IT firms in India Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IT firms in India - Essay Example The paper tells that rapid industrialization and globalization have led to firms expanding their services in foreign countries. The service firms are entering the foreign markets and the most critical issue in international marketing strategy remains the choice of entry mode. The choice of market entry mode according to Zhao and Decker has an impact on international operations and is considered important in international marketing. It is one of the most critical decisions for the MNCs and it affects future decisions and performance in foreign markets. The initial entry mode choice significantly affects the performance and longevity of the firm. Nearly 80 percent of the global investors plan to locate their corporate offices overseas by 2008. The corporate investors are looking at offshoring opportunities more aggressively across all major functions. Kearney contends that the IT sector will see the highest levels of offshoring activity with 67% global investors expecting to offshore t hese functions. Business processes like R&D, HR and accounting offshoring would amount to about 41 percent. These business models will include captive and joint venture, both of which result in FDI. Since there are concerns over quality control and the intellectual-property protection, it is expected that most of the offshoring would be through captive business models (or wholly owned subsidiaries) or joint ventures. Most of the R&D offshoring will be through FDI. Kearney further states that global investors prefer to rely on third-party outsourcing contracts and other non-FDI operating models.

Counterfeiting is NOT a major problem for Branded good companies Essay

Counterfeiting is NOT a major problem for Branded good companies engaged in International Strategic Marketing - Essay Example Counterfeiting is production of goods similar to the original article; they are cheaper alternatives of the original and there may not be perceivable difference in quality (Phau, Teah & Lee, 2009). OECD (1998) defines counterfeiting as any manufacturing of a product which so closely imitates the appearance of the product of another to mislead a consumer that it is the product of another. Hence it also includes trademarks and copyrights infringements, including packaging and labeling or any other significant feature of the product. Counterfeiting is a civil offence, a criminal crime apart from being a social, political and serious economic problem (Bian & Veloutsou, 2007). However, according to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development, 2007) the total value of counterfeit goods in 2005 was $200 billion (Gistri et al. 2009) and by 2007 it has estimated to have exceeded $500 (Phau, Teah & Lee, 2009). It is estimated that about 15% of the branded products sold across the world are counterfeit (Cross, 2006). The core target for counterfeiting brands is the luxury brands. It has increased to such proportions because of global trade and emerging new markets (Phau & Teah, 2009). Counterfeiting thrives because in some countries such as the US, their legal system protects only functionality and not designs or the style. In other countries even this level of protection is not present (Hilton, Chot & Chen, 2004). Countries like China and Hong Kong has no way to deal with counterfeiters and moreover, many times counterfeiting takes place outside the jurisdiction of a country (Nejdet, 2000). North Korea too engages in secret counterfeit printing and packaging of billions of cigarettes and drugs sold in the US (Cross, 2006). Phillips Morris has been able to trace the counterfeit version of its Marlboro brand at more than 1300 stores in the US. Such illicit activities generate more than half a billion US dollars. The counterfeiting is done so

Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World

Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION I would like to undertake the study of Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World, United Kingdom. The study covers the processes in the organization, the value chain in the firm and its analysis. I made an analysis of the ambiguities in the processes of the system and put forth recommendations needed for the improvements in future. Relationship Management at the value chain, the customer services in the organization, its impact, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) was given concentration in the studies. Objectives of the Study: There are multiple objectives for my studies of research. Mainly the supply chain system in PC World is analysed in detail. Improvements for the development of the supply chain system in future is also aimed in my research as it has its own significance for a purchase led kind of business. Information and Communication Technology systems in PC World and Supplier Relationship Management in the work place are given importance as the secondary objective of the studies. An analytic thinking over the improvement of customer satisfaction with use of value chain has done as another objective of this research. Why is this study important? The economic crisis of 2009 was the most severe one after the Great Depression of 1929. The much expected GDP growth had not happened in the third quarter of 2009 and the growth was 0.3 in the last quarter of the year (statistics.gov, 2010). Most of other European countries have shown modest growth rates, UK is still in search of positive triggers. We have seen six consecutive quarters of negative growth and the crisis has affected the economy very dangerously. 5.7 per cent of the market capitalization has been wiped out in UK in the last 18 months. These numbers look worst when the economy faced inflation in the same time period. The doldrums in the job market and the virtually frozen consumer spending have affected many industries in the country (guardian, 2010). Still we are not at all survived from the crisis and waiting for much horrific double dip recession. So the organizations which have better operating systems only can survive in market. The organizations who serve an impro ved customer service will be benefited in this situation. So the organizations are trying to improve the satisfaction of customers, reduce costs and improve their profitability. Companies are in search of synergies and positive triggers with restructuring and reorganizing their strategies and operations. The Information and Communication Technology systems come across a lot of developments in this period. This is the real opportunity for the companies to come up in the market with ideal strategies and improvements in the operations. My research will be a benefit for the companies which are eagerly in search of ways to improve their efficiency as it is done in the wake of these tough situations. Theoretical Framework I would be guided on mostly by the studies of Geoff Walsham, Professor in University of Cambridge. The series of publications of his works by University of Cambridge are well respected in this area of study. Globalization and ICT: Working across culture by Geoff Walsham would be the primary theoretical resources of my research. These works shows lights on the significance of Information and Communication Technology in the present status of the economies. Another resource for my studies is Supply chain management: more than a new name for logistics, by M. C. Lambert and D. M. Pagh. These works are published in IJLM (International Journal of Logistics Management). They formed a primary thought for the subject of my proposed study. Introduction to e-supply chain management: engaging technology to build market winning business partnership by David Frederick Ross inspired me to work with the advanced methods of improvements for supply chain management systems and its operations. Problem of Research: The problem of the proposed research is insufficiencies and the opportunities of improvements for the improvements in the system of supply chain in PC World. Suggestions are made to improve the efficiency and productivity of the PC World as a part of this research. The research would be done concentrating on 3 dimensions. Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the operations, customer satisfaction and Supplier Relationship Management are the three main points where the concentration has been given in this study. The main questions raised for the purpose of this research are listed below: How is the organisation of Supply Chain at P C World? How is the value chain organized in P C World? What role does the ICT system have in value chain? How does the ERP system work in P C World and what is the impact of it on value chain? How does P C World manage the supplier relations of it? In what way P C World manage the relations with its key suppliers? How does the supply chain affect the satisfaction of customers? What improvements can be made in P C World? How can the proposed changes be implemented in P C World? How will this change improve the efficiency of business? Ethical Issues Ethical Issues: In conducting this study, I would be guided by the Guidelines set out in the British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2004 ethical issues for Educational research. The guidelines state that the researches are wholly responsible to their sponsors, the research community and participants of the research. The guidelines states that all research work must be conducted at the highest levels of honesty. Research findings are to be published without falsifying and misstating the work done. The guidelines set out the responsibilities of the researcher to participants of the research, sponsors of the research and the research community. (BERA, supply chain management is important to deliver the products and services to end customers. However, it appears that the notions on supply chain management may only be indirectly associated with the issues surrounding consumer behaviours toward maintaining and/or otherwise pushing customer satisfaction. As referenced in many publications, undoubtedly, the role of supply chain management is an important factor in boosting the organizational success. On a separate perspective, consumer behaviour is also an essential factor toward organizational viability into years to come. Qualitatively, preliminary studies have been undertaken concerning the connection between supply chain management and customer satisfaction, as well as the connection between consumer behaviour and customer satisfaction, in trying to recognize the clear distinctions of each topic toward ensuring customer satisfaction. This paper attempts to bring out the significance of both issues combined in relation to customer satisfaction. If the preliminary studies emphasized in automotive and food industries, this paper attempts to analyze the small and medium enterprises in service industry. It is expected that the increasing roles of supply chain management and consumer behaviour in small and medium enterprises are able to improve the overall organizational performance. A cluster sampling methods is incorporated in this study to note the characteristics of those small and medium enterprises in certain locations. Variables chosen in this study are mainly covered the traditional SERVQUAL dimensions of tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Aside from the qualitative analyses, which are based on interviews and field observations, a combination of statistical software packages are utilized as tools toward building quantitative analysis of the study. Research is conducted by gathering data from primary and secondary sources in service industries in Jakarta, and Bandung. As stated, it is expected that such studies would reveal the significance of supply chain management and consumer behaviour in boosting the customer satisfaction level toward organizations products and services. It is expected that such issues are mostly true for small and medium enterprises, perhaps. Limitations I would be attempting the research in a much comprehensive way as possible, following limitations may be underlying in the research Time Constraints: A detailed and exhaustive study was not allowed by my course semester as few significant areas are there where I was forced to leave out. However, most of the significant disciplines would be covered in the research. Security Issues: a supply chain in an organization, information on ERP and key supplier contracts are very sensitive kind of company information and it would be too tough to reproduce them. So I foresee myself as not being capable of publishing a few of my findings. The support of management which I had secured beforehand for the research would allow me to bring most of the findings out in the studies. Financial Constraints: Some suppliers of the organization are located overseas. So it would not be feasible for me to cover all major suppliers of the organization financially. Thus the major suppliers who have their physical operations in UK are confined in my research. Contributions of the research A dynamic and innovative concept of Supply Chain Management systems are anticipated as my study is chiefly a research led exercise. Fast growing systems of ICT in Supply Chain and management of Supplier Relationship would be invaluable resources academically. Different paths would be shown for P C World to strengthen their existing not so good supply chain, consolidate their supplier relations and to construe its customers needs in the research as a sense of business, for increasing the efficiency of processes and profitability of business. Project Plan of Research The proposed work for research would be conducted within a period of ninety days. The studies for research have being got worked since mid December and would be finished by March. The first month of my studies has been utilized for background studies and literature review. Over the next two months, twenty hours a day would be allocated for my work of research. The SCM systems and various practices in the work place, the Information and Communication Technology systems used, will be analysed in the actual company locations. Structured questionnaires would be prepared for the empirical studies of my research and to interview the customers of P C World and the suppliers of it. The last month of research would be used to analyse the findings and data, bring up recommendations for the improvements of supply chain and to get it slimmer and efficient, and to report the entire studies of research. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Literature Review Other than the theoretical resources we discussed above, the following resources are also added to the knowledge related to this study. Transition to B2B e-Market place enabled supply chain: Readiness Assessment and Success Factors by Movahedi B., Lavassani, M K, Kumar V would be the principal resource material of the research. A great gamut of management of supply chain, role of information technology and recent development in the area of supply chain management, and numerous case studies are discussed in the book. This book allowed me to grasp a clear picture on the subject of research. Knowledge management systems: information and communication technologies by Ronald Maier provided more detailed technical aspects for the research. The latest developments and happenings in the field of research are updated with the Journal of Supply Chain Management and Journal of E Commerce. INTRODUCTION There is a drastic development in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in logistics and supply chain management. ICT is today being applied in many organisations in a wide range and operations areas. It has provided new ways to store, process, distribute and exchange information both within companies and with customers and suppliers in the supply chain. ICT used to exchange information in the supply chain is often named inter organisational ICT or inter organisational information systems (IOIS).In supply chain management, ICT has especially been recognised as an enabler for information sharing which companies in the supply chain can use for eliminating the so called bullwhip-effect (Lee et al., 1997). Information-sharing is also a key component in many of the recent automatic replenishment programs (ARP) (Daugherty et al., 1999). Initiatives such as vendor managed inventory (VMI) and collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) are based on an in creased level of automation in both the flow of physical materials and goods and the flow of information between companies to improve the efficiency in the entire supply chain. In a operations management perspective, companies seek to further improve the efficiency in the supply chain by sharing information related to matching demand and supply such as short- and long-term production planning, demand forecasting and materials and capacity planning. Information that can be relevant to share between customers and suppliers typically includes point-of-sales data, forecasts and inventory levels. There is a significant amount of research demonstrating a positive impact of ICT in the supply chain. As companies seek to improve the efficiency in the supply chain through increased integration, ICT can be considered as a key enabler for supply chain management through its ability to support information sharing and shortening information processing time. Supply chain integration can however be expressed in a wide range of dimensions such as integration of processes, information, organisations and systems (Bowersox et al., 1999; Mouritsen, et al., 2003). Similarly, the impact of ICT can be demonstrated in terms of for instance changes in relationships, interorganisational changes and performance (Wilson and Vlosky, 1998). The many dimensions in which supply chain integration can be expressed and the wide variation of factors in which the impact of ICT can be defined in terms of integration indicates that previous researches have been limited to studying a few dimensions and variables relationships at a time. The aspect of how to control and coordinate the activity between the companies in the supply chain, and how ICT affects the level of control integration in the supply chain is a poorly developed area. We propose in this paper a research model for further research exploring the impact of ICT on integration in supply chain control. The model is primarily based on theory within supply chain integration and the impact of ICT. It also incorporates the supply chain control perspective, which defines the scope of application of the model. In contrast with previous research, this model does not intend to limited to a few pre-defined dimensions or variables for investigation but can be used to examine situations involving any type of integration dimension and influencing factor. Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management is effective management by planning, implementing and controlling the activities in the supply chain system in an organization. Activities from warehousing the inventory to movement of products to the consumer are controlled and co-ordinated by the supply chain management. Supply Chain Management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management activities, it includes coordination, cooperation and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers APA (American Professional Association). Characteristics of Supply Chains The management of supply and demand in and across the companies are integrated by supply chains It coordinates the network of business operations which provide the products and services. The logistics and supply chain management are distinguished by some researchers. At the same time some of them consider them as similar terms. The management of supply chain can be used as a software also A study on supply chain event management allows knowing how the system of supply chain is coordinated in an organization and how resolutions are produced for the problems that occur during the effectuation of supply chain in an organization. Issues in Supply Chain Management Following limitations must be dealt with the management of supply chain: Configuration of distribution network is the main limitation of the management of supply chain. It implies the supply chain is bore on by the number of suppliers, their locations, and missions of network of customers. The facilities for production, centres for distribution, cross docks, ware houses etc influence the supply chain management. The supply chain is also affected by the strategy of distribution. Replacement strategy and transportation is the other concerns for the management of supply chain. The total supply chain management is affected by the sharing of valuable information on the demand signals, inventory, transportation and the forecasts. The location and quantity of inventory which include finished goods, work in process goods and raw materials influence the supply chain. The cash flows in each and every level of supply chine will also affect it. The task flow like order fulfilment, inventory procurance, goods transporting and ware housing SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS Supply chain management must address the following problems: Distribution Network Configuration: number, location and network missions of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centres, warehouses, cross-docks and customers. Distribution Strategy: questions of operating control (centralized, decentralized or shared); delivery scheme, e.g., direct shipment, pool point shipping, cross docking, DSD (direct store delivery), closed loop shipping; mode of transportation, e.g., motor carrier, including truckload, LTL, parcel; railroad; intermodal transport, including TOFC (trailer on flatcar) and COFC (container on flatcar); ocean freight; airfreight; replenishment strategy (e.g., pull, push or hybrid); and transportation control (e.g., owner-operated, private carrier, common carrier, contract carrier, or 3PL). Trade-Offs in Logistical Activities: The above activities must be well coordinated in order to achieve the lowest total logistics cost. Trade-offs may increase the total cost if only one of the activities is optimized. For example, full truckload (FTL) rates are more economical on a cost per pallet basis than less than truckload (LTL) shipments. If, however, a full truckload of a product is ordered to reduce transportation costs, there will be an increase in inventory holding costs which may increase total logistics costs. It is therefore imperative to take a systems approach when planning logistical activities. These tradeoffs are key to the most efficient and effective Logistics and SCM strategy. Information: Integration of processes through the supply chain to share valuable information, including demand signals, forecasts, inventory, transportation, potential collaboration, etc. Inventory Management: Quantity and location of inventory, including raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP) and finished goods. Cash-Flow: Arranging the payment terms and methodologies for exchanging funds across entities within the supply chain. Supply chain execution means managing and coordinating the movement of materials, information and funds across the supply chain. The flow is bi-directional. ACTIVITIES/FUNCTIONS Supply chain management is a cross-function approach including managing the Movement of raw materials into an organization, certain aspects of the internal Processing of materials into finished goods, and the movement of finished goods out of the organization and toward the end-consumer. As organizations strive to focus on core competencies and becoming more flexible, they reduce their ownership of raw materials sources and distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other entities that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively. The effect is to increase the number of organizations involved in satisfying customer demand, while reducing management control of daily logistics operations. Less control and more supply chain partners led to the creation of supply chain management concepts. The purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, thus improving inventory visibility and the velo city of inventory movement. Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required to manage material movements across organizational and functional boundaries. SCOR is a supply chain management model promoted by the Supply Chain Council. Another model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum Activities in Supply Chain Management The movement of raw materials for internal processing in an organization. Conversion of raw materials into finished goods. Movement of finished goods to the consumer or end user. It is the responsibility of supply chain management to bring down the ownership of raw materials for the organization for a long period and to help the company to achieve the competence for the organization. The functions can be outsourced to increase the cost effectiveness and the satisfaction of customers demands. The management of supply chain has to construct trust among the members in the supply chain and it must better the association among them. The organization should be helped to actuate the inventory immediately and must develop the visibility in the supply chain. A Supply Chain Management model projected by the GSCF (Global Supply Chain Forum) demonstrates that the activities in a supply chain can be characterized as strategic, operational and tactical activities. Strategic Activities The optimization of strategies of an organization like number of warehouses, locations, centres of distributions, facilities and locations of warehouses etc are included in strategic activities. Strategic activities include the communication network creation among the supply chain members and it must develop an improvement in the activities of supply chain such as shipping, docking, transport, and logistics etc. The organization of designing of the products and development are included in strategic activities of an organization and the strategic activities must integrate the new and existing products into the supply chain. It should support all the activities in supply chain. All the activities of supply chain must be integrated with overall activities of the organization by the strategic activities. Tactical Activities It includes decisions concerning to purchase of inventory and contracts. It includes decisions pertained to production such as the location, schedule, contracts, plans and definition of processes of production etc. Decision making in relation with the quality, transport, quantity, location, and use of inventory. The strategy formulation in concern with freight like the transport frequency, the cost, routes, contracts and logistics etc are included It involves the best process benchmarking in the industry throughout its operations. Operational Activities It includes decisions and activities in relation with day to day activities connected to production and planning at each levels of supply chain. It involves forecasts of production facilities and necessities in supply chain in every instant. It involves forecasting and planning of Demand and converting the overall demand into supply and share it with every the members of the supply chain. Forecasting, planning and coordinating the demand forecast of each and every customer and share bode with all suppliers. Inward operations, such as movement and transport of goods and stocks in the supply chain. It involves operational decisions and planning from ingestion of inventory to the current of finished goods in the chain of supply. It includes the promises of orders, accounting for all processes in the supply chain from suppliers to consumers or end users. Scope of Supply Chain Management To compete in the global market, companies rely on effective networks of supply chain According to Peter Ducker, business networking concept covers beyond the conventional enterprise limitations and broadens to coordinate the entire process of business throughout a value chain of multiple companies included in it. Outsourcing of Information Technology has enabled the organizations to be processed in such a way that each partner of business concentrates in the few significant areas in which he is specialized. This inter organizational network is the innovative trend in form of organization with the complex interactions among the key players; the structure of network is not a hierarchical structure or a market structure. It is ambiguous of what kind of performance level impact that various supply network structures could have on organization, and little is known about the conditions of coordination and tradeoffs that may subsist among the players. From point of view of a system, a structure of complex network can be decayed into individual component companies (Zhang and Dilts, 2004). Conventionally, companies in a supply network focus on the processes inputs and outputs, with little matter of concern for the internal management of the firm working on other individual players. Therefore, an internal management choice control structure is known to make a major impact on performance of local companies (Mintzberg, 1979). There have been large changes in environment of business which has contributed to the supply chain networks developments. Primarily, as a result of globalization and with the increase of big multi-national companies, strategic alliances, joint ventures and business partnerships, have found to be making important factors of success, following the earlier practices of JIT (Just-In-Time), Lean Management and Agile Manufacturing. Secondly, changes of technology, especially the dramatic fall in the cost of information communication, which is a predominant component of transaction costs, have led to changes in organization among the members of the network of supply chain (Coase, 1998). The exceptional transformation towards activities of integration from managing functions of individuals with processes of key supply chain in place could be the first significant step in establishing a successful supply network. For example; the department of purchasing places orders as necessities become appropriate only, when Department of Marketing responding to consumer demands and convey the same with all the distributors and retailers across to go with the demand of customers. The overall integration process leverages the whole shared information among partners of supply chain of an organization towards its advantage. The key to Successful consolidation of Supply chain business process is by employing the collaborative work across suppliers and buyers, common systems along with the shared information and joint product development. In 2000, the Lambert and Cooper expressed their view as the whole as The continuous information flows in the integrated supply chain process supports an organization to achieve best product flows. Despite such expression, there subsists an opinion among organizations and networks of management, that product flows optimization cannot be realized without implanting a process access to respective businesses. The supply chain significant processes by Lambert (2004) are listed below: Customer relationship management Management customer service Management of demand Fulfilment of orders Management of flow of manufacturing Management of supplier relationship Development of a product and commercialization Management of Returns In addition to points of Lambert other keys are: Procurement Physical distribution Outsourcing and partnerships Measurement of performance Management of customer service process As the information of customer is the basic source for service of customers, the important aspect of Customer relationship Management is between the organization and its customers. This real- time information makes customers cognisant on various details such as product availability, product information, probable delivery dates through multiple interfaces of information about the companys operations of production and distribution. Steps to build an efficient and Successful relationship with customers: Establish goals which are commonly rewarding between organization and customers Customize and invest efforts to preserve customer resonance and support always create positive outlook with customers in the organization Process of procurement In laying good strategic plans for process of procurement, the interests, opinions and support of the suppliers is very important; because their confidence in the plans lay foundation for newly build manufacturing flow management and it is the same in case of a development of a new product. When activities are global and far reach across, the companies need to accommodate processes to manage and source them accordingly. For achieving success in creating the preferred product, it is significant to have mutually beneficial relationship, cut down times cycles in design and development of the new product play very important role. Communication systems can be boosted by deploying tools like Internet connectivity and electronic data interchange (EDI), of the purchasing function of a firm to drive activities. These powerful systems of communication streamlines a lot of processes in managing, obtaining and tracking information about products and materials and products, which supports organization in dealing with issues successfully; supply sources, inbound transportation negotiation phases, resource plans, order placement, delivery status, storage capabilities, handling and quality assurance. Also, it actuates the organizations to handle the responsibility and to organize commitment with suppliers over supply continuity, delivery scheduling, misrepresentation, and research support studies in creating new product and sources of programs. Development of new product and commercialization This helps organizations to reduce time cycles of development of product with aspects of customers, suppliers so as to capture markets better by being competitive, innovations of products Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION I would like to undertake the study of Supply Chain Management Systems at PC World, United Kingdom. The study covers the processes in the organization, the value chain in the firm and its analysis. I made an analysis of the ambiguities in the processes of the system and put forth recommendations needed for the improvements in future. Relationship Management at the value chain, the customer services in the organization, its impact, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) was given concentration in the studies. Objectives of the Study: There are multiple objectives for my studies of research. Mainly the supply chain system in PC World is analysed in detail. Improvements for the development of the supply chain system in future is also aimed in my research as it has its own significance for a purchase led kind of business. Information and Communication Technology systems in PC World and Supplier Relationship Management in the work place are given importance as the secondary objective of the studies. An analytic thinking over the improvement of customer satisfaction with use of value chain has done as another objective of this research. Why is this study important? The economic crisis of 2009 was the most severe one after the Great Depression of 1929. The much expected GDP growth had not happened in the third quarter of 2009 and the growth was 0.3 in the last quarter of the year (statistics.gov, 2010). Most of other European countries have shown modest growth rates, UK is still in search of positive triggers. We have seen six consecutive quarters of negative growth and the crisis has affected the economy very dangerously. 5.7 per cent of the market capitalization has been wiped out in UK in the last 18 months. These numbers look worst when the economy faced inflation in the same time period. The doldrums in the job market and the virtually frozen consumer spending have affected many industries in the country (guardian, 2010). Still we are not at all survived from the crisis and waiting for much horrific double dip recession. So the organizations which have better operating systems only can survive in market. The organizations who serve an impro ved customer service will be benefited in this situation. So the organizations are trying to improve the satisfaction of customers, reduce costs and improve their profitability. Companies are in search of synergies and positive triggers with restructuring and reorganizing their strategies and operations. The Information and Communication Technology systems come across a lot of developments in this period. This is the real opportunity for the companies to come up in the market with ideal strategies and improvements in the operations. My research will be a benefit for the companies which are eagerly in search of ways to improve their efficiency as it is done in the wake of these tough situations. Theoretical Framework I would be guided on mostly by the studies of Geoff Walsham, Professor in University of Cambridge. The series of publications of his works by University of Cambridge are well respected in this area of study. Globalization and ICT: Working across culture by Geoff Walsham would be the primary theoretical resources of my research. These works shows lights on the significance of Information and Communication Technology in the present status of the economies. Another resource for my studies is Supply chain management: more than a new name for logistics, by M. C. Lambert and D. M. Pagh. These works are published in IJLM (International Journal of Logistics Management). They formed a primary thought for the subject of my proposed study. Introduction to e-supply chain management: engaging technology to build market winning business partnership by David Frederick Ross inspired me to work with the advanced methods of improvements for supply chain management systems and its operations. Problem of Research: The problem of the proposed research is insufficiencies and the opportunities of improvements for the improvements in the system of supply chain in PC World. Suggestions are made to improve the efficiency and productivity of the PC World as a part of this research. The research would be done concentrating on 3 dimensions. Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the operations, customer satisfaction and Supplier Relationship Management are the three main points where the concentration has been given in this study. The main questions raised for the purpose of this research are listed below: How is the organisation of Supply Chain at P C World? How is the value chain organized in P C World? What role does the ICT system have in value chain? How does the ERP system work in P C World and what is the impact of it on value chain? How does P C World manage the supplier relations of it? In what way P C World manage the relations with its key suppliers? How does the supply chain affect the satisfaction of customers? What improvements can be made in P C World? How can the proposed changes be implemented in P C World? How will this change improve the efficiency of business? Ethical Issues Ethical Issues: In conducting this study, I would be guided by the Guidelines set out in the British Educational Research Association (BERA) 2004 ethical issues for Educational research. The guidelines state that the researches are wholly responsible to their sponsors, the research community and participants of the research. The guidelines states that all research work must be conducted at the highest levels of honesty. Research findings are to be published without falsifying and misstating the work done. The guidelines set out the responsibilities of the researcher to participants of the research, sponsors of the research and the research community. (BERA, supply chain management is important to deliver the products and services to end customers. However, it appears that the notions on supply chain management may only be indirectly associated with the issues surrounding consumer behaviours toward maintaining and/or otherwise pushing customer satisfaction. As referenced in many publications, undoubtedly, the role of supply chain management is an important factor in boosting the organizational success. On a separate perspective, consumer behaviour is also an essential factor toward organizational viability into years to come. Qualitatively, preliminary studies have been undertaken concerning the connection between supply chain management and customer satisfaction, as well as the connection between consumer behaviour and customer satisfaction, in trying to recognize the clear distinctions of each topic toward ensuring customer satisfaction. This paper attempts to bring out the significance of both issues combined in relation to customer satisfaction. If the preliminary studies emphasized in automotive and food industries, this paper attempts to analyze the small and medium enterprises in service industry. It is expected that the increasing roles of supply chain management and consumer behaviour in small and medium enterprises are able to improve the overall organizational performance. A cluster sampling methods is incorporated in this study to note the characteristics of those small and medium enterprises in certain locations. Variables chosen in this study are mainly covered the traditional SERVQUAL dimensions of tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Aside from the qualitative analyses, which are based on interviews and field observations, a combination of statistical software packages are utilized as tools toward building quantitative analysis of the study. Research is conducted by gathering data from primary and secondary sources in service industries in Jakarta, and Bandung. As stated, it is expected that such studies would reveal the significance of supply chain management and consumer behaviour in boosting the customer satisfaction level toward organizations products and services. It is expected that such issues are mostly true for small and medium enterprises, perhaps. Limitations I would be attempting the research in a much comprehensive way as possible, following limitations may be underlying in the research Time Constraints: A detailed and exhaustive study was not allowed by my course semester as few significant areas are there where I was forced to leave out. However, most of the significant disciplines would be covered in the research. Security Issues: a supply chain in an organization, information on ERP and key supplier contracts are very sensitive kind of company information and it would be too tough to reproduce them. So I foresee myself as not being capable of publishing a few of my findings. The support of management which I had secured beforehand for the research would allow me to bring most of the findings out in the studies. Financial Constraints: Some suppliers of the organization are located overseas. So it would not be feasible for me to cover all major suppliers of the organization financially. Thus the major suppliers who have their physical operations in UK are confined in my research. Contributions of the research A dynamic and innovative concept of Supply Chain Management systems are anticipated as my study is chiefly a research led exercise. Fast growing systems of ICT in Supply Chain and management of Supplier Relationship would be invaluable resources academically. Different paths would be shown for P C World to strengthen their existing not so good supply chain, consolidate their supplier relations and to construe its customers needs in the research as a sense of business, for increasing the efficiency of processes and profitability of business. Project Plan of Research The proposed work for research would be conducted within a period of ninety days. The studies for research have being got worked since mid December and would be finished by March. The first month of my studies has been utilized for background studies and literature review. Over the next two months, twenty hours a day would be allocated for my work of research. The SCM systems and various practices in the work place, the Information and Communication Technology systems used, will be analysed in the actual company locations. Structured questionnaires would be prepared for the empirical studies of my research and to interview the customers of P C World and the suppliers of it. The last month of research would be used to analyse the findings and data, bring up recommendations for the improvements of supply chain and to get it slimmer and efficient, and to report the entire studies of research. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Literature Review Other than the theoretical resources we discussed above, the following resources are also added to the knowledge related to this study. Transition to B2B e-Market place enabled supply chain: Readiness Assessment and Success Factors by Movahedi B., Lavassani, M K, Kumar V would be the principal resource material of the research. A great gamut of management of supply chain, role of information technology and recent development in the area of supply chain management, and numerous case studies are discussed in the book. This book allowed me to grasp a clear picture on the subject of research. Knowledge management systems: information and communication technologies by Ronald Maier provided more detailed technical aspects for the research. The latest developments and happenings in the field of research are updated with the Journal of Supply Chain Management and Journal of E Commerce. INTRODUCTION There is a drastic development in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in logistics and supply chain management. ICT is today being applied in many organisations in a wide range and operations areas. It has provided new ways to store, process, distribute and exchange information both within companies and with customers and suppliers in the supply chain. ICT used to exchange information in the supply chain is often named inter organisational ICT or inter organisational information systems (IOIS).In supply chain management, ICT has especially been recognised as an enabler for information sharing which companies in the supply chain can use for eliminating the so called bullwhip-effect (Lee et al., 1997). Information-sharing is also a key component in many of the recent automatic replenishment programs (ARP) (Daugherty et al., 1999). Initiatives such as vendor managed inventory (VMI) and collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) are based on an in creased level of automation in both the flow of physical materials and goods and the flow of information between companies to improve the efficiency in the entire supply chain. In a operations management perspective, companies seek to further improve the efficiency in the supply chain by sharing information related to matching demand and supply such as short- and long-term production planning, demand forecasting and materials and capacity planning. Information that can be relevant to share between customers and suppliers typically includes point-of-sales data, forecasts and inventory levels. There is a significant amount of research demonstrating a positive impact of ICT in the supply chain. As companies seek to improve the efficiency in the supply chain through increased integration, ICT can be considered as a key enabler for supply chain management through its ability to support information sharing and shortening information processing time. Supply chain integration can however be expressed in a wide range of dimensions such as integration of processes, information, organisations and systems (Bowersox et al., 1999; Mouritsen, et al., 2003). Similarly, the impact of ICT can be demonstrated in terms of for instance changes in relationships, interorganisational changes and performance (Wilson and Vlosky, 1998). The many dimensions in which supply chain integration can be expressed and the wide variation of factors in which the impact of ICT can be defined in terms of integration indicates that previous researches have been limited to studying a few dimensions and variables relationships at a time. The aspect of how to control and coordinate the activity between the companies in the supply chain, and how ICT affects the level of control integration in the supply chain is a poorly developed area. We propose in this paper a research model for further research exploring the impact of ICT on integration in supply chain control. The model is primarily based on theory within supply chain integration and the impact of ICT. It also incorporates the supply chain control perspective, which defines the scope of application of the model. In contrast with previous research, this model does not intend to limited to a few pre-defined dimensions or variables for investigation but can be used to examine situations involving any type of integration dimension and influencing factor. Supply Chain Management Supply Chain Management is effective management by planning, implementing and controlling the activities in the supply chain system in an organization. Activities from warehousing the inventory to movement of products to the consumer are controlled and co-ordinated by the supply chain management. Supply Chain Management encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management activities, it includes coordination, cooperation and collaboration with channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers APA (American Professional Association). Characteristics of Supply Chains The management of supply and demand in and across the companies are integrated by supply chains It coordinates the network of business operations which provide the products and services. The logistics and supply chain management are distinguished by some researchers. At the same time some of them consider them as similar terms. The management of supply chain can be used as a software also A study on supply chain event management allows knowing how the system of supply chain is coordinated in an organization and how resolutions are produced for the problems that occur during the effectuation of supply chain in an organization. Issues in Supply Chain Management Following limitations must be dealt with the management of supply chain: Configuration of distribution network is the main limitation of the management of supply chain. It implies the supply chain is bore on by the number of suppliers, their locations, and missions of network of customers. The facilities for production, centres for distribution, cross docks, ware houses etc influence the supply chain management. The supply chain is also affected by the strategy of distribution. Replacement strategy and transportation is the other concerns for the management of supply chain. The total supply chain management is affected by the sharing of valuable information on the demand signals, inventory, transportation and the forecasts. The location and quantity of inventory which include finished goods, work in process goods and raw materials influence the supply chain. The cash flows in each and every level of supply chine will also affect it. The task flow like order fulfilment, inventory procurance, goods transporting and ware housing SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS Supply chain management must address the following problems: Distribution Network Configuration: number, location and network missions of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centres, warehouses, cross-docks and customers. Distribution Strategy: questions of operating control (centralized, decentralized or shared); delivery scheme, e.g., direct shipment, pool point shipping, cross docking, DSD (direct store delivery), closed loop shipping; mode of transportation, e.g., motor carrier, including truckload, LTL, parcel; railroad; intermodal transport, including TOFC (trailer on flatcar) and COFC (container on flatcar); ocean freight; airfreight; replenishment strategy (e.g., pull, push or hybrid); and transportation control (e.g., owner-operated, private carrier, common carrier, contract carrier, or 3PL). Trade-Offs in Logistical Activities: The above activities must be well coordinated in order to achieve the lowest total logistics cost. Trade-offs may increase the total cost if only one of the activities is optimized. For example, full truckload (FTL) rates are more economical on a cost per pallet basis than less than truckload (LTL) shipments. If, however, a full truckload of a product is ordered to reduce transportation costs, there will be an increase in inventory holding costs which may increase total logistics costs. It is therefore imperative to take a systems approach when planning logistical activities. These tradeoffs are key to the most efficient and effective Logistics and SCM strategy. Information: Integration of processes through the supply chain to share valuable information, including demand signals, forecasts, inventory, transportation, potential collaboration, etc. Inventory Management: Quantity and location of inventory, including raw materials, work-in-progress (WIP) and finished goods. Cash-Flow: Arranging the payment terms and methodologies for exchanging funds across entities within the supply chain. Supply chain execution means managing and coordinating the movement of materials, information and funds across the supply chain. The flow is bi-directional. ACTIVITIES/FUNCTIONS Supply chain management is a cross-function approach including managing the Movement of raw materials into an organization, certain aspects of the internal Processing of materials into finished goods, and the movement of finished goods out of the organization and toward the end-consumer. As organizations strive to focus on core competencies and becoming more flexible, they reduce their ownership of raw materials sources and distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other entities that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively. The effect is to increase the number of organizations involved in satisfying customer demand, while reducing management control of daily logistics operations. Less control and more supply chain partners led to the creation of supply chain management concepts. The purpose of supply chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners, thus improving inventory visibility and the velo city of inventory movement. Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required to manage material movements across organizational and functional boundaries. SCOR is a supply chain management model promoted by the Supply Chain Council. Another model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum Activities in Supply Chain Management The movement of raw materials for internal processing in an organization. Conversion of raw materials into finished goods. Movement of finished goods to the consumer or end user. It is the responsibility of supply chain management to bring down the ownership of raw materials for the organization for a long period and to help the company to achieve the competence for the organization. The functions can be outsourced to increase the cost effectiveness and the satisfaction of customers demands. The management of supply chain has to construct trust among the members in the supply chain and it must better the association among them. The organization should be helped to actuate the inventory immediately and must develop the visibility in the supply chain. A Supply Chain Management model projected by the GSCF (Global Supply Chain Forum) demonstrates that the activities in a supply chain can be characterized as strategic, operational and tactical activities. Strategic Activities The optimization of strategies of an organization like number of warehouses, locations, centres of distributions, facilities and locations of warehouses etc are included in strategic activities. Strategic activities include the communication network creation among the supply chain members and it must develop an improvement in the activities of supply chain such as shipping, docking, transport, and logistics etc. The organization of designing of the products and development are included in strategic activities of an organization and the strategic activities must integrate the new and existing products into the supply chain. It should support all the activities in supply chain. All the activities of supply chain must be integrated with overall activities of the organization by the strategic activities. Tactical Activities It includes decisions concerning to purchase of inventory and contracts. It includes decisions pertained to production such as the location, schedule, contracts, plans and definition of processes of production etc. Decision making in relation with the quality, transport, quantity, location, and use of inventory. The strategy formulation in concern with freight like the transport frequency, the cost, routes, contracts and logistics etc are included It involves the best process benchmarking in the industry throughout its operations. Operational Activities It includes decisions and activities in relation with day to day activities connected to production and planning at each levels of supply chain. It involves forecasts of production facilities and necessities in supply chain in every instant. It involves forecasting and planning of Demand and converting the overall demand into supply and share it with every the members of the supply chain. Forecasting, planning and coordinating the demand forecast of each and every customer and share bode with all suppliers. Inward operations, such as movement and transport of goods and stocks in the supply chain. It involves operational decisions and planning from ingestion of inventory to the current of finished goods in the chain of supply. It includes the promises of orders, accounting for all processes in the supply chain from suppliers to consumers or end users. Scope of Supply Chain Management To compete in the global market, companies rely on effective networks of supply chain According to Peter Ducker, business networking concept covers beyond the conventional enterprise limitations and broadens to coordinate the entire process of business throughout a value chain of multiple companies included in it. Outsourcing of Information Technology has enabled the organizations to be processed in such a way that each partner of business concentrates in the few significant areas in which he is specialized. This inter organizational network is the innovative trend in form of organization with the complex interactions among the key players; the structure of network is not a hierarchical structure or a market structure. It is ambiguous of what kind of performance level impact that various supply network structures could have on organization, and little is known about the conditions of coordination and tradeoffs that may subsist among the players. From point of view of a system, a structure of complex network can be decayed into individual component companies (Zhang and Dilts, 2004). Conventionally, companies in a supply network focus on the processes inputs and outputs, with little matter of concern for the internal management of the firm working on other individual players. Therefore, an internal management choice control structure is known to make a major impact on performance of local companies (Mintzberg, 1979). There have been large changes in environment of business which has contributed to the supply chain networks developments. Primarily, as a result of globalization and with the increase of big multi-national companies, strategic alliances, joint ventures and business partnerships, have found to be making important factors of success, following the earlier practices of JIT (Just-In-Time), Lean Management and Agile Manufacturing. Secondly, changes of technology, especially the dramatic fall in the cost of information communication, which is a predominant component of transaction costs, have led to changes in organization among the members of the network of supply chain (Coase, 1998). The exceptional transformation towards activities of integration from managing functions of individuals with processes of key supply chain in place could be the first significant step in establishing a successful supply network. For example; the department of purchasing places orders as necessities become appropriate only, when Department of Marketing responding to consumer demands and convey the same with all the distributors and retailers across to go with the demand of customers. The overall integration process leverages the whole shared information among partners of supply chain of an organization towards its advantage. The key to Successful consolidation of Supply chain business process is by employing the collaborative work across suppliers and buyers, common systems along with the shared information and joint product development. In 2000, the Lambert and Cooper expressed their view as the whole as The continuous information flows in the integrated supply chain process supports an organization to achieve best product flows. Despite such expression, there subsists an opinion among organizations and networks of management, that product flows optimization cannot be realized without implanting a process access to respective businesses. The supply chain significant processes by Lambert (2004) are listed below: Customer relationship management Management customer service Management of demand Fulfilment of orders Management of flow of manufacturing Management of supplier relationship Development of a product and commercialization Management of Returns In addition to points of Lambert other keys are: Procurement Physical distribution Outsourcing and partnerships Measurement of performance Management of customer service process As the information of customer is the basic source for service of customers, the important aspect of Customer relationship Management is between the organization and its customers. This real- time information makes customers cognisant on various details such as product availability, product information, probable delivery dates through multiple interfaces of information about the companys operations of production and distribution. Steps to build an efficient and Successful relationship with customers: Establish goals which are commonly rewarding between organization and customers Customize and invest efforts to preserve customer resonance and support always create positive outlook with customers in the organization Process of procurement In laying good strategic plans for process of procurement, the interests, opinions and support of the suppliers is very important; because their confidence in the plans lay foundation for newly build manufacturing flow management and it is the same in case of a development of a new product. When activities are global and far reach across, the companies need to accommodate processes to manage and source them accordingly. For achieving success in creating the preferred product, it is significant to have mutually beneficial relationship, cut down times cycles in design and development of the new product play very important role. Communication systems can be boosted by deploying tools like Internet connectivity and electronic data interchange (EDI), of the purchasing function of a firm to drive activities. These powerful systems of communication streamlines a lot of processes in managing, obtaining and tracking information about products and materials and products, which supports organization in dealing with issues successfully; supply sources, inbound transportation negotiation phases, resource plans, order placement, delivery status, storage capabilities, handling and quality assurance. Also, it actuates the organizations to handle the responsibility and to organize commitment with suppliers over supply continuity, delivery scheduling, misrepresentation, and research support studies in creating new product and sources of programs. Development of new product and commercialization This helps organizations to reduce time cycles of development of product with aspects of customers, suppliers so as to capture markets better by being competitive, innovations of products

Ancient Religions: A Comparison Essay -- essays research papers fc

Ancient Religions: A Comparison As civilization has expanded and improved it has gone through many different religions. Some of the most interesting and different have been the Mesopotamian religion, the religion of the Greeks and finally Christianity. These three religions were practiced in different areas and different time periods and therefore they will be excellent for a comparison. Religion is a key part of every society and civilization. No matter how it is organized or what type of God they worship, a society would be nothing without some kind of deity to organize it. Through the units of study the amount that people rely on Gods has been evident and that is why this makes a very good essay topic. Three areas of religion will be used to compare each of the religions chosen, worship style, their temples or places of worship, and the nature of their God or Gods. Each of the three religions selected had very different ideas of how to worship their God or Gods. In the Mesopotamian religion worship was very straightforward and casual. They would give daily offerings of food and drink with sacrifices during special monthly and annual feasts. The most important of these feasts was the New Year’s festival, which later on during the first millennium came to include some lesser festivals as well. These worship events were held by the Priests and Priestesses who also took care of the great wealth stored in the Mesopotamian’s temples. The director of the temple cults was the Sheshgallu; all the sacrifices were performed by the Shangu-priests. Other classes of priests dealt with the other, lesser rituals. The priestesses varied from the Entu, the consort of the God, all the way down to the temple harlots (Garber, p204). The Greeks on the other hand, did most of their worship in private. They also had festivals and rituals, but their worsh ip was much less organized. If a person wished to pray to a god, or invoke their intervention, they would go to one of the shrines or temples of that god and say a prayer and leave a small gift. These gifts varied from frankincense or a cake to large sacrifices of animals. There were also dedications of small statuettes or even large painted vases (Webster, p79). There was no class of priests nor any real religious teachings or texts. There were no real worship services as we think of them, with large gatherings of people. The... ... thousand, it was the need for some greater being that drove people to temples, churches and shrines throughout the ages. With a God or multiple Gods to show them the way and even to put the blame on at times, they felt they could live with their problems. Also, having a God to turn to in times of trouble they had direction. Even though the three religions that were compared were different, they all provided the same thing, giving people the will to live and go on. Works Cited 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Garber, Janet Serlin The Concise encyclopedia of Ancient Civilizations Franklin Watts/New York/London 1978 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Millard, Anne Ancient Civilizations Warwick Press 1983 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Webster, T.B.L Everyday Life in Classical Athens Jarrold and Sons Ltd 1969 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Williams, Paul L. Everything You wanted to Know About the Catholic Church but Were Afraid to Ask for Fear of Excommunication Doubleday 1975 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Walker, Robert J. World Civilizations: A Comparative Study Oxford University Press 1998 New International Version The Teen Study Bible Zondervan Publishing House 1993

Historical Perspective of Management Essay

Max Weber was a German sociologist that pioneered the term bureaucracy. Weber founded six major principles of bureaucracy Formal hierarchical structure, Management by rules, Organization by functional specialty, An â€Å"up-focused† or â€Å"in-focused† mission, Purposely impersonal and Employment based on technical qualifications. (Busting Bureaucracy. com) A formal hierarchical structure is the management pyramid that is designed to control the level below with organized planning and decision making. For example (chain of command). Then he developed management by rules such as policies and handbooks that are used by lower levels. Next is organization by functionality specialty this means that each individual will be placed in a position according to their specialty. These three steps of bureaucracy are still used today in every business known. Max Weber designed this pyramid because in the 1930’s the industrialism of our country was expanding and it was no order of command business was ran without consistency. And a change was needed to make things run smoothly. My advice to managing people today is to organize your business according to functional specialization. Your employees and managers according to their skills and expertise so that each job will be done to the best of that person or persons knowledge and capabilities. Use clear lines of hierarchical authority in doing so you will need to put together a clear set of policy and rules that underline the chain of demand in detail. Your managers will need to be trained accordingly with consist seminars and meeting so that they can be well trained and fully informed about their duties and the duties of their staff. Decision making should be based on the rules and guidelines developed to guarantee consistent and effective reflection of organization goals.

Disability Services in College

Before the advent of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American Disabilities Act Title II in 1990, a young adult with either a mental or physical disability had a hard road ahead of them if they chose to continue their education after high school. Colleges typically were not set up for disabled students and could not accommodate special needs. When the special needs student lagged behind because of a specific disability, it was generally considered a shoulder-shrugging â€Å"oh well† sort of thing.Considering that nearly one out of every five people in the United States suffer from some type of disability that impairs his ability to accomplish the daily activities of life, it is somewhat of a sad statement on our society that these Acts were not implemented much earlier in our history. (Treloar 1999 p. 1). In any case, these Acts helped those students who perhaps had tried to hide their disabilities from fear of prejudice or rejection. Few college professors prior to 1973 had any exposure or experience with disabled students, and many of the disabled students were left feeling misunderstood and unable to complete their education.The first step in trying to make the college experience as positive for a disabled student as for a â€Å"normal† student was to attempt to change the public’s perception of the disabled. Typically media images of the disabled evoked sympathy, pity, or even horror from the public. This perception had to be changed in order to show that the disabled students were, at their core, just students trying to get an education. The focus had to be shifted from their disability to how to make their learning experience a positive one.  (Treloar 1999 p. 1).Federally funded colleges â€Å"cannot discriminate against or exclude a qualified person from programs or activities solely on the basis of his or her disability. A qualified student meets the technical and academic qualifications for participation in an educational program or activity. † (Treloar 1999 p. 2). Colleges are expected to make reasonable accommodations so that these otherwise qualified students have the same opportunity to participate as other students.Accommodations may include accessible locations, extended time for test-taking, substitution of nonessential courses for degree requirements, adaptive equipment or technology such as tape-recording classes, or other services such as the use of note takers or readers. (Treloar 1999 p. 3). Though the changes have likely seemed slow in coming to those they affect, the reality is that each year more strides are made to help those with disabilities receive the same college degree as their disability-free counterparts.Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability. The critical word in that sentence is â€Å"qualified. † Individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with me ntal or physical impairments which substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include caring for oneself, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working, performing manual tasks and learning.(United 2006 p. 2).This law applies to any employers or organizations that receive financial assistance from any Federal department or agency, including the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nearly all public and most private colleges are recipients of funds from the Federal Government, therefore fall under the ADA. Section 504 prohibits organizations from â€Å"excluding or denying individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services. † (United 2006 p. 2).Therefore, if an individual is hindered in one or more of the above major life activities by a disability, they cannot be excluded from any federally funded organization or employer. The American Disabilities Act prohibits the denial of servic es or benefits on â€Å"specified discriminatory grounds. Just as a government office cannot refuse to issue food stamps or other benefits to an individual on the basis of his or her race, it cannot refuse to provide benefits solely because an individual has a disability. † (ADA 2005 p. 2).An example of this would be that a city could not refuse to admit an individual to a city council meeting that is open to the public merely because the individual is deaf. As related to college students, they cannot be denied participation in any class or activity which they are otherwise qualified for, and must be granted the considerations necessary to complete their education. For instance, a visually impaired student would need to be placed at the front of the class, and all possible accommodations made so that he was able to see what was necessary to complete the class.(ADA 2005 p. 3).Both of these Acts made substantial strides in many areas for those with disabilities, education being only one of them. Despite these strides, however, there are still areas in colleges that need significant improvement in order to fully meet the needs of the disabled students. In 1996 approximately six percent of students enrolled in postsecondary education had disabilities, with the majority of these reporting sensory loss (visual or hearing) or orthopedic conditions.  (Palmer 2000 p. 1).Despite the obvious nature of these disabilities, the actual number one reported problem from the students with disabilities is that there are â€Å"significant deficits in the knowledge of disability rights in a majority of universities and university personnel†¦and that the college students with disabilities need assistance in dealing with complex social interactions such as the request and negotiate demands in the accommodation situation† (Palmer 2000 p. 2).In other words, the problem is not lack of accommodations necessarily, but more that the students with disabilities lack the skills required to state their needs and negotiate the help they require. Another area in which students with disabilities need particular help lies in career guidance services. â€Å"The collegians with disabilities are in greater need of career guidance services than their nondisabled peers. Students with disabilities face attitudinal barriers including lowered expectations, delayed vocational development and unsatisfactory career development support services.† (Benshoff 1990 p. 2).It becomes clear that the Acts passed in the last three decades have been crucial in providing physical, concrete help for students with disabilities, yet the attitudes toward the disabled still exist, even though they may be cloaked in outward helpfulness. The disabled students feel they are severely lacking in career counseling as well as that they face barriers erected from others’ attitudes toward their disabilities. Learning disabilities are much less mentioned than physical disabili ties, yet recent years have shown a significant growth in students with learning issues.In 1998 over 35% of all freshman college students stated they had a learning disability, up from 24% in 1991. This creates a challenge to professors and colleges alike, because many professors prefer that â€Å"all students meet the same set of requirements within the same time period and are ill-prepared either to adapt their instruction to address the individual needs of students or to identify appropriate, fair and reasonable accommodations. † (Thomas 2000 p. 1).This remains an ongoing problem, and one with no easily identifiable answers. Many students, both â€Å"regular† and disabled, take web-based college classes which fit in with their busy lives and schedules better, in many cases, than the traditional classroom. While physical barriers are â€Å"obvious accessibility concerns confronting students with disabilities,† web page developers must be aware that online barr iers can also cause accessibility problems for disabled users. (Flowers 2000 p. 2).Web page developers need to be very aware of those users with disabilities and follow the standards set that allow more accessibility to students with disabilities. There are many new technologies which allow students to access information such as Braille output systems for the visually impaired, modified keyboards, screen enlargements and voice output utilities. Web developers can provide alternative ways to access information presented with â€Å"images, sounds, applets and scripts. † (Flowers 2000 p.3).Though we are a nation of internet users, the disabled student has special issues regarding the web that must be addressed. When all is said and done, it must be remembered that â€Å"positive classroom experiences in college are critical to successful inclusion of students with disabilities in the campus community. Faculty relationships are known to have a pivotal effect on whether at risk s tudents, like students with disabilities, are embraced in the college environment. † (Smith 2004 p. 1).Instructors need to be able to develop a safe atmosphere where all students can express their own life experiences and look at the differences between one another. In this type of an atmosphere all students can talk about the issues they find most relevant in their personal lives, leading to an atmosphere much more conducive to learning. Students with disabilities sometimes have difficulty absorbing the lectures by their professors, but if they feel like they are in an environment where they can safely express their concerns, the satisfaction level tends to go up significantly.In a study done at Baylor University, three of the issues disabled students felt to be most important to their success were: counseling which included an in-depth assessment of the student’s requirements and needs, caring people who offered a solid support system, and extra time on their tests. S tudy skills, time management and a solid sense of security in their environment were other issues these students felt were of great importance to their success. (Smith 2004 p.4).There are many groups who seek to help students with disabilities, such as the National Association of Blind Students, College and Career Programs for Deaf Students, and CHADD, a leading non-profit organization for both children and adult students with ADHD. One group, known as AHEAD or Association on Higher Education And Disability, is a group committed to â€Å"full participation of persons with disabilities in post secondary education. † (Smith 2004 p. 5).AHEAD values such things as diversity, personal growth and creativity in those with disabilities, while promoting leadership in this same group. AHEAD seeks to stay abreast of current issues regarding disabilities, education and accessibility for those with disabilities. Since 1977 AHEAD has excelled in delivering quality training to those with di sabilities and actively addresses disability issues on campuses. There are many challenges and issues facing disabled college students.Thanks to the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act, the actual physical challenges have lessened immensely for students and great strides have been made in accommodating physical disabilities in most all areas of classrooms, dorms, library, parking and cafeteria. More work needs to be done, however on the mental disability issue, as there tends to be more negativity and stigma attached to mental disabilities than physical, and colleges still have a ways to go to accommodate these students.

Unemployment essays

Unemployment essays Unemployment is one of the major economics problems. People who are considered unemployed are those who are seeking work or laid off for more then a week. There are many different reasons why a person could be unemployed. Three of those causes are cyclical, structural and seasonal unemployment. The government tries to find solutions in order to reduce unemployment by making up policies. Cyclical unemployment is one of the causes that creates unemployment. When a person is cyclically unemployed, it means that the income is limited to the economic state and there are more jobs when economy is well however when its not the number of jobs available decrease. Also when people have less spending money it creates many cutbacks and loss of jobs. Therefore, this form of unemployment is usually temporary. When there is an economic growth, cyclical unemployment reduces. Structural unemployment is another cause that creates unemployment. As time goes on, consumers demand changes, which causes a growth in one industry, a decrease in another or it may lead to a complete shut down of a industry. And even though jobs will increase in growing industry, they will decrease or disappear in another for example, Atlantic Canada where demand for ship building was no longer needed. Thus structural unemployment causes regional unemployment because certain areas are unable to attract new industries when their old ones are shut down. Seasonal unemployment mostly depends on the climate and therefore varies in the regions of Canada. In the winter time industries like fishing, construction, and tourism struggle in certain regions. However, demand in some industries like snow cleaning will increase. The other examples where people could be seasonally unemployed are farming, lumbering and etc. People who work in those industries are usually employed for 6 month and unemployed for the other six when there industry is off season. ...

hungarian immigrants to canada essays

hungarian immigrants to canada essays To what extent does the novel or memoir you have chosen provide useful insights into the topic mentioned? John Marlyn's 'Under the Ribs of Death' is concerned with the life of Sandor Hunyadi, a young Hungarian living in Canada. The novel follows his life as a young boy, and then as a young man in the years before the Great Depression. Sandor's efforts to find his place within Canadian society are a dominant theme of the novel, as is the problem of poverty. Perhaps the all-encompassing term which would define Sandor's life is struggle. Sandor's home life can be seen in terms of a constant struggle against poverty. Like many other Hungarian immigrants, Sandor's father is a janitor, a low-paid, menial job. Hungarians brought with them few skills fit for the Canadian job market, and were often employed in jobs with low wages, and were highly exploited by the Canadian employers. Sandor himself was shocked and upset when he heard his father being talked down to by his employer, but this type of treatment was common for Hungarian immigrants to Canada, who were subjected to prejudice and hate. Although being shocked by his father's treatment, Sandor is very aware of the prejudice against immigrants. He shows this from an early age when he tells his parents that "the only people who count are the English ... 'cause when you're English it's the same as bein' Canadian", and because of this prejudice he is determined to demonstrate that he is as Canadian as everyone else. His pride of sharing his birthday with Victoria Da y is clear evidence that he is proud to be Canadian, as is his absolute fervour over obtaining a flag. The most obvious symbol of Sandor's desire to assimilate is his decision to change his name. Sandor's name has always caused him problems with the Canadians, and from his encounter with Mrs Crawford when he became Alex Humphrey, to his later decision to become Alex Hunter, he has always felt that his foreign name was a h...

Types of Plots

Types of Plots Types of Plots Types of Plots By Mark Nichol How many plot types are there, and does it really matter? And if you write nonfiction, rather than fiction, why should you read this post? (I guess you’ll have to read the post to find out.) Throughout the years, writers have posited various opinions about how many distinct types of stories exist. Several of the more prominent theories follow: Three Types William Foster Harris, in The Basic Patterns of Plot, suggests that the three plot types are the happy ending, the unhappy ending, and tragedy. What’s the difference between the second and third types? A tragedy is distinguished from an unhappy ending partly by the magnitude of the outcome but mostly in that the lead character attempts to do something marked by excessive pride, overweening ambition, or another character flaw and that the outcome seems preordained by fate. Seven Types Christopher Booker, in The Seven Basic Plot Points: Why We Tell Stories, lists the plot types as Overcoming the Monster, the Quest, the Voyage and Return, Rags to Riches, and the Rebirth, as well as Comedy and Tragedy. At first glance, the last two terms seem more like genres than plots, but a comedy, though it might also fit into one of the other five types, is often marked by a standard array of miscues and misadventures, and, as intimated in the previous paragraph, a tragedy has a narrow focus: The protagonist tempts fate, and fate responds. Another septet, one that may seem slightly off topic, is a list of plot conflicts, but the items encapsulate basic storylines as well. In (somewhat arbitrary) order of increasing complexity, the duels are person versus fate (or God), person versus self, person versus person, person versus society, person versus nature, person versus the supernatural, and person versus technology. Twenty Types Ronald Tobias, in 20 Master Plots and How to Build Them, shares a score of story types. I won’t list them all (you can easily find them through an online search), but they range from the basic (the Quest) to the moderately complex (Revenge) to the more sophisticated (Metamorphosis) and beyond. Thirty-Six Types Georges Polti, in The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, eschews the basics in favor of specific concepts including Daring Enterprise, Fatal Imprudence, and Erroneous Judgment, as well as several varieties of tales of love and sacrifice. (Again, the full roster is available by searching online.) Pigeonholing Plot Types Is it necessary for writers to consider these distinctions? Does one need to know the plot type of one’s story? Can’t you just write your story? You’re welcome to ignore categorization, but consider the benefits: By matching your story to one or more plot types, you can mine the traditions of that type (or those types). If you write a quest tale or a similar type whether set in a fantasy realm or in the real world without exploiting the rule of three, for example, it will lack the resonance of its forebears. You can, of course, defy expectations by avoiding clichà ©s, but if you give a name to the type of story you are telling, you are more likely to recognize opportunities to do so. But what does plot have to do with nonfiction? All stories even factual ones have a plot, and especially when you write narrative nonfiction, you should recognize the parameters you are following or exceeding. Is your profile of a person or a company or organization, or your account of an event or an incident, a tale of redemption, or one of hubris, or one of revolt against complacency or a predetermined path, or something else? Consider your story’s metaphorical and allegorical potential, and capitalize on its resemblance to other tales as you build it. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"Latin Plural EndingsGrammatical Case in English

Conflict in an organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Conflict in an organisation - Essay Example Hence it is an easygoing workplace which takes care of the employees in a free-flowing way (Pelled 1999). The work tasks are therefore dependent on one another yet being independent at the same time. This means that there are as such no dependencies within the working bases of the employees however they have to interact with one another so that team development could prevail at the end of the day. This also gives the employees a chance to know each other better and in a more resolute way. They also explain the issues that crop up at their respective ends and then go about solving the same through collective bodies. The dispute that took place was between two employees who never got along at the workplace. It was an issue that happened due to inflated egos of John and George. Both of them detested each other in entirety and did not appreciate the existence of the other one whilst being at work (Harper 1994). There was a form of negative chemistry that existed between the two and it ha d long-lasting repercussions as far as work domains within the organization were concerned. Both of them had a heated debate in a meeting and this led to a physical brawl between the two. This was indeed the beginning of much more that was waiting to happen within the workplace realms. The clues present in the wake of understanding whether or not this was a conflict situation come about when one tries to relate the different nuances which happened in the first place (Meyer 2004). This was a conflict that led to a physical attack on the part of John which put George in a very difficult position. George could have held back and let John face all the music as then the human resources department would have taken serious notice of the fight but this did not happen. George lost his cool and attacked John in return. Both men started to fight without any purpose. They just wanted to make their viewpoints clear – the other one should not be allowed to have his way no matter what

Someone is growing kittens in a bottle, effectively making Bonsai Essay

Someone is growing kittens in a bottle, effectively making Bonsai kittens - Essay Example The site's creator describes and illustrates in detail the method for abusing these animals" (Humane Society, 2008). III. Relating to the Audience: As long as this hoax has been around and for the sake of preventing animal cruelty, it is important that each of you know about Bonsai kittens and the possibility that there may actually be people out there doing this to the poor animals. IV. Thesis: The Bonsai kitten Internet hoax caused a massive negative public reaction, and even though it was only a hoax, many individuals and animal rights groups took great offense to the Bonsai kitten website and its content and pictures. I. In 2000, what has become known as the Bonsai kitten website appeared, depicting some very disturbing images of kittens being stuffed into bottles, as well as being fed, breathing, and ridding themselves of waste through tubes. (Wikipedia, 2008) II. The kittens were supposedly stuffed into these bottles as a form of decoration and were not removed until their bones and bodies had become twisted into some sort of desired shape to make them appear less "mundane" than regular animals. Bonsai kitten website. (2008).

Rationality Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rationality - Term Paper Example That’s why it is called foundationalist. It interprets knowledge according to one’s personal foundations, how one is taught about things. These basic beliefs are treated as self-justifying meaning to say that it does not need any reason or explanation whatsoever in understanding the said belief. This is used to understand other things as these reasons are the basic principles of how the human mind works. The foundationalist approach to rationality then is a more rigid structure of what is and what is not without needing to explain things further or whether to think that something can be interpreted in more ways than one. This is how it is different from the constructivist approach wherein this approach interprets rationality as something that can be viewed differently from one person to another, whether they are from the same or different cultures, or whether they had the same or different experiences. Its basis is upon one’s own personal interpretations and whil e interpreting and explaining things, it moves on to create new explanations that further open new roads and opportunities of thought processes. The constructivist approach to rationality is a more flexible way of understanding things, as the term implies it constructs explanations rather than ground them as what foundationalist approach does. With this, I can say that rationality can be perceived both ways (although this still is a more constructivist approach). We can use grounded beliefs in interpreting different things that needs explanations, although there are some specific things that need to be interpreted depending on how one is raised upon it. Evidently, this shows that good reasons are evidently true depending on how we try to explain things. Classmate Todd’s interpretation of the foundationalist and constructivist approach to rationality allows us to see that both approaches can go hand-in-hand in understanding rationality. This is

Argument for or against the ramifications of buying products from your Research Paper

Argument for or against the ramifications of buying products from your own country - Research Paper Example In relation towards the activities of the consumers, the purchasing decision of a consumer seems to be influential towards the success of a company’s strategy especially in domestic and foreign markets. In addition, consumer liking regarding foreign and domestic products could be influenced by their utmost trust and faith regarding the products and conception of consumer ‘ethnocentrism’ among others (Torres & Gutierrez, â€Å"The purchase of Foreign Products: The Role of Firm’s country-of-origin reputation, consumer ethnocentrism, animosity and trust†). The idea of globalization represents significant challenges and opportunities especially for the marketers and the consumers. The various modernizations particularly in the trade policies have offered more foreign product options towards the consumers’. In this connection, one of the factors that may affect upon the decision of the consumer in order to buy domestic product that is own country’s product or foreign products is consumer ‘ethnocentrism’ (Ranjbarian & Et. Al., â€Å"Consumer Ethnocentrism and Buying Intentions: An Empirical Analysis of Iranian Consumers†). Consumer ‘ethnocentrism’ signifies the universal liking for the people in order to realize their own group as the centre of the world and is defined also as an attitude that one’s own group is superior compared to others (Riefler, â€Å"Advanced Topics in International Marketing†). From the perspective of ‘ethnocentric’ consumers, purchasing products from foreign countries is not useful for them because it weakens the domestic economy, causes lack of employment and considers being disloyal or non-nationalistic among others. In other words, consumer ‘ethnocentrism’ provides an individual a sense of uniqueness, emotion, a proper understanding and feelings of belongingness among others (Shimp & Sharma, â€Å"Consumer Ethnocentrism: Construction and Validation of the CETSCALE†). In the

Management Theory in Oxfam Charity and Global Poverty Organization Essay

Management Theory in Oxfam Charity and Global Poverty Organization - Essay Example The paper tells that management in any business firm or organizational activities refers to the process, and act of bringing people together as a team. This is to work towards the accomplishment of set objectives through the efficient utilization of the present resources. These management actions include activities and processes such as organizing, planning, staffing, leading, directing or controlling an organization or business among others towards the main purpose and objectives. It also involves the act of resourcing which refers to the utilization and control of an organizational resource which include the financial, human, natural, and technological resources. In view of organizations as systems, it can also be defined in terms of human action and design in facilitation of achievement of desired results. This is a fundamental view as it provides the opportunity to manage oneself which is a prerequisite to the management of others. Good for management positioned individuals in an organization. Management theory can be defined as the study on how to improve the total productivity of all personnel in the business firm or organization. It involves learning on how to manage personnel with the intent to improve and maximize the productivity of the firm. The aim of business management is to maximize productivity, and while management theory aims towards getting a team of individuals to achieve a certain objective it. However, this does not necessarily achieve in improving individual productivity towards the aimed at objective. Management is both an art and a science hence various improvement techniques employed. 1.3 Competing value framework The competing value framework in management helps and allows the leadership teams in organizations to understand the background and adopt thinking that infers to the foundation of various management philosophies. It integrates the four different values showing the competitive ideologies between each also the importance of eac h individually. The values being of no equal importance in various cases the model goes further to suggest the integration of the different models. This is by maintaining a balance between them to achieve maximum efficiency in productivity. Never the less most managements study the awareness of each and consider which of the models closely matches with their leadership structures, styles and philosophies, all incorporating the achievement needs of the