusion it seems that the technological change in HRM is moving in the right direction. Everyone wants to be able to do things simpler and faster. My job allows for us to log into a system and view our paycheck two days prior to payday, which is nice. The transformation will take a while for some companies, but this is just the start and in some years to come all companies will be forced to move to e-HR just to keep up with the competition.

Coeducation: 2nd Millennium and Universal Elementary Education Essay

In early civilizations, people were educated informally: primarily within the household. As time progressed, education became more structured and formal. Women often had very few rights when education started to become a more important aspect of civilization. Efforts of the ancient Greek and Chinese societies focused primarily on the education of males. In ancient Rome, the availability of education was gradually extended to women, but they were taught separately from men. The early Christians and medieval Europeans continued this trend, and single-sex schools for the privileged classes prevailed through the Reformation period. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coeducation grew much more widely accepted. In Great Britain, Germany, and the Soviet Union, the education of girls and boys in the same classes became an approved practice. In the 16th century, at the Council of Trent, the Roman Catholic church reinforced the establishment of free elementary schools for children of all classes. The concept of universal elementary education, regardless of sex, had been created. [2] After the Reformation, coeducation was introduced in western Europe, when certain Protestant groups urged that boys and girls should be taught to read the Bible. The practice became very popular in northern England, Scotland, and colonial New England, where young children, both male and female, attended dame schools. In the late 18th century, girls gradually were admitted to town schools. The Society of Friends in England, as well as in the United States, pioneered coeducation as they did universal education, and in Quaker settlements in the British colonies, boys and girls commonly attended school together. The new free public elementary, or common schools, which after the American Revolution supplanted church institutions, were almost always coeducational, and by 1900 most public high schools were coeducational as well. [3] The early success and achievement of women at Oberlin College persuaded many early women’s rights leaders that coeducation would soon be accepted throughout the country. However, for quite a while, women sometimes suffered uncivil behavior from their male classmates. The prejudice of some male professors proved more unsettling. Many professors had disapproved of the admission of women into their classes, citing studies that stated that women were physically incapable of higher education, and some professors found it difficult to acknowledge women’s presence once they were admitted. Even today, there have been books, studies, and other arguments claiming that women and men learn very differently from each other because of their brain differences. One of these books is called â€Å"Boys and Girls Learn Differently! † by Michael Gurian. [4] By the end of the 19th century, 70% of American colleges were coeducational. In the late 20th century, many institutions of higher learning that had been exclusively for people of one sex became coeducational.

A Strategic Framework for Customer Relationship Management

A Strategic Framework for Customer Relationship Management Introduction: This article explores the plethora of literature available on CRM and relationship marketing and emphasizes the need for a single, process-based framework that helps in making a comprehensive CRM strategy followed by its successful implementation. The objective is to highlight CRM’s role in enhancing customer value and, in turn the shareholder value.Various CRM and marketing experts, who provide their views in the article, emphasize the need for a cross-functional, process-oriented approach which identifies three alternative perspectives of CRM within a holistic organizational context. They try to identify five key cross-functional CRM processes starting from a strategy development process, followed by value creation process, multichannel integration process, an information management process, and in the end performance assessment process.Based on these 5 pillars, they put forward a new conceptual framewo rk specifying the roles and functions associated with each element in the framework. Summary: CRM is a strategic approach that is concerned with creating improved shareholder value through the development of appropriate relationships with key customers and customer segments. There is a need to develop relationship marketing strategies and IT architecture to create profitable, long-term relationships with customers and other key stakeholders.The article is organized mainly in three parts. Firstly, it explores the three alternative perspectives of CRM. Secondly, it considers the need for a cross-functional process-based approach to CRM where the strategists develop criteria for process selection and identify the five key CRM processes. Next, they propose a strategic conceptual framework that is constructed of these five processes followed by the examination of the components of each process. Hence, CRM can be defined with three perspectives forming a continuum.At one corner is the nar rowly and tactically defined particular technology solution, followed by wide-ranging technology (customer oriented IT and Internet), and customer centric approach (holistic approach emphasizing creation of shareholder value) as we move towards right at the other end of the continuum. Processes are the backbone of any initiative or a framework. Absence of a strategic framework for CRM is one reason for the disappointing results associated with many CRM initiatives.The strategic perspective starts with reviewing the following four process selection criteria for marketing and business processes which are now augmented by 2 new additional suggestions. 1)The processes should comprise a small set that addresses tasks critical to the achievement of an organization’s goals. 2)Each process should contribute to the value creation process. 3) Each process should be at a strategic or macro level. 4)The processes need to manifest clear interrelationships. 5) New: Each process should be c ross functional in nature. 6)New.Each process would be considered by experienced practitioners as being both logical. The refining of CRM strategy can start with the interaction research as interaction and communication play a crucial role in the various stages of research. It consists of interaction with various executives, meetings and group discussion with emphasis on testing concepts, new ideas, and results. On the other hand, the process identification and CRM framework creation begins with identification of generic CRM processes which are used by an expert panel of experienced CRM executives.The resultant five generic processes are: the strategy development process, the value creation process, the multichannel integration process, the information management process, and finally the performance assessment process. These five key generic CRM processes help form a preliminary conceptual framework which is continuously improved for better business results and increased share value . Next are the business/customer strategy and the value creation processes.The business strategy process can commence with a review of a company’s vision and its relation to the CRM model. It is followed by the review of the industrial and competitive environment. Here the traditional industry analysis is augmented by more contemporary approaches for deeper environmental analysis and the understanding the impact of disruptive technologies. Customer strategy on the other hand, deals with CRM perspective which requires a cross functional approach, especially when different departments are involved in strategy development.Other important facets are information management process and performance assessment. Information management is concerned with the collection, integration and use of customer data and information from all processes. It involves managing assets like the data repository, IT systems and analysis tools. Data repository provides a corporate memory of all customers. Systems include the organization’s computer hardware, software, middleware IT, front office and back office applications like SFA and call center management.Lastly, analysis tools support many activities involved in interfacing directly with customers with technologies like data mining. The article also talks about Multichannel Integration process, which takes into account the combinations of different channels with customer interaction perspective. It takes the outputs of the business strategy and value creation processes and translates them into value-adding activities with customers. It ensures that the customer experiences remains highly positive within those channels. Analysis:Even though, there has been enough emphasis on the cross-functional, process-based CRM strategy framework that aims to help companies, it is mostly based on large industrial companies and not the small and medium sized companies. I agree with the views that the size and complexity of such enterpris es are most likely to post big CRM challenges, but small scale initiatives should be considered as well. I concur with objective of the article which deals with a process-based conceptual framework and cross functional approach for strategic CRM model.Also, I agree with argument which has been put forward again and again in the article for the need of an acceptable definition that encompasses all facets. The framework proposed in the article is just a beginner’s model, yet a potentially useful starting point for the development of improved insight into these aspects of CRM theory. But according to me, because of the changing scenarios and fickle nature of market there is still a need for delimiting the domain, agreeing on a definition for CRM, and building a research agenda. I would like to add that certainly there is a need for measure and control the CRM performance.But, at the same time traditional approach for performance measurement systems will not be suitable for cross functional CRM. There have been new initiatives like balanced scorecard which enables a wide range of metrics designs. It consists of shareholder results and performance monitoring. Ideally, it should reflect the performance standards necessary across the five major processes to ensure that CRM activities are planned and practiced effectively and that a feedback loop exists to maximize performance improvement and organizational learning.The article also explores the multiple channels, such as field sales forces, Internet, direct mail, telephony, traditional television, e-commerce and m-commerce, including e-mail to interact with its customers. For example, making use of e-commerce opportunities and the fundamental economic characteristics of the Internet can enable a much deeper level of segmentation granularity than is affordable in most other channels. With the advent of Internet, interactive digital television, mobile telephony and text messaging, wireless application protocol, and 3G mobile services can be utilized in this field.The challenge lies in the ability of strategy to uphold the same high standards across different channels enhancing customer experiences. As far as associated value goes, I believe that outputs of the strategy development process leads to programs that both extract and deliver value and maximizes the lifetime value of desirable customer segments. It includes determining what value the company can provide to its customer along with what value the company can receives from its customers.These value propositions include the relationship among the performance of the product, the fulfillment of the customer’s needs, and the total cost to the customer over the customer relationship life cycle. Like any other initiative, measurement is an integral part through the use of the metrics. The performance assessment sees that the organization’s strategic aims in terms of CRM are in alignment with the acceptable standard and that a basis for future improvement is established. Conclusion:Often, the organizations are plagued by the lack of a widely accepted and appropriate definition of CRM along with the failure to recognize its constitution. This can lead to the failure of a CRM project as this way the organization views CRM from a limited technology perspective or undertakes CRM on a fragmented basis. The plethora of information requires a cross-functional integration of processes, people, operations, and marketing capabilities that is enabled through information, technology and applications.The options provided in the article explore the opportunities like cross-selling and up-selling to acquire or strengthen customer database. To ensure that technology solutions support CRM, it is important to conduct IT planning from the perspective of providing a seamless customer service rather than planning for functional or product-centered departments and activities. On the organization’s front, the focus is on increasing customer lifetime value by determining the variation in potential customer profitability across different customer segments along with the prepositions like customer acquisition and customer retention.