Business report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business report - Essay Example Essentially a service sector organization, Woolworths purchases its goods mostly from Australian farmers and since most purchases are domestic, their products are fresh. The report would focus on how such a successful firm can enter the Indian markets given that there is currently a retail boom in India as well (Ramaswamy and Namakumari 2009, 105). Since Woolworths is into fresh food, it is imperative that procuring the food items from Australia and shipping the same to India would not make sense. Thus, the best option to avail is to procure it from the Indian farmers and sell it in the same country, though the model they should follow has to be reviewed thoroughly in order to make a fitment between the demands of the Indian market and what Woolworths would like to offer. In the case of Woolworths, since the primary product offering is fresh food items as well as processed food, it is obvious that the basic requirement is not technological or even manufacturing plants but a sound inf rastructure that would ensure strong linkages with the markets – both of the farmers who are to supply the produce on a regular basis as well as the customers who are to buy the same. However, the main focus of Woolworths should be on value addition to those products. The report would focus on the macro environmental factors that are likely to come into play if Woolworths were to expand into the Indian retail markets. Thus, the report would start with the PESTL analysis and then move on to the specifics of the firm by doing a SWOT analysis of Woolworths. Having done these two analyses, the recommendations, whatever suitable for Woolworths, would be made in order to make the expansion project a success. PESTL Analysis The first analysis that should be performed is the PESTEL Analysis, which is defined as amalgamation of various macro-environmental forces that drive the organization’s performance and comprises the political, economic, sociological, technological, ecologi cal and legal forces (Viardot 2004). Furthermore, â€Å"it assists companies in the selection of attractive markets and the appropriate entry mode† (Aubert and Frigstad 2007). Political India is typically a politically stable nation that has been trying to attract FDI, and more so in retail. This should prove to be an advantage so far as the political environment of Woolworths in India is concerned (Krafft and Mantrala 2010, 130). Even Asian countries like India and China have slowly opened their doors to globalization, thereby welcoming conglomerates like Woolworths. In the wake of globalization, regulation and tax policies and FDI policies are to be relaxed considerably and even China and India have deregulated and delicensed various products making it further congenial for Woolworths to operate. However, various quarters of the political sector has exhibited stiff resistance to FDI in retail and especially multi brand retail (Datt 2008, 178). It is clear that since the gov ernment is keen on investment in FDI, thus the environment would work to the benefit of Woolworths in India. Legal The legal environment of Woolworths in India again points out to some of the encouraging features of increased investment in FDI on the part of the government as well as other legalities that may have to be fulfilled while opening retail outlets in India. The working age and other

New building †Tools and Wiring Essay Example for Free

New building – Tools and Wiring Essay Now that we understand the codes and standards needed to create this building, it’s time to put stuff in it. Our task at hand is to start wiring the building for a new computer science and electrical engineering labs. This building will have a lot of devices that need to be connected to the school campus network and we will need a lot of tools to do it. First off I think since our building is going to be connected to a lot of students I believe that our best choice of cabling to connect to the building will be fiber-optics. This way the students and professors can access whatever they need as fast as possible from any location on campus. On the inside to save money I would run cat5e cables to each individual device. Running fiber-optics to each computer in the computer labs would take a lot of work since fiber is so hard to handle. This will allow them to do all kinds of test involving the network while not being too budget heavy. Depending on how many floors we have in the building we will need at least one telecommunication room. This is where we will house our skeletal frame that holds our servers and networking equipment. We will run the horizontal cables to all of the room wall plates. We will leave the patch cables to the person in charge of the room arrangements. If there are multiple floors in the building we will install backbone cables through the risers so we can have another telecommunication room for the other floors. Depending on where the plenum is for the floor we will run the horizontal cables under the floor or on top of the false ceiling. If the plenum is over the false ceiling we will need to install a ladder rack and cable trays. We will need a lot of tools to install this network. First off we will need connectors and crimpers so we can connect the cat5 cables to the devices on both sides. Then after we crimp the cables we will have to test the cables  with the wire map testers to make sure that all the wires are connected correctly. We will also need a tone and probe so we can figure out where each cable is going, there’s a chance we will forget which cable is which and that is why we will need this. When the installation is done we will need at least one laptop to connect to the wall jacks so we can test to see if the connection is live in every room the from there we need to find out how many devices will be connected in each room so we can create a rack for them. After the racks are connected to the wall jacks and once they arrange the devices around the room wecan come back and set up the patch cords to the computers and then the building will be completely wired to the school campuses network. References Handout NT1310 Physical Networking Unit 4 Key Concepts: Cabling and Cabling Systems Textbook- Cabling: the complete guide to Copper and Fiber-Optic Networking 4th Edition by Andrew Olivero / Bill Woodward

The Bill of Rights Essay -- American Government, Politics

The Bill of Rights is a list of limitations on the power of the government. Firstly, the Bill of Rights is successful in assuring the adoption of the Constitution. Secondly, the Bill of Rights did not address every foreseeable situation. Thirdly, the Bill of Rights has assured the safety of the people of the nation. Successes, failures, and consequences are what made the Bill of Rights what they are today. Firstly, the Bill of Rights has guaranteed the adoption of the Constitution. James Madison proposed the Bill of Rights to the First Federal Congress on June 8, 1789 (Primary Documents 1). The First Federal Congress then proposed the twelve amendments to the constitution to the state legislatures (Constitutional Politics in Ohio 1). The first two articles were not ratified. Articles three through twelve were ratified on December 15, 1791 (Constitutional Politics in Ohio 1). These became known as The Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights became the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution (Primary Documents 1). From the beginning, James Madison did not see a reason for there to be a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. But his decision soon changed. In 1787, delegates to the Philadelphia Convention debated whether to include a Bill of Rights in the Constitution (Schwartz 2). Since Thomas Jefferson could not attend the Philadelphia Convention, he sent Madison a letter. The en closed letter said that the omission of a Bill of Rights was a major mistake: "A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth" (Significance). After receiving the letter from Jefferson, Madison believed that there should be a bill of rights to the Constitution. Jefferson and Madison argued that a declaration of... ...The Eighth Amendment protects against "cruel and unusual punishments (Charters 2). This means a person would not get punished severely. The Tenth Amendment ensures that the individual rights that are not enumerated in the Constitution are secure -- that these rights should not be automatically infringed upon because they are omitted from the Constitution (Charters 2). This means that the powers delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. In conclusion, the Bill of Rights has assured the adoption of the Constitution. It has had some failures that did not end up in the Bill of Rights. It has also assured the safety of people. The Bill of Rights plays a key role in American Law and government, and remains a vital symbol of the freedoms and culture of the nation.

Idea of Belonging

The idea of belonging is an important and fundamental value in our lives. Belonging most commonly emerges from experience and notions of identity, relationships, acceptance and understanding. The sense of belonging is represented in various ways throughout texts such asâ€Å"Ancestor† by Peter Skrzynecki and ‘China Coin’. Each of the texts has a wide range of ideas on how belonging is created though personal experiences and notion of acceptance and understanding. In â€Å"Ancestors† Peter Skrzynecki expresses a detachment from ancestors resulting in a lack of belonging in terms of relationship and understanding. Being separated from his heritage, the speaker experiences a kind of guilt about not being attached to his parents’ culture, but also a sense that this issue will have to be resolved, even if doing so may involve some distress and turmoil. The use of active voice in the poem shows – there are no passive voice verbs at all — his need to do something about the problem of belonging. The â€Å"bearded, faceless men† represent the shadow/spirit of his ancestors but the speaker may also be actually referring to photographs he has seen of these ancestors â€Å"standing shoulder to shoulder† – which also depicts the unity of these ancestors and the force they create is firm in his mind and forces him to find out what his roots are. â€Å"The eyes never close† shows that the moment is still and may be evidence that he is in a dream partly based on looking at such photos. A questioning tone also carries on throughout the poem. This questioning is about his identity though examination of the past which is represented by the ancestors, creating a sense of reflection and investigation on his relationship to his ancestors. But we can see that throughout the poem Skrzynecki is refusing to explore the past of these ancestors because he is afraid of the tainted, torturous past which stops him continued searching for a home: â€Å"To what star do their footprints lead? † This not only evokes his fear of the past but also shows that his uncertainty about re-rooting to his ancestral culture. The ancestors â€Å"Never speak â€Å"implying that those ancestors communicate to â€Å"you† in some other way. The poem is mainly a nightmare about the idea of ancestry/belonging, and Skrzynecki uses the blood allusion in â€Å"The wind tastes of blood† to show that the root is in our blood which connects us to our ancestors. However, the speaker’s sense of alienation from his ancestors has blocked his ability to belong and find the relationship between him and the ancestors. Blood† therefore limits our understanding of our past, which is what we originally belong to. Comparing to Peter Skrzynecki, Leah in The China Coin chooses to belong with her mum and her friends and being positive and happy. At beginning, Leah's relationship with her mum Joan was strained since she refers to her as the â€Å"evil aunt† â€Å"Joan†,evil aunt is a technique of metaphor,it shows nagetive feelings † Joan† is a technique of 3 rd person which sh ows the distance between Leah & â€Å"Joan. Espicially when Leah is lost during the student protest and result in a huge arguement with Joan†It's your rotten China. â€Å"presents again a big difference from Both Joan and Leah,through the emphasis on â€Å"your† and â€Å"from China with the describtive word â€Å"rotten† Comparing to Peter's relationship with his school and folk museum, Leah's realtionship with her mum at first was even more unstisfactory . But rather than running away and belonging to someone else,Leah has stayed with her mum and tried to fix this relationship. When she decides to end the conflict with her mother and rebuild the relationship,saying â€Å"It's over†Leah took Joan's hand and squeezed†we've been through a lot,eh†The action of squeezing echoes they are becoming closer. While Leah decided to belong to her Chinese culture,she also finds a second home. Even though Leah is reserved,the warmth and acceptance of this family draw her in,it's also for the first time Leah was thinking of Joan's family as her family. further more,Leah again builds relationships with family members Ke, Linan and uncle Tong. When the other half of the coin falls from the croll. Leah's reaction is positive†Li-Nan crushed her pounded her on the back and called her â€Å"sister† The symbolism of the strong hug and approval by Li Nan shows her acceptance into this family. Leah also build a special relationship with her cousin Ke. When Joan's in the hospital,Ke becomes the only one who Leah can depend on. She decides to build a relationship with him in order to belong with him. Since then,Ke refers to Leah with the word†mate†,This typical Australian word presents Ke accepted Leah and her clture. Also mate's a very positive word. It shows a positive relationship with people that's what it exactly represents here. Comparing to Peter's homeless, Leah both physically and mentally chooses to belong,therefore,she gets a positive and good result. Each of the texts shows us a strong will to belong and we can see that the ways people achieve belonging emerge from all these elements. Therefore it can be said that the texts have provided a wide range of ideas on belonging that support the statement that â€Å"a sense of belonging can emerge from experiences and notions of acceptance and understanding. †

Manage Operational Plan Essay

Assessment activity 1 In your own words, describe the purpose of the operational plan and its relationship to the strategic plan. The purpose of the operational plan is to focus on shorter term objectives usually within 1 up to 3 years. For plans of 2 to 3 years, a more detailed breakdown of shorter timeframes should be included within the body of the document. An operational plan provides detailed information on planning, resource, implementation and funding for projects normally developed from the strategic plan. An operational plan should contain indicators to measure progress and performance. When written an operational plan will be defined by the following questions – Where are we now? – Where do we want to be? – How do we get there? – How do we measure our performance? Operational plans also comprise responsibility, allocation and contingency for variation. Contingency planning is the development of alternative plans to be placed in effect if certain unexpected events occur. There are four main advantages to contingency planning: 1) it helps the organisation get into a better position to cope with unexpected developments; 2) indecision, uncertainty, and delays are reduced when something unusual happens; 3) the organisations responses are likely to be better thought out and more rational; and 4) managers are forced to think in terms of possible outcomes, rather than just the most likely outcome. Operational plans are normally derived from strategic plans; a strategic plan provides formal long term direction for an organisation’s mission, objectives and strategies. These plans define What do we do? Who do we do it for? How do we get there? / How do we succeed? Assessment activity 2 Consultation can be undertaken both formally and informally. Outline some of the tools that can be used for formal consultation and discuss there various merits. Formal tools for consultation include: Information sessions Information sessions provide an instant feedback loop; these information sessions could be called planning sessions or development meetings and provide information to the recipient in several forms ensure all learning mechanisms are catered for. Information sessions also ensure that stakeholders feel involved in decision making processes adding value to the process. This can also be beneficial as it does not provide time for negative thinkers to formulate argument. Invitations for submissions from stakeholders When asking for submissions for stakeholders you are providing a tool for continued commitment and keeping the channel for communications open. Stakeholders will need to provide continued input into the process to ensure holistic development of the plan is achieved. Stakeholder consultation is about initiating and sustaining constructive relationships over time.1 Meetings, workshops, focus groups, one on one interview Meetings workshops and â€Å"one to one† consultation tools aid in providing appropriate and agenda orientated discussion and provide input to existing or identified issues, potential solutions and aid in refining the information provided. These meetings and interviews can be minuted and presented back to the groups as an accurate account and a form of continual improvement ensuring that the items raised are being addressed and not being revisited unnecessarily. A focus group involves inviting a group of participants to share their thoughts, feelings and attitudes. This can be a useful tool for gaining â€Å"buy in†2 to the planning process. This information can then be fed back to the process. Feedback mechanisms By measuring feedback and reporting appropriately it will be possible to capture and report opinion on ideas presented and formulate into input to the planning process. Communication mechanisms such as email, intranet, newsletters and memos surveys These tools are a good way of providing information quickly over large groups in a uniform way. Although hard to measure result, by capturing groups that may otherwise not provide input to the process it is bringing transparency and opportunity to build a robust planning process. Assessment activity 3 In your own words, explain why key performance indicators (KPIs) are an important part of the operational planning process. KPIs can be broken down by acronym; by focusing on the importance of each component of a Key Performance Indicator it will become apparent of the role the KPI plays in the operational plan. Key when it is of fundamental importance in gaining competitive advantage and is a make or break component in the success or failure of the plan. An example only by measuring the shelf space gained by a drinks manufacturer they can measure the growth achieved this can be measured on a short term basis indicating success or failure over the plan period. Another example for a gaol, it may be to reduce the amount of lockdowns or assaults over the plan periods this can then provide information in relation to the implementation of absence policies for staff and intervention programs for inmates to achieve predetermined benchmarks. Relating to Performance when it can be clearly measured, quantified and easily influenced by the organisation or governing body. Indicator if it provides leading information on future performance. It is impossible to establish a KPI without a clear understanding of what is possible – so it must be possible to set upper and lower limits of the KPI in reference to the market and how the competition is performing (or in the  absence of competition, a comparable measurement from a number of similar organisations). Some industries do not have immediately recognisable measures but by study of the environment it is possible to be able identify key areas to be measured and provide input into future development and growth (KPI). Measuring key areas of the operational plan ensure that continual improvement and best practice are maintained and that the plan is achieving expected outcomes. Assessment activity 4 Explain the role of an impact assessment in contingency planning and outline the steps within it. Also known as an impact and risk analysis an impact assessment is the developmental tool to assist in defining the structure and content of the contingency plan. By performing an impact assessment it aids in providing accurate diagnosis relating to the definition of risk as outlined by the operation plan, what may occur. The impact of the risk on the operational plan and its projected outcomes, what is the rating of the risk, how will it manifest itself and how damaging will it be to the plan if it eventuates. Coupled with a series of alternatives, recognitions and formulated responses to the risks the information is fed back into the process and forms the contingency plan. This information can be collated in the form of a matrix; the information can then be measured for weight, possibility of outcome, severity of impact and presented with formulated recommendations for risk minimisation or alternatives. IMPACT MATRIX Header Description Change Impact Summary of impact Description Short description of impact Stakeholder Include stakeholder groups and/or role (if required) Category Category identifies the type of impact People (is there a direct impact on people) Structure & roles (is there an impact on how things are) Culture (is there an overall impact on people/groups as a whole) Process (will there be a change to processes) Skills (will skills need to be developed) Technology (will there be system/technology changes) Level of impact High: Large impact and/or large amount of change Medium: Moderate number impact and/or moderate amount of change Low: No or low impact and/or small amount of change Resistance issues Include any stakeholder resistance issues that may impact awareness, acceptance and /or adoption of the change. Risk of inaction Risk of not implementing some form of change management initiative. Change Actions change actions formulated and used based on all the information for each impact: Ref No. Change Impact Description Stakeholder Category Level of Impact (H/M/L) Resistance Issues Change Actions Risks and issues Mitigation Severity Recommendations: Assessment activity 5 Proposals for resource requirements may outline alternatives to the project under consideration. Why? Outlining alternatives to the project being proposed for consideration can assist in providing justification for presenting the chosen proposal as the desired action to be taken. When providing a list of alternatives, areas such as costing, resource availability, risk, legal implication and obligations and time constraint should be examined. This will bolster the selected proposal and provide transparency to the selection process demonstrating that all options have been taken into consideration and tested for appropriateness. Assessment activity 6 Explain what the acronym SMART stands for, and why it is so important for objectives and targets to be designed with this in mind. SMART is a results driven acronym designed to provide focus to the task and the objective required as a result. S.Should be specific, clear to anyone that has basic knowledge of the project. M.Must be measurable, know that that objective is obtainable and how far away completion is. Be aware of when the task has been completed. A.Agreed upon. Agreement must be reached with all stakeholders about what the objectives should be. The objective should also be achievable. RThe objective should be realistic and relevant and within the abilities of the organisation skills base. TTime based. Is there enough time to compete the task? Are the timeframes realistic i.e. not too long as to effect performance, timelines and completion? An objective that follows SMART is more likely to succeed because it is clear (specific) so you know exactly what needs to be achieved. You can tell when it has been achieved (measurable) because you have a way to measure completion. A SMART objective is likely to happen because it is an event that is achievable. Before setting a SMART objective relevant factors such as resources and time must be taken into account to ensure that it is realistic. Finally the timeline element provides a deadline which helps people focus on the tasks required to achieve the objective. The timeline element stops people postponing task completion and effecting performance. Section 2 Assessment activity 7 In your own words, outline some of the key stages in the recruitment process and briefly explain what should be achieved at each step. Preparation It is vital that the planning and preparation stage of the recruitment process is done effectively for the appointment of a new member of staff to be successful. Human Resources (HR) or a management panel / interview panel will need to think about what their current or future needs are and the best  way to meet them. If the vacancy is a new role HR or the appropriately delegated persons will need to think about the job purpose, responsibilities and experience that they are looking for culminating onto the development of a statement of duties (SOD). If the role is replacing an existing one they will need to consider if any changes need to be made to ensure that the job is fully effective and review all policy documentation appropriately to reflect the identified needs. Advertising Candidates first become aware of a vacancy via advertising or by use of a facilitating recruitment agency. A recruitment advertisement must be written in a clear and concise way so as potential applicants are encouraged to find out more about the organisation and advertised position. Where and when you advertise must be taken into consideration as poorly timed or focusing on the wrong target group with inappropriate media selection will provide poor results in response and will not capture the target market. Planning When planning to recruit it is important to establish a realistic timeframe for each stage prior to beginning the process of recruitment. Having tight deadlines and only leaving a small amount of time for short listing and collation of data can be counterproductive. Careful thought about the whole recruitment process in order to get the best possible outcome is critical. Identification of the method of short listing, scoring and the convening of a selection panel are also important considerations to take into account in the planning stage of recruitment. Selection process A professional recruitment process is crucial, for the validity of the recruitment decision and for the image of the organisation. All applicants should feel that they have been treated fairly throughout the process and be left with the impression that the organisation is a fair, coconscious and ethical employer – somewhere where it would be good to work and develop a career. Appointment Following the interview the panel should make a decision based on all the evidence available as it is applied evenly throughout the recruitment and selection process with reference to the required job description. Assessment activity 8 Outline some of the advantages of using a purchase order. Some advantages of a business purchasing utilising a purchase order management system include; the purchaser having a defined traceable record of transaction that states all relevant information to the sale including things such as purchase and delivery dates, cost of purchase, terms and conditions of payments, authorising persons and collation of information between purchase order and invoice / statement to ensure correct payments without ambiguity of details. Purchase order copies can be used to ensure suppliers dispatch the items that you have ordered upon receipt of goods. A good purchase order management system should have a back order system in place. This enables the purchaser to track and follow up items that have not been received at time of purchase but may be arriving later due to an inability to supply. Used In a larger organisation a purchase order can also provide information for accountancy such as distribution of cost centres and allocation to job numbers for future invoicing. Assessment activity 9 Describe a mechanism for ensuring that operational activities are proceeding according to plan. The balanced score card is a measurement framework which integrates multiple perspectives. The balanced scorecard integrates four sets of measurements, complementing traditional financial measures with those driving future performance. An organisation using this framework is encouraged to develop measures (metrics) that facilitate collection and analysis of information from the following perspectives: The Financial Perspective covers the financial objectives of an organisation and allows managers to track financial success. The Customer Perspective covers the customer objectives such as customer satisfaction, market share goals as well as product and service attributes. The Internal Process Perspective covers internal operational goals and outlines the key processes necessary to deliver the customer objectives. The Learning and Growth Perspective  covers the intangible drivers of future success such as human resource, organisational capital and information capturing including skills, training, organisational culture, leadership, systems and databases Implementation of a balanced scorecard presents an opportunity for an organisation to look at its existing programs, services, and processes. Are the right services being provided to the Customers? (Are we doing the right things?) Are the processes implemented now the most efficient and cost effective. Performance measurements provide a mechanism for the organisation to manage its financial and non-financial performance. Accountability is increased and enhanced, ensuring that projects support the organisational strategy, and that better services and greater satisfaction are provided to the Customer. Performance that is measured and reported will improve. (Are we doing things right?). Specific metrics are developed which can then be analysed to provide answers to these questions. Once appropriate metrics have been identified, data collection and tracking processes are put in place, the organisation can begin to adjust its practices and evaluate its performance over time. A continuous feedback loop is formed, in which the organisation can use measurement information to re-align initiatives as required. Scorecards are effective in aligning an organisation’s business areas and activities with its overall strategy, identifying critical financial and non-financial measures, identifying cause-and effect relationships among measures that may aid in problem diagnosis and encourage accountability across the organisation. When it was first introduced the Balanced Scorecard was presented in a four-box model. The danger with the initial four-box model was that companies can easily create a number of objectives and measures for each perspective without ever linking them. Many organisations produced management dashboards to provide a more comprehensive at a glance view of key performance indicators in these four perspectives. A Strategy Map places the four perspectives in relation to each other to show that the objectives support each other. Strategy maps outline what an organisation wants to accomplish (financial and customer objectives) and how it plans to accomplish it (internal process and learning and growth objectives). This cause-and-effect logic is one of the most important elements of best-practice Balanced Scorecards. It allows companies to create a truly integrated set of strategic objectives on a single page. Assessment activity 10 Name three types of financial report that can be used to track progress and monitor performance. Three types of financial Reports that can be used to measure progress and performance are the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. The balance sheet details a company’s current financial position based on assets, liabilities, and equity. The balance sheet helps answer questions about a company’s liquidity, solvency, and relative position to that of industry competitors. The income statement details a company’s profitability. Net income is found in the income statement and it is determined as revenues less all costs. The income statement sheds light on the company’s ability to spend money (expenses) in order to generate revenues. The cash flow statement details a company’s operating, investing, and financing activities. Because earnings can be manipulated by clever accountants and management, cash flows more accurately reflect the fin ancial performance of a company. Assessment activity 11 What is a gap analysis? Definition: [Gap analysis is a] technique for determining the steps to be taken in moving from a current state to a desired future state. It begins with (1) listing of characteristic factors (such as attributes, competencies, performance levels) of the present situation (â€Å"what is†), (2) cross-lists factors required to achieve the future objectives (â€Å"what should be†), and then (3) highlights the ‘gaps’ that exist and need to be ‘filled.’ Also called need-gap analysis, needs analysis, and needs assessment.3 A gap analysis is the method of improving a company or organisations performance by analysing the reasons for the gap between current results and long-term objectives. Gap analysis begins by asking yourself two basic questions: Where are you now? Where do you want to be? In answering these questions, you need to be as detailed as possible so it will be easier to come up with realistic plans of action. Study your current situation and determine how you are presently performing. A gap analysis conducted on it own will be fruitless unless coupled without proactive solutions incorporated to meet the needs identified in the analysis to ensure effective outcomes and desired results are achieved. Assessment activity 12 Describe the different types of mentoring. Informal mentoring: This form of mentoring option enables employees to enter into an informal style of mentor/protà ©gà © relationship. An informal mentoring partnership has less structure than a formal mentoring process and can occur at any time in a person’s career. The relationship can be initiated by the mentor or protà ©gà ©. Some examples that informal mentoring relationship can be initiated are: A senior level employee that identifies either promise or potential issues in a younger employee‘s path can take them under his or her wing and providing them with advice and guidance to assist them with their current job or career goals; An employee seeking out a senior level employee they admire and together they work to develop a relationship; or A supervisor or a senior level employee recommends a specific employee to the protà ©gà © to receive mentoring. Formal mentoring: Formal mentoring has a structure. It involves an agreement to mentor and be mentored, a clear framework for mentoring and perhaps a program of support. In a formal mentoring relationship, there is discussion of expectations, goals and the process to be used. The frequency and duration of contact is agreed and ground-rules are established. Individuals may establish their own mentoring arrangements or participate in a mentoring program. Peer mentoring: This form of mentoring is when two people undertake a mentoring partnership and take turns in mentoring each other as peers. Each one facilitates the mentoring process by asking questions, listening and reflecting. As in most types of mentoring, there is a place for offering another perspective, expressing an opinion or providing information. However, the decision-making responsibility always remains with the person who will implement and experience the consequences of their own actions. Because the partners recognise each other as peers, it can be easier to offer and receive input as information rather than advice Group mentoring: One mentor can be teamed with several mentees who meet at the same time. As the mentor poses questions, listens and reflects he or she engages all members of the group into the conversation. Each person has their own experience and insight to share and can draw their own learning from the discussion. This can be invaluable to the other attendees as it can provide perspectives that may not be normally considered in a smaller mentoring scenario. Assessment activity 13 Discuss the role of performance monitoring in negotiating variations to operational plans. Effective performance monitoring enables continual risk management in the operational plan process. 360 degree monitoring of the plan and the identification of areas that require adjustment or reassessment can ensure that goals are achieved and KPI’s are met. This will ensure that risk levels can be reduced to minimal impact and contingencies can be implemented if required. With early identification, issues can be resolved by negotiating with authorised persons or groups to enable variation strategies to be approved and implemented. Assessment activity 14 Outline some of the things that organisational policies on documenting performance should cover. When dealing with documenting performance the organisational policies should  have the policy structure in an easily accessible format for example the organisations intranet. These policies should cover; relevant legislation or business guidelines covering expected performance and behaviours within the workplace, relevant performance management guide lines, processes for discipline grievance and appeal structures and guides, storage and access of employee files, audit and assessment guidelines for Work health and safety Compliance to operating models and routines Achievement of output budgets A – Z of relevant forms

The performance of organizations

The performance of organizations Executive Summary The performance of organizations is greatly affected by a number of variables. These are customer satisfaction, forecasting, capacity planning, location, inventory management, layout of the store and scheduling. Secondary data from diverse publications vividly show that the internal and external environments, where operations of most firms revolve, are greatly affected by these variables. It is therefore important to examine how and why these variables lead to the successful performance of firms as is the aim of the current project.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The performance of organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction The aim of this project is to study how and why certain factors affect the successful performance of an organization. The factors are customer satisfaction, forecasting, capacity planning, location, inventory management, layout of the store and scheduling. The f irst part deals with research methodology, the second part reveals the main project findings, the third part entails the analysis, and interpretation of the findings and the last section comprises of conclusion and recommendations. Research Methodology Data Collection Method Secondary Data The factors under study that affect the operations of various have been found to affect numerous business organizations. Due to this, terabytes of data have been collected and analyzed by several reputable scholars, credible economists, and excellent researchers on the same. Secondary data was therefore the kind of data that was found to be appropriate for this project. The selected secondary data makes use of published data that is already available in books, reports, and publications of several organizations and linked to business and industry, technical and trade journals, and, other sources of published information (Kothari, 2008, p. 111). In the process of collection of these data, caution wa s taken due to the uncertainties that may that may arise due to the circumstances that surrounded those who compiled the data or because of varying intellectual interpretations. Therefore, to ensure that sufficient caution was exercised in the entire data collection process, the published secondary data was selected based on the following features: Dependability of data To establish that the data to be used in this project was reliable, it was subjected to several tests that entailed some aspects like who carried out the data collection? From what sources was the data obtained? Were suitable methods applied in the process of data collection? When was the data collected? Was the one compiling data biased in any way? Was there a degree of accuracy that was intended? Was this degree of accuracy attained? Appropriateness of Data The data that fits a certain enquiry may not necessarily be applicable in another research. In particular, if the data at hand is inappropriate, it cannot be ap plied by someone else conducting the research.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In regard to this, the researcher is supposed to cautiously put under scrutiny the definition of certain terms and tenets of compilation that were applicable in extracting the data from primary sources initially. On the same note, the object, spectrum, and environment of the initial enquiry should also be studied. Incase the researcher encounters disparities, the data will remain unfitting for the current research, and it will not therefore be incorporated in the study. Sufficiency of Data If the degree of accuracy obtained in the data is found to be inadequate for the use in the current research, they will be termed as insufficient and hence unsuitable to be used by the researcher. Another base on which data may be regarded as insufficient is when they are suitable to be applied in a st udy whose scope may be either narrower or wider than the scope of the study involved in the current research. Therefore, due to the risks involved in the use of the available data, the current research, the secondary sources used in the current research have been selected based on their suitability, reliability, and sufficiency. Therefore, the project is intended to study why and how the following factors are significant to the successful operations of an organization: Customer satisfaction Forecasting Capacity planning Location Inventory management Layout of the store Scheduling Findings Customer Satisfaction Huselid, Becker, and Beatty are three scholars who have an innovative expertise in business and economics. They concede that even though the strategic objective of a retail organization is to maximize sales, this goal cannot be attained in the absence of customer satisfaction. This customer satisfaction, they argue, is partly motivated by an improved purchasing experience (H uselid, Becker and Beatty, 2008, p. 12). Their analyses reveal that improved buying experience is influenced by customer service, and specifically, the conduct of front marketing staff, which may include being kind, enlightened about the products and customer needs and being timely. There are therefore specific jobs and labor force demeanors that influence the purchasing experience of customers. Research conducted at Price Club business organization shows that in this organization, the clients require a clean retail store with accessible advertised products. In this organization, the front line employers may not influence the purchasing experience of the customers except by ensuring adequate stocking of the shelves, coherent arrangement, and necessary changes. Their strategic importance is therefore restricted in this case.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The performance of organizations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Alternatively, broadly put, the purchasing experience of customers in this organization is driven by the price. Thus, customer satisfaction is the key to success in any organization although the qualifications and behaviors of the employees that trigger customer satisfaction vary from one organization to another (Huselid, Becker and Beatty, 2008, p. 13). John Oakland, a business management expert echoes the fact that the goal of all work and attempts to make progress is to be committed to attending to the customers in a proper way. This requires the organization to be hitherto conversant with how effective its outputs are performing before customers through evaluation and feedback. Although the most crucial clients are the external ones, anything can change in the course of business operation. In particular, internal customers ought to be accorded quality service if the external ones should be satisfied (Oakland, 2004, p. 449). Forecasting Suntanto, a reputable scholar and lect urer in management asserts that at the start, managers are supposed to assess the future supply of workforce, both in the internal and external environment of the organization (Suntanto, 2004, p. 2). In addition, the future demand for particular numbers and kinds of employees ought to be ascertained. In particular, the analyses for supply and demand are supposed to be done differently. The chief reason for this is that supply forecasts are mainly dependent on the internal factors of the organization, which include staff turnover, retirement rates, relocations, and promotions. On the contrary, demand forecasts are dependent on external factors such as demand for goods and services. There are two main categories under which demand and supply-forecasting techniques fall. These are qualitative and quantitative forecasting techniques. Qualitative forecasting techniques are basically intelligent anticipations or estimates from people who have some previous knowledge regarding the number o f employees, and, demand and supply of products. The data for the four main qualitative techniques have been tabulated below. It briefly highlights the technique and its explanation. Qualitative Technique Explanation . Nominal assembly At least four individuals are accorded an opportunity to air their opinions about forecasts in work force. After all members have submitted their views, the team then discusses the opinions aired and eventually agrees on the ultimate judgment based on a ballot. Delphi Method A facilitator gathers written views from expert regarding forecasts in labor. After collecting all views, a synopsis is made and given to the experts. The experts do not interact face-to-face but the facilitator coordinates them. Replacement arrangement Charting methods are used to come up with forecasting estimates. They recognize current labor states and their significant details. Allocation arrangement The movement of workers through the organizationa l structure is used to deduce judgments on labor supply or demand Quantitative forecasting techniques are certain quantitative elements that are used in the forecasting of demand supply and work force. Data on the methods and their explanations is shown in the table below (Suntanto, 2004, p. 3).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Technique Explanation Regression model Changes in work force levels are forecasted using relevant factors like sales. Times of shorts of such changes are the computerization of product functions, interconnection of both clinical and fiscal systems, bottom line size, and the devolution of the inventory management role (Ozcan, 2009, p. 268). The era of microcomputers has facilitated opportunities changing routine duties to enhance efficiency and performance. For instance, tasks from users in various institutions can be easily transferred through the computer before being directed to vendors who are ready to offer online approval. In addition, these continuous routine tasks create databases of use, price, and other details that are important to the organization’s future planning (Ozcan, 2009, p. 268). Layout of the store Study from Lewis and Slack (reputable operation managers) reveal that service based environments play a significant role because they ensure that p articular customer needs are met following fulfillment of certain tasks by the staff. Store layout and functionality of the physical surrounding are very essential. Store layout refers to the way equipment, furniture, machinery has been positioned, the capacity they occupy, and how they compare in the space they occupy. Functionality on the other hand means the capacity of these items to enhance both performance and the attainment of the organization’s goals. A lot of experimental research in organizational psychology has revealed impacts of store layout and functionality aspects, always from the standpoint of the staff workers. However, little has been researched on the effect of store layout and functionality on clients within commercial service surroundings (Lewis and Slack, 2003, p. 517). What ought to be noted here is that store layout and functionality dimension is exceptionally important to clients in environments that require them to conduct self-service where they ar e required to carry out majority of the duties without necessarily seeking assistance from employees who work there. In the same vein, if the functions to be performed by the clients are more intricate, efficacy of layout and functionality will be paramount compared to if the tasks were less complicated and ordinary (Lewis and Slack, 2003, p. 517). Thus, based on the nature of the tasks and the setting, it is important to assess the layout and functionality of the organization to ensure that there is better customer service and hence successful business operation Scheduling According to Ozcan, scheduling is part of the duties of workload management. It aims at establishing the time that each employee is supposed to be present or away from duty apart from revealing on which shifts the employees work. Staffing, scheduling, and reallocation are the three duties of workload management go a long way to affect performance and performance related factors such as work fulfillment levels, an d how the organization will utilize its employees (Ozcan, 2009, p. 162-163). In healthcare settings, the types of scheduling employed are cyclical and flexible scheduling. The former is where work schedule can be regarded as permanent or discretionary. Under this kind of schedule, workers do not alternate shifts (Ozcan, 2009, p. 191). Flexible scheduling is where without changing the number of weekly working time, employees are given the freedom to choose the time they should begin their workday. Analysis and Interpretation Data from several credible and reputable scholars reveal that all the seven variables that is customer satisfaction, forecasting, capacity planning, location, inventory management, layout of the store and scheduling are all vital in the successful operations of a business organization. First, customer satisfaction is determined by both the behavior of front marketing staff and the price of the products. This is mainly common in retail organizations. How front mar keting staffs behave influences the buying experience of customers. A good buying experience increases sales volume and in turn boosts the organization’s profitability. Second, with regard to forecasting, an organization is supposed to anticipate the future of its demand and supply of labor force. This is meant to ensure that there are no unnecessary deficiencies. Both qualitative and quantitative mechanisms are used and doing this enables the organization to employ the right staff who will in turn render quality services to it, making it competitive and able to meet the demands of the dynamic world. Third, capacity planning affects manufacturing companies and it involves coming up with either short term or long-term mechanisms that may affect both clients and the company’s capacity. Any adopted strategy is meant to boost the operation of the company. Fourth, the location of an organization should be closer to the customers and near raw materials and suppliers. This en hances cost effectiveness and maximizes gains. Fifth, inventory management aims at ensuring that the organization’s stock is up to date thus eliminating chances of deficits, which may curtail its performance. Sixth, the store layout has a functional and spatial dimension. The former enhances both the performance and attainment of the firm’s objectives while the latter necessitates proper customer service that is vital to the success of the business. Finally, scheduling is a program that works at establishing when an employee is on or off duty. It determines both job performance and job satisfaction among employees. Conclusions and Recommendations Several reputable scholars have conducted research and presented credible findings regarding how successful business operations emanate from the seven variables (customer satisfaction, location, schedule, inventory management, capacity planning, store lay out, and forecasting). The findings from the selected credible secondary sources show a direct relationship between how these factors affect both internal and external aspects of the organization. Labor, customer relations, manufacturing process, time, and profitability are a firm’s operational variables that have been seen to be affected by the seven factors. On the other hand, it is recommended that first, more research should be done to show how scheduling affects the success in operations of other types of organizations apart from the health organization. Secondly, more research ought to be done to reveal how customers in commercial surroundings are affected by store layout. References Abrams, R. and Kleiner, E. (2003). The successful Business Plan: Strategies and Secrets. Ontario: The Planning Shop. Huselid, A., Becker, B., and Beatty, R. (2008). The Workforce Scorecard: Managing Human Capital to Execute Strategy. MA: Harvard Business Press. Lewis, M. and Slack, N. (2003). Operations Management: Critical Perspectives on Business and Manageme nt. NY: Routledge. Oakland, J. S. (2004). Quality Management. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. Ozcan, Y.A. (2009). Quantitative Methods in Health care Management: Techniques and Applications. San Francisco: John Wiley Sons Inc. Panneerselvam, R. (2005). Production and Operations Management. New Delhi: Prentice Hall. Suntanto, E. M. (2004). Forecasting the Key to Successful Human Resource Management. Web.

Social Justice Wrays Essential Aspects of Biblical Law and Justice

Social Justice Wrays Essential Aspects of Biblical Law and Justice Introduction The purpose of this paper is to evaluate Wray’s essential aspects of Biblical Law and Justice in light of what it offers religious educators for the classroom study of justice. A large portion of the Bible has been dedicated to the issue of law and justice.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Justice: Wray’s Essential Aspects of Biblical Law and Justice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, religious educators who teach about justice in classrooms today must go back to the Bible and look at biblical legal codes and justice. Justice has become a matter of concern for many people in modern societies. Nevertheless, it is a concept that is socially constructed, meaning that it is subject to contextual interpretation. Various Interpretations of Biblical Laws and Justice Wray has conducted an extensive study on the subject of social justice and suggests that students taking any course on law or social justice must go back to the origins of these laws and justice, in this case the Bible. He maintains that biblical laws and justice should be taught in the classroom in a bid to tackle some of the prevalent issues affecting modern societies, including laws, prohibitions and injunctions (Wray, 2011, p. 161). Indeed, the quest for social justice has been highlighted by many social philosophers for many centuries since the emergence of enlightenment and industrial revolution. The industrial revolution and the emergence of capitalist economies gave rise to social decay and the erosion of social values as most people were subjected to hard social and economic conditions.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The world is divided between the haves and the have-nots. In theory, social justice is an attempt to address the question of equity and fair distribution of income and resources. The theory of justice implies that people should be treated equally (Miller, 1999). The concept of social justice is widely used today to refer to the fair distribution of resources amongst the members of the society. For many centuries, this concept has been applied in various societies, but it is evident that even today discrimination of the poor from the market economy still continues (Miller, 1999). However, regardless of what has been researched, written or formulated as part of our social policies, justice is far from being realized. Perhaps it can be argued that humanity have rejected the origins of these laws and regulations and came up with mere philosophies that does not address the real problems. The best model for social justice is in the Bible which in Borg’s view is the foundation for political and personal transformation. Any attempt to fight for social justice must be based on the word of God because the Kingdom of God is the heart of jus tice (Borg, 2003). Borg also argues that although the American society promotes the principles of individualism, all humans are part of a wider social-economic, political, cultural, and faith systems that promotes social lives in the community (Borg, 2003). Borg goes back to the biblical account to show God’s passion for social and political justice. He maintains that Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of God in the New Testament is all about justice (Borg, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Justice: Wray’s Essential Aspects of Biblical Law and Justice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Similarly, views have been expressed by O’ Donohue who states that the biblical concept of justice is intrinsically connected to human relationship. He argues that God demands for justice that does not appear in abstract, but the kind of justice that exists within our human lives. True justice emer ges from the relationship between humanity and God and fellow humanity. It starts with the individual then moves on to society (O’ Donahue, 1977). This is the line of argument that Wray has followed. In his view, biblical law and justice should be the main text for students studying social justice and other law related courses. The most important part of these texts is that which deals with Torah on the Old Testament and the Kingdom of God in the New Testament. These texts contain the golden rules upon which we derive our mannerism and ways of treating other people. The purpose of the biblical laws was originally given to regulate human behavior in a manner that was intended by God from the beginning (Wray, 2011). Consequently, these laws have become the cornerstone for legal codes that governs modern civilized societies. This is not to say that the modern societies are perfect. But regardless of their levels of civilizations crime, injustices and immoralities are still the o rder of the day. We still have many cases of rape, murders, theft, slandering, corruption, fraud, and lying, even as the bible prohibits such behaviors.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Our jails and prisons are full of people have been locked up for going against these laws. These laws have governed the world since the days of ancient Israel when they were first given to control humans but their behaviors are still the same (Berger, 2007). This does not imply that these laws are ineffective. In fact, they are still unique and effective if applied appropriately. Wray laments that most religious educators and preachers do not discuss biblical justice with the laws of Israel. This means that one cannot teach about observing the laws without first developing a relationship with the lawgiver, who is God. For instance, treating other people fairly, defending the poor and the weak can only demonstrate the existing covenant relationship with God. The Four Assumptions of Biblical Laws and Justice Wray also outlines four main assumptions connected to the interpretation of the biblical laws and justice (Wray, 2011). The first assumptions that are commonly held by many people purports that the Ten Commandments were given by God and therefore God’s people are obliged to abide by these rules and regulations. In Wray’s view, the ten commandments should be treated like’ formulaic prohibitions’ that controls human behaviors and legalizes how the community needs to relate with each other (2011, p.162). He continues to suggest that the interpretation of the law should not be confined to the Ten Commandments only, but should include the entire Torah including other 600 laws. However, there are divergent views concerning the interpretation and practice of Torah (biblical laws from genesis to Deuteronomy) between various Christian denominations and other world religions (Wray, 2011). The second assumption suggests that when one breaks these laws then they are subjected to punishment which in Wray’s view has given birth to retributive justice. The interpretation of this concept has brought lots of complications to the understandi ng of crime and punishment, commonly referred to in the bible as an eye to eye. Wray claims that biblical laws are divided into two areas, the apodictic laws which include the Ten Commandments which in most cases are prohibitory nature. He argues that this group of laws does not contain any elements of punishment attached to them, rather they were meant to deter the offenders from committing the offence. In other words, they are precautionary or preventive rather curative. They are unique and different from any other laws found in Ancient Near Eastern regions (Wray, 2011). However, Wray indicates that the second type of the laws can be grouped as casuistic because they are more of case laws which were common in the Ancient near eastern societies and commonly used in court cases in even in those days. From his assessment of these two types of laws, Wray concludes the entire Torah were specifically give to the Children to regulate their devotion to God and control how they behave towa rds their human beings (Wray, 2011). According to Wray, the third assumption supports and advocates for Golden rule. This rule suggests that we should treat others fairly and then expect the same in return. He argues that the Golden Rule promotes justice and fairness in the society. It addresses the notion of fairness and justice and especially to the weak, oppressed and poor. While the fourth assumption purports that justice is about caring for those people in the society who are less fortunate, socially disadvantaged and marginalized (Wray, 2011). Conclusion This paper has attempted to evaluate Wray’s paper which suggests that the essential aspects of biblical law and justice must be taught to classrooms for those studying justice and law related a subjects. Social justice is still a major concern for many societies and the solution is to go back to the basics. The author argues that justice is socially constructed; meaning that its interpretation differs from one society t o another. Wray argues that the biblical laws upon which our modern legal code and social values are based were originated given by God to govern human behaviors and regulate how they relate with God and fellow humanity. Therefore, true justice must start with the individual’s close relationship with God and then be reflected and translated back to the society. This implies that our view and practice of justice must begin with the individual person and stream down to the society. Furthermore, it supports the argument that religious educators must teach the individual students to change their own views and attitudes as individuals before they can go out there and transform the rest of society. Reference List Berger, R. M. (2007). What the heck is social justice? Sojourners Magazine, 36(2), 37. Borg, M. (2003). The kingdom of God: The heart of justice. In The heart of Christianity. pp. 127-148. San Francisco: Harper Collins. Miller, D. (1999). Principles of social justice. Camb ridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. O’Donahue, J. (1977). Biblical perspectives on justice. In Haughey, J. (Ed). The faith that does justice. pp. 68-112. New York: Paulist Press. Wray, T. J. (2011). What the Bible really tells us: The essential guide to biblical literacy. Lanham, Md: Rowman Littlefield.

Top 5 Tracking Apps for Your 2017 Goals

Top 5 Tracking Apps for Your 2017 Goals If you’re anything like me, you come up with a ton of great resolutions and goals for the new year in a flurry of year-end cheer and optimism, then lose steam somewhere around†¦ February. That’s because all the good intentions in the world can’t necessarily compete with day-to-day distractions and realities. That’s why a good organizational tool is capital-E Essential. There are many different goal-tracking apps and forms you can use to keep you going throughout the year. These free (or low-cost) resources can mean the difference between hitting those goals and re-making them for next year because things didn’t pan out quite the way you intended.1.  AsanaCategory: Web-based productivity toolPrice: free to download and use, with optional in-app purchasesAsana is a project-tracking app that can organize any goal or project into broad tasks, with more granular subtasks. You can make notes on every piece of the project, as well as due dates, and Asana will email you reminders about upcoming milestones. If you have other people involved (as in a work project or a social plan), you can â€Å"assign† various tasks and subtasks to others. Asana is handy for creating specific, manageable goals throughout the year. Also, when you check off a task as â€Å"complete,† you may see a unicorn flashing across the screen to celebrate. How can you go wrong with unicorns?The website (as well as optional mobile apps) is free to use, but premium subscribers can create unlimited projects and receive additional data analysis.2.  GoalsOnTrackCategory: Goal tracking softwarePrice: $68/year membershipGoalsOnTrack is a full-service goal-setting and action plan tool. Whether you’re planning a project in the workplace or managing logistics for a family vacation, GoalsOnTrack offers a system for setting SMART goals to keep things chunked and realistic, creating an action plan that will carry you through the timeline you set, a nd printing out day planner sheets to keep you in the loop on a daily basis.An account costs $68 per year (approximately $5.67 per month), but there is a 30-day risk free trial available.3.  StridesCategory: Mobile appPrice: free to download and use, with optional in-app purchasesYou like dashboards? Strides has dashboards. Lots of dashboards. Strides gives you charts and real-time data on your smartphone or tablet, with reminders to help you form (and stick to!) good habits. Strides is totally flexible- you can track your progress on the go, and have your goal information at your fingertips no matter where you are. It also offers four different types of trackers: Target (specific one-time goal), Average (ongoing periodic goal), Milestones (specific goal with multiple steps), and Habit (ongoing general goal).4.  Coach.MeCategory: Mobile appPrice: free to download and use, with optional premium subscriptions for personal coachingIf encouragement and public accountability are what you need to stay on top of your goals, then Coach.Me might be the right tool for you. The app itself features tracking and goal-setting tools that you can use on your own. Coach.me also has a robust community where users can share goals and offer support and feedback. Both the trackers and the community are free to use when you set up an account. If you’d like to take it to the next level and get expert help on your goals, you can subscribe for varying price points to have regular interactions with a personalized coach.5.  IrunurunCategory: Mobile appPrice: free to download and useIrunurun keeps you accountable to your goals by offering progress meters and giving you points for each bit of progress you make. Ideally, by the time you hit your goal, you’ve got a score of 100. It may not offer you ice cream when you hit a goal, but you get the satisfaction of hitting that triple-digit milestone. The hard numbers can help you focus on particular tasks or habits that wil l ultimately get you to that endpoint.Even if a productivity app isn’t for you, there are plenty of online forms and templates you can print out and keep on your fridge, at your desk, next to your bathroom sink, wherever you want it to go:Goal Setting for SuccessSmart Goals GuideTechnoriGoal Setting BasicsTidy FormsNow that you have your 2017 goals in hand and the tools to organize them, go forth and succeed!

Methodology Performance Feedback Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Methodology Performance Feedback - Essay Example The case under consideration is that of Morgan Stanley, which is one of the largest investment banks in US. The firm was facing issues of conflicting goals amongst its various divisions such as corporate finance, merchant banking and mergers and acquisition etc. This problem of disunity occurred as the organization grew larger and larger and the divisions started to focus on the divisional performance and profitability rather than maximizing the targets for the firm itself. Thus, the new CEO John Mack faced the challenge of making Morgan Stanley a "one-firm firm". Therefore, one of the foremost efforts made by John Mack was to unite the people under one umbrella; therefore he improved upon the performance feedback system at Morgan Stanley which until then employees considered as unimportant or of no use. Morgan Stanley was then revolutionizing to ensure its commitment to merit based performance and reward system; there fore whole of the performance measurement system was revamped and restructured. With the previous annual review system the employees were unsatisfied as it was not considered as developmental for the employees rather just a formality.

CHOOSE ONE CHOICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CHOOSE ONE CHOICE - Essay Example The contention of this paper is to examine Descarte’s mediation and determine if it they are a true representation of reality and whether the senses, as he claims are untrustworthy. During this mediation, he is sitting by the fire and commences by asking himself whether he can be sure he is sitting there doing what he thinks he is doing. He argues that he can be sure because his senses tell him so. He can feel his hands and the flames on them- surely, this should be sufficient proof that these things are happening? However, he questions this by comparing it to a dream. When he is dreaming, he imagines and believes things that would not make sense if he were awake. He even suggests that should he act in or feel as he does in his dreams, he would likely be assumed mad (Springett). He admits that he cannot really tell the different between being asleep and awake since the sensations are the same only one is abstract and the other concrete. He tries to differentiate between being awake and asleep; he can confirm that he is not asleep since he can feel the warmth of the fire and his eyes are wide. This would have been proof of his being awake except for the fact that he knows he has deceived himself thus previously while dreaming. Therefore, he posits that in view of the past occasions in which his senses have misled him, he would be unwise to trust them without question. In the process of eliminating the things he cannot prove, he examines the concept of a divine creator who he believes is all-good and all-powerful. Why then, he enquires, is it possible for him to be deceived if God in his ultimate power and goodness does indeed exist? He considers that it may not be God who is in charge of the universe but a cunning deceiver who tries to make sure we believe whatever we perceive to be true by confusing us (Springett). Descartes determines to defeat this being by refusing to believe anything but instead

Case study (Implement a marketing solution) Assignment

Case study (Implement a marketing solution) - Assignment Example Answer: 1. Mail - The major advantage of the mail interview is that the respondent can respond to the questionnaire at his convenience. The major disadvantage is the low response rate. Only 20-40% of the respondents reply to mail interviews. 2. Telephone - The cost of conducting the interview is the major advantage in this type of research methods. The problem in these types of research is the response level is low even here. This is because only one call per six calls is picked up. 3. Face-to-Face - The advantage with this kind of research method is that, it is possible to know whether the responses are fake or really true. The drawback is there may be bias on the part of researchers as well as respondents. Answer: Break-even analysis is a graphical and algebraic representation of the relationships among volume of output, costs and revenues. The two types of costs are the variable and fixed costs. The sum of the fixed and variable costs at a specific volume of output becomes the total cost at that volume of output. Both the costs are compared with the sales revenue and the level of sales volume is determined. Also the analysis reveals the level of production or the value of sales where the business would make neither a profit nor a loss. Such a point at which there would be no profit or no loss is termed as the Break-even Point. Answer: This kind of strategy is believed to be a very smart strategy followed by marketers or business ow

Law Case Study about Charity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Law Case Study about Charity - Research Paper Example Lord Parker’s observation in Bowman v Secular Society Limited it therefore instructive. According to Lord Parker, a gift is charitable if it is for the â€Å"benefit of the public and recognized as â€Å"charitable in the legal† sense rather than in the â€Å"popular sense†.2 A trust is legal if it is for at least one of four identified purposes: â€Å"relief of poverty; advancement of education; advancement of religion; and for other purposes beneficial to the community†.3 A gift to the homeless can thus be said to be for the relief of poverty. According to Kitto J. poverty exists with an individual cannot afford the bare necessities â€Å"for a modest standard of living in the Australian community.†4 Being homeless would certainly meet the criteria of poverty and thus is a legal charitable trust and as such is a valid trust. Moreover, a gift for the relief of poverty does not have to be specifically for the benefit of the public. It can be for an y number of individuals. The rationale is that relief of the poor is beneficial to the public in general.5 Paragraph 3(b): The gift described in Paragraph 3(b) must likewise meet the legal charity requirement in order to be a valid gift. The only category that this gift can fall under is for the advancement of education. ... fit on the public.7 In order to qualify as beneficial to the public the gift is required to be for either the public or for a section of the public and must not be associated with a particular private organization so as to make it a group of private individuals.8 The gift in Paragraph 3(b) does not identify or favour a specific company or organization or individuals. It provides for the briefing of any business people participating in the North Australian export market with East and South Asia. Thus the gift is for a public class of beneficiaries rather than a private class and therefore is a legal charitable trust for the advancement of education.9 Paragraph 3(c): The trust described in paragraph 3(c) appears on its face to be a charitable trust for the advancement of education. The trust speaks to spending the trust funds designated for this gift on a charitable organization that educates the public relative to the desirability of amending the Northern Territory (Self Government) A ct. However, such a gift will not likely be regarded as a legal charitable trust since it seeks to support a cause directed at changing a legislative provision. It was held in National Anti-Vivisection Society v Inland Revenue that a gift designed to support of make changes in the law is not a charitable trust.10 Thus this particular gift will fail as a charitable purpose trust. The only way for the gift to succeed is if it meets the requirements of an ordinary trust. The gift described in paragraph 3(c) does not specify a group for the purpose of an ordinary trust. It is not definitive enough for the court to execute and would only survive if it were a charitable gift.11 As a result, the shares designated to paragraph 3(c) will be regarded as an undisposed of gift and will fall to Foina

European Colonialism and Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Colonialism and Africa - Essay Example The paper tells that the argument to the effect (say, moral purpose and mutual benefit) of European colonialism in Africa is divided into four: infrastructure development, social and economic development, modernization and industrial development, and development of nationalism and political unification. The European colonizers (the French, the British, and the Spaniards) provided ample importance to infrastructure development to exploit the natural resources and the human resources in Africa. To be specific, the development of infrastructure in Africa is deeply indebted to the efforts of the European colonizers. Ambe J. Njoh stated that â€Å"That the foundation of Cameroon’s transportation infrastructure was established by the German colonial administration is indisputable†. On the other side, the development of infrastructure in Africa helped the European colonizers to export raw materials from Africa and to help their motherlands to be rich. From a different angle of view, the development of railroads and roads connected the colonies. The European settlers did provide less importance to the wellbeing of the native Africans because their aim was to create a colonial Africa, not an independent Africa. So, they exploited the human resources available in Africa. For instance, the (French) Congo railroad under France can be considered as one of the examples which can illustrate the exploitation of human resources in Africa. Now, the Congo railroad acts the role of a backbone to the transportation facilities in Congo. In short, infrastructure development in Africa during the colonial era helped the European settlers (the French, the British, and the Spaniards) to be in touch with their motherlands and to exploit the resources in Africa. On the other side, the development of infrastructure during the colonial era proved to be helpful for the African nations in the post-colonial era. The colonization of Africa and social development in Europe are not i nterconnected. Still, one can see that colonization and exploitation of the African continent positively influenced the economic development of Europe because most of the industries during the colonial era depended upon the raw materials from Africa. From a different angle of view, economic development is interconnected with social development. During the colonial era, European colonialism did not help the African nations to gain social and economic development. But the social and development of some nations in Africa during the post-colonial era proves that European colonialism helped some of these nations to be in the forefront of social and economic development. For instance, infrastructure development initiated by the European colonizers was beneficiary for some African nations like Kenya and South Africa.

Playing by Heart Movie. Relations Between Paul And Hannah Essay

Playing by Heart Movie. Relations Between Paul And Hannah - Essay Example Theirs is a case of true love that conquered all and is the kind of marriage that is permanent and not fleeting. Gracie and Hugh’s marriage was on the rocks because boredom set in and Gracie did not think Hugh had enough imagination to make their marriage more exciting, that is why Hugh kept trying to invent stories and sell these to women in bars to prove to himself that he is still an interesting man. Gracie, however, goes off to have a physical affair with a man he thought was exciting. Their marriage was not built on a strong foundation because the commitment to each other was flimsy and consistently needed concrete proof that they were worthy of each other. Meredith and Trent’s relationship is new, thanks to Trent’s devotion and persistence in breaking down the high wall that Meredith had built around herself. Being able to get through to her was a major breakthrough that both he and Meredith had a great chance of a successful relationship. The same is true of Joan and Keenan who met casually at a bar. Although their lives seem to be shallow, once they opened up to each other and decided to become vulnerable, they discovered what love was. The movie seemed to point out that once walls are broken down and the person inside agrees to be exposed until another person gets to love him or her for what he or she is, then the love that will grow from it is true. The couples Meredith and Trent and Joan and Keenan have chances to have happy marriages and probably children to complete their families. This is because they have made a decision to be honest with each other and to live without pretenses. 2. Discuss and evaluate the primary relationship between Paul and Hannah. Explain how they deal with intimacy, power, and love and how they understand marriage. Give examples of how their behaviors express their hopes and aspirations about love, marriage, children, and family. Paul and Hannah had very different philosophies with regards to relationsh ips. Paul was in love with Wendy 25 years ago but he chose to stay with his wife and children when Wendy moved away. Hannah took everything in just to save the family from breaking apart until both of them reconciled without talking about issues that bothered them. It was only until later when they discovered how ill Paul was that they endeavoured to be open to each other. Paul revealed that he fell in love with another woman because he wanted to feel again what made Hannah fall in love with him. With Wendy, he felt great and â€Å"vindicated† as a man who had a successful wife and left in the shadows. However, no matter how he felt for Wendy, he still knew that he was committed to his family. On they both journeyed through life as marriage partners, and have now reached a milestone, celebrating 40 years of marital togetherness and raised three lovely and loving daughters who had lives of their own. 3. Did Paul have an â€Å"affair† with Wendy? Is this kind of relation ship wrong for a marriage? How do you understand the explanation that Paul gives to Hannah about his relationship with Wendy? How would you compare Paul’s relationship with Wendy and Gracie’s relationship with Roger? Paul had an emotional affair with Wendy however, they never engaged in

European Colonialism and Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

European Colonialism and Africa - Essay Example The paper tells that the argument to the effect (say, moral purpose and mutual benefit) of European colonialism in Africa is divided into four: infrastructure development, social and economic development, modernization and industrial development, and development of nationalism and political unification. The European colonizers (the French, the British, and the Spaniards) provided ample importance to infrastructure development to exploit the natural resources and the human resources in Africa. To be specific, the development of infrastructure in Africa is deeply indebted to the efforts of the European colonizers. Ambe J. Njoh stated that â€Å"That the foundation of Cameroon’s transportation infrastructure was established by the German colonial administration is indisputable†. On the other side, the development of infrastructure in Africa helped the European colonizers to export raw materials from Africa and to help their motherlands to be rich. From a different angle of view, the development of railroads and roads connected the colonies. The European settlers did provide less importance to the wellbeing of the native Africans because their aim was to create a colonial Africa, not an independent Africa. So, they exploited the human resources available in Africa. For instance, the (French) Congo railroad under France can be considered as one of the examples which can illustrate the exploitation of human resources in Africa. Now, the Congo railroad acts the role of a backbone to the transportation facilities in Congo. In short, infrastructure development in Africa during the colonial era helped the European settlers (the French, the British, and the Spaniards) to be in touch with their motherlands and to exploit the resources in Africa. On the other side, the development of infrastructure during the colonial era proved to be helpful for the African nations in the post-colonial era. The colonization of Africa and social development in Europe are not i nterconnected. Still, one can see that colonization and exploitation of the African continent positively influenced the economic development of Europe because most of the industries during the colonial era depended upon the raw materials from Africa. From a different angle of view, economic development is interconnected with social development. During the colonial era, European colonialism did not help the African nations to gain social and economic development. But the social and development of some nations in Africa during the post-colonial era proves that European colonialism helped some of these nations to be in the forefront of social and economic development. For instance, infrastructure development initiated by the European colonizers was beneficiary for some African nations like Kenya and South Africa.

Known and Unknown Limits of Space and Time Assignment

Known and Unknown Limits of Space and Time - Assignment Example This essay demonstrates that black holes have attracted much attention from scientists and physicists due to their association with high gravitational pulls which is why it is important for understanding the limits of space and time, as well as the broader universal context. Black holes are curious due to the high amount of gravitational force surrounding its edges. As a result, light energy is trapped in its core because it cannot escape a large amount of pull. Since gravity is an important parameter in the understanding of space and time, black holes are also points of interest for scientists and physicists who want to study the behavior of gravity surrounding black holes in order to figure out its relation to velocity, space, and time. Known limits include matter and the continuation of time. The existence of matter with respect to space is a limit in itself as explained by Hegel.Black holes are understood of being curious stars that can only be examined by observing its impact on the surrounding spatial objects.It all comes down to Einstein’s Theory of Relativism whereby gravity is a result of distortion of a given mass of matter in space and time. Therefore there are still many mysteries to unlock regarding black holes in order to understand the limits of space and time beyond matter and its relation to the age of physical objects. The known limits of space and time largely relate to Einstein’s findings regarding the behavior of matter in space and time as it is impacted by gravity in different spatial situations.

Erich Maria Remarque and the Nature of War Essay Example for Free

Erich Maria Remarque and the Nature of War Essay Unlike truly historical works emphasizing the human side of war, for example, Cornelius Ryan’s The Longest Day or A Bridge Too Far, in which the author provides highly detailed accounts of historical events through the eyes of participants leading to an objective treatment and analysis of those events, Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front is a novelization of the experience of German soldiers in World War I. Remarque thus follows a literary line which includes William Shakespeare’s Henry V, Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage, and Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace and extends through cinematic efforts such as â€Å"The Big Red One† and â€Å"The Hurt Locker†, which utilize historical context in order to examine the transformative nature of war on those most intimately involved. Each work examines a central theme, e.g., patriotism, cowardice, social change, brotherhood, etc., interwoven with and supported by details of various wars. The particular details chosen by the authors, with the possible exception of Tolstoy who seemingly left nothing out of his opus, are those lending support to that central theme. Thus, to understand the process used by Remarque in making his choice of which details of World War I to include in All Quiet on the Western Front, one must first ascertain his thesis and its origin. Referring to the biographical notes following the novel, we learn that Remarque â€Å"was himself in combat during World War I, and was wounded five times, the last time very severely (Remarque, 1928, p. 297).† That during the time of his service Remarque was near the age of his protagonist, Paul Baumer, suggests an autobiographical nature to the novel and lends credence to the story that no second hand account could provide. Yet Remarque does not take the opportunity to provide closure to his experience or to provide a set of objective conclusions to the war. Drawing again from the biographical notes, Remarque possessed â€Å"intense determination to concentrate in his fiction upon the worst horrors of the age, war and inhumanity (Remarque, 1928, p. 297)†. Three major themes can be found within All Quiet on the Western Front combining to support Remarque’s ideology – the legitimacy of statehood, the futility of war, and the dehumanizing effects of war. Given his experiences and his viewpoint, what details did Remarque expound upon and to what purpose? In a discussion  among the soldiers as to the origins of the war, they openly question the authority by which war was declared. When Tjaden asks how wars begin, Albert answers, â€Å"Mostly by one country badly offending another (Remarque, 1928, p. 205).† Yet it is this notion of country which perplexes the most. In Europe’s past, wars were fought over disputes between smaller nation states by order and to the benefit of local rulers. This was clearly not the case in World War I, a fact not lost on the soldiers: â€Å"But what I would like to know,† says Albert, â€Å"is whether there would have been a war if the Kaiser had said No.† â€Å"I’m sure there would,† I (Paul) interject, â€Å"he was against it from the first (Remarque, 1928, p. 203).† What the soldiers had not yet come to terms with was the rampant nationalism that had swept Europe. Rising from the Industrial Revolution, nurtured by the Atlantic revolutions, and spurred by the globalization of trade, Europeans of smaller states set aside their notions of subjects under a common ruling dynasty to a sense of unity among peoples bound by blood, customs and culture. â€Å"All of this encouraged political and cultural leaders to articulate an appealing of their particular nations and ensured a growing circle of people receptive to such ideas. Thus the idea of â€Å"nation† was constructed or even invented, but it was often presented as an awakening of older linguistic or cultural identities (Strayer, 2011, p. 797).† Such were the notions the young schoolboys received from their schoolmaster Kantorek who spoke of country and honor before shepherding them to their enlistment. Yet, when those identities failed to adequately address the cultures affected, as in Austria-Hungary, nationalism failed to suppress dissent. With the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, by a Serbian nationalist, the system of rigid alliances established among the emerging nations plunged the world into war (Strayer, 2011, p. 979). After further reflection, the soldiers began to understand how they came to be in a war whose causes could not be satisfactorily explained by patriotism alone: â€Å"State and home-country, there’s a big difference.† (Kat) â€Å"But they go together,† insists Kropp, â€Å"Without the State there wouldn’t be a home country (Remarque, 1928, p. 205).† Remarque addresses the futility of war in various ways. He describes the effects of the material  advantages of the Allies throughout the war, particularly following the entrance of American forces, foretelling defeat for Germany in a war of attrition: â€Å"Our lines are falling back. There are too many fresh English and American regiments over there. There’s too much corned beef and white wheaten bread. There are too many new guns. Too many aeroplanes. But we are emaciated and starved. Our food is bad and mixed with so much substitute stuff it makes us ill†¦..Our artillery is fired out, it has too few shells and the barrels are so worn that they shoot uncertainly and scatter so widely as even to fall on ourselves (Remarque, 1928, p. 280).† Most tellingly, Remarque condemns the madness of trench warfare which â€Å"resulted in enormous casualties while gaining or losing only a few yards of muddy, blood-soaked ground (Strayer, 2011, p. 982).† Paul’s Company engages in a protracted, vicious trench battle in Chapter Six in which they are first driven back in retreat, regain the lost ground after an hour to eat, and push forward into the French trenches before realizing their new position is untenable. â€Å"The fight ceases. We lose touch with the enemy. We cannot stay here long but must retire under cover of our artillery to our own position (Remarque, 1928, p. 117).† In the end, it was everything ventured, nothing gained. The senseless loss of life on both sides and the indifference to the carnage is highlighted in his description of the battlefield itself. â€Å"The days are hot and the dead lie unburied. We cannot fetch them all in, if we did we should not know what to do with them. The shells wil l bury them (Remarque, 1928, pp. 125-126).† Lastly, Remarque relentlessly stresses the dehumanization of the soldiers throughout the course of the war. In his forward, Remarque makes his purpose for writing All Quiet on the Western Front clear: â€Å"It will try to simply tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war (Remarque, 1928, p. i).† The first step in the process comes with the realization that those shaping their future have done so with an agenda of their own. In speaking of Kantorek the schoolmaster and Corporal Himmelstoss, Paul reflects, â€Å"For us lads of eighteen they ought to have been mediators and guides to the world of maturity, the world of work, of duty, of culture, of progress – to the future†¦the idea of authority, which they represented, was associated in our  minds with a greater insight and a more humane wisdom. But the first death we saw shattered this belief (Remarque, 1928, p. 12).† The second phase in the downward spiral is presented as the desensitization of the individual. Remarque portrays this through the soldier’s continued acceptance of the squalor of their condition. Through poor rations, living in mud filled trenches, and being in constant fear for their lives from regular shelling associated with trench warfare and from the use of a deadly new weapon, mustard gas, Paul and his comrades develop a detached persona which shields them from their hideous reality: â€Å"Just as we turn into animals when we go up to the line, because it is the only thing which brings us through safely, so we turn into wags and loafer when we are resting†¦We want to live at any price so we cannot burden ourselves with feelings which, though they might be ornamental enough in peacetime, would be out of place here (Remarque, 1928, pp. 138-139).† A third phase lies in the objectification of the soldier by others. Remarque best accomplishes this in his portrayal of medical treatment for the wounded. Early on, he establishes this premise through the death of Franz Kemmerich. A lack of supplies has denied him morphine to reduce his suffering. The higher than expected casualty count has begun to turn doctors into processors of human flesh: â€Å"One operation after another since five-o’clock this morning. You know, today alone there have been sixteen deaths – yours is the seventeenth. There will probably be twenty altogether (Remarque, 1928, p. 32).† Kemmerich’s body is quickly processed: â€Å"We must take him away at once, we want the bed. Outside they are lying on the floor (Remarque, 1928, p. 32).† As the war drags on and casualties mount, the individual casualty becomes less a patient and more a number. Following an injury, Paul enters the hospital to learn of the latest advance in wartime triage: â€Å"A little room at the corner of the building. Whoever is about to kick the bucket is put in there. There are two beds in it. It is generally called the Dying Room. They don’t have much work to do afterwards. It is more convenient, too, because it lies right beside the lift to the mortuary (Remarque, 1928, p. 257).† Through his experience in the hospital, Paul comes to a stark realization, and Remarque drives home his point: â€Å"A man cannot realize that above such shattered bodies there are still human faces in which life goes its daily round. And this is only one hospital,  one single station; there are hundreds of thousands in Germany, hundreds of thousands in France, hundreds of thousands in Russia. How senseless is anything that can ever be written, done, or thought, when such things are possible. It must be all lies and of no account when the culture of a thousand years could not prevent this stream of blood being poured out, these torture-chambers in their hundreds of thousands. A hospital alone shows what war is (Remarque, 1928, p. 263).† The ultimate phase is the transition of the soldier from object to invisibility. Paul’s death, and the â€Å"matter if fact† manner in which Remarque presents it, stands in stark contrast to the official report of the day – â€Å"All quiet on the Western front. (Remarque, 1928, p. 296).† The fate of a man has been subordinated to the fate of a nation without the nation realizing his sacrifice. Throughout All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque selects his details of World War I to support his themes decrying nationalism, the meaningless state of war, and the disintegration of the human spirit through the pursuit of warfare. No mention is made of specific battles or individual acts of heroism. The lack of specificity adds to the tone of the general, unyielding nature of war. Heroism, writ with a capital â€Å"H†, is a concept not to be found in Remarque’s world of war. In presenting his details of World War I, Remarque remains unyielding in his portrait of the destruction of the human condition on the altar of national pride. REFERENCES Remarque, E. M. (1928). All quiet on the western front. Ballantine Books. Strayer, R. W. (2011). Ways of the world; a brief global history with sources, volume 2: Since 1500. 7th edition: Bedford/St. Martins.