Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary - Essay Example The strontium 90 released into the air is in the form of rain and lodges into the soil and pollutes the plants which are eventually consumed by humans. The effect to humans is diseases such as cancer thus leading to death. The article also talks about the effect of use of insecticides and pesticides including DDT that are used to destroy harmful insects (Carson 9). The insecticides destroy the pests intended and other insects as well thus causing equilibrium imbalance. Argument is that the insects also evolve and develop resistance to the pesticides. The article also talks about the hasty way in which new situations are generated through the influence of humans instead of allowing nature to take its course. An example of radiation is given, and how it has changed from backdrop radiation of rocks, ultra violet light from the sun and attack of cosmic rays to deviant radiation. The deviant radiation is caused by man’s interference with atoms of metals such as copper, calcium and silica making them unstable (Carson 12). The ways in which man uses chemicals has been censured since no proper investigation is done on their effects to water, soil, animals and human being. The environment should be preserved for upcoming generations and other forms of pest control should be used to avoid dire

History of scientific method Essay Example for Free

History of scientific method Essay Francis Bacon was born in London in 1561 and died 1626. He ended up being a great philosopher, an author, and the inventor of the inductive method, also known for advancing the scientific method. He was the second son of Sir Nicholas Bacon and Lady Anne Cooke Bacon. Lady Anne was the second wife of Sir Nicholas. Sir Nicholas was also the Lord Keeper of the Seal at the time, which is a job that would eventually be held by his son, Francis Bacon. Bacon started going to Trinity College in Cambridge in 1573, when he was only 11 years old. He completed his course of study there only two years later. After that he went to the school that his older brother, Anthony, went to which was Grey’s Inn, where he studied law after his father died in 1579. Bacon’s involvement in high politics started in 1584. He always aimed to change the thoughts of natural philosophy and tried to get himself in high political offices. However, Queen Elizabeth tended not to trust him very much especially he refused to agree to her request of funds for the Parliament. He decided to vote to allow the subsidies but to double the amount of time it takes to deliver them. â€Å"Bacon had emphasized the necessity of scientific improvement and progress. Since he failed to secure for himself a position in the government, he considered the possibility of giving up politics and concentrating on natural philosophy. It is no wonder, then, that Bacon engaged in many scholarly and literary pursuits in the 1590s†(Klein). In 1597, he published his first book, the seminal version of his Essays, though his income was still fairly unstable. I find it fairly humorous that Bacon planned to marry a rich widow named Lady Hatton, but was unable to because a man named Sir Edward Coke was courting her. In 1617, Francis Bacon was made the new Keeper of The Seal, and was made lord chancellor the next year and received the title of Baron Verulam. In 1620, Bacon wrote the book â€Å"Novum Organum,† which means â€Å"New Method. † He was the leading advocate of the inductive reasoning method. Inductive reasoning is the process that draws on the particulars of sensory evidence to form general principles(Fiero). He used inductive reasoning in attempts to improve the errors made by both Plato and Aristotle. â€Å"Aristotelian philosophy was based on a set of rules that governed the consistency between conclusion and a foundation that was accepted as unquestioningly true; Bacon’s philosophy was the opposite†(Soibelman). Bacon turned his back on Aristotle and Classical science. He looked to remove errors by blind obedience of religions and traditional authorities(Fiero). Bacon was also warned against four â€Å"Idols† that make clear and objective thoughts difficult. The first he called The Idols of the Tribe, which are deceptive things inherent in the mind of man, and so the entire human race has it. These may include that people always try to fit things into patterns, even if it isn’t actually in a pattern. They see what they want to see according to their beliefs because their six senses are flawed and are able to fool them(Terry). The next he called The Idols of the Cave, which are in the minds of each individual and are based on the individual education and background of each person. The â€Å"Cave† represents the mind. The person’s thoughts wander, some peoples thoughts wander more than others, through the cave of the mind. They can be changed by the person’s mood, education, background and habit. People will usually look back on conclusions they have learned before or come up with themselves and they will tend to favor the ideas that support those previous ideas. Individuals also tend to favor different things because of their background or education. For example, some will favor differences, while others favor similarities. People will see different things depending on their interests as well. The mathematician will see math and numbers in all things, like the T. V. character Charlie Eppes from the show Numb3rs. The chemist will see chemistry in all things and the architect tends to see shapes in all things. The third he called The Idols of the Marketplace, and that one was based on the verbal communication of people. It is based primarily on bad word choices and misunderstanding of others. He believed that, though people like to think they use words to express their thoughts on a subject, the words would replace thoughts all together. â€Å"†¦Words arise as substitutes for thoughts and men think they have won an argument because they have out-talked their opponents†(Hall). Words can have several different meanings. For example, the word light could mean the opposite of heavy or it could mean something that illuminates, such as the sun, a lamp, fire, or a beacon. Another example of this is the word like. Like could mean to be similar to, or it could mean to have a preference for something. Words can frequently work against what the speaker is really trying to say. They can make things seem different than what was really intended. The last was known as The Idols of the Theatre, which are hindrances caused by philosophy, tradition, theology, and science. Since these idols are practiced and defended by the well-educated people, the less-educated people tend to just accept their validity without question. This is how cults and even some religions have started. A person will take a single verse or small group of verses out of the Bible completely out of context and build a whole religion off of it. Using that method, a person could make the Bible say whatever they wanted it to say. The really sad part about that is that those cults will often still see themselves as, and call themselves Christians. People who follow these ways of thinking have children and grandchildren who just accept it as truth because it’s all they’ve known, so it becomes part of their way of life and influences their way of thinking. In 1626, Francis Bacon decided to try an experiment on how the cold would affect the decay of meat. So he bought a chicken and stuffed it with snow. Unfortunately, he caught a cold, which developed into pneumonia, and he died on April 9th. Bacon was the man that set up the basis that let people like Galileo come up with the theories that they did. Before this peoples’ philosophies were based on pure faith and, actually, had very little to do with logical reasoning. He was the guy that disagreed with the way things were and pointed them out. Descartes probably would not have gotten along with him very well. Even today, we base the majority of our philosophies on reasoning rather than just human belief. Actually, Bacon’s Four Idols are, even still, good things to watch out for and avoid. They do pose serious problems even if you aren’t a philosopher. There is a lot to be learned from the way Bacon looked at the world. Works Cited

Ryman Is Famous For Customer Service Marketing Essay

Ryman Is Famous For Customer Service Marketing Essay Introduction Ryman is famous for customer service. Everyone who works at the 237 Ryman stores nationwide aims to deliver the best possible customer experience to everyone who visits the specialist stationery stores.   This is achieved through a number of routes, including the companys investment in training so that people in the stores have an in-depth knowledge of their product range. Employees feel valued by the organization that encourages them to come up with bright ideas that are then shared within the business.   As well as being the nations high street stationery specialist, many Ryman stores offer additional services to customers. For example, many stores have a photocopier machine for customers to use and all stores provide printed stationery.   Other services range from document binding, a fax service, a photo booth, laminating, and a bulk copying service. Some stores usually based in the larger cities have a Copy Shop where all these services are offered. There are four Ryman stores that also have a Post Office. Industrial Plan Industry analysis is a tool that facilitates a companys understanding of its position relative to other companies that produce similar products or services. Understanding the forces at work in the overall industry is an important component of effective strategic planning. Industry analysis enables small business owners to identify the threats and opportunities facing their businesses, and to focus their resources on developing unique capabilities that could lead to a competitive advantage. Many small business owners and executives consider themselves at worst victims, and at best observers of what goes on in their industry. They sometimes fail to perceive that understanding your industry directly impacts your ability to succeed. Understanding your industry and anticipating its future trends and directions gives you the knowledge you need to react and control your portion of that industry, Kenneth J. Cook wrote in his book The AMA Complete Guide to Strategic Planning for Small Business.However, your analysis of this is significant only in a relative sense. Since both you and your competitors are in the same industry, the key is in finding the differing abilities between you and the competition in dealing with the industry forces that impact you. If you can identify abilities you have that are superior to competitors, you can use that ability to establish a competitive advantage. http://www.enotes.com/small-business-encyclopedia/industry-analysis An industry analysis consists of three major elements: the underlying forces at work in the industry; the overall attractiveness of the industry; and the critical factors that determine a companys success within the industry. The premier model for analyzing the structure of industries was developed by Michael E. Porter in his classic 1980 book Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. Porters model shows that rivalry among firms in industry depends upon five forces: the potential for new competitors to enter the market; the bargaining power of buyers and suppliers; the availability of substitute goods; and the competitors and nature of competition. These factors are outlined below. INDUSTRY FORCES The first step in performing an industry analysis is to assess the impact of Porters five forces. The collective strength of these forces determines the ultimate profit potential in the industry, where profit potential is measured in terms of long term return on invested capital, Porter stated. The goal of competitive strategy for a business unit in an industry is to find a position in the industry where the company can best defend itself against these competitive forces or can influence them in its favor. Understanding the underlying forces determining the structure of the industry can highlight the strengths and weaknesses of a small business, show where strategic changes can make the greatest difference, and illuminate areas where industry trends may turn into opportunities or threats. http://www.enotes.com/small-business-encyclopedia/industry-analysis EASE OF ENTRY Ease of entry refers to how easy or difficult it is for a new firm to begin competing in the industry. The ease of entry into an industry is important because it determines the likelihood that a company will face new competitors. In industries that are easy to enter, sources of competitive advantage tend to wane quickly. On the other hand, in industries that are difficult to enter, sources of competitive advantage last longer, and firms also tend to benefit from having a constant set of competitors. The ease of entry into an industry depends upon two factors: the reaction of existing competitors to new entrants; and the barriers to market entry that prevail in the industry. Existing competitors are most likely to react strongly against new entrants when there is a history of such behavior, when the competitors have invested substantial resources in the industry, and when the industry is characterized by slow growth. Some of the major barriers to market entry include economies of scale, high capital requirements, switching costs for the customer, limited access to the channels of distribution, a high degree of product differentiation, and restrictive government policies. POWER OF SUPPLIERS Suppliers can gain bargaining power within an industry through a number of different situations. For example, suppliers gain power when an industry relies on just a few suppliers, when there are no substitutes available for the suppliers product, when there are switching costs associated with changing suppliers, when each purchaser accounts for just a small portion of the suppliers business, and when suppliers have the resources to move forward in the chain of distribution and take on the role of their customers. Supplier power can affect the relationship between a small business and its customers by influencing the quality and price of the final product. All of these factors combined will affect your ability to compete, Cook noted. They will impact your ability to use your supplier relationship to establish competitive advantages with your customers. http://www.enotes.com/small-business-encyclopedia/industry-analysis POWER OF BUYERS The reverse situation occurs when bargaining power rests in the hands of buyers. Powerful buyers can exert pressure on small businesses by demanding lower prices, higher quality, or additional services, or by playing competitors off one another. The power of buyers tends to increase when single customers account for large volumes of the businesss product, when a substitutes are available for the product, when the costs associated with switching suppliers are low, and when buyers possess the resources to move backward in the chain of distribution. AVAILABILITY OF SUBSTITUTES All firms in an industry are competing, in a broad sense, with industries producing substitute products. Substitutes limit the potential returns of an industry by placing a ceiling on the prices firms in the industry can profitably charge, Porter explained. Product substitution occurs when a small businesss customer comes to believe that a similar product can perform the same function at a better price. Substitution can be subtle-for example, insurance agents have gradually moved into the investment field formerly controlled by financial planners-or sudden-for example, compact disc technology has taken the place of vinyl record albums. The main defense available against substitution is product differentiation. By forming a deep understanding of the customer, some companies are able to create demand specifically for their products. http://www.enotes.com/small-business-encyclopedia/industry-analysis COMPETITORS The battle you wage against competitors is one of the strongest industry forces with which you contend, according to Cook. Competitive battles can take the form of price wars, advertising campaigns, new product introductions, or expanded service offerings-all of which can reduce the profitability of firms within an industry. The intensity of competition tends to increase when an industry is characterized by a number of well-balanced competitors, a slow rate of industry growth, high fixed costs, or a lack of differentiation between products. Another factor increasing the intensity of competition is high exit barriers-including specialized assets, emotional ties, government or social restrictions, strategic inter-relationships with other business units, labor agreements, or other fixed costs-which make competitors stay and fight even when they find the industry unprofitable. http://www.enotes.com/small-business-encyclopedia/industry-analysis http://kelas.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/porters-five-forces-model.jpg Production Plan Production planning is the function of establishing an overall level of output, called the production plan. The process also includes any other activities needed to satisfy current planned levels of sales, while meeting the firms general objectives regarding profit, productivity, lead times, and customer satisfaction, as expressed in the overall business plan. The managerial objective of production planning is to develop an integrated game plan where the operations portion is the production plan. This production plan, then, should link the firms strategic goals to operations (the production function) as well as coordinating operations with sales objectives, resource availability, and financial budgets. The production-planning process requires the comparison of sales requirements and production capabilities and the inclusion of budgets, pro forma financial statements, and supporting plans for materials and workforce requirements, as well as the production plan itself. A primary purpose of the production plan is to establish production rates that will achieve managements objective of satisfying customer demand. Demand satisfaction could be accomplished through the maintaining, raising, or lowering of inventories or backlogs, while keeping the workforce relatively stable. If the firm has implemented a just-in-time philosophy, the firm would utilize a chase strategy, which would mean satisfying customer demand while keeping inventories at a minimum level. The term production planning is really too limiting since the intent is not to purely produce a plan for the operations function. Because the plan affects many firm functions, it is normally prepared with information from marketing and coordinated with the functions of manufacturing, engineering, finance, materials, and so on. Another term, sales and operations planning, has recently come into use, more accurately representing the concern with coordinating several critical activities within the firm. The production plan also provides direct communication and consistent dialogue between the operations function and upper management, as well as between operations and the firms other functions. As such, the production plan must necessarily be stated in terms that are meaningful to all within the firm, not just the operations executive. Some firms state the production plan as the dollar value of total input (monthly, quarterly, etc.). Other firms may break the total output down by individual factories or major product lines. Still other firms state the plan in terms of total units for each product line. The key here is that the plan be stated in some homogeneous unit, commonly understood by all, that is also consistent with that used in other plans. PRODUCTION SCHEDULING The production schedule is derived from the production plan; it is a plan that authorized the operations function to produce a certain quantity of an item within a specified time frame. In a large firm, the production schedule is drawn in the production planning department, whereas, within a small firm, a production schedule could originate with a lone production scheduler or even a line supervisor. Production scheduling has three primary goals or objectives. The first involves due dates and avoiding late completion of jobs. The second goal involves throughput times; the firm wants to minimize the time a job spends in the system, from the opening of a shop order until it is closed or completed. The third goal concerns the utilization of work centers. Firms usually want to fully utilize costly equipment and personnel. Often, there is conflict among the three objectives. Excess capacity makes for better due-date performance and reduces throughput time but wreaks havoc on utilization. Releasing extra jobs to the shop can increase the utilization rate and perhaps improve due-date performance but tends to increase throughput time. Quite a few sequencing rules (for determining the sequence in which production orders are to be run in the production schedule) have appeared in research and in practice. Some well-known ones adapted from Vollmann, Berry, Whybark and Jacobs (2005) are presented in Operations Scheduling. THE PRODUCTION PLANNING AND PRODUCTION SCHEDULING INTERFACE There are fundamental differences in production planning and production scheduling. Planning models often utilize aggregate data, cover multiple stages in a medium-range time frame, in an effort to minimize total costs. Scheduling models use detailed information, usually for a single stage or facility over a short term horizon, in an effort to complete jobs in a timely manner. Despite these differences, planning and scheduling often have to be incorporated into a single framework, share information, and interact extensively with one another. They also may interact with other models such as forecasting models or facility location models. It should be noted that a major shift in direction has occurred in recent research on scheduling methods. Much of what was discussed was developed for job shops. As a result of innovations such as computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) and just-in-time (JIT), new processes being established in todays firms are designed to capture the benefits of repetitive manufacturing and continuous flow manufacturing. Therefore, much of the new scheduling research concerns new concepts and techniques for repetitive manufacturing-type operations. In addition, many of todays firms cannot plan and schedule only within the walls of their own factory as most are an entity with an overall supply chain. Supply chain management requires the coordination and integration of operations in all stages of the chain. If successive stages in a supply belong to the same firm, then these successive stages can be incorporated into a single planning and scheduling model. If not, constant interaction and information sharing are required to optimize the overall supply chain. productdevelpment Operational Plan An  operational planning  is a subset of strategic work plan. It describes short-term ways of achieving milestones and explains how, or what portion of, a strategic plan will be put into operation during a given operational period, in the case of commercial application, a fiscal year or another given budgetary term. An operational plan is the basis for, and justification of an annual operating budget request. Therefore, a five-year strategic plan would need five operational plans funded by five operating budgets. Operational plans should establish the activities and budgets for each part of the organization for the next 1 3 years. They link the strategic plan with the activities the organization will deliver and the resources required to deliver them. An operational plan draws directly from agency and program strategic plans to describe agency and program missions and goals, program objectives, and program activities. Like a strategic plan, an operational plan addresses four questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to be? How do we get there? How do we measure our progress? The OP is both the first and the last step in preparing an operating budget request. As the first step, the OP provides a plan for resource allocation; as the last step, the OP may be modified to reflect policy decisions or financial changes made during the budget development process. Operational plans should be prepared by the people who will be involved in implementation. There is often a need for significant cross-departmental dialogue as plans created by one part of the organisation inevitably have implications for other parts. Operational plans should contain: clear objectives activities to be delivered quality standards desired outcomes staffing and resource requirements implementation timetables a process for monitoring progress. Helping Students   Budgeting can be difficult for students, which is why Ryman offers a discount on line of 12.5% for extra NUS customers. All you need to do is enter your card number in the shopping basket page or show your card in store.   If you are student but not a member of NUS Extra, you can receive a 10% discount in store if you show your student ID.   Helping those Looking for Gift Ideas   The great thing about stationery is that it is always useful, so it is an ideal gift for the practically-minded. You can now buy special pre-paid  gift cards  at various prices. Helping sport the Ryman League   Ryman are proud sponsors of the Isthmian Football League, called the Ryman League. The clubs are highly supportive of the companys charity fundraising and played with red footballs in support of the Red Nose Day and Sport Relief, as well as organising bucket collections.   Helping those in Need   The business has a great track record in supporting  good causes  and raised half a million pounds for Red Nose Day in 2009 and over  £225,000 for  Sport Relief  this year.   Employee fundraising is encouraged at all levels.   Ryman people   The companys dynamic Chief Executive Officer, Kypros Kyprianou, says that business should be fun, as well as being about making money. Perhaps this is why the company holds conferences for employees twice a year and encourages high performance through bonus schemes.   The high level of employee satisfaction might explain the low turnover of employees within the business, something that is very unusual within the competitive retail industry.   It is the belief of Chairman  Theo Paphitis, who is the Skillsmart Retail Apprentices Champion, that happy employees provide the best possible customer service.   All store employees have to be thoroughly trained before they can serve a customer, not least because they need to be aware of legislation relating to the sale of various goods. Training is then run on an on-going basis, resulting in employees joining the companys own Five Star Training program.   In addition, the company has just set up a Retail Academy that is currently training groups of store employees who are gaining a new qualification while working and so far the feedback has been very positive all round.   Ryman is a supporter of the  retail trust  charity which offers a confidential counselling service to retail employees.   Product Range and Sourcing   Product quality is important to Ryman and the company makes sure that all suppliers comply with the code of ethical trading (The Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code) and continues to monitor these standards on a regular basis. Like all forward-thinking companies, Ryman aims to minimize its carbon emissions and has put plans in place to achieve this important aim. Marketing plan A  marketing plan  is a business document written for the purpose of describing the current market position of a business and its  marketing strategy  for the period covered by the marketing plan. Marketing plans usually have a life of from one to five years. Purpose of a Marketing Plan The purpose of creating a marketing plan is to clearly show what steps will be undertaken to achieve the business marketing objectives. While some small business owners include their marketing plan as part of their overall business plan, if a business owner follows the recommended SBA format, parts of the marketing plan will be included in the various areas of the business plan. As an alternative, the marketing plan may be attached in its entirety as an appendix to a business plan. Whats in a Marketing Plan? A typical small business marketing plan might include a description of its competitors, the demand for the product or service, and the strengths and weaknesses from a market standpoint of both the business and its competitors. Other elements usually contained in a marketing plan include: Description of the product or service, including special features Marketing budget, including the advertising and promotional plan Description of the business location, including advantages and disadvantages for marketing Pricing strategy Market segmentation (specializing in specific niche markets or, if mass marketing, how marketing strategy might differ between different segments, such as age groups). Behind the corporate objectives, which in themselves offer the main context for the marketing plan, will lie the corporate mission, which in turn provides the context for these corporate objectives. In a sales-oriented organization, the marketing planning function designs incentive pay plans to not only motivate and reward frontline staff fairly but also to align marketing activities with corporate mission. This corporate mission can be thought of as a definition of what the organization is, of what it does: Our business is. This definition should not be too narrow, or it will constrict the development of the organization; a too rigorous concentration on the view that We are in the business of making meat-scales, as IBM was during the early 1900s, might have limited its subsequent development into other areas. On the other hand, it should not be too wide or it will become meaningless; We want to make a profit is not too helpful in developing specific plans. Abell suggested that the definition should cover three dimensions: customer groups to be served, customer needs to be served, and technologies to be utilized. Thus, the definition of IBMs corporate mission in the 1940s might well have been: We are in the business of handling accounting information [customer need] for the larger US organizations [customer group] by means of punched cards  [technology]. Perhaps the most important factor in successful marketing is the corporate vision. Surprisingly, it is largely neglected by marketing textbooks, although not by the popular exponents of corporate strategy indeed, it was perhaps the main theme of the book by Peters and Waterman, in the form of their Super ordinate Goals. In Search of Excellence said: Nothing drives progress like the imagination. The idea precedes the deed.  If the organization in general, and its chief executive in particular, has a strong vision of where its future lies, then there is a good chance that the organization will achieve a strong position in its markets (and attain that future). This will be not least because its strategies will be consistent and will be supported by its staff at all levels. In this context, all of IBMs marketing activities were underpinned by its philosophy of customer service, a vision originally promoted by the charismatic Watson dynasty. The emphasis at this stage is on obtaining a complete and accurate picture. A traditional albeit product-based format for a brand reference book (or, indeed, a marketing facts book) was suggested by Godley more than three decades ago: Financial data-Facts for this section will come from  management accounting, costing and finance sections. Product data-From production, research and development. Sales and distribution data Sales, packaging, distribution sections. Advertising,  sales promotion, merchandising data Information from these departments. Market data and miscellany From  market research, who would in most cases act as a source for this information. His sources of data, however, assume the resources of a very large organization. In most organizations they would be obtained from a much smaller set of people (and not a few of them would be generated by the marketing manager alone). It is apparent that a marketing audit can be a complex process, but the aim is simple:  it is only to identify those existing (external and internal) factors which will have a significant impact on the future plans of the company.  It is clear that the  basic  material to be input to the marketing audit should be comprehensive. Accordingly, the best approach is to accumulate this material continuously, as and when it becomes available; since this avoids the otherwise heavy workload involved in collecting it as part of the regular, typically annual, planning process itself when time is usually at a premium. Even so, the first task of this  annual  process should be to check that the material held in the current  facts book  or  facts files  actually  is  comprehensive and accurate, and can form a sound basis for the marketing audit itself. The structure of the facts book will be designed to match the specific needs of the organization, but one simple format suggested by Malcolm McDonald may be applicable in many cases. This splits the material into three groups: Review of the marketing environment. A study of the organizations markets, customers, competitors and the overall economic, political, cultural and technical environment; covering developing trends, as well as the current situation. Review of the detailed marketing activity.  A study of the companys  marketing mix; in terms of the 7 Ps (see below) Review of the marketing system.  A study of the marketing organization,  marketing research  systems and the current marketing objectives and strategies. The last of these is too frequently ignored. The marketing system itself needs to be regularly questioned, because the validity of the whole marketing plan is reliant upon the accuracy of the input from this system, and `garbage in, garbage out applies with a vengeance. Portfolio planning.  In addition, the coordinated planning of the individual products and services can contribute towards the balanced portfolio. 80:20 rule.  To achieve the maximum impact, the marketing plan must be clear, concise and simple. It needs to concentrate on the 20 percent of products or services, and on the 20 percent of customers, which will account for 80 percent of the volume and 80 percent of the profit. 7 Ps: Product, Place, Price and Promotion, Physical Environment, People, Process. The 7 Ps can sometimes divert attention from the customer, but the framework they offer can be very useful in building the action plans. Financial plan A financial plan consists of sets of  financial statement  that forecast the resource implications of making business decisions. For example, a company that is deciding to expand e.g. by buying and fitting out a new factory will create a financial plan which considers the resources required and the financial performance that will justify their use. You can see from this statement that the financial plan will need to take into account sources of finance, costs of finance, costs of developing the project, as well as the revenues and likely profits to justify the expansion program.   Planning models may consist of thousands of calculations. Typically these plans will be constructed with the aid of forecasting models and spreadsheets that can calculate and recalculate figures such as profit, cash flows and balance sheets simply by changing the assumptions. For example, the business may want to do one set of calculations for low, medium, and high demand figures for its products. Financial plans Financial plans are typically made out for a given time period, e.g. one, three or five years. The length of the time considered depends on the importance of projecting into the future and the reliability of estimates the further we consider the future. Long-term plans are created for major strategic decisions made by a business such as: take over and merger activity expansion of capacity development of new products overseas expansion. In addition financial planning will be carried out for shorter time spans. For example, annual budgets will be created which can be analysed by month and by cost centre. Short term financial plans then provide targets for junior and middle management, and a measure against which actual performance can be monitored and controlled. In addition it is normal practice for a business to prepare a three- or five-year plan in less detail, which is updated annually. A  budget  is a short term financial plan. It is sometimes referred to as a plan expressed in money but it is more accurately described as a plan involving numbers. A cost centre is defined by CIMA as a production or service location, function, activity or item of equipment whose costs may be attributed to cost units. This Financial Plan template will help you to identify the: Types of labour costs to be incurred during the project Items of equipment needed to deliver the project Various materials needed by the project Unit costs for labor, equipment and materials Other costs types such as administration Amount of contingency needed You can then use the Financial Plan template to create a budget by: Calculating the total cost involved in completing the project Identifying the total cost of each project activity Creating a schedule of expenses Creating a project budget is an extremely important part in any project, as it gives you a  goal post  to aim for. This Financial Plan will help you meet that goal post, by giving you a clear process and template for creating a budget for your project. http://www.myrightplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Financial-planning-process.jpg

Essay --

Statement of Purpose Do you remember your very first day of school? I fixed the memory of this day in my mind which makes significant contribution in my education life. I run from my school that day due to have very mixed feeling about starting the journey of my education life. My grandmother gave me advice that hacked to my mind forever. She said everyone has her/his own universe, someone prefers to lead a life at dark universe while others not only do try to light their universe but also they make an effort to light the universe of other people. Getting knowledge and studying hard lead to achieving enlightenment. At that time, I thought that I should come back to school and study hard in order to light my universe and avoid being blind. By passing years, I understand the secret of my grandmother sentences. During high school I was one of outstanding students with the first rank at mathematical major. I chose industrial engineering for my bachelor degree because I believe this major would have helped me to increase my knowledge about different core areas of engineering and even management. Passing certain courses like project control, system analysis and planning, and dynamic systems analysis inspired me to transfer my information to industrial scope in order to find how theory have been applied to industrial scope. I worked as a trainee at several automotive firms and interacted with experts who had invaluable experiences which would be never taught at university. I thought my universe got light with learning expert’s experiences and their correlation with my courses in university. At the third summer of my bachelor, working as a trainee at the one of big and well-know companies in our country; provide me with golden oppor... ...try to light their universe† I should seek the research on my interest scope and persuade PHD level at system engineering specifically supply chain and operation research in order to improve my skills as a researcher and be accustomed with special problems and their solutions that are related to developed countries which would never happen if I wanted to continue my education at my own country. Choosing Gorge Mason University to reach my purposes is the first step of this long learning journey. Talking with Dr. Huang assured me this university pays utmost attention to the potential of research of students which is my favorite hobby. I believe that by coordinating with the eminent faculty of the department of system engineering like Dr. Huang, I will be able to light my dark universe a little more. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely yours, Maryam

Motivation is the incentive to work Essay

Motivation is the incentive to work; hence having a motivated workforce is vital for most businesses, since a highly motivated workforce can lead to higher rates of productivity, better quality output, and low rates of absenteeism and labour turnover. The main factors which, affect the motivation of workers are pay levels, job security, promotional prospects, responsibility, working conditions, fringe benefits, participation in decision-making and working in a team There are two basic theories of motivation, content theories and process theories. Content theories deal with what actually motivates people, what needs to be satisfied in order for workers to be motivated. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is an example of a content theory. Process theories on the other hand deal with the though processes which affect the workforces behaviour. An example of this is staff at a company working on commission, e.g. their pay is directly affected by production or their sales. I hope to improve my understanding of the different theories and how these theories are applied in real world companies. Abraham Maslow’s theory of human motivation was published in 1943. He based his theory upon his belief that actualisation was the driving force of human personality. His theory is a five-tiered hierarchy of needs, and is as such; 1.) Physiological needs – These are the basic needs to survive, food, shelter and warmth. 2.) Security needs – These are the needs for job security, security from emotional and physical harm. 3.) Affiliation needs – These are the needs for affection, belonging, acceptance and friendship. 4.) Esteem needs – The need for self-respect and to gain the respect of others 5.) Self-actualisation – The need of a person to reach there full potential. Maslow believed that each level had to be fulfilled before the next level could be achieved, but once a level had been achieved that level no longer motivated, for example, hungry man may be desperate for food, but once he eats a good meal, the promise of food no longer motivates him. I believe since, this theory was written in the 1950’s it is no longer as relevant, compared to when it was written, due to everybody’s physiological needs are met, either by the government or by their job. Security needs are met in today’s world, due to the fact that people cannot be unfairly dismissed, hence so long as they do there work correctly they are secure in their job. So these two factors are no longer motivational. Other than two levels becoming obsolete, I believe Maslow’s theory to be relevant to many companies in the business world, which in turn means that I believe Hertzberg’s theory to be relevant to most companies in the business world. An example of a company to which Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is indeed relevant, is Asda. Physiological needs are provided by Asda, but as they are no longer a motivating factor, they are considered irrelevant, since if a person were to not have a job their physiological needs would be provided for by the government. At Asda job security is provided in that, personnel, if Asda deems them, to be inadequate workers, are given an informal warning, then three official warnings, then a weeks notice would be given if there’s no improvement. The affiliation needs of people are fulfilled by each Asda employee being given a ‘buddy’, which whom, problems, qualms, etc can be privately and confidentially discussed. The esteem needs of people are met by Asda having events such as an achievers lunch, at which, that month’s best worker from each department is invited to a lunch together. There are also other things like an award for giving the best customer service each month, departmental competitions and employee’s, if they have an idea to improve Asda, can ‘tell Tony’, this is a scheme which, allows all Asda employees to participate in the running of the company. The prospect of self-actualisation is achieved by offering employees the opportunity for training, promotion, which will allow them to work their way up the job ladder, to their maximum potential. Douglas McGregor’s theory of the x and y managers was published in a book called ‘The Human Side Of Enterprise’, in 1960. His theory stereotypes all managers into two groups, type x and type y. Type x manager’s work on the assumption that all human beings have an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if they can. Due to this they work on the principle of reward and punishment, or stick and carrot. McGregor believed that type x managers are lazy, obtuse, dislike responsibility and need to use control factors to motivate employees, such as pay. Theory x managers contradict, since it relies on employees needing only financial gain to motivate them. Theory x managers give only context factors, which, in Hertzberg’s opinion do not motivate. Theory y managers are creative and aim to develop potential. They work under the assumption that control and punishment are not the only way to get people to work. People will be more productive if they are committed to the aims of the organisation, and they will be committed if they have job satisfaction Asda attempt to use type y managers since, employees are encouraged to be creative, with ideas such as the ‘tell Tony’ scheme mentioned above. But there is one outlying principle used by Asda, which, shows that management cannot be stereotyped, in that employees are financially punished, if they receive an official warning, in that they lose their bonus. Hertzberg theory is that there are context or hygiene factors and motivators or content factors. Context or hygiene factors do not motivate, but without them there would be dissatisfaction. These factors involve the work environment rather than what people actually do on the job. Context factors are, salary, supervision, security, working conditions and status. Motivators or content factors are factors, which, motive employees and involves what people actually do on the job. These are achievement, recognition, advancement and responsibility. As with Maslow the context factors, which are the same as the physiological needs and the security needs, have to be fulfilled before the content factors can be fulfilled, which are similar to the higher tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy, but it is separated into two tiers, rather than five. I believe Hertzberg’s theory to be a modification of Maslow’s theory that is more applicable to the modern world, since modern or basic needs, no longer include only food, shelter and warmth, most people will consider a TV, car, etc, basic needs. These modern basic needs can be covered by Hertzberg’s context factors. Asda use Hertzberg’s theory, since it is a modern extension of Maslow’s theory, as I explained above. Taylor theory was not about motivation; rather it was about specialisation, which had the same final result as motivation, increased productivity and efficiency. Taylor formed the basis for all the theorists with his introduction of the scientific approach to decision making. Taylor’s theory is still applicable to all professions, since he created specialisation, which is the basis of all modern businesses. Previous to Taylor creating specialisation workers had changed jobs erratically, so people never learnt how to do a job efficiently, but when Taylor introduced specialisation people only did one type of job, weaving for example, so they became skilled in doing that specific thing, so the production line was more efficient. During this assignment I have developed a more though understanding of what motivates people and the theories developed to motivate people. Prior to completing this assignment I had failed to realise the importance of motivation.

Children and Criminal Intent

Case Study #1 James M. Bufford Liberty University Online 11/18/12 This week’s case study was very interesting from a developmental standpoint. It seems to be a rather blanket statement of our legal system to say that children under 7 are not held responsible for crimes and that a 6 year-old cannot form criminal intent. My personal opinion is that children differ in their maturity levels (some may act older, others younger, developmentally). However, with that opinion, I can see the argument of: Who determines that maturity level? What is that determination based upon?What research has been done to prove this? Therefore, we must refer to what has been proven through the many years of research of biosocial development. According to our text, the prefrontal cortex (sometimes called the frontal cortex or frontal lobe) is said to be the executive of the brain because all the other areas of the cortex are ruled by the planning, prioritizing and reflection in the prefrontal cortex. S till, this area must be developed-or mature-over the years; this development occurs through genetics and early experience (Berger, 2011, pg. 15). In this case, it seems the early experience of growing up around those that were most likely careless and irresponsible with guns, had a major impact on the boys life. Maybe he was taught to shoot in the backyard? All of this could be considered what Vygotsky considered to be â€Å"Social Learning†-which could also lead to the child being curious about guns and observant about how they are to be used, as well as being â€Å"mentored† by his loved ones who were also in prison on gun-related charges (Berger, 2011, pg. 240). Maybe he feared his classmate?This may have led to him taking the gun to school, being afraid of confrontation. The interaction of the amygdala and the hippocampus can cause fear to be either constructive (causing a child to use good judgement); or, in this case, destructive, allowing fear and misplaced ange r to take over their emotions and act out on what he’s seen other family members do (shooting a gun) (Berger, 2011, pg. 217). Perseveration, the tendency to persevere in, or stick to, one thought or action for a long time (Berger, 2011, pg. 216), may have also played a role in the child carrying out this action of shooting his classmate.The fact that he was able to remember overnight to take the gun to school and use it the next day. Acknowledging, once again, the childs’ upbringing, maybe he was encouraged to be like his other family members? This could be a natter of gaining extrinsic motivation, which is a drive, or reason to pursue a goal, that arises from the need to have one’s achievements rewarded outside, perhaps by receiving material possessions or another person’s esteem (Berger, 2011, pg. 267). This, as well, is crucial to consider when looking at all the factors that went into the child committing this crime.Who knows how long this lifestyle w as embedded into his young, impressionable mind! There were so many variables that contributed to this unfortunate situation. The fact that he ran into the corner after pulling the trigger shows that maybe when he got in trouble at home, he was sent to the corner as a way of punishment. His actions after the crime showed he carried on as a child, not realizing the significance and danger of what just occurred due to his impulsiveness in the moment of anger. REFERENCES Berger, 2011. The Developing Person Through The Life Span. New York, NY. Worth Publishers