Saturday, November 30, 2019

Performance Analysis free essay sample

In 2010, the global economy had shown a slight recovery from the downfall of previous year, despite the expiry of government economic stimulus programs in many countries. The continued expansionary monetary policy and the rapid growth expansion in the emerging markets led to above-average growth of the global economy. High-export countries such as Germany benefited from the double-digit growth of global trade. The automotive industry as a whole recovered from previous year’s financial and economic crisis and riding on this upstream Volkswagen Group successfully strengthen its market position setting a new milestone with its output exceeding the seven million mark for the first time, an impressive increase of 13. 7% vehicle deliveries. Basically, the Volkswagen Group is subdivided into two divisions which is Automotive Division that focus on the development of vehicles and engines, the production and sale of passenger cars, commercial vehicles, trucks and busses and the genuine parts business while the Financial Services Division’s provides financial solutions to its clientele such as dealer and customer financing, leasing, banking, insurance activities and lastly fleet management. We will write a custom essay sample on Performance Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Performance In year 2010, Volkswagen Group recorded an increased in unit sales of 15. 4% year-on-year to 7. 3 million vehicles while sales revenue was up by 20. 6% to â‚ ¬126. 9 billion. Furthermore, the Western Europe counter-parts have yet to redeem themselves from the 2008 financial crisis contributed to the slowdown. Although there is also an increase in sales in Europe or remaining markets, especially because of the rapid new car registration in Russia, it was not sufficient to offset the overall decay in sales revenue for the region. Meanwhile for North America, unit sales of group vehicles was 0. million and the sales revenue improved by 33. 3% to â‚ ¬15. 2 billion. In South America, with a growth rate of 7. 5% in Brazil and 8. 3% in Argentina, the group sold 0. 9 million units far exceeding the previous year’s figure by 9. 7%. Judging from the figures mentioned earlier, in seems that the automotive industries in established markets were heavily supported by government economic stimulus programs in 2010. In the case of Volkwagen Group, the incentives provided by their home country was the main catalyst behind their strong surge in sales during the financial turmoil allowing them to improve their market share in the small vehicles segment. Besides political help, the weakening of the euro in 2010 strengthens the income proceeds generated from abroad. Hence, in order to ensure its business remains profitable, Volkswagen Group would continue to strenghten their foothold in developing nations such as China, India, Russia and Brazil where growth opportunities are still present.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Development of the Individual Essay Example

Development of the Individual Essay Example Development of the Individual Essay Development of the Individual Essay For the purpose of privacy my case study child will be known as A throughout this assignment. I have gained permission from A’s parents and my work setting. A is a 7 year old female and is in Year 3, she attends her local mixed sex Primary school. A’s parents separated when A was about 3 years old, it was not an amicable separation although both parents are on better terms now. A lives with her Mother and older sister who is 12 years old. A has regular contact with her Father and goes to stay with him every other weekend and sometimes during school holidays too. According to Bronfenbrenners Ecological System (Doherty amp; Hughes, 2009) these changes were in A’s Microsystem, â€Å"the microsystem is our most immediate context, and for most children, is represented by their family and their home. † (Rank, 2009) Mother says A was not hugely affected by the divorce, however A’s Father has since remarried and has a baby girl who is one year old, this change in A’s Microsystem has affected her. A’s Mum has found her to be quite attention seeking since the arrival of A’s baby half-sister. Both I and the class teacher (CT) have observed A making up stories to her peers and staff in school that appear to be a way of gaining attention. When A was in Reception it was noticed by staff that she struggled to see and used to put her face quite close to the paper when writing, although this was mentioned to A’s Mum at the time, A did not start wearing glasses until she was in Year 1. Apart from this A has no other health problems and her physical development is normal and on track for a child of her age. According to National Curriculum assessment test results she is average in literacy and numeracy. A relies on the few close friends she has within the classroom quite a lot, she often gets upset if they do not sit with her in class, she prefers working with them to working alone. A is not a very confident child and she gains confidence from learning alongside them, this demonstrates Vgotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development theory where â€Å" Vygotsky views interaction with peers as an effective way of developing skills and strategies. † (McLeod, 2007) Despite a lack of confidence A is generally a happy child; she is kind to other children and is always polite and well mannered. From observations A tries hard in class although she does tend to daydream and this can impinge on her then carrying out a task if she has not listened to instructions properly. This viewpoint is supported by A’s Mother who has said A can sometimes be quite ‘dizzy’ at home and ‘in a world of her own’, she forgets things quite easily and has to be reminded quite a lot by her mum, Mother thinks this could be another way of getting her attention. Descriptions and Analysis of Evidence This case study will focus on the areas of social/emotional development and cognitive development. Its aim is to show that A is developing normally in these areas, observations (Appendices A1, A2, A3, A4 amp; A5) of A will be used which, when applied to child development theories, will provide evidence to support this. The method of observation used for this case study was narrative observations made within the classroom. Piaget’s cognitive development theory proposes that there four periods of cognitive development that are common to all children. These are the sensorimotor period, the pre-operational period, the concrete operational period and the formal operational period. According to Piaget A should be in the concrete operational period, which runs from age 7 – 11 years. In this period children ‘begin to think logically about events they experience and can order, evaluate and explain them’ (Doherty amp; Hughes, 2009, p 40). During one observation (A 1) A was completing an activity that involved putting a list of sentences in the correct order to make a set of instructions. A was able to do this accurately and with minimal assistance, this demonstrated that ‘children in the concrete operational period are able logically order objects’ (Doherty amp; Hughes, 2009, p 265). A was also observed (A3) using coordinates to locate places on a fictional map and then making her own map and writing up the coordinates of various places on it. This demonstrates an understanding of spatial reasoning which is another sign that she is in the concrete operational period. Within the concrete operational period Piaget states that a child is able to conserve number and liquid quantity at age 6-7 years and substance and length at age 7-8 years. ‘Conservation is the understanding that any quantity remains the same, despite any physical distortions’ (Walsh, 2011). Appendix 5 shows that when A was asked to perform a liquid conversion test and an object conversion test she was able to do both of these correctly, this again shows that A’s cognitive development is at a level that is expected for her age when compared with Piaget’s cognitive development theory. A flaw in Piaget’s theory is that it does not take into account the role of social interaction, ‘Piaget ignored the role of social interaction. It seems highly likely that children’s learning is strongly influenced by teaching from others. (Walsh, 2011) Piaget believed that development preceded learning; this is unlike Vygotsky who felt social learning preceded development. Vygotsky believed that â€Å"every function in the child’s cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the child (intrapsychological). † Vygotsky (cited in Lear ning Theories, 2012). Vygotsky’s theory encompassed three themes, the More Knowledgeable Other (MKO), the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and social interaction. He believed that someone with greater subject knowledge or ability than the learner (MKO) could help the learner develop; the MKO would usually be a teacher or older adult but could also be a peer. The ZPD is, according to Vygotsky, the zone where learning takes place. It is the gap between what the learner can actually do independently and what they can potentially achieve with help from a teacher or with peer collaboration. To Vygotsky social interaction was hugely important and ‘it is through these interactions that children are able to acquire the important values and skills of a society. (Doherty amp; Hughes, 2009, P. 40) Observations of A (A 1 amp; 2) demonstrated that she acquired new knowledge with the help of others. When A was observed during a comprehension session (A 1) she worked together with her partner in order to answer the questions correctly. Peer collaboration, where two students work together to achieve a particular goal, is an important part of Vygotskyâ⠂¬â„¢s theory. When A was stuck on a particular question her partner looked back through the text with her and helped her find the correct answer. This shows that having a MKO helps a child’s development as without her partner A would have been unable to find the answer. In the Literacy lesson (A2) A was given a list of sentences to reorder into a correct set of instructions. From observations it appeared A struggled slightly at first, however the CT took time to go back over with A the work they had completed in previous lessons on instructions. CT then linked the previous work to the new task A was being asked to complete. A completed the task after this with no further assistance. The CT had identified A’s ZPD and had given her enough support to then enable A to complete the work independently. This also incorporated the ‘scaffolding’ approach, where prior knowledge is identified then a new concept is introduced and finally the new learning is connected to the prior knowledge. The observations demonstrate that A’s development within the classroom was aided by her social interactions with her peers as well as her CT. Without these interactions A would have been unable to fully complete the tasks she had been set. According to Erikson’s Social Learning Theory A is in psychosocial stage 4 which is known as Industry vs Inferiority. During this stage (which covers the ages of 5-11 years approximately) ‘through social interactions, children begin to develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments and abilities. ’ (Cherry, 2012) Erikson believed that in this stage children are more willing to share and be reasonable; they want to work hard and do well at school. Peer groups begin to have greater significance and can have an impact on the child’s self-esteem and confidence. If children are praised and encouraged during this stage they can feel industrious and confident about their abilities. However if they are not encouraged they can feel inferior and doubt their abilities and therefore they may not reach their full potential. (McLeod, 2008) During an observation (A3) A was working with a group of 4 other children. They all worked well together, they shared ideas and cooperated with each other to complete the task. This agrees with Erikson’s theories that during this stage a child wants to do well and can share and be reasonable. At the end of the lesson the CT told A’s group to put their names up on the class reward chart for working so well together and completing the work to such a high standard. From observations it was apparent that this really pleased A, she cheered out loud and could be heard saying to another classmate how happy she was. This indicated that being given praise about her work really made A feel confident about her abilities. During a free play activity A was observed (A4) with 3 other classmates who are part of a friendship group with A, they were drawing pictures of their houses. During this activity one of the classmates said that A’s picture was not very good. A was upset by this and spoke to the CT about it; she told the CT that she was ‘rubbish’ at drawing anyway. After this A didn’t want to draw anymore and instead went and sat on her own and read a book. This observation shows that A’s peer group had an effect on her emotional wellbeing. The classmate had made A feel inferior about her work and this meant that she then doubted and lost confidence in her abilities. Bandura’s social learning theory proposes ‘that children learn by watching and imitating others. (Doherty amp; Hughes, 2009, P. 38) Observations of A demonstrate that A does copy what she observes her peers doing. During observation A4 A was watching two girls dancing, from what the CT has said the two girls are considered popular within the class and from other observations it has been noticed that A does try to make friends with them on a regula r basis. After the two girls had stopped dancing A approached them and started trying to dance exactly as they had. The two girls watched her and then clapped and said she had danced really well. After this A then danced in a similar way again. This shows that A’s social development is following Banduras theory, she has observed a behaviour and then she has reproduced it. Bandura states that there will be ‘a consequence that changes the probability the behaviour will be performed again (reinforcement and punishment). ’ (Doherty amp; Hughes, 2009, p. 39) A’s motivation for performing the dance was to win the approval of the two girls; she achieved this and therefore performed the dance again. This also links back to Erikson’s theory that peer groups play a more important role during this stage of a child’s life. The observations show that A’s social and emotional development is, as both Erikson’s and Bandura’s theories demonstrated, linked to the environment around her and the social interaction she has with people around her. How can the individual’s development and learning be extended? When compared to some child development theories the observations have shown that A’s cognitive and social development is in the normal range for her age. They have also shown however that there is room for A’s development and learning to be extended. For example, A’s confidence could be improved. The observations demonstrate that A becomes upset when she receives negative responses from her peers and teachers. A could be given praise for tasks she completes well to improve this. When A had her name put up on the classroom reward chart the observations show that A’s confidence was enriched. As these observations were all class based it is uncertain whether A has a reward system at home but it could be suggested to A’s Mother that it might benefit A to have one. Observations (A1 amp; A3) also appear to show that A has more confidence when she is working within a group; she seems to need the reinforcement of others. When A is working alone (A2) she is less confident in her abilities; this seems to be because she does not have the reassurance of others working with her. To build A’s confidence A could be praised more for her independent work than for her group work as ‘reinforcements through praise, demonstrations of approval and tangible rewards increase the frequency of desirable behaviour reoccurring. ’ (Doherty amp; Hughes, 2009, P. 06) It is useful to see that peer collaboration provides a good way for children to extend their learning, A worked well within a group especially when the group was of mixed abilities (A3). It is important to remember that sometimes, such as Vygotsky’s MKO theory shows, children can peer tutor those less able than them with great effect. The observations of A were all carried out wit h the classroom, this does mean there are certain limitations to the findings about A’s development. In order to get a more rounded picture of A’s development observations within the home would also be necessary. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory places high significance on the environment with which a child interacts, it recognises that how a child lives and is bought up are important influences on how a child develops. ‘Development should be studied in the home, schools and community where children live. ’ (Bronfenbrenner, 1979 cited in Doherty amp; Hughes, 2009, P. 43) There are many different child development theories and this case study has shown that the development of a child cannot be measured against one theory alone. All of the theorists that have been used as examples within this assignment each take a different stance on how a child develops and learns. The ideas within them overlap and in order to gain a better understanding into a child’s development it is useful to apply more than one theory to the observations. References Doherty, J. and Hughes, M. , 2009, Child Development: Theory and Practise 0-11. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd A Level Psychology. (2008). Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development (online) Available at

Friday, November 22, 2019

About the International Trade Policy of China

In the face of the trade protectionism attack countries for Chinese enterprises, China must develop a correct and effective international trade policy, in order to maintain the placement of Chinese enterprises, industries, economy. Keywords: China; international trade; policy 1. 0 China faces the competitive environment of international trade 1. 1 International market and its institutional environment is quite grim. With Chinas accession to the WTFO, China will be faced with the challenge of all- round, mufti-level, the first is the establishment of an open economy.Unlike Saiss Four Little Dragons can not be a one-way directly to the international market forward, can only enter the gradual opening up of the domestic market, while the broad international market. The same time, China had fully accepted the WTFO and developed a series of international trade regimes, guidelines, although these systems, not entirely reasonable guidelines for developing countries like China. 1. 2 Trade protectionism is showing a new form. Todays international economy, while continuously advancing wave of trade liberalizing, trade protectionism emerged in various new face.Between the start of the competition between the countries with the enterprise, competition between industries combined, so that the pattern of international competition becomes intensified. Emerging trade protectionism s often the name of the protection of the living environment and human health, protect the global common interests banner, take advantage of the economic gap between the developing countries with the developed countries on the development of China plus a disguised form of trade protection policy.For these new protection policy, which most applicable is technical barriers and gree n barriers green barriers in developed countries the heavy impact of Chinas merchandise exports largely affect Chinas domestic export enterprises, the impact no less than the impact of the anti-dumping cases. 1. 3 The trend Of the new economy presents new opportunities and challenges. The development of information technology so that the world economy showing a new trend, which has brought new opportunities for Chinas economic development, but also brought new challenges.The new opportunities mainly in the developed countries, state- of-the-art technology, equipment flows provide the technology and back-up resources for the establishment of modern enterprise. New economic operation and management mechanisms through the establishment and development of the network industry, established Chinese companies can take advantage of information technology to the development of information- intensive industries, or the development of the information on a capital- intensive products and information a labor intensive type products, in order to develop a new market demands.We can also make use of the mechanism of the international division of labor, the development of new export-oriented industries, participation in international and regional division of labor, and thus the formation of a new economic growth point. But once China did not seize this opportunity, it will make the Chinese economy in a very unfavorable situation in the new international division of labor system. . 4 State intervention with the simultaneous development of a free trade. In the context of economic globalization, trade liberalizing continued rapid development of the world showing the formulation of international trade policy liberalizing trend of development, the adjustable limit free trade policy at this time has become the mainstream.But at the same time, the major countries of the world (especially American and European countries), the government increasingly involved in international trade, either public or secret protectionist trade policies, so as to achieve the purpose of support and protect domestic enterprises . Game of governments around the world in international trade has become an important component part of modern international relations. 1. 5 The competitive structure of the foreign trade enterprises to undergo significant changes. The 21st century, the prevalence Of the trend Of international mergers and acquisitions, the formation of the new oligarchic economy many industries are beginning to not perfectly competitive market, the global strategic vision of the national large-scale enterprise highlights. But now, the relationship of the Chinese enterprises and foreign multinational companies are still in the competition for the operation of the Chinese market stage.Multinationals continue in China large-scale, systematic investment, China has become a part of their global strategic thinking, the domestic market with the international market closely combine to make domestic and international competition and international competition in the domestic synchronous development, thus contributing to Chinas economy more quickly integrated into the development process of economic globalization, Chinas foreign trade enterprises are facing extremely harsh environment of international competition.At the same time, the eco nomic interest in a wide range Of development and policy coordination capacity defeat also intensified competition in international trade between Chinas foreign trade enterprises and regions, domestic enterprises is very difficult to achieve unanimously. Moreover, the Chinese industry merging the ongoing restructuring of the trade structure as well as the diversification of the structure of interest, resulting in the combination between Chinese and foreign enterprises and mutual penetration of mutual control, asked, friend and foe hard to make Chinese and foreign enterprises. . 0 Chinas international trade policy options . 1 Promote the liberalizing of international trade under WTFO regime. The China WTFO members, Chinas trade policy must be based on open WTFO free trade system, must be determined by the WTFO principles, rules promote the liberalizing of international trade. In general, the guidelines developed by the WTFO on trade policies and trade practices, norms advocated trade liberalizing gradually.Their performance in the following aspects: (l) on the basis of the market economy and open trade system. (2) the establishment and maintenance of a fair trade environment. (3) to take a standardized and transparent trade adjustment policies. 4) allows the economy outside the WTFO trade policy rules the event. In actual trade exchanges, transactions and part of trade policy and WTFO principle conflict contrary happens is also inclusive.These policies: the international balance of payments, imports damage defense measures, regional economic integration, infant industry protection, and developing countries policies. Under the rules of the WTFO trade policy, Chinas trade policy choices embodied in promoting the liberalizing of international trade trends and the use of WTFO protection measures on the domestic market, industry, enterprise, appropriate the necessary protection. . Based on the development status of the countrys trade legal system to develop according to their own interests. The economic strength of the different countries is very different, and thus taken on his trade policy is not the same. Either in the past or in the WTFO framework, the nature of international trade policy are protective, and more systematic protection under the WTFO framework, offensive, legitimacy, and diff icult to deal with. After Chinas accession to the WTFO, must develop a set of beneficial trade legal system in line with Chinas national conditions of Chinas interests, to protect their own markets and businesses; Second, the mommies industry in the interests of the industry after Chinas accession to the WTFO allocation conflict, therefore, must safeguard the interests of various classes and social strata coordinate to promote the stable development of society, must be developed in order to solve this problem, the administrative laws and regulations related measures. 2. To build Chinas non-tariff barriers to protect the system. WTFO advocate trade liberalizing process, the use of non-tariff barriers made many prohibitive provisions. But its mode of thinking with rules and norms to eliminate barriers to trade, but at the same mime it rules, norms allow reasonable protection of trade. These means of protection measures is mainly non;tariff barriers. Such as anti-dumping and quarantine measures, technical standards, environmental standards and so on. Many countries, especially in Western developed countries attach great importance to the application of Nan-tariff measures.Therefore, China should also be within the WTFO framework, the clever use of these international trade protection mesas rest, to build a system of tariffs, non-tariff protection. (1 ) to strengthen the protection of non-tariff barriers. Want protection system of on-tariff barriers, according to international practice and the needs of the development of Chinas economic and trade structure, characteristics, and the introduction of timing, and cooperate with each other as well as transparency, to conduct a comprehensive, in-depth research.In particular, to strengthen the environmental protection measures, the establishment and implementation of the technical standards of safety standards, strictly prevent foreign substandard products contaminated products to enter China in any form. (2) to strengthen the accord nation and cooperation measures f non-tariff barriers and tariff barriers. With the decline in tariff rates, the growing role of non-tariff barriers.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Business analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Business analysis - Essay Example Retail is all about selling goods from businesses or individuals to the end user. In this industry retailers are often considered to be a part of the integrated supply chain. Large quantities or products are purchased by retailers from respective manufacturers. These purchasing process are either done through a wholesaler or directly from the producer and are then passed on to the end users in considerable small quantities. There are various mechanisms through which retailing can be done either in the form of fixed stores or markets or by delivery or door to door selling. The retail industry in the present scenario is considered to be the most competitive industry. As the consumer market demand is increasing there are many new players emerging in this segment which is making the competition fierce. It can be stated that customers are at a profitable end in terms of the scenario of retail industry with multiple players operating to deliver best services and goods at competitive prices . In context of global retail industry there are firms performing their operations through online websites, home delivery and even increasing convenience of users by electronic payment. Retailing is usually associated with providing services to a wide base of customers and encompassing wide range of products. This may include clothing to grocery or even any other household items. However the type of products which are included in a retail store are food products such as those which require facilities of a cold storage, durable goods or hard goods such as appliances, automobiles, sporting goods, electronics, furniture, etc., consumables or soft goods such as clothing, footwear, medicines, other fabrics, cosmetics and stationary, and the last type of product is arts. The importance of selecting a particular industry in this study is that it would help to identify the probable challenges which are affecting the industry. On the

Monday, November 18, 2019

Teacher Attitude Towards Performance Incentives in Georgia Dissertation

Teacher Attitude Towards Performance Incentives in Georgia - Dissertation Example The effectiveness of the teachers has a greater influence on the learning of students, than any other factors affecting the student learning in the control of schools in the world that include the size of the school, the size of the class, and the effectiveness of â€Å"after-school programs† (Bacharach & David 2009). There have been concerns on Georgia about the contribution of teachers towards the studying of students and the quality of the teacher workforce and there have been calls to reform the compensation of teachers. The survey result would be an indication of how the teacher attitudes differ by personal characteristics such as subject area, school assignment, or experience as well as the teacher workforce that include the school performance and the level of trust among teachers and principals. There have been calls by policymakers, analysts, and education advocates that the criterion used on teacher compensation is inappropriate and therefore it has been criticized as being too uniform and rigid. Critics claim that the present system in Georgia is not efficient as it concentrates on the experience of teachers and the qualifications they hold alone and this makes the teaching profession unattractive to result oriented people who might be having technical skills (Michael, 2007). Moreover, the critics of this compensation system for teachers argue that the present system does not do much in regard to motivate and reward effective teachers. Therefore instead of the uniform pay of teachers that goes ahead to ignore the labor market realities, reformers argue that they have provided the teachers with a varied incentive. However, despite the reformers claiming of the different incentives to teachers, this does not have any effect on the teacher motivation. The incentives have given too little as compared to the teaching assignments (Ballou, 2009). The Problem in Question According to a US study, there has been the comparison of the effectiveness of rew arding a select group of teachers against all the teachers in the school (Baugh, 2009). An analysis of the National Education Longitudinal Study, the US Department of Education's School, and the data from the Staffing Survey on performance pay came up with a conclusion that rewarding a select group of teachers was effective in student learning as compared to the whole school (Brodie & Ron 2008). However, several recent studies reveal that rewarding of the entire group of teachers in the whole school have a positive affect on the test scores of students. In addition, the research shows that through rewarding the teachers uniformly the teachers have an opportunity and encouraged to cooperate with the other teachers in the school by sharing their experiences. Critics of the selected pay program believe that the whole-school performance pay system are more acceptable to the teachers and less â€Å"controversial† (Donald & James, 2010). Regarding this, evidence of the problem that calls for farther research on the problem before policy recommendations are made. The purpose of this study is to find out why the teachers have different views regarding the pay for performance initiative. Definitions In this section, the definition of performance pay is dealt within general to set up a context on how it applies to the teachers specifically in Georgia. Therefore the key word in this paper is pay for performance in Georgia. This is the plan to have a direct relationship between the employee pay and the output of the employee. The pay for performance plan often considers of a select group of persons or the whole group of people. This plan is in line with the mostly held belief in humans that employee need to be rewarded depending on their

Saturday, November 16, 2019

CMR Enterprise Essay Example for Free

CMR Enterprise Essay This particular case depicts the history and issues faced by a relatively small company active in the custom architectural millwork industry for the past 25 years. The new owners wanted the newly-acquired company to grow even further. The first few months seems to have been a success Marcus spent a lot of his time with employees and customers, learning the field since he was, as mentioned in the text, an outsider. However, keeping the companys integrity and image intact was a priority. However, the problems outlined in the case seems to start or at least have been worsened with what will become CMRs largest account, Blackstone Homes. Problem Identification After reviewing the text in question, three major problems stand out: 1) Customers change requests: When Blackstone Homes sell a house, it does of course! come with a pre-finished and installed kitchen, included in the price. However, if the customer wishes, he or she would visit CMRs showroom and they would build these woodwork according to their new specifications. The added cost will then be charged to the contractor, which will later add it to their bills. This takes time and lead to price increases. This is, in part, what contributed to the clash with Blackstone Homes. 2) IT solution not adapted: InfoCentral, the software implemented by Marcus, does not work out as intended and do not fit the business needs. It is not always updated as required by the employees. According to the text, it may be helpful for the commercial and financial/accounting side, but is lacking several features for its residential counterpart to be really as useful as it can be. 3) Deteriorating business relationship The business relations between the two companies started well and was fulfilling for both part. When the business expended, so did the problems. The root cause seems to be the change requests made by the homeowners. This lead to late delivery, poorly reviewed performance and then the 7% price increase. Future homeowners started considering the prices charged by CMR to be too high. We could therefore expect lower level of sales and revenues in the future. Alternatives generation While we will mostly concentrate our alternatives on the three points mentioned above, we will also include other alternatives, even if they may not be realistic or feasible in the short/medium term. 1) Review customers change requests: We obviously cannot stop change requests and modifications made by the customers. The company and its employees pride themselves by offering flexibility and higher customers satisfaction. It would be therefore self-destructive for CMR to put a term to these showrooms. Any person also deserve to have reasonable alternative options when they are buying an object, a home more than anything. However, there is a clear misunderstanding between CMR and Blackstone Homes regarding the fixed allowances for kitchen ($6,000) and the final cost of the installation. In order to solve this issue, it may be a good thing to review the billing part: Instead of having the installation costs forwarded to the contractor, all expenses over $6,000 (parts + labor) should be charged to the homeowners themselves; customers can have access to all options made available by CMR, whilst eliminating cost forwarding and the said related disagreements. 2) Software adaptation It seems clear from the text that the whole issue also come in part from InfoCentral. In order to remediate this issue, we would suggest that all account managers from CMR and employees involved with this software should meet and discuss its performance. What should be changed, what must be kept, or what should be included in order to fit everyones needs. However, for any IT solution to bring tangible additional value, it must be easy to use and should not impose additional work. It is supposed to simplify the work, not making it more complicated. 3) The right people on the right place Again, according to the text, there was a clear misunderstanding between both parties; it was even referred as a shouting contest, which is far from being a normal and healthy business relationship. The Key Account Managers (from both sides) could not agree on contract terms and conditions. It could therefore be a good thing to change points of contact and see if the situation can be resolved; a stronger relation, transparency, honesty and business awareness between the two companies might also help straighten things out. 4) Additional ideas The solution to increase profit may not be by simply increasing selling price. We would suggest CMR to run an audit on their Supply Chain, Logistics and Selling, General Administrative Expenses to see if cost reductions are possible. Could modern machinery help cut their production costs? Could they outsource some of their non-core business or reduce raw material costs by creating a joint-venture with a competitor? Chasing down inefficiencies in the production line can be even more effective than a price increase. Recommendations Using the previous points, we would suggest the three following recommendations: 1) Change the billing process: If possible, all additional costs over $6,000 should be charged to the homeowner directly. In order to make this easier for the customers, offering various financing options may be a good idea. 2) Adapt InfoCentral: Review, correct and revamp the software in order to meet real business needs. May be a good thing to check what competitors are using. 3) Organize recurrent meetings: The situation with Blackstone did not get bad in one day. It may be a good idea to set up weekly or monthly operational reviews; meetings lasting no longer than 30 minutes, where all potential issues can be discussed among stakeholders and managers. The idea is not to let such situation worsen and take the correct actions as soon as possible.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Frankenstein :: essays research papers

â€Å"How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?† (Shelley, 42) In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein, who has spent two long years laboring in Ingolstadt to create this scientific marvel known only as â€Å"the monster,† wrongly assumes that his creation is pure evil. Frankenstein reaches this conclusion without even allowing the monster to demonstrate his kind heart. Eventually, the monster goes on a mass killing spree because of Victor’s detrimental psychological neglect. Victor’s neglect is caused by his hatred of anyone who is unlike himself. Victor also disregards the monster’s right to a true name, only referring to him using despicable names, such as â€Å"wretch,† â€Å"thing,† and â€Å"catastrophe.† Thus, the monster’s humane qualities, including compassion, loyalty, and intelligence contrast to the wretched traits of his creator, making the horrible references much more suitable for Victor. Unlike Victor, the monster shows great compassion despite his appalling appearance. For instance, he demonstrates his love for others during his time spent observing Felix and Agatha while in the village. He wishes â€Å"to return to the cottagers, whose story excited in [him] such various feelings of indignation, delight, and wonder, but which all terminated in additional love and reverence for [his] protectors†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (106) Even though the monster had never actually met the De Lacey family, his ability to feel compassion is proven through his love of them only for their wonderful hearts and kind actions. In doing this, he shows more love for a family of strangers than Victor could ever have for his own family. He also demonstrates unconditional love for these â€Å"protectors† by not killing Felix during their fight. On the contrary, Victor shows a lack of compassion for his creation after the monster requested a female companion. In response to the monster’s patient, rational inquiry, Victor exclaims, â€Å"Shall I create another like yourself, whose joint wickedness might desolate the world. Begone!† (130) In this senseless refusal of a sincere request, Victor proves once and for all that his true feelings for the monster are those of unjustified hatred and scorn. He has no basis for these feelings other than that of his undying prejudice against the monster. As a result of the opposing emotions illustrated by maker and creation, both are in constant conflict with each other and therefore can never live in harmony.

Monday, November 11, 2019

How to Become an Effective Manger and a Good Communicator Essay

In order to stay on top, companies need to do more than just stay the same and keep them alive, they need to grow. And that means that their employees need to develop and improve their skills at the same pace. More than ever, managers are being encouraged to improve employee performance through effective coaching, but so few of them have the time or the knowledge. It takes to do it successfully. Based on my case study, and presentation from the other classmate, I am getting to know how they develop their most promising employees. Now in this article, I will talk about how to be an effective manager based on the staff that I have learned from BUAD 309 class. I will also talk about from problem solving to developing accountability as an effective manager. I am a table tennis coach myself, I needs to coach other players has total different back ground and age. When I am coaching people, my students are either improving fast or still remain the same, these are all good to me, because in my perspective, when people are not improving fast, means that they are absorb the knowledge I thought them. But In the business world, if you’re not growing, you’re dying. It’s a basic rule of life here on earth and in the business world today. It’s what drives most of us to be better at what we do and who we are. It’s the desire to â€Å"be more. † Because of this desire, the term â€Å"coaching† has caught the attention of both the personal growth and business worlds, creating a multibillion dollar business and a situation in which everyone wants a coach. More than ever before, employees are asking for developmental opportunities and managers are being told they need to â€Å"coach† their employees on a regular basis. We’ve even worked with managers who say they’ve been told to â€Å"stop managing and start coaching. This all sounds great in theory: managers coaching employees to grow and be more effective, but there’s one problem. Although many people agree that having a coach is a great way to move toward success, very few people know what a coach actually is or what a coach actually does. This leaves many managers scratching their heads as they try to fit one more ambiguous task into their already over-busy schedules. So what is a coach, and what is coaching? This is our definition: A coach is someone who helps another person reaches higher effectiveness by creating a dialogue that leads to awareness and action. Lorber, L 2008)By creating the space to step back, look in the mirror, and grapple with the tough questions, a coach helps a person examine and deal with their reactions to obstacles and, in a sense, â€Å"get out of their own way† as they achieve better results, in a more efficient manner. When we are faced with a task, there are three things that managers should help employees to get better and be as successful as possible: First, make sure you find and dig out the aptitude of your employees: make them understand their potential and capacity to complete the task at hand. Second, make sure your employee’s attitude right toward their jobs: make sure your employees are confidence, focus, and determination to complete the task at hand. Third, make sure you make your employees use all the available resources: make them use all the tools, equipment, and time that available that needed to complete the task at hand. Without these three components, we cannot be at the top of our game. The degrees to which each of them does or does not exist directly contribute or detract from our ultimate level of success. It can be thought of as an equation with variable components. Start with Aptitude, the most obvious component of the equation. Without the proper skills and know how to complete a task, we are left scratching our head and frustrated. Think of a kid on her birthday receiving her first shiny, new bike. She has the determination and excitement to ride her new wheels, but she lacks the skill and ability to go whizzing down the street as she envisions. (Greg P, 1993) After two or three wipeouts, you end up with a frustrated little birthday girl. Just as crucial to the equation is having the Available Resources to complete the task. Think of the last time your team at work had a great idea or new approaches to accomplishing success, but you lacked the budget, time, or people power to deal with it. You had the capacity to figure out a new solution, the drive and confidence to make it a reality, but lacked the money or people to pull it off. Not a fun place to be in, by any stretch of the imagination. As managers, and people, we are comfortable and see the need to focus on Aptitude and Available Resources. When things aren’t working in the office, managers are often very willing to train people in new skills or throw more money at the problem. However, it’s the middle part of the Success Equation. The keystone if you will that most people tend to overlook, forget about, or outright ignore. Attitude refers to things like the drive, confidence, focus, enthusiasm, determination, need, desire, fortitude, and inspiration to accomplish the task at hand. Although difficult to measure and manage, without the right Attitude, having only the Aptitude and Available Resources will get you nowhere. Unfortunately, managers often say things like, â€Å"why can’t people just do their jobs and leave all that other stuff at home. † Well, people don’t â€Å"leave all that other stuff at home† because as humans, we can’t. (Greg P, 1993) Understandably, many managers wish that this was not the case, because managing would be immensely easier if people could really â€Å"check their emotions at the door. † We got it, and, unfortunately, it’s not possible. Think of the time your work day has been affected because you were ill, or you had a fight with a family member. This doesn’t even include the events that happen at work. When rumors of a downsizing start in an organization, how many people are able to completely check their emotional reaction to the news and focus a hundred percent on their work? Not many. So, for better or worse, managers have to accept that our Attitude affects our Level of Success, and focusing on it is more than â€Å"a nice thing to do. † Like it or not, Attitude is hardwired into the Success Equation of humans, and not just as a variable on the periphery. Attitude is perhaps the most vital component in the entire equation, and focusing on it is a manager’s business imperative. Hardline business people are often most comfortable thinking of this in terms of sports. Anyone who has played sports has probably been told at one time or another to â€Å"get your head in the game,† â€Å"focus,† â€Å"get psyched up,† or â€Å"don’t think that you can’t beat these guys! † (Greg P, 1993) Sports coaches know that the confidence, drive, and determination of their athletes can make all the difference between playing and winning. I think this is the biggest connection between my sport and management. Other than the three things, I would like to talk about good communication skills as a good manager. Good communication skill means the ability to be understood, but it also means more than that. Have you ever noticed how good conversationalists have the ability to light up a conversation and inspire others to join in? You can learn to be like that too. Remember any good conversation is a two-way process. It’s only as good as the responses you get but you can really improve the number and types of responses you get by honing your communication skill. Here are a few aspects of what it means to have this skill to initiate and sustain an interesting, enjoyable conversation that everyone feels better for having participated in.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Non-Intervention

The doctrine or Principal of Non-Interference and humanitarian intervention and their legitimacy/illegitimacy in international law of human rights has long been a subject of debate and has captured a lot of attention. The critical issue in any debate on humanitarian intervention is the need to balance intervention with the principle of sovereignty, which in essence requires that a sovereign state be treated as an independent political unit, its territorial integrity be respected, and it be allowed to pursue its domestic affairs without external interference. Indeed, the issue is a conflict between the ban on the use of force and respect for sovereignty on the one hand, and the duty to uphold and promote human rights on the other. (Negeri, 2011)Should the emphasis be on preventing the use of force between states and maintaining stable relations between them or does the protection of citizens' fundamental rights deserve priority? The relationship between these two interests is complicated and need more attention and effort to do research and examine the topic itself. This paper will address the tension between state sovereignty and humanitarian intervention. Both form an essential part of the international order based on the UN charter and both are of great importance.State sovereignty and Non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states One of the fundamental principles of a state or nation which acts as will to drives its affairs forward and gives some form of control over its domestic or territorial affairs is principle of state sovereignty. It is the foundation of inter-state relations and the basis of the modern world order. Most of the basic standards, rules and practices of international relations have grounded on the premise of state sovereignty. The original meaning of sovereignty is related to the idea of supremacy. According to Wikipedia, Sovereignty is the full right and power of a governing body over itself, without any interference from outside sources or bodies. In political theory, sovereignty is a substantive term designating supreme authority over some polity. (Wikipedia contributors, 2018)

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Are Computers an Essential Feature of Modern Education Essay Example

Are Computers an Essential Feature of Modern Education Essay Example Are Computers an Essential Feature of Modern Education Essay Are Computers an Essential Feature of Modern Education Essay Essay Topic: Education With the dawn of the computer era, all aspects of the society have become influenced by technology, including education. A large number of students use computers to work on. Even though it makes our work easier, it can turn out to be a huge distraction due to things like games, social networking sites, watching movies, etc. For example, in my school, students from grade 6 have their own laptops and during the breaks or even after school on the train platforms you will find them playing games on their laptops. I think computers are not really essential for modern education. What is important, is that we know our basics. If we have a strong foundation, we could be better off in the future. Even though jobs today are largely dependent on technology, we can learn how to use computers later on in life or alongside any other work. There are various subjects that can be taught using technology such as computer graphics, programming like C++ and Visual Basic, history (by showing videos), etc. For drama, computers can be used as well to show videos of famous actors in the past. Subjects such as chemistry, biology, art and music are better taught without a computer because these are practical subjects. In conclusion, computers could be used in education but it should be kept to a minimum. If a child gets addicted to computers from a young age, their basics in subjects like maths, for example might not be strong due to the use of calculators.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Modern Chinese Fashion Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modern Chinese Fashion - Research Paper Example The paper "Modern Chinese Fashion" focuses on modern Chinese fashion and is basically meant to discuss the changing fashion patterns seen at festivals and traditions, how traditional and festive Chinese clothing differ from each other, mainstream Chinese fashion designers, popular dress trends, and how wealth produces influence on the type of clothes worn by the Chinese people. Integrating the creative and priceless knowledge gained from places which are considered to be centers of fashion like New York, Paris, and Milan in the native system to create modern clothes sensitively customized to the culture of China is not an easy challenge to fulfill. Chinese fashion designers are astute and sensitive enough to acknowledge the changing economical trends in the country and design their clothes while keeping the national economical state of the country in their minds so that everyone would be able to wear stylish clothes irrespective of class difference. Basic Chinese fashion elements der ive from the Tang and Song dynasties and Shiatzy Chen is one such fashion label in China run by Wang Chen which relies heavily on materials such as silk and satin. In words of Chen, â€Å"I wanted to create something that reflects Chinese culture, yet manages to achieve global recognition; a brand that would make China proud†. Class difference, though not as pronounced now as it was previously in Chinese clothing, also presents challenges for Chinese fashion designers on some levels. In the past, these elements of class difference.... Distinction made by clothes between rich and poor was undeniably so obvious in the ancient China as compared to the modern China that no one could possibly remain oblivious to it. The wealthy members of the society were identified by the richness reflecting from their royal clothes which were almost always made out of silk, while the middle class and poor people relied on wearing very simple clothes made out of cotton. But irrespective of past and modern times, silk has throughout served as a resolute status symbol in the Chinese society and has always remained the material of choice to be worn for the rich and elite Chinese people in traditional terms. It is also the general consensus among the Chinese people, fashion designers, and critics that silk has a wide range of application in both festive and ordinary clothing. From being integrated in women’s blouses and scarves to men’s dress shirts and ties, silk is recognized as the material of choice for the fashion desig ners too who design clothes in accordance with common public’s demands and tastes. The modern Chinese fashion wear largely refines the more conventional clothing approach as seen in old Chinese pictures and present day popular trends can also be considered as a major reflection of orthodox dressing trends. In the ancient days during the Tang and Song dynasties, fabrics popular in China were gauze, damask, crepe, and brocade (Csanyi). Women wore loose robes with long sleeves and used decorative cloth on the lower hems (Hua 16). Incorporation of classic Chinese symbols in the clothing is vividly apparent in the ancient Chinese clothing culture. To the present day clothing culture, symbolism still serves as one of the primarily important elements considered by the fashion designers while designing

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Cold war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Cold war - Essay Example is of cold war and it led to worsening of economy in Europe and decline of Soviet Union, cutting of military spending, spending millions by the US, and depression among others (Taylor 78). McCarthyism is the political practice employed to create distrust and disloyalty about the communists without having any real tangible evidence leading to accusations (Taylor 127). People lost their jobs because of teaching about communism, education taught negatively about communism, freedom of speech of the communists was curtailed as well as producing movies portraying negatively about communism. Relationship between nations continued to chill. The cold war spread to other nations such as Berlin, Korea and Vietnam which were divided into two one controlled by US and the other by Russia leading to internal war and a nations destroying its own people a war initiated by the two super powers. The aftermath of the cold war was the destruction of Vietnam, separation of Korea and the war between the North and South as well as tearing of the Berlin