Organizational Behaviour Essay

Part A consists of three questions. Be sure to include both the questions and the responses in the document you submit. Your total combined responses for these three questions should not exceed 1000 to 1500 words. 1. Marketing specialists at Napanee Beer Co. developed a new advertising campaign for summer sales. The ads were particularly aimed at sports events where Napanee Beer sold kegs of beer on tap. The marketing group worked for months with a top advertising firm on the campaign. Their effort was successful in terms of significantly higher demand for Napanee Beer’s keg beer at sports stadiums. However, the production department had not been notified of the marketing campaign and was not prepared for the increased demand. The company was forced to buy empty kegs at a premium price. It also had to brew some of the lower priced keg beer in vats that would have been used for higher priced specialty beer. The result was that Napanee Beer sold more of the lower priced keg beer and less of the higher priced products that summer. Moreover, the company could not initially fill consumer demand for the keg beer, resulting in customer dissatisfaction. Use open systems theory to explain what occurred at Napanee Beer Co. Begin with a brief description of open systems theory. Use your own words (paraphrase) and remember to cite all sources using APA style. The open systems theory states that organizations are entities that continually exchange resources with its external environment. The organization is dependent on the external environment for resources such as raw materials, employees, financial resources, and information and equipment which are the organizations inputs. Those inputs are used by the organizations internal subsystems, such as production and marketing, and are subsequently turned into outputs such as products, services, employee behaviours, profits/ losses, and waste/ pollution (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 4). According to the open systems theory (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 4), the organization Napanee Beer Company’s internal subsystems were not operating efficiently. Due to the lack of communication between the marketing group and the production team, production was unaware of the increase in demand for the product and did not order enough inputs to meet this larger demand. Consequently, the materials used were much more expensive than they would have been had they been ordered earlier. This oversight cost the company sales on higher priced specialty beer and caused customer dissatisfaction. Had the production team been aware of the success of the marketing campaign, which was geared towards sporting events where Napanee Beer sold kegs of beer on tap, they would have been able to order the appropriate amount of kegs, saving the company a lot of money. This is not an issue between the external and internal environment but an issue with Napanee’s internal subsystems effectiveness (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 4.). The lack of communication between departments weakened the company’s ability to maximize its input to output capability; therefore, the company was not functioning at a high level of efficiency (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 5.). 2. The sales office of a large industrial products wholesale company has an increasing problem: salespeople are arriving late at the office each morning. Some sales reps go directly to visit clients rather than showing up at the office as required by company policy. Others arrive several minutes after their appointed start time. The vice-president of sales doesn’t want to introduce time clocks, but this may be necessary if the lateness problem isn’t corrected. Using the MARS model of individual behaviour, diagnose the possible reasons salespeople may be engaging in this â€Å"lateness† behaviour. Begin with a brief description of the MARS model. Use your own words (paraphrase) and remember to cite all sources using APA style. The MARS model represents the four factors that influence people’s behaviour and performance. These factors are motivation, ability, role perceptions, and situational factors (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 26). Motivation is what drives a person in a particular direction and the passion and persistence in which they pursue something (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 26). The ability of an employee refers to their natural aptitudes as well as their acquired capabilities (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 27). An employee’s competencies refer to his or her skills, knowledge and other characteristics that may be beneficial to the organization (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 27). Role perception is the third factor in the MARS model. This refers to how closely the employee’s perception of their job duties aligns with the employer’s (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 27). The final factor in the MARS model is situational factors. Situational factors involve conditions that are not part of the employee’s skill set or personality and are often out of their control (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 28). According to the MARS model of individual behaviour, the possible reasons salespeople may be engaging in this â€Å"lateness† behaviour is first the lack of motivation they are feeling to show up to the office at their scheduled start time (McShane & Steen, 2009, pp. 26-28). This could be due in part to the lack of incentive they receive for showing up on time. Furthermore, the absence of negative consequences for showing up late has not shown the sales reps that the company is serious about this policy. In order for the sales reps to be motivated to show up to the office in the morning instead of seeing clients first, there needs to be some kind of reinforcement from the company that demonstrates that showing up on time is a behaviour that they expect and value. The sales reps were most likely hired because of their ability to gain new customers and sell products; therefore, they see this aspect of their job as being priority and do not see the value in showing up at the office first. The biggest factor effecting this situation is role perception (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 27). The sales reps do not have a clear understanding that arriving at the office on time is an essential part of their job duties. It is clear from the sales reps behaviour that they are not aware of the importance of being at the office in the morning before they head out to see clients. While this may be a company policy in writing, it is not well practiced in the office, so it is perceived by employees as a recommendation rather than a rule. Situational factors may also contribute to the â€Å"lateness† problem (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 28). This could be because face time at the office does not support their task goals which are to go out and see clients and s ell products. The sales reps might find the commute to the office an inconvenience whereas they could instead cut that commute out of their day and drive straight to a client’s office. 3. Big Box Construction Company has received warnings from government safety inspectors that employees at some of its construction sites are not wearing the required safety helmets and noise-protection equipment. The company could lose these contracts if safety practices are not maintained. The company has warned employees that they could be fired if they don’t wear the safety gear, but this has had little effect. Describe an A-B-C analysis for this situation and provide two types of behaviour modification interventions that might change employee behaviour in this situation. In an A-B-C analysis of this situation the antecedent would be the warning the employees received from the company informing them that they must wear safety gear on the job site. The behaviour is that some of the employees are not wearing safety equipment on the construction sites. And the Consequences are that the employees face termination if they continue to disregard this policy (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 66). Two types of behaviour modification interventions that might change employee behaviour in this situation are: 1) Positive reinforcement, the supervisor can offer praise to the employees who are adhering to the safety guidelines (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 66). In addition, there could be a reward in place such as a bonus for employees who are wearing their safety equipment on the site every day. 2) Punishment, although punishment might generate negative feelings toward the company and supervisor, it is necessary because of the severity of the breach (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 67). The type of punishment will depend on the frequency of the offence. For example, the first offence could result in a write-up, the second offence in a suspension without pa y, and the third dismissal. Part B Read Case Study 4.1: Conestoga-Rovers and Associates on pages 97 and 98 of the textbook and answer the three discussion questions that follow it. Your answer for this case study should not exceed 600 to 800 words in length and should incorporate, where appropriate, content from Lessons 1, 2, 3, and 4. Questions 1) Why does Conestoga-Rovers and Associates and other companies try to create a positive work environment? The text explains that according to the dual cognitive-emotional attitude process, the positive emotional experiences employees encounter on a daily basis at Conestoga-Rovers contributes to their job satisfaction (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 80). When employees are satisfied with their job they are more likely to be accommodating to the organization’s clients, helpful to their co-workers, and can experience increased overall productivity (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 87). Therefore, it is beneficial for the company to foster a positive work environment where its employees are frequently feeling positive emotional experiences, so that their outlook on their jobs and the company will be much more favourable (McShane & Steen, 2009, p.80). According to the model of emotions, attitudes, and behaviour (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 79), our emotions will have a direct impact on our behavioural intentions which in turn will most likely affect our behaviour. If the employees at Conestoga-Rovers are bombarded with positive emotions in their work environment, than they are more likely to behave in a way that is agreeable to the company. Conestoga-Rovers acknowledges and appreciates its human capital and realizes that its employees knowledge provide a competitive advantage to the company (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 7). They realize that in order for the company to retain its valued employees and attract new ones they need to foster a positive work environment. By â€Å"adapting employment practices† to suit the needs of their employees the company is striving to retain its valued intellectual capital (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 6). 2) How does this company manage to provide events and perks that employees value? At Conestoga-Rovers and Associates having fun and maintaining a work-life balance are fundamental to the company and its employees. This is evident in the many perks this company offers its employees that vary from its extremely active social committee to the onsite daycare facility. As stated in the case study, an employee of Conestoga-Rovers suggested that the company build an onsite daycare facility, never really expecting that they would take her request so seriously. However, much to the employee’s delighted shock the company complied. This demonstrates the company’s dedication to its employees wants and needs. In addition the company has assembled a social committee to listen to what it is that employee’s value and have evidently been able to deliver to the Conestoga-Rovers employees what they want. By doing this for their employees the organization is building organizational commitment and loyalty to the company (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 89). By involving employees in company decisions that affect them and listening to their needs they are strengthening their employee’s social identity within the organization. This shows employees that their opinions are not only heard but are valued and trusted by the organization (McShane & Steen, 2009, p.89). The company has a â€Å"work hard-play hard mantra†, and their â€Å"social events and activities play an integral role in the company’s culture (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 97). This is evidently closely aligned with its employee’s values; therefore, the employee’s feel comfort in their shared values with the company prompting them to remain loyal to the company (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 89). 3) Is it possible that employees can have too much fun at work? From personal experience, I think that it is possible to have too much fun at work. When there are too many social events at work it takes away from an employee’s personal time and time at home with their family. An employee can feel forced to participate in social events that they do not want to partake in, and this can end up having a contrary effect to what the company is striving for. This added pressure to attend social events can add stress for the employee and take away from time needed to complete his/her work. Conversely, having fun at work can help build camaraderie amongst the employees and reduce the consequences of stress such as job burnout. Attending social functions can give employees a break from the monotonous routine of their job tasks; therefore, reducing the risk of emotional exhaustion and indifference towards their jobs (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 91). Fun events with co-workers can also help to build on an employee’s social awareness. For instance, when employees are interacting with each other and building personal relationships as well as professional relationships they are better equipped to â€Å"perceive and understand the emotions† of their co-workers (McShane & Steen, 2009, p. 84). Because they are getting to know their peers personal situations a little better, the interaction allows them to be able to experience some empathy for their co-workers.

ITStrategy and Positioning for Volkswagen Financial Services (UK)

Introduction This assignment is constructed to consider a case study of an existing business and analyse its IT strategy and positioning for competitive advantage. A few hours were spent researching ideals into companies of interest to which I had to make sure it fitted in line with the assignment objective. The organisation that sparked my interest was Volkswagen Financial Services (UK). This was because they are a large organisation which is vastly growing year by year and have a major influence in them motor industry. I also got the privilege of working within their customer experience department as a customer service advisor. Background Volkswagen Financial Services is a financial services provider in the Volkswagen Group. The company deals in a broad spectrum of automotive products including financing dealers and customers through leasing, corporate financing, vehicle fleet management to banking and insurance products. According to the 2013 report, the company has experienced a rise in the number of contracts in their portfolio from just under-8 million to over 8.8 million, a 10.9 percent rise. The Management Board Chairman Frank Witter attributes this growth to a 5 percent increase in number of vehicles delivered to more than 9.7 million. The company was also able to attract more customers with their financial services. As a leading financial provider for all things automotive sales within the umbrella of Volkswagen Financial Services AG, the company has developed key strategies to ensure they achieve their mission, which is â€Å"to support the sales of all Volkswagen Group brands worldwide and increase customer loyalty in a sustainable manner along the entire automotive value chain† (VW FS Annual Report, 2013). Volkswagen strategy statement is based on â€Å"customer-focus†, â€Å"pioneering† and â€Å"getting things done†. To ensure sustainable growth, the company pursues its strategy in three fronts: brands, markets and products. That is, developing new brands for Volkswagen Group, establishing new markets, and developing new products in existing markets. Volkswagen Financial Services continue to adopt a consistent customer relationship management (CRM) strategy in its customer care. As such, structures of the company and its processes have been aligned with customer groups and their unique requirements (VW FS Annual Report, 2013). Johnson et al (2013, p.69) describes strategy as the â€Å"long-term direction of an organisation.† A leading strategy theorist Michael Porter would refer to this as a competitive strategy that seeks to be different from comp etition, by â€Å"deliberately choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value† to the intended consumers (Porter, 1996, p.31). The Volkswagen Financial Services strategy can be considered to be based on what Porter (1996) describes as variety-based and needs-based positioning. However, Volkswagen Financial Services continual pursuance of consistent CRM strategy in customer care led the company to rethink its organisation structure and customer groups as aligned by the customer requirements. In attempt to support this organisational restructuring, the organisation required an IT structure to allow the company have a standard of customer data, standard and continuous process support right from customer support to subsequent processing and transaction execution, integrating existing transaction-related banking system without any additional extensive conversions. In order to meet these requirements, a product and division-oriented IT environment was imple mented. Core applications and systems related to transaction-related banking systems where clients’ accounts and contracts could be managed were implemented. The implementations of these applications and systems isolated the various specific client data from each other making an integral view much more complicated and cumbersome. But the company solved this problem when they installed customer-oriented IT architecture in SAP CRM for a standard customer care and SAP NetWeaverTM as a system integration platform. Although Volkswagen Financial Services may have considered this a triumph in its efforts to strengthen their CRM-oriented strategy in customer service, it’s not a unique strategy that can strengthen their competitive advantage given its ease of adoption by competitors or new entrants. Le Pest C for Volkswagen Financials Services In order to comprehensively understand Volkswagen Financial Services strategic capabilities, it is significant to use the Le Pest C model (Brooks and Weatherston, 2002): LePestC Possible Issues at VW FS (UK) Legal Data security and privacy legislations and legal challenges Economic Low profitability due to decreased consumer spending power and inability to expand to emerging markets Political VW Financial Services AG, which inevitable controls its strategic decisions making process Environment/Ecologic Environmental pressure from regulatory authorities Social Change of consumer preferences, e.g. study shows that more consumers in Europe prefer to travel via train rather than personal cars Technological New technology that are likely to render the current ones obsolete and requires upgrade regularly Competitiveness Competition from financial companies and other auto dealers Legal: Data security and privacy have become serious challenges to many businesses, raising concerns with rise in big data and cloud computing initiatives. Auto suppliers like Volkswagen Financial Services Company collect and store highly confidential and sensitive customer data that may be at risk from data breaches. It must be noted that the company is networked not only internally but also externally through internet or other telecommunication connectivity. As such, the company needs to have a robust information security practices not only well documented in the form of information security policies but also ensure strict adherence to ethical standards to avoid legal suits. Moreover, the company needs to develop internal ethical standards in line with their business principles and treat it as part and parcel of the CRM strategies (Barreto, 2010). In case the company wants to use big data, it must strive to develop policy that informs the clients in advance to agree or disagree wit h such plans. Failure to develop such policies may attract legal suits from clients disputing the use of their personal data. The outcome of legal suits may be extremely costly to the company in terms of legal fees, unfavourable strict government regulations and reputation damage. Economic: Volkswagen Financial Services Company has experience the challenges associated with the economic financial crisis that started at the onset of 2008. Although the company considers rise in sales and number of client subscribed in the latest reports, the reduced disposable income is likely to affect the company negatively in the long run, given financial challenges affecting its major European market. Environmental/ Ecological: Auto suppliers like Volkswagen Financial Services face various challenges in maintaining extra-regulatory compliance with contractual clauses. Some of these clauses often require them to certify that the car parts of sale are free of asbestos, lead paint, chromium, and blood minerals among other banned elements (Mintzberg, et al., 2002). These regulatory compliance requirements are meant to ensure sustainability and protection of environment. Issues such as greenhouse gases that cause global warming, and waste management increases cost of production. Socio-cultural: Studies have shown that public transport in Europe is becoming more popular than passenger cars (Tyrinopoulos and Antoniou, 2013). This kind of finding may suggest that the change in trend is more associated with change in social preference. More significantly, the company has not managed to break into Chinese among other emerging markets with its financial services considering that Chinese consumers are cash-buyers rather than credit buyers, as noted by the company’s 2013 Annual Report. This cultural barrier has affected the company’s financial front in terms of sales return. Technological: there are technological challenges associated with auto and financial industries. The challenge with technology is that it changes every day, with new ideas propping up that may provide fast-moving competitors with better competitive advantage (Maritan and Brush, 2003). VW FS (UK) is one of the companies in this sector that suffers from the technological challenges. Competitive: competition from other auto suppliers is real. Although the company has gained competitive advantage with multi-brand CRM, there is likelihood that their major competitors will do the same. Strategic Capabilities of Volkswagen Financial Services (UK) Strategic capabilities of a firm are those capabilities that lead to a competitive advantage. Mintzberg, et al. (2002) defines strategic Resources and competencies as the two components that define resource capability. Further, resources are those assets that an organisation own or can call upon to aid their progress. Competencies are the ability to deploy those resources effectively or to make use of the available resources to achieve a certain goal (Teece, 2007). In others words, resources are what is available and competencies are the ability to use these resources. Table: Representation of strategic capability of Volkswagen Financial Services Resources Competencies Machines, raw materials, products, patents, database, computer systems Physical The company has the means to achieve utilisation of plant, efficiency, productivity, flexibility, marketing Balance sheet, cash flow, revenue Financial That company has the means to raise funds and manage cash flow, debtors, creditors, etc. Managers, employees, partners, suppliers, customers Human The company has experience, skills, knowledge, and ability to build relationships, motivate others and innovate. However, it’s yet to exploit this ability to the maximum. (Brooks and Weatherston, 2002). If fully used, the above representation would lead to long term survival of VW FS, and subsequently strengthen their competitive advantage. Although the strategic capabilities should be dynamic enough, there is a clear indication that Volkswagen Financial Services’ is not as dynamic as required. The company should be able to recreate and renew its strategic capabilities according to the changing business environment. For example, while tangible assets, cost control, and quality maintenance are important capabilities that the company has embraced, there are more long term capabilities such as sensing, seizing and reconfiguring that are significant Using innovation to spur entrepreneurship Innovation and entrepreneurship is about creating the new- both new products and services and new business models and organisations (Johnson, et al., 2013). Creating value for firms and customers, innovation and entrepreneurship are fundamental to today’s highly competitive economies. But the decision to innovate and pursue new market leads through innovation can be a hard choice for organisations as has been demonstrated by Volkswagen Financial Services’ attempts to enter Chinese market. The company ought to have asked various fundamental questions such as: Will it be appropriate if they too pioneer in new technologies or rather be a fast follower (timing and relationship)innovation dilemma How should they react to radical innovations that threaten to destroy its existing revenues? In such a highly competitive industry, entrepreneurship is a significant aspect of any business. In other words, entrepreneurship is fundamental aspect of any business that wants to keep up with the changing business environment. It’s entrepreneurship that drives innovation. Innovation dilemma However there are innovation dilemmas that may affect a firm’s decision-making process. Many corporations face strategic dilemma on whether to innovate or note. Johnson et al. (2013,p. 239) describes innovation as the process of converting new knowledge into a new product, process or service and the putting of this new product, process or service into actual use. Another aspect of innovation dilemma facing VW FS is whether to adopt open or closed innovation. Porter (1996) describes open innovation as the process of deliberate importation and exportation of knowledge by a firm in their attempt to speed up and intensify innovation. Open innovation advocates for open exchange of ideas for quick better products to keep ahead of competition. Closed innovation is based on a firms insistence on making every innovative ideas internal, keeping everything secret from outside people. Volkswagen Financial Services Company seems to focus on closed innovation, which inevitably limits their ability to source for ideas. There is likelihood that this limits their ability to attract external skills or innovative ideas. Technological or business model innovation Most successful and progressive innovative activities do not necessarily rely on the latest or new science or technology, but involve reorganizing into new business by combining every aspect of a business (Johnson et al., 2013). A business model describes how an organisation manages incomes and costs through the structural arrangements of its activities. For example, when Ryanair decided to adopt the ultra cheap airline tickets, its business model innovation involved the generation of revenues via direct sales through the internet, thereby cutting out intermediary travel agents, while also using cheap secondary airports. Cheap airports and internet sales proved more significant than technological innovation. There are various ways of analysing a business model innovation, including the use of value chain, value net or activity network frameworks (Johnson et al., 2013). Typically, these frameworks are meant to direct managers and entrepreneurs to two primary frameworks for potential i nnovations: The product – a new business model may redefine what the product or service is and how it is produced. This concerns technology in relation to the value chain. The selling – a new business model may change how an organisation generates its revenue, with implications for selling and distribution. In the perspective of Volkswagen FS, the company’s value chain in terms of emerging markets has not picked up as anticipated. The emerging markets, unlike the developed markets are generally cash buyers. The company may consider using instalments payment model to establish its value chain within the emerging markets like China and India, with attractive product packages targeting the growing middle class consumers in these countries. Innovators and followers There are those who choose to lead innovations and those who follow. Barreto (2010) argue that first-movers often start from a positive note where because they get easy and quick sales early, experience f ast growth and have the ability to establish the dominant positions. Examples of first-movers who have succeeded in this line are Coca Cola in soft drinks and Hoover in vacuum cleaners. However, there are many first-movers that have failed such as the powerful Microsoft which failed with its tablet computer launch in 2001. Nine years later, Apple swept the market with its iPad tablet computer. First-mover advantages and disadvantages First-movers are generally temporary monopolies. Their advantage exists where they appear better off than their competitors as a result of being first to market with a new product, process or service (Teece, 2009; Teece, 2007). There are five potentially more robust first-movers advantage: They can build on experience in a market and benefit from the accrued market knowledge and skills; They can scale faster and enjoy the early benefits; They have the opportunity for pre-emption of scarce resources; They can build early reputation, particularly because consumers have little ‘mind-space’ to recognise new brands that follows; They can exploit the buyer switching costs, by ensuring that their customers are locked with privileged or sticky relationships that later challengers may find too costly to adopt (Teece, 2009) However, Mintzberg (2002) observe that there are disadvantages for being first-movers as seen with Microsoft’s earlier failure with tablets. First is th e free-riding factor. Late movers may find it easy to imitate first mover’s technology and other innovations at less expense than originally incurred by pioneers. Research indicates that the costs of imitation are only 65% of the cost of innovation (Teece, 2009). In addition, late-movers have the ability to learn from the errors made by first-movers, picking on what worked well and avoiding what did not work for their pioneer competitor. In other words, they may not make so many mistakes and be able to get it right first time unlike their pioneer competitor. Should Volkswagen Financial Services be a first or second? Managers and entrepreneurs often find it hard to choose either to be a first-mover or a follower. However, London Business School’s Costas Markides and Paul Geroski argue that the most appropriate response to innovation, especially radical innovation, is often not to be a first mover but to be a ‘fast second’ (Mintzberg, 2002). A first second strategy involves being one of the first to imitate the original innovator. According to Porter (1996) there are three contextual factors to consider in choosing between innovating and imitating: Capacity for profit capture. If a follower can imitate faster and efficiently, it can capture good profits. It’s more effective where the pioneer is not able to define the boundaries for intellectual property; Complementary assets. An organisation in possession of the assets or resources have the ability to scale up the production and marketing of the innovation; Fast-moving arenas. In situations where markets or technologies are moving very fast, and especially where both are highly dynamic, first-movers are unlikely to establish a durable advantage. The incumbent can respond to new entrants into the market by adopting disruptive innovation. As has been shown earlier, disruptive innovation can create substantial growth by offering a new performance trajectory that, even if â€Å"initially inferior to the performance of existing technologies, has the potential to become markedly superior† Winter, 2003). Incumbents can follow two policies to help keep them responsive to potentially disruptive innovation: Develop a portfolio of real options and new venture units. References Barreto, I. (2010). Dynamic capabilities: a review of past research and an agenda for the future. Journal of Management, 36 (1): 256-80. Brooks, I. and Weatherston, J. (2002). The Business Environment: Challenges and Changes. NJ: Prentice Hall. Johnson, G., Whittington, R., Scholes, K., Angwin, D., and Regner, P. (2013). Exploring Strategy Text & Cases. NJ: Pearson Education. Maritan, C.A and Brush, T.H. (2003). Heterogeneity and transferring practices: implementing flow practices in multiple plants. Strategic Management Journal, 24 (10): 945-60. Mintzberg, H., Ghoshal, S., Lampel, J., and Quinn, J.B. (2002) â€Å"The Strategy Process: Concepts, Context, Cases†,4th Edition, Prentice Hall. Porter, M. (1996) â€Å"What is Strategy?†, Harvard Business Review, November- December: 61-78. Tyrinopoulos, Y. and Antoniou, C. (2013) Factors affecting modal choice in urban mobility. European Transport Research Review. 5 (1). pp. 27-39. Teece, D.J. (2009). Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic management- organising for innovation and growth, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Teece, D.J. (2007). Explicating dynamic capabilities: the nature and microfoundations of sustainable enterprise performance. Strategic Management Journal, 28 (1): 1319-50. VW FS Annual Report (2013). Volkswagen Financial Services AG: The key to mobility. Winter, S.G. (2003). Understanding dynamic capabilities. Strategic Management Journal, 24 (10): 991-5.

A Separate Peace Essay Example for Free (#9)

A Separate Peace Essay Essay Topic: Literature , A Separate Peace Choose cite format: APA MLA Harvard Chicago ASA IEEE AMA Haven't found the essay you want? Get your custom sample essay for only $13.90/page ? In the book, A Separate Peace, the author, John Knowles, writes to us a novel about war, but happens to focus more on the war within the human heart. This novel tells a story of two boys’ co-dependency during World War Two, and explores the difficulties with understanding the self during adolescence. Identity is complicated enough as the narrator, Gene Forrester, enters adulthood in a time of war, but a difficult friendship with a fellow student and rival leads to a further confusion of identity. Early in the book, the boys’ relationship is charged by Gene’s jealousy and hate of Phineas’ leadership. However, after Phineas falls from the tree, Gene ejects his darker feelings from himself and turns their relationship in a new direction where co-dependency, instead of envy, drives it. The central relationship between Gene and Finny, involves a troublesome search to authorize identity outside of co-dependency. Gene Forrester is a boy with many conflicts that he must face throughout his high school year. The most significant of these troubles is, without a doubt, Gene’s struggle with his own identity. At first Gene is displeased with his personality, or lack thereof. He envies his best friend, Phineas’ (Finny’s), wit, charm, and leadership. Throughout the book, Gene repeatedly finds himself acting like his friend, a transformation occurring that Gene is unaware of. There are a number of significant transformations within this story. Phineas is transformed from an active athlete into a cripple after his accident and then sets out to transform Gene in his place. This change is the beginning process by which Gene’s identity begins to blur into Finny’s, a transformation symbolized by Gene’s putting on Finny’s clothes one evening soon after the accident. â€Å"I washed the traces off me and then put on a pair of chocolate brown slacks, a pair in which Phineas had been particularly critical of when he wasn’t wearing them, and a blue flannel shirt† (78). This is the first time in the book that we notice just how much Gene is codependent on Phineas, even when he is gone. From this point on, Gene and Phineas come to depend on each other for psychological support. Gene playing sports because Phineas cannot, â€Å"Listen, pal, if I can’t play sports, you’re going to play them for me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this allows Finny to train Gene to be the athlete that Finny himself cannot be. This training seems to be a path for Phineas simply to live vicariously through Gene. But Gene actively welcomes his attempt, for just as Finny acquires inner strength through Gene, Gene also finds happiness in losing the person he dislikes, himself, into the person he truly likes, Phineas. †¦and I lost part of myself to him then, and a soaring sense of freedom revealed that this must have been my purpose from the first: to become part of Phineas. † (77) In this way, the boys’ relationship becomes a perfect illustration of co-dependency, with each feeling off of and becoming fulfilled by, the other. This newfound co-dependency begins the evolution of the boys’ individual identities. Finny knows himself throughout the book, and is comfortable in his own skin, at least at first. After his fall, he becomes more withdrawn and tends to hide his true feelings. He seems to lose himself as the book progresses. The innocence and general good nature that defined him early on is lost in later chapters, as he continually deludes himself as to Gene’s true intentions. Gene, on the other hand, hides his true identity from Phineas and the others through most of the novel. Yet Gene truly reveals himself at several key points such as pushing Finny from the tree. The boys are living in their own secret illusions that World War Two is a mere conspiracy created by old men and continuing to believe that Gene, Finny through him, will go to the Olympics and that the world can’t change their dreams. The boys are refusing to develop their own goals and responsibilities without each other. Not even Finny’s death, though it separates them physically, can truly disentangle Gene’s identity from Phineas’. Gene feels as though Finny’s funeral is his own. In a way, the funeral is indeed Gene’s own. So much of Gene is intermixed with Phineas that it is difficult to imagine one boy existing without the other. The entire novel becomes Gene’s recollection of building his own identity, culminating in his return to Devon years later, where he is finally able to come to terms with what he’s done. During the time I was with him, Phineas created an atmosphere in which I continued now to live, a way of sizing up the world with erratic and entirely personal reservations, letting it’s rocklike facts sift through and be accepted only a little at a time, only as much as he could assimilate without a sense of chaos and loss† (194). It is perhaps only his understanding that Phineas alone has no enemy that allows the older Gene to reestablish a separate identity. One that is inferior to Phineas’. A Separate Peace. (2017, Jan 26).

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 61

Discussion - Essay Example Trying to match the racial and ethnic structure of the population may not be the best move as it becomes difficult for people to choose where they need to be assigned (Fried and Fottler 37). Furthermore, the medical schools present need to provide the exact number of anticipated nurses targeted to graduate. This is so as to try and fill the number of spots that retired nurses, physicians, and professionals leave after serving in the health field. This can be done through the training-output estimation program, which may bring focus to the projected number of future nurses in healthcare organizations. Predicting the estimated population may present organizations with a foreseeable number of nurses that may be needed in different areas. Ensuring that organizations are aware of these numbers may provide them with a rough estimate of how many nurses, physicians, and professionals may be needed to cater to the rising population (Fried and Fottler 32). These are some of the ways in which the shortages that are occurring nation-wide can be handled and assist in providing prospective nurses the opportunity to work and prove their worth in the health

Ethical Theory Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethical Theory Paper - Essay Example Business is driven my profit motive. It meant that business owners put up their enterprises with the purpose of making money. Business therefore when left on its will do whatever it takes to make profit. It can only be mitigated by introducing ethics in business to temper its profit motive and have a sense of responsibility. Business ethics in fact, which business are now required to practice is in fact an oxymoron. One of the common practices of business to profit at whatever means possible is the case narrated by Gina Firenzi where deception is used in a warehouse sale. The â€Å"see through† pants were misrepresented by a marketing acrobatics to make it more appealing to customer by putting a tags saying â€Å"things dont always go as planned, this garment has fit, function, or visual imperfections† but did not say that it is in fact see through and that they are sold at final sale. Of course the company will refund those who complaint but those who will not, they already a made a money out of it. These pants were implied to be the recalled pants of Lululemon which is was already a reject but sold at a warehouse sale and made saleable by marketing acrobatics. They are prepared to do refund to those who will complaint, but will make money to those who will not. These pants were recalls anyway and it may not have cost them to buy it because they were supposed to be disposed. Business unethical practices however are not only confined to misrepresentation as cited by Gina Firenzi. The unethical practice can go back from the point of manufacture such as the recent case of the building of Cambodian factory that collapsed due to substandard working conditions. The collapsed exposed the unethical practice of major textile companies such as Swedish fast-fashion retailer  Hennes & Mauritz to subcontract sweat shop with hazardous working condition just to save on cost. And as expected Hennes & Mauritz denied

Case study #2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

#2 - Case Study Example With the intention to solve these issues, the CEO started his activities firstly from visiting the workplace of one of its rigs, named ‘Voyager 7’. The rig was quite small comprising 150 employees with a blend of skilled, unskilled and immigrant labours. Soon he began to depict that there was clear discrimination practiced in the workplace with regard to the living conditions and the working conditions of the lower level employees and the upper level employees. The upper level employees, who were also the immigrants, were provided with far better treatment in comparison to that of the local African employees. The local authorities of the government, despite being aware of the situation were never involved in taking any potential action to resolve the racial discrimination practiced within the organisation. After analysing the situation from the view point of the CEO, inferences have been drawn through the SWOTT analysis. Weaknesses: The situation has major drawbacks with the workplace environment being full of discrimination. Employees are treated differently on the basis of their nationality, race and designations, raising Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) related concerns, which might diminish stakeholders’ confidence on the company. Threats: The discrimination prevailing in the workplace is a threat to the integrity of the workplace. Owing to the absence of communication between the lower level employees and upper level employees, the expectation of effective performance of this rig is highly unrealistic. Trends: If the situation continues in this trend, chances of conflicts between the upper level and lower level employees are highly uncertain. Moreover, legal authorities might also halt the operations of the entire business owing to the illegal practices of discrimination in the workplace. The alternatives will need to be evaluated considering the objectives of the company regarding CSR, ensuring equality

Use an example of your choice to discuss how corporate restructuring Essay - 3

Use an example of your choice to discuss how corporate restructuring transformed market, productive and financial performance - Essay Example The terms of the agreement are that Nokia will essentially transfer the whole of its Devices and Services business, which is the business division that makes Nokias cellular handsets, including all of the manufacturing facilities and more than 32,000 employees. This division is responsible for half of the total revenues of Nokia in 2012, and includes about 4,700 personnel who are based in Finland. That said, the deal does not include the portfolio of patents that Nokia has, which in essence will remain with Nokia, along with the Chief Office of Technology. This deal was approved by shareholders of Nokia in late 2013, and is touted by its leaders as the best alternative for the maximization of the value of the shareholders (Nokia 2013; Stoll 2014; Ricknas 2014; Microsoft 2013; Ando and Rigby 2013; Garside 2013; Shankland 2013; Easa 2014). The deal also includes the licensing of all of Nokias portfolio of patents in Nokias portfolio for a span of 10 years, but this will not be exclusive, meaning that Nokia reserves the right to license its patents to other parties, and to make use of the patents for its own product development and related business purposes. A substantial portion of the sale price, 1.65 billion euros, is for this patent deal, to which Microsoft has the option to extend after the decade-long agreement expires, and that extension privilege is indefinite in its extent in time. Part of the deal also licenses Nokias mapping platform HERE to Microsoft, over a period of four years, and this part of the deal is expected to generate revenues for Nokia equal to the amount of revenues that HERE generates within Nokia (Nokia 2013; Stoll 2014; Ricknas 2014; Microsoft 2013; Ando and Rigby 2013). The deal transforms Nokia into a company that was in financial trouble from the losses in its devices unit into a powerhouse of important patents in the telecoms space, as well as an important provider of telecommunications infrastructure in Nokia

Why you chose the qualitative versus quantitative approach Assignment

Why you chose the qualitative versus quantitative approach - Assignment Example Hence, qualitative researches have proven to be used widely in GI nurses field. Nursing is primarily interpretive. Nurses have an interest in the daily health experiences with their patients, and much qualitative research makes nurses think about their practice (Sandelowski et al. 2012). Patients have diverse perceptions of an issue that do not always fit into numerical quantitative research approaches. The qualitative approach allows nurses to review previous findings of an issue because the method does not have rigid formula and calculations like the quantitative approach. Qualitative analysis is better set to provide information about the meaning of a disease of patients and the way it has affected their life. It is rich in providing personal information and experiences through the interviews. Nursing is a field of practice that borrows much of its information and knowledge from other diverse fields like medicine and psychology (Leeman and Sandelowski, 2012). The research analysis method adopted thus should depend on knowing the experiences of the participants through getting their views. A qualitative approach is interpretive and inductive and can create knowledge about human health and the disease experience of a participant. Qualitative knowledge and information depend on data on the social context with the main aspect being the comprehension of human experiences. It is thus the most befitting approach for the nursing practice, as opposed to the quantitative research method. It ensures a unique perspective of the study question or issue and it always gives a deep insight into human beings when compared to quantitative analysis, which is an essential aspect of the nursing practice (Sandelowski and Leeman,

Global Change threatens the liberal order Assignment

Global Change threatens the liberal order - Assignment Example The world economy has been working in quite a complex way in the past decade. The critical role has been played by the global financial crisis and breakdown of the American rule and power (Groody, 2002). The paper is an analysis of present situation of the international liberal order and trends that have threatened its presence in the current context. The paper also analyses an antithesis that supports the previous order and concludes on a choice between the two opinions. Liberal order in the context of liberal internationalism assumes that governments and people have a shared common interest towards establishment of the global cooperative world, despite the existence of restrains, sovereign equality and reciprocation. The optimist view for international liberal order goes forth to discuss that all states have the ability to overcome constraints with a view to cooperate, thereby resolving security issues, working towards collective action and consequently, developing a stable and open system (Steins, 2004). United States of America was deemed to be the champion of international liberal order until the twentieth century. The sponsor, function and role of United States have undergone a major change over the recent years. Facts such as, those pertaining to geo-political position of the United States, have been responsible for shaping up America’s liberal order, but more important aspects are the logic and character of this very liberal order placed within the global context. The political system of the western world, including currency, technology, alliances and markets, has been fused with the liberal order for providing a base for liberal internationalisation. During the Cold War, the United States developed towards becoming operator of the global capitalist form of liberal political order (Ikenberry, 2011). With closure of the Cold War, peaceful terms that emerged were more in

Excluding all finance and accounting courses, what has been your Essay

Excluding all finance and accounting courses, what has been your favorite course taken as an undergraduate and why - Essay Example Another aspect of marketing that makes the course my favorite is its broad functionality. Marketing equips one with skills useful to almost any organization that seeks to promote itself and remain competitive. Knowledge of consumer psychology presents a fascinating experience that I view as an opportunity to better my understanding of business processes. Learning the role of psychology in consumer marketing was an important aspect that made me like the course. The course allows students to carry out field research together, and this provides an opportunity for me to develop my research skills. I also like the fact that the course allows me to evaluate commercials for stereotypes and gender identity. Conclusively, marketing as a course has provided me with skills that I feel will serve as a competitive advantage in the job

The Enhancement of the Quadruped Robot Essay Example for Free

The Enhancement of the Quadruped Robot Essay 1. A TOY ROCK CLIMBING ROBOT The goal of this thesis was to build a simple toy rock climbing robot, and to explore problems related to grasping, path planning, and robot control. The robot is capable of climbing a wall of pegs either under manual control through a host system and an infrared interface, or on the basis of a set of pre-recorded key frames. In addition, the robot can climb certain peg configurations using a cyclic gait. The robot climbs in an open-loop mode without sensor feedback. All communications are sent through the IR connection, and the tether to the robot consists only of two power wires. 2. MOBILE ROBOT CONTROL USING BLUETOOTH LOW ENERGY This thesis gives a working example on how to design and implement a remotely controllable embedded system consisting of two subsystems who are  communicating with each other using Bluetooth Low Energy. The subsystems are a movable peripheral based on the Parallax Sumobot development kit, and Atmel AVR Butterfly, the Texas Instruments CC2540 development kit and a user input interface using the Apple iPhone 4S. 3. NEURO-FUZZY CONTROL OF A ROBOTIC ARM This thesis first outlines the theory, historical background, and application of neural networks and fuzzy logic. The review of neural networks and fuzzy logic is followed by a discussion of the combination of the two technologies neuro-fuzzy techniques. The two tools have been successfully combined to maximize their individual strengths and compensate for shortcomings. A survey is given of previous work done in applying these technologies to control systems. 1. ROBOTIC ARM: A MOUSE CONTROLLED IN HUMAN MODE AND A SELF CONTROLLED IN A.I. MODE The robotic arm is a PIC based prototype that can pick and drop objects from one side to the other side. The robotic arm has a complex mechanism that can carry and grips object. Mouse is used as a controller for it is widely use in the environment especially those who have PC at home. The robotic arm has a degree of freedom because it is composed of servo motors that makes the robotic arm rotates, bend and grips objects. We are also using here the concept of the real time operation, how fast the data being transmitted to the receiver. In every operation that we have done using the optical mouse corresponds a unique movement of the robotic arm. It has also an A.I mode which makes the robotic arm moves by itself. 3 Foreign Literature 1. COOPERATIVE ROBOTICS USING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION On September 12, 2001, in the aftermath of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, mobile robots made their first appearance in an actual human search-and-rescue mission. While fully autonomous robots are not yet practical, mobile robots assisted rescue workers in locating more than two percent of the victims that were discovered. These robots were sent into tiny crevices, used to explore buried rooms with camera vision, and were well accepted by the rescue community. While this was a landmark event for the multi-disciplinary field of robotic search-and-rescue, it also showed the great need for further research and development. Fully autonomous and cooperative robots remain an unrealized goal for researchers worldwide. 2. HUMAN-ROBOT COLLABORATION NASA’s vision for space exploration stresses the cultivation of human†robotic systems (NASA 2004). Fong and Nourbakhsh point out that to reduce human workload, costs, fatigue driven error and risk, intelligent robotic systems will have to be part of mission design. They also observe that scant attention has been paid to joint human†robot teams, and making human†robot collaboration natural and efficient is crucial to future space exploration. 3. A REVIEW OF THE APPLICABILITY OF ROBOTS IN EDUCATION Robots are becoming an integral component of our society and have great potential in being utilized as an educational technology. To promote a deeper understanding of the area, we present a review of the field of robots in education. Several prior ventures in the area are discussed (post-2000) with the help of classification criteria. The dissecting criteria include domain of the learning activity, location of the activity, the role of the robot, types of robots and types of robotic behavior. Our overview shows that robots are primarily used to provide language, science or technology education and that a robot can take on the role of a tutor, tool or peer in the learning activity. 1. WIFI CONTROLLED MOBILE ROBOT The tablet acts as the controller and video monitor, communicates thru wifi via a SMART phone on board (Galaxy Pocket). The smart phone serves as the camera thru IP Webcam and receives UDP packets via a python script running in the background, the received data is transferred to the motor controller via bluetooth so that a cheaper microcontroller can be used rather than using the ADK. 2. ROBOCOP In Manila They call it â€Å"Mac,† or the Mechanical Anti-Terrorist Concept, and it did the inventors and the Philippines proud when it was adjudged the winner in the first World Cup for Computer-Implemented Inventions held recently in China. And the victory is not to be taken for granted since Mac came out on top to win the gold medal among the inventions submitted by 50 countries in the global competition hosted by Suzhou in China. Mac has been placed on active duty at the police department of suburban Makati City in Metro Manila, considered the country’s financial centre as well as home to many of the big multinational companies as well as foreign embassies. Mac was also conferred the rank of police inspector, which is equivalent to a captain in the military. As its name implies, Mac is one a one-armed, two-foot tall bomb disposal â€Å"Robocop† invented by a four-man team, led by Roel John Judilla, the former dean of the mechanical engineering department of the Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the country’s top engineering private schools. The other members include Virgilio Malang of the Filipino Inventors’ Society and MIT senior engineering students Jaylord Jaoud and Kit Mistosamente. After months of fine-tuning, the country’s first bomb disposal robot made its public â€Å"debut† in one of the shopping centres on October 14 as the latest member of the Makati police force. Made of aluminium, fiberglass and engineering plastic, Mac was ordered to examine and retrieve an explosive device that was brought to a bomb disruptor where it was safely detonated. Its ability to approach, anything or anyone was also showcased when it was made to bring a mobile phone to a supposed hostage-taker in order to give the police and the suspect a way to communicate. According to Judilla, Mac is a 100 per cent Filipino invention made from spare parts bought from different electrical shops in Quiapo district in Manila. â€Å"With Mac around, families of members of the Makati police bomb disposal unit will be assured that their loved ones will come home alive,† said a confident Judilla. Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, the Makati police chief, agreed as he emphasised: â€Å"Mac will make our job safer. He will take on assignments which could endanger the lives of our policemen.† 3. FARMER ROBOT MANILA, Philippines — Robots that can take care of an entire rice field, go underwater to provide a view of the reefs and prevent ships from running aground. These robots, which were showcased during the finals of the 12th  Philippine Robotics Olympiad, are all made by high school and elementary students in the Philippines. The Dr. Yangas Colleges Inc. (DYCI) high school team, which created an entire set of robots aimed at taking care of the Banaue Rice Terraces, won first place and is set to defend its championship in the 2013 World Robotics Olympiad in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 15. It also has a robotic arm that can take samples of plants and a weather vane to measure wind speed that sends an alert when it reaches dangerous levels that can adversely affect the plants. USB Security Door Lock 3 Foreign Study 1. DESIGN OF A PC BASED WIRELESS DOOR SECURITY SYSTEM This project is developed by using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) System, ATMEGA-32 Microcontroller and relay switching circuit to design a PC based Time attendance and Wireless door access system. The main objective of this project is to implement a time attendance system along with a door lock system for secure and reliable applications. The system gives all types of information regarding student registration, in-out track record, attendance details which can be used for future reference. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF SECURITY SYSTEM USING FACIAL RECOGNITION Security is generally a state or feeling of being saved and protected, an assurance that something of value will not be taken. This paper employs two of the emerging artificial intelligence technologies: Facial Recognition and Artificial Neural Networks for developing a secure keyless door where authentication of authorized faces arethe only guarantee for entry. This mechanically built door, with a camera, has an interface with the PC for  capturing and processing images. 3. MICROCONTROLLER-BASED LOCK USING COLOUR SECURITY CODE Nowadays, lock has evolved into the security device that embedded with the microcontroller which is usually named electronic lock. There are several authentication methods for the electronic lock and the password based electronic lock are the most ubiquitous and cheapest among them. However, there are some drawbacks for this type of lock. This color security code lock is designed to overcome those drawbacks. It is a microcontroller based lock which using the color sequence code as password to unlock the system.

The Personal Narratives Written By Beller And Thurber Essay Example for Free

The Personal Narratives Written By Beller And Thurber Essay Though the personal narratives written by Beller and Thurber were fairly short, they still revealed a lot about themselves, which essentially affected the experience of the reader. Through Thurber’s words, the reader gets a sense of who he was during his â€Å"University Days† by his many stories of the classes he claims he didn’t like. Beller on the other hand, reveals himself by his sense of style and description of the different unimportant articles of clothing. Both Beller and Thurber however use anecdotes to draw the reader in so there is a possibility of a connection,  thus altering the reader’s experience from what it would be like for them to just explain their point very dully. Right from the beginning of University Days, Thurber shares an amusing experience that grabs the readers attention immediately. Rather than just telling the reader his dislike for each class, he begins by saying â€Å"I passed all the other courses that I took at my university, but I could never pass botany. This was because all botany students had to spend several hours a week in a laboratory looking through a microscope at plant cells, and I could  never see through a microscope†(Thurber 26). From this, Thurber reveals his point of having some troubles with certain classes, but in a way where the reader finds it humorous and in a way where some readers might be able to relate. If Thurber were to just say he didn’t pass botany and economics and just left it at that, the reader wouldn’t be as engaged, nor would the reader actually understand what he had to go through.

Concept Of Facilities Planning And Plant Layout Computer Science Essay

Concept Of Facilities Planning And Plant Layout Computer Science Essay Background of the problem Today s manufacturing industry is facing problems that have been growing in size and complexity over the last several years. As a result, there is an immediate need for procedures or techniques in solving various problems encountered in today s manufacturing arena without extended shutdown s or expensive modifications ( Clark ,1996). Materials handling equipment and the facilities it operates can contribute to as much as 70 percent of the total cost of the manufactured product (Tompkins et al, 1996). Facilities layout design is part of facilities planning (Tompkins et al, 1996). It is the arrangement of work space which, in general terms smoothes the way to access facilities that have strong interactions. The main concern with the plant facility layout planning is to reduce the cost of materials handling as poor materials handling can generate business problems. To stay competitive in todays market a company must reduce costs by planning for the future Material handling cost is a indirect costs and every company wants to reduce this indirect cost and it constitutes a major part of indirect costs in a facility Therefore even small improvements in material handling costs makes a large reduction in total indirect costs. The cost of material flow is a function of the distance the material is moved between divisions called departments in a manufacturing facility. To reduce material handling costs, it is essential to have an optimal arrangement of departments to minimize the total distance traveled Tompkins (1982) estimated that between 20% and 50% of operating expenses in manufacturing can be attributed to facility planning and material handling. Thus any cost saving in this area can contribute to the overall efficiency of the production system. Due to its wide range of applicability, the facility layout problem will continue to be the subject of research for many years to come. Graph theory and computerized software of facility layout is a powerful tool that allows experimentation with various manufacturing techniques and layout without actual implementation. Based on the above facts, it is obvious that layout optimization and improvement are two tasks that are crucial to any facility planning and layout study. 1.2 Statement of problem JPM Automobiles ltd is an automobile component manufacturing company located in Gurgaon Haryana. The problem area in that company is the departments are not located to according to manufacturing process; processes which have high interdependency are not located close to each other. This cause distance travelled by the material is high from one department to another department which result high material handling cost. Which affect the overall efficiency of the company. In response to the above problems, the need for facilities layout optimization is needed. This dissertation proposes to use Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) as to improve the facility layout of the company by graph theory and BLOCKPLAN software to improve the company performance. The company performance improvements are in terms of productivity increase, reduction in travelling cost and reduction in travelling distance. 1.3 Objectives The problem area in that company is of higher material handling, in-process inventory, poor interdependency of department and inflexibility etc. due to its improper layout. Based on the above fact the objectives of the study are: To conduct a detailed literature review of the facility layout problems. To analyze the existing layout of the company and conduct cost analysis of the existing layout. To propose improvements in the existing layout by graph theory and BLOCKPLAN software. To conduct cost analysis of the existing and proposed layouts. Compare cost analysis of the existing and proposed layout by graph theory and BLOCKPLAN software 1.3 Concept of Facilities Planning and Plant Layout A facility planning is a complex and broad subject that covers several disciplines. It involves civil, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineers, as well as architects, consultants, managers and urban planners. Facilities planning can be divided into two components: facilities location and facilities design. Facilities location is about placement of the facility on a specific plot of land with respect to customers, suppliers and other facilities. Facilities design consists of the facility systems design, the layout design and the handling systems design. The facility systems consist of the structural systems, the environmental systems, the lighting/electrical systems and safety systems. The layout consists of all equipment, machinery and furnishings within the building structure. The handling system consists of the mechanisms needed to satisfy the required facility interactions for a manufacturing plant, the facilities layout, also called plant layout, consists of the productio n areas, production related or support areas and personnel areas within the building. Facilitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ planning has become a critical component for companies to keep up with the current market trends in the last few years. In the past facilities planning was primarily considered to be a science. In todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s competitive global marketplace, facilitiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ planning has become a strategy, (Tompkins et al, 2003). 1.4 Facility Layout In any plant, there are large numbers of finite geometric areas i.e. production, machine foundation area, space for inventory, design, production control and supervision are arranged on the floor space of the building. The problem of arranging these areas in an effective manner is the facility layout problem Francis et al (2006) define, facility layout as a technique of locating machines, processes and plant services within the plant, so as to achieve the right quantity and quality of product at the lowest possible cost of manufacturing. The facility layout problem is concerned with an arrangement of physical facilities, such as departments or machines, in certain areas to reduce a companys indirect costs. It has been estimated (Savsar 1991) that between 20 and 50% of the total operating expenses within manufacturing are attributed to material handling, which is directly related to facility layout. A poorly conceived layout can result in congestion and prohibitive material handling costs; and, on the other hand, an effective layout can provide an environment for efficient production. Since indirect costs are the largest portion of a companys total operating cost, the objective of a facilities layout problem is to minimize both interdepartmental flows and the rearrangement costs of changing layouts between time periods. These costs are a function of the amount of material flow and the distance the material is to be moved. The main objective of the facility layout problem is to minimize overall cost, which is directly related to material flow between departments. Generally material flow is represented by the product of the amount of material and the distance the material is moved. The distance traveled is estimated using rectilinear distance between centroids of the departments .Constraints ensure departments do not overlap and departments are of proper size. Many computer algorithms have been developed for designing layouts, mainly for the layout of departments within factories. Types of facilities layout There are four types of plant layout from the point of view of manufacturing Product layout Product layout is based on the processing sequence of part being produced on the line. Parts follow a fixed path through the production resources. In product layout, materials flow from one workstation to next adjacent workstation directly. This type of plant layout is useful when the production process is organized in a continuous manner. Advantages of product layout Simple, smooth logical flow lines result due to fixes sequence of operation. Small work in process inventories due to work from one process is fed directly into the next. Low cost of material handling, due to straight and short route and absence of backtracking. Total production time per unit is short. Since the machines are located so as to minimize distances between consecutive operations, material handling is reduced. Little skill is usually required by operators at the production line; hence, training is simple, short, and inexpensive. Simple production planning control systems are possible. Less space is occupied by work in transit and for temporary storage Disadvantages of product layout Whenever breakdown of one machine stops the entire line in the presence of enough manpower. Lack of process flexibility, since the layout is determined by the product, a change in product design may require major alternations in the layout. Lack of flexibility in timing, as the product cannot flow through the line faster then the slowest task can be accomplished unless that task is performed at several stations. Supervision is general, rather than specialized. Comparatively high investment is required, as identical machines (a few not fully utilized) are sometimes distributed along the line. Worker fatigue as workers may become bored by the endless repetition of simple tasks. Process layout Process layout is also called job shop layout in which the layout for a process department is obtained by grouping of machines according to function of machine centers. Orders for individual products are routed through the various machine centers to obtain the required processing. This type of plant layout is useful when the production process is organized in batches. Machines are general purpose, within their general function area, so that a wide variety of products can be handled. Advantages of process layout A high degree of flexibility exists relative to equipment or manpower allocation for specific tasks. Smaller investment in equipment as duplication is not necessary unless volume is large. The diversity of tasks offers a more interesting and satisfying occupation for the operator. Supervisors for each department become highly, knowledgeable about their functions. Better utilization of machines can result in fewer machines used Disadvantages of process layout Lack of process efficiency as back tracking and long movements may occur in the handling of materials. Lack of efficiency in timing as workers must wait between tasks. Complications of production planning and control Workers must have broad skills and must be paid higher wages than assembly line workers. Comparatively large amounts of in process inventory as space and capital are tied up by work in process. Lowered productivity as each job requires different setups and operator training. Fixed position layout Fixed position layout is generally associated with large, bulky product such as assembly of ship building, aircraft etc. In Fixed position layout workstation are brought to the material. Fixed position layout is shown in fig.1.3 Advantages of fixed position layout Material movement is reduced, minimizes damage or cost of moving. Promotes job enlargement by allowing individuals or teams to perform the whole job. Continuity of operations and responsibility results from team. This reduces the problems of re-planning and instructing people each time a new type of activity is to begin. Highly flexible; can accommodate changes in product design, product mix, and product volume. Independence of production centers allowing scheduling to achieve minimum total production time. Disadvantages of fixed position layout Increased movement of personnel and equipment may be expensive. The necessary combination of skills may be difficult to find and high pay levels may be necessary. Equipment duplication may occur. Higher skill requirements for personnel as they are involved in more operations. General supervision required. Cumbersome and costly positioning of material and machinery. Low equipment utilization as equipment may be left at a location where it will be needed again in a few days rather than moved to another location where it would be productive. Product family layout / Cellular Layout The layout for a product family is based on the grouping of parts to form product family. Groupings are determined by the operations needed to perform work for a set of similar items or part families that require similar processing. A part family is a set of parts that require similar machinery, tooling, machine operations and jig or fixtures. The parts within the family normally go from raw material to finished parts within a single cell. Advantages of cellular Layout Reduced in process inventory Increase operator expertise Improved human relations, job enlargement tend to occur. Supports the use of general purpose equipment Increased machine utilization. Disadvantages of cellular layout General supervision required. Higher skills level required of employees than for product layout. Reduced shop flexibility Depends on balanced material flow between product layout and process layout, otherwise buffers and work in process storage are required. Lower machine utilization than for process layout 1.5 Layout Design Methods and Computer Packages It is highly desirable that the optimum plant layout be designed. Unfortunately, the magnitude of the problem is so great that true system optimization is beyond current capabilities. The approach normally taken in solving the plant layout problem is to try to find a satisfactory solution. Previously, facilities layout problems were solved primarily by using iconic models. Then analytical approaches were developed. In general, plant layout problems can be solved by any of the following approaches: Exact mathematical procedures. Heuristics. Optimal. Graph theory. A number of different procedures have been developed to aid the facilities planner in designing layouts. These procedures can be classified into two main categories: construction type and improvement type. Construction type layout methods basically involve developing a new layout from scratch. Improvement procedures generate layout alternatives based on an existing layout. Based on the above two procedures, many algorithmic approaches have been developed. Some of them are Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) procedure, graph-based construction method, programming, network, Tabu search, simulated annealing and genetic algorithm. Based on these approaches, many computer-aided layout routines have been developed. Some of them are CRAFT, COFAD, CORELAP, ALDEP, PLANET, MULTIPLE, BLOCPLAN . 1.6 Methodology of dissertation This dissertation is to be completed in 3rd and 4th semesters of my M.Tech duration of four semesters. The methodology for this dissertation is stated in Figure 1.1 Introduction Literature review Systematic layout planning Facility layout a case study Company Profile Analysis Conclusion The dissertation report is divided into seven chapters as shown in figure 1.3. The current chapter gives an introduction of Facilities Planning and Plant Layout, Layout Design Methods and Computer Packages. In this chapter is also introducing Background of the problem, Statement of problem, Objectives of the dissertation Chapter 2 provides detailed literature review which would be done throughout the 3rd semester. This chapter covers the different type of facility layout problems and layout design method and commercial software available for solution of facility layout problems. Chapter 3 introduces the details of Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) for generation of layout alternatives. Chapter 4 covers the company background. It covers the company profile, Organization structure of the company, products, esteemed customer and its manufacturing process and its policies. Chapter 5 presents the case study in which existing layout is analyzed and new layout is proposed by GRAPH theory and BLOCKPLAN software and also provides a detailed cost analysis of existing layout and proposed layout. Chapter 6 contains conclusion and future scope.

Moral Conflicts in Crime and Punishment Essay -- Crime Punishment Essa

Moral Conflicts in Fydor Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment  Ã‚   Crime and Punishment by Fydor Dostoyevsky has been hailed as the greatest literary work in the Western hemisphere. Crime and Punishment was written in pre-Communist Russia under the Tsar. Dostoyevsky's writing shows insight into the human mind that is at once frightening and frighteningly real. His main character, around who all other characters are introduced, is Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov murders an old pawnbroker woman for seemingly no reason at all. His sister and mother move to St. Petersburg following his sister's engagement to a man whom Raskolnikov was extremely displeased. Raskolnikov undergoes severe mental trauma, and falls ill after the killing. The reader isn't sure why Raskolnikov killed the woman, indeed it appears that Raskolnikov didn't know himself. He is surrounded by friends and his family and draws in other characters to him during his illness. He befriends a woman, Sofya Seymonavitch, who prostitutes herself to support her mother and her drunken father. As the police come closer onto his trail Raskolnikov faces serious threats to his sister from her two suitors, one of which tries to rape her and kills himself after he finds that he can't bring himself to. At the end Raskolnikov gives himself up, and gives his family into the care of his friend Rauzumihin, who marries Raskolnikov's sister Douina. Dostoyevsky exposes the darkest sides of human nature in with characters that are completely human. The tale Dostoyevsky weaves is a murder mystery, with the murderer and all the facts of the murder known in the very first pages of the book. How then can it be a murder mystery? The mystery is finding out why Raskolnikov comm... ...and then gives all of his money in the world to Marmeledov's family after his death? Who befriends and supports Sofya? Who time and time again defends his sisters honor and safety? Can the reader call this man murderer, shun him, and cast him out, make him the bad guy? Or must the reader be forced to see the suffering Raskolnikov is inflicting upon himself, the acceptance that what he did was evil, his urge to confess to the world what he had done. Must the reader in the end admit that this horrible criminal is human? That Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov was neither brute nor hero, but one of us? Dostoyevsky leaves the reader who was looking to divide the characters with the sword of moral right and wrong with the sword pointing directly at himself. Works Cited: Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Trans. Constance Garnett. New York: Modern Library, 1950.

Love :: essays research papers

Euthanasia is the act of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment. This is a topic with many opinions and much controversy as to whether or not it should be a legal practice. I have never known anyone close to me with an incurable disease, but if a loved one or I were diagnosed, I would like the option to end the suffering to be available. Therefore, I am pro euthanasia, and furthermore, pro individual choice. There are two essays I have recently read on the subject, each gives two different viewpoints on the topic of euthanasia. In Sidney Hook’s In Defense of Voluntary Euthanasia, he believes that â€Å"each one should be permitted to make his own choice-especially when no one else is harmed by it.†(404) Hook is pro euthanasia, contrary to Rand Richards Cooper, the author of The Dignity of Helplessness: What Sort of Society Would Euthanasia Create?† Cooper says â€Å"I’m looking for an argument with Jack Kevorkian; or rather, one against him.†(411) He believes that euthanasia should not be a practice used in society today. Sidney Hook begins his essay by giving a personal, first-hand experience of his own sufferings in his battle with congestive heart failure followed by a massive stroke. He says, â€Å"†¦I asked my physician to discontinue all life-supporting services or show me how to do it.†(403) His doctor refused and after months of rehabilitation, finally regained most of his motor skills. He admits that this argument sounds like it is pro euthanasia, however, he gives two major reasons for the right to choose. By using his own personal experience and knowledge, he gives the reader insight to his defense in his opinion. Rand Richards Cooper takes an informal approach in his argument, not giving any cut and dry facts. He uses two indirect experiences through his mother’s friend and children in Kenya to convey his ideas. Sidney Hook expresses his ideas using his own personal terminal illness. He makes his statement using reader sympathy, hoping to impact the reader on a personal level. Rand Richards Cooper uses a similar approach, recognizing the usefulness of informal, but personable persuasions. Hook writes about his own first-hand experience and is thought to be more factual. Cooper on the other hand uses the same technique, but he gives second-hand experiences through children in Kenya and also through his mother’s best friend.

Essay --

The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is a simplistic view of life in the Deep South of America in the 1930s. An innocent but humorous stance in the story is through the eyes of Scout and Jem Finch. Scout is a young adolescent who is growing up with the controversy that surrounds her fathers lawsuit. Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, with the charge of raping a white girl. The lives of the characters are changed by racism and this is the force that develops during the course of the narrative. As previously mentioned, the point of view in this narrative is from Scout. Her upbringing has been respectful to the African-Americans in her society and she shows this with her relationship with her maid, Calpurnia. Other children her age have adopted their parents' racially prejudice views, causing her of many problems. Atticus's lawsuit seems to isolate his children and Scout is taunted with remarks in the playground. Her only retort is violence and Atticus, as an virtuous father, does not condone this behaviour either: "My fist...

Do Illegal workers help or hurt the economy Essay

While growing up in Mexico, I heard many stories of people who were going to work in the United States, some illegally, so they could provide a better life for their families. To them, they were going to the land of opportunity, where jobs were plentiful for people who were willing to work hard. They planned to go to the United States and do the work that Americans didn’t want, while getting paid more than they could make in Mexico. Many of them sought work in construction, where their lower pay would mean cheaper homes and buildings for Americans. Although there was the risk of getting arrested and deported, it seemed like a risk worth taking to many people. Now that I live in the United States, I have seen the other side of the story. I have seen the economic difficulties that Americans face in their own country. It is even harder for someone like me, who came here legally, but faces challenges that many Americans don’t. I have met people here who are working illegally, and see their daily struggle to survive. I have also met Americans who were born here and have difficulty finding work. Instead of plenty of jobs for everyone, good jobs are scarce with many people fighting to get them. I see the resentment some people have toward those who are here illegally, and working for lower wages, making it harder for others to complete. These observations have made me wonder; do illegal workers help or hurt the economy? Dr. George Borjas, Professor of Economics and Social Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, found that the earnings of US born workers were reduced by an average of 3.7% by immigrant workers, both legal and illegal. The greatest effect was to US born workers without a high school degree as well as young workers. In his research, published in the paper Increasing the Supply of Labor Through Immigration, Dr. Borjas writes â€Å"The 10 million native-born workers without a high school degree face the most competition from immigrants, as do the eight million younger natives with only a high school education and 12 million younger college graduates.† In the study entitled The Economic Logic of Illegal Immigration by Gordon H. Hanson, Professor of Economics at University of California, Gordon discovered that immigration has a modest impact on the economy, pushing incomes slightly lower for low-skilled native workers, and pushing incomes slightly higher for highly-skilled native workers. However, because legal immigrant workers encounter more restrictions and delays in entering the work force, it is illegal immigrations that provide a fluid, low-skilled workforce that is needed during economic booms. Gordon states â€Å"It (Illegal immigration) provides U.S. businesses with the types of workers they want, when they want them, and where they want them. If policy reform succeeds in making U.S. illegal immigrants more like legal immigrants, in terms of their skills, timing of arrival, and occupational mobility, it is likely to lower rather than raise national welfare.† In June of 2011, the state of Alabama passed the strictest anti-immigration law in the United States, known as HB 56. Alabama is an unlikely state for such a law, since only 120,000 of the country’s 11 million illegal immigrants live in Alabama. However, politicians painted illegal workers as an epidemic, contributing to budget shortfalls and high unemployment. Included in the law, is a requirement for police to validate a person’s immigration status if they have â€Å"reasonable suspicion†. The law penalizes anyone who employs, transports, or rents to an illegal immigrant. As a result of this law, Alabama farmers, who opposed the law from the beginning, saw their workforce disappear. In an article appearing in Mother Jones magazine entitled Help Not Wanted, by Paul Reyes, Alabama farmers expressed their frustration with HB 56. Their problem is that the work they have is difficult and requires experience and training that most native workers don’t have or are unwilling to do. In the article, Jerry Spencer, who runs Grow Alabama, a community-supported agriculture (CSA) project, is quoted. During a single month, Spencer employed 75 Alabamians to work on a farm, picking tomatoes. Of the 75 workers, 15 of them showed up more than once and only 3 lasted for the whole month. Spencer says â€Å"A Mexican can honestly make $300 a day at the height of tomato season, but that’s based on $3 per box. The (Alabamian) workers we took up there couldn’t come close. I’m going to be generous and say $20 a day was average. I actually was proud to see how hard they did work, but they couldn’t live up to the efficiency, and therefore the speed and production, that Mexicans could† An earlier law that prohibited employers from hiring illegal workers was the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which was passed by congress in 1986. This act created penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. However, illegal workers have found a way to counter this by obtaining fake Social Security numbers and green cards, which can be purchased easily in most immigrant neighborhoods for a small fee. These false documents allow employers to claim ignorance if caught hiring an illegal worker. This also means that the illegal workers are paid the same way as other workers, along with tax deductions. In an article appearing in Generations magazine entitled Not on the Radar: Illegal Immigrant are Bolstering Social Security, author Eduardo Porter provided the following statistic, â€Å"The estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year.† It is important to note with this statistic, that illegal workers are not eligible for Social Security benefits. Their Social Security deductions are being paid to retired legal workers. While illegal workers with false documents are paying taxes and contributing to the Social Security system, illegal immigrant workers also add a financial strain on city and state budgets. For example, in states like California, where one third of foreign born people in the United States live, children of immigrants are affecting public schools. In the book Immigration in a Changing Economy: California’s Experience, authors Kevin F. McCarthy and George Vernez advocate that more education needs be provided in California public schools for English proficiency for immigrant children â€Å"lest they, and California with them, fall behind the rest of the country† warns McCarthy and Vernez. Illegal workers may have dreams of making lots of money while working in the United States, but the truth is that they will face low-level jobs with the likelihood of exploitation. In a study of illegal Mexican workers, which is documented by Francisco L. Rivera-Batiz in the study Undocumented workers in the labor market: An analysis of the earnings of legal and illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States, published in the Journal of Population  Economics, it was found that 93.2% of male illegal workers and 87.4% of female illegal workers worked in service occupations. Furthermore, they made significantly less income than legal workers performing the same functions. Although some of the pay discrepancy is due to their time spent in the United States and English proficiency, it does not explain all of the pay discrepancies. Rivera-Batiz writes, â€Å"The large proportion of the gap in wages between legal and illegal immigrants unexplained by differences in the measured characteristics of these two groups strongly suggests the presence of systematic discrimination against undocumented workers.† After conducting my research, I have been surprised to learn that illegal immigration has a minimal impact on the overall US economy. The most negatively affected are young, low-skilled, less educated native workers, who experience slightly lower wages due to illegal immigrant workers. Highly-skilled native workers actually receive a slightly higher income due to illegal immigrant workers. Illegal workers benefit of course, but they are also easy targets for exploitation, since they are often not paid the same as legal workers performing the same job functions, and do not receive the same benefits that legal workers do. The real winners from illegal immigration are the businesses that knowingly employ illegal workers. They receive a workforce willing to work for minimal wages, and perform jobs that many native workers are unwilling to do. Government agencies also benefit by receiving tax payments from illegal workers, while not having to pay out such benefits as Social Security. For these reasons, I foresee little change in Immigration laws, since the current situation benefits those with the most power and money. Works Cited (1) Borjas, G. J. (2004, May). In Increasing the Supply of Labor Through Immigration: Measuring the Impact on Native-born Workers. Retrieved Mar. 29, 2013, from http:// www.cis.org/articles/2004/back504.html (2) Hanson, G. H. (2007, Apr. 26 ). In The Economic Logic of Illegal Immigration. Retrieved Mar. 29, 2013, from http://www.cfr.org/content/publications (3) McCarthy, Kevin F., Vernez,  George. â€Å"Immigration in a Changing Economy: California’s Experience.† Rand, 1997: 338 EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 19 April 2013 http://www.ebsco.com (4) Reyes, Paul. â€Å"Help Not Wanted.† Mother Jones March/April 2012: EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 19 April 2013 . (5) Rivera-Batiz, Francisco L. â€Å"Undocumented workers in the labor market: An analysis of the earnings of legal and illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States† Journal of Population Economics (1999) 91-116 EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 29 March 2013 . (6) Porter, Eduardo. â€Å"Not on the Radar: Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security.† Generations Spring 2005, Vol. 29 Issue 1: 100-102 EBSCOhost. Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minnesota. 29 March 2013 .

What vices we should avoid or elude

What vices we should repress/elude What are the vices we should avoid or elude? First of all on that point are legion(predicate) types of vices, from alcohol, smoking, drugs, gambling, and even lust. To be honest I like to drink, now and again however if you drink in any case much, rise up now thats Just wrong. Drinking too much of alcohol will peasant your expectr and certain types of alcohol that has mead in it would eat up brain cells and would almost likely make you stupid.There are many different types of drugs like marijuana, meet, cocaine, ecstasy, weed, flying high. What do all these drugs lay down in public? Makes you high, makes you numb and makes you elated. But what are the crappy side effects? Drugs can electric razor or destroy every harmonium you have, even your brain which would make you an chat insane lout. Smoking, what does it do?Well nicotine that is open up in tobacco leaves, which is privileged a cigarette eats up your stored vitamins inside yo ur body, once that happens oh would be prone to disorder or get sick allot, separate than that in that respect is a high materialise of you having cancer or lung cancer which would twist to death. Even second- hand smoking is fatal to people well-nigh smokers especially pregnant women. Gambling is what I do non understand, you bet away your specie which there Is a low chance of you agreeable it back, and if you do win you bet the money you earned and most likely you drift off it again.Lust well remember to use a condom for safety. What do all these vices have In common? It all cost money, Its not good to yourself and people around you, and there Is a chance for you to buy the farm with certain vices. So try to live a healthy life bolt without using an exaggerated amount of vices, because hey I have tried to smoke but I am not a smoker, I Like to drink occasionally, and If you do try to elude vices there Is a chance that you might reach an come on of a hundred.

Health Care Communications Methods Essay

You be the confabulations coordinator for a field drug manufacturer. Recently, thither wee been reports of signifi understructuret negative effects ca consumptiond by sensation of your medications that argon used by a signifi crappert population. News reports have each(prenominal)eged that bingle of the individuals affected is a good-known public figure. You ar tasked with send foring the freshlys reports and the general public regarding this situation. As one of the head members of communions at DrugsRus for the past 15 years, it has been shown firsthand the belongings of narcotic medications on our local anesthetic population. These have been analyzed and investigated on a study level.It is only recently that the overwhelming craving to the drugs has rifle widespread within our area spreading corresponding weeds throughout the country. The increase of drug qualified long-sufferings and drug related episodes has resulted in a increase amount of attention and conce rn from the public. Taking wholly of this into consideration, overdosing occurrences from incompatible interactions with other medications narcotic, controlled, or non-narcotic properties alike, have resulted in an exceptional need for change within our commerce concerning uncomplaining rules, regulations, guidelines and restrictions.Changes to otherwise gener tout ensembley agree upon medications as well as required authorization approvals upon foreign medication in come upon moldiness be reconsidered. rough have been asked by our board members to develop a parley scheme to address these needs as well as the impact HIPPA and other regulations bequeath have on this type of communicating. The following exit earn the communication strategy decided upon to take as well as the encountered use of regulatory systems such as HIPPA, followed by the advantages and disadvantages of employ conventional, electronic and neighborly media for our healthcare communication.Further much , the reasons of each of the components of the communication strategies chosen. parley Channels Although tele communication theory is moving forward quickly at a distressing rate, historically established method actings of communication in healthcare are still truly successful. These traditional communication channels include personal discussions, telephone calls, post mail, fax, memorandums, board meetings, and reports to name a few. Technology has raised the use of electronic communication methods which has in turn has paved the means for new kinds of affable media communication methods.Electronic channels of communication include emails, school text messaging, EMRs, two-way radios, instant messaging, disk overhead audio announcements and video conferencing among many other movable devices. Social media channels include newspapers, television broadcasting, online networking, advertisements, webcasts, and tender media websites. Unlike using postal mail, utilizing social me dia and electronic forms of communication would allow the user to emit and book information simultaneously as well as gain feedback and do virtually within minutes. in that location is always a need for previously record communication, so advantages of traditional channels include the top executive to record and arrive the inwardness that was communicated at a later date for conformation and review. However, the disadvantage is that formal means are usually delayed, meaning the message may not be throwd until a later date depending upon the medium used, such as with postal mail. The advantages of electronic channels are that messages can be communicated online with ease as well as with the ability to save, download and store the information on a storage media for printing and accessing at a later time.This has virtually eliminated the delay of other traditional means by allowing for the same documentation plainly at an instant as well as allows multiple, simultaneous access . Disadvantages of the electronic means can include invasion of seclusion and possible security gap as well as it may not reach the part of the public unable to generate such devices or internet access. Advantages of using the social media aspect can attract the attention needed to promote a product or good mean or drive traffic to the intended website of services.This type of channel has the ability to bring lot together from all over the world as well as allows each person to press out their own opinions and ideas, providing well-needed feedback. Disadvantages of this method when not used decent or failed to promote the communication effectively can cause a permanent damage to the corporations reputation as this mistake is seen in front of hundreds or thousands of people who also have direct and easy access of spreading their messages online.This way of communicating can also be more time consuming as roundone has to be constantly checking in to make comments, answer q uestions, and reply to feedback. Regulatory Effects While healthcare organizations are responsible to adhere to regulations on a federal decreed level such as with (HHS) Department of health and Human Services and (HIPPA) Health Insurance Portability and answerability Act they are bound by state, local, and some private accrediting organization regulations as well.Any method of communication taken in regards to internal employee and patient role awareness as well as immaterial partners, patient families, and the general public must obtain and keep compliance with regulations set forth by all of the agencies involved. It is important to understand that under the HIPPA privacy law, any identifying information of any patient must have that patients written take to before their medical information can be shared.This includes the verbal, written, and electronic use in addition to, appointing a privacy officer responsible for compliance to these standards as well as the ability to id entify all ways they intend on communicating the patient information (Osborne, M. Ed. ,OTR/L, 2002). One example, according to the Joint military mission and HIPPA, (SMS) short message service or text messaging is non-secure and noncompliant with safety and privacy regulations and because not permitted (Brooks, MD, 2012). In order to use social media channels the information must be DE-identified to maintain compliance with all federal, state and local regulations. chat Strategy The guidelines, regulations, and restrictions reform leave alone educate employees and site patients, to prohibit the use of indecent medications while receiving discussion at DrugsRus by informing them of the deadly effects and loss of life as a result, using counselors, nurses and physicians through in house meetings, group therapy, man-to-man sessions, automated voicemail messages, flyers, and overhead announcements as well as updated patient rules and regulations pamphlets distributed at the medica tion window, for the purposes of saving lives and promoting dryness throughout the recovery process.Rationale for Components Educating our employees leave be the first line of defense as our round can educate the patients as well as enforce the new rules effectively. Counselors can discuss adverse effects of combining medications while in one-on-one sessions with patients. Flyers posted on the walls and offered at the check-in window as well as overhead announcements will catch the attention of patient entering and seance in the front lobby. Group meetings will be held for patients to discuss changes and express their feelings about the new rules as well as receive feedback as to why these measures have been taken and were needed.Updated pamphlets will be disposed to each patient as they enter to receive their medication, ensuring every patient is made aware of these official changes. Voicemail messages will follow to ensure the patients at plate will be notified of a change and will be opted to prepare for the transition. The object is to reach all of the sixteen hundred patients receiving treatment in bounteous time to save lives. Each passing twenty-four hour period is another chance for an adverse reaction to take another life. In order to devour changes effectively and quickly, all measures of communication must be utilized. digest In conclusion, as the opiate trend rises among our local and national population, the rise of deaths due to adverse effects of these medications has uprise to an all-time high. It is because of the fatalities that a reform of the present patient rules, regulations and guidelines must be implemented and adhered to immediately. As communications officers, we have been asked to develop a strategy to address those needs. We have included some of the present communication methods as well as channels and measures with which to use them effectively.We have included some of the regulations surrounding the legal use of thos e communication methods. We have given a complete communication strategy which addresses who and what the communication strategy will involve. We have showed how we are going to implement the communication, where and the results of the communication strategy. We have followed up with the reasons this communication causal agent is so important to our patients and facility as well as vital to our community as a whole.