Essay on Mission, Vision and Strategy

Mission, Vision, Values & Goals David Grusenmeyer Sr. Extension Associate, PRO-DAIRY Introduction Teams and team building efforts are popular buzzwords in today’s work environment. Bringing individuals together in the workplace and getting them to work together as an effective team is a challenge. The sports team analogy is often sighted and sought after in the workplace, but seldom achieved. What is it about successful sports teams that make them function so well as teams? Several observations stand out: 1.The coaches or captains are successful at establishing the same vision in the mind of each team member; that at the end of the season they will be #1 in their league, city, state, or nation. 2. All members share a common team mission or goal; to win each and every game they play. 3. There’s an opponent, or a goal to be bested, and everyone knows clearly who or what it is. 4. Each player has a personal mission and goals that mesh with or complement those of the team; to perform their part of each play during the game to the best of their ability. 5.Each team member knows their position and how their individual efforts contribute to the team’s success. They also know their teammates depend on them. Business owners/managers will experience success in team building and success in their business to the extent they: 1. Have clearly defined organizational mission, vision, values and goals. 2. Clearly articulate the mission, vision, values and goals to everyone involved with the business. 3. Mesh the business’s mission, vision, values and goals tightly into those of each individual so that in achieving individual goals and visions, business goals and visions are also achieved.Think about your business. Is there a clearly identified vision of where the farm is headed? How will the business look or operate in one, two, five or ten years? If you don’t know where you’re going any road will take you there. And, if you can’ t clearly describe where you’re headed how can you expect your family members, employees, or agri-service professionals to help you get there? Do you have a clearly defined mission? Why is your farm in business? What do you hope to achieve? Does everyone on the farm ? family, employees, and agri-service representatives ? know what that mission is?Do they see your commitment to it everyday? Have they accepted the mission as important to them? Does each individual know how their efforts contribute to the mission? 1 Are there specific goals and objectives? Does everyone accept these goals and see how achieving farm goals will help them achieve their own personal goals? Are the goals and objectives translated into work performance standards and expectations for each employee? These are not easy questions, but as we increasingly depend on the talents and efforts of others to make our farm successful, answering them affirmatively becomes ever more important.Core Values Even though we frequently talk about mission and vision first, the basic underlying foundation for both are our core values. Core values are the principles and standards at the very center of our character, and from which we will not budge or stray. Core values are extremely stable and change only very slowly over long periods of time. Core values form the basis for our beliefs about life, ourselves and those around us, and the human potential of ourselves and others. Values and beliefs form our attitudes and guide our behavior.The behaviors we engage in are what people around us see, along with our skills and actions. Our outer or public shell of behaviors and skills can change rapidly and dramatically through our lives, influenced by our environment and guided by our more stable core values and beliefs. 2 For some people identifying and communicating personal core values can be a difficult task. Core values are so close to the center of who we are that they tend to be very protected and not s hared with others until a personal relationship has been established.The fact that these values are so central to what’s important to us individually, makes it all the more important to think about them first as a basis for establishing sound and meaningful mission, vision and goals in both our life and business. Once the values of an individual or organization are identified, it’s frequently useful to rank them from more to less important. Then when questions come up later where one value must be traded off against another the decision will be easier to make and communicate. For example, say the core values of a farm business are efficiency, family, safety and respect for others.If a question comes up about implementing a practice that will improve operational efficiency but may compromise the health and safety of employees, knowing the relative importance of efficiency versus safety will help guide the decision. If an employee’s child is hospitalized are they expected to be at the farm for their shift regardless, or with their child in the hospital? Knowing the relative importance of family versus operational efficiency will help answer that question. It won’t necessarily make these decisions easy or totally objective but it will bring some guidance and consistency to the decision making process.In the high stakes game of professional football Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys for years. Win or loose he always maintained a cool, calm, stoic presence on the sideline. A reporter once asked him how he was able to maintain such a calm focus with all the pressures. Coach Landry replied it’s easy because I have my priorities straight. First is my God, second my wife, third my family and fourth is football, so if I loose on the weekend I have lots of more important things to support me through the week. Defining your core values first will help you get your priorities in order.Mission A personal mission or a farm business miss ion statement deals with questions like, â€Å"Why are we here? †, â€Å"Why do we exist? †, â€Å"Why do we get up each day and do what we do? †, â€Å"What is it that we get paid for? † â€Å"What function does the organization perform? For whom? How? † The mission is a broad statement of personal or business scope, purpose and operation that distinguishes me, or my farm, from others. A farm business cannot have values, beliefs or a mission outside of the people who makeup that business.Therefore, especially for small closely held businesses, it’s important that each principle in the business write their own personal mission statement first, then come together as a group or team to develop a mission statement for the business. 3 A farm business mission statement reflects the core values and beliefs of the individuals who lead the business. To the extent there are large differences between a farm mission and a personal mission, or between f arm business values and personal core values, there will be discord and friction for that individual within the business.Weather you’re an owner, an employee or a consultant, one way to help assure happiness and fulfillment at work is to be certain your values and mission are in alignment with those of the business. People have been known to become physically ill from the stress of working in a business where their core values were at odds with the values and ethics practiced in the business In addition to giving structure and direction to an individual or business, well-written mission statements are excellent tools to inform others about what’s important to you and how you operate your business.Example mission statement 1: â€Å"Our priorities are God, family (people), business. Our goal is to be a place where people (our most valuable asset) have the opportunity to grow spiritually, personally, intellectually, and financially. Through putting God first and people s econd, our success as individuals and as a business is guaranteed. † Example mission statement 2: â€Å"To produce large quantities of high-quality milk as economically as possible, in order to provide an adequate standard of living for both owners and employees. These two mission statements communicate very different notions about what’s important on these two farms and also give some indication that day-to-day business may be conducted differently as a result. Any mission statement that concisely represents truth and reality about the individual or the farm is a good mission statement. Likewise, any statement that doesn’t honestly and accurately represent the values and beliefs of the individual or the farm is a poor mission statement, regardless of what is says or how good it sounds.If excellence is a stated value or the pursuit of excellence a stated mission, yet average, industry standard, or legal requirement is â€Å"good enough†, then what is the real commitment to excellence? Do they really â€Å"live† their stated mission? Mission statements serve to inform employees, friends, neighbors, and agribusiness people about what’s important to you and your business. They also serve as anchors and guideposts for both strategic and operational or tactical decision making on the farm. Vision While a mission is a statement of what is, a vision is a statement of what or how you would like things to be.A picture of the future you’re working to create, what you want to be when you grow up, what you want your business to become. 4 Without a vision of where you’re going how can you develop a plan to get there and how will you know when you’ve arrived? Without a vision of where we would like to be, we can continue hiking various trails through life, climbing mountain after mountain, only to discover each time that we’ve arrived somewhere we really don’t want to be. Nothing was ever created w ithout a vision. It guides us, gives us direction and purpose, and can serve as a powerful motivator for those around us and ourselves.In order to truly guide and motivate a vision must: 1. Be aligned with the core values of both the individuals and the farm business. and 2. Be effectively communicated to and accepted by everyone involved in the farm. The more precise and detailed you can be in writing a description of your vision of the future, the easier it will be to communicate it to others and gain their commitment to it, and the more likely you will be to achieve it. Being able to articulate a clear vision of the future is essential if you expect employees and agri-service consultants to help you get there.Success comes through bringing aboard people ? as partners, employees or consultants ? with core values that fit well with the business, and who understand and accept the business mission and vision as matching closely with their own. Developing visions and missions that are truly shared takes time, effort, energy and commitment. You can’t expect that just because you develop mission and vision statements, read them at a staff meeting and even hand them out in printed form, that everyone will immediately accept and work toward achieving them.You need to walk the talk and be totally committed to them yourself first, and then discuss them with your employees and consultants at least eight or ten times before they will believe you’re really serious and begin to internalize these statements. Goals & Objectives Mission and vision, although frequently short statements, are broad, encompassing and far-reaching. They can often seem overwhelming and perhaps even impossible to achieve. The metaphors, â€Å"How do you eat an elephant? – One bite at a time† and â€Å"A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step†, fit well in regard to achieving a mission and vision.Goals and objectives create the bite size pieces, the road map and manageable stepping stones to achieve the mission, make the vision a reality, and navigate the course we have set for our business, or for ourselves. 5 Reading the business literature is confusing as to what’s a goal and what’s an objective, they’re used interchangeably from one business author to another. The education literature however is consistent and specific. Goals are the bigger fuzzy things and objectives are the small: – S pecific – M easurable – A ttainable – R ewarding – T imed steps through which we achieve our goals.It doesn’t really matter what we call them as long as we keep in mind the principle of, â€Å"start small and break it down to minuscule† in terms of identifying the steps that will move us in the direction we want to go. While it’s possible to get bogged down in minutiae, the reality is, few people error on the side of too much detail when it comes to writing goals a nd objectives. More often than not employees are confused and frustrated by a lack of detail. To be effective goals and objectives must be written. If they aren’t in writing they’re merely ideas with no real power or conviction behind them.Written goals and objectives provide motivation to achieve them and can then be used as a reminder to you and others. Clearly and specifically written, they also eliminate confusion and misunderstanding. Among all the attributes of a well-written objective, the most important are measurable results and a timeframe for completion. Being able to quantify results and evaluate the timeliness of accomplishing goals allows owners or managers to assess the performance and progress of the overall business as well as individuals and teams within the business.Having well developed goals and objectives also helps: Maintain focus and perspective Establish priorities Lead to greater job satisfaction Improve employee performance. Researchers study ing the effects of goals as part of a company’s overall performance management process found that the level of performance is highest when: Goals are clearly stated and contain specific objectives Goals are challenging but not unreasonable Employees accept their goals with a true sense of ownership Employees participate in setting and reviewing their goals.As time goes on and goals are achieved, or conditions and situations change, it’s important to reevaluate and establish new goals and objectives. Failure to periodically 6 set new or more challenging goals can lead to stagnation in the business and boredom among employees. Finally, as goals are achieved or milestones along the way are reached, providing positive feedback and rewards for yourself and employees is critical to maintaining enthusiasm and continued progress. What’s Your Goal Setting Quotient? Yes 1. I work from a comprehensive business plan or a formal long-range strategic plan.My business (team) h as an operational plan that is revised annually. Each of my family members and employees has an individual plan that covers his/her goals for the year. I meet with my family members or employees regularly to review progress toward their goals. I meet with my team regularly to check on progress toward goals. When a goal is set I make sure it’s monitored and doesn’t fall through the cracks. I build my relationships with family members and employees around tasks we mutually identify and pursue. I feel good when I relinquish control and pass responsibility on to others.Business goals are set by all the key people, not just by me. No 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. I praise my family members and employees freely and publicly when they accomplish their goals. A yes to all 10 puts you at the top in management proficiency with regard to goal setting. 7 Summary The following analogy of a group of people carpooling together may help to pull things together. It would be very difficul t for everyone in a carpool to make a decision on whether to turn right, left or go straight at the next intersection if each was headed for a different destination.If they’re all going to the same place, they may have different ideas on which way to turn and exactly how to get to where they’re going. One may like the scenic route, another knows about road construction that should be avoided, a third may want to take a shortcut and arrive early, a fourth may need to run an errand along the way. Since their destination is the same, even though there is diversity in their ideas, they should be able to reach a consensus decision on the route to take based on information provided by each.Likewise in a business it’s difficult or impossible to agree on strategic or even tactical decisions if everyone in the business ? owners, managers, family members, employees ? are not all headed in the same direction, toward the same mission and vision. If a family, a business, or a team doesn’t have a common direction ? mission, vision and core values ? arguments will occur surrounding nearly every decision and agreements may be impossible. Developing shared mission, vision and values is the first step in laying a foundation for making strategic and tactical decisions that will move the business forward.Having them in place won’t eliminate arguments and disagreements, but at least the disagreement will be about how to best get to the same endpoint as opposed to heading in opposite directions. Getting Started Discovering and developing a business’s mission, vision and values is not an easy task. For small and closely held businesses the business mission, vision and values stem from those of the individuals involved, it makes sense that each individual should first identify their personal mission, vision, values and goals and then come together to develop them for the business.The following worksheets are designed to help you work through the process of identifying your personal core values and developing a personal mission statement. Some of them may also be useful in developing your business mission and vision statements. I recommend using all of the worksheet exercises in the sequence in which they appear here. However, these are simply tools to help you through the process so feel free to use any or all of them in whatever sequence you believe will be helpful.The objective is to get you thinking from several different perspectives about what is important to you and what you stand for. 8 Characteristics Survey Below is a list of 20 personal characteristics arranged in alphabetical order. Rank each item according to the importance of that characteristic for YOU. Study the list carefully. Then place a 1 next to the characteristic that is most important for you; place a 2 next to the second most important characteristic, etc. The characteristic that is least important to you, relative to the others, should be ranked 20. Work slowly and think carefully.If you change your mind, feel free to change the ranking. The end results should show how you truly feel. Add characteristics that are important to you but missing from the list. _____Ambitious (hard working, aspiring) _____Broadminded (open-minded, tolerant, accepting) _____Capable (competent, effective) _____Cheerful (lighthearted, joyful, happy) _____Courageous (brave, standing up for your beliefs) _____Dependable (reliable, trustworthy, responsible) _____Forgiving (willing to pardon others) _____Friendly (pleasant, warm, outgoing, good-natured) _____Helpful working for the welfare of others) _____Honest (sincere, truthful) _____Imaginative (daring, creative, original) _____Independent (self-reliant, self-sufficient) _____Intellectual (intelligent, reflective, knowledgeable) _____Logical (consistent, rational, realistic) _____Loving (affectionate, tender) _____Obedient (dutiful, respectful) _____Organized (clean, neat, tidy) _____Polite (courte ous, well-mannered, respectful) _____Self-confident (self-assured, poised, self-aware) _____Self-controlled (restrained, self-disciplined) _____ ____________________________________ 9 Values SurveyBelow is a list of 20 values arranged in alphabetical order. Rank them in order of their importance to YOU as guiding principals in YOUR life. Study the list carefully. Then place a 1 next to the value that is most important for you; place a 2 next to the value that is second most important to you, etc. The value that is least important, relative to the others, should be ranked 20. Work slowly and think carefully. If you change your mind, feel free to change your numbers. The end results should show how you truly feel. Add values that are important to you but missing from the list. ____Achievement (attaining personal and professional goals, accomplishment) _____A comfortable life (a prosperous life, adequate finances) _____Equality (brotherhood, equal opportunity for all, fairness) _____An exciting life (a stimulating, active life) _____Family security (caring for loved ones, being cared for) _____Freedom (independence, free choice, autonomy) _____Happiness (contentedness, fulfillment) _____Inner Harmony (freedom from inner conflict, accord, balance) _____Leaving a legacy (something that endures after you are gone) _____Mature love (sexual and spiritual intimacy) _____National security (protection from attack) _____Pleasure (an enjoyable, leisurely life) _____Salvation (deliverance from sin, eternal life) _____Self-respect (self-esteem, pride, self-worth) _____A sense of accomplishment (making a lasting contribution) _____Social recognition (respect, admiration, appreciation) _____True friendship (close companionship, love) _____Wisdom (a mature understanding of life, insight, knowledge) _____A world at peace (freedom from war and conflict) _____A world of beauty (beauty of nature and the arts) _____ ______________________________________ 10 What’s Important ? Look back at your ranking of values and personal characteristics. Are there values or personal characteristics that are important to you and are not listed? If so, add them to your list. Now list below, in rank order of importance, your top eight most important values and top eight most important personal characteristics. These are your core values and characteristics that you would not compromise on or stray from regardless of the situation. Values Characteristics 11 My Roles In Life Identify all the roles you play in your life (e. g. aughter, son, student, employee, parent, grandparent, husband, wife, church member, school board member, local charity committee member, etc. ). Then describe the purpose you serve in that role. Why you do it? What’s important about it? Who depends on you? Who benefits? Role Your Purpose In That Role 12 Interacting With People To a great extent getting along in this world means getting along with and interacting with people. List ways that you successfully interact with people. Examples: Advise Teach Encourage Stimulate Help Sell Enthuse Entertain Lead Educate Motivate Study Provide Serve Reassure Manage Love Inspire Plan Excite Support 13 If I Won an Award If I won an award, what would the award be for?What would I want the presenter to say about me? What would my parents, grandparents, spouse, children, siblings be proud to hear about me? 14 What Do I Want In Life ? What do I want people to say about me in 10 years. . . , 20 years. . . , when I die? What do I want to accomplish in my life? What do I want to do (experience) in my life? What do I want to have (posses) in my life? 15 A Perfect World Visualize your perfect world. How does it look? What are people doing? What are people saying? How does it feel? Write a description of this perfect world. Example: My perfect world is a place where people know their destinations and enjoy their life journeys.My perfect world is a world at peace where people are helpful, frien dly and truly care about everyone. My perfect world is a world where I am in close contact with my God, my family, my friends and my environment. My perfect world . . . 16 Personal Mission Statement Combine words and concepts from your values list, characteristics list, roles in your life, interacting with people list, and things you want in life, along with your description of a perfect world, to create your personal mission statement. Example: My life purpose is to use my energy and my people skills to teach and motivate people to know their destination and enjoy their life journey. My life purpose is . . . 17

Operations Management Case Studies Essay

1. Introduction This report focuses on the case studies of the Levi Jeans workers and the California Auto Club reengineering customer service. It looks at operations management as a source for gaining a competitive advantage and overcoming potential problems experienced within and organisation or workplace. The questions to be reviewed are as follows: Jeans Therapy – Levi’s factory worker are assigned to teams, and morale takes a hit: 1. What went wrong with Levi’s move to teams in their plants?; 2. What could Levi’s have done differently to avert the problems?; 3. Devise a team incentive plan that you think might work; and 4. Do you think the need to move jeans production offshore was inevitable? Could Levi’s have done anything to avert the problem of increasing labour costs? A California Auto Club reengineering customer service: 1. Discuss the customer service process at CSAA and discuss the different phases of the reengineering effort; 2. What tools from the operations consulting tool kit were applied here? Which other ones would be of value here? Explain; and 3. Discuss process enablers’ role developing the new design. 2. What went wrong with Levi’s move to teams in their plants? In order to respond to both change and complexity, most organisations are turning to new, more adaptive ways of doing their work, such as flatter organisational structures, more team orientated environments and greater support from technology. 2.1 Scientific management It is fair to say that pre-introduction of the new teamwork system, Levi’s had in place the ideals of scientific management. Around the turn of the Twentieth Century, Frederick Winslow Taylor had developed a set of ideas designed to get employees in manufacturing industries to produce more output. Taylor’s objective was to attain high productivity by eliminating inefficient motions in human labour. Hence he divided work process into the smallest elements or motions based on ‘time and motion studies’, separated intellectual and manual work, searched for the ‘first class’ employee, who would then be trained and specialised on specific tasks, and provided them with good tools and paid elevated incentives for their high-quality performance. Taylor and his disciples cited the search for efficiency, ‘one best way’ to do a job, as justification for such changes. Because scientific management consultants claimed they understood the â€Å"natural laws† of human behaviour and endurance, they argued that the implementation of scientific management would benefit both workers and society at-large. Nevertheless, skilled workers and their unions often vociferously protested these changes because such practices made their work monotonous and also trespassed upon what they perceived as their traditional prerogative to manage their own time on the job. 2.2 Implementation of teams In 1992, Levi’s abandoned its old piecework system, under which a worker repeatedly performed a single, specialised task and was paid according to  the total amount of work he or she completed. The new system would adopt groups of 10 to 35 to share tasks in the hope of higher organisational performance being gained from empowered individuals working together to contribute the best of their knowledge, skills and capabilities. While it was thought the new ‘teamwork’ system would be more humane, safe and profitable, the negative affect it had on employees and managers ultimately led to the closing down of the U.S. plants. The new system managed to cause conflict amongst employees, damaged morale and triggered corrosive infighting. Furthermore, many employees complained of shrinking pay packets and increasing workloads. What also could have contributed to the breakdown of the system could have included; individual opinions, were employees can face the struggle between competition over cooperation; establishing responsibilities, employees not assessing each others expectations and connecting them with goals; and misunderstanding, while it was essential for a team to have good communication skills, non-communication promotes confusion. 3. What could Levi’s have done differently to avert the problems? In 1993 Levi’s hired a consulting firm to analyse the problems, concluding the company should start from scratch and include all parties in redesign of pay structures and work processes. In hindsight, it is simple to say that Levi’s should not have phased out the old system as it seemed to be working. Having said this, with the introduction of the new system, there could have been greater emphasis placed on getting it right. What could Levi’s had done better? According to Keogh (2003), motivation is one of the most loaded nouns in the English language. It has an intrinsic negative, as well as positive, connotation and its trigger is different for each individual. In a corporate context, well-motivated employees can enhance a company. Those with poor motivation can generate serious workplace problems. 3.1 Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs In the late 1960’s, Abraham Maslow developed a hierarchical theory of human needs. He set up a hierarchical theory of needs in which all the basic needs are at the bottom, and the needs concerned with man’s highest potential are at the top. The hierarchic theory is often represented as a pyramid, with the larger, lower levels representing the lower needs, and the upper point representing the need for self-actualisation. Each level of the pyramid is dependent on the previous level. For example, a person does not feel the second need until the demands of the first have been satisfied. Employees in any organisation, let alone Levi’s, need rewards. Working long hours and spending much time away from their families takes its toll and rewarding employees represents an end to the means. The first reward, which Levi’s could have undertaken, relates to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. That is, employees feel rewarded with a high amount of self-esteem and a feeling of accomplishment for a job well done. This also ties in with self-actualisation as the employees have endured the many hardships in an industry notorious for low wages and lousy working conditions. Both of these needs are part of Maslow’s higher order need because they encompass more than just basic survival. 3.2 Frederick Herzberg motivator-hygiene theory In the late 1950s, Frederick Herzberg, considered by many to be a pioneer in motivation theory, interviewed a group of employees to find out what made them satisfied and dissatisfied on the job. Based on his findings, Herzberg constructed a two-dimensional paradigm of factors affecting people’s attitudes about work. He concluded that such factors as company policy, supervision, interpersonal relations, working conditions, and salary are hygiene factors rather than motivators. According to the theory, the absence of hygiene factors can create job dissatisfaction, but their presence does not motivate or create satisfaction. In contrast, he determined from the data that the motivators  were elements that enriched a person’s job; he found five factors in particular that were strong determiners of job satisfaction: achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and advancement. These motivators (satisfiers) were associated with long-term positive effects in job performance while the hygiene factors (dissatisfiers) consistently produced only short-term changes in job attitudes and performance, which quickly fell back to its previous level. If Levi’s took on the theories of Herzberg, whether in the old or new system, employees more than likely would have embraced change. From the outset, management, could have ensured employees were happy in their environment, by providing incentives, such as, bonus pay to highlight all of their hard work. As a result, the employees feel they have a sense of job security. 4. Devise a team incentive plan that you think might work. An incentive is something that tends to stimulate or spur individual or group action. Incentives (money, treats, certificates, extra privileges, etc.) are external ways of motivating group work. They can be used selectively to build a sense of internal motivation within the group. This is accomplished through another behaviour modification principal paired association (Tracey, 1999). Incentives make group members â€Å"feel good†, and these rewards follow a major accomplishment, then sooner or later the accomplishment itself will lead to a very positive feeling. This, in a nutshell, is the longer term justification for selectively using external incentives. In the case of Levi’s in is of my opinion that the need for affiliation is a basic motivator of work groups. Belonging to a special group, should have been highlighted, and having the time and resources to hang out with that group is very motivating and engaging, rather than monotonous work. Consequently, providing team incentives that allow group members the opportunity to mix is a very effective strategy in motivating group work  (Andrews, 1999). Either incorporating the gain sharing or lump-sum bonuses and individual bonuses would suffice to help morale and productivity. Refer to appendix A. 5. Do you think the need to move jeans production offshore was inevitable? Could Levi’s have done anything to avert the problem of increasing labour costs? By early 1997, the writing was on the wall for Levi’s as their flagship men’s denim jean had fallen to 26% of the market share from a high of 48% in 1990. In contemporary business, world companies need to be innovate in order to survive. Innovation is strongly advocated and treasured throughout the whole process of production. But scientific management hardly pays any attention to innovation. Instead, it focuses on dividing the job into small tasks, increasing the volume of output and then speeding up the rate of output. Was innovation for Levi’s to produce their product in foreign plants? 5.1 Globalisation Globalisation – is the movement of goods, services and money capital or investment across international boundaries and in this way becomes a predominately economic phenomenon sweeping the world. Throughout which, what were formerly national companies become international conglomerates. Hence, countries are no longer seen as independent and closed sovereign states, but as part of one big economy. Primarily this shift in thinking is driven by corporate America’s insatiable appetite to open new frontiers in emerging countries, and claim a monopoly on the source and distribution of products. All of which in short is because they are searching for more profit at a lower cost. Globalisation is also heavily backed by international consumerism, which is seen as the dominant ‘religion’ of the era, which means that the fruits of this global production are rapidly sought after and indeed hungrily consumed. Initially this flood of products into the local markets of major economies causes prices to decrease. Whilst this lower cost to consumers contributes to a higher standard of living, it is short lived. Globalisation also brings the world closer to a central economy. In their endless search for greater profits they turn to the less wealthy, such as many of the Asian countries, i.e. Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. A large number of the poorer (or developing) countries now have rapidly rising employment rates . This is mainly due to the fact that with a lower standard of living in these countries people are prepared to work for significantly less, and still produce the same product. 5.2 Averting increasing labour costs It is inevitable that in any organisation of Levi’s magnitude experiencing a drop in market share, that downsizing be a result because of it. Nowadays, markets have become far more global and dynamic, and the business environment turns more and more complicated and competitive. Employers and employees are faced with plenty of new opportunities and challenges. Also, manufacturing and information technology is getting more sophisticated speedily. To avert increasing labour costs, Levi’s did introduce more employee involvement, thus creating an environment in which people have an impact on decisions and actions that affect their jobs. This could have been a stayer, if not for the toffee- nosed managers. In a team-oriented environment, employees contribute to the overall success of the organisation, working with fellow members to produce results. This may have cut out some mangers, thus reducing escalating costs of consulting firms. However, whilst it’s true that the implementation of self-managing practices in the work place has achieved significant progress in terms of motivation, we must remember that there are always two sides to every story, and bottom line is that many of the U.S. plant were not performing and many workers  felt held back. 6. Discuss the customer service process at CSAA and discuss the different phases of the reengineering effort. CSAA were seeking ways in which to make operations better and more efficient. Gregory A. Smith, vice president and general manager of insurance operations, himself said that â€Å"it was obvious that the old ways of doing business wouldn’t work in the future, and that we needed to make some fundamental changes.† How was CSAA going to implement change to their outdated customer service strategy? 6.1 Pre reengineering effort Before the implementation of the reengineering effort CSAA had seemed like a trusted member of the family to its many members. But under its own admission, and for a need to improve operations, the business process at CSAA needed to go under the microscope. At the time of the old regime, the processes undertaken would not have differed much to many of the large corporations around the world. Addressing customers over the phone, whenever customers needed to rent a car, booking airline tickets, making insurance claims or just general enquiries seemed to be the norm. How they went about this though, as we look at it now, gave the impression of archaic times. With regard to how all claims, bookings, renewals and so on were made, by putting pen to paper, often service consultants needed liberation from a paper-intensive and error-prone work environment. Another problem faced by CSAA was that whenever members phoned in and made an enquiry, many of the consultants would refer their problems to other consultants until there was a resolution. Executive president himself saying, about the system, â€Å"That’s not service – that’s a pinball effect. According to Cole (2001, p.307) † Customer service is one of the most direct tools we have for building loyalty, attracting repeat business, generating word-of-mouth business and boosting profits. It might be full of paradoxes, but customer service can make or break your organisation.† 6.2 Principles of reengineering It would be unprofessional of CSAA to think that all of their problems would disappear without careful thinking and planning. In order for their reengineering efforts to succeed, they needed follow the principles of reengineering initiated by the management expert Michael Hammer. Refer to appendix B. 6.2.1 A reengineered job After much deliberation, CSAA devised a new system designed for better customer service centring around a new position called â€Å"members service consultant. CSAA felt it was time and as Cole (2001, p.8) states, â€Å"planning involves establishing a goal and objectives and deciding how best to achieve them. What needs to be accomplished? By when? What needs to be done to make it happen? Who is best equipped to do it? As the old saying goes ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’ Things don’t happen by themselves: wee need to plan them carefully. After all, a goal without an action plan is just a wish.† Supporting the service consultant would be a new information system that links data that currently reside in three separate systems. This technology will enable a service consultant to most members on the spot (Chase, Jacobs & Acquilano 2004). 6.2.2 Three quickies The new system heralded huge savings for both members and CSAA. Average turnaround time for processing new business applications was reduced from six days to three days; and the proportion of new auto policies that had to  be ‘reworked’ dropped from 50% to 16%. 6.2.3 A comprehensive survey A widespread survey was carried out by four employee teams, to focus on issues encountered by CSAA members and employees. Questions ranged from services, products and previous experiences for members and what you would do if you were president of CSAA for a day, to employees. One of the subjects consistently brought up, by members and employees, was that of how a visiting member would have to go from window to window to tie up different enquiries. 6.2.4 Get Crazy For the member service consultant to work, cross-training for employees on a range of CSAA services was crucial. The new computer system would require a good understanding by employees in order to intertwine all the vital information at CSAA together and make it readily available to those who accessed it. Employees would also have a say on how the system was designed, developed and also tested a prototype that would support the new service consultant. By this they would simulate everyday situation to help modify or identify any foreseeable problems. To further make employees comfortable with the transition to the new system workshops, meetings, posters, newsletter and videotapes were provided. 6.2.5 Sell with scenario On-line prompts, on-screens prompts and what-if scenarios will replace the tedious paperwork and thumbtack memos. John Clark, a regional claims manager, says of the new system, â€Å"we’re trying to create a learning environment for the future, for all levels of employees from clerical to management† (Chase, Jacobs & Acquilano 2004 p.343). 6.2.6 One-stop shop Now members have the luxury of getting complete service with just one stop. 7. What tools from the operations consulting tool kit were applied here? Which other ones would be of value here? Explain. 7.1 Problem definition First on the agenda for CSAA to get their new system up and going would be that of problem definition. 7.1.1 Issue trees Initially, CSSA had identified a problem with their customer service. By embarking on a long-term reengineering effort, business processes were put under the microscope. For this to work, a plan had to be put into place to target problems and figure out possible solutions. By structuring the process into different phases specifies a direction CSAA can take 7.1.2 Customer surveys Chase, Jacobs & Acquilano (2004) suggest that OM consultants frequently observe customer surveys such as to determine customer loyalty. In the case of CSAA a widespread survey was conducted. 7.1.3 Employee surveys These can involve questions on employee satisfaction or as CSAA developed, a question posing what you would do if you were president for a day. 7.2 Data gathering With the goals of CSAA to improve customer service, speeding up turnaround  times is high on the agenda. To have something to aim for, gathering existing information, such as, processing new business applications and the cost of baseline expenses will serve to improve or reduce these fundamentals. 7.3 Data analysis and solution development To rid CSAA of its old working environment, it had to introduce the new computer information system. 7.3.1 Computer simulation For employees to grow accustomed to the new system, CSAA had to cross-train employees to help them understand the computer simulation. Although not as sophisticated as much of the software available, employees had to become familiar with the new package. 7.4 Stakeholder analysis Coming under the heading of cost impact and payoff analysis, CSAA’s most important stakeholder would be its members and employees. In endeavouring to put into operation a new system, the importance of considering the interest of all its stakeholders is central. 7.5 Implementation Chase, Jacobs & Acquilano (2004) indicate that creating a new process and sustaining the improvement requires more than creative application of information technology. In order for implementation of reengineering to be successful any organisation, let alone, CSAA has to follow three important guidelines. Refer to appendix B. 7.5.1 Responsibility charts Having workshops, meetings, posters, newsletters and videotapes issued to all employees would help ensure that each task is being covered by the employees. 7.5.2 Project management techniques The reengineering effort is now being carried forward by five interdisciplinary teams whose focus includes workforce retraining, reward and pefromacne management and information technology (Chase, Jacobs & Acquilano 2004). 7.6 Which other ones would be of value? After observing the operations consulting tool kit, refer to appendix C, it suggests that CSAA took up on at least one aspect of the five categories. Issue trees, customer and employee services for problem definition; data gathering; computer simulation for data analysis and solution development; stakeholder analysis for cost impact and payoff analysis; and both responsibility charts and project management techniques for implementation. 8. Discuss process enablers’ role developing the new design. A number of bridges have to be crossed to help develop the new design. The major one of these being information technology. 8.1 Information technology Information technology (IT) is considered the major enabler for spanning processes over functional and organisational boundaries and supporting process driven organisations. However, the point is not to use IT as an improver for existing activities, as which it often has been conceived, but as enabler for the CSAA. Some of the ways that IT can change the business process at CSAA include: process automation and speed; virtual presence and distance collaboration becomes possible; mobility; allows information to be shared differently; and increases interactivity and allows instant feedback. IT, when used appropriately, can enhance business processes. 8.2 Selection CSAA chose three employees from field officers for intensive training to help with the design and development of the new system. For CSAA it would have been important to select the most appropriate candidates based on the agreed job descriptions and person specifications that have been created over time. This knowledge can be transferred to other employees and the playing out of simulated scenarios would pose not problems. The selection process needs to be handled with care to avoid costs of failure to select the right candidate or legal problems arising down the track. 8.3 Additional information Constant monitoring form senior management and additional information, such as, workshops, meetings, posters, newsletters and videotapes enable a smooth transition for other employees. 9. Conclusion It seemed as though Levi’s decision to promote teamwork only frustrated employees, especially those with superior skills. The common grounding on working in teams is that businesses who have employees working together to reach a common goal are more likely to succeed than the ones that do not. Sadly this was not the case with Levi’s. Psychologically, people desire recognition, need to feel a part of a team, and want to do a good job. But people, after all, are only human. Long-term personal goals often fall prey to daily or weekly frustrations. With Levi’s, employees may have found it hard to meld personal goals with the organisation’s long-term or even short-term goals. This may have contributed to workers being absent or inexperienced and led to increased workloads on other Some people may have trouble sculpting individual performance goals at  all. As Powers (2000), describes, in all cases, excitement, interest and performance can suffer. In the case of CSAA, management needs to consider the importance of customer service in a primarily service organisations. Successful organisations, irrespective of nature or size, have one thing in common – the loyalty of their customers. Organisations that spend time, effort and money on anticipating and fulfilling customers’ needs and requirements will undoubtedly reap the benefits from loyal customers by enhancing customer satisfaction. However management should not put all its efforts in keeping customer satisfaction, as this will be generated by the overall service concept that the company provide to the customer. Certainly the customer has to be in employees’ mind all the time reminding them that they are there because there is a customer who is willing to pay.

King Lear †Existentialism Essay

The term existentiality was used in the work of philosophers in the 1800s and the 1900s. The concept holds that people should focus on dealing with the present conditions of individual persons while taking into account the individuals’ emotions, responsibilities, actions, and thoughts. This concept is reflected in Shakespeare’s King Lear play. For, example, King Lear knows that it is his responsibility to equally share his kingdom among his three daughters. He however decides to divide his kingdom to his daughters according to how the daughters supposedly love him. He thus disinherits Cordelia because of her genuineness which does not please him. Instead, he shares his realm to his other two daughters since Cordelia speaks to him bluntly. Even though Cordelia’s statement is temperate and honest, it makes King Lear annoyed. By making this decision, King Lear demonstrates that he is not rational but is just thinking of himself. King Lear shows absurdism in sharing his kingdom because he should share his wealth equally to his three daughters. He instead decides not to share it to Cordelia even though she is one of his daughters but he thought was not pleasing to him. He should not have ranked as one of his daughter. By being either good bad, King Lear’s daughters remain his. He should also understand that what happens to a bad person can as well happen to a good person. This concept is evident later when we see his 2 daughters, who he formerly thought as special, seeing their father as foolish and old. On the other hand, Cordelia has a reason to decide to stay alone without cooperating with her fellow sisters because of what her father did to her. Her sisters could have reasoned and told their father that it was unfair not to give Cordelia a share of his kingdom since she was their sister. Their actions however show that they are also selfish. Cordelia is in perpetual despair after her father refuses to bequeath to her a portion of his kingdom even though she is married by the king of France later. Moreover, King Lear denies Kent facticity by sending him away from the country for being against the decision of the king to refuse to give a share to his wealth to Cordelia – his daughter. This is despite the fact that Kent returns into the country baring a new name – Caius. King Lear’s authenticity makes him not to change his decision regarding how he has divided his wealth. In addition, King Lear facticity makes him employ Caius without knowing that Caius is indeed Kent whom King Lear previously sent from his country. While experiencing his own freedom as angst, King Lear discovers that his two daughters do not respect him any more for they are now powerful. Moreover, and their father at this time now does not have any power to control them. King Lear experiences anxiety and anguish after having seen that his daughters are ungrateful. This issue makes him to be enraged. He thus recalls the facticity that he gave to his daughters and feels very infuriated. He thus summarily denounces the daughters. At the end, King Lear is very embarrassed due to his two daughters who now do not respect him until he becomes mad. Cordelia and Kent, whom he thought as useless, are taking care of him.

Green Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Green Power - Essay Example In a similar fashion, using nuclear energy requires Uranium mining, which is reportedly a serious health hazard. Evidently, solar energy is far more popular than nuclear energy for its proclaimed environment-friendly nature, and hence, a rule utilitarian will argue that the uranium proposal be summarily rejected. A perfect example is Governor Bill Ritter who is against Uranium mining (227). According to the tenets of rule utilitarianism, an action is justifiable as far as it follows a general rule that makes common good in normal circumstances. However, in the given case, one can see that the request by Lane Douglas, the Powertech Uranium spokesperson, for a â€Å"fair hearing† is not irrational. This is so because though nuclear energy is normally abhorred, in the present case, the solar energy project will produce cadmium which is no less dangerous than uranium. According to act utilitarianism, an action is just if it produces maximum good in a given situation, and adherence to any general rule is not important. If that is the case, Powertech Uranium requires as much attention as AVA gets. In other words, â€Å"company proposal be judged on facts, not prejudice† (227). In such cases, engineers have many different responsibilities arising out of moral responsibility, personal morality, and professional morality. Based on their personal and professional integrity, engineers have the responsibility to be honest in disclosing the issues associated with the use of cadmium and uranium. As the case reveals, there are serious environmental and health issues associated with the use of both uranium and cadmium, and technology is not developed enough to handle both the cases. Evidently, it is possible to argue that as an employee, an engineer has the professional responsibility to promote the interests of his company. However, this professional interest should not supersede the moral responsibility. At this point, it is wise to utilize the Golden Rule to analyze

WHAT IS THE REASON FOR GLOBAL TALENT MOBILITY IS IT RELEVANT TO THE Research Proposal

WHAT IS THE REASON FOR GLOBAL TALENT MOBILITY IS IT RELEVANT TO THE LAW AND POLICY OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES - Research Proposal Example Many companies are requiring high levels of flexibility from their subordinates as they increase their cross border activities. Furthermore, the changing trends towards diversity have put the firms under pressure to ensure that they get a global outlook. This is through having employees who emanates from different parts of the world. In 2011, the world changed dramatically. The financial crisis of 2009/2010 had a major impact on the global economy. Many countries across the world are still struggling to restore their local labor market. In countries that were highly affected, the local population eagerness to find a job abroad has increased immensely. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily mean that countries that have struggling economically are under pressure because the unemployed population will look for jobs in other countries. For instance, in some South European countries, the level of unemployment is very high. Nevertheless, the local population is not willing to leave their country in order to seek jobs elsewhere despite the ease to move to other European Union countries (Vance & Paik 2014). New opportunities keep arising in different markets across the world. With the increasing levels of competition in the local and international markets, companies are willing to take risks in order to tap to these opportunities. However, while opening these subsidiaries, they are forced to use some of their workforce that is experienced in dealing with customers who emanates from different cultural, racial, and religious background. The business world is changing rapidly. This has transformed the way companies are outsourcing their workforce, organize, and manage them. Currently, knowledge, trade, and technology are interlinked now more than ever (Vaiman & Haslberger 2013). The world is experiencing an explosive growth in the emerging markets, an aspect that is increasing the number of employees working away from their homes. In the past one decade, new

Categories of Labor Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Categories of Labor Laws - Essay Example The researcher states that most labor laws can be categorized into 2 main categories, mainly Collective Labor Law, which refers to the relationships and activities between the employer, employees and the union. Secondly, there are Individual Labor Laws which refer to all those laws that are applicable to individual employee’s right of work and upholding their contracts. The following are some of the constituents of collective labor law: Trade Unions Some countries support the formation of labor unions. All employees are given the right to join any union, i.e. removing any discrimination on the basis of union activity. It is in the best interest of the union to bargain for the best benefits for all the members of the union. Some countries promote the formation of unions as this reduces the amount of control and employer has over its employees. Some legal regulations allow unions to place a set of obligations and duties on its members, and failure to meet these can lead to disba rment from the union. Union activity, must however be kept in check as to make sure unfair advantage is not being taken. In labor law terms, strikes refer to the process where members of a union shut down the production facility in order to make the employer agree to a certain number of conditions. However, most countries have laid down specific rules on when a strike is legal. Most importantly, it must be carried out in a democratic manner. General strikes are forbidden in various countries and certain personal such as health professionals, airport personnel are forbidden from carrying out strikes. Boycotts are another form of protest which is â€Å"a lawful concerted attempt by a group of people to express displeasure with, or obtain concessions from, a particular person or company by refusing to do business with them†. Boycotts are generally considered more lawful. Pickets or Picketing This is a process where workers of a union may congregate outside the workplace and not carrying out their own duties but prevent fellow workers by entering the facility. This may be both primary (workers are directly involved with the company where the demonstration is being carried out) or secondary (picketing a business not directly connected with the dispute, such as a supplier of materials). In most countries picketing activities are considered illegal, such as Britain, there may be court orders made from time to time against pickets being in particular places or behaving in particular ways (shouting abuse, for example). Workplace Involvement This refers to the concept that in all companies, workers have the right to consult and suggest ideas when it comes to workplace conditions and environment. It is forbidden by law, to discriminate their voice and not allow equal consideration. Co-determination This concept has its roots in Europe and is still a major feature of European labor law, where it is necessary that workers have adequate representation in the companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s supervisory board with all the rights that regular members have. This law has been given different names according to the company, Law on board representation (Sweden), Bullock Report (United Kingdom). Individual Labor Law Similarly, there are various laws pertaining to the individual rights of the employee: Contract of Employment and Unfair Dismissal The basic theory behind this is that a proper document should be signed between the employer and employee to state the formation of the relationship.

Intro to Visual Arts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intro to Visual Arts - Essay Example She is very appealing with her nipples erect and fixated on her chest due to her laying position. She covers her genital area with her left hand just by a glimpse of her fingers. On the right hand, she is holding a cluster of red flowers and one flower fallen on the bed cover. She lies sensually with her legs crossed. A dog is sleeping on the edge of the bed on the covers. At the end of the room are housemaids, one is kneeling down with head inside a suitcase and the other standing beside her. This painting falls in the category of fine arts. The painting has aesthetic qualities; conceptual qualities of viewing art object as being beautiful and having a good taste. Venus has qualities that are capturing and enlightening to the viewer to judge the painter of having a good taste. This quality differentiates it from popular arts. The Venus of Urbino painting portrays private and domestic function of a woman as a sexy goddess who is appealing to her husband. It also portrays the need of a woman to remain seductive and appealing to her husband. (Lazzari, Schlesier 22-25) It is for marital significance for the eyes of the husband only. The painting is intended for personal and private use of the owner. The line element portrayed on the crisis folding of the covers gives textural contrast of the cover. Line element reveals the well-defined body mass and volume of the woman. The floor patterns outline line element as a well coordinated and liberate space to show the harmonization of the room and social class taste of the residing people. Light element is used to demonstrate the illusion that the nude Venus is appearing to closer people than people behind (Lazzari, Schlesier 22-25). The dark wall behind her is able to bring contrast between the woman and the wall clearly to portray her body structure and formation without straining. It also brings emptiness on the dark background. On the window, light element is used to portray the

Symbolism in the Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Symbolism in the Short Story - Essay Example Mr. Summer, who runs a coal business, represents life, while Mr.Grave symbolizes death. The lottery itself symbolizes the cruel traditions that the society holds. The author suggests a three legged stool that the black box is set upon. From the story death is symbolized by the black box, and the black dot on the slip of paper. This paper shall major on the symbols of tradition and culture that everyone is used to thus symbolism has been used in The Lottery. The Lottery, is a story of a small village destroying members of its community who cannot question the rituals of their tradition. The author indicates that members of the community would meet every year for this ritual. The author uses this setting to outline the cruel traditions that the society still holds on that is dangerous to human life. This ritual takes away one member to serve as a ransom for the remaining members of the community. From the story, Tessie suffers as a scapegoat being stoned, and her blood used to purify a nd protect the remaining part of the community. A ritual was practised yearly with human blood as a libation in these ceremonies. This indicates how different traditions sacrifice human effort, vision, and even life so as to survive and be preserved. The author has used this setting to describe how death is caused by culture and tradition. One loses life for the safety of others. Secondly black has been used majorly in the story. Black is associated with sorrow, tears, disappointment, and other negative issues. The author has used black color in the story to symbolize death. From the story, black box is set on a three legged stool (Jackson 7). Death itself is the black box resting on stool. Literally a stool has four legs, but the author presents a three legged stool, which shows one of the legs is missing. The black box set on a stool that is missing one leg indicates the purpose of death, to destroy one of the members of the community. The author indicates that Mr. Summer ran the coal business. Coal is a black mineral which is related to the black box that Mr. Summer carried. The author describes the killing of community members as a coal business. The coal industry has been used symbolically to indicate death practice of people. This box, the author suggests that it was old (Jackson 8). This symbolizes tradition, and the duration this practice has taken. The box has been carrying slips of black papers. Mr. Summer who hasn’t b been in charge for the ritual practice is related to the coal business of death. At the end every ritual, one member would be stoned leaving the society as the stool without one leg. The author has used the black color to indicate death. Member of the community that picked a black dotted slip of paper was entitled to death. The author describes Tessie, who picked the dotted paper that led her to death. She was stoned by everybody present regardless of her complains or cries. The black spot on the paper symbolized death. Once a p erson picked it,, he or she was entitled to death. The author suggests the craftiness of the traditions to trap human beings causing pain and misery. The author indicates Tessie, as an example suffering as a scapegoat to save the rest. She complains saying it was not fair, but that did not protect her from the stoning crowd. This therefore, shows that the author has used black color to symbolize death and tradition. The author has used names symbolically in the Lottery in describing the characters. From the story Mr. Summer has

Who were the anasazi Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Who were the anasazi - Essay Example The Anasazi lived in masonry villages that hosted sacred places where they offered sacrifices to their gods. Indeed, this cultural group had many gods. The masonry villages occupied the edges of Chaco Canyons. Apparently, access to the masonry villages was via rock climbing or by a rope. The Anasazi were farmers where they planted beans and other cereals in the dry land where corn was the stable food. They stored water in ditches that enabled them to survive during the dry seasons. Additionally, they were hunters and gatherers who sought to safeguard their families from drought-related effects. However, very little information about the Anasazi culture is available since archeologists can only find indirect evidence regarding Anasazi’s life. Indeed, archaeologists argue about various aspects of the Anasazi culture. For example, nobody can explain why the Anasazi deserted the Four Corners. Nevertheless, archaeologists agree that the Anasazi left many dwelling sites especially c liff

The UNCRC Organization Essay Example for Free

The UNCRC Organization Essay The UNCRC happened in 1989 and out of this came the children’s act 1989. The act was formally adopted in England and Wales in 1991. The most important aim of the act was to ensure that children’s views were of paramount importance and that the children thoughts and views about their future were taken into consideration. After this, the children’s act 2004 was formed. In this act the framework for the every child matters programme was set out. Every child matters was formed after the tragic death of Victoria Climbie. Victoria Climbie was failed by the very people who were supposedly looking after her. â€Å"It led to recommendations for a radical reform of services†. The aim of the act is to make sure that services work together a lot better and more efficiently than previously. Children’s should be listened to and their opinions valued. We need to listen to children carefully to understand what a child is trying to say. If they cannot be understood or do not feel listened to they may get upset, frustrated, angry or become withdrawn. They could show their upset by hitting, biting, shouting etc., and it will lower their self-esteem. A child may have something important to say that needs our attention for example safe guarding . â€Å"every child can be hurt, put at risk of harm or abused, regardless of their age, gender, religion or ethnicity.† (http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/getting_started/Pages/Why_does_safeguarding_matter.aspx) A change in behaviour, something a child says or how they act can also alert the practitioner to safe guarding issues or perhaps something else that is happening outside the child care setting. Therefore it is essential that we listen to children and build up the child’s trust in adults and â€Å"enable those c hildren to have optimum life chances and to enter adulthood successfully.† (http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/getting_started/Pages/Why_does_safeguarding_matter.aspx) If you cannot understand the child by listening ask them to draw what they want to tell you, act out what they want to tell you or if they use sign language get them to sign what they want to tell you as this may also help you . It is important for children to be given different options of what they want to tell us either through, verbal communication, acting, drawing or pointing. This will show them we do value them and we want to  listen and reach out to them. In contrast if a child is listened to and feels understood they are more likely to be happy and confident. We can also find out if the child has understood a lesson or what you have said by using questions and listening carefully e.g. after a story you might ask a question to see if they have understood. The children’s opinions should be valued so that they are encouraged to express themselves and have got a sense of individuality. It will also help them to build confidence and trusting people and also encourage their communication skills. Children will come from a variety of different cultural backgrounds and have been brought up by parents with many and varied opinions on everything from religion/non religion to food, clothing and what are deemed to be acceptable behaviour. We need to be aware of all these influences and respect the diversity of our society in a non judgemental way . By doing so children will feel that we comfortable in their thoughts and feelings to you without fear of being misunderstood. Children who have disabilities should be given the opportunity to express themselves in a way that they are comfortable or able to. A child who does not have speech may make different noises which can be interpreted as happy or sad. This form of communication should be valued and we should respond to it as we would to a child who has speech. A child who has physical disabilities should be given choices about how they complete tasks and their opinions respected. It is important that practitioners understand the limits and boundaries of their job roles when they work with children. This is to get the best outcomes and the best quality of care for the child. There are 4 main areas that which are â€Å"Particularly important when thinking about your role, boundaries and limits are; †¢Health and safety †¢Managing children’s behaviour †¢Child Protection †¢Confidentially† You should always follow the legislations (children’s act 1989 and children’s act 2004) and read them often to refresh your mind as they often change and then you are always aware of what your limits and boundaries are. It is very important to follow the policies and procedures set out at your place of  work, so that everybody is working in a consistent way. By following procedures everybody knows who is responsible for each task and important jobs do not get missed. Also this is a way of making things clear to everybody and prevents misunderstandings, allegations and it will also help with knowing what to do in certain situations, E.g., †¢Following the fire procedure- Where fire exits are, where the assemble points are, taking the register and alerting parents/carers †¢Missing child policy/ procedure- Who to contact †¢Suspecting any child abuse – who to speak to ( child protection officer) knowing how to react when the child tells you something ( do not look shocked, no leading questions, but tell them you’re going to have to tell someone) †¢What to do if you’re going on a school trip- head counts, booster seats, right number of adults to children †¢General security policy/procedures- shutting gates, identification cards, signing in/out, knowing who’s going to pick the child up It is also crucial to make sure the appropriate people are made aware of any allergies or anything deemed important e.g. if a teacher was going to give out cake for someone’s birthday and it had nuts in and they were unaware of a child with a nut allergy this would cause serious difficulties. You should understand that when you are told something in confidence you should keep it confidential as stated in the policies and procedures. â€Å"Everyone is entitled to their privacy† (http://www.reference.com/motif/health/why-is-confidentiality-important) and may not want personal information to be common knowledge. This could for many reasons including that it is embarrassing for the family and for child protection reasons. However in certain circumstances e.g. in relation to child protection and safe guarding issues it may be vital to share information with relevant professionals (child welfare officer, safe guarding officer, social services). For example if a child tells you that they get hit at home or that they get left home alone every night. At my placement, to ensure confidentiality they lock up any files about the children and only shown to people on a need to know basis. We should know how to look after child a without crossing the professional boundaries and  causing harm to a child. On the 14th of august it was reported in the mail online that a practitioner had physically abused some children where she worked at Small Talk Nursery in Birmingham. It was reported that she â€Å"could be seen throwing a 17-month-old girl onto a mattress, causing her to almost strike her head on a radiator.† (: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2188314/Small-Talk-Nursery-Kehyren-Sajid-dragged-toddler-mat-like-rag-doll-mistreated-children care.html#ixzz2BetgdNPW) This is obviously very unprofessional and she crossed the professional limits and boundaries. Therefore you should know your limits and boundaries to keep the children safe and protected All practitioners should know what their job role and responsibilities are, and not try and do something that isn’t within their role. They may not be trained appropriately and this could cause problems if something goes wrong. Each person is accountable for their own actions and we all must take responsibility. Also if you do the job that is in your job description then it will prevent friction with other colleagues as you won’t be seen to be interfering with things. You should be mature and respectful even if you do not necessarily agree with what someone is saying. You have to liaise with parents and have a friendly relationship so they feel they can tell you things. However professional boundaries should be kept so that if you are concerned about something you are more able to deal with this situation appropriately. A child centred approach is important in an early years setting. This is because young children develop at different stages. It is important to find out as much as information about the child as possible, by interacting with them through play and chatting, so you can meet the children’s needs. Once you know the child well, you can starts to plan activities tailored to the child and start to build on their existing skills towards their next stage. Also when using a child centred approach children feel empowered and learn to make decisions for themselves and they also get the best experience out of their child care setting. In order to meet the individual needs of children a child centred approach is necessary. This requires planning, time, effort and patience. In the late 1940’s a town named Reggio â€Å"developed an approach to pre-school learning†.(Level 3 child care and education, Tassoni,2007, pg188) The approach believes â€Å"in the importance of discovery,  stimulating learning environments (both indoor and outdoor) , children reflecting on their own learning and documenting children’s learning as part of the process.†.(Level 3 child care and education, Tassoni, 2007, pg188) This approach is based on; †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"creative thinking †¢Exploration and discovery †¢Free play †¢Following children’s interests †¢Valuing and encouraging all ways children express themselves †¢Asking children to talk about their ideas† (Level 3 child care and education, Tassoni, 2007, pg188) The above information is, I think, very important as it makes sure that the child and their needs are the priority. Tailoring activities to the interests of the child and getting their reactions from this will help to plan future sessions. . The child’s needs are put above anything else rather than sticking to a routine for the convenience of child care practitioner. The Reggio Emilio theory links to the EYFS as it is a â€Å"play-based and child-led framework†. (https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RB029.pdf) One approach used set out in the EYFS framework and in the reggio amellio theory is to allow play to develop and be led by the child rather than the play leader. At my placement, which is in a nursery , we actively encourage children to learn through play, and we get them to choose what they would like to play with Eg; sand, water, play dough and painting. The child centred approach is good for children who disconnect unless it is something they are interested in. For example if a child loves playing with trains, it would be used to capture a child’s interest in a subject such as singing instead of singing about cats You would sing songs about trains to engage the child and get his/her full attention. It is also good because a child centred approach gives a sense of inclusion, because for example, if you are in a wheelchair you will still be included in the activities as they have been planned to support your need. â€Å"The Child Centered Approach promotes the right of the child to choose, make connections and communicate. It allows freedom for children to think, experience, explore, question and search for answers† (http://www.growingplaces.org.uk/reggio.htm)

What are the main risks faced by banks and how does a bank attempt to manage these risks?

What are the main risks faced by banks and how does a bank attempt to manage these risks? What are the main risks faced by banks and how does a bank attempt to manage these risks? All companies which have a profit maximising objective hold a certain degree of risk whether through microeconomic or macroeconomic factors. Banks also face a number of risks atypical of non financial companies due to the payment and intermediary function which they perform. Recent changes in the banking environment has lead to an increased pressure to maximise shareholder value, this means that banks take on a higher risk in order to gain a higher return. It is due to this increased pressure and market volatility that banking risk needs such effective management to ensure the banks continued solvency. Risk can be defined as an â€Å"exposure to uncertainty of outcome† measured by the volatility (standard deviation) of net cash flow within the firm. Banks aim to add equity to the bank by maximising the risk adjusted return to shareholders highlighting the importance of fully considering the risk and return business equation. Exposure to risk does not always lead to a loss, pu re risk only has a downside from the expected outcome but speculative risk can produce either a better or worse result that expected. Credit risk is the risk that the counterparty will fail to repay the loan in part or full. This includes delayed payments or any default on the loan agreement. It is widely know that credit risk is one of the most damaging risks to banks, for this reason there is usually a separate credit department run around a credit culture of the managements views. The objective of the credit department will be to maximise shareholder value added through credit risk management. To manage credit risk banks do sometimes take a security over the loan such as property or shares which the bank can take possession of in the event of default on the loan agreement. If the market prices of the security become volatile the bank may ask for more security to offset the probability of marginal default increasing. Credit constraints are implemented to make sure there is a restriction on certain loan agreements to a specific category of borrower, well defined credit limits will reduce the risk of adverse selec tion. Pricing the loan is a technique which uses a risk adjusted premium to determine the rate of interest on a loan, with the riskier the loan the higher the premium, although a higher interest rate may increase probability of default so must be monitored regularly. The final credit risk management method is to reduce credit losses by building a portfolio with diversification between low and high risk lending. This essentially offsets high risk and return lending with low risk and return lending to minimise any losses incurred. A similar but more specific concept to credit risk is sovereign risk involving risk that a government will default on a loan agreement from a private sector bank. This case is unusual because if a government sates that the default is due to movement of resources to resolve domestic issues it can declare the loan agreement void due to immunity in the legal process, this will barrier debt recovery through the taking the possession of assets and often leave the bank with partial or full loss of the loan. Debt repudiation is an extreme case where the government no longer recognises their debt or obligations to creditors. Due to problems and the high risk associated with government lending a foreign currency sovereign credit rating was defined in an attempt to enable informed investor lending decisions. An interest rate is a premium paid in order to consume resources in the present rather than at a later date. Interest rate risk is loss or gain in the value of a position due to changes in the interest rate, it is a speculative risk because the changes in interest rates can lead to both a positive and negative result. There are two types of interest rate which are fixed rate and rate sensitive, the simpler form of risk lies with fixed rate assets and liabilities because a change in the interest rate above or below the fixed rate with lead to a loss or gain in capital. Simulation approaches are highly complex and involve an assessment of the potential changes of interest rates on earnings, future economic value and impact on cash flow. Static simulations assess only the cash flow of on and off balance sheet activity, whereas dynamic simulations build a model predicting the future changes of interest rates and expected changes in the banks activity. The best known interest rate risk m anagement method is gap analysis. This is a detailed analysis of the gap between interest rate sensitive assets and interest rate sensitive liabilities over a specific duration. A rate sensitive asset or liability is defined by an asset or liability in which the cash flow changes in the same direction as interest rates. The changes in interest rates have a detrimental effect if there is a mismatch between rate sensitive assets and liabilities, this is because if the level of rate sensitive liabilities is higher than rate sensitive assets, an increase in interest rates will lead to less profits. High quality interest rate risk management can effectively increase or decrease the gap in order to maximise revenue. Operational risk is defined at the risk of loss from a breakdown in internal processes and/or management failure. This can occur through different events such as a law suit, systems failure, or damage to assets and its effects can lead to an increase in unsystematic market risk and liquidity risk. Although there has been significant importance placed upon operational risk there is at present still no clear method of measuring its risk and effects on a general basis. The Basle II provided three suggested methods of calculating the operating risk of a firm. The basic approach allocates capital using gross income as an indicator for the banks exposure to operational risk. The Standardised approach divides the bank into business units and lines and uses individual indicators to calculate a department specific level of exposure to operational risk. The final method of calculating operational risk is the internal measurement approach which allows each bank to use individual internal loss data to determine the capital allocation. Market risk is the risk of movement in the price function of financial instruments, resulting in the loss/gain in value. It is a speculative risk, measured by the probability in potential loss/gain in value of a portfolio. The risk occurs in two separate forms; Systematic market risk is caused by the price movement of all financial instruments due to changes in the macroeconomic climate. Unsystematic risk occurs when an instrument moves out of line with the rest of the market due to internal factors with the issuer. Systematic market risk can be prepared for in event of downturn in the economic climate by capital allocation to the specific risk calculated by the risk adjusted rate on capital. Value at risk is a measure of potential losses incurred to a portfolio due to adverse market price movements often used in risk management. Unsystematic risk can be offset by diversifications of investments into several different countries and/or industries affectively spreading the risk in att empt to avoid huge losses in specific sector investment. The diversification of investment into foreign countries may increase the potential probability of currency risk. Exchange rate flexibility exposes all firms with a short or long term position in any given currency to currency risk. Globalised markets have lead to increases in multinational firms and foreign investment, increasing the level of foreign exchange and political risks. Any exchange of money in a currency other than the firms home currency would be expressed as a purchase of foreign currency. Foreign exchange transactions can involve many forms of on and off balance sheet financial instruments. Duration analysis can be used to compare the value of foreign bond to the foreign or domestic currency interest rates. Measures of net risk exposure for each currency can be assessed using gap analysis and will be equal to the difference between assets and liabilities in each currency. Political risk arises through the risk of political interference in the operations of a private sector bank, the exposure of which can range between interest rate and exchange regulations to the nationalisation of the financial service industry. The main factors which have been stated as to affect political risk is internal or external armed conflict, democratic government, and government stability. The level of Liquidity risk can affected by many of the other risks and is defined as the risk that the bank will have insufficient liquid assets on its balance sheet and is therefore unable to fulfil financial commitments without the sale of assets; this is generated from a mismatch in size and maturity of assets and liabilities on the balance sheet or due to loan defaults with a surge of depositor demands. Day to day liquidity risk (funding risk) relates to the daily withdrawals and is predictable due to low depositor withdrawals, if there was a surge of withdrawals then many banks would rely in loans from the interbank market to cover the short term illiquidity. A more unpredictable risk also arising from increased depositor withdrawals is a liquidity crisis. The increase in withdrawals often stems from lack of confidence in the bank, this situation will force the bank to borrow at an elevated interest rate or rely on central bank intervention and deposit insurance to avoid a run . In this situation the central bank can provide provisions in the form of high interest loans or advances, however this is costly and can further damage the banks reputation. Ideally the bank could use a method of maturity matching to guarantee liquidity and eliminate the funding risks. This is the coordination of cash flow by matching the maturity of an asset with the maturity of a liability. This is unlikely to be a widely used approach as asset transformation is a key source of banking profit. Usually the bank will hold a certain level of liquid assets to reassure creditors and signal to the market that the bank is doing well, an increase holding of liquid assets will avoid the liquidity problem but due to a trade off between liquidity and profitability lower return on investments. The most widely used technique of managing banks liquidity is Gap analysis, the liquidity gap is defined by the difference between net liquid assets and unpredictable liabilities. This gives the abili ty to monitor available capital over time. Financial services differ from other firms because of the high level of financial risks that they assume through the payment and intermediary functions. It is therefore critical to manage the risks faced to ensure solvency and to maximise the firms value added. In some cases the management of an individual risk can have a positive or negative effect on another risk which shows that they are not mutually exclusive. Many of the main financial crises have risen from a combination of risks surrounding losses due to poor credit risk management, it is important to highlight diversification of a portfolio and asset liability management as influencing factors in effective risk management as they can reduce the probability of several risks. In the future it is important to continue developing new formal and quantitative risk management processes to ensure continues solvency within the financial services industry.

Saboteur by Ha Jin | Analysis

Saboteur by Ha Jin | Analysis Reading Saboteur was really ironic for me because I grew up in this kind of controlled place, and I could really relate to these feelings that Mr. Chiu had. In Poland, until I was about ten years old we were under the control of communist Russia. I remember that the government required every person to have their permission to get food. They did not let us use money; we had to apply for special vouchers and everybody was allowed the same amount because communism philosophy was that everyone is equal. There were many times that I saw this kind of totalitarian control by the police. For example, if someone said something against the government that they didnt like, they could go to jail. Even worse, if some government official didnt like someone, they would be falsely accused and sent to jail, even though the government officials were the bad guys and the person had done nothing wrong. Ha Jins short story Saboteur is filled with ever increasing irony from beginning to end that finally c limaxes in the main character, Mr. Chiu, becoming that which he was falsely accused of being. Ha Jins tale of Mr. Chius unfair arrest, imprisonment and eventual release in Muji City, China after the Cultural Revolution is filled with irony. The story opens at the end of Mr. Chiu and his wifes honeymoon. Mr. Chiu had suffered from acute hepatitis and he was feeling like he was recovering but still worried about his liver. This is where one of the first ironic events occurs. They were having lunch in the square, waiting for the time to catch their train home, when the policeman at the next table threw a bowl of tea on their sandals. Mr. Chiu is obviously upset, and he asks the officers why they threw the tea. The officer tells Mr. Chiu that he is lying, and that he wet his shoes himself. The policemen arrest Mr. Chiu after he asks Why violate the laws you are supposed to enforce? (Jin par.15). The young officer then told Mr. Chiu Youre a saboteur, you know that? Youre disrupting the public order (par.17). This situation is very ironic because Mr. Chiu was minding his own business, doing nothing to disrupt the public. The police, who are supposed to keep the order, were the ones disrupting it. Many times, in communist coun tries, the enforcers of the law and rules end up being the ones who break them the most. After Mr. Chius arrest, he was taken to the Interrogation Bureau. He was asked some standard questions and we learned that he as a member of the Communist Party. Then the chief told him Your crime is sabotage, although it hasnt induced serious consequences yet You have failed to be a model for the masses (par.40). Mr. Chui argued his side of the story trying to convince the chief that it was actually the police officers who were the saboteurs. The other man in the room then showed Mr. Chiu some statements given by eyewitnesses. The statements all said that Mr. Chiu had shouted in the square and refused to obey the police. Mr. Chiu was feeling sick. The chief told him that he would have to apologize and write a self criticism. Mr. Chiu told the chief, I wont write a word because Im innocent. (par.51). This whole scene is ironic because it is again the police who are saboteurs. They went so far as to get false statements to force Mr. Chiu confess to a crime that he did not commit. He r efused to do that. Mr. Chiu was feeling very sick. He asks one of the guards to let their leader know of his condition when he is informed that no leader is on duty on the weekend. Mr. Chui resolved himself to take his detention with ease, and he tried to be restful to not irritate his hepatitis more. When he woke up Monday, he heard moaning. Mr. Chiu looked out of his window, and realized that it was his lawyer handcuffed to a tree in the heat. The lawyer had been sent by his wife to get him out of the jail, and now he was being tortured for calling the boss a bandit. This is another instance of irony because it shows the upholders of the laws breaking them. Mr. Chiu is taken to the interrogation room again after seeing his lawyer friend get more punishment. He felt helpless, and knew the only way to help was to sign a confession for a crime he did not commit. The chief told him he didnt have to write it himself, only sign it. The confession said I myself and responsible for my arrestI have realized the reactionary nature of my crimeshall never commit that kind of crime again (par.95). Even though he was furious, he signed it to help his friend. Mr. Chiu and the lawyer left the police station, and then they stopped at many tea stands and restaurants. While eating little bits at each place, he kept saying I wish I could kill all those bastards! (par.106). Within a month over eight hundred people got hepatitis and six died. The irony here is that Mr. Chiu is the one who spread his disease, disrupting public order, they crime he was falsely accused of. This story has many wonderful instances of irony, and if we look even closer, we can see even more irony when we tie all of the past events to the ending. Even though Mr. Chiu takes the only revenge he can, becoming what he was falsely accused of by spreading his disease around because he was reacting to the crime against him. The real saboteurs were the police. If the police had not falsely accused Mr. Chiu, they would not have spread hepatitis to their city, disrupting the public. They are the ones who wrote the confession, and those were the crimes they were guilty of.

Ernest Hemingway :: essays research papers

Ernest Miller Hemingway was born at eight o'clock in the morning on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. In the nearly sixty two years of his life that followed he forged a literary reputation unsurpassed in the twentieth century and created a mythological hero in himself that captivated (and at times confounded) not only serious literary critics but the average man as well...in a word, he was a star. Born in the family home at 439 North Oak Park Avenue, a house built by his widowed grandfather Ernest Hall, Hemingway was the second of Dr. Clarence and Grace Hall Hemingway's six children; he had four sisters and one brother. He was named after his maternal grandfather Ernest Hall and his great uncle Miller Hall. Oak Park was a mainly Protestant, upper middle-class suburb of Chicago that Hemingway would later refer to as a town of "wide lawns and narrow minds." Only ten miles from the big city, Oak Park was really much farther away philosophically. It was basically a conservative town that tried to isolate itself from Chicago's liberal seediness. Hemingway was raised with the conservative Midwestern values of strong religion, hard work, physical fitness and self determination; if one adhered to these parameters, he was taught, he would be ensured of success in whatever field he chose. As a boy he was taught by his father to hunt and fish along the shores and in the forests surrounding Lake Michigan. The Hemingways had a summer house called Windemere on Walloon Lake in northern Michigan, and the family would spend the summer months there trying to stay cool. Hemingway would either fish the different streams that ran into the lake, or would take the row boat out to do some fishing there. He would also go squirrel hunting in the woods near the summer house, discovering early in life the serenity to be found while alone in the forest or wading a stream. It was something he could always go back to throughout his life, wherever he was. Nature would be the touchstone of Hemingway's life and work, and though he often found himself living in major cities like Chicago, Toronto and Paris early in his career, once he became successful he chose somewhat isolated places to live like Key West, or San Francisco de Paula, Cuba, or Ketchum, Idaho. All were convenient locales for hu nting and fishing.

“Is technology tearing apart family life? Essay examples -- Technolog

â€Å"Is technology tearing apart family life? Text messaging, social networking, and online video are changing the way parents and children see the world—and each other.† There are many technologies in today’s ‘smart’ world which are now being established not just as a want, but as a necessity of life. Among many technologies that can impact family life, Smartphones and computers are the two most crucial technologies that can impact family life. The functions of computers and Smartphones are not just bounded to internet surfing, gaming and assignment tools, but its variety of other functions including social networking systems, online mailing, and online face-to-face video chatting are now arguably the most critical functions that have started to impact family lives on a visible level. These technologies have both positive and negative effects on family life; more and more families are beginning to own their own computers, as computer internet users in North America reached to about â€Å"78.3 %† (Miniwatts Marketing Group, 2011), accordingly, the effects of these technologies on family life is more easily recogni zed. This essay will come across both the benefits and negative effects of using such technologies on family life and ultimately see out whether the positives triumph over the negatives. There are the negative effects of using computer technologies: the isolation of family members, parents bringing their work home. On the other hand, the positives include: being able to associate more easily with the use of social networking systems between relatives and family members that live away from each other. Family members get more and more isolated by the use of computer technologies. For most North American families, ... ...eting Group (March 31, 2011). World Internet Usage and Population Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm 4. Small, G. (June 19, 2009). Is Technology Fracturing Your Family. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brain-bootcamp/200906/is-technology-fracturing-your-family. 5. Stevens, J.B. (June 21, 2011). Guest Post::Social Media and Divorces-Examining the Impact of Facebook and Twitter on Relationships. Retrieved from http://www.scfamilylaw.com/2011/06/articles/divorce/guest-post-social-media-and-divorces-examining-the-impact-of-facebook-and-twitter-on-relationships/ 6. Warren, L. (May 31, 2011). Video games being blamed for divorce as men ‘prefer World of Warcraft to their wives’. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1392561/World-Warcraft-video-games-blamed-divorce-men-prefer-wives.html