Cloud-based efficiency gains within e-Business strategies Essay

Cloud-based efficiency gains within e-Business strategies - Essay Example E- Business is a process in which the business transactions are made via networks of telecommunication especially the internet. The invention and innovation in the ICT sector led to the development of cloud computing. Cloud computing is the process of using remote server networks on internet to process, manage and store e- business data (Geoffrion and Krishnan, 2003: 1445). This technological process is an option for the use of a personal computer or a local server. Cloud computing has gained popularity within the business sectors over the past years because there has been a need to reduce the energy costs. The cloud computing is also more of environment friendly technology. It is efficient in relation to energy consumption during computation, communication and storage of data. Studies show that cloud computing is more energy efficient compared to in- house information centers. Its efficiency can be categorized into: economies of scale, aggregation and diversity, flexibility and effe ctiveness. It was found that businesses can improve their efficiency by spreading the costs. The costs are spread over a server that is larger, thus allowing efficiency improvements. There has been increased usage of information and communication technologies (ICT) due to technological improvement. The use of ICT has been preferred in the businesses due to its efficiency and effectiveness. The technological dynamics has made efficiency of the ICT to be more energy efficient. There has been increased usage of ICT in businesses due to its ease of use and reliability. Since businesses aim to see that the profit is maximized, there has been a need for cost- effectiveness in ICT (Kyriazoglou, 2012: 213). The environmental concerns, efficiency and effectiveness have seen that cloud computing gets preferred in the business sector. This is because cloud computing has improved the efficient utilization of information

Russian Economy in the Late 1990s Essay Example for Free

Russian Economy in the Late 1990s Essay The process of economic transformation in Russia has been marked by a prolonged transitional depression and macroeconomic instability: seven years of continuing decline resulted in a cumulative drop of GDP by more than 40% between 1989 and 1996; in that period there were also several outbursts of near- hyperinflation. The first radical effort to tackle inflation was the IMF-supported stabilization program of 1995. It focused on tight monetary control and nominal exchange rate targets; subsequently, direct central bank financing of the budget was discontinued and the exchange rate was placed under control. In the years that followed, Russia made marked progress towards price and exchange rate stability and this prompted positive expectations in the West and a widespread perception that the country was pursuing the right course of reforms. It is important to point out that the 1995 stabilization effort was not supported by deep structural and institutional reforms. Russia inherited from the past an over-industrialized economy, dominated by highly inefficient heavy industry (including the military-industrial complex). The liberalization of prices and the discontinuation of subsidies resulted de facto in the destruction of a large share of the existing capital stock. Restructuring these industries is a serious policy task: simply closing down the large number of inefficient enterprises would not be socially and politically tolerable, but unfortunately that was the way of Russian development during 1990s. In these circumstances the Russian authorities started speedy, give-away mass privatization program which was carried out during 1992-1994. However, this resulted in most cases in the concentration of effective property rights in the hands of insiders (company managers) who had neither the willing nor the capital to perform the necessary deep restructuring of the enterprises. The newly emerging system of private ownership was not conducive to effective corporate governance and was in fact another obstacle to the process of enterprise restructuring. Moreover, the loopholes in law system seem to have incited a continued stripping of the assets of the privatized enterprises rather than their market-oriented restructuring. Thus, the progress in institutional and legislative reforms in Russia in the 1990s has been modest and the emerging market infrastructure in the country is extremely poor. This is especially so in the areas of commercial and corporate law. The execution of agreements most often relies on the goodwill of the parties, while contract enforcement is often impossible by legal means. Very little was done to reform the functioning of Russian public administration whose lack of transparency is well known. It gave birth to widespread rent seeking which resulted in the de facto concentration of wealth in a relatively small group of oligarchs. This distorted socio-political environment, and the presence of a mistakes in public administration has created a vicious circle which is a major obstacle to reforms and to social justice. One frequent characteristic of the Russian nouveaux-riches is that the wealth of numerous members of the new class was not acquired as a result of entrepreneurial success; it was simply easy money, obtained in some cases from illegal or semi-legal activity. Huge amounts of capital left Russia and were spent on luxury goods or just placed in safe havens instead of being put to productive use within the country. The unprecedentedly rapid stratification of society and the lack of social justice eroded initial public support for the reforms and strengthened the opposition to the reform process. It was in this economic and institutional environment that the Russian government launched the 1995 stabilization program. The climate for productive investment in Russia remained hostile, mostly due to the negative impact of this environment. The persistent lack of investor confidence leaded to further decapitalization of the economy. In real terms, gross fixed investment in 1997 was a quarter of its 1991 level. The prolonged financial pressure on manufactories provoked a credit crunch and the emergence of various monetary surrogates (acting as an alternative to money) and widespread barter (closely related to the diffusion of loss-making activity) which eroded further the tax base. Wage arrears kept mounting not only in the public domain but also in the corporate sector: in 1996 the arrears were, on average, for about 85% of total wage. The escalation of this situation was in May 1998, when doctors, workers and coal miners went on a massive strike over unpaid wages, blocking the Trans-Siberian Railway. After a short recovery in 1997, the economic situation started to getting worse in early 1998. Russia depends heavily on exports of energy resources and other primary commodities which make up 80% of merchandise exports, and the weakening of global demand and the unprecedented fall in their prices in the aftermath of the Asian crisis had a significant negative impact on its economy. There was a sharp fall in export earnings (about 12% in the first half of 1998) and this had a major impact on Russias external and fiscal balances. The fiscal problem There is wide agreement that the Russian fiscal crisis is itself just the expression of the overall crisis of the Russian transformation. Fundamental institutional reform of both taxation and expenditure has been repeatedly set back by political conflicts, such as constitutional crisis in 1993 and the problem of regional separatism. For the first half of 1998, the consolidated budget deficit (federal, regional and local) stood at 4. % of GDP, according to the lowest official figures. The overall position was considerably worse than this, particularly because the major extra-budgetary fund, the Pension Fund, had also a large deficit. These figures must also be seen in the context of wage arrears throughout all sectors of the economy. In the first quarter of 1998 debt service was fully one-third of federal spending. This visible strain was in itself another factor that destibilized confidence in the ability of the government to correct the situation. The growing burden of interest payments was built into the measures taken in 1995: while Russian official figures continue to record the 1995 budget deficit at 3. 0% of GDP, interest payments on the growing stock of GKO (Government Short-Term Commitments) were actually adding nearly the same amount to the financing needs in that year. The first issues of GKOs were available only to residents, and offered very high interest rates. In 1996, and in part as a result of International Monetary Fund insistence, the market was opened to non-residents. This did eventually succeed in lowering the interest rates, but it also clearly meant that the dangerous accumulation of debt could be continued. Until the first major crisis of confidence, this is what, in fact, occurred in 1998. The financial crisis of summer 1998 As part of the efforts to achieve macroeconomic stabilization, the federal government had made increasing use of Government Short-Term Commitments. But the situation remained dangerous: of the government deficit as much as 50% was due to interest payments. As Russias current account deteriorated from a position of surplus in 1997 to a deficit forecast at 1. 5-2% of GDP for 1998 as a whole, the rouble came under pressure and monetary policy was tightened with the result that the interest rates on GKOs reached levels of more than 100%. The consequent decline in the value of government securities led to calls by the foreign creditors of Russian banks for addition a repo loans. Thus, russian banks came under pressure to raise additional funds at just the time when the central bank was draining liquidity from the market as part of its attempt to defend the exchange rate. Due to the falls in the value of government securities, banks efforts to borrow were transferred to the interbank market that eventually couldnt function. These difficulties signaled the liquidity squeeze on Russian banks to international lenders, and increased their fears of becoming a bankrupt. At the same time the government faced increasing difficulties over borrowing to meet the interest obligations on its debt. The package of international loans from the IMF, the World Bank and Japan arranged in July was to provide Russia with funding of $17 billion during the 1998 and 1999. However, the attempt to defend the exchange rate which followed, was eventually abandoned, and a wider band for the rouble/dollar exchange rate was introduced in the third week in August that leaded to a rouble depreciation of more than 25%. On 2 September 1998 the Central Bank of the Russian Federation decided to abandon the floating peg policy and float the ruble freely. By 21 September 1998 the exchange rate had reached 21 rubles for one US dollar, meaning it had lost two thirds of its value of less than a month earlier. The moratorium on government debt caused large losses to foreign banks. For Russian banks the losses associated with the crisis are estimated at 40% of their assets. Despite the small scale of international exposure to Russia, the emergency measures taken by its government were accompanied by significant declines in prices in international financial markets and important downward revisions in forecast of capital inflows to developing and transition economies. Recovery Russia bounced back from the August 1998 financial crash with surprising speed. Much of the reason for the recovery is that world oil prices rapidly rose during 1999–2000 (just as falling energy prices helped to deepen Russias troubles), so that Russia ran a large trade surplus in 1999 and 2000. Another reason is that domestic industries, such as food producing, had benefited from the devaluation, which caused a steep increase in the prices of imported goods. Also, since Russias economy was operating to such a large extent on other non-monetary instruments of exchange, the financial collapse had far less of an impact on many producers. Finally, the economy had been helped by an infusion of cash. As enterprises were able to pay all debts on wages, consumer demand for goods and services produced by the Russian industry began to rise. For the first time in many years, in 2000 unemployment fell as enterprises added workers. Since the 1998 crisis, the Russian government has managed to keep social and political pressures under control, and this has played a essential role in recovery during the early 2000s.

What´s Ocean Acidification? Essay -- Impacts, Causes, Solutions, Ocean

Introduction The oceans of the earth are a massive part of the natural cycles that make this planet habitable. They regulate global temperatures, absorb carbon dioxide, provide a home for millions of plants and animals that make up various levels of the food chain, and so much more. They are a resource given for us to use and benefit from, however, it is also a resource that needs to be protected. It is the fountain of life for the planet and drastic changes to the makeup of the oceans could be detrimental to life as we know it. Ocean acidification is a problem which has come to light in the last decade, but is becoming increasingly concerning to many scientists (1). In this essay I will attempt to direct your attention to some of the possible and observed impacts of global ocean acidification, present some of the likely causes and suggest possible solutions to the problem. The essay will also deal with the possibility that the evidence can be interpreted differently in order to not implicate hum ans as the primary cause responsible for the observed destruction occurring in the acidified waters. Defining Ocean Acidification Ocean acidification is when carbon dioxide is absorbed into the water of the oceans. This causes a chain of chemical reactions leading to the formation of carbonic acid in the water. (2) Furthermore, many animals in the oceans use calcium carbonate ions to build their shells, however, in the process of forming carbonic acid, these ions are destroyed creating a deficiency in calcium carbonate and preventing these animals from forming their life sustaining and protective shells. (1) The reaction occurs when carbon dioxide, which is heavier than air, sinks in large clouds over the oceans and is absorbed into th... ...gain recognition both by environmental organizations and governments, but also by individuals who need to be aware of the impact their actions and energy usages. Whether it be a new form of energy or an old one refined, continued research and work needs to be done to ensure that we are being good stewards of the earth we have been given to live on. Works Cited http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/co2/story/What+is+Ocean+Acidification%3F http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-ocean-acidification/ One Ocean documentary http://oceanacidification.noaa.gov/WhatsNew.aspx http://www.pnas.org.libaccess.lib.mcmaster.ca/content/105/45/17442.full http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/deadzone.html http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/noaa-scientists-embark-voyage-asses-ocean-acidification/ http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/content/68/6/1019.abstract

Four Problem That Farmers Face

How the Government help farmers in the Bahamas Today I am going to speak momentarily on how the Bahamian government help farmers in the Bahamas. They help by giving the farmers loan to buy supplies on a broad spread of product including building supplies ,processing materials and farm vehicles such as trucks, tractors plough and a harvest machine . Usually they hold lease and dispose of agricultural land, because some farmers don’t have a land to farm on and some farmers land are so small. The more the land the more the crops can increase.For example they give about 13,869 acres of land in Andros about 11,737 acres of land in Abaco and about 10,542 land in Grand Bahama . Also the government give money to some farmers because sometime the farmers cannot afford the supplies to maintain a proper farm . For example wheel barrels , Cattles ,Fruit trees and vegetable seed. Another thing they do is allow the farmers to sue, because these days some people go on farmers land and pick t heir crops without permission to do so .If they keep stealing the farmers crops there will not be non for the farmers . Also the Bahamian government help with training seminars and programmes on farming livestock information to help farmers and person that is interested in farming with initative as well as what proceses are required to increase yield of crops and how to raise health livestock . When new events arise they are posted in the events section of the (BAIC)website to sentsitise public. Filling out forms and submit the register form to the (BAIC) office.The time spent at these session are one day to sometime four weeks the most. They also help us with marketing our products in the Bahamas and international corporation (BAIC) also assist by placing farmers produce on it website to make the produce available to Bahamian and foreigns. Lastly but not lease they support us with fertilizer the soil , because some land areas don’t have very good soil so are and crops will n ot be unable to grow properly . They are un able to grow because the soil is hard , barren and don’t have enough nutrients for the crops to grow.

Basic Accounting Equation

The basic accounting equation upon which the final accounts are prepare encompasses the following: Assets minus Liabilities = Ownership Interest The Balance Sheet is the key financial report that portrays the accounting equation, which will be utilized to compute the accounting equation for the companies at hand.Accounting Equation in McDonald’s Annual Report (2007) Assets: Property, plant and equipment $20,984. 70 million Current Assets $ 3,581. 90 million Other Assets $ 4,825. 10 million Total Assets $29,391. 70 million Liabilities: Non-Current Liabilities (note 1) $ 9,613.40 million Current Liabilities $ 4,498. 50 million Total Liabilities $14,111. 90 million Ownership Interest $15,279. 80 million Note: ownership interest is represented by total shareholders’ equity in the Balance Sheet. Note 1 – Computation of Non-Current Liabilities: Long-Term Debt $7,310. 0 million Other Long-Term Liabilities $1,342. 5 million Deferred Taxation $ 960. 9 million Non-Current Liabilities $9,613. 4 million Accounting Equation in Triarc Companies Incorporation (2007) Assets: Non-Current Assets $1,284,313,000 Current Assets $ 170,254,000Total Assets $1,454,567,000 Liabilities: Non-Current Liabilities (see note 2) $ 798,530,000 Current Liabilities $ 207,163,000 Total Liabilities $1,005,693,000 Ownership Interest $448,874,000 Note: ownership interest is represented by total stockholders’ equity in the Balance Sheet. Note 2 – Computation of Non-Current Liabilities Long-Term Debt $711,531,000 Deferred Income $ 10,861,000 Minority interest in consolidated subsidiaries $ 958,000 Other Liabilities $ 75,180,000 Non-Current Liabilities $798,530,000Under both organisations the same accounting equation is utilised and the same components taken. This uniformity is important in accounting in order to ensure comparability. In addition with the aid of such accounting equation a uniform structure is given to the Balance Sheet, which is an important medium for pertinent stakeholders to assess the financial position and stability of the organization. As one can note the assets section is classified between current and non-current assets, while the liabilities are divided between current and non-current liabilities.The subtraction between the two will results in the ownership interest. This basically comprises the equity capital of the company together with capital and revenue/capital reserves. Such features are present both for McDonald’s Corporation and Triarc Companies Incorporation. In addition such features will also be present in the majority of limited liability companies set across the globe. The Balance Sheet is the main medium that one can utilize to identify the assets, liabilities and ownership interest of the companies.The additional notes in the financial statements serve as detail specification on certain assets and liability elements. However, the accounting equation being generic in its nature does not necessitate t hat one enters into such details. In this respect the Balance Sheet was the main medium utilised to put in practice the accounting equation for McDonald’s Corporation and Triarc Companies Incorporation. Reference: Weetman P. (2003). Financial and Management Accounting. Third Edition. New York: Prentice Hall.

Free Essays on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A Man With A Dream

Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who lived in a time where people were discriminated against for the color of their skin and for any other problem that white Christian men could find with them. King must have learned at an early age that most whites did not accept him and he had to grow up with the pain of being discriminated against for something that he could do nothing to change. This inspired him to give speeches and to try and break down the walls separating blacks and whites and he is probably the most well known name of anyone in the Civil Rights Movement. King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia. His parents were Alberta Williams King and Martin Luther King, Sr. His father was a reverend and his grandfather on his mother’s side was a minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. When King was older he followed in his father’s footsteps becoming a reverend and serving as a pastor but at a different church, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. King was a very well educated man; he attended Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia where he earned his B.A. he also received a B.D. degree from Croser Theological Seminary, Chester, Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. degree from Boston University. (ulib.iupui.edu/libinfo/mlkjr.html) Doctor King began his pastoral work at Dexter Avenue Baptist church in 1954. He was inspired to join the fight for civil rights after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the front of a bus for a white person. In 1955 King was elected president of the newly formed Montgomery Improvement Association, which was formed to fight civil rights abuses and to try and have action taken to protect the rights of blacks. King was made a national hero when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Rosa Parks and said that the Montgomery bus policy was illegal. (ulib.iupui.edu/libinfo/mlkjr.html) Now that King was a nationally known figure he now had the power to spread his me... Free Essays on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A Man With A Dream Free Essays on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A Man With A Dream Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who lived in a time where people were discriminated against for the color of their skin and for any other problem that white Christian men could find with them. King must have learned at an early age that most whites did not accept him and he had to grow up with the pain of being discriminated against for something that he could do nothing to change. This inspired him to give speeches and to try and break down the walls separating blacks and whites and he is probably the most well known name of anyone in the Civil Rights Movement. King was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia. His parents were Alberta Williams King and Martin Luther King, Sr. His father was a reverend and his grandfather on his mother’s side was a minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. When King was older he followed in his father’s footsteps becoming a reverend and serving as a pastor but at a different church, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. King was a very well educated man; he attended Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia where he earned his B.A. he also received a B.D. degree from Croser Theological Seminary, Chester, Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. degree from Boston University. (ulib.iupui.edu/libinfo/mlkjr.html) Doctor King began his pastoral work at Dexter Avenue Baptist church in 1954. He was inspired to join the fight for civil rights after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the front of a bus for a white person. In 1955 King was elected president of the newly formed Montgomery Improvement Association, which was formed to fight civil rights abuses and to try and have action taken to protect the rights of blacks. King was made a national hero when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Rosa Parks and said that the Montgomery bus policy was illegal. (ulib.iupui.edu/libinfo/mlkjr.html) Now that King was a nationally known figure he now had the power to spread his me...

Top 3 Ways to Become a Great and Effective Leader

Top 3 Ways to Become a Great and Effective Leader Steps to A Truly Effective Leadership Style Last month I was fortunate to meet a real wonder woman. Not from the DC universe, but the wonder woman from our world. She has three kids, she is married and she runs a bank. Impressive, isnt it? Her name is Gillian and she runs a bank in Toronto. Gillian took the first place in an honorable list of Top 100 Canadas Most Powerful Women, which celebrated spectacular female leaders, who lead by example and inspire thousands of people. From my own experience, I can say that Gillian is really an exceptional and inspiring woman. What I was impressed by the most is her leadership style. Unlike everything you would expect from the bank director, she was authentic, warm and friendly. In our conversation I asked her about her core values and especially her leadership style, which navigated her through the male industry and granted her personal and professional success. We discussed leadership skills and also such important characteristics of leadership as the ability to set right priorities, built relationships based on trust and create a great team. But what was even more important is how a leader can develop his or her own unique leadership style. You may ask, Why is this so important, if the primary ability of the leader is to have vision and lead others towards the higher goal? While this is true, the lack of authenticity usually makes the leader look not trustworthy. So the question is how to be yourself, be a great leader and be a unique leader at the same time? This three-step guide will help you to discover your authenticity and start leading from the heart: Identify Your Strengths. First, you have to understand what your strong points are. Once you know what they are develop them. While working with something that you really like, you will feel engaged and happier. Its also a great way to express your authenticity, because you will project your real desires and motives rather than pretending to be someone else. Alleviate A Key Weakness. Working at what youre good at is not the only thing that leaders do. They also eliminate their weak sides. Unfortunately, this is not something that can happen in a blink of an eye. So, in order to work with your weak sides, you first need to identify them and then work on them for the course of several years. Some common traits that leaders usually need to work on are: being too impatient, too much sarcasm, always being last etc. Admit Your Mistakes. No matter which leadership styles youre utilizing, you need to learn to admit your mistakes in order to become a great leader. If there were no mistakes, there would be no experience. Without experience, we wouldnt know how to move in the right direction. Instead of copying mans leadership style, Gillian developed her own. Why dont you follow her glorious example?

The Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks

The Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks Last week I wrote an article about quotation marks, and I did not cover the topic of their overuse. Quotation marks are often used to emphasize a word when they are grammatically unnecessary or incorrect. Thankfully, another blogger has taken on the gallant task of locating errant quotation marks so that I can take a rest on this one. I just had to share!   the blog of unnecessary quotation marks Also note: Using single quotation marks is also not grammatically correct, unless you are quoting something within a quote. For instance: Grandma always used to say, I live every day by the words, A stitch in time saves nine.' Single quotation marks simply dont belong anywhere else. And thus concludes Part 2 of the Quotation Mark Quandary.

EMBA 530 initial post week 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

EMBA 530 initial post week 9 - Essay Example One important factor is the use of participative decision making involving all the family members led by the senior members – i.e., the parents in a nuclear unit. This means that family meetings are held on most vital matters, and there is a generally liberal attitude in these collaborations. This factor was linked specifically to the longevity and success of the business (Fahed-Sreih & Djoundourian, 2006). A second important factor in successful family businesses is a resistance to institutionalization (Ayranci, 2010). This does not mean opposition to professionalism, because many of these firms are succeeded by younger family members who have obtained MBAs and formal training. What the family business resists is the formalization of procedures which many call bureaucracy. Family members prefer to maintain a level of informality where they could talk to each other simply and directly despite the difference in their position in the hierarchy. A third factor is ownership preferences, pertaining specifically to higher degrees of ownership concentration in successful family businesses (Hoopes & Miller, 2006). As mentioned earlier, the family business is not necessarily one which is wholly owned by one family; in some cases, those organizations referred to as family business may simply be majority-owned, and some not. Successful family businesses, however, have a higher concentration of ownership held within the family, and the more the ownership is held by family members, the more focused the firm’s strategy is and the more successful it becomes. The fourth important factor is the family’s commitment to change (Davis, 1983). In this rather dated article, a timeless observation was made that family businesses tended to be of two types – those which placed an emphasis on the way things had been done in the family business for decades and would not want to change them, and those which are keen on the changes

Where does Europe end and why Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Where does Europe end and why - Essay Example The boundaries which constitute Europe are thus vague, rather dynamic as Delanty and Rumsfeld (2005) indicate, i.e. Europe is still going through an economic as well as political transformation whereby it is struggling to incorporate the spaces surrounding the traditional Europe as buffer regions, stability of which is crucial for the sustainability of European states. The European Union is consistently going through a transition which is further expected to enlarge after the incorporation of Turkey into the European Union. In this case, according to the social theory model of EU proposed by Delanty and Rumsfeld (2005), the boundary in further going to be enhanced creating a further confusion about the end of Europe. The paper aims at answering the question in geographical as well as in economical, political and sociological perspectives to give the most valid explanations about where does Europe actually end. The paper intend on arguing that the boundaries of Europe in its true sens e extend beyond the Russian as well as Turkish borders. To further draw patterns and conclusions across variables, it is important to assess the traditional borders of Europe which the geographers have relied upon for years. According to the geographers, Europe is divided from Asia at the East from Ural Mountains and seas, whereas it is surrounded by watersheds on other sides. By this explanation, Europe ends somewhere around Russia at its East, and in Turkey around it`s South East where Asia or rather Middle East begins. This is where the problems still lie. Russia and Turkey both are located about halfway in Europe, thus it becomes difficult to assess where the other continents begin. Geography can`t be studied keeping political and sociological angles aside, thus when these factors are also considered it becomes difficult to decide where Europe ends. It can however be concluded, for the purpose of eliminating confusion that Europe ends

Organisation Management System Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Organisation Management System - Research Paper Example Gazprom uses a variety of techniques in order to measure, control and monitor the different environmental impacts of the activities of the organization. The company has recognized the increasing importance of investing sufficient capital in the clean energy projects that are incorporated across the globe. The company has started to become engaged in the different CDM projects being launched with an aim to improve the environmental conditions in the least developed regions of the world. The company has started to work on various programmatic projects in the perspective of measuring and controlling the various environmental impacts of its operations. One of the measures taken to control and monitor the environmental impacts has been the active partnerships created by the company with the local NGOs in the different regions of the world. The company has introduced the Comprehensive Environment program which has been implemented with the objective of meeting the key provisions specified in the Russian ecological doctrine and the Energy Strategy of Russia for 2040. The environmental policies of the company are based on the present environmental scenario in Russia and the different international corporate activities done in managing the environmental impacts of the companies in the oil and gas sector.This environmental program ensures the use of proper approaches in the domains of production, storage, transmission and storage of the different energy sources like oil, gas condensate and natural gas.

Street art and subculture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Street art and subculture - Essay Example Street art subcultures symbolize some amazingly imaginative and improvisational practices in every day’s life. According to (Toby et al 4), street artists represent a challenge for visibility, its regulation in public places, and policies that bounder the art and artist’s legitimacy. However, the street artists continue fighting for their right while developing with a resistance. Nevertheless, their art represents some hybrid artwork with generative logic of mix making it one-step ahead of the cultural police hailing from any jurisdiction. Earlier in the days, street art seemed like a ghost trying to project its repressed dreams and fantasies on the street walls. According to Snyder (36), most cities illegalized the practice arguing that it defaced private property. However, many of the artists could argue that the art gave a better image or beautified the cityscape. This scenario raises the question whether this makes graffiti or street art an illegal movement. It also raises the question on whether graffiti only becomes art if placed in galleries. Graffiti has been around for many years, and evidence lies in the Roman architecture. The original objective of the street work and graffiti was to inform the public about political and social problems arising within the region. This method made it a silent but highly effective means of protest against the increasing problems in the society. The street art may seem utopian, aggressive, or juvenile, but most artists started it with a lot of empathy for the city.

English assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English assignment - Essay Example rious sorts can take place in the lives of every man; a man who â€Å"is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along† is not free from the clutches of misfortune or suffering (Schakel & Ridl 737). The old people hope for a â€Å"miraculous birth†; however, the new generation or rather children do not â€Å"specially want it to happen† (Schakel & Ridl 738). The lines echo the indifference of the new generation towards the sufferings of the old people and show how the old people are being disrespected, uncared, looked down and are marginalised in the contemporary society. The poem effectively combines the tragedy of Icarus with similar portraits from the readers’ own world. Just as the ploughman neglected the ‘forsaken cry’ of Icarus, the modern man fails to value the martyrdom and loses hold of his human innocence. The poem, in a way, propagates the Christian values of showing empathetic feelings towards the sufferings of the fellow human beings. The poem brings to light man’s lack of concern for his fellow beings and exhorts the readers to look into their life introspectively to amend their ways and absorb the Christian values of love and empathy towards everyone. Even though the primary purpose of dramas is performance on the stage, an effective reader can give shapes and lives to the characters in a play in the mind of his imagination which can act as a theatre. Reading a play necessitates an awareness of the names, nature and the relationship of the characters to each other. Similarly, an effective reader should have the imaginative capability to visualize the scenery on the stage as well as the costumes and the appearance of various characters. The effectiveness of a play depends on the character formation and the building of the dramatic conflict in the play and this paper tries to bring out how character and conflict affects the drama The New New by Kelly Stuart. Unlike other plays the script of The New New â€Å"does not start with a list of

Street art and subculture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Street art and subculture - Essay Example Street art subcultures symbolize some amazingly imaginative and improvisational practices in every day’s life. According to (Toby et al 4), street artists represent a challenge for visibility, its regulation in public places, and policies that bounder the art and artist’s legitimacy. However, the street artists continue fighting for their right while developing with a resistance. Nevertheless, their art represents some hybrid artwork with generative logic of mix making it one-step ahead of the cultural police hailing from any jurisdiction. Earlier in the days, street art seemed like a ghost trying to project its repressed dreams and fantasies on the street walls. According to Snyder (36), most cities illegalized the practice arguing that it defaced private property. However, many of the artists could argue that the art gave a better image or beautified the cityscape. This scenario raises the question whether this makes graffiti or street art an illegal movement. It also raises the question on whether graffiti only becomes art if placed in galleries. Graffiti has been around for many years, and evidence lies in the Roman architecture. The original objective of the street work and graffiti was to inform the public about political and social problems arising within the region. This method made it a silent but highly effective means of protest against the increasing problems in the society. The street art may seem utopian, aggressive, or juvenile, but most artists started it with a lot of empathy for the city.

Communication and interaction within married couples at church Essay

Communication and interaction within married couples at church - Essay Example This problem depends upon a number of factors, which are both communicational and condemnatory. The principles that underline the seriousness of this problem include blocks like lack of communication, age factor with relevance to immaturity, lack of decision making skills, insensitiveness, early child care situations, and lack of awareness. This prime and most pondered upon issue is being spread like fire all around the researches in contemporary literature, which is why a basis of this issue with reference to its illustration through research will be provided. It is believed that in order for human beings to survive in a society, it is necessary for them to communicate. Is that why man is a social animal? To be accurate, it is true and very much factual. Human beings cannot survive if they are unable to communicate and lack interpersonal skills. Communication skills can be defined as ‘That situation in which a source transmits a message to a receiver with conscious intent to a ffect the latter’s behavior.’ This specifies that the process of expressing thoughts and messages through language or actions is called communication. Hence, it verifies that without the help of communication, human beings cannot continue to exist; especially without speech, because it is thought to be exceedingly imperative as we need to slot in and complete very complex everyday jobs involving collaboration. To validate that proper communication you should be is indispensable; Bach & Grant (2009) said â€Å"There are times, though, when we experience situations where we consider that an interaction did not go smoothly; perhaps we were misunderstood or a friend reacted differently to how we expected.† Explaining the importance of communication between couples, another important term with reference to communication, is ‘nonverbal communication skills’; these skills are meant to make the communicator feel safe, respected, and understood. Petersen (20 07) has verified â€Å"Listening to understand requires a non-judgmental attitude that can go against what most of us were taught, that is, to listen for rights and wrongs.† Therefore, the aspect which has been selected for influencing problems that married couples face is lack of communication. Communication students can directly relate to this topic, as it verifies how lack of communication could reform the society and how these students can elucidate its reach. The fact that problems couples face after marriage has immersed in almost all societies, and what is more essential for elaboration is the fact that it is spontaneously shifting its frame of totality in all societies, which makes it perplexed to be analyzed in a specified precinct. Hence, this problem, its effectiveness and its causes are under assessment with the help of reviewing literature and a qualitative research method. It has been formulated that misunderstandings between couples emerge due to the fact that men and women communicate differently. Instead of communicating with each other, couples tend to talk to others about it and do not gain the idea that this would not solve problems. What needs to be pondered upon is that while staying on this path, couples become hopeless and verify that communication is of no use. Rather than making each other understand the issues they are facing, couples move towards differences which lead to problems like divorces and separations. The specified reason that this topic has been

Issues Concerning Islam Essay Example for Free

Issues Concerning Islam Essay Muslims have been accused of mutilating women. This practice, however, is denied by the followers of Islam. According to them, â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation† (FGM), which is actually a surgical procedure performed on girls before they reach the age of puberty for the purpose of terminating or reducing their sexual feelings, is not an Islamic practice. They explain that FGM is a tradition of â€Å"Animists, Christians, and [some] Muslims in those countries where FGM is common. † Women are given equal rights under Islam. In fact, the Qur’an decreed that when it comes to public life, men and women should have equal rights and participation. During the time of Muhammad, women were allowed to participate actively in their baya which is the equivalent of today’s practice of political endorsements. Evidence of this Muslim women’s status is the voting rights granted to women in the predominantly Muslim countries like Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. The women in Kuwait followed suit by earning their right to vote and get elected sometime in 2005. In fact, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, Kuwait’s Prime Minister, divulged a plan to appoint a woman minister in Kuwait soon (Robinson, 2007). Muslims as terrorists and pro-violence Yusuf (n. d. ) said that majority of the Muslims are convinced that while the U. S. government has been blaming terrorism on Islam for years, it was the 9/11 incident which dealt the most telling blow on the credibility and reputation of their religion. This was because the international media was able to depict that many Muslims around the world rejoiced after that incident. The truth is, however, that majority of the Muslim world was saddened by that incident and the repercussions it caused. They would like to tell the world that terrorism is not an official policy of Islam and that, in fact, Muslims also consider terrorists as enemies of their religion. He laments the fact that When a crazy Christian does something terrible, everyone in the West knows it is the actions of a mad man because they have some knowledge of the core beliefs and ethics of Christianity. When a mad Muslim does something evil or foolish they assume it is from the religion of Islam, not because they hate us but because they have never been told by a Muslim what the teachings of Islam are all about. Yusuf blames this lack of Islamic knowledge among Christians to the fact that there is a dearth of credible spokespersons who could defend Islam from its attackers. As a matter of fact, Yusuf stressed that â€Å"Islam is the middle way between excess and neglect† and that terrorism is the preoccupation of zealots and extremists who are, in fact, a plaque of Islam. According to him, there are two types of Muslim extremists whose acts destroy Islam. The first he calls â€Å"reactionary extremists. † This group rejects any form of religious pluralism. According to these reactionary extremists, the world consists of good and evil with nothing in between. Good, according to them, means the reactionary extremists and all those who oppose their actions are evil. Yusuf further explains that these kind of extremists are in the habit of â€Å"excommunicating† other Muslims who reject the way they interpret the Qur’an. However, this kind does not usually resort to violent acts to achieve their goals. Instead, they employ character assassination or takfir to ward their critics (Yusuf, n. d. ). The second type is the â€Å"radical extremist. † These Muslims extremists, according to Yusuf, are the ones who resort to violent acts and tactics to further their objectives. Yusuf stressed that these Muslims act as if they belong to some secret, wicked society whose members believe in the dictum that â€Å"the end justifies the means. † In other words, any method, even the most violent method, is acceptable as long as their â€Å"cause† is advanced. According to Yusuf, this is destroying Islam because the methods employed by Islam should be reflecting the noble ends of the religion. Secondly, Islam is not a â€Å"secret society of conspirators† – rather, it is open with its objectives and traditions which have already been accepted and recognized by people from other religious denominations (Yusuf, n. d. ). Muslims confused with Arabs Muslims object to their being confused with Arabs because it would never be accurate to equate Islam, a religious denomination, with Arab, which is an ethnic grouping. According to Muslims, the reason for this erroneous identification could be the fact that Islam emerged from the culture and society of Arab Bedouins of the 8th century. Another reason might be the fact that the Qur’an was written in Arabic. However, beyond these facts, Muslims should not be identified as Arabs, and vice versa because, according to statistics, â€Å"there are many non-Muslim Arabs, and far, far more non-Arab Muslims in the world. In fact, out of the estimated one billion Muslims worldwide, only about 200 million are Arabs (DHinMl, 2006). Looking at the table below of the top ten countries with the highest Muslim population, only Egypt (at number seven) is an Arab country (Aneki. com, n. d. ). References Aneki.com. (n.d.). Largest Muslim Population in the World. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.aneki.com/muslim.html Fisher, M.P. (2005). Living Religions, Sixth Edition. Prentice-Hall. Philips, A.A.B. (n.d.). The True Religion. Retrieved November 26, 2007 from http://www.islamworld.net/

Strategic Alliances In Integrated Supply Chain Management

Strategic Alliances In Integrated Supply Chain Management The objective of the study is to offer a theoretical framework to explain the positive impact of interdependence between strategic alliance partners with regard to the integration of work activities, information and alliance outcomes from the perspective of supply chain management. Methodology This approach adapted is a secondary approach where in the evolution of strategic alliances is comprehensively studied thus establishing the needs of organization across various time periods. Literatures of strategic alliances are approached from a strategic and supply chain perspective. Findings In the dynamic and ever changing business environments, strategic alliance has become an indispensable tool for the effective and efficient performance of a supply chain. With rapidly changing product life cycles and decreased durability of technologies, strategic alliances no longer became a strategic option; it became a necessity for an organization to survive the competition. Research limitation The information in this article is based on a sample literature available in this area. So the scope of information discussed in this article is limited to this literature sample. Practical implications The review of this literature highlight the importance of strategic alliances in supply chain management from the strategic perspective and explain the importance of information technology for effective integration of supply chain. Introduction For the purpose of this study, a strategic alliance is a trading partnership which links certain business processes of two or more companies which may augment effectively the competitive strategies of the firms involved while providing mutual benefits by exchanging technologies, skills, resources, or products. A strategic alliance can vary in form, function and framework. Increasing market competition, reduced product life cycle, high capital investment, increasing demand for innovation and new technologies are bringing additional pressure on companies to come up with new strategies for sustainable competitive environment (Denise Cristina Nishimura, 2010). In addition to these, all the exogenous factors like political, economic, social, technological and ethical factors related to automotive industry were the antecedents for automakers to engage in alliances. With the fundamental shift in power to the customer and customer dictating the terms of the market, issues of interdependence among members of supply chain became more critical. Winning customer loyalty becomes more difficult in this volatile environment and it becomes difficult for firms to compete in this competitive environment with inefficient and ineffective supply chains. So organizations rather than maintaining traditional arms-length relationships and having silo type structures, should strategically segment their supply chain partners and form durable arms-length relationships to allocate different levels of resources to each group (Damien Power, 2004). With ongoing globalization and increased competitiveness in the market place, it becomes difficult for the organization to have foot hold across many countries which require huge investment, technological agility to serve local customers and to overcome various environmental constraints like governmental regulations etc. So companies by forming alliances can share the financial, technological resources and can effectively serve multi-domestic markets. Strategic alliances are an instrument for combining co-operation and competition in corporate strategies. Patterns of co-operation and competition can be categorized into three groups (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000): Co-operate while competing: Companies may continue to compete while they co-operate in some business areas in order to learn from each other to strengthen weak areas. Co-operate among them and compete with others: Companies may form alliance to compete with strong third parties. Co-operate, then compete: Companies co-operate among themselves to gain competencies and compete once they achieve a common standard. Major Alliances in Automobile Sector Source: Adopted from Kang, N. and K. Sakai (2000), International Strategic Alliances: Their Role in Industrial Globalization. Evolution of Strategic Alliances In the evolution of automotive industry it started with artisan production, passed through Henry Fords mass production to the present state State of the art technologies. Throughout the evolutionary past automakers formed alliances in the form of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Strategic alliances have been formed between firms on a national or international basis. The current form of alliances is distinguished from the past forms. In the new alliances firms remain independent from each other. During the arrangement there are common goals, but each firm has its own strategic goals. The partner firms are frequently collaborating reciprocally in their core areas of their competences rather than in peripheral businesses (Denise Cristina Nishimura, 2010). As on 2004, 80% of the passenger cars have been manufactured by the ten firms of the five industrialized countries. The strategic alliances in the passenger car industry happened mostly among countries like USA, European Union, Japan and Korea. General Motors and Toyota, Ford and Mazda, Chrysler and Mitsubishi have formed strategic alliances (Ayegul Samsunlu, 2006). Out of these only small number of companies leverage on supplier relationships, involving suppliers in their key business processes. Traditionally companies followed multi-supplier model, avoidance of long term contracts to enforce high bargaining power and keep the margins low. In this model organizations view themselves as individuals which are creating value to the customer by producing the deliverables. This is later dominated by a co-operative model where in companies share vital information to the suppliers, recognize areas of common interest, areas of distinctive competence among suppliers to leverage on their resources and integrate suppliers to their business process for effective and efficient performance of supply chain activities. In this organizations view themselves as a part of supply chain which creates value to the customer. This integration process among various partners of the supply chain is further facilitated by development in technological solutions that integrates information that surpasses organizational boundaries. This concept of supply chain further evolved into supply networks where in many firms in the supply chain are a part of different supply chains (Damien Power, 2004). Reasons for Strategic Alliances One of the reasons the automobile industry allies with foreign firms is to survive global competition under a weak relationship between the government and the industry (Hyun Young LEE, 2005). The reasons for forming strategic alliances changed over a period of time. Reasons for Alliances (Source: Adopted from Margarita Isoraite Importance of Strategic Alliances) Strategic alliances are supposed to create value for partner firms and their customers. This value is generated through synergy among the partnered firms. A large number of factors are responsible for creating the value like access to common resources, fit between partners needs, cost sharing, market penetration, scale economies etc (Bing-Sheng Teng, 2003). An alliance can create value in three possible ways. They are (Bing-Sheng Teng, 2003) Increases unit sales Lowering average costs per unit Increasing the customer willingness to pay An alliance along with leveraging on the competencies should also overcome the issues associated with partnering. In August of 1966, Nissan took over Prince. Besides the Nissan-Prince merger, six separate auto producer tie-up arrangements were negotiated in the late 1960s; Toyota-Hino (1966), Toyota-Daihatsu (1967), Fuji-Isuzu (1967), Mitsubishi-Fuji-Isuzu (1967), Mitsubishi-Isuzu (1968), and Nissan-Isuzu (1966). Toyota-Hino and Toyota-Daihatsu mergers materialized. It is notable that the product lines of three companies were complementary; Toyotas passenger cars, Hinos trucks and Daihatsus mini cars. All three firms were profitable in their primary line of products. This alliance created value because the activities in which these firms are competent are complementary, so the companies leveraged on these to generate added value. On the other hand, the four negotiations involving Mitsubishi, Isuzu, and Fuji failed because they could not overcome the various obstacles; product line ov erlapping, management independence, and antagonism between firms (Hyun Young LEE, 2005). The aims of strategic alliances are product differentiation, reduction in development costs, optimization of manufacturing capacity, reduction in time to market, improving productivity, speeding up the product development cycle, spreading the high cost of RD and leveraging know-how where ever. For example, GM has created strategic alliances. It has created strategic alliances with Suzuki for small cars. It has created strategic alliance with Toyota for technology, Honda engines for Hummer, Fiat for regional dominance and Isuzu for diesel engines and trucks (Ayegul Samsunlu, 2006). Some prime reasons for strategic alliances are (John D. Daniels, 2009) To spread and reduce Costs At a small volume of business, it may be caper for companies to contract the work to a specialist rather than handle it internally. A specialist can spread the fixed cost across many companies. Similarly a company having excess production and sales capacity that it can use to produce or sell for another company. Using this capacity for production or selling, the contracting company reduces its costs by not investing in fixed assets. Ford (US) had an alliance with a Japanese carmaker, Mazda. Ford focuses on cost reduction through communalization of car platforms, power trains (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000). Synergy and competitive advantage Achieving synergy and a competitive advantage may be another reason why firms enter into a strategic alliance. Competition becomes more effective when partners leverage off each others strengths, bringing synergy into the process that would be hard to achieve if attempting to enter a new market or industry alone (Margarita Isoraite, 2009). To specialize in competencies The resource based view of the firm holds that each company has a unique combination of competencies. Companies seek to improve its performance by concentrating on those activities that best fits its competencies, depending on the alliance partners for supply of products, services or support activities for which it has lesser competency. To avoid or counter competition Sometimes markets are not large enough to hold many competitors. So, companies have to band together so as not to compete. To Gain Knowledge Many companies that are open to new ideas and have the capacity to implement innovations, pursues collaborative arrangements to learn partners technology, operational practices, or home markets so that their own competencies will broaden and deepen, making them more competitive in future. To gain location specific Assets Cultural, Economic, Political and competitive differences among countries may create barrier for organizations to operate abroad. Then companies may seek local organizations to collaborate for managing local operations. General Motors and Ford are forming alliances with Japanese firms to build on their capacity and presence in the region. General Motors is jointly developing mini-vehicles for Asian markets with Suzuki and will assemble these vehicles in Suzukis factory in Japan or other Asian countries (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000). To overcome Governmental Constraints All the countries limit foreign ownership in some sectors. So companies have to partner with local organizations to serve these markets where 100% FDI is not permissible. Fastest means of entering markets Collaborative arrangements offer a faster initial means of entering multiple markets. Moreover, if product conditions favor diversification, it is more compelling to establish a foreign collaborative arrangement. To minimize exposure in risky environments Companies worry that political and economic changes will affect the safety of assets and their earning in their foreign operations. One way to minimize losses is to minimize the asset base in foreign countries by collaborations. Types of Strategic Alliances These alliances range from relatively noncommittal types of short-term, project-based cooperation to more inclusive long-term equity-based cooperation namely mergers and acquisition, joint ownership, joint venture, formal cooperative, informal cooperative. Horizontal Alliances In the automobile industry, horizontal alliances occur when an automaker links with another automaker with reciprocal collaborations in joint activities. Partners can setup joint production/infrastructure to achieve economies of scale, or joint sales in order to gain more market share, or basically to transfer technological knowledge. Licensing (John D. Daniels, 2009) In Licensing, a company (the licensor) grants rights to intangible property to another company (the licensee) to use in a specified geographic area for a specified period. In exchange, the licensee pays a royalty fee to the licensor. Used for Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks and other intangible properties. The economic motive behind licensing is for faster start-up, lower costs or access to valuable resources. The advantages of licensing are Licensor can cover many markets in faster speed at low cost Licensor gets tie-ups with local distributors. Understands local market Disadvantages of licensing can be diffusion of technology and losing the market to licensee. The licensee can become a potential competitor. In the alliance between GM and Russian Avtovaz, GMs licensed its technology to Avtovaz, to produce sport utility vehicles in Russia (John D. Daniels, 2009). Joint Ventures A joint venture is defined as a co-operative business activity, formed by two or more separate firms for strategic purposes, which creates a legally independent business entity and allocates ownership, operational responsibilities, and financial risks and rewards to each partner, while preserving each partners separate identity or autonomy (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000). The independent business entity can either be newly formed or the combination of pre-existing units and/or divisions of the partners. Joint ventures generally aim at making the new company a self-standing entity with its own aims, employees and resources (Nam-Hoon Kang, 2000). Some reasons for joint ventures are Exploiting Capabilities and Expertise (Nishith Desai, 2011) Companies having complementary skills and capabilities engage in mutual co-operations, so that they can contribute to the co-operation. Each of the members concentrates on their competencies and depends on their partner for complementary skills so that the total value generated by the partners will be more than the value generated individually. Leveraging Resources (Nishith Desai, 2011) With the globalization, it became difficult for one company to pool all the resource like financing, skilled manpower to serve various markets. Access to labor, capital and technological resources have become driving forces for modern businesses to withstand the competitive dynamics in the changing environment. Managing the business across the borders became more complex compelling the companies to form alliance by entering into a Joint Venture. Advantages of Joint venture includes entering a foreign country against FDI regulations , sharing risks as well as costs, established channel partners and relations of the partner etc (John D. Daniels, 2009). Disadvantages include conflict of vision/interest, both parties not contributing equally, lack of complete control, Market sharing leading to market contraction etc (John D. Daniels, 2009). Examples: Hero Honda started in 1984 as a joint venture between Hero Cycles of India and Honda of Japan. After that it became the largest two wheeler manufacturer in India. In August 2011 the company was renamed Hero MotoCorp with a new corporate identity after the joint venture dissolved. Acquisition (Eszter Molnar, 2009) The fastest way of entering new markets is by acquisition where the larger firm purchases more that 50% of stake in the smaller firm. It enables the buyer to benefit from existing structures, brand, relations, channels and business knowledge in case of a foreign takeover. Advantages (John D. Daniels, 2009). Saves time and quick to market due to well established distribution and sales channels Competition in the market remains unchanged Disadvantages (John D. Daniels, 2009). Obsolete technology Resources might not be in best class Processes and practices might not be world class Example: Porsches gambit, where in it steadily increased its stake in Volkswagen since 2005 and became the majority stake holder in Volkswagen by October 2008 (Eszter Molnar, 2009). Tata motors after the acquisition of British Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) business became a major player in the international automobile market. The main reason for the acquisition would be acquiring intellectual property rights related to the technologies. Merger Merger is an horizontal equity alliance, where two companies often of about the same size, decide to go forward as a single company that remain separately owned and operated. An ominous merger was the DaimlerChrysler when the German based Daimler-Benz merged with US based Chrysler Corporation in 1998. It is known as Merger of Equals, but it didnt last long and they separated in 2007. Later Chrysler made a strategic alliance with Fiat under the terms that Fiat will take 35% of stake in Chrysler in exchange for supplying high fuel-efficient power train technology and small and medium sized vehicle platforms. This alliance helped Chrysler to penetrate European and South American markets and Fiat to get access to US market (Eszter Molnar, April 2009). Vertical Alliances Vertical alliances occur when the automaker builds relationship with suppliers who provide goods and services in any business process along with the vertical chain. Basically vertical relations were mostly based on the decision making process of make-versus-buy. Making decision means that the automaker produces in-house. One of the main reasons behind it is to protect its core competitive advantages. Buying decision means that the automaker purchases or outsources the production of goods or services. The shift in the strategic outlook from organizational view to supply chain view is compelling organizations to produce the core products in-house and contract the production and control of peripheral parts from strategic supply chain partners. Nowadays, in the automobile industry 30% of the parts of a car are produced by automakers, while the other 70% of the parts, which would be assembled in the final product, are produced by suppliers (Denise Cristina Nishimura, 20 10). Contract Manufacturing (John D. Daniels, 2009) In contract manufacturing, the parent company approaches a firm known as contract manufacturer with a design/formula. Once the contract is finalized then the contract manufacturer manufactures the components/products for the hiring company. The company becomes free from managing the labor but technological diffusion will occur but only for manufacturing process. Examples like manufacturing contracts between a major carmaker and a local Chinese firm, Toyota/Tianjian Automotive Industrial and Renault/Dandong Automotive Works. Turnkey Operations (John D. Daniels, 2009) Turnkey operations are a type of collaborative arrangements in which one company contracts with another to build complete, ray to operate facilities. Companies building turnkey operations are frequently industrial-equipment manufacturers and construction companies. Customers for turnkey operations are frequently governmental agencies. Strategic Outsourcing Strategic outsourcing is the alternative way for the company to accomplish its value chain activities rather than performing the entire value chain activities. In the current market place there are quiet a good number of companies that are specialized in some activities. Outsourcing these activities to the specialized companies strengthen the companies business model either by improving the efficiency by decreasing the cost or by enhancing the effectiveness by creating differentiating advantage in terms of quality, variety, speed of the supply chain. Subcontracting is necessary because it facilitates firm to concentrate on its core competencies; it allows for an economic method of production; suppliers are encouraged to specialize, which allows economies of scale in technology; to encourage smooth production by utilizing sources of supply. Economic Dualism theory suggests that large companies create dual economy by subcontracting, in which they can expand their resources in times of fortune and reduce capacity in times of recession, thus using sub-contracting as a cushion against economic cycles. However this theory fails in present conditions where subcontractors are seen as partners sharing risks, rewards and revenues (Paul D Cousins, 2003). This outsourcing can be entire function like Nike outsourced its manufacturing function or it can be a part of the function like many companies outsource the management of their payroll/pension systems while keeping the HRM activities within the system. A survey estimates that some 56% of g lobal product manufacturing is exported to manufacturing specialists (Hill Jones, 2008). What to Outsource With customer being the key focus in these present dynamic environments, companies keeps on trying to increase the total value generated to the customers by increasing the gap between customer willingness to pay and costs associated with the product. To achieve this companies outsource activities that they think the specialized company will generate more value by performing that activity. In the environment of growing customer demand for supply chain efficiency and effectiveness it is recommended for the company to perform the supply chain activities that it has distinctive competence and outsource the rest of activities. In many cases out-sourcing helps companies to obtain better operational expertise that would be difficult for the company to develop in-house. Outsourcing is growing at a rate of 23% per year because companies are discovering that they do not need to do everything themselves. Yet, not all processes are outsourced. Outsourcing the wrong process could be counterproduc tive, expensive, or even fatal to a company (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002). Core vs. Non-Core (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) The most crucial aspect of outsourcing is in making the distinction between the core competencies, which should be kept in-house, and the non-core activities, which are candidates for outsourcing. One element of the core vs. non-core distinction is the issue of controlling ones destiny. Becoming excessively dependent on partners reduces the strategic options available to a company. Processes that nurture the core, protect the core, or help the company exploit its core competencies are also held internally. Companies need to think carefully about what they wish to sow, nurture, and reap in-house in order to harvest long-term profits. Five-Stage Model (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) Prof. Fine enumerated five variables that predict the wisdom of in-sourcing vs. outsourcing. Modularity of components/processes: Modular elements are potential candidates for outsourcing than integral elements of a product or business Quantity of providers: The fewer the number of providers, the less outsourcing makes sense Clock speed: The faster the clock speed, the more you want to in-source. Importance to customer: If the customer cares about it, dont outsource it. Benchmark performance level: if you have best-in-class performance on the process, dont outsource it. Value Equation (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) A value equation used by Unilever to evaluate the added value generated by outsourcing activities to supply chain partners is Net Value = Internal Value from Focus + External Value from Provider Transaction Costs This equation helps only quantitatively where as many qualitative parameters like whether the activity is core or non-core should also be considered. For activities that are non-core, the equation helps the company assess the value of outsourcing that non-core activity. Although the equation looks like a simple financial model, many of the terms have qualitative elements (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002). Value Equation: Internal Value from Focus (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) With outsourcing, management and employees can focus more on what is important. So organizations create more value by focusing their valuable resources on their core activities and thus increase the value to the customer. Value Equation: External Value from Provider (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) Providers can create value by being more efficient, more effective, or more innovative than the internal counterpart. This value is the key part of the value proposition. The source of the providers value can fall into one of two categories: Value from high economies of scale Value from high levels of expertise. Specialist provider achieves scale economies by aggregating volumes of activities from multiple companies through standardization and decreases the unit costs across the supply network. Value from high levels of expertise occurs when the provider can accumulate large quantities of knowledge that would be hard for each client company to replicate. Value Equation: Transaction Costs (Andrea and Dana Meyer, 2002) Transaction costs are inevitable in the outsourcing. Costs of internal transactions which are in general informal are very low and hidden where as the transaction costs with the outsourced company are visible and substantial. Extra transaction costs arise from having to formally specify what the partner is to do, managing that external activity. Companies decompose transaction costs into 3 categories: Oversight costs: Cost of managing the relationship, performance, information exchange etc. Switching costs: Cost of changing from insourcing to outsourcing Risk: The potential costs of problems associated with the outsourcing arrangement Evolution of Outsourcing Subcontracting model has changes drastically over last two decades. One of the most common strategies was Multiple Sourcing, which arises from the principle Not to keep all your eggs in one basket which was adequate when competition is local or national. With companies becoming global, competition has intensified, time to market cycles has to be kept low, increased innovations as customers demanding high quality products, at competitive prices became difficult with multiple sourcing strategy. This shifted the focus of companies towards Parallel Sourcing strategy where companies use single source within model groups and multiple sources for different products. This provides buyer benefits of sole sourcing like closer working relationships, information sharing etc and benefits of multiple sourcing like security of supply and market pricing (Paul D Cousins, 2003). This approach is followed by what is called Network approach which is complemented by concepts of Supplier tiers. In this approach suppliers are organized into Tier I (Major assemblers) followed by Tier II (Sub-assemblers). This kind of supply structure has become popular with in automotive and aerospace industry where in it allowed buyers to work with fewer, sophisticated suppliers. As a result buyers rely on fewer, powerful suppliers for supply of sub-assemblies (Paul D Cousins, 2003). With these high levels of dependencies, scholars are considering near paradigms like agile, lean and mass customization techniques. These paradigms are creating high degrees of integration across supply chain that will require more sophisticated relationship management across supply chain partners. If managed properly firms can reduce costs, decreases time to market and increases responsiveness to customers at lower costs (Paul D Cousins, 2003). Benefits of Out-Sourcing Cost reduction and cost savings Out-sourcing reduces the costs if the price you are paying for the company is less than the costs that you incur if the same activities are performed in-house. Specialist companies are able to perform activities at a lower cost as they can realize economies of scale by performing the same kind of activity for various companies. These specialized companies invest more in efficient-scale manufacturing facilities/processes to spread the costs against large volumes and bring down unit costs. Specialists also save costs through learning effects more rapidly than the clients. These companies learn fast how to operate the processes more efficiently compared to its clients. Since most of the out-sourced companies are based at low-cost global locations, costs can easily drive down (Hill Jones, 2008). Enhanced Differentiation Companies should be able to differentiate its final products by out-sourcing certain noncore activities. These companies can provide more reliable products by strongly focusing and achieving competence in that activity thus decreasing the defect rate. Most of these specialized companies have adopted Six Sigma methodologies and bring down error rates, thereby increasing the reliability of product. For example carmakers outsource specific kinds of vehicle component design activities such as microchips and headlights to the specialists who have earned reputation for design excellence (Hill Jones, 2008). Focus on core business Strategic out-sourcing makes the managers to focus their energies and companies resources in performing the core activities that can create sustainable have more potential to create value and competitive advantage. By this companies enhance their competence and push out the value creation frontier and create more value for their customers (Hill Jones, 2008). Flexibility Companies gain access to new technologies and use suppliers technology to accelerate new product development. Companies can also adapt to changing business environments by changing suppliers if the existing suppliers using technologies that are obsolete. Thus companies mitigate the risk of investing in resources/technologies that have short life cycles (Yijie Dou and Joseph Sarkis, 2010). Local Expertise Partners also bring local expertise to the relationship. Although global companies would like to create economies of scale based on world-wide uniformity, such uniformity is not always possible. Local government regulations impact ingredients or packaging. Local customs and trends affect marketing or product mix. Supplier partners (l

The Ideal Life Essay -- Personal Narrative Family Essays

The Ideal Life I awake to the sounds of bacon sizzling and eggs frying. It is another wonderful, lazy Saturday morning breakfast. This weekend is like so many others, and yet it is unique in and of itself. The shadows on the floor coalesce to form the german shepherd, Hg, we once rescued. Then, like Mercury himself, the shadows disperse leaving nothing but emptiness where he once was. "Breakfast!" comes the call from the kitchen. "Coming," I respond, fully intending not to. I remain where I am, reminiscing about the past, about elementary particles, about how I've reached the point where I now am, and about who I was 10 years ago. I've never wanted my life to stand out much. I've never dreamed of winning the race, scoring the goal, or saving the day. I don't mind at all having the appearance of just another faceless mass in a crowd, because I am so much more than anything anyone could catch in a glimpse. Not that I think I'm special or anything, since there are very few people who one can know instantaneously. Spending the time and energy to make an impression on people I will never again see is not normally my style. I care much more for the depth of a single relationship than the mind-numbing breadth of a multitude. This attitude has both saved me from pain and caused extra. Not making the effort to reach out to people leaves me in my own isolated world, sparing me from the feelings of rejection and boredom which my brushes with society have caused me. It also strengthens the ties with those few whom I choose to develop real, lasting relationships. However, purposefully secluding myself from others leaves me vulnerable when I do decide to open myself up. Since I do it so rarely, the times when I approach others and f... ...m to. I know that I'm headed in the right direction, and that the future will, much like the past has, supply what I need for a happy life. I've already found the most important and difficult part of my ideal life. I have a great friend whom I've known for the past 10 years and who will continue to be there in the future. Beyond this though, I have found my lifelong companion. I have found my perfect soulmate, with whom I can relax and be myself. I can open up to her and say anything at all. Knowing that this wonderful woman knows who I am, and at a fundamental level accept everything about me, frees me to be the best that I can. "Daddy," my little one squeaks, trying to pull me with her, "Breakfast is ready. C'mon! !" It's just another lazy Saturday morning and it is time to move on with my life. Reminiscing can be fun, but there is life to live in the present.

Making Collaboration Work in Inclusive High School Classrooms Essay

The author uses a fictional case study chronicling a team in an inclusive high school setting. The team consists of the principal (administrator), the general education teacher, the special education teacher, the physical therapist, and the speech pathologist. Throughout the paper she creates a fictional case study that moves the group from contention through collaboration to ultimate success in sustaining an inclusion program at the fictional high school. The limitations to this approach is first, that it is fictional. Second, it does not account for external factors such as program funding or the presence of other educational initiatives that may change dynamics such as teacher availability (in terms of work hours) classroom methods such as those designed to facilitate state and district demands under the No Child Left Behind initiative. Although the fictional case study imposes limitations, Hines successfully demonstrates four guiding principals or best practices for successful collaboration – open communication, sharing leadership, developing goals, and resolving conflicts. By breaking the case study into four sections, she poses the questions – what is the challenge to successful collaboration and what factors are impeding a successful inclusion program. Following each portion of case narrative she answer the questions and provides a framework for solving each challenge and implementing those solutions into the inclusion framework. Critical Analysis – Findings and Opinions Collaboration is the key to making the inclusive classroom setting work. Effective facilitation is the key to making the collaborative effort work. The school principal is the primary facilitator. This paper describes one principal working with one team, but a principal or administrator can modify Hines’ best practices to work in multiple team settings. This paper can be read in any of three ways. First, what is collaboration and how does it assist in developing an inclusive classroom setting. Second, given the existence of an inclusive classroom setting, how can collaboration be used to solve problems that arise in sustaining a school’s inclusion program. Third, what framework should an administrator use to develop a successful collaborative effort. Conclusion Joy Hines outlines methods that principals can use for making the collaborative approach work. This case study applies laser like focus to applying principals of collaboration. Teachers and principals can use this paper to envision their roles, as well as the role of their peers, superiors, and subordinates, in the collaborative process. Finally, Hines makes clear that the team approach and proper facilitation from a leader, the principal, are key elements in making the collaborative effort work. Reference Hines, J. T. (May 2008). Making Collaboration Work in Inclusive High School Classrooms: Recommendations for Principals. Intervention in School and Clinic, 43(5), 277-282.

Management and Diversity Essay

Susan Jackson states in Diversity in the Workplace: Human Resource Initiatives that, â€Å"Surveys of business leaders confirm the perception that interest in managing diversity successfully is widespread. In a study of 645 firms, 74% of the respondents were concerned about diversity, and of these about one-third felt that diversity effected corporate strategy.† This means that the majority of organizations feel diversity is important, and see the need to take action, however; implementing the process can be more difficult. This paper will outline a human resources strategic plan that includes diversity training for all employees to include managers and frontline staff. It will focus specific diversity training segments to address management’s perspectives, and will use a change model to persuade management to implement needed modifications to the organizations practices. This paper will also propose a brief training outline of diversity content. Finally, this paper wil l recommend a comprehensive method of evaluation to ensure the training will create the needed changes. Mark Winston states in The Importance of Leadership Diversity: The Relationship between Diversity and Organizational Success in the Academic Environment that, â€Å"Fostering diversity in organizations is generally considered a priority in relation to the increasing diverse population, as well as inequities, current unfairness, and underrepresented.† To have a diversity strategy that becomes a strategic part of organization it must align with the overall goals of the organization. Nagel, CEO for Cisco states in the Hewlett Associates Creating a Sustainable Inclusion and Diversity Strategy: Build on Your Company’s Goals and Strengths that, â€Å"This position of inclusion and diversity must be an integral part of the company’s key business goals, rather than an add-on whose value and cost constantly need to be justified. A successful and sustainable I&D (inclusion and diversity) strategy cannot be built in a silo. Similarly, for I&D to receive the organizational support required to achieve its goals, it needs to be represented and play a central role in decision-making at the highest level. To ensure that I&D is integrated at every level of the company, not just an HR focus.† To have this strategy start at the top of the organization is critical to the success of the initiative. This would begin with the forming of an Inclusion and Diversity Council. This counsel would be led by the Vice President of Human Resources, and the members are all executive level positions that represent each component of the company. The goals for this council would be to develop the Inclusive and Diversity vision to align with the goals of the company, develop the strategy behind the diversity and inclusion, and the execution plan. This council would also start gathering data to begin employee network groups in whic h all employees have the opportunity to join. It would review and advocating policies that support an inclusive environment including training for all employees, and implement a metrics for measuring the impact of Inclusion and Diversity initiatives. Through creating this type of board for the organization places diversity as a top priority and demonstrates the seriousness of integrating diversity into the organization. This would also exhibit to the EEOC a good faith effort to inaugurate diversity into the company. Below the council would be an additional group of managers that are composed of different business segments and would each hold a leadership type position in the employee network group. This group of managers would be responsible for building a strategy and executing a plan to implement the council’s decisions. This would allow an additional team of employees be involved in the inclusion and diversity strategy. â€Å"Because I&D goals are aligned with the overall business goals, I&D initiatives have a greater impact than before and are seen as a company priority.† (Hewett, 2009). Through starting the diversity strategies at the top and including additional manager throughout the company shows that this initiative is not a fad and that it is being taken seriously. The council will begin the inclusion and diversity process and communicate to managers and the overview the hiring and team the employees that make up the organization. In addition to the council, managers that recruit and hire employees will go through interviewing skills and be required to have a diverse slate based upon the geographic location. Adding more diverse candidates to the interview process gives managers the opportunity to hire more diverse candidates if they are the most qualified for the position. Interviewing more diverse candidates, allows more opportunity to hire and retain a diverse workforce. This will lead to less discrimination lawsuits based on hiring and retaining more diversity within the organization. Another key point is developing and engaging the talent that the organizat ion currently has. This would include promotions of internal candidates. This type of development would include mentoring groups that could be utilized through the employee network groups. This would reach all levels of employees throughout the organization. Finally, there will be training for all employees in regards to diversity and inclusion, harassment, and stereotypes and biases. By training employees and holding then accountable for improper practices or behavior, helps the organization develop standards and omit any inappropriate behaviors. Through aligning diversity and inclusion with the company’s overall goals and including key leaders in the organization states that this is a high priority and is supported by the overall company. By engaging managers at different levels through employee network groups and having diverse slates in hiring practices allows the company to continue to grow in diversity and inclusion. Finally, providing training and policies in place to encompass all employees gives everyone the understanding of what behavior is acceptable and that the work environment is inclusion for everyone. There can be a variety of reasons that managers or employees would resist change. According to the article, Workplace Diversity: How to Tackle Resistance it states, â€Å"Employees resist diversity for a number of reasons; if the organization’s definition of diversity is not broad enough and inclusive, some employees may feel excluded or left out of the change process. Furthermore, employees who are not often made to feel included in the process, such as white men, may feel blamed for inequities in their organization and react with defensiveness. On the other hand, employees specifically included in diversity efforts – such as women or people of color- may express resistance because they do not want to be singled out or perceived as having succeeded purely as a result of the change effort. Finally, employees are also cynical and reluctant to get involved with new diversity efforts when past change efforts have not been successful.† To address the managers that would be implementing these practices I would first start with training the understanding of the alignment of diversity with the organizational goals. This would include ten session training about diversity and the way that it effects the organization. Through establishing and defining the organization’s definition of diversity and how it will help the company grow would help the managers understand the company initiative and that the top leaders of the organization are implementing and enforcing this program. It would also allow the managers to understand diversity and the components of it. The second training would entail having a diverse slate to interview, interviewing candidates, and selecting the best talent. â€Å"One common misperception is the belief that unearned benefits or advantages will be given to a specific group, such as white women, or people of color; as well as that one has to part of a specific group in order to be promoted.â €  (Catalyst, 2009). Through understanding the correct interview process, having a diverse number of candidates for promotion or hiring, and asking job related questions will allow the organization to continue to build on diversity and inclusion and train as well as show the managers the correct hiring process. The third training would allow the manager to understand and analyze their own stereotypes and biases. Through identifying that everyone, absolutely everyone has stereotype and biases, allows the manager to identify them and then look past them. This would help with the fair treatment of all employees. All three of these training sessions, understanding diversity, interview with diversity, and understanding stereotypes and biases will allow the company to continue to grow in diversity and inclusion. The organization will also be in compliance with sound hiring practices and treatment of employees including harassment. Dr. John Kotter’s 8-Step change model is one that can be utilized to impl ement and explain the change in the organization’s diversity and inclusion. According to the article The development of a model to support synchronous change, Kotter’s eight steps are: create a sense of urgency, form a powerful coalition, create a vision for change, communicate the vision, remove obstacles, create short term wins, build on the change, and anchor the changes in corporate culture. The first step is to create a sense of urgency. In this case the urgency has already been put in place by the charges faced by the EEOC. Due to the charges the organization must put a plan into effect quickly; this will be vital to the success of the organization. In step two, formulating a coalition, this can be done through establishing the diversity council in which key leaders will initiate the beginning of the diversity and inclusion component of the company. This will help the organization to all be on the same page and implement a strategy from the top. The third step includes the vision for change. This is done through aligning the goals of the organiz ation to the goals of diversity. This part of the plan would create goals such as meeting diversity goals, creating an inclusive environment, and training goals for the employees. Creating a work environment that is diverse as well as inclusive is an ideal work environment. Step four, communicate the vision, can be accomplished through the trainings conducted with the managers. These trainings would explain the diversity goals of the organization and have the frontline staff complete 5 diversity training sessions, and manager complete 10 diversity training sessions. In addition to the training, the managers should have constant open and honest communication about the changes that are happening and how those changes are effecting the organization. The fifth step, removing obstacles, would need to be in place when the employees are resisting the changes. Removing obstacles is part of the overall plan in which resistance comes up it is addressed immediately and allows the organization continue to build on its strategy. This fifth step is important in which managers that are following the diversity vision are rewarded and those that are not a redirected to follow the guidelines in place. This came be done by offering diversity bonuses based on having a diverse hiring slate, but not by hiring the most diverse candidates. The important part is still hiring the best candidates, but having a variety of candidates to choose from. The sixth step, create short-term wins, allows the employees to process and be successful in intervals. This would include reaching goals such as completing training, and having the correct amount of people to interview to complete a diverse slate. Step seven, build on the change, allow employees to celebrate the small successes that will then lead to additional wins of having a diverse and inclusive work environment. Finally, the eighth step, anchor the changes in corporate culture, is the complete process in which the changes are adapted to the culture of the organization. This is when the new staff as well as the old staff has accepted the culture and ensures that the changes continue. Each component of Kotter’s eight step process is important and necessary to achieve success. This plan of implementing change in accordance with the eight steps lays the foundation for the organization to make a positive change and provide a more diverse and inclusive work place. Described previously there were would be diversity training composed of ten (10) sessions. These sessions are based off of the Workplace Diversity Foreword, Managing Workplace Diversity. The first five sessions would be for both frontline employees and managers. The remaining sessions six to ten would be for managers only. The first session would entail an understanding of what diversity is. Although diversity can be different to each individual, this would focus on the defining diversity, giving history of the organizations diversity, and legal overview. The second training session would explain what stereotypes are as well as biases. In the course participant would identify their own biases through active listening. Once the biases and stereotypes are identified, the third session would include breaking down your own biases through changing how the participants view their approach and the encouraging workplace and social changes. The fourth lesson would then identifying the proper communication stating that listening and hearing are two different things. This would help open up communication among all individuals to incorporate an all-inclusive environment. Lesson five would explain body language and it is not what you say, but how you say it. This would allow employees as well as managers to understand that there is more to communication than just words. The sixth training would encourage diversity in the workplace through establishing guidelines and teaching employees about preventing discrimination. The seventh training would entail identifying discrimination and the options in which an employee or manager would have if this happened. The eight training would explain the processes used if you as a manager are involved in a complaint, understanding the role that you play as a manager that represents the company as well as an individual. The ninth training would teach the manager how to properly document the complaint and identify the appropriate actions including contacting the human resources department. The tenth training would explain the steps in receiving the complaint formally as then looking back at the incident and learning from the experience. All ten of these trainings, establish the guidelines that the organization is looking to enforce and support. Each component both explains and defines what diversity is, how it is involved in the day to day work environment, and how to prevent as well as respond to a complaint. Once all of the trainings are completed managers as well as employees will understand the overall goals of the company, how diversity plays a role in those goals, how each employee and manager can contribute towards those goals, and what to do when the resistance to diversity is encountered. Finally, this paper will recommend a comprehensive method of evaluation to ensure the training will create the needed changes. One way to measure the success of diversity initiative is if there are any additional complaints filed with the EEOC, and of the goals or requirements put in place by the EEOC are met. Tracking and evaluating the hiring process and the applicants considered will show the strides or lack of follow through for the organization. Also following the guidelines given and continued follow through with compliance would allow the organization to track and view the changes. Another way to establish if the goals and measures are successful is through looking the amount of promotions if internal candidates. This will show how many employees are taking advantage of the mentoring, employee networking, and diversity training through embracing the goals of the company and making themselves more promotable. â€Å"The organization’s retention rate by demographic group compares favorably with external retention rates.† (Bliss, Keary, Loftus, Outwater, Porter & Volpe, 2011). This would show how many minorities had been hired and promoted. An additional measure could also be an employee survey conducted. â€Å"Employee satisfaction survey results by demographic group show the feelings or rates on the diversity in the organization.† (Bliss, et al, 2011). Through seeking the employee input on how they view diversity, training and the inclusive environment, and how successful they feel it is will allow the organization to gage how successful the diversity initiative is and how to continue to build upon it. Finally the organization can look specifically in the diversity of top level managers. â€Å"Consistent with applicable law, representation of minorities and women in positions is enhanced.† (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). This would directly look to see how engaged the top level of the company is and the continued support needed to continue to grow the diversity of the organization. Each measurement will allow the organization to understand and e nhance the diversity and inclusion strategy. â€Å"Practicing diversity management means operating at a level that is the best with respect to diversity management.† (Werner & DeSimone, 2012). This paper outlined a human resources strategic plan that includes the creation of a diversity council of top managers, an additional group of managers to help implement diversity changes, employee network groups, and diversity training for all employees to include managers and frontline staff. This paper focused on specific diversity training segments to address management’s perspectives through establishing a diversity training model for all employees. This paper used Kotter’s eight (8) step change model to persuade management to implement needed modifications to the organizations practices, and proposed a brief ten (10) training outline of diversity content. Finally, this paper recommended a tracking system through the applicant flow log to overview the diversity process as well as a survey for employees to complet e to ensure the training will create the needed changes. References Bliss, W., Keary, D., Loftus, J., Outwater, L., Porter, G., Volpe, N., (2011). The SHRM Learning System: Module Three Human Resource Development. Alexandra, VA: Society for Human Resource Management. p. 206-221. Catalyst., (2009, May 13). Workplace Diversity: How to Tackle Resistance. Women’s Media. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://www.womensmedia.com/lead/119-workplace-diversity-how-to-tackle-resistance.html Hewett, A,. (2009). Creating a Sustainable Inclusion & Diversity Strategy: Build on Your Company’s Goals and Strengths. Retrieved December 15, 2012 from: http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac49/ac55/white_paper_Diversity_102709.pdf Jackson, S., (1992) Diversity in the Workplace: Human Resources Initiatives. Guilford Publications. New York, NY. Managing Workplace Diversity Website. (2012). Work Place Diversity Foreword. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://pdtraining.com.au/workplace-diversity-training-course Redvers C., Tennant,C., Neailey, N., (2005) The Development of a Model to Support Synchronous Change. Measuring Business Excellence, Vol. 9 Issue: 3, pp.13 – 20. Werner, J., & DeSimone, R. (2012) Human resource development (6th ed.) Mason OH: South Western Cengage Learning Winston, M., (2009). The Importance of Leadership Diversity: The Relationship