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.

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.

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.

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)

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.

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

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