Mgx Assignment

Negotiated Agreements/eliminative/Protective Techniques of Long-term Strategies ill. Use of Personal Relationships lb. Proactive Strategies 1 OFF it. Development Introduction The world of business is becoming overcrowded every day, and companies have to develop strategies on a global basis. Political, legal, cultural and economic circumstances vary significantly around the world. Even though investing in an international market may require intensive capital, the reward of such a business ay be enormous.The sale of products and services in another country enables the company to increase its sales, expand the products life cycle, improve brand recognition, and reduce the risks of operating in a single market (Hill, 2009). Before choosing a foreign country for business, numerous aspects have to be considered. For instance, one must consider the nature of politics in that country as well as the political risks involved. Political risks entail the hazardous impacts that political events o r decisions may have on a business. Such risks range from corruption, tax laws, and protests to wars.To manage these risks, companies must carry out comprehensive research beforehand. Some countries may be extremely conservatives while others may be easy to do business (Harrison, 2009). This paper will examine the political aspects affecting entry into an emerging country in comparison to entry into a less developed country. Special attention will be given to Brazil and Bangladesh. Political Aspects Related to Brazil There are different political systems in Brazil that are likely to affect business. To certain extent, these risks subject the country's investors and their investment at take.An examination of Brazier's political environment indicates that Brazil is a federal republic made up of 26 states and a capital district. It has a dynamic multi- party system of government with twenty parties represented within its congress, this is to suggest that it is a democratic state. The q uality and effectiveness of the government services and infrastructure are continuously being improved by the government Jeffrey, 2011). Despite the massive improvements that have been witnessed in Brazil, the country still grapples with corruption related risks that may hinder business.These cases were most prevalent during the reign of the former president Luis Niacin â€Å"Lull† Dad Silva. After taking office in 2002, the president was instrumental in improving the country's poor economic condition. However, scandals tainted his presidency especially in 2007 when it was discovered that government officials were participating in trade of municipal properties. Political protests are a common sight in the streets of key cities in Brazil. This is usually done by local groupings pushing for certain agendas to be addressed by the government.Such protestors' tendency to involve violence, looting and destruction of property. For instance, Brazil witnessed a considerable number of protests against ALCOA which intended to set up a hydroelectric power plant in the country in 2004. The protests were sparked by the environmental groups who wanted the company to consider mitigating environmental damages in its project (Hill, 2009). Another risk of doing businesses in Brazil is that of rampant police brutality and gang violence. It is estimated that approximately 50,000 homicides are reported every year in the country.It is also alleged that the police are often behind numerous extra judicial executions. This has tainted the image of what is by far one of the most prominent economies in Latin America (Hefted, 2007). While the country presents numerous reasons that defend its position as a strong market, entry requires extensive research and planning. Regardless of the company's consideration, be it acquisitions or restructuring, it needs to understand the strategic and fiscal impact of such decisions and the fore mentioned implementation risks.Appreciating where th e opportunities and risks are positioned, the size of each opportunity and what opponents are doing will arm the company with the confidence to enter the Brazilian arrest (Derek, 2006). Political Aspects Related to Bangladesh Like Brazil, Bangladesh has also experienced massive growth in its political systems. For instance, the country has witnessed the transition of power to democratically elected leaders. Despite this significant change, there are still confrontational tendencies within the political front.In 2007, for instance, the government was forced to declare a state of emergency after the opposition protested against the ruling presidency of Sheik Hessian Waged. This has, over the course of time, had negative repercussions on foreign business growth (Theodore, 010). Moreover, party politics between the opposition Bangladesh Nationalists Party (BAN) and Bangladesh Miami League (AL) remain rife. It seems neither of the two can back down from confrontations on how to run the g overnment. The ongoing trails on war crimes too catalyst the political unrests.In fact, these tribunals still have a long way to go before issue of verdicts. However, the courts already issued the first ruling which is expected to stabilize the political air. This goes a distance to remove the fear that Psalmists wars could have begun. The political climate is relatively tense for doing business. Recent cases of violence have been reported in areas around Southeast Chitchatting. Such violence is characterized by ethnic clashes between those in support of a democratic regime and those who desire the status quo to remain. The political risk is further heightened by a high level of poverty and inflation.It is estimated that roughly one in every three Bangladesh is afflicted with abject poverty. Moreover, thousands demonstrate in the streets against the arrest of their trade-union leader. Significantly, the government loses grip of maintaining law and order hence scaring off possible in vestors. It is no doubt that a country that lacks democratic systems and effective leadership is bound to repel economic growth. Political risks play a significant role of barring investors from investing in the country for fear that their businesses would be at stake.This comparison has shown the aspects of doing business in both Brazil and Bangladesh. Over the past decade, Brazil has become a progressively attractive and profitable market for international companies. More companies are seen to shift their focus on this emerging economy. Entering Brazil is good, however it's not easy cause of the immense competition and the availability of business know-how among other reasons (Peabody, 2005). On the other hand, Bangladesh is a less developed country whose economy major depends on the garments industry.Entry into this country is relatively easy because government restrictions are not deterrent to foreign business. All the same, Brazil is a favorite of many because of the immense po tential for profitability. Regardless of a relatively splendid performance in the last two decades, the Bangladesh economy is plagued with numerous structural weaknesses, which are yet to be addressed. Some of the significant issues include an incapacitated public sector, intellectualized financial sector, lack of export diversification, poor infrastructure, and pervasive corruption (Scheme, 2004).The failure of the government to address these long-standing problems has adversely affected the investment environment. On the other hand, Brazier's problems are on a lower scale, and the government is seen to put structures in place in order to develop all of its sectors. Compared to Brazil, Bangladesh is a poor economy characterized by a vast population living in rural areas. The main economic activity is agriculture armament manufacturing, but many businesses are seen to shift into the service and production industries. The case of Brazil is that of relative advancement.The country has a mature democracy, sustainable infrastructure and relative ease of doing business. Overcoming Political Risks Multi-national companies wishing to invest in the foreign market must develop long-term strategies based on intensive market research. They must be able to exercise their existing position relatively well and ensure they maximize on their experience in order to succeed. Depending on existing strategies, companies should insider entering into a venture arrangement with the local representatives or distributors.This is cheaper and will be made easier if the venture company operates the same business. However, any contract agreement should include terms that permit for local production through a Joint venture, an acquisition, or a new plant. Additionally, when entering through these avenues, companies should always embark on a due diligence assessment and channel analysis. This will go a long way in managing any potential political risks (Guppy, 2006). The use of existing adv antages within the multinational company will enable it to have a bargaining rower over the foreign nation.This will work well with corporations who have large economies of scale that can enable them to influence key business decisions in the host country (Hill, 2009). An entry strategy that maximizes on the use of personal relationships will auger well with any foreign situation. Many foreign companies are known to license distributors or dealers to represent their products and services on a non-exclusive or exclusive basis. As these companies become more ascertained in multinational company gains immense power ensuring that the host country doesn't interfere with its affairs.This is referred to as an integrative technique. Another choice that may minimize political risk would be the operation companies from distant offices situated in politically stable countries either in Southeast Asia or India. The whole company or a part of it may be operated remotely (Hefted, 2007). This is r egarded as a protective technique. On other occasions, a multinational corporation may foresee certain future hardships while operating in a foreign country. In this case, it will be crucial to adopt a proactive approach to manage these risks.This strategy entails the use of campaign financing and intensive lobbying to push the host government towards handling the foreseen adversities. By so doing, the impact of those risks will be reduced before they reach the company. Managing political risks requires the use of negotiated agreements that involve all the necessary stakeholders. For instance, ALCOA managed its risks by agreeing to terms demanded by the protestors. This included an agreement to compensate all citizens who were resettled following the launch of the hydroelectric project.Similarly, they adopted the use of environmental consultants to assist in the taxation of environmental damage (Hefted, 2007). Similarly, cases of corruption and economic risks may be managed through the hiring of transparent agencies or via diversification of products to other countries. However, sometimes the multinational company may consider withdrawing altogether if the terms are too hostile. Conclusion In conclusion, it is fundamental to note that any decision to enter into international business must be accompanied by an assessment of the potential risks and threats. Political factors form the most crucial part of this assessment.This is rue because the political environment of any country has the potential to influence how business is carried out (Itchy, 2010). Given Brazier's financial stability and immense support from the state, many investors are streaming into the country. Bangladesh, on the other hand, still lurks behind in terms of political maturity and economic growth. It requires a new company to adopt various entry methods in order to remain viable. Nonetheless, by identifying and managing key elements that influence foreign trade, like political risks, new co mpanies are likely to flourish. Adler, N. (2008).

Effective Communication in the Business Meetings

Effective Communication in Business Meetings The great management guru Peter Drucker once said, â€Å"Business communication is all about understanding what has not been said. † Especially today business communication is one of important factors to be successful in the changeling business environment because during opened working environment one can meet lots of others for discussing but how to make an effective communication in business meetings? There are some of factors to impact deeply on result of an effective communication in the business meetings as clear goal or objective, careful planning, use materials, communication skills and conflict management. People may ignore to be involved in meetings, if they know their time will not be useful or non-productivity. Meetings should be completely carried out periodically or prepare urgently (if required) during work running of any organization. There are ways to spend the time more effectively. First factor considers here is goal or objective of business meeting. The goal or objective is built basing on actual situation of works what need to solve or make a decision, even just making a relationship. A business meeting without goal or objective considers as one walks around without home port, especially today’s challenging business environment is more focused in result. Imaginably there is no specifically stated desired outcome of the meeting so that is no point in availability the meeting. The goal or objective impacts people on gathering includes, but not limited to: communicating information, problem solving, team building, and making decision. Scheduling or preparation, communication, conflict management and follow-up are some of key factors to make sure that meetings are productive and efficient and that is being more essential in the today’s complicated working environment. The key for achieving the goal is an advance planning by everyone involved in the meeting. Detailed planning is a guideline to build an effective business meeting. Planning for meeting will support attendees to have a visualizing in advance how the meeting will be organized, where meeting attendees will sit, who will present in the meeting and how long the presentations will last. The meeting time and location should be confirmed one day before meeting to support attendees having a proper arrangement. Besides the meeting location should be able to accommodate all guests, convenient location, technological capabilities, and a comfortable condition. When the ocation has been determined, next important step is to start researching the information needed for the presentation, creating an agenda. The agenda should start with a quick objective or goal reminder, followed by the time frame allotted to each presentation. Research and investigation are perhaps the most important piece of planning an effective business meeting, which will help discover, summarize and organize the topic of the meeting. By making a convincing argument on the topic, the part icipants will be able to provide facts, instances, and definitions to support the subject. There are five main sources that can provide information for presentations. First of all is personal experience. Personal experience reflects the flow of thoughts and meanings persons bring to their immediate situations. The second resource is internet, especially in the 21st centuries which is considering as era of information technology. The goal is to improve the ability of people from all walks of life and interests to access, search, and use the information distributed in Internet resources. According to Usunier, & Roulin (2010, Apr), â€Å"there is no geographic limitation to Internet access and suppliers in any country can create Web sites containing information and dialogue content† (p. 189-227). Using a search engine is becoming more common in finding research. Instead of using search engines, online libraries are also available to support for finding research. Third resource is written and visual resources in different channels as magazines, journals, newspapers, books, broadcasts, and documentaries which can be consulted for information, arguments, and evidence for presentation in the meeting. The fourth resource is research methodology. Appropriate methodology is taking short time to find out the needed information. Pullin (2010, Oct) states â€Å"the research methodology was qualitative in nature and, to ensure scientific rigor, a multi-method approach was taken in collecting and analyzing the data† (p. 460). The fifth source is other people. In order to accurately use other people as a source is also a shortest way to help presenter receiving needed information for meeting, but presenter should clarify the provided information as doing an informational interview with the person. Research can make the presenter feel more confident in communicating the presentation, and as a result, the presentation will be more powerful. â€Å"The vital elements of the communication process are the source, encoding, the message, the medium, decoding, the receiver, and feedback. An understanding of those components can help you design effective conversation communication programs† (Jacobson, 2009, p. 12). Those components will be handled easily by effective communication skills, which are essential in conducting a successful business meeting. Communication is an art which is not mastered by all so an effective communicator should be taken clearly when sending or receiving the messages. â€Å"Effective communication is one where you are able to send and receive messages in a clear, coherent manner overcoming all the barriers† (Bardia, 2010, p. 29). People listen to what is being said and engage in dialogue. Communication skills include: influencing, negotiation, making an impact, dealing with conflict and dealing difficult people. Business research has identified communication apprehension as a problem for improving communication skills. Aly (2005) states â€Å"communication apprehension as an individual level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons† (p. 98). When a speaker gives a speech in front of a large group of people, seemingly anxiety and fidgeting produce interfering, off-task thoughts and its result is apparent of word jumping or increased rhythm of heart that inhibit skill development. Public speaking is a common source of stress for everyone. Many of us would like to avoid this problem entirely, but this is hard to do. Once there is determination as how to overcome the fear? overcoming the fear can be done by making sure the topic is known, analyzing the audience competently, knowing the speech content well, recognizing value and uniqueness, and focusing on communicating with the audience instead of on the fear. Some other strategies that can ensure the meeting is effective are clarifying, confirming and summarizing. Making sure that the purpose of the meeting is clarified will reduce any chances of the audience misunderstanding the content. By asking the audience questions, or answering their questions, we can confirm that everyone understands. This is true when summarizing is used. By summarizing all the information at the end of the presentation, the presenter is, once again, making sure the information was understood. An effective communication in meetings is not only solely responsible for speaker but also share the burden those who attend the meeting. An active listening communication strategy will help ensure a successful meeting. Urquhart (2004) states â€Å"these four steps to become a more active listener: Hearing, feedback and interpretation, evaluation and response† (p. 3). â€Å"Hearing involves paying attention to what the speaker is saying and being sure it is heard† (Urquhart, 2004). The message will be encoded and understood by showing out the feedback and interpretation. On the way, the feedback will support speaker find out and correct any misunderstanding. The listener may be able to ask the question until the listener is sure that message is encoded and understood accurately. Finally, listener will decide what to do with the information given by the speaker. During a meeting, there is a good chance that two or more members of the group will disagree. That is also to let us to see the matter as others aspects. The disagreement may result in conflict. An effective communicator should know how to deal with conflict. There are five steps to help organizations deal with conflict in a constructive way as follows: 1. Recognizing that the conflict exists. 2. Finding common ground by putting the conflict in the context of the larger goal of the team and the organization. 3. Understanding all the perspectives of the issue, this means that everyone is not required to agree with the opposing views. 4. Attacking the issue and not the members of the team. 5. Developing an action plan that describes how each member of the team will solve the problem or issue. By following above mentioned steps during a meeting, the conflicts will be able to deal with in a opened-mind, cooperative manner. To require an understanding the goal of a meeting or presentation the speaker should be able to understand of what the final outcome and what is trying to reach. By the way to make a successful meeting, presenter should have a worst result of what meeting will be as misunderstanding or responded disagreement. In order to establish that the goals of the meeting have been met, the audience is not only taking an active part but also the presenter must make the audience interested in the topic along with meeting significance of the topic. There are two important questions to support presenter clarifying the goal or objective. First, what do I want my audience to know or do as a result of my speech? Second, how will I know if I am successful? Being clear those questions is the audience’s feedback. Feedback is recognized by immediate behavior change from the audience and asking question to audience also on the way to get feedback. The follow up actions to the presentation or meeting consist of any actions that are to be determined at a later time. Minute and any decisions made at the meeting must be noted and distributed to all parties involved. Delegations of assignments are to be noted and follow up must be carried out. Besides, additional meetings might be necessary if the final outcome is not clear or decisions are not probably made. In conclusion, an effective meeting is determined to conduct by several strategies. Meetings are productive and efficient when we incorporate all of above-mentioned ideal. Careful planning and clear goal or objectives are the key factor as well as choosing the suitable time and right location for the meeting. Being prepared presentation for the meeting is also very important, there is irresponsible if anyone going to a meeting and not being prepared, it may send the wrong message to the others in the meeting. The meeting is unsuccessful if any key factor is missing. Visualizing how the meeting will unfold if the meeting is held in the noise location. Besides, an active listening communication strategy as giving feedback and asking question will help ensure a successful meeting. Getting the audience involved in the meeting will create a more productive meeting. Also, by asking the audience to evaluate and respond to the information provided will allow them to participate in the discussion and make suggestions on ways to find a solution. On the way, focusing goals and working on solutions during the meeting can influence others being interested in the meeting and being more involved. We all know that the anxiety will appear by various points of view when speaking in front of a large group or even a small group and it will reduce when we make confidence by ourselves experiences, communication skills and also well prepared. Communication skills and experience are only cumulative by taking more serious. If you appear nervous or unsure; the audience may lose interest in the topic. The speaker should always be prepared, analyze the audience, and focus on the subject matter. Other strategies that can ensure for an effective meeting are clarifying the topic, confirming that the audience understands the information given, and summarize all the information at the end of the meeting. We have also learned that conflict is part of business meeting to help attendees have a several looking for one matter and by the way supporting to make decisions. Keep in mind, not everyone will agree with what you are saying, therefore; we should try to have an open mind and try to find common ground. Do not attack the other members of the team, because they may not agree with you, simply attack the issue at hand. Conflict isn’t actually good or bad, the way is how we deal with it. Developing an action plan as a team may allow the other members to feel that the problem can be worked out in a respectful, professional manner. Conducting effective business meetings will definitely help to improve productivity at the workplace. Almost meeting will be stressful, but by the way to make everyone involved interestingly that the meetings are well planned, organized, and allow the attendees to discuss possible solutions to solve the problems what they arise. Productive meetings are not only making a unity between groups but also teaching us essential communication skills, cumulate costly experience and how to manage conflict. Finally, during these meetings we practice problem solving, idea sharing and incorporate creativity that will eventually lead to a successful business environment.

Ethical Principles in the Corporate World Essay

Ethical Principles in the Corporate World - Essay Example The matter at hand presents the dilemma in which the employee is placed by two important factors that determines destiny. It is important to note that the company management is reluctant to solve the issue of employee exposure to the harmful asbestos and instead avoids the cost of carrying out cleanup. The management silently threaten the employee with job loss in case of raising alarm on the health risk posed by asbestos in the vault while the employee is attempting to balance losing the job and retaining it but awaiting the consequences of long term exposure to the asbestos in the work place. What is wrong and why? What do you see as the conflict? The issue of central concern in this case is the healthy risk that asbestos in the vault poses to the employee. The company management has put in place restrictive measures that prevent the employee from airing their views or seeking government intervention over the evident health hazard they face from asbestos in the vault. The employee is juggling with two competing decisions with equally enormous consequences. If the employee report the matter to the healthcare agencies there are chances of losing job and silent on the other hand means ultimate health risk from the long term exposure to the toxic asbestos in the work place. ... In this case the consequence of seeking external intervention over the management unethical treatment of employees is losing a job. This comes with several socio-economic repercussions on the life of the employee. On the other hand, silence means continued exposure to the harmful asbestos which will end up with respiratory infections at retirement or upon leaving the company. In the context of this case, the employee will make decision based on the ultimate consequences attached to each move. Deontologist: decision is tied to duty and obligation From the approach of deontologist, the universal obligation and responsibility of every person to ensure safety and general welfare of humanity is upheld. It is important to underline the duty of every employee in serving the company with utmost faith and considering that the welfare of the employees takes center stage as far as productivity of the corporation is concerned. This mode of making a decision considers the cardinal significance of physical health in employee’s ability to discharge duties and derive better socio-economic life which is the fundamental role of corporates. In this respect, the employee should act for the interest of fellow workers without fearing for the short term consequences like loss of job. Virtue ethics: decision is based on â€Å"who am I?† (Consult article: â€Å"The Discipline of Building Character†) Personal identity is an important consideration when making such a critical decision. There are a number of factors to put to play and the most important one is the long term benefits from any decision made. Loss of job like in this case may mean seeking another one in a better

Analysing children's drawings in relation to current theories on Essay

Analysing children's drawings in relation to current theories on cognitive development - Essay Example Children move from uncontrolled to controlled scribbles. The second stage known as pre- schematic stage occurs from two to four years. Children tend to use their favorite colour to colour every imaginable thing. They are able to draw people with large heads and smaller stick bodies. The other stages include the schematic stage where children create stories for their drawings and the preteen stage which involves the â€Å"I can draw† syndrome. (Wallace 2002) Consistent with this five stage theory, Victor Lowenfeld 1947 also categorized children’s visual art development into five categories, namely, Scribbler, Preschematic, Schematic, Drawing Realism and Pseudo-Naturalism. In light of the fact that only the drawings of a three year old child are analyzed, just the first two stages of Lowenfeld’s art development, specifically, Scribble and Pre-schematic, will be discussed. Lowenfeld posited four sub stages to the Scribble stage. These include disordered-uncontrolled markings, longitudinal-controlled repetitions of motions, circular motions and naming. Lowenfeld maintains that the appearance of circular images with lines mark the beginning of the Preschematic stage. Throughout this stage the schema or visual idea is created. The drawings demonstrate what is â€Å"perceives as most important about the subject.† (Wallace 2002) Unlike Jean Piaget’s stages of development which has a chronological age guideline, Lowenfeld’s stages proceeds along the characteristics of the children’s art. In his description of the scribbler, Lowenfeld suggests that no discernible shape such as an identifiable object or animal is observable. He also proposes that the Scribbler does not represent any specific space in their drawings. The lines drawn appear to be arbitrarily made. However, in his letter to his GP, child A demonstrates an understanding of space in that the scribbles vary in length representing

Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders Term Paper

Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders - Term Paper Example Moreover, Thompson 2008 posits that a major factor in the incident of bulimia is low self-esteem. In their attempt to secure the approval of others they hide their true feelings, thus, food develops into their main supply of comfort. Thompson also notes that Bulimics are different to the anorexic individual in that they recognize that they have a problem and request help. Compulsive eating appears to be on the other extreme of anorexia and bulimia because entails unmanageable eating and hence results in an increase in weight. Food is used as a means of hiding from reality and covering a plethora of problems. Both the bulimic and the compulsive overeater are aware that they have a problem; however, the bulimic attempts purging to solve any weight gain whilst the compulsive overeater attempts to diet. It is this dieting that opens a can of worms. The more the compulsive overeater attempt to diet the more they binge. Binge eating results in the compulsive overeater feeling powerless, us eless and guilty hence, Thompson 2008 argues that dieting and bingeing may go on forever unless the reason for the emotional upheaval is resolved. One specific factor in the onslaught of compulsive eating from childhood is the inability to manage stressful situations. Food was used as a major source of stress management. Consequently, fat may be considered a means of hiding from the world. This particularly occurs in individuals who were sexually abused. Â  Interestingly, researchers have found there to be more male overeaters than females.

Global Economy and Transnational Corporations Essay

Global Economy and Transnational Corporations - Essay Example If Reich’s theory is valid, then the role of the government is creating competitiveness for the nation is by being the custodians of the economy as opposed to being just regulators. In this case, the government must seek to develop the national capital through promoting education and through policies. Peter Dicken (2010) however seems to disagree with Reich’s look of the global economy and argues that the global economy can be measured by the way the multinational or transnational firms are operating. He argues that TNC (Transnational Corporations) are the barometers for a global economy. The dilemmas with this theory are that it does not take into attention some factors such as these multinationals do not necessarily pledge their economic allegiance to the nations where they are, but only consider where their best interest is safeguarded. However, it is important in that the presence of a multinational in a country may be an indication of an economy that is doing well. A good example can be seen in China and India which are doing very well economically after so many western multinationals moved their business to these nations. If this theory is valid, then it means that the role of the government is regulatory as opposed to being the custodians of the economy. Alfred Chandler (1977) seems to be in congruence with Peter Dicken. This is because he argues that the world economy is affected by the hierarchy of management in private businesses. This is also contrary to what Robert Reich postured with regard to the wealth of nations, or work of nations. According to Alfred Chandler, the middle management has converted Adam Smith’s invisible hand into a visible hand and now the wealth of nations is not created from the invisible hands that amount from everyone in the economy working together, but that the middle management in firms is the ones who drive the wealth of nations. The advantage of this theory is that it may not explain some situations such as in developing nations where the economy and industries are not as structured as in the developed nations.  Ã‚  

Physical Activity and the Wider Environment Essay

Physical Activity and the Wider Environment - Essay Example This paper is being carried out in order to guide health professionals as well as policy-makers on the changes which have to be made in order to secure environments which are conducive to physical activity, and eventually, to weight management. As the report declares the right balance of calories and activity will ensure that the body can function efficiently. Where there are excess calories ingested and unused by the body, these are stored as fat, often adding to the person’s body weight. Health professionals indicate that there is a certain amount of body fat which the body can safely carry without compromising normal functions. The Body-Mass Index is used as the standard measure for acceptable body weight. A computed BMI of more than 25 indicates overweight; and higher than 30 indicates obesity. There are different ways by which physical activity can be secured by most individuals. For most individuals consciously seeking to lose or maintain weight, they would likely motivate themselves to set time apart for physical activity by jogging for an hour each morning or in the afternoon, or by briskly walking around a park, walking or running with their dog, going to the gym, running on a treadmill, taking dance classes , or participating in other forms of physical activity. In general, these activities have to be purposely sought by individuals. However, there are also other ways of securing physical activity and such ways involve the management of the wider environment.

Management of a learner who is not achieving the required level of Essay

Management of a learner who is not achieving the required level of competence in practice - Essay Example 473) and interpersonal communication is vital for teaching [and learning] to occur. In line with the aforementioned idea, mentorship in nursing is a crucial role in honing the knowledge, skills and attitudes of student nurses in many areas in the broad field of nursing. The clinical preceptors and mentors must determine the needs and abilities of their student nurses because teaching these students is most effective when it responds to their needs (Potter and Perry, 2001). Also, the assessment of their disabilities and difficulties prompts a better understanding and management that are geared towards overcoming hindrances and learning improvements. In this regard, this paper explored a scenario wherein a learner was not achieving a required level of competence to practice in an intensive care unit environment, which definitely requires prompt attention since the student is in a special unit that requires dexterity in providing safe and critical care for the patients. Moreover, the sections of this paper exemplified the critical analysis of the given scenario, ethic al and professional issues on failing students, substantial arguments, the role of mentor in nursing students and the grading criteria based on disabilities and established standards. Thus, this paper aims to describe the ways through which effective management shall be applied to the given scenario and to provide recommendations and solutions based on reputable concepts from reliable references. Upon mentoring a second year student in his final term, the mentor completed an initial interview wherein he identified some areas for development in the aspects of communication and documentation from the student’s previous placement in the intensive care unit. At this meeting, James, the student, informed him that he was diagnosed with dyslexia. When working with James, the mentor noticed that he appeared to have lost his confidence, with

Getting A Scholarship To Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Getting A Scholarship To Study - Essay Example The scholarship not only served as a financial assistance but was also a unique opportunity to display my academic prowess. There is no doubt that scholarships are more prestigious and that they play important role in enhancing one’s resume and at the same time help one to pay for his or her education. Scholarship has provided me with enormous financial benefits as it has helped me to study without incurring substantial costs or not getting into debts. This helped me to concentrate on my studies and in the future, it will help me to focus on my career without thinking about repaying loans. By removing financial barriers, the scholarship made my career and education goals easier to obtain. In addition to financial and educational benefits, the scholarship provided me with career benefit. Earning a prestigious scholarship makes me a more attractive job candidate. Most employers understand the competitive nature of the scholarship and as such, they recognize scholarship as an acc omplishment. It demonstrates to potential employers that I have exceptional abilities in the academic realm. Listing scholarship in my resume helps me to stand out when searching for a job and possibly help me to achieve the career that I want. The scholarship also came with personal benefit; it made a significant difference regarding how much resources and time that I had during college to spend to enhance my knowledge and experience through internships, volunteer opportunities, and service-learning.

ASPECTS OF CONTRACT AND NEGLIGENCE Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ASPECTS OF CONTRACT AND NEGLIGENCE - Assignment Example This paper analyzes various aspects of a contract, and to an extension the concept of negligence to perform on the contract. In the essay, several studies cases will be analyzed in order to uncover the omission of vital elements of the contract. To achieve the stated objectives, the article will evaluate each and every study case critically and state the applicable consequences of the actions or inactions of the individuals in the study case. Written contracts are the most preferred types of contracts by many common legal systems. In most countries, all contracts pertaining tangible product sales worth more than $500 are required to be ratified in writing and the parties concerned should append their signatures. Examples of contracts that must be in writing include all land dealings, house sales, vehicles and many others. It is paramount to note that immediately someone signs a written contract provided the documents used is contractual in nature, they are legally bound by it irrespective of whether they read and understood the terms and conditions (Poole, 2014, p.86). Written contracts help parties involved understand their commitments and avoid the "he said, she said" dispute in case court prosecution is necessary. These are contracts formed whereby parties contact or meet face to face and enter into an agreement. Such contract provides the element of identity which is very crucial in contracts and a contract can automatically be termed as void because of mistakes relating to identity, particularly if the identity is necessary. Example of cases that have been declared void because of this issue include the Phillips v Brooks and Shogun Finance Ltd v Hudson (Poole, 2014, p.96). Distance sales contracts, currently known as consumer contracts are contracts that pertain to the sale of goods without face-to-face contact. Suppliers are required by law to disclose

Breaching Exercise Essay Example for Free

Breaching Exercise Essay As a sociology student I have some experience in the field of messing with social norms. When assigned to create a breaching exercise situation I can say I felt comfortable as opposed to the first time I was instructed to break a norm. Breaching experiments obtain to study people’s responses to disruptions of generally conventional social rules or norms. I will admit I had a few weird ideas that I have always been interested but had some difficulty finding the means to conduct these experiments. I narrowed down my options and came up with one that was more realistic and decided to purposely mistake shoppers for employees in department or grocery stores. I conducted this breaching exercise in three different places over the past week. The first place I went to was Target. Everyone pretty much knows that the standard Target outfit involves a red polo, however there weren’t any red polo’s walking around that were not actual employees. I came across a middle-aged man in a red t-shirt who was looking in the bath section and simply asked him, â€Å"Excuse me, could you direct me to the electronics section?† His reaction wasn’t anything to look into; he simply just laughed and explained that he doesn’t work there. He looked down at his red shirt and thought I just made an honest mistake. I gave a shy laugh; acting embarrassed, apologized and walked away. The second place I visited to try this experiment was Walmart. I walked into Walmart with a friend and went to the gardening section. I decided to come up with a little story rather than just asking a direct question. I found a man who looked like he was in his young 20s and started rambling, explaining that I had a big project I was working on for my outdoor patio and I wanted a specific look. He let me ramble on for about a minute and a half before he cut me off by explaining he was shopping for his own patio furniture and would be no help to me. He didn’t seem to think it was as funny as the first man, however he still acted kind. Lastly I went to Harris Teeter to experiment in a grocery store. I felt that maybe the type of store I mistook a shopper for being an employee would make a difference. I was right. I felt quite bad about this situation after leaving in all honesty because I had no clue it was going to be as offensive as it was. I found a woman around the breads who looked like she was in her 50s. I asked her if she could tell me where her gluten free bread section was. She had quite the attitude when she responded explaining that just because she looks some type of way does not mean that she is an employee. I felt bad because I did not want her to think I thought she was an employee because of her appearance, I just got confused and frustrated because I couldn’t find what I was searching for. She calmed down a bit and we both apologized for the miscommunication and I quickly decided to be on my way. This experiment is definitely interesting however should come with a warning. I would never personally offend someone like this, and had I known that I would have I would have reconsidered my exercise, however I was happy with my results varying. It was good to have different results to work with and think about once it was completed. I thought about the differences between the people and the stores I visited and tried to understand where each individual I approached was coming from by their reactions.

Impact of the Introduction of Activity Trackers

Impact of the Introduction of Activity Trackers Introduction The advancement of technology is no doubt one of the greatest organized creative activities of humankind today. The material world that we see around us, and the way society functions today had strongly affected by the advancement of the technology. The device that I would like to research on had effectively changed the way how human life. It records all the activities of an individual over the days – the activity tracker. An  activity tracker  is computer-assisted monitoring and graphing of health-linked metrics such as distance walked or ride, calorie consumption, and in some cases heartbeat and quality of snooze. During the early development of the products, activity trackers were computer logs, such as that provided in the US by thePresidents Council on Physical Fitness and Sportsas part ofThe Presidents Challenge;since the release of the firstFitbitactivity tracker in 2009, the term has primarily referred to electronic checking devices that are synced, in many cases wirelessly, to a computer orsmartphonefor long-period data graphing, an example ofwearable technology. Electronic activity trackers are upgraded versions ofpedometers. In addition to counting steps or movements, they useaccelerometersandaltimetersto calculate mileage, graph overall physical activity, calculate calories expenditure, and in some cases also monitor and graph heart rate and quality of snooze.Some also include a silent alarm. The original Fitbit, released in 2009,was worn clipped at the waist; formats have now improved to include wristbands, armbands, and smaller devices that can be wore wherever preferred. AppleandNiketogether developed theNike+iPod, a sensor-equipped shoe that worked with aniPod Nano few years after the release of Fitbit. In addition, logging apps exist for smartphones and Facebook;the Nike+ system now works without the shoe sensor, through theGPSunit in the phone or iPod. In the US,BodyMediahas established a disposable activity tracker to be worn for 7 days, which is aimed at health and insurance providers and companies seeking to determine workers fitn ess and health. Finding Sony wants you to log your life with smart band! Sony’s Smart Band is one of the biggest-name fitness tracker. It was first published to the market on 24th Feb 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. According to Sony, the Smart Band will only be available in spring. The Smart Band SWR10 is a wearable device which consist of two parts, the core and the band. It communicates via Bluetooth with an Android Life-log application to offer fitness tracking, but the application itself also lets users log places visited, music played, games played and books read for presentation on a visual interface. The application also helps users set activity targets. Similar as a smart watch, it vibrates when calls, messages, Facebook notifications or tweets are received. It can also be used to play, pause and skip tracks in a Sony phone’s Walkman application by pressing the button and tapping the band. The device is IP582 rated for full waterproofing despite its MicroUSB port, the company said. When out of Bluetooth range from its paired phone, the band vibrates. SmartBand will also records sleep cycles. According to the white paper, the Core is powered by theARM Cortex-M0 32 bit processer, has 256kB internal embedded flash memory and 16kB RAM. It connects to any device running Android 4.4 and later via Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy and/or NFC. You need to download Lifelog, a companion app that tracks your physical, social and entertainment activities. The interface is quite informative, and you can use it to set activity goals and monitor your progress. Information compiled in Lifelog is collected using sensor technology in the SWR10 and data obtained from various apps and sensors in the Android phone. Heres a quick overview of the Lifelog app: The SWR10 also comes with music and camera remote control functions, alerts for incoming messages or Facebook notifications. You can set alarms via the Lifelog app to wake you up via subtle vibrations on your wrist. Before you do so, you have to set the SWR10 to night mode. The night mode is used for tracking your sleep while the day mode tracks your activities throughout the day. Below is a video showing the SWR10 in action: Features Here is the complete list of feature of Sony SmartBand, there will be brief explanation on some of the major feature: Communication and Entertainment By using Sony SmartBand SWR10, It is easily communicate with your smartphone, tablet and Android apps can record your physical, social and entertainment activities. You can check all daily activity where you went, what pictures you took and how you have been communicating with your world. Lifelog Application The Life log can record walking, running, cycling or travelling by train timing and how long you slept .How much you take photo, how much time you are listing music and games you have played and how much you have socialized with a friends and family. Life Bookmarks All special moments you can make bookmark a great restaurant, an amazing song, beautiful sunset. Battery performance It has a rechargeable battery that can be charge your smartphone charger and Laptop can stay charged up to 5 days. Other features: It helps in measuring the sleep cycle Look ahead in time to see just how much more you need to cycle to achieve your daily activity goal. Helps to track weather and alert the user Removable Coreunit and a stylish and comfortable wrist band Sony fastening button and LEDs Vibrates when a call, message or other notification comes in Design The Sony SmartBand shares its design with many other wrist-worn fitness trackers. It comes in two bits – the wristband and the core. This is a little plastic brain that lives within a recess in the band, roughly where a watch face would be. The one we got our hands on was a simple rubbery band with a shiny plastic clasp on the rear, but others use different textures. The Core Despite the exposed micro-USB port (which is used for charging), the Core is IP58 rated for dust resistance and waterproof capabilities. The Core is a tiny plastic unit with an accelerometer inside. It sports a mini USB port and also features LED lights and a vibrate function to alert you to any notifications from your phone In addition, the Core is very light at 6g and when paired with a wrist band, can weigh between 20 to 21g depending on the choice of a small or large wrist band. We were told that the wrist band is made of silicone, a material that will feel comfortable to the skin. A Sony product staff said that she has been wearing the SWR10 for a number of days, and the use of silicone made her forget that she was actually wearing one on her wrist. During our few minutes of hands-on, we found the material to be easy on the skin. It is also easy to fasten and remove the wristband. The Lifelog App The Core is effectively useless without Sonys Lifelog, a lifestyle-tracking app for Android the company demoed onstage at its presser and is planning to release to Google Play in March. Think of Lifelog as a curated Facebook feed for your life, but without much effort on your part. It records your locations, communications, physical activity and photos taken and places them in a graphed format, in addition to coaching you with set goals. From what little weve been told about the Lifelog camera concept, it seems users would be able to pair it to a smartphone and then set specific triggers for photo capture, like times of the day or activities. So say you want to record the moments of your daily jog, this concept would handle that automatically and upload the shots to your personal feed. Its the sort of the stuff quantified selfers get all hot and bothered over you know, those ardentlifebloggers. But just because Sonys showing off this Lifelog camera concept, that doesnt mean well ever see it become a commercial reality. Sony may just be testing the consumer waters or simply showing off its idea of the possible road ahead. Recommendations Although the SmartBand is said to be one of the greatest improvisation of activity trackers in the market, I do believe there are still rooms for improvement. Firstly, the SmartBand is connected to the phone via Bluetooth. Although it offer the vibration notification service, it do not show up the contact or type of notification that you received. So, if you received a call on your phone, your Core will start to vibrate, however with no display, you’ll still need to get your phone out to see who is calling. It is the limitation on the Core as Sony can only choose either to extend the battery-life of the Core or to provide the display which significantly reduce the battery-life without charging. Secondly, SmartBand is pitched by Sony to be a 24/7 wearable device. However, due to its limited battery life, there will still be times where you need to recharge the battery. I suggest that spring-powered system (self-winding mechanism) can be installed into the core, like how some watches in the market works. It uses the principle of kinetics, and store energy made by the user’s hand movement into the spring and coil in an intrinsic system. The whole idea of activity trackers including SmartBand are to record the activities of the users, which easily relate to loads of movement like walking, cycling and et cetera. As the Core requires minute amount of energy to function, the energy generated can slowly reused to operate the core. Finally, SmartBand can be improved by being an improvised version of watch as well- by adding in function like time display and stopwatch. Adding in display into the core or the band is the key for this improvement. With the display, time can be shown on the band as well as other basic functions of a normal watch. In order to keep the long lasting battery life, LCD can be used as it is more energy efficient than other display technologies. Conclusion Ever since the development of the ENIGMA (the first digital computer), computers have inspired our imagination. In this period came the World War II code breaking machine designed by Alan Turing, and Von Neuman’s ENIAC which can be called dinosaurs compared to present day PCs. In the earlier days, computers were so huge that it took an entire building, or at least a floor to occupy one. Computers of that era were very slow by today’s standards. In the non-ending struggle to increase computing speed, it was found out that speed of electricity might become a limiting factor in the speed of computation, and so it was a need to lessen the distance that electricity had to travel in order to increase the computing speed. This idea still holds true in modern computing. However for the past few years, industry pundits have been predicting the death of the personal computer. I look at it a bit differently—the personal computer is not dying, but is becoming even more personal. It is now something you’re going to wear—in your clothing, jewelry, shoes, glasses, watches, and even on your skin. Sony’s SmartBand is one of the kick starter of these wearable technology, together with Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, Apple’s Ipod Nano, Google Gass and et cetera. All these improve human’s life in all different aspect. For instance the medical and health, social, entertainment, or even in the field of military. Whatever area wearable computer technology is applied to you can see that it willl improve the quality of life and make day-to-day life less complicated. It is only our imagination which will limit the number of applications for this new emerging technology. Wearable computer is a platform for the rapid application development, it promotes behavioral architecture and Java for the design of applications on wearable computers. In addition of the prototypes that has been released to test the viability of the architecture .There are even some reports that wearables will be the fashion of tomorrow. It may take some time for wearables to be commonly accepted. After all, it was once unusual to see people using cell phones or wireless microphones, but they have been embraced.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man | Book Summary

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man | Book Summary Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an autobiography by John Perkins. It tells the story of how the protagonist, Perkins, experienced a series of events that are astonishingly influential to the world that we live in today. It tells the story of how greed for money and power creates a web of deceit, traitors and shockingly murderers. It portrays how one country can exploit others, rob their natural resources, cause environmental disasters, poison their rivers and guide their politics. Perkins exposes the truth behind his own countrys administrations and its leading role models in the corporate world The United States of America. Perkins begins this book by introducing two concepts; Economic Hit Man (EHM) and corporatocracy. EHMs are a group of people who encourage world leaders to become part of a vast network that promotes U.S commercial interests (p ix). This results in the world leaders becoming trapped in a web of debt and providing the U.S with support politically, militarily and economically. In turn, the world leaders bring airports, power plants and industrial parks to their people and therefore guarantee their thrown. John Perkins provides a precise definition of EHMs that they are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars using techniques such as fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex and murder (p ix). The protagonist was an EHM for the international consultancy firm MAIN and its strategy is to target and persuade poorer country leaders to accept enormous development loans for projects which were to be contracted with U.S companies. They cheat leaders with false economic projections, Your forecasts determine the magnitude of the systems they design and the size of the loans , an EHM is the key (p 17). This form of diabolic manipulation, in their view a strategic investment, proved to be successful in countries such Ecuador, Panama and Saudi Arabia but if the leaders do not comply with the offer for loans and economic growth then the country and their leaders suffered, even murdered. EHM failure was not acceptable. The term corpratocracy as Perkins explains is a collective term describing corporations, banks and governments that work for the progression of the global empire using financial and political muscle to ensure that our schools, businesses and media support the concept of the system that is motivated by the illusion that all economic growth serves for the prosperity of mankind and the larger the growth, the further extended the benefits and that the impoverished are convenient for exploitation. Perkins also gives us an insight of the impact of corporatocracy on us as we are being exploited by the economic engine that creates an insatiable appetite for the worlds resources and results in a system that fosters slavery. This quote emphasises what we encounter everyday in our lives; in banks, governments, Nike and Wal-Mart and nearly every other corporation in the world and that we are convinced by this economic engine and induced to consume, consume, consume (p xii -xiii). A key question is why did John Perkins become an EHM? He implies that his choice of this career path was due to two events in his life; his loyal friendship with Farhad, a son of an Iranian general and his encounter with Anne, his ex-wife (p 5). His parents also played a role in his point of view since he grew up as a poor puritan among so many wealthy. According to the protagonist, living a life of frustration craving sex and money generated a pivotal role in establishing his aspiration to live the good life, which was the lure that MAIN adopted to mould him into an EHM (p 7). But the more vital question here is how was such a disbeliever in the corporatocracy become ensnared in its web of deceit? The answer is the manipulative strategy of exploitation. Perkins wife introduced him to an executive at the NSA (National Security Agency). Perkins then undergone a series of NSA assessments were focused on his frustrations, his upbringing and his relationship with his friend Farhad. This portrayed how seducible the protagonist was and he was later further lured indirectly to be trained as an EHM (p 9). When he began to realize the true nature of EHMs, he became juxtaposed between becoming one and living the good life or walking away. He often questioned if what he was about to engage in was right and suspected he was not but eventually greed and the appealing opportunities MAIN offered won and he justified his decision by presupposing that he will expose the corporatocracy after he advanced deeper (p 17). EHMs have been involved Panama, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Ecuador. In each case the author describes various strategic tactics they employ and their various outcomes to the countries leaders, politics and people. Panama was ruled by its hero Omar Torrijos at the time Perkins was sent to make his economic forecasts (or in reality an economic hit). Torrijos believed in his countries right to rule its own Panama Canal with no U.S intervention (p38). In 1972, Perkins established a relationship with Torrijos where it appeared that the he knew MAINs true agenda towards Panama as he implies, I understand that your company wants more work and usually gets it by inflating the size of projects.. This time is different Give me whats best for my people .Ill give you all the work you want. It was obvious that this man was solely concerned for the benefit of his country and to benefit the poor as rather than himself and which in my point of view proves that not all leaders are corrupt. Perkins also portrays that Torrijoss selfless attitude would be seen as a threat but Torrijos expressed his knowledge openly that at anytime the U.S could assassinate him and that he will not be destroyed easily, We have the Canal The CIA will have to kill me! (p 72-75). His expectations came to life on July 31st 1981. His death, which my mother described as a mysterious plane crash, was a result of his true devotion to Panama rather than the U.S dollar. He renegotiated the Canal Treaty with the U.S President Jimmy Carter to surrender the Canal to the Panamanians and later refused to renegotiate it with President Reagan. The U.S wanted sole control over the Canal. When anything came in their way, the words CIA assassination are heard (p158-159). This is their strategy, either comply with their strategic exploitation game and sell your beliefs for dollars and power or they send in their jackals or the CIA to intervene. After the tragic assassination of Panamas hero, his replacement, Manuel Noriega, followed in his footsteps particularly with the project of building a new canal financed by the Japanese. This posed a threat to U.S firms; they could lose billions of dollars. During the George H. W. Bush administration a new strategy emerged to deal with Noriegas intentions. It was through loss of reputation and mass murder. In 1986, they developed a corrupt image of drug dealing for Noriega. In 1989, the U.S invades Panama with airstrike assaults on the unharmful Panamanian civilians violating international law (p 173-175). Perkins wrote about Ecuador and how the U.S oil company ChevronTexaco Corp contaminated rivers and open holes with four million gallons of toxic waste water which contained oil, carcinogens and heavy metals which poisons the Ecuadorian people and their animals (p xviii). Their democratically elected President Jaime Roldos wanted oil companies out of his country, unless they implemented plans that would help Ecuadors people, they would be forced to leave his country. His people were frustrated and so was he. This posed a threat to their strategy of corporatocracy, therefore a CIA assassination strategy was implemented and he died in a plane crash two months before Torrijos in 1981 (p 154-156). In 1973, an important event occurred that changed the strategy of corporatocracy, the Oil Embargo. This was due to the U.Ss support to the state of Israel both politically and with foreign aid. This caused five Arab countries including Saudi Arabia to stop oil shipments to the U.S (p 82-83). King Faisal of Saudi Arabia played a great role in this embargo since he believed in the freedom of Palestine and swore to pray in Jerusalems Aqsa Mosque. But like any leader that opposed U.S interests he was murdered in 1975 by his own nephew who coincidentally was just being educated in the U.S. As for their strategy for oil rich and strategically located countries such as Saudi Arabia, they sent EHMs, including Perkins team, to the House of Saud, with their strategic weapon, economic projections. In order to preserve their oil supply, Washington commenced a new strategy to lure the wealthy House of Saud using negotiations offering technical support, military hardware and training, and an opportunity to bring their nation into the twentieth century. This arrangement would guarantee the House of Sauds power and the U.S would receive large portions of petrodollars and forever making Saudis dependent on the U.S companies, such as MAIN. Perkins role was to forecast rough projections of the future of the kingdom if large sums of money were invested in its infrastructure by the aid of U.S construction and engineering companies. He described it as win-win situation (p 83-85). The author was assigned to persuade a member of the Saudi government, Prince W., of a possible new Westernised future of the kingdom in 1975. The protagonist soon realized his weakness for beautiful blondes. And he exploited that weakness and supplied him with his need of women which portrays the measures EHMs result in order to fulfil their assignment. Indeed his technique proved to be a success and Prince W. eventually relented (p 92-95). The diabolic outcome of this strategy is not the result of having a guaranteed unlimited oil support, but is the message the U.S sent; If other countries such as Iran, Iraq threatened embargoes, Saudi Arabia would step in discourage other countries from even considering an embargo (p 90). The U.S can not only further corporatocracy but it can even escape with supporting terrorists for their own gain and later pursuing them as outlaws. The U.S desired the House of Saud to bankroll Osama bin Ladens Afghan war against the Soviet Union in the 1980s and they both generously devoted $3.5 billion to the mujahideen resistance movement (p 99). Washington was supporting who it now name murderers and terrorists to further its political agenda, in fact it was an excellent strategy to exploit such movements and later destroy them. Since the success of the Saudi Arabia strategy in the 70s, the greed of the corporatocracy grew and EHMs were sent to Saddam Hussein of Iraq to exploit his oil reserves in exchange for infrastructural prosperity. Unlike the House of Saud, he did not comply. To Washington, Iraq represented oil, water and its borders with Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. It is at strike distance with Israel and the former Soviet Union. That would have control over its neighbours; some which are oil rich (p 182-184). Refusing to comply, Iraq was attacked twice breaking international law. Once by George H. W. Bush in the 1990s with air strikes and aerial assaults on civilians. And second, by George W. Bush in 2003 where he deceived the world by claiming Hussein owned weapons of mass destruction. But people implied at that time that he planned to sell his oil for Euros which triggered the war. John Perkins book furthered a vast amount of knowledge to my perception of world leaders. I was always sceptical about many leaders but never did I know about EHMs. I was aware about corruption in governments, the U.S compliance with terrorism and its double standards that caused the murder of generations, the emotional scaring of orphans and the theft of dignity, resources and morals of many countries. Personal examples of this is the differenced between the Egyptian government at the time of Anwar Sadat who fought to help free Palestine and stop the Israeli genocide and now where Israelis are using chemical weapons to bomb schools and orphan children and the Egyptians are denying charities to supply those children with food. In my point of view this is also due to the U.Ss strategic exploitation as Egypt relies on billions of U.S foreign aid. I believe that EHMs were in Egypt. Another example is Saudi Arabia and how its leaders stood watching the U.S butcher Iraqi civilians in the war in 2003 and allowed U.S helicopters fly to Iraq via Saudi Arabia. After reading this book, I also thought of mysterious assassinations of important politicians such as Rafic Al Hariri who was a supporter of Hezbollah who protected Lebanon from Israeli occupation and Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan. Those were people of similar standards as Torrijos and Roldos and perhaps I am right to now believe that those were CIA assassinations. The extent of the use of exploitation strategies by the corporatocracy was appalling and in my point of view the author was convincing and he was right to quit and expose this form of manipulation and terrorism employed by the U.S. As for a solution for corporatocracy, I believe it is in the reason of its existence, the reason why Perkins joined it, the same reason it was created; greed and power hunger. If we can perhaps teach American schools the importance of the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of every country, not just theirs and about international laws, then they might realise the real terrorists. I agree with J ohn Perkins on his strategy of spreading awareness, using his book and the media, and his idea giving this book and talking about it to friends and family. I would also suggest translating this book in different languages, especially Arabic and giving it to Iraqis and Saudis so they can see for themselves the working of the corporatocracy in their everyday life.

Wachovia information paper -- essays research papers

Are American CEOs Paid Too Much? Are American CEO’s overpaid? In my opinion, they are. In America today, CEO’s of various companies are known for their high position and for their high salary. According to the Business Journal, the average CEO’s of an S&P 500 firm earned $2.7 million yearly in 1992. By 2000, the average pay for these CEOs increased to more than 400 percent totaling to approximately $14 million per year. When compared to average workers, the pay increase is even more dramatic. Is this increase justifiable? In 1992, CEOs were paid 82 times the average of blue-collar workers. In 2004, this amount increased to over 400 times. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average production worker fared less well in 2003. Their annual pay was $26,899 in 2003, up just 2.1% from 2002. The average worker took home $517 in their weekly paycheck in 2003; the average large company CEO’s took home $155,769 in their weekly pay. If the minimum wage had increased as quickly as CEO pay since 1990, it would be $15.71 per hour today. This is more than three times the current minimum wage of $5.15 an hour. While workers are increasingly anxious about their job security, and how they will pay the rising costs of everything from health insurance to housing, from college to gasoline, corporate executives continue to distance themselves from the cares and worries of those they lead. It sends a poor message to demand cost cutting from the factory floor, while costs in the ...

The Character of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter Essay -- Papers N

The Character of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne, a character within The Scarlet Letter, is a prime example of Hawthorne's common transformation of individuals within his books. These mutations involve the qualities and attributes of her physical appearance, feminine emotions, and reputation among the townspeople. Throughout the novel, the mentioned elements of Hester's character develop and change several times, providing the reader with better understanding of the influence that the scarlet letter and other characters have on her. In the beginning of the novel, the reader is presented with a physical appearance of Hester that is pleasing to the visual eye. It is Hawthorne describes his heroine of the book by writing that "She had dark and abundant hair†¦face†¦beautiful†¦features and richness of complexion†¦deep black eyes" (51). Over time, these attributes faded and the "attractiveness of her person had undergone†¦change†¦sad transformation†¦luxuriant hair†¦cut off†¦hidden†¦some attribute had departed from her, the permanence of which had been essential to keep her ...

Mother Tongue †Based Multilingual Education

With all the students having a difficulty in coping with their lessons, Mother tongue-based multilingual education may be helpful or not in solving this problem.OUTLINEI. Introduction II. Purpose of Mother Tongue-based Education A. Reasons why the Mother Tongue should be used in primary schools B.Points and ideas about Mother Tongue-based Education III. Target learners of Mother Tongue-based Education IV. Effects of Mother Tongue-based education to students A. Advantages B. Disadvantages V. ConclusionI.INTRODUCTIONOne of the changes in the basic curriculum of education brought about by the new K + 12 program is the introduction of Mother Tongue – based Multilingual Education. It will be implemented specifically to kindergarten, grades 1, 2 and 3. Mother Tongue refers to â€Å"first-language-first† education that is, schooling which begins in the mother tongue and transitions to additional languages particularly Filipino and English. It is meant to address the high funct ional illiteracy of Filipinos where language plays a significant factor. Since the child’s own language enables her/ him to express him/herself easily, then, there is no fear of making mistakes.It encourages active participation by children in the learning process because they understand what is being discussed and what is being asked of them. They can immediately use their mother tongue to construct and explain their world, articulate their thoughts and add new concepts to what they already know. With the demand of a high quality education today, this research paper therefore aims to attain the following objectives: 1.To discuss the purpose of Mother-tongue based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) 2.To state the nature and effects of Mother tongue  3.To tackle as a form of comparing the advantage and disadvantages of  MTB-MLE. 4.To prove why Mother Tongue is a helpful or not in solving the problem with students having a difficulty in coping with their lessons.II.PURPOSE OF MOTHER TONGUE-BASED EDUCATIONA.Reasons why the Mother Tongue should be used in primary schoolsThere are many reasons why it is so important to support the continued learning of the home language or mother tongue. As Clarke (2009) puts it: A strong first language supports the development of a positive self-concept, helps to strengthen the existing relationships within the family and provides the opportunity to continue cognitive development while learning other languages as a second language.In supporting the first language it is needed: respecting and supporting the home language, planning base on the development of knowledge of language, creating an environment to support natural language learning, observing children talking, finding out what they know in using language, establishing a supportive environment, understanding and appreciating the home literacy and helping parents to understand the value of a strong first or home language (Hassanzadeh et al. 40)Local and international studies show that the use of the learner’s mother tongue or the language used at home is the most effective medium of learning. â€Å"It is the easiest way for children to access the unfamiliar world of school learning. (Luistro)† If the use of mother tongue will be discarded in favor of a new unfamiliar language upon the children’s entry into grade school, the learners lose interest in their studies because there is a disconnection in the language used at home and in school. It will also be a loss of confidence in them as learners since their culture and experiences are excluded in classroom interactions.Strong and well-planned MT-Based MLE programs help students to build a string educational foundation when they enable and encourage students to develop oral fluency in their first language, introduce reading and writing in their first language, help students to become fluent and confident in first language literacy, and lastly, build their capacity to use thei r mother tongue for everyday communication and for learning in school.MTB-MLE help learners build a ‘good bridge’ when the teachers introduce  other languages in oral through a meaningful and non-threatening activities, introduce writing and reading other language by building on what they have learned about the oral teaching of language and their foundation in the first language literacy because reading is like a bicycle, we only need to learn once, and lastly, build fluency and confidence in using oral and written language for everyday communication and for academic learning.MTB-MLE programs ensure that students achieve educational competencies or standards established by education officials for each grade when the teachers use the mother tongue only for teaching in the early year of grade school, as students are learning basic communication skills in English and the teachers use the mother tongue with English for teaching in later grades, as students gain fluency an d confidence in using the school language for learning academic concepts. (Malone 3-4)B.Points and ideas about Mother Tongue-based EducationLanguage is one of the valuable gifts which have been passed to children. The first language is significant and builds the basis for all later language progresses. Parents, family members and early childhood professionals have very important role on the development and maintenance of the first language. Studies shows that knowing one language can assist the child to comprehend how other languages work. First or home language is particularly important for the child‘s development of a positive self-concept and well-being.Children who have the chance to maintain their first language can extend their cognitive development, while learning English [this also can be correct with other languages including Turkish] as a second language. Their level of competence in the second language has relationship to the level of competence they have achieved i n their first language. Children with a sound knowledge of their first language will be able to transfer skills from one language to another. Early childhood professionals can play a vital role in the maintenance of children‘s first languages.They can provide opportunities for children to use their mother tongue in early childhood settings and at school and encourage the parents to use the mother tongue at home in order to provide a good foundation for learning English. It is important to reassure parents that children will learn English as a second language from English speakers (Clarke). The mother tongue opens the  door, including its own grammar, to all grammars, in which it awakens the potential for universal grammar that lies within all of us. It is the valuable asset people bring to the task of language learning. For this reason, the mother tongue is the master key to foreign languages, the tool which gives us the fastest, surest, most precise, and most complete means of accessing a foreign language.Successful learners capitalize on the vast amount of linguistic skills and world knowledge they have accumulated via the mother tongue. For the beginner, becoming aware of meanings automatically involves connecting them with the mother tongue – until the FL has established an ever-more complex network for itself. The foreign language learner must build upon existing skills and knowledge acquired in and through the mother tongue. Monolingual lessons without the help of the mother tongue are extrinsically possible; however, monolingual learning is an intrinsic impossibility.No one can simply turn off what they already know. It is postulated that the mother tongue is ‘silently‘ present in beginners, even when lessons are kept monolingual. Just as we build upon our abilities to vocalize, to read and to write, all of which have been developed via our mother tongue, so too we are unable to switch off our knowledge of the world, again acq uired through the mother tongue. With the emergence of research into the role of form-focused instruction, teacher- researchers have also begun to acknowledge the mother tongue as a legitimate tool with the potential to facilitate learning mainly in accuracy-based tasks (Ferrer). â€Å"You can banish the MT from the classroom, but you cannot banish it from the pupils’ heads† (Butzkamm p.31).We need to associate the new with the old. To exclude MT links would deprive us of the richest source for building cross-linguistic networks. The well-directed and informative use of lexical and syntactic parallels between the mother tongue and foreign languages taught in schools promotes retention and deepens the understanding of the historical affinity of language and culture (Butzkamm, 2003). The relationship between languages should be clearly established and not ignored or suppressed. The non-use of the MT, however, seriously constrains what can be said and read. MT will save l earners from a feeling of frustration which will eventually lead them to avoid all topics of personal interest. The measured and well-calculated contribution of the mother tongue can allow pupils to tackle more difficult texts sooner (Hassanzadeh et al. 40-42).III.TARGET LEARNERS OF MOTHER TONGUE-BASED EDUCATIONBasically, MTB-MLE targets students who are having a difficulty in understanding other languages rather than their own language which is their first language. Most of these students are primarily entering kindergarten and first three years of grade school. It’s very common that children will lack interest in going to school once they didn’t understand their lessons at school. Since, their parents are from different places around the country or around the world, it’s expected them to speak and understand what they learn from their parents. Not all students can understand English or other languages. At the start of classes, many will have a hard time in cop ing up with the lessons since they’re having a difficulty in understanding what the teachers are saying.MTB-MLE aims to produce learners who are:Multi-literate – they can read and write competently in the local language, the national language, and one or more languages of wider communication, such as English;Multi-lingual – they can use these languages in various situations;Multi-cultural – they can live and work harmoniously with people of culture backgrounds that are different from their own (Nolasco 3).IV.EFFECTS OF MOTHER TONGUE-BASED EDUCATION TO STUDENTSA.AdvantagesIn Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education, students are taught over a period of time in their native language and English is treated as a second language, taught side by side and only when the student is believed to have attained proficiency in native language, so that he can master English easily. Technically and simply speaking, multilingual education is any educational system that favors education in more than one language. According to its proponents, the most important benefit of this system is that a student, who is from a non-English speaking background, can easily learn English, owing to his language development, in his native language as well as in English language.And isn't it good to be proficient in various languages? What problem does it create if a student is well conversant in English and in his mother tongue? Besides that, a child who is exposed to multiple languages will be able to develop a better sense of appreciating  various cultures and understanding societies. After all, now we're living in a global world and so being multilingual is always an asset in firms and business works.Added to these advantages the child can easily use his native language in groups and he won't feel ashamed of it. In case, he is just aware of one language, he may face problems of hesitation in expressing himself. Its beautiful form of education as the minority sp eakers can learn English even while being able to strengthen their cultural bonds by being proficient in their mother tongue. (Pandey)B.DisadvantagesUnsuccessful Attempt at Integration into SocietyMultilingual education was deemed necessary since it was supposed to help integrate the children of immigrants and minorities into society. The system of multilingual education demanded separate teachers and classrooms and believed in gradual integration into society by allowing children to receive education in their native language for a period of three or more years.Proponents of a single medium of instruction opposed bilingual education, since they believed that separate teachers and classrooms would widen the already existing gap between citizens and immigrants. They further proposed that encouraging children to interact within their own community for a period of three years, would delay the process of adjusting to the ways of life in a new country.School Dropout RatesOver the years, t he dropout rate in various schools across North America has reduced significantly. The medium of instruction in the above-mentioned schools is English. However, there has been no reduction in the dropout rates for schools offering multilingual education. Most people feel that a dropout rate of 35% doesn't justify the costs involved in providing this form of education.Unavailability of TeachersMultilingual education requires a number of trained teachers who are proficient in both English and their native language, assuming that English is one of the mediums of instruction. There is a wide gap between the demand and the supply for teachers, who are both confident and capable of handing the intense pressure associated with managing a class of students requiring special attention.Lack of ClassroomsThere is a dearth of classrooms that can accommodate students, who require instructions in both English and their native language. Students are expected to sit together in one class regardless of their age and the variations in the required level of education. This poses a great problem for teachers, who, in addition to being well versed in two languages, have to exhibit a certain level of comfort in handling different levels of education, simultaneously.Lack of FundsThe mentioned issues bring us to the tip of the problem: lack of funds to promote multilingual education.Bilingual Education Is CostlyEducation becomes unobtainable, when a language that is not dominant in nature is to be taught. The scenario becomes economically feasible, when multiple languages commonly used, are taught. An education system ought to be aware that the noble sap of education and literacy lies in understanding the language in which knowledge is imparted. The content and context of the subject becomes oblivious, if the student is not well acquainted with the language employed (Iyer).V.CONCLUSIONThis paper presents the benefits of a Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education. MTB-MLE is a very helpful program to those students who use their first language in everyday life. It is used to also be a bridge or a mediator to learn other languages as well. Although it has some disadvantage in our money, it will ensure us that our children, future children and relatives will understand and learn very well the lesson being taught in school. Thus, Mother Tongue-based education is challenging in terms of planning, implementing and sustaining MTB-MLE programs in multiple language communities especially in multi-lingual countries lacking extensive financial resources.

Toyota V.S Ford

MGMT 341 Toyota Motor Corporation Vs. Ford Motor Corporation (Past to Present) THE GBAS MODEL Prepared for: Dr. Reed Nelson Prepared by: Jeremie J. Martin SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CARBONDALE SPRING 2011 Introduction This paper will be structured to focus on two of the leading automobile manufacturers in the industry to date. Toyota is the number one automobile manufacturer in terms of production and sales. Toyota is a foreign vehicle manufacturer located out of Japan founded in 1937. Ford is the second largest vehicle manufacturer in the United States and fifth largest worldwide.Ford was the eighth ranked overall vehicle manufacturer on the 2010 Fortune 500 list. Ford is known for producing the â€Å"Model T† in 1908 which will forever be known as the first affordable automobile in the United States. Each company will be introduced and described separately. After providing substantial information about each organization, a comparison will follow to highlight the difference s between the two. This comparison is imperative for the GBAS model. I will also make an assessment of the four facts or organization life, fit, trade-offs, opposites and if the elements come in packages.Toyota Motor Corporation Toyota Motor Corporation is a foreign vehicle manufacturer based in Aichi, Japan. Toyota Motor Corporation came to the forefront in 1937; (TMC) is a variation of what originally used to be Toyota industries. Kiichiro Toyoda always envisioned creating a multinational automobile manufacturer and his dreams came to fruition three years earlier, when still with Toyota Industries, they created their first product which was the â€Å"Type A† engine and in 1936 came their first vehicle the â€Å"Toyota AA†.Today Toyota Motor Corporation group companies include Scion, Lexus,  Daihatsu  and  Hino Motors Toyota stepped into the national spotlight in the 1980’s when people started to realize that there was something different about their vehi cle. What stood out most was the exceptional quality and efficiency of Toyota vehicles. Japanese cars were lasting longer than American cars and also required less maintenance. At the time, there were several Japanese manufacturers competing in the market, but Toyota stood out the most.Toyota did not provide the most exciting designs, but what they did was design automobiles that were very consistent and more reliable than most vehicles at an affordable price. Also, Toyota had a canny ability to troubleshoot all of their problems and come back even stronger when one of their weaknesses was exposed. While stock prices of the Big 3 were falling in 2003, Toyota shares increased 24% over 2002. Toyota’s capitalization was higher than the combined capitalization of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. (The Toyota Way, Pg 4) Toyota has the fastest product development process in the world.New cars and trucks take 12 months or less to design, while competitors typically take two years. Toyota is benchmarked as the best in its class by all of its peers and competitors throughout the world for high quality, high productivity, manufacturing speed and flexibility. (The Toyota Way, Pg 5) Toyota had a unique way of manufacturing their vehicles which is what helped them create differentiation from themselves and the market. The Toyota Production System and Lean production has dominated the industry for the last 10 years along with Six Sigma.During and before WWII, Toyota knew that mass production was not their strength. They were too small and disjointed to support high production values. Toyota decided to produce roughly 900 vehicles a month while on the other hand; Ford was about 10 times more productive. Toyota managers knew that if they were to survive, they would have to adapt to the mass production for the Japanese market. The problem was that they didn’t know how. The Toyota production system used many conceptions from those of Henry Ford, but the Japanese were determined to stick to the principles that Ford didn’t abide by.One very important principle was the concept of the â€Å"pull system†, which originated from American supermarkets. This system meant that Toyota would not replenish its parts until the next step in the process used up all of the original parts from the previous step. This directly relates to eliminating waste. At every step of the manufacturing process, Toyota uses â€Å"Kanbans† to signal the previous step when more parts need to be made. This creates the â€Å"pull† which continues back to the beginning of the cycle. Toyota also implements the philosophy of JIT into their manufacturing process.JIT is a set of principles that allows a company to produce and deliver products in small batches. This directly cuts down the lead time and allows them to meet specific customer needs. JIT allows Toyota to be responsive to customer demands; it also allows them to deliver the right items at the right time. â€Å"Kaizen† is also another principle Toyota stands on. The philosophy reaches for perfection and sustains TPS on a daily basis. Toyota refined their manufacturing process using these principles to make their organization more productive and less wasteful.What they didn’t know is that they also created a new paradigm in manufacturing that all types of businesses would eventually adopt. A common phrase around Toyota is â€Å"Before we build cars, we build people. † Toyota seeks to develop people so that they are strong contributors to the company culture and organizational development. The focus is to build a learning organization that seeks continuous improvement. That’s how they will ensure a guaranteed long term success hundreds of years from now. TMC management techniques’ goal is to develop their individuals, but at the same time promote effective teamwork.This technique is necessary for TPS to work. Creating a great culture comb ined with teamwork is the focal point of solving problems. The concept of bottom-up management is something that Toyota takes very seriously. Team leaders typically have about four to eight workers that they support and group leaders have about three or four groups. Toyota strongly believes in motivation theories when it comes to managing their employees. Their managers implement both internal and external management techniques.For example internally, Toyota applies Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs to them by providing their employees with job security, good pay, safe working conditions and a culture of continuous improvement. Externally, behavior modification has group leaders constantly on the production floor supervising employees and providing reinforcement. Toyota invests in their employees and in return they get committed individuals are willing to grow the company. Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a multinational automobile manufacturer based out of Detroit, Michiga n. It is the second largest automobile manufacture in the United States.Henry Ford founded and incorporated the organization in 1903. Under the Ford umbrella is the Lincoln brand and internationally Ford has some stake in Mazda and Aston Martin. There used to be several more brands associated with the company but due to harsh economic times in the United States, they were either discontinued or sold. Henry Ford is known for making the most affordable automobile (the â€Å"Model T†) and transcending the American auto industry. Most people think that he actually invented the automobile as well as the assembly line. Those are not the facts.Henry Ford did however use the assembly line to produce his â€Å"Model T†. From 1909-1927, he sold 15 million Model T vehicles at a cost of $829 dollars each. During World War One Ford in 1925 also manufactured aircrafts, but after the war ended they returned to only manufacturing autos. Ford’s mission is to be the worldwide lea der in the automotive industry and in other industries such as financial services. Ford values its people, products and profits. Some of their principles include commitment to the quality of the business they conduct, customer focus, continuous improvement, employment involvement and teamwork.Ford strategy is predicated by its vision of being a low-cost, high quality manufacturer in all of their products while simultaneously providing the best customer service possible. In the United States, Fordism was the system of  mass production and consumption characteristics of highly developed economies during the 1940’s-1960s. It was a philosophy that  aimed  to  achieve  higher productivity  by standardizing the  output, using conveyor assembly lines and breaking the  work  into small de-skilled tasks. It is a contrast from Taylorism, which is based off Fordism, which seeks to improve efficiency of machines and workers.Fordism combines them as one unit and looks ac hieve minimal cost and maximum profit. (Source: businessdisctionary. com/Fordism) An assembly line  is a  manufacturing  process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner in order to create a finished product. The immediate benefit of an assembly line is that it allows you to produce more products faster than if you were to handcraft them. Henry Ford made the assembly line famous in 1908 when he began the mass production of Model T’s. With the implementation of the assembly line, Ford was able to improve other aspects f the company such as reducing the labor hours it takes to produce a single vehicle as well as increased production numbers and parts (Wikipedia. com/assembly_line). The use of assembly lines and mass production processes forced Ford to start using large factories for manufacturing. They were the first automobile manufacturer to use large factories. During the late-2000’s recession when auto sales dropped 37%, Ford requested bailo ut money. They requested $9 billion dollars from the government and an additional $5 million for the department of energy.With this money, Ford vowed to make smaller, more gas efficient, vehicles as well as close down dealerships and sell Volvo. Ford didn’t need the money nor did they receive any money, but simply requested for funds because they did not want their competition to have a financial advantage over them. During the auto bailout, Ford was in a better financial position than Chrysler and GM which is the reason they didn’t receive any government funding. Ford’s approach to management organization was the mirror image of their assembly line: specialized, hierarchical and tightly controlled.Ford has always operated on a pressure system with middle management. The old Ford hierarchy was mechanistic in the sense that it was made to be modified, to be able to be adjusted over time. The structure was designed to be reactive to a slow changing environment. Fo rd’s management was very authoritarian, regimented and driven by fear. In light of Japanese competition, Ford shifted gears from the mechanistic theme of management to focus on participative management and product development. Narrative ComparisonToday, most companies try to implement some type of lean production or six sigma quality functions into their manufacturing processes. Initially, that was not the focus when it came to manufacturing vehicles. Toyota was the first organization to implement that strategy due to Japan being desecrated by two atomic bombs and not having the money or supplies to mass produce. Post WW II, Ford’s mass production system was designed to make large quantities and a limited number of models; they had no flexibility with their system. This is why all Model T’s were all black.The Japanese market was very small and fragmented for high production. Toyota needed to manufacture low volumes of several different models using the same asse mbly line to survive in the market. The demand for vehicles was not high enough to use individual assembly lines for each vehicle type. Ford had ton of cash after the war and they invested it all in large equipment and large factories to house the equipment. This was to support the strategy of mass production. However, there was an issue with all the large volumes being produced, which caused Toyota to take a similar, but opposing manufacturing strategy to Ford.Ford’s processes were detached from each other due to the large volumes. This cause delays in the process and allowed large amounts of material to sit and become work in progress inventory. Also, workplaces were disorganized and out of control, some Ford factories looked like warehouses. Toyota had the idea of â€Å"one-piece flow† where one piece of a product moves from one stage to the next stage, one piece at a time. This was opposite to what was happening over at Ford where several pieces of a product were b eing made simultaneously at one stage, then moved on to the next stage.Toyota used Ford’s ideology of a continuous process of materials throughout the manufacturing cycle while at the same time eliminating waste. Toyota didn’t have a lot of money or factories after the war so that had to be very precise in their manufacturing. They didn’t produce large volumes of just one type of vehicle. One-piece flow allowed Toyota the flexibility to change their process according to the demand of the market. Toyota adopted Ford’s manufacturing process, but made it more efficient and flexible. Toyota’s management philosophy was to develop their employees to become leaders within the company.This was their method of growing the company. Toyota knew that making all of their employees and integral part of the organization was the best way to build commitment within the company and a sure way to achieve all of its objectives. Ford on the other hand implemented a mor e authoritarian management philosophy where all of the pressure was put on middle management and not as much attention was given to the employees who were the key to their day to day operations. Ford primary focus was on production and the bottom line numbers.Mass production to make as many vehicles as possible is what drove them to implement such management techniques. The Discussion of goals, boundaries and activity systems. (GBAS Model) After the comparisons and noting the differences between Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Company, the GPAS model can be applied to see how effective both companies are at managing fit, trade-offs, packages and opposites. BOUNDARIES: In terms of customers, the Japanese market was very small, so Toyota knew that they would have produce small numbers of vehicles in various different models.Mass production wouldn’t work for them in the market because the customer demand was not high enough for that type of production system. Ford had a larg e U. S. market as well as an international market at the time so they were producing vehicles for everyone. When Henry Ford invented this inexpensive vehicle, there was a high demand for it and he sold millions of vehicles. Mass production worked well for high customer demand and the system made Ford a lot of money in a short amount of time. While Toyota remained in the automotive industry producing vehicles and engines, Ford tried its hand providing other services.Ford Motor Credit Company is the financial partner of Ford Motor Company. The purpose of the company was to handle automobile loans of Ford and also to offer loans and leases to other consumers. When it came to products, Toyota had an advantage. They designed they’re production system to be flexible due to the low customer demand in the Japanese market; therefore they were able to produce different types of vehicles at a faster pace than Ford. Although Ford produced more vehicles than Toyota they did not have the a bility to change the different models or colors of their vehicles within their assembly system.The mass production system was beneficial because it satisfied high customer demand, but it was limited in the way that it could only make huge quantities of one model. Originally Model T’s were only all black because Ford lacked the flexibility to change colors. Ford used its mass production system to make millions of Model T’s and later Model A’s. Ford also took its hand briefly in the aviation industry during the First World War building engines. Ford’s most successful airplane was the Ford 4AT Trimotor, but after the war was over Ford went back primarily to the utomotive industry. In terms of accessibility, Toyota was limited to the Japanese Market, they did not have the ability to manufacture vehicles elsewhere nor did they have the demand. After the atomic bomb Toyota had very little cash and lacked the infrastructure to compete outside of Japan. On the ot her hand, Ford had huge amounts of cash from the success of the Model T and they had a huge U. S and international market to sell too. Also, Ford had a huge supply system to support all of their manufacturing efforts. ACTIVITY SYSTEMS:Toyota’s activity systems were based around the central theme of their production system which was eliminating waste. When it came to manufacturing the company focused on continuous improvement, lean production and the Toyota Production system. Continuous Improvement also known as Kaizen, is a process that has lead Toyota to be a very lean and productive company. Kaizen strives for perfection and helps sustain the TPS system. The purpose of continuous improvement is to always become better, regardless whether the gains are large or small.Toyota felt that if they continually improved their processes, they would be able to eliminate as much waste as possible while remaining overly productive. Toyota formed small work groups within the workplace to ensure effective teamwork and to develop the skills of their employees. This also encouraged discussion amongst employees and it helped them make some of the decisions in the manufacturing process opposed to putting all the pressure on middle management. The Toyota Production System is a system that is composed of all of Toyota’s processes and principles in order to achieve a high level of quality production standards.JIT, Kaizen, One piece flow and continuous improvement theories combine to create a system that changed the way production standards were measured. Using many of the lessons preached by Henry Ford, Toyota evolved a system that helped them overcome challenges in a deplorable economy. At the same time they created a system that has been adapted in many other industries outside the automotive world. Ford, the American powerhouse, also believed in a continuous production flow, but they were not as cautious as the Japanese due to being in a better financial situatio n post WWII.They produced millions of model T’s with the help of assembly lines, large factories and a system of mass production to keep up with the high customer demand for the world’s most inexpensive automobile. Ford’s production system was an adaptation of their market and they took full advantage. They had access to complete systems supplies in combination with a lot of cash which tremendously increased their profit margins in 15 years. GOALS: Toyota’s goal was to create a system similar to Ford’s mass productions system, but at the same time adapt it to the Japanese market.The Japanese were producing automobiles for a market of customers who were not buying vehicles half as much as customers were buying autos in the United States. Even though there was a low demand for automobiles, the Japanese did demand different models, so their system had to be flexible enough to shift with the customers demand. In terms of creating the production system, Toyota aimed for a very lean system. A system that would be very cautious in using raw materials and cash in order to prevent being wasteful. Also, Toyota wanted a very clean and organized workplace in order to utilize all of the warehouse space that they did have.Toyota aimed to produce small quantities of quality products to meet specific customer needs. Ford was all about big business, money and power. Ford’s goal was to take over the automobile industry with the invention of the Model T. It was clear what their objective was by looking at the way they manufactured automobiles. Ford believed in standardization, but they never manufactured more than one type of motor car in the same facility. They were so focused on making the Model T a commodity that they did not focus on their other brand Lincoln. Ford’s customer base was broad.The Model T was marketed on a national level as a very inexpensive vehicle. Ford had the luxury of dealing with a high demand in the U. S and International market. Ford however, did not offer a variety of models to choose from. They only produced one vehicle in one color. Several years later they began producing the Model A. Due to the high demands at the time, customers did not pay attention to how inflexible Ford’s production system was. Although Ford may not have been as good as Toyota, they were also advocates of lean production and continuous improvement.Ford felt that their materials were more important than their employees, an opposing view of Toyota. Ford learned that wasted materials eventually became wasted money and frantically began to search for solutions to be more productive with their raw materials. Eventually Ford had the notion that they owed it to society to be more conservative of their materials. Summary of GPAS: ToyotaFord Boundaries: Narrow, Stable Broad, Stable Activity Systems: Simple, Flexible Complex, Inflexible Goals: Impermeable Permeable THE FOUR FACTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL LIFEDiscuss ion of fit: There is organizational fit between the boundaries, activity systems and goals of both Ford Motor Company and Toyota Motor Company. There are differences between the two companies, but both companies were competing in different markets therefore they had to adjust to the wants and needs of their customers. Ford has very permeable boundaries. Their complex and inflexible system which consisted of mass production, large factories, large machinery and assembly lines was imperative in order to satisfy the demand of their customers in the U. S and international market.Ford was able to establish a very credible and trustworthy relationship with its customers by satisfying their needs in a timely fashion. The permeable boundaries and complex activity system fit very tightly with customers who were in the market for a vehicle manufactured by Ford. Toyota Motor Company has significantly less permeable boundaries than does Ford, therefore their activity system is simple and more f lexible. The fact that Toyota had a significantly smaller market to manufacture vehicles for did not stop them working at a faster pace and creating higher quality vehicles.Their activity system was designed for customers who wanted different types of automobiles in different colors. They also wanted quality vehicles that would last for a long time to avoid high vehicle turnover. This flexible system was perfect for the struggling Japanese market post World War II. Things come in packages: Ford Motor Company was in a great position post WWII. They had tons of cash, access to a complete supply system, and a high demand for their products in the market and huge factories and equipment to make thousands of automobiles. Those resources helped reinforce their needs to make their automobiles a commodity worldwide.When comparing the two organizations, it is clear that Ford has more permeable boundaries than Toyota. On the contrary, less permeable boundaries made it more difficult for custo mers outside of the Japanese market to get a Toyota vehicle. They had not made their vehicles a commodity yet, but that was not their focus. After being desecrated by two atomic bombs, the Japanese manufacturing focused on making small amounts of quality vehicles. Making more quality vehicles using the one-piece flow process increased the skills and intelligence of the employees which directly helped grow the company.Having a lower customer demand allowed Toyota the time to perfect their craft and create a system that would change the manufacturing world. There are opposites: In terms of activity systems and boundaries, comparing Toyota to Ford is like comparing the tortoise to the hare. Ford was the automobile powerhouse with all its large equipment and mass production processes, producing vehicles at a very affordable price. On the other hand, Toyota was very conservative and waste less with their TPS system when it came to putting automobiles on the market.This was a classic exam ple of the â€Å"Quality vs. Quantity† argument. Ford had created a commodity; they became a pioneer in the automobile industry providing the masses with thousands of vehicles at a time. They had a huge customer base and the infrastructure to provide their products and services worldwide. Toyota had a flexible system that created quality vehicles in a timely manner as well, just not as in much bulk as did Ford. They had an advantage over Ford in the fact that could offer a variety of vehicles with shorter lead times.Ford had a very inflexible system and very long lead times, credited to their mass production system. Toyota’s system was more productive with their raw materials. They wanted to avoid work in progress inventories in their factories which lead to them incorporating a â€Å"pull system† into their manufacturing process. There are trade-offs: In comparing the two companies to each other, the trade-offs between the two become very obvious. Toyota offers a quality of vehicles that Ford can’t produce and Ford offers a price that Toyota can’t compete with.Ford offered lower prices because supplies were not scarce and they had complete access. Also, after the war Ford had a ton of cash so they could provide their automobiles at a cheap price in hopes of making it a commodity. Their activity system allowed them to only make standardized products without any customization. With the luxury of having a high customer demand, Ford remained efficient. Toyota’s system which used JIT principles which allowed them to manufacture products in smaller quantities, with shorter lead times to meet specific customer’s needs.This was a very flexible system which helped them offer an option of customization for their automobiles while still providing a high level of quality. CONCLUSION Ford paved the way for the automobile industry when they began the mass production of their Model T’s in 1908. The use of the assembly lines helped them sell thousands of vehicles and make millions of dollars in a short period of time. Toyota came along and used the same principles that Ford used, but refined their process to be more productive by using the ideology of continuous improvement.Toyota wanted to become less wasteful, produce smaller batches of automobiles and create higher quality products within a flexible system that would allow them to react to customer demands without long lead times. By creating this flexible system, Toyota put their company in a better position than Ford. In order to be a leader in the automobile industry you must be able to react quickly to the market demands and provide the customers with a quality product in a reasonable amount of time. The TPS system allows Toyota to do that, while Ford would be in a world of trouble with inventory concerns because of their mass production system.Even though both companies had very different beginnings, each has been successful in the automob ile industry. They will continue to use each other as benchmarks when trying to create the best automobile possible for their customers. Comparison of Differences ToyotaFord One-Piece Flow Mass Production Low market demand High Market Demand Flexible manufacturing Inflexible Manufacturing No cash Cash and Assets High Quality Standard quality Shorter lead times Extremely long lead timesHigher costs Very inexpensive automobiles Employees manufactured Assembly Lines No warehouses Huge Factories and Warehouses Multiple types of vehicles Two models (Model A & T) TPSManufacturing ideas set grounds for TPS Lean Manufacturing Very wasteful BIBLIOGRAPHY Liker, Jeffrey K. The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer. 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