Parenthood: Psychology and Birth Order Essay

Every family system is unique and one of the major contributing factors that determine that is birth order. There have been studies that have been conducted that suggest that your identity, character and personality can be swayed by the order you were born. In the 1989 movie Parenthood, the complexity, culture, gender issues and constant changing of family is examined. This essay will take a deeper look at two family systems from Parenthood and determine their ‘typical’ and ‘untypical’ birth order behaviors. Gil and Karen Buckman have raised their three kids in such a way that they all exhibit ‘typical’ birth order behavior. Kevin is the oldest and strives for perfection through academics and athletics; this is one of the main characteristics of being a first born. In school Kevin’s teacher informs Mr. and Mrs. Buckman that Kevin has emotional problems and too many worries for his age and suggests that a Special Ed program. The Buckman’s do not feel the need to put him into special classes, and will have him start seeing a therapist; this is because they feel he is a direct reflection on them. Kevin also plays baseball, and during the games demonstrates fear of failing. Parents often look at the first born as a second parent and this can be related back to Kevin when he says, â€Å"I have to do everything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At the end of the film Kevin also tells his father that he wants to be just like him when he grows up; this is no surprise because Gil (also a first born) is a business executive and first borns like law, order and definite boundaries. ‘Typical’ first borns have high expectations for themselves (Kevin shows this in baseball, always beating himself up) and strive to live up to their parents expectations. Taylor is the middle child of Gil and Karen and is not shown in the movie as much as her two brothers. Middle children tend to crave attention and there in a scene in the movie where Taylor gets in trouble at school for kissing too many boys, and by doing this she will get attention from her parents. Middle children also are called ‘the forgotten child’ and in the film it seemed like the director intentionally put more emphasis Kevin and Justin rather then Taylor. At the beginning of the film Justin was the youngest child of Gil and Karen, and functioned like a ‘typical’ baby. At Kevin’s birthday party and other family events, Justin was always doing funny tricks and creating laughter among the guests. At the end of the movie, Gil and Karen had just had another baby, so as the viewer we do not know what role Justin will develop into. Gil and Karen have a ‘typical’ birth order family and that could be due to a number of contributing factors. Gil’s family growing up could be characterized as a ‘typical’ birth order family, so when he was raising his kids he could have used the same parenting techniques his parents did. The kids’ roles could also be determined by the number of years that is between all of them, there are always exceptions to the system. Helen Buckman and her ex-husband Ed raised their two kids in a way that they exhibit ‘untypical’ birth order behavior. Julie is a first born, like Kevin, but tends to act more like a middle child with her rebellious, free spirited behavior. Whether it is shaving her head, running away or getting married she is always trying to get attention out of her mom somehow. Julie does not embody the ‘typical’ first born mentality, she is not goal orientated, a high achiever or afraid of failure. Gary is the baby but is missing one of the key personality traits, entertainment. Gary can be seen as a ‘typical’ baby because he is rebellious, temperamental, and ambivalent. His rebellion can be seen when he locks his room and doesn’t let his mom know what is in his paper bag, this is probably because he is having emotional problems due to his parents divorce and does not know how to handle it. He is temperamental and ambivalent because he does what he wants, when he wants to and doesn’t seem to care. Helen, Julie, and Gary’s family dynamic could be ‘untypical’ because of the recent divorce their family went through. The person watching the movie does not know what the family was like before this event, but the kids’ attitudes could have potentially changed. Families are all different, and that is what makes them all different. Since this year I never even knew such studies existed. Learning about birth order studies has made me think about my own family, and whether we are ‘typical’ or ‘untypical’, but I know that there are always exceptions.

Banig Organizer Bag

Our future plans Include developing our line of travel necessities which are the Travel Bags, Passport Holders and other Travel Accessories all will still made with the main product Banging in a span of 5 years within the industry. We define our market as Travel Accessories. We currently hold 83. 33% of this market only a certain area of our target market which is UN Eave. And believe we can capture 95 %of it by year 2018. Some of our most notable customers Include Travel Managers International Inc. , Broadway travel Inc. And Allures Travel Inc. As of now we still onto have a direct competitor who makes the same kind of product that we do but there are alternatives to our product including Travel Kits made of leathers and Organizers made of plastics. Our product is unique/superior because of its main material which is the Banging. We have a competitive advantage because of our easy accessibility of our services and durability of our product. We anticipate new companies to enter this market because of the growing awareness for nature friendly products.The greatest risks associated with our business today are shift of people seeking the elf of travel agencies because they would rather use the internet to book their own. We feel we can overcome these risks because of there are still a huge number of people who trust to seek professional assistance in doing tours and there would always be clients who we can offer services. Our biggest recognized opportunities Include the growing number of tourist and the awareness of nature friendly products The management team is led by General Manager Ms.Ma. Patricia I Del Rosaries who founded the company in 2016. She graduated at Far Eastern university with a degree of BBS Tourism Management. She previously worked as a Sales Associate and Front Desk agent in Arizona, USA. The Product Design Officer is Ms. Cezanne Anne Manual together with Ms. Tanganyika Guttering both graduated with a degree of BBS Tourism Management The Sales a nd Marketing Officers Is Ms. Glacial Lazar with a degree of BBS Hotel and Restaurant Management and Ms.Czarina Abode graduate of BBS Tourism Management And The Finance Officer Ms. Journalize Joe Santos also from Far Eastern university with a degree of BBS Tourism Management. We have office located in 1120 Medial Extension, Otis, Pace, Manila. We currently perform outsourcing at Clamping Marking City. Our total full time staff is composed of 6 people and our products are distributed by direct selling. The expenses for a year by allocating budgets for each. We expect to provide an exit within 5 years by rationalization.Financial Snapshot In the fourth quarter, our company had sales of PH 162,500 and net income of PH 40,625, compared to sales of PH 83,500 and net income of PH 20,875 in first Quarter. MANAGEMENT ASPECT Key Business Operation Contemplation will be following the chain of command principle when any new reduce designs arise. Our purchasing and quality assuring officers and our finance officer will be responsible in all of the details regarding the contract between the business entity and the outsource manufacturer.If everything looks good and we want to move forward with the proposal we will take it to our general manager to get his/her approval. When the general manager approves the proposal, our sales and marketing manager will begin advertising the new product. Contemplation will focus mainly on word of mouth, social networks, and also sales calls to help make the product seen to the public. After advertising the product, we expect the travel agencies will want to pick up the new product line and begin selling them in their agency.With an established chain of command, we are taking the steps to make sure that there is full company approval on all new product designs. The following are the most important concept in key operation: Quality Control – We always check our end product we examine the final product and looks for defects and how it ca n be improved. This improves product flow and solves minor problems that could become major issues later on. Customer Satisfaction – It is important for us to measure customer satisfaction for their every transaction with us this helps us to identify the functions that need the most attention.Marketing – Identifying the needs of the market for us to develop more strategies to satisfy market demand while exceeding market expectations. Finance – Ensuring the business financial stability by maintaining financial records of the business transactions and sourcing appropriate types of finance to fund its operations. Reliability and Adaptability – It provides an interesting tension in our banging business operations. Our operations need to be reliable. We all need to know hat we can produce in a certain amount of units to meet potential demand no matter what.We also need enough adaptability to change with market and technology shifts and embrace new practices to keep our operations efficient. We chose to make Contemplation a general partnership business entity. All parties involved are responsible for the business, and they share all assets, liabilities, and profits within the partnership as a separate entity. Also, all partners have a financial duty to one another, and are expected to act in the best interests of the partnership as a whole rather than Just for their personal behalf.That is why we feel that Contemplation will thrive as a business and chose a general partnership entity because each partner will bring a specific strength to the company. Organizational Structure The organizational structure of the business shows the arrangement of the employee's position within the organization. The chart shows the key function of every employee within the company. It should be implemented for the primary purpose of facilitating the achievement of organizational goals in an efficient manner.Job Description Position: General Manager Job descri ption: Obtains profit contribution by managing staff; establishing and accomplishing easiness objectives. Job Task: Increases management's effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising Job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.Develops strategic plan by studying technological and financial opportunities; presenting assumptions; recommending results measurements; allocating resources; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections. Coordinates efforts by establishing procurement, production, marketing, field, and technical services policies and practices; coordinating actions with corporate staff. Builds company image by collaborating with customers, government, community organizations, and employees; enforcing ethic al business practices. Maintains quality service by establishing and enforcing organization standards.Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; participating in professional societies. Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed. Finance Officer Provides management with financial information by researching and analyzing accounts; preparing financial statements. Job Task: Prepares consolidated internal and external financial statements by gathering and analyzing information from the general ledger system and from departments.Maintains and balances an automated consolidation system by inputting data; scheduling required Jobs; verifying data. Analyzes information and options by developing spreadsheet reports; verifying information. Prepares general ledger entries by maintaining records and files; reconciling acc ounts. Prepares payments by accruing expenses; assigning account numbers; requesting disbursements; reconciling accounts. Develops and implements accounting procedures by analyzing current procedures; recommending changes. Answers accounting and financial questions by researching and interpreting data.Provides accounting support for mergers and acquisitions by reviewing financial information; converting data to general ledger system; obtaining supplementary information for preparing financial statements. Protects organization's value by keeping information confidential. Updates Job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations. Accomplishes accounting and organization mission by completing related results as needed.Product Design Manager Provide the needed operational requirements of manufacturing and off site operations. Job Task: Tracks and receives all incoming and outgoing packages. Maintains and organizes all development samples. Oversee quality control for all domestic samples Work with the design of the product and to revise and update technical flats Manage ND report prototype level costing information throughout the costing process; deadlines and approvals for: costing, quality evaluation, color, fabric and trims are met.Coordinate all factory communication for the development of proto-types. Such responsibilities will include: establishing the timeline, raw material management, and approval requirements with the factory during the centralization process. Sales and Marketing Manager Sales and Marketing manager has the knowledge of customer's needs and wants, ability of balancing customer satisfaction. Job Task: Knows how to do pricing strategyIdentify and evaluate the establishment objectives Formulate the marketing strategy/ marketing mix Compile the list of product/ service offerings Conduct commercial surveys/comments to identify another potential markets and to know the customer satisfaction Ensure increase revenue of the company Handling sales phone calls and e-mails Communicating with clients prior to their course and recording all correspondence Compiling client Information Packs Assisting with the copy writing of marketing materials Developing and implementing ideas for the marketing and sales Utilizing social outworking opportunities to facilitate sales and increase brand awareness Assisting with promotional events Attending and presenting at trade shows and school fairs Salaries: Position Number of Persons Salary Total Salaries P 15,000. 00 P 9,500. 00 Product Design Officers 2 Sales and Marketing Officers P 19,500. 00 TOTAL: P 62500. 00 Mandatory Benefits: These are mandatory requirements for employees are as follows: ASS All employees who are not 60 years of age have to be covered by the Social Security System (ASS).Both the employees and the business entity pay for the membership nutrition of the employee. The amount of the contribution is based on the employee's monthly salary and the schedule of contribution set by ASS. Coverage takes effect on the date of employment. Page-lbs. All employees who are not 60 years of age are also covered by Page-lbs. (Home Development Mutual Fund). In the same manner as that of ASS, both employees and the business entity pay for the membership contributions. The amount of the contribution is based on the employee's monthly salary and the schedule of contribution set by ASS. Coverage takes effect on the date of employment.Public Holidays The monthly salary of each member would include national public holidays. 13th month pay The 13th month pay is an extra pay given to all employees who have been employed for at least a month. If the employee has been employed for less than a year, the computation will be pro-rated depending on the length of service of the employee. Retirement Pay To ensure that the employee is financially secure upon retireme nt from the business entity, an equivalent of a half-month of salary will be contributed to the employee's retirement fund. This will start on the fifth year of service of the employee with the company. Pre-Employment Requirements:The applicant is required to undergo pre-employment medical examination and submit the following: Transcript of Records (original & 1 photocopy). The original copy will be returned to the candidate after verification ASS Number (submit E-1 /E-4, if available) Tax Identification Number NIB Clearance (dated not later than 6 months) Municipality Permit from Manila / Mayor's Permit from Manila Police Clearance Health Certificate from Manila Six PC's. XIX colored ID picture (white background) Orientation: Every employee will be required to participate in the General Orientation Program on his/her first day of employment. The objectives of the program are as follows: Integrate the employee with the Company's Mission, Vision and Values.Familiarize the employee on information relating to company policies and procedures and house rules Instill the importance of customer satisfaction by providing best service, quality and products Familiarize employees with our products and services Develop a sense of ownership and pride towards the attainment of company's goals and objectives The Orientation Program will be conducted by the General Manager. Performance Appraisal: The performance management system is an open and honest 3600 appraisal. This means that your immediate Manager will not only appraise you but you will also appraise yourself and be appraised by your own peers within the Team.All appraisals will cover: Your performance over the previous period which will be based on the performance standards set for each competency profile Your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and the specific ways to develop and enhance your skills and competencies Identification of your training, education and development needs Your career development plan for t he year ahead Out of this discussion, your career development plan will be set for the year to come, ND an action plan will be drawn up to guide you towards the attainment of your career goal. You will be advised in advance of your appraisal, when it will take place and what you need to do to prepare for it. You will have an appraisal within three months of starting work and another one, before your probationary period ends. Upon reorganization, an appraisal will be conducted regularly depending on the need of the employee and also of the Team. Ideally, an appraisal must be conducted every six months.Each subsequent appraisal must be scheduled six months after or no later than 12 months from the date of the previous appraisal. TECHNICAL ASPECT Product Concept: Contemplation has envisioned a line of products to introduce to the market but as all visions, it will have to begin with steps to get to the goal. Contemplation will launch its pioneer product which will be a Travel Organizer , It will be made with its main material which will be â€Å"banging†, Andover mat usually used in the Philippines for sleeping and sitting. The mat is made of burl, panda or sea grass leaves then the leaves are dried, usually dyed, and then cut into strips and woven into mats, which may be plain or intricate.It will be produced with this material mainly because one of Banging† for their livelihood and also to promote the Philippines being its traditional product which symbolizes their way of living, which is simplicity. The organizer will consist of pockets that will be able to hold items such as Passports, flight tickets, credit cards as well as other personal belongings. In addition to the pockets, we will also incorporate special dividers and holders that will help organize all small items such as chargers, earphones, pens/pencils, and basically anything else that may be needed during travel. This is going to be a unique and a one of a kind item that will cake trave ling easier for any type of traveler. Being made of banging it will show the true culture of the Philippines while still having those popular trend young adults are looking for.Benefit: Contemplatively organizer, a banging with zipper closures, has a variety of benefits that could be interesting for potential customers. Travel Organizers are terrific for avoiding what could otherwise be a cluttered mess in your bag, and make life easier for security inspections as well; this approach also makes smaller items less likely to be lost or forgotten. Company Profile and Logo Contemplation is a trading business entity that will produce products made of â€Å"bang. Contemplation will provide a product that has a unique Filipino touch yet it will be sold in an affordable price. It will also help promote the Philippines by using the raw materials that are traditionally produced in the Philippines.The name behind â€Å"Contemplation† is a mixture of the words; Contemporary and Pinto. C ontemporary meaning happening on the same period, the team chose this word to exactly people specially Filipinos are losing track of what their culture really is and their way of living are focused on following the trends internationally. The team wants to bring back the â€Å"banging† to the public, to be better appreciated in the current time and to be once again representing the Philippines as a product know to the world. Contemn – comes from the word contemporary it mean â€Å"modern† Pinto – is referring to the Filipino people in the Philippines Contemn (letters with banging design) – because our product is made of Banging.

Psychological Issue Summary Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Psychological Issue Summary - Term Paper Example Irrational thoughts cause depression just as much as depression causes irrational thoughts. I would have a bipolar sufferer talk me through some of the things going through their heads and then suggest that they step into the role of devil's advocate for a moment and provide a counter view to what they perceive. I would use the four column approach to try to indicate to the patient that, no matter what the objective situation, they become depressed and suggest that it is their own thoughts and perceptions that are misleading them. I would then proceed to use behavioral therapy in that vein suggested by the work we did in the cognitive section. I would have them practice behaviors that they typically do when depressed, then work on making those behaviors extinct and replacing them with healthy behaviors. For example: I would have them walk through calling a friend to talk. Finally, it seems that most of the reasons people are depressed are interpersonal. Friends are distant or unfair or non-existent, one isn't dating or is having a bad relationship, one's boss is arbitrary, etc. Worse, there comes to be a cyclical pattern where someone who is depressed alienates people who are optimistic, making a wind tunnel effect and reducing their social circle.

Primary NQT statement Personal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Primary NQT - Personal Statement Example I am also familiar with 'P scales' assessing SEN children's current ability and levels. This assisted me in planning and setting future targets for the children. I am able to work effectively and to follow new guidelines, procedures and instructions independently or in a team and to deliver lessons in class to children of all abilities. While working as teaching assistant I have also read bilingual stories to children with English language difficulties. Thus, I can interpret and explain stories to children in order to better understanding the meaning in English. I fluently speak, read and write in Bengali, Urdu and Arabic. In addition I am competent in a variety of Asian languages such as Bengali, Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi. Therefore, I am able to communicate with parents who have difficulties in expressing themselves in English. I feel it is important to build up a good and trustworthy I have successfully passed an in-depth Frist Aid course and I have profound knowledge and experience in health and safety procedures for children and parents within the educational environment. This involves strict supervision of the children within the educational setting. I have experience in teaching across all year groups and I have the confidence to keep discipline. My early placement was at Rebecca Cheetham Nursery and Ed... There I was faced with the challenge to apply the learned theories in practice and the gained experience made me aware of the age group changing activities and learning developments. At Rebecca Cheetham Nursery and Education Centre I have the possibility to incorporate a "float" role which involved changing nappies, providing regular snacks and supervising children's activities. My other placement was in Ranelagh Primary School in Newham. Working where added to my enhancing teaching experience and I was allowed to undertake additional management tasks and monitoring other members of the staff. The Ranelagh Primary School in Newham was a contrasting experience, because it had a multicultural environment and diverse social aspects. What I benefitted most there was the irreplaceable experience to teach children from various cultural and social background and to teach them how to interact with each other. Trying to construct the individuality in every child, while addressing his uniquene ss is a rewarding education practice. My first teaching experiece was as a volunteer. My responsibilities included teaching and assisting the developmental progress of children from 3 - 5 years of age. I was able to plan, prepare, assess and deliver activities, which were appropriate to meet the needs of the children. Maintaining daily records was required to follow children's social, physical and behavioural progress. I am a GTP trainer teacher and while working as a teaching assistant at Plaistow Primary school I have worked with children from Nursery age to the age of 6. The job position required working with children who have communication, physical and behavioural difficulties. My daily responsibility includes satisfying the basic needs of the children as well as developing their

The Differences between Financial and Management Accounting Assignment

The Differences between Financial and Management Accounting - Assignment Example Management and managerial accounting are used by the management to make decisions with regards to the daily operation of the business. It is based on the past performance of the business. It relies majorly on the forecasting of market trends and markets. Management accounting is internally presented while financial accounting is meant for the external stakeholders. Financial management is important to the current potential investors while management accounting is used by managers in making current and future financial decisions. Finally,  financial accounting is succinct and adheres to the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) while management accounting is usually a guess or estimate given that a myriad of managers rarely have time for exact numbers when they need to make decisions.      Some of the key financial statements include;   Income statement (profit and loss account), Balance sheet, Cash flow.   Income statement tells the users about the earnings and the profitability of the business. The statement is for a specific period of time. The periodic statements are important given that the owners can know the periodic performance of the company. It shows the sales first then cost of sales, the differences of which gives the gross profit. Then it explains the operating expenses which are subtracted from the gross margin to show Earnings Before interests and Taxes (EBIT). It then subtracts expenses and taxes to get the net profit. The balance sheet shows the financial position of the business. It tells the investors whether the company is able to pay its bills on time and the flexibility in the acquisition of capital and the distribution of cash distribution in terms of dividends. The key items are assets, liabilities, and equity.

Risk in a New Era of Catastrophes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk in a New Era of Catastrophes - Essay Example Florida is among the states that depict high probability of facing natural calamities. Insurers, in finding out the states that mostly fall victims of natural disasters, unveiled that Florida is leading in the category. This was via applying exceedance probability (EP) curves besides incorporating prediction models, which used Florida as an illustrative example (Wharton University of Pennsylvania 7). Additional states encompass New York, Texas and S. Carolina who constitute the similar category. Studies revealed a loss of at least $10billion incurred in the state where future predications showed an increase due to the augmented occurrence of the disasters. Furthermore, due to the current climate alterations, there is an increasing and evident trend of natural calamities, which sometimes their intensities are unpredictable. Global warming has greatly yielded to frequent climate anomalies threatening nations presently (Wharton University of Pennsylvania 4). These encompass hurricanes a nd tornados that lead to immeasurable property obliteration besides human deaths. Predictions by some assorted studies indicate that the trend of natural calamities may continue to augment, where the occurrence will be unpredictable, hence finding people unaware. Final stage anticipation regards the number of insured people. Studies indicate that citizens have diverse reasons that may compel them either to buy insurance or refuse to have any coverage. People’s arguments are diverse where some state that the insurance according to their income it is high-priced whereas others do not see the essence, since that is the mandate of a state, which it has to fulfill actively. Besides, those insured their coverage is insufficient especially when catastrophes occur. Since after the catastrophe, victims require numerous things besides medicine and food, in which agencies have to provide (Wharton University of Pennsylvania

Case Study Based Report - Performance Management Essay

Case Study Based Report - Performance Management - Essay Example Based on the drawbacks, a new system is developed. The impetus for the new system of performance management was driven by the arrival of a new CEO in the organisation. His mission is the creation of a culture which is completely based on performance and the creation of a proper career path for the operational staff. Answer to Question 1 Review of the organisation’s previous approach to performance management The previous performance management system for the senior operational staff was meant to evaluate the performance of the employees against the set standards of performance. This would consequently help in the development of action plans for addressing the gaps identified (David, 2009, p.288). Since they were senior operational staff in the organisation, their performance were indirectly accountable for the performance of the personnel working under their supervision. The first step in the system included identifying the personnel’s performance dimensions. ... He is responsible for completing his assignments on time through the performance of his subordinates. He is supposed to demonstrate budgetary controls, monitor the subordinates’ activities, initiate the effective and timely corrective actions and suggest budgetary recommendations (California State University, p.1). Certain pitfalls have been identified with regards to the performance management system for the senior operational staff in the organisation. Firstly, the system is not found to promote or enhance productivity in any way. Moreover, it is not a favourable system which drives commitment in the workforce or motivates employees towards continuous improvement of performance (Montebello, 2004, p.1). Firstly, there are divergent goals and objectives. In other words, the goals are not very defined and do not provide a proper guideline to the operational staff for proceeding in his work activities. Secondly, there are loopholes in the implementation plan of the system. The s ystem is not implemented aggressively. Moreover, the technology used for implementing the plan is not based on the latest technology which allows errors and loopholes in the system. There is lack of transparency in the system which eventually causes improper performance appraisal. Inefficiencies creep in and at times, there is biasness in the appraisal system. The performance appraisal forms are constructed poorly. This implies that the factors for rating are not well defined and allows ambiguity. The rating scale also contains certain problematic terms. Thus, it is difficult to evaluate whether the performance meets requirements, exceeds it or is at par. The problem that arises because of this is that the process lacks validity and value and is considered to be impractical. The forms

Research in logistics and Suppy chains system Essay

Research in logistics and Suppy chains system - Essay Example In addition, the terminals are under attack by capacity constraints, inadequate decision-making techniques, and congestion as well as environment issues. Such daunting challenges result from the terminals negation of potentially significant pipe flow models of container terminals logistic process (Kuznetsov at al. 2015). Therefore, the modelling of terminals dealing with containerization traffic is still rare. Accordingly, there is an ineffective Container Terminal Logistic Systems that is chief in the present international logistics. There should be an adequate modelling to ensure smooth operation of the terminals. However, the terminals efficient operation lacks satisfactory models to ensure smooth operation. Such an inadequacy is caused by increased number of containers without simultaneous risen in the terminals capacity. In addition, the top management is silent on such expansive strategies as they negate potentially pipe flow models of the container terminal logistic procedure. Such negligence results in constraints such as poor decision-making techniques (Talley 2007). The counteractive objective is, therefore, to design and develop a dynamic operation view. There is a need to increase the operational levels model simulation of the whole logistical procedure encompassing export and import flows (ElMesmary at al. 2014). Finally, there is a need to validate the base simulation model to enable scenario evaluation and its subsequent testing to gauge the operational alteration impacts in the terminals. The metric for assessing the goal and make the ideas of possible routes accomplish the ideal situation is to design and establish a dynamic perspective of the terminal operation. In addition, an increased operational level of the model simulation would be feasible. Such should collapse into a validation of the base simulation model that enable scenario evaluation. Also, the scenario testing will help assess the impacts of

Federal Express Canada Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Federal Express Canada Analysis - Case Study Example Contents Contents 3 Background 4 Statement of Problem(s) or Statement of Issue(s) 4 Situation Analysis 5 Marketing Mix 5 SWOT Analysis 6 Environmental Analysis 7 Analysis of alternatives 7 Recommendation(s) 7 Implementation or Action Plan 8 Reference 8 Background The case study revolves around FedEx’s customer service that it provides to its customer and need of assistance provided by the customers care. FedEx is one of the leaders in the air express cargo transportation and its business is based on the philosophy that â€Å"when people are placed first they will provide the highest possible services and the profits will follow†. FedEx is known to be a reliable shipper and is committed to get the package of its customers irrespective of the size to the required destination on time. The present case study analysis is based on the customer service of FedEx which they showed towards a small company by the name of Desktop Innovation. Anita Kilgour who was the office manager in Desktop Innovation had shipped two packets from Kitchener, Ontario to Simpsonville, South Carolina through FedEx. But only one of the two packets was received and there were no whereabouts about the second packets. Statement of Problem(s) or Statement of Issue(s) FedEx which was known for its services and has received many awards for its excellent services in the past but Anita was really disappointed with the way the company handled the situation. With respect to the case of Anita and her company Desktop Innovation, the main problem lied with FedEx was its customer service. Despite of Anita calling them several times to keep a track of the packets and to know about the whereabouts of the missing packets, the customer service department was least interests in informing her and the company about the missing packet and as promised they never called Anita back to provide the information. As stated by Anita that the customer service policies needs to be given an in dept analysis was however true for the situation where Anita and her company had to face issues because of FedEx. Situation Analysis Marketing Mix The marketing mix constitutes of four Ps but since Federal Express is a service industry, the marketing mix would include the remaining three Ps also that is all in 7 Ps. Thus the 7Ps are Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical Evidence. Product/ Services: FedEx is a courier service industry and delivers the couriers to the required destinations ion time and it has been known for its on time delivery system. Other services includes packaging and shipping of the products, hold at the location, local delivery, laptop docking stations, hotels and conventions and also provides services such as scanning, fax, passport and other office suppliers (FedEx, 2012). The products of FedEx includes posters, banners, displays and frames, cards and calendar, design services to name a few products (FedEx, 2012). Price: FedEx charges a premium price for its services from its customers. It also provides booking facility through the internet so that customer can book at an ease and at any point of time. Place: FedEx is geographically scattered all over the globe and provide services 24*7. FedEx is located in Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa, North America and Latin America.

How have racial stereotypes about the Arab-Americans and Muslims Essay

How have racial stereotypes about the Arab-Americans and Muslims affected them, and what can be done to improve relationships in America - Essay Example While trying to adapt to situations when they were confronted with hatred and racism, Muslim Americans felt a significant increase in the negative stereotypes demonstrated by the larger American society, and Muslim immigrants faced extremely negative attitudes, much more than those faced by other new comers to the country. An upsurge in racial and religious animosity rendered Arabs, Middle Easterners, Muslims, and all those who bore stereotyped physical similarity to belonging of these groups, extremely vulnerable to hatred and hostility from people of other cultures in America (Amiri, 2012). While ‘Muslim’ is a religious label and has no pertinence to race, the line between racism and religious prejudice is frequently blurred. Muslim Americans are looked upon as a monolithic group, perceived as a religious minority who act, think, and behave in the same way within their religious community, despite the fact that even among themselves, there exist differences of ethnicity. Despite media reports of the negative stereotypes of Muslims, there has been scant psychological research to support the attitudes of non-Muslims towards Muslim Americans. Various studies have been performed for exploring the negative approach towards Arabs but it is also noted that no such activity has been formed for exploring behaviors of Muslimes. In Europe a research has been done, on the area of ‘Islamophobia’ which means dread or hatred of Islam. A survey was conducted in the United Kingdom which pointed to the fact that prejudice against Muslims has surged upward in re cent years (Ridouani, 2011). Owing to the fact that many Muslim American stand out as culturally rather distinct, it is worthwhile to speculate and discover whether the attitudes of non-Muslims toward Muslim Americans reflect those demonstrated by European non-Muslims towards the members of these minority groups.

Person centred planning Essay Example for Free

Person centred planning Essay It is important that a person is always the centre of planning there decisions and wishes for the future and you should always use a person centred approach when dealing with an individual. For example if a doctor was explaining a course of treatment to a certain individual and you could see that the individual did not understand what the doctor was telling them but the carer assumed it would be OK to let the doctor carry on and just explain the the individual later on. Where in fact you should of stopped to ask that individual if the understood and if not then ask the doctor to explain himself in a different way were they may understand more. This then includes the individual and gives them the ability to ask questions and decided what decisions they may want because they would be in the centre of their own care. If you was to wait until the individual was home to explain what the doctor was saying then they may of made the wrong choices in which path they wanted to go in simply because they did not realise what the doctor was saying and could therefore become distressed by this. For example if the individual was to agree to a type of treatment which goes against there values and beliefs but because the carer did not explain what the doctor meant they may not of known what they were agreeing to. where as by getting the doctor the explain in a understanding form for them means that they could find out all the information they need to make decisions and come away happy knowing that they fully understand what they have chosen to do. This is why person centred planning is so important because it means the individual is in charged of what they want and it makes them less distress knowing that they can make their own choices and they are being listened too and they are valued as a person.

Strategy And Structure in Organizations

Strategy And Structure in Organizations Strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments actions designed to exploit core competencies gain a competitive advantage. Organization structure Organisation structure specifies the firms formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls and authority, decision making process. So organisation structure includes three components: Administrative structure: This structure signifies division of labour in the organization. This includes dividing work into tasks or roles such as operations, logistics and transportation, and training, and recombining them into administrative units, e.g., branches, departments or divisions according to mission, function, and/or region. The structure depicted in organization charts, including tables of organization and equipment is the administrative structure. Responsibility structure: This includes division of responsibility authority to individuals within the organisation. Control structure: This includes organisations system of measuring and evaluating performance on the basis of administrative structure responsibility structure. Relationship between Strategy and Structure There are two main views on the relationship between strategy and structure. According to Alfred Chandler structure follows strategy. Recent research has questioned the view that structure always follows strategy, and argued instead that strategy often follows structure. This second view, that strategy follows structure, is based on the idea that managers already working within a particular organisational structure will take the structure for granted and only consider strategies that will fit with the existing structure. Combining these two arguments we can say that Strategy structure have a reciprocal relationship. Organization structure is a critical component of effective strategy implementation process. Success of a firm depends on how well a firms business strategy is matched to its organizational structure. Developing an organization structure that effectively supports the firms strategy is difficult. For successful implementation of organization strategy, an organisation structure should have following characteristics: Structural stability This provides the firm a capacity to effectively manage its daily work routines. Structural flexibility This provides the firm an opportunity to explore competitive possibilities then allocate resources to activities that will shape the competitive advantages the firm will need to be successful in future. However strategy has a much more important influence on structure than reverse. But at the end organisation structure should provide adequate stability flexibility that is necessary for successful implementation of strategy. Strategy that a firm decides to follow will govern the decision about the organisation structure that will be suitable for the firm but once in place organization structure influences the choice about future strategies because of organizational inertia derived from organization structure that inhibits efforts to change. Evolutionary pattern of organizational structure strategy Pre-bureaucratic structures This is the simplest form of structure is usually based on traditional or charismatic dominance. Structure is totally centralised lacks standardisation of tasks. This is useful in managing simple tasks. Bureaucratic structures It has certain degree of standardisation is useful in managing slightly more complex large scale organizations. Functional structures Structure is more standardised centralised. Organisation is divided into separate functional divisions employees within a particular division perform specific functions. This type of structure is useful in firms that provide standardised goods services at low cost in high volume. Divisional structure This is also called as product structure. Organisation is divided into divisions each division has its own resources functions. Divisions can be based on geographies or products/services. Matrix structure This structure combines the features of both functional divisional structure. Defining the strategy strategy implementation process Strategy formulation As discussed earlier strategy has more important influence on structure than reverse. So whenever a firm starts a business it decides about what strategy it wants to follow. Broadly there are four different business strategies that firms follow: Prospector- The primary challenge that these firms face is to identify exploit new opportunities of industry their primary capability is innovation. Analyser- Analysers are fast followers. They closely monitor customer reactions competitor activities either improve upon successful competitor product offerings or offer comparable products at reduced cost. Low cost defenders- These firms usually target stable segments of market. Their main emphasis is on efficiency through standardised practices providing low cost products rather than innovation. Differentiated defenders- These firms also target stable segments of market but their emphasis is on high quality differentiated products rather than low cost. Strategy implementation Organization structure forms a critical implementation dimension. Three important features upon which organization structure is based are formalisation, centralisation, standardisation. Formalization- This is the degree to which decisions working relations are governed by formal rules. Formal rules lower the administrative cost increase efficiency. Firms that have greater number of formal rules regulations are called mechanistic firms with fewer formal rules are called organic. Centralization- This defines the degree to which decision making authority is held by top management. In centralised organizations lines of communication responsibility are clear defined. Decisions are usually made by top management implementation path is clearly defined. This type of structure is followed in relatively stable, non-complex environments. In decentralised organizations views ideas may originate from different groups. Decision making power is dispersed in the organisation. This type of structure is effective in complex environments. Specialization- This defines degree to which tasks and activities are divided in the organization. Specialist firms direct their efforts to a well defined set of activities. Generalist firms on the other hand are more diverse in their activities. Firms following different business strategies usually differ on degree of formalization, centralization specialization of organizational structure. Relationship between Environment, Resources, Strategy and Structure Strategy and structure are dynamically related according to classical model. E= Environment, R=Resource(capabilities) S=Strategy St=Sttructure Ti= Time The nature of the environment (Et1) and the Resources (Rt1) of the organization influence the strategy (St1) chosen at time t1, and in this turn determines the organizational structure (St1). Then the evolution of the environment and/or of the organization brings about a new strategy and a new structure. The dotted lines indicate that very often firms try to meet the environmental and structural demands without realizing that they have implicitly adopted a new strategy. Strategy grows out of structure and in turn may lead to its modification. Source:http___www.emeraldinsight.com_Insight_ViewContentServlet_contentType=ArticleFilename=_published_emeraldfulltextarticle_pdf_0860100201 Burns and Stalker (1961) view structure as a process in itself a means of holding together an organization so that it is able to determine its own destiny. Organizations that operate in dynamically changing and uncertain environments tend to need organic/flexible structures and processes while more stable environments lend themselves to more familiar mechanistic bureaucratic structures. Eccles et al. (1997) list some of the main functions of organizational structure which provide: a formal allocation of work rules; channels for collaborative working; boundaries of authority and lines of communication; a means of allocating power and responsibility; prescriptive levels of formality and complexity. Strategy and Structure Alignment Source: Emerald database Strategy-Structure Alignment An important management responsibility is to design and implement the strategic organizational form best suited to the demands of its marketplace, customers, and business model. Since your competitors essentially have access to the same information and may have developed similar strategies, it is important to consider organizational design as one of your most powerful strategic weapons. Strategy-Structure Alignment follows four phases: Assessment: Data is gathered on strategy, organization and the business environment using interviews, archival research (of planning documents, performance studies, etc), and observations. Data is organized into issue categories and fed back to management in a way that supports validation and learning. Management reaches an agreement on key issues and problems, causal factors and organizational requirements. Design: The design process goes through a series of design steps including scale and leverage assessment, the design of vertical alternatives and lateral processes and structures, impact analysis, etc. Each step is geared to execute strategy and address organization and cultural issues. Alternatives Choice: Changes in organization are based on a selection from among a set of alternatives. Because any organizational structure calls for trade-offs, the alternatives are worked through discussions that focus on the advantages and disadvantages of each, their fit with requirements, and the impact of implementation, etc. Frequently the organizational design that is. The types of problems that can be addressed include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Changes in strategy causing poor alignment with the original organization design à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Needing to restructure parts of organization due to competitive pressures, introduction of new technology, etc. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Organizational growth is causing a reexamination of the organization design à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Poor execution and organizational effectiveness The primary objective in Strategy-Structure Alignment is for management to design and decide upon an organizational structure that best supports its strategy and to develop a preliminary transition plan for next steps. The concept of co-alignment If strategy is about realizing a plan, then in implementing it, a suitable means of structuring resources and activities must be found and maintained. Olsen (1993) uses the term co- alignment to describe the best fit relationship between strategy and organizational structure. He observes that without co-alignment between structure, strategy and the environment, organizations may experience difficulty in achieving long-term success. The concept of co-alignment is depicted in Figure. Alignment is a systematic methodology for designing these capabilities in a fully rational and informed way. Strategy-Structure Alignment is strategy-driven and performance-oriented. It begins with a reaffirmation (and sometimes recalibration) of business strategy, explores the implications of that strategy for organizational structure, considers changing conditions in the environment, and through diagnosis identifies organizational problems and performance gaps. A sequential design process generates alternatives for organization design. A preliminary transition plan of a preferred alternative and its alignment then follow. Relationship between Organizational Control, Structure and Strategy There is a close relationship between organizational control, structure and strategy. The organizational control is one of the prime drivers for the organizational change whenever the organization changes its structure. As explained earlier; as organization grows the control of the organization becomes more complex and hence the structure of the organization is changed to cope with the changed environment. Organization structure itself is used as a control mechanism in implementing strategy. For e.g. large diversified firms using cost leadership strategy emphasize financial controls and usually will have some centralized financial reporting mechanism or financial department to exert more control over the cost Single business companies and business units using a differentiation strategy will be emphasizing on strategic control and the mechanisms will be developed accordingly Corporate Level Strategy and Structure Depending on the type of corporate level strategy the organization is following the link between structure and strategy can be compiled as following. Strategy Structure Major features Related Constrained Strategy Co operative structure (M-form) Structural integration, centralized strategic planning, human resource and marketing,RD etc. Cultural emphasis on corporate sharing. Rewards are subjective , tend to follow overall corporate performance and divisional performance Related Linked Strategy Strategic Business Unit (M-form) Structural integration, centralized strategic planning, human resource and marketing, RD etc. Cultural emphasis on corporate sharing. Rewards are subjective , tend to follow overall corporate performance and divisional performance Unrelated Diversification Competitive form (M-form) Small corporate head quarters with Finance and auditing as the most prominent functions. headquarters to manage cash flow and ensure the accuracy of performance data coming from divisions The legal affairs function becomes important when the firm acquires or divests assets Divisions are independent and separate for financial evaluation purposes Divisions retain strategic control, but cash is managed by the corporate office Divisions compete for corporate resources Latest Empirical Studies Strategy and Structure in Context: Universalism versus Institutional Effects Jose I. Galan and Maria J. Sanchez-Bueno Tried to study the Chandlers proposition that large organization evolve in to multi divisional forms as they grow in case of Spain. Spain being a newly developing market and with slowly integrating with EU and world market was studied to test whether the cultural factors has impact on the emergence of structure as organizations globalise and evolve. Their studies corroborated that as organizations evolve its complexity rather than culture that drives the emergence of the structure. Spanish organizations too followed the global trend of emergence of multi divisional structure. The same has been corroborated in case of other countries by Researcher Country Dyas Thanheiser France Whittington Mayer U.K Whittington Mayer Germany Institutional Forms and Organizational Structures: Homology, Trust and Reputational Capital in Professional Service Firms Gerard Hanlon Explores how professional service organizations has used a set of clan and bureaucratic controls to manage the organizational changes; both set of controls being present throughout the life span of an organizations but with varying levels of importance. Previous studies by Ouchi et. al says about the clan structure of professional services ,legal practices and accounting where there is high centrality of decision making and you belonging to that particular group or profession bringing you some privileges. Socialization aspect of clan structure was central to the success of organizations in that particular setup. Clan structure induces homology and trust based partner autonomy. Reputational capital is essential in making large and complex deals . But as the services expanded the need for institutional forms also emerged and institutional controls started taking place. This need for formal interactions and following of norms undermined the clan nature of the services. There is a constant power struggle between the bureaucratic controls and clan /social and informal norms of control in professional organizations. Exploring Strategy and Board Structure in Non-profit Organizations William A Brown Joel O Inverson Applying Miles and Snow typology of strategy Brown and Inverson tries to understand the structure of the organizations of the various non-profit organizations in U.S. Their key findings are Prospectors : have broader inclusive structure Defenders : have tighter more focused structure Environmental Turbulence, Organizational Stability, and Public Service Performance George A Boyne Kenneth J Meier A turbulent external environment is widely believed to have damaging effects on public service performance. Much less consensus has been reached on whether the best response to turbulence is to retain or alter existing organizational structures. They analysed these issues by testing the links between turbulence, structural stability, and performance in a large sample of public organizations. Results show that turbulence has a negative effect on performance, and that this is compounded by internal organizational change. Thus public managers can mitigate the harmful effects of volatility in the external environment by maintaining structural stability. Emerging trends in organisation structure By the end of 20th centaury trend of large organizations was over. The environment in which firms were operating changed to great extent. The factors that are responsible in todays environment are entirely different from traditional factors. Due to change in factors responsible for success of organizations, organizations are changing their structure. Major factors that have contributed to this change are: Globalisation Due to changes in technology changes in international trade laws, more more companies are competing in more more number of markets. This has increased both the opportunities threats present in external environment. Change in Technology Technology is evolving at a very fast rate organizations have to constantly adapt to this change. Technological change has the biggest impact on organizations among all the factors. Internet as a technology has provided a new distribution marketing channel which has led to a change in the way organizations compete. Information technology has also changed the internal working process of organizations. Technologies like ERP, SAP Oracle have facilitated the information flow in the organizations which in turn has changed the way organizations work. Einsteins famous formula has been modified in modern days of technological advancement. E = MC2 M is the Mastery of each individual (human capital). C are the Connections that join individuals into a community (social capital). C is the Communication that flows through those Connections. E is the resulting Effectiveness of the team or organization According to a paper Do Org Charts Still Matter? by Thornton A May organizations are a combination of responsibilities, accountabilities, knowledge, process, interactions future. Organization charts depict only first element of organization i.e. responsibilities accountabilities. All other elements of organization are missing from the organization charts. Informal organizations that are existing because of web based interactions are not shown in these charts. Constant change As competition is increasing day by day so organisations cant depend on what they do today to be successful tomorrow. Environment in which industries are competing is also very uncertain dynamic. This uncertainty demands structural flexibility. Technological change is one of the factors that are leading to environment change. As no company is confined to geographic boundaries so this has increased exposure to different emerging markets side by side it has also increased the competition from different players entering into the market. So companies have to adapt themselves to ever changing demands of consumer markets. Mergers acquisitions In recent years many mergers acquisitions happened in global economy. When two organisations combine it is mandatory that organisation structure provided by the management should be conducive to culture of both the organizations. Most of the failures in case of mergers acquisitions are due to cultural clash. Diversity in the workforce People from diverse backgrounds in terms of geographies cultures are working in organizations. So organization structure should be such that it increases the productivity, improve morale, heighten creativity and enhance decision-making power among the employees. Emerging organisation structure trends Because of above mentioned factors the structure of many companies has become flatter, less hierarchical, more fluid and even virtual. Increasing use of IT enabled conventional organization structures to transform into more fluid form. Few of the emerging trends in organisation structure are: Teams This is the new trend of organization structure. Entire organization may work as a team or it may be a combination of few teams which coordinate with each other. Xerox, Motorola are among the few companies that follow team organization structure. Network Network structure is also an emerging trend in organization structure. The main reason for using this type of organization structure is that firms outsource the tasks activities to other firms that can perform those tasks in a better cost effective way. Success of this type of structure depends upon the coordination control of external relations. Structural flexibility is one of the major success criteria for this type of organization structure. Partnership alliances As competition is increasing in the economy so firms realise that it is very difficult to survive in this highly competitive environment alone. So firms go for partnership alliances with other firms to diversify the risk. Virtual organizations This is the most radical form of organization structure. It is also called as boundary-less organization. This means while the core of the organization can be small but still the company can operate globally be a market leader in its niche. Because of the unlimited shelf space of the Web, the cost of reaching niche goods is falling dramatically. The success of this type of structure depends on information technology. Self organised communities The structure followed by latest web 2.0 technologies is self organised communities. In this case the job of top management is just to maintain the motivation level of employees to participate in the community. The TATA Group Introduction: Activities of the Organization The Tata Group is a multinational company with its head-quarter located in Mumbai, India. The Tata Group is one of the largest private employers in India employing more than 350000 employees. Tata companies operate in seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Every Tata company or enterprise operates independently. Each of these companies has its own board of directors and shareholders, to whom it is answerable. There are 28 publicly listed Tata enterprises and they have a combined market capitalization of some $60 billion, and a shareholder base of 3.5 million. The major Tata companies are Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Tea, Indian Hotels and Tata Communications. Tata Steel became the sixth largest steel maker in the world after it acquired Corus. Tata Motors is among the top five commercial vehicle manufacturers in the world and has recently acquired Jaguar and Land Rover. TCS is a leading global software company, with delivery centers in the US, UK, Hungary, Brazil, Uruguay and China, besides India. Tata Tea is the second largest branded tea company in the world, through its UK-based subsidiary Tetley. Tata Chemicals is the worlds second largest manufacturer of soda ash and Tata Communications is one of the worlds largest wholesale voice carriers. Rationale for selection Tata, with its long history, is synonymous with the Indian economy. Its growth has been a prime index to be watched for gauging Indias growth. With a history of over 100 years, Tata has grown leaps and bounds by diversifying into different businesses. These businesses are so diversified and different that it presents us an opportunity to draw contrast between the different kinds of structures adopted in these businesses. Tatas solid presence in major industries like Automobiles (Tata Motors), Steel Industry (Tata Steel), IT Industry (TCS), Hospitality Industry (Taj Hotels) and many others is evident of their successful strategy formulation and implementation. All these businesses are driven by a single level corporate level strategy. Also with the increasing globalisation there is an increased pressure on the Tata group companies to expand their operations beyond the nations boundaries. There has been the realization for the same and the Tatas have been proactive in sensing and capturing the internationalization opportunities. The widely known Corus acquisition by Tata Steel, the TCS foray into international markets, Tata Teas acquisition of U.K based Tetley tea have helped Tata to establish the brand Tata in the international arena. This has not been an independent event. In fact these steps have had serious implications to the structure of the organization. The study of Tata aims at obtaining insights into the impact of strategy change (diversification, internationalization) on the structure of the organization as a whole (reconstructionist approach). Also the impact of structural change on the firms strategy (structuralist approach) could effectively be studied with respect to Tata given its long history. So the Tata group presented an exciting opportunity to draw the relationship between strategy and structure of an organization. TAJ Hotels Resorts and Palaces The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) and its subsidiaries are collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, which is recognized as one of Asias largest and finest hotel companies. Incorporated by the founder of the Tata group, Jamsetji Tata, the company opened its first property, the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, Bombay in 1903. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces comprises 64 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels. Areas of Business Luxury Premium Mid-Market Value Vivanta Ginger Gateway Taj IHCL operates in the luxury, premium, mid-market and value segments of the market In addition, IHCL has Taj Exotica (resort and spa brand found in the most exotic and relaxing locales of the world ) and Taj Safari (wildlife lodges that allow travelers to experience the unparalleled beauty of the Indian jungle amidst luxurious surroundings) which provide services to different segments of the market. With its diversification strategy revolving both around products and markets, the Taj Group of Hotels follow Cooperative Form of Multidivisional Structure to implement its Related Constrained Strategy of diversification. In this Cooperative Form of Multidivisional Structure, IHCL uses Structural Integration devices to create tight links among all divisions. The Corporate Office located in Mumbai emphasizes centralized strategic planning, human resources, and marketing to foster cooperation between divisions. IHCL has a well laid out procedures for working and conduct of business. These governance mechanisms are clear and unambiguous. Everyone in the company is expected to follow the procedures followed in the company and anyone found violating them is questioned for the breach and suitable action is taken. The TATA Code of Conduct governs all the policies, procedures and behaviors desired from its associates across all its Hotels. There is more of formalization as most of these policies and norms are written down. The customer also feels at home when he is familiar with the brand and its level of commitment and service, making it the customers first choice at any location where its available. It also helps the company control the costs as there is a high degree of standardization of products and services. The transaction costs are also lower since most of the duties are well defined and less reason for conflict within organization. The culture of the IHCL emphasizes cooperative sharing. All the divisions and subsidiaries of IHCL share the corporate strengths of IHCL. The TATA/Taj Brand provides the trust from its customers to all its subsidiary units. Also, sharing divisional competencies facilitates the IHCLs effort to develop economies of scope which is very well achieved by its multidivisional structure. Sometimes temporary teams or task forces are formed around certain projects/events which is facilitated by sharing competencies that are embedded within several divisions. So, to align its structure with its Related Linked Strategy of Diversification, the IHCL has developed a matrix kind of organization from the multidivisional structure. Here, as can be seen in the figure below there is a dual structure combining both functional specialization and business product specialization. So, measuring the organizational structure of IHCL on the dimensions of Formalization, Centralization, and Specialization we have: Tata Steel The Tata Steel division is the oldest business unit under the Tata group. Established in 1907, Tata Steel has evolved over the years to become an extremely competitive steel manufacturer. Evolution of the Strategy and Structure During the pre liberalization period (before 1991), Tata Steel faced a low levels of competition. SAIL was the only major competitor. The period was also reflective of the following: quantitative restrictions (license raj) on the levels of production, the control over the price and the selection of customers. The tight regulatory nature of the government bodies over the manufacturing units had implications over the strategy of the firm. The main aim of the unit was to meet the levels of production as set by the government and there was no motive to increase productivity/efficiency or reduce the cost. Thus the firm had a centralized structure. The various functions

The Growth Of Information And Communication Technology

The Growth Of Information And Communication Technology The growth of information and communication technology has significantly impacted on every facet of the world on most often noted is the internet. The advancement of Information and communication technology ICT, coupled with the rapid uptake of increasingly affordable, key technologies such as the Internet, has also helped foster an environment that promotes globalization of knowledge and information. The Internet has revolutionalized communication making information access across boundaries deemed seemingly impossible in the past a thing of general practice. People around the world are able to communicate with unprecedented ease. In the past, government has enjoyed great successes in censoring traditional communication media and this has affected information flow to the masses. The internet on the other hand with is multi-directional information flow communication nature where anyone can air their opinions on any desired issue at will has posed great challenges to governments. For countries with repressive regimes, the Internet has become a revolutionary force as it allows the free flow of information and which has been perceived as threat by the authorities in some countries. Government in some countries have responded imposing strict censorship on Internet usage by the public through monitoring, filtering and access to some site in the internet in a bid to control access to information. Internet censorship can be defined as the control or suppression of the publishing or accessing of information on the Internet. Internet censorship has been a greatly debated topic around the world with people having different opinions. In most countries governments at different level have been the in the fore front in the campaign for a regulated internet. Though there are a few arguments that support the need to have the internet censored, it has been largely rejected by organizations and individuals across the world as censorship of the internet is widely regarded by many as an attempt by government to suppress freedom of speech. This essay examines the arguments against internet censorship by government, its impact, successes and failures of government in some countries that embarked on such projects, and the challenges they have faced. It also assesses the key importance of censorship and concludes with an individual opinion evaluating the stated arguments. The case against the government Campaigners against the governments censorship of the internet have strongly opposed censorship and have stated that it prevents freedom of speech thus undermining confidence and trusts in the medium and this inhibits crucial flows of data. Also, Internet censorship and filtering leads to monitoring which is seen by many as another big brother ploy by government to invade the public privacy. It is more often argued that the government will use internet censorship as a tool to promote political agenda and the public has been quick to conclude that the true voice of the public will not be heard. In Australia, the National-Anarchists reject any parliamentary censorship of material and the reasons given has been summed up simply, any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both Benjamin Franklin.[1] Reports on internet censorship show the level of its pervasiveness recently being experienced in some countries. There are several tools and solutions instituted by the government of these countries for the purpose of internet censorship and also the content censored also vary with most blocked contents being political, pornographic, religious contents and others. [2] The common argument used by most countries in proposing censorship is that of child pornography. Most people however believe that the governments plans on internet censorship do not quite provide the solution to child pornography. It is often seen as, and in fact proven by experts that websites play only a minor role in circulation of child abuse materials and cannot be simply banned by Government [1]. It is often suggested that censoring for children by utilizing a user backed software and filtering systems instead of governmental censorship is a viable solution for keeping children away from indecent internet content. There are several software systems that allow parental control of internet materials. The OpenNet Initiative (ONI) has made a categorization of nations that is classes as internet enemy list. The ONI is joint project between some academic institutions across the world with the goal to monitor and report on internet filtering and surveillance activities by different nation. The project uses several means to determine the extent and nature of government-run internet filtering programs. It lists China, Iran Saudi Arabia etc in the forefront of internet censorship in the world. A new wave is now being generated by the Australian government as it moves to launch its own internet censorship project, [3] which has sparked up several arguments across the world. According to the ONI reports, censorship varies with countries and some countries have pervasive filtering policies, often routinely blocking access to not just pornographic and prohibited contents, but also human rights organizations, news, blogs, and Web services that challenge the status quo or are deemed threatening or undesirable. The Chinese governments The Great firewall currently uses four mechanisms DNS blocking, reset commands, URL keyword blocking and content scanning to prevent Internet users in the country from reaching blacklisted Web sites or content [16]. This technique though quite effective faces some technology challenges as private VPNs used by banks, manufacturing and other businesses often allow users within these organizations bypass this great firewall. These VPN services are now even open to the public for sign up at a fee that is quite affordable and attempts by the government to clamp down on this may impact on the economy since businesses will be affecte d. The general public thus rides on this loophole [4]. Methods of implementing censorship have also been criticized. Blocking unwanted and prohibited content using a dynamic process that would require analysis of website content in real-time would significantly slow down the internet. This is already being experience on the china network. [4]. Reports from Australia also suggests this will be the case when the Australian project kick off. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) confirmed that under trial conditions internet filtering reduced speeds between 2% and in excess of 75%, but with half the tested products falling between 20-30%. It was concluded that proper implementation of the censorship project could result in a 20% drop in internet speeds [5]. Policies have been another hugely criticize factor. Often times government policies on censorship do not make a clear distinction on materials unfit for internet content, this resulting in legal and harmless contents being blocked. Organizations have challenged and even filed lawsuits to prevent passage of censorship bills in some states citing free speech violation and the decision to embark on censorship as unconstitutional. This is the case of a Utah Internet Censorship law, intended to restrict childrens access to material on the Internet but that may in fact also restrict adults access to a wide range of lawful material [6]. Examples cited COPA internet censorship law of 1998, included whether an education web page showing young women how to perform self examinations for breast cancer be banned and being classed as sexually explicit [7]. Australian government for example intends to use a public complaints mechanism for blacklisting URLs as well as URLs provided by international agencies. Analysts have questioned the accountability and transparency of this and have stated that the same government bureaucrats who put together their initialed flawed blacklist would remain responsible as arbitrators of the system. In support of the publics claim, a recently leaked list of blacklisted website showed that about half of the sites listed were in fact not related to child porn as claimed by the government but rather other contents that were to a certain degree could be classified as legal content for the adult community. This has sparked further debate on the issue [8]. A word for the government The biggest arguments presented so far by the government in support of internet censorship have been issues relating to preventing access to illegal contents and child pornography, racism, fraud terrorism, religion etc. With the attempts so far made by several nations to impose some form of censorship meeting with similar resistance, government should realize that the key challenges faced are three fold, the people, the law and the coping with technology. One could however wonder why the topic on censoring the internet would generate so much argument when the public indeed presently abides by certain degree of censorship. From schools preventing access to certain contents and websites, warnings are displayed on university networks on the impact of downloading of file sharing, companies prevent employees from accessing chat systems, networking website and other sites at work using firewalls to ISPs blocking potential dangerous contents either because of virus or to keep their network safe and uncompromised, Why then is the public so opposed to the government censoring the internet? It could be safe to state that the public is just not ready for the extreme spectrum of Internet control which would result in a globally regulated internet by the government for the fear that the public could lose its freedom of speech and the fear unknown. Conclusion Recommendation Though internet censorship could be considered a necessity in cases where there is need to set a standard for publishing and the kind of information to publish on highly sensitive topics, by and large the foreseeable disadvantages far surpasses the benefits that may be accrued. I do not see Government succeeding in the offing in the fight to regulate content on the internet. Technology favours the public internet users rather than government and as such the government will be playing catch-up and their efforts may yet be foiled. Technology is presently enabling data encryption, user generated videos and pod casts thus complicating the tasks by the monitoring bodies. Also the laws governing internet censorship if passed will meet several barriers as they are more likely to be passed by countries independently. The internet spans boundaries and how these laws would apply to other countries a crucial aspect of consideration. The law will need to keep up with changing technology as such there will be no rest for law makers. Passing laws takes considerable time, and lapse in law would result in loopholes that could be exploited by the public. In addition, the controversies generated by government censoring the internet far outweigh the benefit. The internet is a global communication platform and the government needs to study close before imposing laws. Close attention should however the paid to the fact that the global nature of the net does present problems to censorship. To conclude, though the proposed laws by government to regulate the internet is of good intention, it is unwise for the government to censor the internet because any law infringing on the publics right to free speech or breaching individuals right to privacy and freedom on such a vast communication medium as the internet will be difficult to enforce.

Cancer Essay -- essays research papers fc

Cancer   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Right now, cancer is one of the most feared diseases in the world. In the early 1990s almost 6 million new cancer cases developed and more than 4 million deaths from cancers occurred. Also more than one-fifth of all deaths were caused by cancer and it has been predicted, by the American Cancer Society, that about 33% of Americans will eventually develop this disease. This is a huge disease that is killing people all over the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The field of cancer study is called Oncology. The government has spent billions of dollars on research of this fatal disease. Cancer is the most aggressive disease of a larger class known as neoplasms. Neoplasms do not fully comply with the parts of the cell that control the growth and functions of the cell. These cells eventually become abnormal growths and can be recognized as not normal tissue. These traits are passed down as the cell reproduces therefore spreading the cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Neoplasms are generally classified into two groups: malignant and benign. Malignant tumors, or abnormal tissue, grow more rapidly than benign tissue and they invade normal tissue. Benign tissue is structured similar to normal tissue while malignant tissue is abnormal and has an unstructured appearance. Of greater importance, benign tissue does not metastasize, or begin to grow in other sites, like malignant tumors do. Cancer always refers to metastasized tumors but the term tumor is not always necessarily cancer. A tumor is any living tissue that is distinguishable as abnormal living tissue. After a cancer forms, it can also change from a benign to a malignant state, therefore making the cell grow at a more rapid rate. The development of the cell starts when it forms notable abnormalities in chromosomes and then multiplies exceedingly. Then metastasis usually occurs and generally causes the death of the host. There are many different cancers which form on just about all parts of the body. In the US, skin cancer is the most common cancer, then prostate cancers in males, and then breast cancer in women. Leukemia is clearly the dominant cancer in children. The number one killing cancer in the world today is lung cancer, mostly caused by the smoking of cigarettes. Some researchers have stated that if Americans stopped smoking, lung-cancer deaths could disintegrate within two decades. Stomach cancer is ... ...e cancerous legions in the body. The second is radiation therapy, which uses radiation to try and kill the tumor. One of the main problems with that is not only does it kill cancerous tissue, it also kills healthy ones. The third way to treat cancer is chemotherapy, which is treatment by chemical agents. The chance of complete cure is not common but it is usually used to increase the life of the carrier. The desired effect of treatment in cancer patients is remission, where the cancer is gone from your body and if it does not return within 5 years it is considered cured.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Right now the government is spending huge sums of money on cancer research. They are continuously finding cures and finding better ways to treat and deal with cancer. Research has come very far and helped many people fight cancers. Thanks to all the work done, cancer is still a dreaded disease but is now curable which gives many people faith in recovery. Bibliography Compton’s Encyclopedia(1992). Cancer . Chicago: Compton’s Learning Company Encyclopedia Britannica(1992). Cancer. Chicago: Encyclopedia Brittanica, Inc. American Cancer Society website(1996): http://www.cancer.org/acs.html

The Daughter Of Time By Joseph Essay -- essays research papers

Josephine Tey’s The Daughter of Time is a historical novel that looks at the belief that Richard III, King of England, murdered his two nephews in order to maintain his power. This novel also supports the belief that the â€Å"truth comes out through time.† In the novel the main character, Grant, is concerned with what he believes is a unknown fact of whether or not the long ago King of England was guilty. Throughout his search for the answer Grant discovers many history books which all tend to view Richard in different ways. It is from these different views of the same man, that one can draw the conclusion that bias plays a major role in the validity and credibility of documents and personal accounts. So what is the role and in what ways does the truth come out through time? As historians we must look at what it is that we are reading. In saying this it means we must read between the lines. And not just see the words but where they came from and what the writer is trying to say. As was demonstrated in The Daughter of Time, the documents which Grant read all differed in the way they viewed Richard III. This could have been because the writer’s attitudes towards Richard were all different. For example, in the novel, Sir Thomas More’s and later accounts of Richard III were derived from John Morton, Richard’s bitterest en enemy. Sir Thomas’s account was from the view of someone who hated Richard and is therefor considered biased. As a historian it is important to realize that some ...

The Chosen :: essays papers

The Chosen The Chosen, written by Chaim Potok may relate to many universal topics, it is clear that it directly relates to the field of education. Mr. Potok has brought us on a journey, which allows many of us to see from an outside prospective, all of the factors, which account for a healthy education. It is a difficult task to relate a novel to the field of education; however, Mr. Potok has made my job easy. The book has received rave reviews from many sources, and the Chicago Tribune said: "†¦Works of this caliber should be occasion for sinning in the streets and shouting from the rooftops.† The story is about the friendship between two Jewish boys, growing up in New York City. The catch is that they are from two different sects, and have different ideas about the future. The first boy we meet is Reuven Malter, the son of a Jewish teacher, David Malter. He raises Reuven alone as his wife passed away. The other boy is Danny Saunders, who is the son of a very devoted Hassidic Jewish tzaddik. Danny is cursed with the fate of taking over his father’s position, and he does not want to do so. Reuven wants to become a mathematician. The accident, which seems as if it will separate these two boys in hatred, actually ends up uniting them. It takes place on a baseball field, made up of concrete, and they are both on opposing teams. The incident occurs when Reuven is playing pitcher, and Danny is the batter. Reuven pitches the ball, and Danny hits it right into Reuvens eye. After being taken to the hospital, we find out that there is some glass in the eye and it must be taken out, and Reuven will remain in the hospital for several days. While in the eye-ward of the hospital, Reuven meets Mr. Savo, a retired boxer, with a patch over his right eye, and Bobby, a young boy who was blinded in a car accident. They have an impact on his life, as he can see that other people have it worse than him. The story takes place in New York City during World War II, and being Jewish, the stage is set for a turbulent time.

The Rise of Hitler

The Nazi party first started after WWI when a group of unemployed German men. They were known as â€Å"The German Workers Party (GWP). † Adolf Hitler joined the group in 1919 and quick rose to a high ranking leader. His rise to the top of the GWP was due to his powerful speeches. Despite the ability of his speaking he often used it to promote national pride, militarism, and a racially â€Å"pure† Germany. After Hitler’s rise to leadership he changed the name to â€Å"The National Socialist German Workers’ which was referred to as â€Å"The Nazi Party†.Hitler tried to overthrow the government with the Nazi Party, but had no success. This leads up to his election as chancellor of Germany. While incarcerated, Hitler wrote a book called Mein Kampf, which established a foundation for the beliefs of the Nazi party. After its publication, Hitler could truly grow an army of supporters. According to the narrator’s of â€Å"World at War† After Hitler’s release he quickly pursued a political campaign for chancellor.This provided him with a chance to persuade more of the German public that they needed to condemn all Jews. He brought food and water to the poor, which help with the growth of The Nazi party and his supporters. According the text in â€Å"A Teachers Guide to The Holocaust† Hitler also began create subgroups for specific Germans such as, children, women, doctor’s, etc. Hitler’s attempt was also short lived because they lost the election.Years later after gaining more supports the Nazi Party prevailed and took over Germany due to Hindenburg’s new Government. This allowed Hitler to carry out his plan to rid the world of all Jewish people. In 1938 Germany started to ban Jews from most places. In 1942 the Germans decided it was time to take action start with their plan called â€Å"the final solution† which leads to the founding of concentration camps and the holocaust. The Germans quickly formed alliances with Italy, USSR, and Japan.Despite the alliance Japan created more problems for the Nazi party by attacking America without a declaration of war. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor America had officially joined the war against the Germans in WW2. America’s involvement created the Unfortunately Hitler’s ambition drove him to commit treason against Russia, which was Germany’s biggest ally at the time. Despite the Germany advantage of surprise they could not defeat the Soviets. America capitalized on Germany’s mistake by forming a brief alliance with Russia.

Development Programs

Development programs are important for groups and organizations, as they support useful changes and improvements. The advantage of using development programs is that they structure the improvements in a way that is efficiently manageable and easy to implement. However, different circumstances make for a different approach for a development program to be effective. Thus, individuals, groups, and organizations as a whole have different requirements. In developing programs, there are also three important elements that can be taken into consideration. There is goal setting, behavior modification, and team building.Each can be used solely or complement each other for an individual, group, or organization to achieve its goals. Individuals Development programs for an individual give focus on the person and his differing needs. According to Miller and Osinski (1996), individual development programs aim to patch shortcomings and instigate improvements in an individual who needs development, a s well as institute improvement on all individuals for the benefit of himself and his role. In treating an individual, his needs and the way that these needs differ from those of other people are given consideration.This is an especially important fact when making a development program geared towards influencing individual persons. There should be more weight put on what can interest each of the target audience of the program to achieve success. A needs assessment begins the program. The individual is evaluated from which his needs are known. This needs become the basis of the training and development customized for him. The program is designed and implemented, though changes may be instituted from time to time to fit the changing individual.After the program, the individual and the program are evaluated to find out if the development program has been effective, and if improvements may be necessary. Groups Development program for groups, on the other hand, has a different focal poin t. Avelino and Lifton (2001) assert that group programs in organizations help increase the productivity of the individuals involved in the organization. However, the group shall have to be a work team first who is both effective and efficient. When this has been accomplished, the group which is now a team can start with their development program.A group’s development program begins with an acquaintance stage for the members of the team. It is only when the members already know about each other that they can effectively communicate. When this has been done, a brainstorming can be called to order. The brainstorming is where ideas and objectives come from. These ideas define what roles and tasks can be divided to each member on the next stage, the norming phase. When each member has been delegated, members start working and consulting each other about how the work can be done. Finally, members verbally accept or modify the tasks put on them.(Avelino and Lifton, 2001) Group devel opment programs focus on tasks. Thus, most items included in this program are based on job descriptions, assessments of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities (KSA), identifying and evaluating the standards of performance, work performance observations, and identification of problems of each individual if there are any. (Miller and Osinski, 1996) In facilitating so, needed solutions can be instituted properly and timely. Organizations In organizations, development programs go through phases to be accomplished.There is also an assessment of the organizational needs, but apart from that there is a study of the objectives of development instruction, development instruction design, the implementation stage, and the evaluation of the program. (Miller and Osinski, 1996) The needs assessment creates a foundation for the development program. This is where topics of instruction or development focus will be based. The needs of the organization, however, differ from that of individualsâ⠂¬â„¢ and groups’ in such a way that many of their developmental needs are based on organizational vision and missions.This includes the needs of the individuals who are part of the organization as well as the need of the organization as a whole. Development programs for organizations also needs to follow a set of instruction objectives based on the organization’s assessed needs. These objectives are instructed following an instruction design which will be the way the program is carried out in the implementation stage. After the implementation, an evaluation of the program shall be done to identify the successes of the initiative as well as improvements that may be in order.Organizational development programs also take into consideration factors which are outside of the workplace such as political and lawmaking changes, organizational changes, environmental effects, and goals that the organization is ready to focus on. Development programs for organizations are led by senior administrators, human resources managers, or a group of people directly managing the organization. In all types of development program, whether it is for an individual, group, or an organization, the evaluation is a key developmental stage.The evaluation phase enables the proponents of a program to know if each of the target participants of development has been properly reached by the program, and if they learned anything from it. Miller and Osinski (1996) states that evaluations determine if the objectives developed in the beginning of the program were achieved, know how the participants of the program react to it, what the participants learned and how much, and how well are they willing and able to bring what they have learned from the program.There are many ways in evaluating a development program in an organization. There can be a written examination, a one-on-one interview/observation, an open-group discussion, a feedback solicitation process such as using a feedback for m or a feedback forum, or there is also the post-program observation to determine if objectives were met and if goals were absorbed by the participants of the program. Goal Setting Goal setting, behavior modification, and team building are necessary business processes that allow organizations and individuals to improve.They are essential in development program in that goals make focus possible, behavioral modification makes positive behavior remain, and teams allow for synergy and cooperation. While they may have interrelated and even similar purposes, each of them are different in their own respects. Each has different characteristics as well. Goal setting, for instance, gives a person, a group, or organization a focal point. With focus, it is easier for a person to know what his priorities are, and how these priorities can be implemented.Goals also give motivation, and helps one identify if the goals are smart, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Goals may be in a personal, group, or organizational level. (Personal goal setting, 2007) On a personal level, goal setting is focused on what an individual assumes to achieve in a specific period of time. It may be a short-term goal he aims to achieve now or in a matter of days or weeks, or a mid-term goal achievable in a matter of months, or a long-term goal set for accomplishment in years.The goal may concern oneself or what oneself wants to do toward another person or thing. As well, the goals of an individual are often smaller in scale compared to those set by a group or an organization. (Personal goal setting, 2007) On a group level, goal setting takes the needs and wants of a group. Before these goals are set, it is important that disagreements have been reconciled. The group must have carried out an agreement of what their goals will be. This will avoid any later problems that may arise.When goals have been agreed on and set out, this is the time when the members can delegate tasks and commit to each. It differs from individual goal setting because this time the goals do not concern any one person’s interest but the collective interest of the members of the group. An organization goal setting is wholly different as it gives focus on the vision and missions of the organization. In the absence of this, the needs and wants that the management would like to achieve is where the organization can base goals.The organization may create these goals from the individual needs of the workforce, or of the company as a whole. Organizational goals, when set, are then studied so that implementation and instructional techniques are identified and put into place. These goals differ from individual goals because they have no focus on one person, yet differ from group goals as well because goals are based on the needs of many groups under the organization’s care. Behavior Modification Behavior modification, on the other hand, uses a rewards system.The thrust of this is that rewarding positive behavior increases the occurrence of such behavior. Thus, when individuals are productive and achieve results, behavior modification allows the, to enjoy the fruits of their labor through compensation. For instance, an employee who exceeds the standards required of their position receives bonus compensation. In doing so the management encourages them to continue their exemplary performance, while also influencing those who are underperforming, or just meeting their standards equally, to compete and do the same.(Behavior modification, 2007) Team Building Team building is done to make group function effectively, and avoid pitfalls as each of their members function together as one. For team building to be successful, each member should follow a singular goal and focus on it. Every member should be functioning towards the implementation of these goals. Each member of the team should have a clear task, and should know how to efficiently carry out these tasks. (Te am building, 1995) It is not enough for a group of people to assemble to be called a team.Teams require a special bonding and correlation. Otherwise, they are called plainly as a group. This also denies the members the opportunity to work in synergy with the other members of the group. Without this synergy, the group will have no focus and goals will be hard to achieve. Cooperation is the key premise of team building. Cooperation means that team members should be responsible of their assigned tasks, as well as be sensitive about other members who may need help. This is because should one of these assignments fail, the whole team will not work. References Avelino, J. and Lifton, H. 2001. How to develop a group into an effective work team. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.aednet.org/ced/feb99/people_points.htm Behavior modification. 2007. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://add.about.com/cs/discipline/a/behavior.htm Miller, J. and Osinski, D. 1996. Training needs assessment. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.ispi.org/pdf/suggestedReading/Miller_Osinski.pdf Personal goal setting. 2007. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.mindtools.com/page6.html Team building. 1995. Retrieved July 28, 2007, from http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/teambuilding.htm