Sales and Operations Planning

Research is consistent with the idea that sales and operations planning (SOP) is increasingly gaining repotation as one of the most important strategies that leading organizations are implementing to respond to contemporary business challenges and at the same time maintain their growth, profitability, competiveness and customer satisfaction (Muzumdar and Fontanella 1; Paganini and Kenny 2).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sales and Operations Planning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the most salient issues that come across upon reading the articles is that contemporary SOP practices lead to firm competitiveness. This paper is a reaction to this critical issue.  Most of the readings confirm clear and direct relationship between contemporary SOP practices and the realization of competitive advantage. Organizations implementing modern SOP practices, according to one of the readings, are able to achieve and maintain competitive advantage reducing production costs, improving order lead time, identifying and addressing production overruns, developing a more accurate forecast and increasing forecasting accuracy, improving delivery performance and cost management, enhancing efficiency, increasing visibility into their supply chain, introducing cross-functional metrics, as well as aligning all areas with the view to making superior business decisions (Upton and Singh 6-7). These findings are consistent with the views of other researchers, who posit that contemporary SOP practices lead to firm competitiveness in terms of dramatic increase and consistency in forecasting accuracy (â€Å"Sales and Operations Planning† 10), alignment and execution of an overall corporate strategy (Bower 3), strategic planning and decision making aimed at enhancing profitability (Chopra and Meindi 252-253), as well as avoidance of margin loss and customer dissatisfaction (Paganini and Kenny 2). At a perso nal level, I agree with the claims made in the readings about the potential of SOP to leverage firm competitiveness. From theoretical, as well as practical experience, I am inclined to support the authors’ assertion that contemporary SOP practices lead to competitive advantage. The capacities of organizations to not only improve order lead times, but also to develop a more accurate forecast and increase forecasting accuracy are some of the most important factors that have been cited by business practitioners and mainstream commentators as leading to firm competitiveness, customer satisfaction and growth. These factors or outcomes are well documented in most of the readings (e.g., â€Å"Sales and Operations Planning† 10; Upton and Singh 6-7). Global retailers such as Wal-Mart and Tesco, in my view, have been able to achieve and sustain leading positions in the market due to deployment of effective SOP strategies, which ensure that they are able to plan their decisions t o serve customers with the best combination of products and markets.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At a personal level, I have had the opportunity to reade case studies on how automobile companies, such as Toyota and Isuzu, have successfully used SOP to leverage competitive advantage through enhancing responsiveness and increasing visibility. Consequently, I support the claims made by the authors of the readings regarding the critical role of SOP in achieving firm competitiveness. Overall, it is evident that SOP will play an instrumental role not only in actualizing my dream of being a professional business practitioner, but also in ensuring that the companies I work for are able to achieve and sustain competitive advantage by ensuring that I employ SOP strategies with the view of responding more effectively to demand and supply variability with deep insight into the most favorable market deployment and most cost-effective supply chain approaches. As has been suggested in the readings, effective implementation of contemporary SOP remains one of the most tenable approaches that companies could use to achieve competitive advantage as it enhances those critical factors that give enterprises sustainable competitiveness. Works Cited Bower, Patrick. â€Å"12 Most Common Threats to Sales and Operations Planning Process.† Journal of Business Forecasting. 24.3 (2005): 1-10. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. Chopra, Sunil and Peter Meindi. Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning and Operation. 5th ed. 2012. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Print. Muzumdar, Maha and John Fontanella. â€Å"The Secrets of SOP Success.† Supply Chain Management Review. 10.3 (2006): 34-41. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. Paganini, Bill and John Kenny. â€Å"The Supply Chain as Growth Driver.† Supply Chain Management Review. 11.4 (2007): 49-55. ABI/INFORM Complete. W eb.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sales and Operations Planning specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sales and Operations Planning: Aligning Business Goals with Supply Chain Tactics 2008. PDF file. 7 Jul. 2015. https://www.adexa.com/. Upton, Harold and Harpal Singh. â€Å"Balanced SOP: Sunsweet Growers’ Story.† Supply Chain Management Review. 11.2 (2007): 51-59. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. This essay on Sales and Operations Planning was written and submitted by user Tenebrous to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Celta Language Analysis Assignment Essay Example

Celta Language Analysis Assignment Essay Example Celta Language Analysis Assignment Paper Celta Language Analysis Assignment Paper CELTA Language Analysis Written assignment 2 N. B. Please write legibly in black ink or type. Content carries the most weight, but you are also marked on clarity, accuracy (e. g. grammar, spelling, punctuation) and presentation (see CELTA criteria). Please read the shaded boxes to see the marking criteria. If your assignment does not meet the specified criteria, you will be asked to resubmit it. If the second submission is not satisfactory you will be awarded a fail grade. More than one fail grade will mean that you cannot pass the written component of the course and it is essential to pass this in order to pass the CELTA course itself. Except in extreme cases (illness etc), the deadlines given below must be observed. ASSIGNMENT 2 Language related tasks Candidates can demonstrate their learning by: a) analysing language correctly for teaching purposes b) correctly using terminology relating to form, meaning and phonology when analysing language c) accessing reference materials and referencing information they have learnt about language to an appropriate source d) using written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task The task: You are going to analyse three language items; a grammatical structure, a functional exponent some lexical items. Complete the boxes below. |Grammatical structure: I’m getting used to it. | |1 . Say at which level it is usually taught. | |Intermediate/Upper Intermediate | | | |2. Provide examples of how it is used in spoken written English. | |If you moved to Spain, you would need to get used to the heat. | |You need to get used to living on your own. | | | | | |3. Explain the meaning of the item – refer to a context if it helps. | |‘Get used to’ is used when you want to express that something is not normal for someone and they would need to become accustomed | |to it. For example, the sentence above ‘you need to get used to the heat’ means that the person they are talking to is not | |accustomed to hot weather and as they will be living in Spain, that would have to become a normal situation for them. | |4. Provide concept questions to check the meaning. |If I say, ‘you need to get used to the cold weather in England. Is cold weather something I am accustomed to? No | | | |If I say, ‘you need to get used to living on your own. ’ Do you feel comfortable living on your own? No. Is it a new experience | |for you? yes | | | |5. Describe how it is formed – the grammar. | | |Get +used to + gerund/noun | |I need to get used to jogging on Sundays | |I need to get used to the weather | | | | | | | | | |6. Highlight key pronunciation features such as word or sentence stress, weak forms, intonation we clearly haven’t covered all | |of these yet on the course – have a go – check out the dictionary. | | | |used to   ? ju? st t? [yoozd or, yoost] | |7. Explain briefly how you would teach it in a meaningful context. | |I would go through the grammar on the board then I would go through examples. I would then go through some concept questions to | |check they have understood the meaning. Finally I would ask them to come up with their own examples and go through them in the | |class. | | | | | |8. Discuss the kind of problems you anticipate that the item could cause with regard to form, meaning phonology for learners of| |English and suggest some solutions to these problems. | | | | |problem | |Action | | | |meaning: | | | | | |They may confuse it with ‘used to’ as in past habit or situation or ‘be used to’. | |I would go through them and explain the differences. | | |form: | | | | | |They may use the infinitive instead of the gerund. | |Elicit the correct form of the sentence then, I would get them to come up with other sentences using the gerund in every | |sentence. | | | |phonology: | | | | | |Possibly t hey would have trouble pronouncing ‘used’ | |Elicit the sound and drill. | | | | |9. Reference books used. | | | |www. dictionary. com | |www. longmansdictionary. com | | | Lexical items: trip, travel, journey, voyage | |1 . Say at which level they are usually taught. | | | |Pre-Intermediate | |2. Provide examples of how each item is used in spoken written English. | |trip: | | my first trip to the States. | | a business trip. | | Was it a good trip? | | | |travel: | | Air travel is becoming cheaper. | | Her work involves a lot of travelling! You do not say a travel. | | |journey: | |my journey to work takes 15 minutes. | | a long and difficult journey (NOT travel) through the mountains. | | I read during the train journey to work. | | Did you have a good journey? | | | |voyage: | | a voyage across the ocean. | |These are the voyages of The Star ship Enterprise. | | | |3. Explain the meaning of each item. | |trip: | |A trip is when you go on a short journey, or a journ ey you do not usually make, and come back again. Use this when the emphasis | |is on where you are going or why you are going there | | | |travel: | |Travel (uncountable noun) and travelling are used to mean the general activity of moving from place to place | | | |journey: | |Use journey to talk about travelling a long distance or travelling regularly, when the emphasis is on the travelling itself | | | | | |voyage: | |Voyage is used for a long journey in a ship or spacecraft. | | | |4. Provide concept questions to check the meaning of each word. | |trip: | |‘I’m going on a trip to Paris’ for a long time or short time? ’ Short time | | | |travel: | |‘I’m going travelling through South America’ is there one destination or more? Will she go from ‘A’ to ‘B’ or from ‘A’ to ‘B’ to | |C etc? | | | | |journey: ‘It’s going to be a long journey’ what is going to take long? The time it takes to get to from ‘A’ to ‘B’ or the | |amount of time I spend at my destination? | | | | | |voyage: | |The voyage from England to India used to take six months. Are they travelling by plane or by boat? trip, travel, journey or voyage. | | This would be followed by a speaking activity, which would involve a discussion using the language taught. which have slightly different meanings and give examples, comparing both | |sentences. | | | |form: | | | | | | | |Students may say I am going in a journey. | |I would explain the correct preposition in this case is ‘on’. | | |phonology: | | | | | | They might pronounce it how is spelt instead of [jur-nee] (? d n? ) | |Some may also pronounce the ’j‘ like a ’y’. | | | |Elicit and drill correct pronunciation. | | | | | | | | | | |voyage | |problem | |action | | | |meaning: | | | | | |Voyage may be confused with journey. | |I would explain the differences and give examples also using concept questions. | | |form: | | | | | |They may say ‘I’m going to voyage for Ibiza’ | |I would explain it should be to Ibiza | | | |phonology: | | | | | |They might pronounce ‘age’ incorrectly | |I would elicit and drill pronunciation. | | | | | | | | | | |9. Reference books used. | |The Practice of English Language Teaching. Jeremy Harmer | |www. dictionary. com | |www. longmansdictionary. com | |Functional exponent: You should stay off the booze. | |1 . Say at which level it is usually taught. |Pre Intermediate | | | |2. Provide examples of how it is used in spoken written English. | |Yo u should wear a jacket, it’s cold outside | |You should start a band | |You should do your home work | |3. Explain the meaning of the item – refer to a context if it helps. ‘Should’ is used to give advice or if you think something is| |a good idea or the right thing to do. | | | | |4. Provide concept questions to check the meaning. If I say ‘you should wear a jacket, it’s cold outside. ’ Are you obligated to| |do it? No | |Am I giving you advice? Yes | | | | | | | |5. Describe how it is formed – the grammar. |Subject + should/n’t + infinitive | | | |You should eat more fruit | |6. Highlight key pronunciation features such as word or sentence stress, weak forms, intonation we clearly haven’t covered all | |of these yet on the course – have a go – check out the dictionary. | | | |should   ( d) [shood] | |7. Explain briefly how you would teach it in a meaningful context. | |I would go through examples. I would then go through some concept questions to check they have understood the meaning. I would | |then go through some pictures on the board with different situations and ask ‘what should these people do in these situations? ’ | | | | | |8. Discuss the kind of problems you anticipate that the item could cause with regard to form, meaning phonology for learners of| |English and suggest some solutions to these problems. | | | | |problem | |action | | | |meaning: | | | | | |Students may confuse ‘should’ with ‘have to ‘ and ‘must’ | |Explain the differences and do some concept checking questions. | | |form: | | | | | |They may use the gerund by mistake | |Elicit and drill sentences. | | | |phonology: | | | | | |They may dry and pronounce the ‘l’ | |Elicit sound then drill. Possibly go through other words that sound the same. | | | | | | | |9. Reference books used. | | | |www. dictionary. com | |www. longmansdictionary. com | | | To be handed in on Thursday 13th September.

Insure vs. Ensure

Insure vs. Ensure Insure vs. Ensure Insure vs. Ensure By Maeve Maddox When in a recent post I used the word insure in a context that had nothing to do with underwriting, more than one reader wrote to chide me for not using the word ensure. I’ll confess. The rule that insure must be used only in the context of indemnifying against loss is one that has never penetrated to my subconscious. I’ve read the rule. I’ve even written about the rule, but I can’t seem to rid myself of the idea that ensure is British spelling for insure. The verb ensure entered the language in the Middle Ages. The earliest OED citation is 1385. The earliest documentation for insure is 1440. Until the 17th century, the forms ensure and insure were used interchangeably with a variety of meanings, including that of insuring a person’s life or property against loss. According to OED citations, ensure was still being used in the 18th century with the meaning of buying insurance: â€Å"The price of ensuring the Life of a Man of 20 (1693).† And in the late 19th century, insure was still being used in contexts in which the modern rule requires ensure: â€Å"An ardour which could hardly fail to insure success (1862).† The Penguin Writer’s Manual notes that the verb â€Å"generally used in the active form to mean â€Å"make (something) certain† is ensure,† but also notes that ensure is often spelled insure in American English. For modern writers of American English, however, both The Chicago Manual of Style and The AP Stylebook urge the distinction: Ensure is the general term meaning to make sure something will (or won’t) happen. In best usage, insure is reserved for underwriting financial risk. –CMOS Use ensure to mean guarantee. Use insure for references to insurance. –AP Use ensure when you mean guarantee. Reserve insure for talking about a financial arrangement meant to secure the payment of a sum of money in the event of loss or damage: Worn or damaged parts are replaced to ensure the safety. They go all the way to ensure the comfort and satisfaction of their passengers. How to Properly  Insure  Your Home  Against  Winter Weather   Insuring Against  The High Costs Of Cancer   Your renters’ policy will state exactly what youre  insured against. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?Empathy "With" or Empathy "For"?Comment, Suggestion, and Feedback

Policy Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Policy Change - Essay Example Thus, this essay will argue that ideas affect policy change only indirectly, as paradigms frames and determinants of interest, such that its importance in understanding policy change is only secondary to other approaches. To better understand the importance of a study of ideas in policy change, it is first necessary to understand what ideas are. Ideas are shared beliefs held by individuals. However, a distinction must be made between two categories of shared beliefs, particularly "consensual beliefs" and "economic ideas", where although not mutually exclusive differ in their relation to policy. As Jacobsen explains, the difference lies between those of "means" to "ends", where consensual beliefs "shape the legitimate ends of economic activity"; economic ideas are the means to reach these ends. 3 Taking this definition of ideas, the importance of a study of ideas in policy change can be summarised in their roles as paradigms, roadmaps, or ideational frames. Comparing policy change to scientific revolutions, Hall (1989) places emphasis on the role of ideas through "policy paradigms", or "roadmaps" as Goldstein and Keohane (1993) calls them, where ideas guide policies by determining the "tracks" of policymaking and setting constraints in the policy process4. As Hall argues, policy paradigms, determine policy change in acting as "a framework that specifies the goals of policy and the kind of instruments that can be used to attain them", as well as the "nature of the problems they are meant to be addressing."5 Campbell's (1998) and Beland's (2005) ideational frames or programmes also echoes Hall's concept of paradigms, varying only in the manner that ideas are presented and implemented in the policy process. Within this strand of literature, the failures of policies to achieve economic goals are seen as the impetus for policymakers to search for alternative ideas that pave the way for new policy paradigms to be accepted. Hence, in times of uncertainty marked with "exogenous shocks, demographic changes [or] the perception of failed policy", new ideas emerge as either roadmaps or focal points that reduce uncertainty and provide alternatives.6 The policy shift during the first Thatcher government can therefore be explained as the result of a shift in policy paradigms; replacing Keynesian ideas with monetarist ideas (Hall, 1993). Looking at the first Thatcher government, it is evident that the policy shift coincided with an ideational shift from Keynesian to monetarist where Keynesian policies were perceived to have failed in resolving rising inflation (Walsh, 2000). In this respect,

Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Marketing Plan - Essay Example Because of this low-key marketing concept with both competing beer products, Drifter can outperform both using innovation with localized and broad niche marketing both in the Oregon region and across the surrounding states. Neither Blue Moon or Sierra Nevada have a solid positioning strategy among other low-cost and higher-cost competing beer products, therefore in terms of positioning, options are virtually endless. For the sake of perceptual mapping and to monitor marketing activities, especially in areas of promotion, Drifter Beer will be positioned in terms of flavor and benefit to the customer, with less focus on pricing structure. Consumer attitudes, on the perceptual map, are noted for each competing brand in relation to pricing and quality. Drifter Beer is working amid a highly competitive environment where lower-cost beer products and the main competition (Blue Moon and Sierra Nevada) saturated the convenience and grocery markets. It works among competing brands where ongoing promotional activities bring higher brand exposure, such as with brands like Coors Light that hosts different sporting events such as the Urban Flats Classic Kickoff Celebration in Orlando, Florida (Marketing Weekly News, 2009). Contests and sweepstakes are often part of their strategies for building better brand equity. Even though Drifter’s two main competitors are higher priced, more luxury-minded beer brands, sales will definitely be impacted by the buying behaviors of consumers in relation to their response to lower-cost beer brand selection marketing. Because of the current economic environment in the U.S. markets, major brands such as Miller, Pabst and Busch (also known as the economy brews) are experiencing higher sales volumes as people defect to lower-cost brands (Kesmodel, 2009). In order to drive any type of brand equity for Drifter, marketing must make the consumer believe that he needs to defect to this upscale brand simply for the sake of

105 Training Essay Example for Free

105 Training Essay Training Principles You will perform the Sit and Reach exercise as described in the lesson and then answer the questions below based on your experiences. Important: Â ·Answer each question in the document by highlighting or bolding your answers. Â ·Save the file as 105training. rtf. Â ·Below the file name is the field for file type. Use the drop down menu to choose Rich Text Format. This will save it with the . rtf file structure required. Â ·Submit the completed assignment for Assessment 1. 05 Training Principles. Complete each exercise below: A. Reach to 0 cm mark and hold 10 seconds B. Reach to 8 cm mark and hold 15 seconds C. Reach to 15 cm mark and hold 10 seconds D. Reach to 22. 5 mark and hold 15 seconds 1. Of the four exercises attempted in the activity I was able to complete A. None of the exercises. B. Item A only C. Items A and B D. Items A, B, and C E. All of the exercises 2. Reaching to 0 cm mark and holding for 10 seconds was: A. Easily done B. Done C. Slightly Difficult D. Very Difficult E. Could not yet reach 3. Reaching to 8 cm mark and holding 15 seconds was: A. Easily Done B. Done C. Slightly Difficult D. Very Difficult E. Could not yet reach 4. Reaching to 15 cm mark and holding 10 seconds was: A. Easily Done B. Done C. Slightly Difficult D. Very Difficult E. Could not yet reach 5. Reaching to 22. 5 mark and hold 15 seconds was: A. Easily Done B. Done C. Slightly Difficult D. Very Difficult E. Could not yet reach Part II: Principle of Overload 1. How frequently would you need to stretch if the sit reach was easily done? A. Very Often – several times a week B. Often – 3 times a week C. Rarely – once a week 2. Which of the above stretches made you work harder (had the greatest intensity)? A. 0 cm B. 8 cm C. 15 cm D. 22. 5 cm

Advertising Ethics :: Article Reviews Essays

Advertising Ethics Dittrich, Liz Ph.D. â€Å"About-face Facts on the Media†. About Face. 1996-2004. This article talks about how advertising promotes the cultures current for body shape and site and the importance of beauty. It talks about women’s magazines and how they include so many adds for weight loss and how many girls own Barbie dolls. The piece also talks about how all of these adds effect people and to what extent they effect people. The author of this piece is the director of Research and Outreach for About- Face and has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Based on those facts alone I feel that this piece is very credible and contains truthful information. Limitations of this piece include only having one side and not pertaining specifically to ethics in advertising. I will be able to utilize this piece mostly because it contains a lot of statistics and good information to help me in the angle I am going to take on how ethics in advertising affect women. This piece is very different from all of my sources because it does not pertain quite so directly to the topic I am writing on. (190) Heller, Lleland Dr. â€Å"Advertising, Children, and Ethics.† Professional Articles. 1990 http://www.drheller.com/april01.html This article talks about psychologists helping advertising companies to help the create effective advertisements that target children. The article asks if this is ethical. Psychologists also help these companies create educational toy advertisements, anti-drug advertisements, â€Å"don’t drink and drive† advertisements, etc. So the article asks if you can really separate out all of the situations and make a statement that includes all of them. The main issue the article talks about is that people feel as though psychologists own that information and can use it as they please but that that is not the case at all. The article says that ultimately parents should be trained and able to say no because after all it is there responsibility. This piece is written by a doctor who seems to be well-know and who has treated a lot of patients. Dr. Leland Heller is the author of 2 books, specializes in treating the borderline personality disorder and has treated over 3000 peo ple with this disorder. The intended audience of this piece is people who are accusing psychologist of using there knowledge unethically by giving it to advertisement companies and others who may be interested in the topic.

How Bp Failed at Crisis Communication

How BP failed at crisis communication British Petroleum (BP) suffered a large-scale public relations and crisis communication disaster, when an oil-drilling rig accident on 20th April 2010 incurred a spillage of several million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This catastrophic spill has been regarded as one of the most severe environmental damages recorded in the U. S. history, causing public animosity and frustration, substantially because of inappropriate BP? s crisis communication plan (Tangley, 2010).The oil spill contaminated local environment and coastline of U. S. states Louisiana and Mississippi. Consequences were severe as the spill crippled heretofore developed Gulf Coast fishing industry for a couple of years. On international scene, it has led to a continued discussion on the safety measures of offshore drilling (Tangley, 2010). On the top of that, BP has been forced to continuously invest into improving of their image in media and on social networking sites , trying to eliminate as much negative PR campaign as they possibly could (McClam, & Weber, 2010).BP reacted promptly in their statements, however, without emphasizing the compassion for those who were harmed and by appearing to be insufficiently determined to clean up the environmental disaster. The company should not have been over-optimistic about the scale of the oil spill. On the other hand, BP should have stepped up their social networking communication and assessment of the right spokesperson to a unique situation. Although that crisis scenario is a unique event that is hard to predict, it is definitely not unexpected, considering what business BP operates in.By the year of 2015, 83 percent of companies will face a crisis that will negatively impact their share price by 20 to 30 percent, according to Oxford-Metrica study. This is more likely to happen to oil producing companies, as they are considered to be operating in a one of the most dangerous industries. Facing such a de ep company crisis is not only about ways of how to minimize negative exposure in the press; however, it is also about reducing the environmental damage in the first place.Company has to confront the situation without any futile delays and send a clear message to the public in its determination to manage the situation as best as possible. Definitely not by holding out on facts and baffle general public, as BP did (Oxford Metrica, 2011). For example, the officers from BP said that the explosion of Deepwater Horizon drilling at Macondo oil field caused an oil spill of about 2. 7 million barrels. In contrary, the US government’s estimate of 4. 9 million barrels spilt into the sea almost doubles BP? s assumption (Oxford Metrica, 2011). There were several companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon accident.The oil rig was not owned by BP, but a contracting company Transocean. The Macondo oil well was owned partially by BP (65%), Anadarko Petroleum (25%) and Mitsui (10%). The defec t of a blowout preventer was supplied by Cameron International (Oxford Metrica, 2011). â€Å"Finally, just before the accident, Halliburton fitted the cement cap intended to seal the well. The number of players involved has given rise to shifting of blame† says the Oxford Metrica study. BP used this opportunity and tried to avoid the spotlight by accusing their contractors and suppliers of being responsible for a Deepwater Horizon accident.George Santayana, a Spanish philosopher, said â€Å"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. † BP? s failure is a perfect example of this dateless quote. As the Exxon Valdez accident badly spoiled the view of general public on oil industry and this case has shown serious under reactions of both Exxon and American government, BP should have devised a risk mitigation plan with various safety features, assuring that similar ecological disaster of these proportions will not happen again.Instead, the company has exch anged a following of a strict safety precautions and minimizing overall safety risk for being a risk-seeking company that is pushing to minimize costs and maximize profit. This accident has proven that the industry has lost a focus on prevention and their control mechanisms could not keep up with the newly acquired technologies in offshore exploration and production. Additionally, the company deliberately overlooked all warning signs that have been present.This game was not worth it, as BP has taken a significant financial hit. Their stock price fell by more than 40% in one week after Deepwater Horizon explosion as it proves Figure 1 which compares a percentage change of stock prices of BP, Transocean, Cameron International and Halliburton early before and after the explosion of Deepwater Horizon. The peak loss of 46% in June 25 resulted into a $95 billion loss in market value capitalization of British Petroleum. Additionally, BP was forced to reserve $39. 9 billion in order to elim inate he consequences of oil spill; also pay $20 billion as a compensation for people directly affected by the spillage; $10. 8 billion as an expense for companies that capped and sealed the oil well and consequent cleaning operations and next $9. 1 billion on additional fees, penalties and fines (Oxford Metrica, 2011). This giving a total of $79. 8 billion entailed a significant decrease in net income for consequent 5 years to come. Figure 1: Comparison of stock prices of companies involved in Deepwater Horizon explosion [pic] Source: Oxford Metrica, 2011.By going back to the PR campaign that has been launched straight after the oil spill, BP has done a very good job when they covered most of the negative publicity. BP? s webpage informed the general public about the will and devotion of the company and how hard they are trying to minimize the environmental damage or help the people affected; while not mentioning a word about the fact that BP takes responsibility for the disaster. Their Facebook account informed the subscribers how the company focuses on using the latest technology available in order to stop the spreading of oil spill.To this moment, BP got a lot of things correctly. Nevertheless, it is not an immediate action which caused the negative exposure on media throughout the world. Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP, was actively engaged in the PR campaign, was ready to provide interviews to media and was willing to pay all the penalties and fines to the US government. However, Oxford Metrica review claims that â€Å"a string of clumsy comments and cultural misunderstandings, combined with a seeming inability to cap the well, dominated the media and, understandably, fear and anger took hold† (Oxford Metrica, 2011).Despite the fact that BP is a huge global organization, we can observe that both of their public relations staff and higher management structures clearly did not handle the Deepwater Horizon disaster appropriately, at least from a public r elations and goodwill point of view. Taken a closer look at what makes a global company with size of BP at least neutral in terms of a general audience perception, using common sense would inevitably lead unbiased observer to identify several key parts. Being as honest to public as possible, quick reaction time, correct usage of social networks and media exposure of the right representatives would most ikely be among them. However, BP undergoing their biggest crisis, not only from the technical point of view and the actual damage inflicted on the environment, but mostly image-wise, failed significantly at reacting accordingly; given the fact that the BP case is publicly known as being the biggest PR failure of the recent history. As mentioned before, being sincere about the huge environment tragedy, that was caused by a company, even if indirectly, is something what public audience would certainly expect.It is obviously a bad idea to try to make it appear less serious than the situa tion is in reality, especially when media around the world are posting photos and airing images of an oil rig in flames and spilling thousands of gallons of oil into its surroundings. Mr. Thoma J. Roach, journalist from the magazine Rock Products has made a very good point on this matter, noting that BP`s CEO Tony Hayward reportedly said that the Gulf of Mexico is a big ocean and compared the amount of oil pouring into it as tiny and insignificant.However, Roach claimed that such a statement is dismissive and that it pictures environmentalists and all the people in those industries devastated by the disaster as crybabies. Moreover, instead of placating them, it challenged them to come back strengthened with better evidence, more arguments and intensity. He also concluded that such a public relations strategy is only baiting the enemies (Roach, 2010). In simplicity, if Hayward would say something more sincere and actually true, BP could have looked better and avoided more negative pu blicity not only for the disaster itself, but also for their way of handling it.Even though delivering the information is the most important part of the whole public relations process, one may argue that delivering it too late or in a bad form is as much important. Frederick E. Allen, former CEO of Jacobs Suchard, has made a good point on this matter using the BP? s public relations blunders as an example, mentioning that he would expect hundreds of press release updates from BP Global on Facebook, however during the tough times, BP`s PR section has issued only about hundred of them. On top of that, only few of them had something to do with the spill and its aftermath (Allen, 2012).To improve this part of the strategy, BP clearly needed to utilize all of their resources, including their own web page, to its fullest potential and in appropriate time. What BP shown during their crisis and also afterwards, was clearly a lack of competent people responsible for writing short memos and m essages on one of their main communication channels – their website. On the other hand, even when the PR department is doing a tremendous job on social networks, it does not necessarily mean that it will have actual impact.This is caused by the way how social networks are used by the audience. Basically, company needs a massive amount of followers on given social network prior to the actual case, so they can immediately use it to reach their target audience with tweets or updates. So despite BP had a capable social network manager who succeeded in posting a lot of material, they did not really matter too much as BP lacked followers, as their staff weren’t active on this matter before it became a really needed tool in times of crisis (Allen, 2012).As mentioned earlier, significant blunder of the company in PR area was a wrong choice of a spokesperson. A lot of critique went on Mr. Hayward`s head. Thomas Roach has described BP`s CEO as blunt-speaking, hard-edged and crit icized BP for using him also as a  chief spokersperson for the company, mentioning that American industry already learned a  lesson from Japanese competitors in the 1980s, specifically, that the person who is the best engineer does not necessarily make the best manager.Tony Hayward was thus a  bad hire for BP, as he was not a  outstanding leader with appropriate communication skills (Roach, 2010). Maybe BP wanted to look like they stood behind their CEO, thus even after his publicly known and very unfortunate quotes, they did not want to take him down and replace him by someone with better set of communication skills. However, Mr. Hayward has most likely done more damage with his inappropriate appearances than it helped BP to look like they are maintaining their integrity.Despite the immediate PR reaction after April 2010, the company seemed to be unable to appreciate the cultural context, since BP did not speak the language which the American public wanted to hear. BP did n ot appreciate the political context as well and at that time, they heavily damaged the lingering relationship with US government as exclusive emitter of oil-drilling permits for locations rich on oil. To conclude the case, it can be claimed that BP has run their technical operations during the crisis bad, but their immediate PR reaction was even worse.Moreover, BP? s public relations department was over-optimistic and endlessly reassured the general public by optimistic assessments that the amount of spillage is â€Å"relatively tiny† and the situation will be dealt with soon (Roach, 2010). Additionally, the company should have been more compassionate to the victims of the oil rig explosion and to those who were harmed by the latter oil spill. However, this case can be seen as a valuable lesson for not only petrochemical industry, but the whole multinational companies segment of the businesses around the world.Lessons that BP did not learn from the Exxon Valdez case years ago will hopefully be learned by other companies from BP`s case. On the other hand, this environmental disaster has happened during the Information era, when everything is immediately spread worldwide and when one has to respond to the audience as quickly as humanly possible. Thus, it cannot be isolated in a time period of a year 2010, but it must be viewed as a continuous process. Even after all cleaning work will be done, there still will be a future aspect of the case, as general public will keep demanding a preemptive measures by BP.This will create another playfield where BP can work on their public relations and slowly present itself as they have learned their lessons and from now on, BP will become a whole new company with a new approach to safety and crisis management. This actually seems to be the case, as articles in 2011 and further does not generally mention BP in such a bad light as they were doing previously, which can be accounted to applying new PR strategies.Specifical ly, we can see a good presentation of BP in a NY Times article from the middle of 2011 written by Julia Werdigier, author of more than a thousand articles for NY Times. In the article, BP is given a credit for announcing the new, safer, deep-water drilling standards of BP together with a more general safety measures (Werdigier, 2011). With articles like this, BP is starting to turn their image around. But in the end, only time will reveal if the PR department of one of the biggest multinational companies will learn their lesson.References Allen, F. (2012). The Gulf Spill: BP Still Doesn't Get It. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www. forbes. com/sites/frederickallen/2012/04/20/the-gulf-spill-bp-still-doesnt-get-it/ McClam, E. , & Weber H. R. (2010). BP’s failures made worse by PR mistakes. Retreived October 30, 2012 from website http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/37647218/ns/business-world_business/t/bps-failures-made-worse-pr-mistakes/ Oxford Metrica. (2011). Reputation R eview 2011 [Report]. Retrieved from October 30, 2012, from website: http://www. oxfordmetrica. om/public/CMS/Files/825/Aon_Oxford% 20Metrica%20Reputation%20Review_2011. pdf Roach, T. (2010). BP's PR Lessons. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www. rockproducts. com/index. php/key-issues/community-relations/9719-bps-pr-lessons. html Tangley, L. (2010). Bird Habibats Threatened by Oil Spill. Retrieved October 26, 2012, from website: http://www. nwf. org/News-and Magazines/NationalWildlife/Birds/ Archives/2010/Oil-Spill-Birds. aspx Werdigier, J. (2011). BP to Tighten Deep-Sea Drilling Practices as It Tries to Rebound. Retrieved October 23 from LexisNexis Academic database.

Jeffrey Dahmer’s Childhood and Capture Essay

â€Å"His behavior didn’t change. The object changed.† This is what psychologist at George Washington University, David Silber, stated when asked about the relation between Jeffrey Dahmer’s childhood activities and his unspeakable crimes later on in life that traumatized civilians and Milwaukee’s finest law enforcement. The name â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer† conjures images of his numerous brutal murders. However, as his violence was believed to be spurred by his childhood experiences, his court case and his capture involved some of the best, and worst, work done by the American justice system. As a young child, Jeffrey Dahmer had a considerably unusual childhood. In 1964, at the age of four, his father, Lionel Dahmer, noticed Jeffrey was developing an interest in the remains of small animals; while he was sweeping some out from underneath his house and placing them in a bucket, Jeff was thrilled by the sound they made (â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer’s Childhood†). That same year, according to a â€Å"Twisted Minds† web page article, he underwent a double hernia operation, which left him vulnerable and scared for he did not understand what was going on. By age six, Jeff and his family moved to Doylestown, Ohio, where his younger brother, David, was born and, according to Radford University, his teachers began reporting him feeling neglected. Only two years later, his family moved to Bath Township, Ohio, where his father claimed he had been sexually abused by a neighborhood boy (â€Å"Dahmer’s Compulsions†). Such a traumatic experience as this most likely would follow him throughout the rest of his life. By age ten, his hobbies evolved into somewhat of an addiction. Jeff had begun collecting road kill, bleaching chicken bones, decapitating rodents, and even taught himself how to use acid to strip the meat of dead animals from their bones (â€Å"Childhood†). During his teenage life, those around Jeff began to notice some distressing changes occurring within him. According to Radford University, Jeff discovered alcohol at thirteen, and, by the time he was sixteen, he was sneaking scotch into his morning classes. He most likely took to alcohol because he felt unaccepted, as his peers began viewing him as desperate and lonely. His parents, Joyce and Lionel Dahmer, constantly quarreled and, just like any other teenager, he took their arguments to heart (â€Å"Childhood†). In 1978, the same year Jeff graduated high school, his parents divorced and his mother gained custody of Jeff’s younger brother, David (â€Å"Dahmer’s Compulsion†). Former neighbor Susan Lehr spoke on his attitude and personality when these events were occurring, stating that, â€Å"something devastating [was] going on in his life and there wasn’t anybody there to help him,† (â€Å"Cannibal†). This could have possibly been what sparked him to become the monster that the public know him as today. Jeff took his parents’ divorce extremely hard. According to Los Angeles Times, his mother and brother moved to Wisconsin while his father stayed at a motel, leaving him alone in his house, feeling abandoned and developing an intense fear of loneliness. While alone in his house, Jeff claimed his first victim, hitchhiker Steven Hicks (Newton 46). When asked about the incident thirteen years later, 31-year-old Dahmer told police that â€Å"[Hicks] wanted to leave and I didn’t want him to leave,† so, as a result, he killed him in order to keep him from doing so (â€Å"Cannibal†). Jeffrey Dahmer first came to authority’s attention in October 1981 when he was placed under police custody for public intoxication and disorderly manner at a Ramada Inn (Yusof). According to Newton’s serial killer encyclopedia, he was also arrested in 1982 for indecent exposure at the Wisconsin State Fair and again in 1986 for similar charges (47). At this point, his attraction to young individuals was becoming more and more noticeable. On September 26th, 1988, Dahmer was charged for sexually assaulting a thirteen-year-old Laotian boy at his Milwaukee apartment (Newton 47). During trial, Assistant District Attorney Gail Shelton urged to get Dahmer imprisoned for five to six years, saying that â€Å"it [was] absolutely crystal clear that the prognosis for treatment of Mr. Dahmer within the community [was] extremely bleak†¦ and just plain [was not] going to work.† However, Judge William D. Gardener refused to send him to prison where psychiatric help was not available, and, instead, sentenced him to a one-year work release program at the Franklin House of Corrections for the rehabilitation of sex offenders (Yusof). On May 16th, 1991, police were informed about a naked and bleeding boy, named Konerak Sinthasomphone (coincidentally the brother of the Laotian boy of 1988), stumbling through the Milwaukee streets that lead back to Dahmer’s apartment (Newton 47). According to Newton’s serial killer encyclopedia, Dahmer falsely told Officers John Balcerzak, Richard Porubcan, and Josheph Gabrish that Konerak was his nineteen-year-old lover who had drank a little too much which resulted in an argument between the two. After a bit of contemplation, the officers returned Konerak to Dahmer’s custody and considered it just a conflict between two homosexual lovers (Yusof). However, law enforcement had no idea that they would find one of the most gruesome scenes at that same location only two short months later. Tracey Edwards approached a Milwaukee police vehicle on July 22nd, 1991, hand-cuffed, drugged, and frightened, claiming to have escaped from Jeffrey Dahmer’s apartment (Montaldo). Arriving at his apartment a few moments later, the calm demeaned Dahmer tried to convince the officers that it was only a misunderstanding between him and Edwards. The officers, almost believing him, just narrowly returned Tracey to Dahmer, but, spotting Polaroid photos of bodies in various states of dismemberment, the shocked officers placed him under arrest instead (â€Å"Cannibal†). According to The History Channel Website, authorities found a house of horrors within the walls of the one-bedroom apartment: two human heads in the freezer and refrigerator, a fifty-seven-gallon drum of human torsos, limbs, and other various parts decomposing in acid, evid ence of cannibalism, and much, much more. A sight that startled, sickened, and scarred those investigating it for the rest of their lives. Later, Police Chief Philip Arreola of the Milwaukee Police Department and Mayor John O. Norquist launched an internal investigation, firing officers Balcerzak and Gabrish for failing to perform their police duties properly (in the case of Konerak Sinthasomphone), keeping officer Porubcan under close observation (Yusof). Standing trial in early 1992, of the courtroom’s one hundred seats, thirty four of them were reserved for Dahmer’s victims’ mourning family members, twenty three seats for reporters, and the remaining forty three seats were open to the public while Dahmer was separated from the rest of the gallery by an eight-foot barrier, constructed out of bullet resistant glass and steel (Bardsley). It definitely was not the â€Å"normal† courtroom setting that most legal systems were accustomed to. Partaking in the legal drama was Judge Laurence C. Gram, Jr. , District Attorney Michael McGain, and defense lawyer Gerald Boyle who had defended Dahmer on prior occasions of his offenses (Bardsley). The Majority of the testimony was based on Dahmer’s one hundred and sixty-page confession where he acknowledged that he knew his actions were wrong, coming at a great expense, but, at the same time, was still uncertain of why he did them (Montaldo; â€Å"Confession†). While Boyle stressed that the gruesome nature of his client’s crimes was part of a strategy that only an absolute lunatic were capable of committing, the prosecution labeled Dahmer as â€Å"cold-bloodedly sane† and reasonably frightened of being discovered as he went to great length to avoid detection for so many years (Yusof). There was no question that he was aware of the consequences of his actions. According to the article â€Å"Jeffery Dahmer’s Confession†, Dahmer agreed to help the police in any way he possibly could to identify his victims in order to make restitution for the victims’ families. On January 30th, 1992, according to Montaldo’s article â€Å"Profile of Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer†, Jeffrey Dahmer pleaded guilty by reason of insanity before Judge Laurence C. Gram, Jr. However, as he was found sane enough to stand trial, Dahmer then pleaded not guilty despite the fact that he had already confessed to seventeen murders (Yusof). On February 15th, 1992, after deliberating for over five hours, the jurors found Dahmer fully responsible for his actions and guilty of first-degree intentional homicide on fifteen of the seventeen accounts (â€Å"Childhood†). According to â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer Case File†, after his sentencing, Dahmer begged to be executed. After the horror he caused, hundreds of others would have been pleased with thtis outcome, as well. However, as Wisconsin had abolished capital punishment years prior to Dahmer’s case, he was instead sentenced to fifteen life sentences (a minimum of 936 years) without parole which he wo uld serve at the Columbian Correctional Institute in Portage, Wisconsin (Newton 48; â€Å"Profile of Serial Killer†). At first, Dahmer was separated from the general population for his own safety, but, despite the many threats against his life, he refused protective custody (â€Å"Profile of Serial Killer†; Newton 48). Later, Dahmer probably should have reconsidered this decision. According to the Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, the first attempt on Dahmer’s life was on July 3rd, 1994, when another inmate tried to slash his throat while he was praying in the prison chapel. Although this attempt failed and he walked away with only minor scratches, the story would not be the same for the next. On November 28th, 1994, only six months later, while Dahmer was cleaning a bathroom near the prison gym, twenty five-year-old inmate Christopher Scarver acquired an iron exercise bar and attacked Dahmer, crushing his skull and killing him (Newton 48). At first, according to Newton’s Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, it was believed that Scarver murdered Dahmer for racial purposes as he, along with the majority of Dahmer’s victims, was African American. However, later, it was proven that this notion was untrue. Scarver was deranged, believing he was on a mission from God and performing his â€Å"Father’s† orders (Newton 48). Jeffrey Dahmer was an extremely, if not the most, notorious serial killer who conducted his misconducts in the United States. Not only did he rape, murder, and dismember his multiple victims, but he also admitted to sampling cannibalism. From experimenting on small animals as a child to doing the same to humans as an adult, some believe that his intense fear of loneliness, derived from his parents’ divorce, drove him to commit these atrocious crimes, while others simply view him as a cold-blooded monster with the intention of destroying lives. Thanks to Wisconsin’s legal system, along with determined police assistance, the clever, resourceful, and calm demeaned Jeffrey Dahmer who had floated through life, undetected for so many years, was incarcerated, removed from a position where he could do additional harm to society.

Small Business Essays - Business Models, Entrepreneurship

Small Business Essays - Business Models, Entrepreneurship Small Business Small business: In our definition we consider that business as a small business, which are registered with Government agencies and requires initial capital of 500,00025,00,000. The turnover for a small business ranges from 25,00,00050,00,000 and number of employees ranges from 550 depending upon the nature of business. Examples of small business in Pakistan: 1. Nagori milk shop 2. Time medico 3. Almas dish washing powder 4. Allahabad stores 5. Kaybees Entrepreneur: An entrepreneur is someone who recognizes his opportunities. He raises the capital and other

Hum/130 Final

The Hsi Lai Temple sits on 15 acres of land and has a floor area of 102,432 sq. ft. nd is located at 3456 Glenmark Drive, Hacienda Heights CA 91745. The architecture when you first drive up is mind blowing and beautiful. The architecture stays true to the traditional styles of buildings, gardens, and statuary of the ancient Chinese monasteries. They started the planning and building of the temple in 1978 and finished the building ten years later in 1988. Hsi Lai means â€Å"coming west† and signifies the dedication of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order to spreading the teachings of the Buddha. Fo Guang Shan is the largest monastery and covers over 370 acres. When you walk up the first set of steps you come to what they call the gate. On the top part of the sign it says Hsi Lai Temple which again means â€Å"coming west† and then on the four pillars it says the four universal vows, which are â€Å"to save all sentient beings, to eradicate all worries, to study the boundless Dharma, and to attain supreme Buddhahood. † After you walk up the steps from the lower parking lot where the gate is you walk up more steps to the upper parking lot and then from their you walk up more steps to what they call the Bodhisattva Hall. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings that made a vow to selflessly serve others with loving-kindness and compassion and are committed to liberating all beings from suffering. It is said that each one of the bodhisattvas represents a virtuous quality essential to all Buddhists. When talking about the bodhisattvas they made a point to make sure that we understood that when we saw that people were bowing to them that they were not bowing to an idol, but rather a sign of showing respect and seeking their guidance to develop the virtuous qualities they represent. Bowing also shows our own humility and the curbing of our ego. There are five bodhisattvas are: Samantabhadra Bodhisattva which is symbolic of great practice, and helping us achieve more discipline in our daily life, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva which was known for his great vow to help all beings in hell and would not stop till hell was emptied of all beings, Maitreya Bodhisattva is the future Buddha and is the symbol of great benevolence and is often referred to as Happy Buddah, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva which symbolizes the perfection and loving-kindness, and Manjusri Bodhisattva which is known for great wisdom which empowers one to distinguish universal morality from wrongdoing. Underneath the five bodhisattva are engraved Chinese characters from the Diamond Sutra. Next to the Heart Sutra the Diamond Sutra is the most widely read of the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra, and is highly valued among sects in Chan Buddhism. While I was at the His Lai Temple I found that they have an information where you can go on two different types of tours of their temple: the first being a self-guided audio tour where they give you a cd player and it gives you valuable information about the temple and all its rooms and buildings as well as the gardens and information on the statues that are found throughout the temple, The second type of tour they offer is with a docent who is more than willing to answer any questions that may come up during the tour, while they inform you about everything within the temple. The two gardens I was able to see within the temple was: the first being the Arhat Garden where the eighteen arhats are seated. The Arhats have realized the truth of no-self and that all is a composite of the five aggregates dependant on other phenomena originally empty and subject to impermanence. It is said that the eighteen Arharts were able to overcome the difilements of greed, anger, and ignorance. The eighteen Arhats are: Cudapanthaka which is the door watching arhat, Jivaka which is the heart exposing arhat, Vajraputra which is the persuading arhat, Subinda which is the pagoda holding arhat, Panthaka which is the arhat with stretched arms, Kalika which is the dust cleaning arhat, Bhadra which is the arhat that crossed the river, Pindola which is the arhat with long eyebrows, Nakula which is the silently seated arhat, Ajita which is the arhat riding the deer, Maitreya which is the tiger taming arhat, Angaja which is the arhat with a sack, Vananasim which is the arhat under the banana tree, Rahula which is the arhat in deep conversation, Manakassapa which the dragon subduing arhat, Kanakabharadavaja which is the arhat holding the alms bowl, Nagasena which is the ear cleaning arhat, and Kanakavatsa which is the jolly arhat. The second garden is the Avalokitesvara Garden. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is seated on a giant rock with both her attendants, Shanci and Longnu who are stan ding beside her. Surrounding the pond are the four Deva Kings: Virudhaka of the Southern Kingdom which is holding the sword, Virupaksa of the Western Kingdom which is holding the dragon, Dhanada of the Northern Kingdom which is holding the umbrella, and the Dhrtarastra of the Eastern Kingdom which is holding a sitar. The four Deva Kings are revered as guardians who protect devout sentient beings from being harmed by unwholesome elements. Standing around the four Deva Kings are the four Dragon Kings of the Four Seas. The flowing water in the garden is symbolic of the Dharma water flowing everywhere to purify people’s minds. Although the Buddhist love informing people of their religion and teaching you about their beliefs. They are really not very forth coming when it comes to helping someone who is there for a school assignment. I was asked by the individual to leave his name out and was further informed that they do not normally do this kind of interview. When asked about the holidays and traditions he said the most important holiday is Wesak Day which comes in May on the day of the full moon. As for traditions he said that it all depends on the form of Buddhism tradition that you followed. When asked how has his life has been shaped by the Buddhism religion he said that it has made him a more understanding person to what he called the true nature of life. When asked what the biggest challenge is to the Buddhist religion he said that with all beliefs the biggest challenge is changing you. He has been practicing Buddhism since he was born and was taught by monks and other teachers about the Buddhist religion. When asked if there were any dietary restrictions, he did not come out and say that you had to be vegan but stated that it was more wholesome to be vegan. During our interview I found that it was real simple to become a Buddhist and that all you really have to do is follow the teachings. After that question he seemed to be in a real hurry to end the interview but I thanked him for his time and let him know that what I was able to get answered was very helpful. When it came to compairing this religion to another I chose Christianity, not because it was the easier to compare because I found them to have very obvious differences. In Christianity when you become a Christian you accept God into your heart as Lord and Savior and then are baptized as a symbol of the washing of your sins. When you become a Buddhist you just start following the teachings of the Buddha. The other difference that stood out to me was that Christians believe in a heaven and hell and Buddhist believe that hell is only in the mind. Christians believe that when you die you go to heaven to be with your Lord and Savior, Buddhist believe that when you are done with this life you are reincarnated in the next life. I found this religion to be incredibly interesting as well as beautiful. This religion is all about selflessness, which I found in this day and age to be comforting. In order to become a Buddhists you, you are told to give up all your worldly possessions. Today, everything is about worldly possessions from the cell phone that they have the designer clothes they own, to the car that they drive. When the subject of material possessions is brought up it starts making you think about what is really important in your life and how much thought you actually put into material possessions. I have found that people say that their family and friends are important, but if someone were to ask them to give up these possessions what do you think they would say? These people would tell you that you were out of your mind and then proceed to give you every excuse under the sun on why they could not do this. I believe that it takes an amazing person to be able to put someone else’s life before their own and to truly be devoted unconditionally. As I watched the monks interact with people throughout the times I was there it seemed like they were truly at peace and seemed like they had it all figured out when it came to life. When I first started the assignment I thought that it was going to be stuffy and that I would have to deal with someone who did not want to truly be in the place of having to help someone with a school paper. I found that to be completely false and actually found that not only the monks were willing to answer questions, but all the staff members were happy to answer whatever questions that anybody came up with. At the end of this assignment I found that Buddhism not only left you with such a serine feeling not only while you were in the temple but when you left it made you feel like you could accomplish anything if you just believed. They believe that the only way to truly achieve happiness is by giving up yourself and start paying more attention to others. References: An Introduction to Buddhism. (2000). Retrieved from http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/buddhaintro. html Religious Tolerance. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. religioustolerance. org/buddhism. htm buddhanet. (2013). Retrieved from https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/cwe/citation_generator/web_01_01. asp

Human Resource Management at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Human Resource Management at Work - Essay Example In this approach, there is not much focus on the human resource. The contemporary approach focuses on competencies and the employees’ commitment to the organisation. The principle behind the contemporary approach is that if the employees are happy, the organisation progresses too. Talents and capabilities of the employees are maximized, and are linked to the goals of the organisation. The contemporary approach is based on the principle that the people are the organisation’s greatest asset (Armstrong, 2006, p. 3). HRM provides effective management of the staff, retention, and turnover processes, and selection of employees that fit with both the organisational strategy and culture, and the cost effective utilisation of employees through investment in identified human capital. The first part of this paper focuses on theories and concepts, while the second part is concentrated on a particularly industry, the automotive industry, with Toyota as the particular organization battling the forces of organisational and external environment. The last part is a reflective diary which details this author’s personal experiences in the conduct of the research. The ‘universalist’ paradigm states that the purpose of the study of HRM is to improve the way that human resources are managed strategically within organisations. The aim is to improve organisational performance, as judged by its impact on the organisation’s corporate strategy (Tichy, Fombrun and Devanna, 1982; Huselid 1995, cited in Harris et al., 2003). Good HRM focuses on careful recruitment and selection methods, coupled with an effective training and development. Other contributing factors are a good communication process within the organisation, a well-defined job design, performance appraisal, and the motivation system for employees, which include performance standards, appraisal, etc. (Harris et al., 2003) The contextual paradigm searches