NOL Card - Change Management Case Research Paper

NOL Card - Change Management Case - Research Paper Example to work on their technology and infrastructure designed and facilities and for this cause working on roads, building, parking areas, buses, cars, taxi is highly important that needs to be taken care off. The government has given the responsibly to handle the working and operations of buses, roads, and parking areas to RTA. Not only this RTA is also responsible for the traffic signals, the rules and strategic planning of roads, buses, stations, etc in Dubai. NOL card is designed by RTA for using different modes of travelling and parking areas that are designed by RTA. RTA is consistently working to provide ease of travelling to their citizenship and to the people that travels and visits Dubai. For this cause, they have introduced different types of NOL card according to the need and preferences of the travelers. Not only this, but RTA has also introduced the Smart card that is more easy and reliable in use than other card and now RTA has also made agreements with the grocery markets a nd other stores and shopping outlets to use the NOL card for purchasing grocery items and others hopping items thus making the lives of their citizen’s more easy and comfortable. Road Transport Authority (RTA) was formed in November 2005 with the main responsibility of coming up with policies and strategies of transforming the transport system of Dubai. In an effort to achieve its objective RTA introduced the use of NOL cards in public transport system. This is a modern technology that uses a smart card to pay for public transport. These smart cards are of four types including red, silver, gold, and blue with each category tailor-made to fit certain category of clientele. The use of NOL card was recognized by the government as an important tool to modernize the transport sector to match international standards. This analysis used transformational part of Bruke-Litwin causal model of organization performance and change in order to identify the key elements that derived the need for

Strategic Plan for Eco-travel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Strategic Plan for Eco-travel - Essay Example This "Strategic plan for Eco-travel" essay outlines the necessity of strategic plan to make every business successful. The author analyzes a new business concept such as Eco-travel and a strategic plan for it. Eco-travel is a small scale business operating in the tourism sector and it is concerned with the provision of hospitality services to customers who mainly visit local community tourist attractions which are often overlooked by other big, established players in the same industry. This is a new business concept in the tourism sector which is dominated by established corporations. The customers mainly comprise of people from local communities as well as others from the neighbouring communities. Regional as well as visitors from different parts of the country are not excluded. The idea of this service was conceived after realising that established tourist operators often shunned local community resort centres as these were often regarded as small. Competitive prices will be offere d in order to stimulate business in this new tourism sector. â€Å"To provide a platform where all our customers can gain knowledge about their local heritage through promoting community tourism in a bid to bridge the knowledge gap existing among targeted clients.† Knowledge management is a key to the success of the company given that it is primarily concerned with educating people so that they become aware of the essence of protecting the environment in order to preserve their local natural heritage. In this case, the mission of the organisation demands that the knowledge base as well as capacity building among the targeted consumers have to be increased in order for the business to achieve its set goals. Measures have to be put in place to enable free acquisition, sharing and processing of information that can be in turn converted into valuable knowledge to the organisation. 1.2 Vision for Eco-travel â€Å"We are committed to become a leading community tour operator through responding to customer needs and changes that may take place in the market at competitive rates that are unmatched.† The organisation’s overall vision is mainly concerned with becoming a leader in the local community tourism sector in the future through harnessing on the strategy of knowledge creation management among the stakeholders involved. In order to achieve this feat, the company will primarily focus on quickly responding to the needs of the customers as well as constantly scanning the bu siness environment for any changes that may affect its operations. The

Luxury consumer behavior in Mainland China Essay Example for Free

Luxury consumer behavior in Mainland China Essay China recently became the world’s second largest market for luxury goods with an annual increase of more than 30% in 2010, even surpassing Japan. Further estimates predict that China will become the largest upscale product and consumer goods market in the world. How does a country with an average GDP per capita of $3,800 USD, and classified behind 105 in the world ranking possess such a strong propensity for consuming luxury goods and products? Specifically, how does one make sense of Mainland Chinese luxury buyers and their respective consumer behavior? This article answers these strategic questions for foreign companies and marketers who are interested in the luxury industry in China, and for those who want to develop a greater understanding of one of the world’s largest market and its 1. 3 billion consumers. â€Å"At the core of this paper is an explanation of Mainland China’s 21st century value system that can only have been shaped from the country’s rich history. † At the core of this paper is an explanation of Mainland China’s 21st century value system that can only have been shaped from the country’s rich history. Answering how China has become the buoyant socialist state economy it is today, is to shed light onto the country’s various economic, social, cultural and psychological histories. The history of luxury consumption in China is one of the country’s oldest. It remains deeply rooted into China’s cultural and sociological landscape and has subsequently influenced other Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The contemporary Chinese antique market and auction houses offer a telling explanation of how luxury is consumed in China. During the economic downtown, collections of Chinese antiquities were sold at Christie’s auction house for far more than their estimated value. In 2009, a 12th-century B. C. bronze vessel from the Western Zhou Dynasty sold for over 14 times its estimated value. These antique collectors are, in large part, Chinese or Asian. Collecting an expensive, storied antique is viewed in a similar vein to purchasing a luxury good. To own an artifact at home was tantamount in grandeur to that displayed by museums around the world that also housed ancient Chinese art collections. In sharp contrast, during China’s Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, tradition and Chinese cultural heritage was viewed negatively as something boring, worthless, and divisive. History and heritage were destroyed in favor of new equalizing ideology. The Cultural Revolution created a cultural void, and those affected would go on to be known as the ‘lost generation’. Currently in their 50s, some members of the ‘lost generation’ have attained new wealth. They partake in the purchasing of luxury goods, and often lack subtlety. They are ostentatious and inherently possess a skewed view of what is traditional or socially accepted, subsequently explaining for very extravagant behavior. A few examples include the rebuilding of the Chateau de Maison Laffitte of Paris in a suburb of Beijing, or one wealthy man’s endeavors to build an exact replica of the U. S. President’s White House in a rural area of Anhui province. The underlying theme is the Mainland Chinese desire to mimic emblems of power from Western culture. â€Å"Today, the Mainland Chinese consumer’s 21st century value system is comprised of three salient parts: the traditional Chinese value system persists, the socialist Chinese value system (dominant), and the Western value system which is often regarded like a trend. † As the West represents advanced technology, super powers and modern values, the majority of Mainland Chinese seek to pursue these values the best they can. Therefore the pursuit of Western values can be said to have a strong influence on the Chinese consumer value system. Today, the Mainland Chinese consumer’s 21st century value system is comprised of three salient parts: the traditional Chinese value system persists, the socialist Chinese value system (dominant), and the Western value system which is often regarded like a trend. The updated Chinese socialist value system of Deng’s reform and opening policy brings modernity, wealth, achievement and success, while the Western values bring personal liberty, post-modernism, also modernity, achievement and success. Together, the Chinese consumer’s 21st century value system is a veritable melting pot; strong values of modernity, wealth and success are dominant. Thus, the pursuit of modernity, wealth and success remains the key in explaining luxury consumer behavior in Mainland China. From this explanation of the dominant set of values within Chinese society, it is hardly surprising to discover that Mainland China’s car sales in 2009 averaged 13 million, even exceeding car sales in the U. S.. Additionally, sales for German car manufacturer Mercedes Benz went up 77%. Deng’s Open reform policy in 1978 allowed for individuals to pursue wealth through various means. Economic development transformed the social structure from a model that was horizontally equal to that of vertical extension and growth. Now, after three decades of inexistence from 1950 to 1980, social classes have reemerged. During the following three decades from 1980s to 2010, social wealth increased by an average 10% of growth each year. The Mainland Chinese consumer saw better financial opportunity and became increasingly wealthy. Financial and career success and achievements naturally became a way for people to distinguish themselves from others. It became de rigueur to openly display a person’s individual success, and luxury goods and designer brands effectively communicated status and wealth. However, at the core of this newfound wealth and status was the honest pursuit of better living conditions. Better living conditions meant for higher quality products and upscale brands. Therefore, international luxury brands perfectly fulfilled the needs of Mainland Chinese consumers from all angles – cultural, social, and economic – attributing for a more modern, powerful, and self-confident approach to life. â€Å"At the core of this newfound wealth and status was the honest pursuit of better living conditions. Better living conditions meant for higher quality products and upscale brands. † In Mainland China, one may see a person carrying an authentic Louis Vuitton bag while riding a crowded, public bus somewhere in the rural countryside. Luxury goods are consumed on a mass level, and are not confined to a select few. The central cause for an increased consumption of luxury products results from the country’s socialist value system. During the transitional period from a pure planned system to a market-driven economy, consumers inherently retained the idea of equality. Government authorities also try to maintain and communicate that equality in Mainland China is crucial to national identity. Based on steady economic development and a newfound consumer confidence towards the future’s potential, Mainland Chinese consumers believe that they are, in essence, the same as each other. Even if they cannot afford a luxury brand item today, they will save up several months of savings to eventually have it. It is important to note that all Chinese luxury consumers do not aim to show off. There is a homogenous identity and behavioral patterns that come with new wealth. However, only focusing on this collective homogenous identity, and not pay attention on the differences would cause a marketing plan to fail. The Mainland Chinese market is large and sophisticated enough to use multi-criteria methods to understanding its various crossed aspects, such as psychographic, geographic and demographic aspects. Psychographically, consumers are different from socio-psychological and cultural attitudes towards luxury point of views. These psychographic variables segment in the market into four groups known as luxury lovers, luxury followers, luxury intellectuals and luxury laggards with three dimensions according to the different psychographic aspects: collectivism-individualism, analytical-impulsive thinking, conspicuousness-functionality for luxury goods. Geographically, the regional differences in China (in terms of climates, cultural customs and languages) are varied; they are the equivalent to the collective differences found throughout Europe. China can also be divided into four large regions: North, South, East and West. Cities within a given region can be further classified into tiered cities according to city’s level of economic development. Demographically, the factors classify naturally consumers into traditional groups. For the purposes of this paper, the research sample used is meaningful for study as the income levels are controlled at ten times the national average income. This ensures luxury consumption because of the sample’s disposable income level and the easy affordability of luxury goods. Age is also controlled in the range of 25 to 45 years of age in order to be sure that the sample belongs to members of Mainland China’s new generation, avoiding the inclusion of members from the ‘lost generation’ entirely. All sample participants were educated at the university level and possessed an undergraduate degree. The psychographic segmentation of Chinese luxury consumers as luxury lovers, luxury followers, luxury intellectuals and luxury laggards cross with geographic factors to show the regional distribution difference of the four groups in various parts of the Mainland Chinese market. The results can be found in Table I and Table II. Table I: Psychographic Segmentation of Chinese Luxury Consumers Table II: Chinese Luxury Consumer Segmentation Geographical Distribution in China The segmentation proves the heterogeneity of Chinese luxury consumers although conspicuousness is dominant for luxury lovers and followers, representing 31. 2% of the total market in first tier cities. Still, conspicuousness is very visible and serves as motivation especially among ‘first movers’ for purchasing new products. First movers are often portrayed by the media as opinion leaders, and are they are tactfully used to influence the market. However, intellectuals and laggards focusing on functionality and individualism are still the main dominant groups for luxury consumers in China even in first tier cities. Why are luxury’s main consumers still quiet and conservative about their attitude towards luxury goods? â€Å"After the initial introduction of international luxury brands in China, the curiosity of Mainland Chinese consumers wore off as they began to seriously confront the psychological discomfort associated with the absence of a Chinese luxury brand. † The conservative conspicuousness is coming from the cultural and psychological contradiction: 1) the admiration of ancient China’s luxury lifestyle influences the luxury pursuit today. Currently, luxury brands are widely available from many foreign countries, such as France, Italy, and Switzerland. After the initial introduction of international luxury brands in China, the curiosity of Mainland Chinese consumers wore off as they began to seriously confront the psychological discomfort associated with the absence of a Chinese luxury brand. Why was there no Chinese brand capable of carrying out the essence of luxury found in ancient Chinese culture? 2) Chinese tradition encourages people to be benign and to not have an extravagant life. Exercising frugality and discreetness are seen as the proper way for a person to behave in society. This virtue of frugality and discreetness is also the socially accepted norm by the Chinese socialist value system. Therefore, frugality and discreetness received two confirmations from two value systems (tradition and socialist) in comparison to modernity, wealth and achievement values, which were confirmed twice by socialist and western value systems. As a result, the internal psychological values within the 21st century value system of Mainland China are conflicted. This conflict is reflected in the attitudes and behaviors of its consumers, especially in regard to the luxury market, and accounts for the following: an ambivalent attitude towards luxury consumption and psychological dissonance after purchasing. An exception is gift giving or special product categories. â€Å"The conflict of having a centralized power structure versus liberty and an openness of the market creates individual wealth while limiting the expression of wealth and status. † Conservative conspicuousness can also be understood by the unique socialist system within Mainland China’s market-drive economy. The conflict of having a centralized power structure versus liberty and an openness of the market creates individual wealth while limiting the expression of wealth and status. Those consumers who are typically found in politics or a government related environment are said to be luxury intellectuals. In this setting, wealth should not be overtly expressed or shown off to others. Products that are discreetly designed, such as ties, scarves, business suits, or handbags without logos are most popular. Alternatively, if an individual outside of politics consumes luxury products, it is most likely that he or she is a luxury lover or follower. (Please see Table III) Table III: The Conservative Conspicuousness of Chinese Luxury Consumers The potential for luxury industries to thrive in the Mainland Chinese market is high. With steady economic development, more information on luxury goods readily available online and offline, the increasing relevance of e-commerce, and a greater awareness for a higher quality of life, consumerism will propel to the center of this dynamic market. As consumers get more savvy and sophisticated, the Mainland Chinese market will, in due time, be much more difficult and complicated to operate. About the author Pierre Xiao LU is Assistant Professor of Marketing at School of Management of Fudan University in Shanghai. He specializes in luxury consumer behavior study, luxury brand management and selective retailing. His theories about Chinese consumer formed the fundamental understanding for international brands towards this market and largely adopted by successful upscale brands. Before he joins Fudan University, he received his PhD in marketing from ESSEC Paris where he is visiting professor of LVMH Chair and of its Asian campus in Singapore. Lu is author of â€Å"Elite China, Luxury Consumer Behavior in China† and co-author of â€Å"Luxury China, Market Opportunities and Potentials†. He can be reached at [emailprotected] edu. cn. References †¢ Michel Chevalier and Pierre Xiao Lu, Luxury China, Market Opportunities and Potentials, Wiley and sons, 2010 †¢ Jacques Gernet, Le Monde Chinois, Paris: Armand Colin, 1999 †¢ Alexandra Peers, What’s Still Recession-Proof, The Wall Street Journal, September 24, 2009 †¢ Pierre Xiao Lu, Elite China, Luxury Consumer Behavior in China, Wiley and Sons, 2008 †¢ China car sales top U. S. by Gilles Guillaume, Reuters, January 11, 2010 †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE60A1BQ20100111 †¢ Mercedes-Benz says 2009 China sales up 77 percent, Reuters, January 11, 2010 †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ http://www. reuters. com/article/idUSTRE60B0EY20100112 †¢ Pierre Bordieux, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste, London: Routledge, 1984 †¢ Pierre Xiao Lu, Elite China, Luxury Consumer Behavior in China, Wiley and Sons, 2008 †¢ Michel Chevalier and Pierre Xiao Lu, Luxury China, Market Opportunities and Potentials, Wiley and sons, 2010 †¢ Pierre Xiao Lu and Benard Pras, Profiling Mass Affluent Luxury Goods Consumers in China: a Psychographic Approach, Thunderbird International Business Review, forthcoming.

XY Department Of Software Projects

XY Department Of Software Projects The initial budget of XY Department has 2.3 million pounds requested for implementation of new computer systems of XY department of the federal government, but they decided for work around and spent only 1.5 million pounds due to the shortage of funds. A project was scoped and planned within the budget, by setting goals for implementation of software and hardware across 87 sites and the projected date if completion is 30th June 2010. The steering committee of the project was established with all members of XY department CEO as the sponsors and managers belong to the individual departments as the original business case had some risks that were also included as the part of the project plan. A company called Good Programmes grabs the opportunity to implement software and hardware systems for XY Department, as it was its biggest client in the region. Good Programmers Company initially implemented new versions of the softwares after consulting with different individual project managers wh o accommodate requested features. Though Good Programmes developing the new versions of the software and hardware systems, all the XY department and the steering committee identified some problems with the software and decided to acquire system testers for future versions. Because of the over head of the departments the system testers were not available to identify the problems in software systems. The new CEO has been appointed after the existing CEO and Finance manager had been removed, who are involved when the original project was scoped and commenced. CEO is been advised for 185,000 pounds more needed for completion of this project and which is not in his current budget and he is not sure what aspects have been implemented, and how much spent for which parts from the original scope of the project as he cant see any reports or documentation available, scope changes schedule or the budget. ASSESSMENT REPORT ON CURRENT PROJECT: The initial budget 2.3 million pounds requested for implementation of new computer systems of XY department of the federal government, but they decided for work around and spent only 1.5 million pounds due to the shortage of funds. A project was scoped and planned within the budget, by setting goals for implementation of software and hardware across 87 sites and the projected date if completion is 30th June 2010. The steering committee of the project was established with all members of XY department CEO as the sponsors and managers belong to the individual departments as the original business case had some risks that were also included as the part of the project plan. A company called Good Programmes grabs the opportunity to implement software and hardware systems for XY Department, as it was its biggest client in the region. Good Programmers Company initially implemented new versions of the softwares after consulting with different individual project managers who accommodate request ed features. Though Good Programmes developing the new versions of the software and hardware systems, all the XY department and the steering committee identified some problems with the software and decided to acquire system testers for future versions. Because of the over head of the departments the system testers were not available to identify the problems in software systems. The new CEO has been appointed after the existing CEO and Finance manager had been removed, who are involved when the original project was scoped and commenced. CEO is been advised for 185,000 pounds more needed for completion of this project and which is not in his current budget and he is not sure what aspects have been implemented, and how much spent for which parts from the original scope of the project as he cant see any reports or documentation available, scope changes schedule or the budget. Thus, the original project scope and plan with specific milestones for implementation of latest software and hardware systems has not been achieved in the given time lines and the agreed budget due to the lack of anticipation of department represented managers and deficiency of project management skills. COMPARE ASSESSMENT WITH SOUND PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLANNING PRACTICES OVER CHANGE CONTROL PLANNING: From the given scenario of the XY Department of the federal government has not been followed standard practices of change request management process, due to that this case will go into the never ending loop. Therefore, the following project managing practices shall give more confident on change control and planning. A formal request of a change is called a Change Request, which should be documented. Objective of the Change Request: Study the adverse Impact of change minimize it Create maintain a Change Management process Prevent Unauthorized changes Prepare Change ( Back out) Plans Post Implementation Reviews of Changes Maintain a record of all changes Change types have been classified as below: Standard changes Emergency changes Request for Change (RFCs) Change Classification Prioritization Change Models Forward Schedule of Changes Projected Service Availability Back Out Plan Change Advisory Board (CAB) CAB/Emergency Committee Standard Changes: These are the common changes that follow an accomplished procedure and do not disturb current running services. For example: Updating the Anti-Virus software is a standard Change. Emergency Changes: These are critical to an organization and have to be implemented on emergency bases. These are prone to failure. Request for Change (RFCs): These are the type of incidents, upgrades to the infrastructure or changes in the business requirements generate the need for a Request For Change (RFC). Change Classification Prioritization: here we can classify and plan the changes in order of their impact and urgency. Change Models: These are The predefined for resolving the known type and complexity. Automated as far as possible. Maintain scalability to create new models. Forward Schedule of Changes (FSC): Contains details of all approved changes and their implementation dates for an agreed period. Detailed short term schedules and less detailed for longer term planning. Projected Service Availability (PSA): To determine the best time for a change implementation Both the FSC and PSA are agreed with the customers Back Out Plan: It is executed when if the Change cannot happen as per plan Usually but not necessarily the typical back out plan is to bring the systems back to original state it was in before the change started Change Advisory Board (CAB): CAB approves the Changes after assessing and prioritizing the RFCs. CAB members should have sound technical knowledge and good business perspective. CAB/Emergency Committee: This team targets to review only urgent changes Few members required (typically Senior Managers from concerned dept in the given Case) Availability after shift hours Change Management Process Flow: Back out plan Activities: Record Request For Change Review Request For Change Assess Evaluate Change 7 Rs of Change Authorize Change Issue Change Plan (to R D Team) Support/Coordinate Change Implementation Post Change Review 7 Rs of Change Who RAISED it What is REASON for change What is the RETURN expected from change What could be the RISKS involved in change Which RESOURCES are needed to implement change Who (which RD Team) is RESPONSIBLE for build, test implement change Is there (or what) any RELATIONSHIP between this change other changes Change Manager Chairperson of the CAB Filtering and accepting RFCs Primary Responsibility of planning and coordinating implementation of changes Obtaining authorization for change Reviewing Implemented Changes Convening emergency CAB meetings Generating Change Management reports May have Change coordinators to support CAB Member Belongs to the CAB and participates in all CAB meetings Helps in reviewing all RFCs to estimate impact Participates in Scheduling Changes If the good programmers followed the above change control planning methodologies they could have resolved all the issues in the project and deploy hardware and software components successfully in the given time frame. [4] STEPS RECOMMENDED FOR THE PRESENT PROJECT TO A CLOSE: From the given case, due to the poor project management techniques the project comes into a loop, which never ends. The following recommend steps bring the project to close. Specify Scope and objectives of the project Specify the deliverables Define Project planning Internal/ External team communication Bug/Issue/Service request tracking and progress reports Change management Risk management Initially, the Good Programmes should know the objectives of this project. They should define requirements of the XY Department. Determining the real objectives will help them to plan the project. Also the scope of the project should be defined the amount of work which needs performing, and the total number of resources required to deploy the hardware software installations across 87 sites. And understand who the stake holders are, and what they expect to deliver also who the testers and enlist their support. After defining the scope and objectives must have a review with stakeholders and agree with them through Project Steering Committees, and including Project Manager, Department chief, and Department managers, testers in the committees. The main drawback of the given project scenario is they have not employed a Project Manager, which is Essential for best project management practices. Good Programmes needs to define what the project is been delivered. As this project scope is to change the outdated computer systems and implementing the latest hardware and equally software around 87 sites, they must determine what real things will be delivered and document with enough detail to enable someone else to provide them efficiently. Also, all these definitions of the deliverables must review and accept by the project steering committee. Good Programmes must define what different ways were require for producing all deliver techniques known as all sites information and Breakdown Structures of each site. They need to find the approximate time and puts the effort that is required in every activity like implementation of Hardware Software on each site also involve the complete project team in estimating how long all activities will take. Set milestones which indicate deadline dates during the project. Also include this into the project plan, and key stakeholders should review the project plan and agree. All the other departments of project planning are unprofitable unless there is no communication between internal or external teams. All the team members must know their role responsibility on the project and every team member should know the scope, objective and milestones of the project. Also it is ideal that every member should know all kind of problems hitting the project. Project Manager should share all kind of information of the project with each and every member of the project. After the project is kick-off, on each and every stage project manager should compare the actual progress with the estimated progress in terms of work and budget. If any large variations in the scope and actual, manager and other key stake holders of the XY Department should take corrective actions on each level. Change is common in any project environment. However it should be handled in smooth way to implement those changes. When scope OR Deliverables of the project needs changing, the project manager should identify the changes which only possible in the given time deadlines and Budget. Else if manager accepting all the changes, project will never end in the given time frame or budget. Good Programmes manager needs to consult with various managers of the departments to accommodate only possible requested new features instead of all. Also manager should be in a position to incorporate the emergency changes in immediately and new features in future releases as the budget defined only for work around and not as estimated. Not managing changes effectively is often a reason why projects fail, so Manager is the key here to manage Change Requests. The outcome of the project is massively effect with these risks. For example if any of the resource is lack of the implementation of the Hardware or software then possibly we miss the deadlines. And there should be plan defined to overcome the risks, and identify as soon as possible. When we have more risks in the project, numbering or assigning the priorities of the risks will help. For Example, If an employee successfully implement the new Hard ware and software in one site, but the problem with one specific component of the Hardware which is know should marked as Low risk category, same way we can define medium and critical risks, Hence everyone would know the total risks in the project with their criticality, including the team members and key stake holders. In order to bring the project to a close the above 7 project management techniques the project will be closed in the given time frame and budget. IMPROVEMENT STEPS RECOMMENDED FOR FUTURE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES: The following improvements need to be implementing to the XY Departments to get the fruitful results in future projects. The entire project needs to be categorized for different phases like: Planning Phase Execution Phase Close packed phase There are many phases in which every phase has there own review process and also the end. The important milestone event is been marked in the starting or at the end of every event with some of the series of its events where the main thing is to complete the major stage. For a successful project we need to meet some criterias. They are: Impermanent: The project has a beginning and the end where the project has a purpose. Uniquely: Though projects are similar but the planning might have their own elements which are same or else different. The computer system needs to implement the hardware for the project management the best technique we need to apply for activity to meet the definition of the project. The actual market plan. The budget needs to be corporate. The human resources needs developing and upgrade of policies and manually. The customer related management system is used to design and install. There will be over hauling of response of bid system. The annual audit needs to be prepared. The consultant needs to be engaged and been hired. SCOPE: The project is to be defined, the audience need to be targeted, the customer and the recipient also needs to be defined. STAKEHOLDERS: The project is been affected by the individuals and also the organisations GOALS: Goals need to be return clearly and in detail where the stack holders need to sign off before the execution is commenced to avoiding the confusion further. PLANNING: Doing a project without a plan is impossible because for controlling a project we need a plan which should be executed by the people who needs to involve through out the project. The documentation needs to be proper and accurate as it is the important task for the project management. Stack holders need to be signed off in the project plan in the meeting. The stack holders need to sign the change order form in which the range is being recorded to the project. The statement need to be developed for the large projects where the objectives are being established. The customer satisfaction of the project is the primary objective which should be written and is being placed in the project. The main objective is to contain the actual deadlines is being specified within some months. ESTIMATING TIME AND COST: To reduce the risk the time is to be reduced based on the available person who works on the project and arranges the meeting and other required things. Account chart is used for tracking the labour costs which results reducing the time to record the delay of accuracy. The Gantt chart is more useful for seeing the responsible tasks. SCHEDULING: It considers both the task duration and the work must be done in sequence. The work is broken down into levels which need to develop and estimated sufficiently to be intended accurately. The plain should not be more details where you can manage. As we know Bar chart is equal to Giant chart where bar charts doesnt show inter relations in the work, that dont allow the easy way of analysis of impact of the project in which the activity slips of the software will show the holidays and the vacations of the work extended in order to time access on their impact. ORGANISATION: The organisation needs to have their own structure during their plan and the project needs to have perfect staff. The project has a structure which is hierarchical disadvantages while running the multi discipline projects. Project management has matrix which is synonymous this deal with many kinds of disciplines. The success of this matrix needs to require a very good skills which are inter personal on all parts of the managers. PROJECT MANAGER: A leader not only looks like a manager but he needs the skills of the people which are important. The skills of them are negotiable the flexibility are very important attributes. Any project doesnt work according to the plan where the project manager needs some adjustments in it. The problems need to be resolved territory. To avoid this conflict the technical problems will only make them to build and get faster. Here the communications is very critical for the project manager who often bridges a gap in between the technical stack holders and stack holders who are non technical. Project manager needs to be friendly with everybody and he should not be friend for anyone if he needs to lead the project in correct path. The decision is very important for deciding the time, cost and budget. NON FINANCIAL INFORMATION: This includes man different things namely he defining of the task, sequence of the task, task scheduling, task planning resource for all the people who are well equipped, planning of the organisation, identification of the risk, planning of the quality, task staffing, task reporting, solving of task problems and finally the task change control. FINANCIAL INFORMATION: projects generally have a financial factor where the limitation of cost estimates the budgets and shows how to have control over the cost. Project manager needs to interact with the organisation and also with outside agencies regarding the resources after that they will be the stack holders for the project. In this situation the manager has independence to manage and reports when they use which would be in their control throughout the project. [5] [6] STEPS RECOMMENDED IN SELECTING A PROJECT MANAGER IN FUTURE: There are 10 steps for a project manager to follow for the future development of the project. INSPIRES A SHARED VISION: A project leader will be effective when he has a vision of what he doing and the ability to over come the problems. The change is been able to draw the boundaries. A leader needs to have lifts up that gives the reason for the vision and also the spirit to change. The leaders visionary enables the people feel very real stake in their project. The people empower the experience vision that explores the vision which means that their jobs are part of future vision in the organisation. GOOD COMMUNICATOR: The people who have the ability for communicating in all levels namely the second most important skill are for the project managers and also the team members. The leader needs to have the clear communication regarding the goals, performances, responsibilities and have more expectations with feed backs. There is a great value deal which places openness directly. The project leader is linked with the large organisation. The leader needs to have the ability of effective use of persuasion when it is necessary for ensuring the team success of the project. The effective communication of the project leader will support the team individual by achieving and also creating the guidelines that results for achieving the career with advancements of the team members. INTEGRITY: The project leader needs to remember some important things for setting the team. The leadership will be good but the demands need to be committed and the demo of the ethical practises needs to be there. The ethical behaviour of these type pf standards is well rewarded by the project leaders based on their responsibility and practice. The leadership needs to be motivated by serving the self interest of the team. The integrity of the leadership represents a set of values which has less values to share, and the behaviour need to be consistent with all the values that is dedicated honestly with team members. The leader need to be like a walks to the talk which brings the trust in process earns. ENTHUSIASM: All the leaders should have a plain and simple character but should not have a negative thought which brings the public down. We need the leaders to be enthusiastic and needs a attitude that makes us to step into a invigorate journey by that we needs to feel very lively. We usually follow the people who have a attitude of doing but not like the giving 200 useless reasons that doesnt work. The leaders need to be enthusiastic for their commitment towards the goals that they optimise. Leader ship is something which emerges and also expresses the confidence of their commitment towards the project and also for others who wants to share their optimistic area of expectations. This enthusiasm is very much contagious and also needs to have a effective leaders who know this very well. EMPATHY: Empathy is a word which is similar to the word sympathy. These two looks like similar but sympathy is a word according to the subject principle that absorbs other feelings and is protected into that object which has less concern towards the reality and also the validity of that special object. Empathy is another word that exists when a object is separated by the individual that entitles others feelings and also emotions. COMPETENCE: The project leader needs to have a technical ability in the core area of technology business. Project management has a continues recognition in the field itself which will be chosen based on the ability of the successful lead rather on technical as per the past. It is having the track record to win the way which is known as competent. The skills needed for the leadership is to have the ability for challenge, inspiring capability, model to encourage leaders for seeing a capable leader. ABILITY TO DELEGATE TASKS: the relationship between the project leader and the team needs to be essential. By using the actions we can demonstrate the trust for checking and having control on the work to delegate and allow people to participate. All the individuals who cannot able to trust the other people often fail like leaders and remain like small managers who will end up their work by themselves. According to project management always a good leader will be little bit lazy and being interested in some perspectives. COOL UNDER PRESSURE: In this world all the projects are delivered according to time, budget overcoming all the major obstacles or problems. Now one is living in the perfect world which doesnt have problems. A leader needs to have a hard attitude that needs to handle all these problems. When they face a event which is stressful and considered to be interesting will feel to influence and the outcomes looks like an opportunity. Out of all these uncertainty the change in chaos will rise up the leaders to articulate the image of future that pulls the project to close. TEAM-BUILDING SKILLS: It is defined as the person who is strong provides the team to hold together for the general purpose that is a right work. For the progress of the team the group needs strangers who have single unit of cohesiveness for the leader who understands the process that is required for transformation. Every one needs to know exactly the style of leadership during every stage throughout the developing team. Here the leader needs to understand about the team workers styles and should know how to maintain and be a capital throughout the time and handles the problem. PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS: The leadership should be effective and needs to know how to share the problem and handle the responsibilities in the team that usually expect from the project leaders who have skill of excellent way to solving the problem by themselves. They have fresh and creative type of response that is heard now as opportunities which are not much concerned by others performances. [1][2][3] ADVICE GIVEN TO C.E.O: Every CEO need to follow some steps for the successful project. There needs to be a continuous gradual improvement in the project. The CEO will be happy rarely because among them there needs to be a better performance. There needs to be a obsession for lifelong learning that is read constantly by attending few seminars in groups and join that which inspires and also educate. The strategically ability is to think and perform the plans effectively which focus on both long and short term strategy that is executed and also keeps the company moving in better direction. The ability and desire is to be true towards the servant leader. This helps the team members to work for better tools, to improve the technology, the work need to be efficient with good clearer goals. In return the employees have the resource to view the employee success. CONCLUSION: Based on the current case study the project management is not completely successful due to the fewer funds from the government and the Good Programmers need to show their ability to serve 87 sites for all the systems with all the techniques that gives better performance for the XY Department.

The Decline of Morals and Morality in America Essay -- Expository Exem

America is in a Moral Decline      Ã‚  Ã‚   The founders of America believed that a popular government and its laws necessarily rested upon an underlying moral order that preceded both the state and man-made law. They referred to this transcendent moral order in the Declaration of Independence as "self evident truths" and "the laws of nature and of nature's god" (Barr pg. 211). For a republic to work, the founders thought, the people had to internally guided by commonly shared moral values. The founders viewed themselves as launching a great experiment: Could a free people retain a moral culture that would promote the self-discipline and virtues needed to restrain corruption? "We are still, in many ways, 'the shining city on the hill' for the rest of the world. What has sustained us over these two centuries has been our commitment to our great moral heritage" (Barr pg. 212). Today though, this "great experiment" appears threatened. According to a recent poll, 73 percent of Americans worry that the nat ion is experiencing a moral decline (Baker). They have the right to be concerned. For the last thirty years, a moral crisis has been brewing. It is undeniable that since the 60's, there has been a steady assault on traditional values. "Crime, broken homes, racial hatred, and problems related to sexual activity are on the rise" (Schuller). America's morals and culture are declining.    As reported in The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, since 1960, the population has increased 41 percent. The gross domestic product has nearly tripled; and total social spending by all levels of government has risen from 142.73 billion to 787.00 billion. During the same thirty-year period, there has been a 560 percent inc... .... Bennett, William J., The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators, The Heritage Foundation, 1993. Ehrenreich, Barbara, "Oh, Those Family Values," Time, July 18, 1994. Krauthammer, Charles, "Down with 'Family Values,'" U.S. News & World Report, October 17, 1994. Kristol, Irving, "The Coming 'Conservative Century,'" The Wall Street Journal, February 1, 1993. Murphey, Dwight D., "America's Civilizational Crisis: The Rise of Internal Barbarism," Conservative Review, vol. 4, no. 5, September/October 1993. Schuller, Robert A. (1997) In Search of Morality, How You Can Live a Fulfilling Life from the Inside Out [On-Line]. Available: http://www.fni.com/heritage/aug97/Bookshelf.html Thomas, Clarence, "The Rights Revolution and America's Urban Poor," Vital Speeches of the Day, June 15, 1994.

A Study Of The Negro Policeman: Book Review :: essays research papers

A Study of the Negro Policeman: Book Review Nicholas Alex, assistant professor of sociology at The City University of New York, holds a Ph.D. from the New School for Social Research and a B.S. from the Wharton School. He was formerly a research assistant with the Russell Sage Foundation, an instructor at Adelphi University, and has had working experience in his academic specialty-the sociology of professions and occupations-while an industrial engineer in the aircraft industry, later as business manager of the Walden School. This is his first book. In this book Alex made an effort to examine the peculiar problems of Negro policemen who live in an age which has not yet resolved to problem of inequality in an assertedly democratic society. He drawn heavily on the reflections of forty-one Negro policemen who made plain to me the difficulties involved in being black in blue. Alex was concerned with the ways in which the men were recruited into the police, the nature of their relations in regard to their immediate clientele, their counterparts, and the rest of society. In the broadest terms, the book examines the special problems that Negro policemen face in their efforts to reconcile their race with their work in the present framework of American values and beliefs. The research for the study was based on intensive interviews collected over a period of eleven months, from December 1964 to October 1965. During that time the author talked with Negro police engaged in different types of police specialties, and men of different rank and backgrounds. Alex was interested in preserving their anonymity, and substituted code numbers for names. The language in which their thoughts were expressed is unchanged. Most of the interviews were obtained either at the policeman's home or the authors. Some were held in parks, playgrounds, and luncheonettes. All of the interviews were open-ended. All the policemen refused to have there conversations taped. "I know too well what tapes can do to you," said one. "I can refute what you write down on that pad, but I can't if it's taped. We use tapes too, you know." The author was dealing with a highly expressive and literate group of men who thought of the study as a way in which they could make themselves heard. This book is organized very well. It consist of eight chapters, and each chapter is broken into subdivisions. The first chapter talks about the policemen in the community. Within this chapter mainly describes the police as and occupation, and states how the policemen's job is uncertain. The second chapter deals with the recruitment of Negroes for police work.

Building Effective Teams

Work teams of all types are being empowered to perform tasks that previously were employees’ responsibility. As organizations move toward more highly empowered work teams, the organizations that invest resources to train teams can increase both team and organizational effectiveness. Management often rushes to form work teams without considering how the behaviors needed for effective team work differ from those needed for effective individual contributions. Team members may receive little or no training to ensure that they can perform the required tasks and achieve the goals set.Communication Issues in Situations 1. Not informing other departments of status and updated schedules. Improving communication in organization involves more accurate encoding, transmitting, decoding and updating at the interdepartmental level. People can overcome barriers to effective communication. They must first be aware that barriers exist and can cause serious organizational problems. Then they mus t be willing to invest the effort and time necessary to overcome the barriers. When departments do not communicate or update the status of information, then, there will be confusion in the process.To avoid this, employees must be able to follow up to determine whether important messages have been understood. Feedback doesn’t have to be verbal; in fact, actions often speak louder than words. The sales manager who describes desired changes in the monthly sales planning report receives feedback from the report itself when it is turned in. If it contains the proper changes, the manager knows the message was received and understood. Managers who tell everyone to see the big picture often create a serious communication overload.Rather than trying to keep everyone involved, top-level management need follow the â€Å"need-to-know† principle transmitting communication and updating people in other areas of the organization that need the necessary information. Sometimes it is use ful to regulate the flow of information and procedures that need to be brought to the attention of the people in the other departments. As long as performance falls within the acceptable range, the regular procedures aware followed. Misunderstandings and confusion can be reduced when adequate and timely feedback of information is done.Information must always be updated. Feedback mechanisms and reporting systems need to be established so managers know whether their messages have been understood, accepted and followed. Sometimes, a useful technique here is to manage the timing of messages so they are received in an orderly manner. This principle is similar to the procedure many executives use in responding to their in-basket. Incoming mail is sorted into piles of related topics. A similar procedure can be used, to some extent, with verbal communication where specific time periods are scheduled for discussing a specific topic.â€Å"Knowledge work is a process requiring knowledge from both internal and external sources to produce a product that is distinguished by its specific information content† (Kappes and Thomas). 2. Blaming between people of different races This is a big communication barrier that needs immediate remedy. When one has a grudge against someone, he tends to make that someone responsible for everything he finds wrong. When a person in one department blames someone, his desire to judge and punish is often what is at work.Someone blames another hen he is angry because the action made things turn out differently than he wished—if not through his words, then through his manner and tone of voice. One can put all the responsibility for what happened to him, in a way that implies what he did was â€Å"wrong† or â€Å"bad. † Moreover, blame breeds resentment. â€Å"it’s your fault! † is a red-flag phrase. It is to a person what a matador’s cape is to a bull. The hooker in blame is that smidgen of truth in what one said or implied. One can seldom say, â€Å"That’s just what you feel-it has nothing to do with me.† When a person’s blamer goes to work, it is very canny. It knows exactly where to go zap, where to pick out that nasty kernel of truth. A put-down artist is an expert at zeroing in on where you feel bad about oneself and making him feel even smaller there. Two messages get mixed up in blame: one party’s statement of how he feels (I’m angry and disappointed†) and one’s evaluation of the other party (â€Å"Scum like you shouldn’t be aloud to work in this company. †). The feelings about the situation are often hidden in the â€Å"you-are-bad† message, instead of being said straight out.One-way blaming in the organization is overcome is help open up communication between two blaming departments. Members of these departments must also be reminded that they need to take responsibility for their part in what happene d. 3. Lack of standardization among terms used with different departments. This signifies uniform and consistent procedures or knowledge of terms that employees are to follow in doing their jobs. They must be aware of not only the terms used in the different departments but also the written procedures, job descriptions, instructions, rules and regulations to standardize the routine aspects of jobs.Standards among terms used with different departments allow people to reinforce values important to the organization’s success. This approach may seem mechanical, but if terms were not standardized, many organizations couldn’t achieve their goals and will have confusion of meanings in the process. Terms serve to bind as well as to separate departments. Terms sometimes block more than they reveal. They can prevent a true look. One is unlikely ever to know the whole truth of something. Someone else may see or touch a thing in a different way than one does, and know another side of it.An idea or statement, or concept is true to the degree that it helps one accurately experience the thing or event it represents. Some of the terms team members use are: free riding which means that a member does not contribute fully to team performance but still sharing in team rewards despite making less effort than the others; groupthink which is an agreement-at-any-cost mentality that results in ineffective work team decision-making and may lead to poor solutions; productive controversy which occurs when team members value different points of view and seek to draw them out to facilitate creative problem-solving (Hellriegel et al 1996).Dryer and Ericksen (March 2004) propose that human behaviors in high-reliability organizations can affect organizational performance. They examine several Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) strategies that engender and reinforce certain human behaviors that in turn can result to reliability in organizations that â€Å"operate under t rying conditions, i. e. , those that manage complex and interdependent systems subject to substantial external volatility. † They believe reliability in organizations (like mining firms) is a â€Å"critical process-based† measure of organizational performance (Dryer and Ericksen, 2004).Communication Strategy Team discussions are important. This is crucial especially in discussing feelings for these reflect the emotional climate of a tram. The four feelings most likely to influence work team effectiveness and productivity are the feelings of trust, openness, freedom and interdependence. The more these feelings are present, the more likely the work team will be effective and the members will experience satisfaction. These feelings probably are present in a formal or informal group to which one belongs if they agree with the following statements:– Trust- Members have confidence in each other. – Openness – Members are really interested in what others ha ve to say. – Freedom – Members do what they do out of a sense of responsibility to the group, not because of a lot of pressure from others. – Interdependence – Members coordinate and work together to achieve common goals. Indeed, in organizations, departments can easily get into trouble when they forget that they are sometimes dealing with abstractions, and then act as though they were concrete things and events. REFERENCES Dryer, L. and Ericksen, J. (March 2004).Towards a Strategic Human Resource Management Model of High Reliability Organization Performance: A Working Paper. Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, Cornell School of Labor and Industrial Relations. Retrieved Oct. 30, 2006 at: http://www. ilr. cornell. edu/depts/cahrs/downloads/pdfs/workingpapers/WP04-02. pdf Hellriegel, D. Jackson S. and Slocum, J. (1996). Management. USA: International Thomson Publishing. Kappes, S. and Thomas, B. A Model for Knowledge Worker Information Support. Know ledge Worker Information Management. Retrieved Oct. 30, 2006 at: http://www. cecer. army. mil/kws/kap_supp. htm Building Effective Teams Building a global-based team is not as easy as building a new internal team in the company. There are many things to be considered. Creating a single team composed of different nationalities with different cultures should be done with thorough research and full attention. Several factors need to be looked at and taken into consideration to build an effective global team working together despite the geographical barriers. A good mix of international team members can only be obtained if the right criteria in the selection are correctly set.The rest of this paper discusses some of the criteria that would best help in the purpose of building a global-based team working effectively towards a common goal. Selecting Global Sales Team Members As an HR Manager tasked to come up with an effective global sales team, there should be some criteria that would better facilitate the selection of team members. Some of these criteria can be the following: †¢ Each member should be open to the fact of working with other members from other countries. †¢ The member should have a proven record of being responsible and reliable in their jobs especially when it comes to important tasks or assignments.†¢ Excellent communication skills, especially when it comes to dealing with business projects and endeavors, need to be exhibited by the global team member. †¢ The member should have a sense of independence and organization. Working in a global-based team means a possibility of working in a virtual environment where members are not directly supervised by a manager. The member should be able to work on his own at times and organized enough to be able to manage his own time in order to accomplish all the deliverables on time.As mentioned, if a global sales team is desired, there is a possibility that the members will work together in a virtual environment. With this in mind, I would probably decide on building a team composed of highly experienced professionals with prove n and excellent track record. These professionals should also exhibit the criteria and characteristics mentioned above. All of those things are necessary in building an effective global sales team. As the manager who is in charge of building the team, I would ensure that every member of the team is aware of the team’s nature.They should be briefed when it comes to differing time zones, languages, culture and work ethics of each member since they belong to different nationalities. The members of this global team should fully and clearly understand the objectives and goals of the global team. Since the members do not work in just a single location, they should exhaust all possible means of communication. With today’s technology, working in a virtual team, with members located in all parts of the globe, is now easy because of all the advanced means of communications easily available to anyone just like email, mobile phones and internet telephony.An effective communication is crucial in the success of any global-based team. For a global team to build trust and integrate well with each other, Mitchell (2000, p. 162) said that â€Å"team members [should] realize that each culture has much to offer. The team [should] take the best from each culture and mold them into a team personality that reflects the diverse nature of team members. † References Mitchell, C. (2000). A Short Course in International Business Culture. Novato, CA: World Trade Press.

Chocolate vs. coffee Essay

A. There are many people who drink coffee every day. But do they live a healthy life? One of my relations – my father- is ‚coffee addicted‘. (Almost) Every morning, except of pure water or some fresh juice, he drinks coffee. Also, in every restaurant he goes to the first thing he orders is piccolo coffee with milk. That’s far from enough, don’t you think so? I’m really afraid about his health, especially because he is extreme smoker also. And so I’ll try to persuade at least you, that drinking coffee more then 3 times a day is unbelievably unhealthy. It’s because: B. Coffee is quite popular drink, however. There are further arguments for the coffee, for example it can lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and colon cancer and it prevents cavities. But it’s not a hundred percent sure. The fact is that if you drink more then 3 little cups of coffee per day it is more harmful then healthful. And it’s not healthy to drink coffee if you didn’t reach 18 years, until this age it has only few beneficial effects. But I think its good argument and really supporting fact. I was really surprised and quite shocked when I read the information I found on one webpage: â€Å"People who smoke and are heavy drinkers have less heart disease and liver damage when they regularly consume large amounts of coffee compared to those who don’t, â€Å"(http://men. webmd. com/features/coffee-new-health-food). That was really surprising for me; I never thought that something like this can be true. I’m really delighted to this and I’m happy that something like this was proved. Thanks to this I’ll support my father in drinking of this caffeine drink. There’s also some idea that coffee helps to control attacks of asthma when medication isn’t available. That’s a valid point, but it wasn’t proved yet, so it doesn’t have to be true. Another argument for coffee may be proved by anyone who drinks coffee quite often: Coffee improves our mood. I can prove this also eve I don’t drink coffee very often. And if we won’t drink too much of it, it can give us the appropriate amount of energy we need to finish the project, even we are really tired. To reach these effects, we have to drink 2 cups of coffee at least. C. But even coffee has many effective beneficial effects on our health, chocolate it much better (I think). There are further arguments against coffee, for example, even thought coffee is a drink, you will be even thirstier after drinking it. Chocolate is good for our arteries while coffee (at least the amount of caffeine it contains) damages them. Chocolate contains cocoa flavonoids (natural antioxidants) which keep the blood from making too thick and sticky and raise our good cholesterol, I think this negligible benefit. Some studies shown, that chocolate also lowers person’s blood pressure and so the risk of heart attack and heart diseases decreases. It’s also generally known chocolate helps our body to produce endorphins. The healthiest type of chocolate is dark chocolate. White chocolate is not very healthy at all. And I don’t like it. It tastes like vanilla and in many cases it’s really tasteless. Also milk chocolate isn’t so healthy; even it’s my favorite one. But back, to the dark chocolate. It lowers high blood pressure. Dark chocolate is also essential antioxidant. Studies have shown that milk can interfere with the absorption of vitamins and antioxidants from dark chocolate. D. At the end of this writing my state of view is different in some way, but I always prefer chocolate. But I really didn’t think that coffee has so many beneficial effects and that it’s so helpful. I just thought its only tasty mould. But I found out, it is also quite healthy. But anyway, chocolate is better. It tastes better and it helps us produce endorphins better then coffee. And another benefit is that you can take it anywhere you want. With coffee it’s a little problem. But don’t forget that there is a limit for everything. BIBLIOGRAPHY http://men. webmd. com/features/coffee-new-health-food http://www. webmd. com/diet/news/20030827/dark-chocolate-is-healthy- chocolate http://www. sciencenews. org/articles/20040529/food. asp.

Samsung Electronics Strategic Analysis

The strategy of Samsung Samsung’s strtegy has many admirable things to learn . One of the point to make the success of Samsung is its managers interested in long-term growth rather than short-term profit. .Strategic thinking of the Samsung Group is focused on developing target market and making a huge bet on them. That ‘s the reason we don’t mention the short-term stratgy of Samsung bacause it isn’t the main point of Samsung;strategy and we can learn just a little thing from it. Come back to the long-term strategy of Samsung, we can devide it to 2 periods.Before the lawsuit with Apple Unlike other Android phone makers, Samsung chose a very different way which is competing head-to-head with Apple in the high-end smartphone segment, by creating products that have a similar design to the iPhone but do not forget to â€Å"put effort† for the low-range smartphone in order to control market share and create great motivation for the Galaxy’s brand na me. While its competitors like Apple concentrated on creating new innovative products, Samsung waited their competitors test the market and then they determine the most suitable time to break into.It created the similar smartphones with those of other companies but better, faster and cheaper. When taking part in , Samsung will dominate the market with a series of models with various improvements that competitors can not keep up . This strategy has an interesting name in Vietnam :â€Å"di t? t, don d? u†. With this strategy, Samsung has many advantages when it has known the strengths or the wickness points to make the success and failure of its competitors.So it can decrese the risk when taking part in the market. After the lawsuit with Apple After having created a buzz in the market, Samsung started to follow their own direction that the Galaxy S III is the most typical example. No one can complain about the copyrihts when they compared the Galaxy S III to the iPhone 4S or iP hone 5. With products like the Galaxy S III or Galaxy Note, no one dared to say that Samsung copies competitors, they just rely on its opponents to make innovative products.

Hobbes and Locke: Social Contract Essay

Thomas Hobbes and John Locke held contrasting theories on how government should limit the rights of men, which they referred to as the social contract. Thomas Hobbes’ theory of the social contract is that a government should have complete discretion over the limitations of men’s rights, while Locke’s theory is that a social contract is necessary, but the rights limited should be solely for the protection of property. Thomas Hobbes’ theory of the social contract is that men should give up all of their rights to an absolute government for the protection of their lives. He writes in Chapter 14 of Leviathan that â€Å"man [should] be willing †¦ for peace and defence of himself †¦ to lay down this right to all things †¦. â€Å" (Hobbes 161). He concludes by describing the motive for man handing over rights as being for his security (Hobbes 162). John Locke’s theory is that the social contract should limit the rights of man only to protect his property. In Chapter 9 Locke describes his theory that man joins the social contract â€Å"only with an intention †¦ to preserve †¦ [his] property† (Locke 171). Locke contrasts with Hobbes where he writes in Chapter 7 of Of Civil Government that anyone that thinks that absolute government improves men should read the history of any age to be convinced otherwise (Locke 170). What role the social contract should have in the lives of men is subjective. Thomas Hobbes’ theory on the social contract holds that an absolute government is needed for the protection of men’s lives, while John Locke’s theory focuses on a limited government solely for the protection of men’s property. Works Cited Thomas Hobbes; â€Å"Leviathan†; The Arts 1000 Reader; Pearson 2007; pp 159-163 John Locke; â€Å"Of Civil Government†; The Arts 1000 Reader; Pearson 2007; pp 167-173.

The Issue of Images and Perceptions in Corporate Environment

The Issue of Images and Perceptions in Corporate Environment In today’s corporate environment the issue of images and perceptions are becoming more and more important. The top most executives have to perform their organization leadership tacks with a high degree of integrity.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Issue of Images and Perceptions in Corporate Environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Over the past few years we have seen the public and investor confidence fall due to poor leadership styles that don’t take the issue of ethics seriously. Some of the corporate debacles include Enron, Adelphia, WorldCom and Tyco just to mention a few. According Hackmam Johnson (2000 , 450) â€Å"it is the work of organizational members including executives to make sure that organizational goal and objectives are achieved in such a way that serves their own interests and the interests of the society at large.† Many cases of unethical leadership arise as a sourc e of conflict arise when there lacks an equilibrium between shareholder interest which is profitability, self interests, employee interests which often include perks and stock, options and the interest of the society. Ethics in business is a wide topic that may cover greed, neglect of duties, breach of confidentiality ,favoritism, by standing and failure to intervene when fouls are committed ,unfairness, unkindness, and harassment just to mention a few. Earlier in the 1990’s the topic of ethics and corporate social responsibility was not a very hot topic, but in todays post Enron environment it has become mandatory that top executives who are leaders of their various corporate companies to engage themselves more in ethical styles of leadership. The dangers that are related to cases that amount to lack of integrity are not taken lightly because they result to breach of trust of the public and dented investor confidence. Brown (2005 96) insists that leadership in ethics is all rounded and must cover the civic, environmental, organizational, interpersonal and cultural. According to Brown integrity is not integrity unless is consistent, purposeful, rational and all inclusive. In today’s business environment businesses strive to exhibit top class ethical behavior; this is mainly because of pressure from the government, shareholders and stakeholders. With the emergence of indices such as the FTSE4GOOD companies are merging the goals of their social responsibility charters together with all other organizational goals. Top executives are setting strategies that advocate for corporate citizenship amongst their employees communicating goals of these programs, motivating employees to stick to them. As situations in the environment changes leaders should also change with them according to the situation and the context.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn M ore The pressure to perform financially has lead to cooking of books and using of unorthodox accounting techniques that have lead to recent corporate debacles. By taking a look at the Rigas family owners of Adelphia which comprised of a father and two sons who were top executives in one of the largest cable companies in the world can paint a clear picture of what is considered ethical or not. The Ethisphere Institute published on 25/04/2010 its fourth annual list of what are considered the top most ethical organizations in the world today, this survey took a look at corporate citizenship, corporate governance, innovation towards public well being, integrity track record and reputation, and internal systems of ethics/ethics compliance programmes. On the other hand Xerox has exhibited exemplary leadership in ethics under their Anne M. Mulcahy who was their C.E.O 2001-2009. The Rigas family is well known to be amongst the biggest violators of ethics in corporate America, these executives are a symbol of poor ethical leadership and gross incompetence. It seems that the Rigas were unable to distinguish between what family was owned and what was publicly owned. Sashkin Sashkin (2003, 124) Ethics provide a foundation which enables an organization/corporate entity broaden their priorities far beyond the classical aims of profit maximization and shareholder enrichment. Therefore ethical matters have a big influence on other public sector organization and stakeholders for whom the issue of quality, cost management, honesty and accountability is vital. There may be no absolute rules, standards and controls that govern ethical leadership but Rigas went clearly overboard. John Rigas founder for Adelphia was jailed for 15 years together with his sons were taken to court and found guilty of wire and securities fraud, tax evasion and concealing financial statements. It is estimated that $ 3.1 billion was unaccounted for and that $2.3 billion in liabilities was concea led. The family further went ahead during their reign at Adelphia to purchase personal land, golf courses, and artwork and executive jets beside huge personal expenditure using funds from Adelphia. It seems they were unable to distinguish what belonged to the shareholders and what belonged to them as a family. According to Rest and Colleague’s model Yunus Webber (2007 56) in order to be ethical leaders must first of all be able to take look and analyze their actions by simulating the consequences of their behavior to come to a conclusion whether there is likely to be a negative or positive outcome to the relevant parties.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Issue of Images and Perceptions in Corporate Environment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This quality is known as moral sensitivity and is the first element in Rests Colleague’s model, the second element is moral judgment which allows a leader t he ability to choose between right and wrong, After leaders make a choice the next element is moral motivation which in turn tries to explain what inspires the action and finally the implementation of the action through ethical means takes place (Hackman Johnson, 2000, p.337). Diagram 1. Rest’s Model of Ethical Interpersonal Communication According to the model which is linear, a leader should go through each step at a time and when an issue arises then he/she should perform more analysis and consult his/her peers. According to the model it is therefore correct to conclude that John Rigas had a low moral sensitivity that lead to his despicable unethical actions. His actions did not only lead to financial downfall of Adelphia and loses to shareholders but also to unemployment of many workers, regulatory organizations such as the securities exchange commission were blamed together with other public oversight companies for failing to detect this problem early. Furthermore the trust of the public and investor confidence was weakened within America. (Show, 2004 89) On the other hand Xerox through its C.E.O Anne M. Mulcahy who was the company’s chief executive between 2001-2009.Is a company which has shown exemplary standards as far as the issue of leadership in ethics is concerned. The Ethisphere Institute named Xerox as the most ethical company in its second annual companies list in June 2008.Anne Mulcahy is the type of leader who inspires and transforms the organization by creating strategy that tries to strike a middle ground between financial goals and social goals of an organization.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Upon her entry as C.E.O Anne Mulcahy was preceded by many instances of unethical behavior in Xerox but as a determined leader she used her unique traits to turn the organization around. Using her charismatic and referent power she went ahead to marshal organizational support to insist upon good ethics from all employees by creating an ethics and compliance program that has brought Xerox to where it is today just as suggested by Ciulla (2004 148-175). The ethics and compliance program laid a code of conduct for business, for finance employees, board and directors and all other employees. It is therefore as a result of the good leadership style, traits that assigns tasks, and identifies individual needs and incorporates them into overall strategy that has assisted in outstanding ethics within the organization. (Carmichael, 2007 36) Inter-departmental systems of communication that consisted of memos, emails and the web were introduced to handle complaints, suggestions and communicate t he leadership’s intent towards ethics. Furthermore mandatory employee training of all employees, senior management and officers was made part of company policy thus bringing an ethical culture to Xerox. Introduction of systems that have resulted to ‘greening the supply chain’ and reverse logistics which insist on recycling and use of sustainable resources as well as calling back and replacing equipment that are considered unsuitable to the environment are some of the good ethics in Xerox. There exist many challenges in the field of ethics, some of which business executives hiding behind the law instead of knowing that ethics and the law are not the same thing Ciulla, (2004 30). There are plenty of business practices that are legal but at the same time unethical for example greed ,therefore organizations should implement leadership that will come up with various means of drawing a clear line of separating the two. The difference amongst personalities and different cultural diversities within the organization creates a challenge towards achieving ethical goals. Individuals vary from each other and therefore what is unethical to one person may be considered ethical to another individual. Therefore in summary ethics can only be a success if it is in the heart of leadership, without executives setting a clear path and leading from the front as far as ethics is concerned then, chances of failure increase. References Brown, MT, 2005, Corporate Integrity: rethinking organizational ethics and leadership, Cambridge University Press, New York. Carmichael, S, 2007, Business ethics: the new bottom line, Demos, London. Ciulla, JB, (2004), Ethics the heart of leadership, Praeger Publishers, 88 west road Westport. Hackman, M, Z, Johnson,C,E (2000), 3rd edn, Leadership: A communication perspective,Waveland Press Inc,Illinois. Sashkin M, Sashkin GM, 2003, Leadership that matters: the critical factors for making a difference in peoples’ lives, Marsha ll Berrett Koehler Publishers Inc, San Francisco. Show, WH, (2004) Business Ethics, 5th edn, Thompson/Wadswort, London. Yunus, M, Webber, (2007), Creating a world without poverty: social business and the future of capitalism, PublicAffairs, New York.

Impact of the recent soaring of food prices on food security and the risk of malnutrition in the horn of africa Essay Example

Impact of the recent soaring of food prices on food security and the risk of malnutrition in the horn of africa Essay Example Impact of the recent soaring of food prices on food security and the risk of malnutrition in the horn of africa Essay Impact of the recent soaring of food prices on food security and the risk of malnutrition in the horn of africa Essay ( Riely et al. , 1999, FAO, 2006 ) . There are 4 cardinal elements incorporated into this definition including nutrient handiness, nutrient entree, use and stableness ( FAO, 2006 ) . These imply that nutrient must be available in sufficient measure and quality either imported or produced, that there must be equal tools or pecuniary resources for its acquisition, that nutrient must be prepared and consumed in a alimentary and hygienic mode and eventually that the hazard of losing any of these elements should be continuously low. Thus lacks in any of these elements can take to nutrient insecurity. The GHA is a part that has suffered from long term nutrient insecurity. This part includes Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Dijibouti, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda every bit good as parts of the Central African Republic ( CAR ) and the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) . From the period 1988-2005 these states have faced critical nutrient insecurities that have required external nutrient aid for at least 10 or more old ages with Somaila, DRC, Ethiopia and Sudan confronting nutrient insecurities for the full continuance of that period i.e. 15 old ages or more ( FAO, 2006 ) . The causes of nutrient insecurity The GHA part continues to be nutrient insecure due to multiple factors. First drought and fickle rainfalls combined with deforestation have ruined dirt quality ensuing in reduced harvest outputs and grazing land for croping animate beings ( Riely et al. , 1999 ) . From February to September 2008 there was good below mean rainfall in many parts of the GHA bespeaking moderate to badly dry conditions in south-eastern Ethiopia, Somalia, Dijibouti and parts of Kenya ( FEWS_Net, 2008a, FEWS_Net, 2008b, FEWS_Net, 2008c ) . The below normal dirt wet degrees have led to the failure of the corn harvest in some parts of the GHA. In add-on, political instability and armed struggles make it progressively hard to set up and keep the appropriate market substructure to organize entree and distribution of nutrient to the population ( Riely et al. , 1999 ) . For illustration Somalia has merely late established a transitional national authorities after about a decennary embroiled in internal struggle ( 1991-2000 ) without a functioning authorities ( Bureau_of_African_Affairs, 2010 ) . This drawn-out struggle has led to around 980,000 internally displaced people who are unable to prosecute in economic activity and entirely dependent on external nutrient assistance. In add-on, the 2008 post-election force in Kenya resulted in nutrient insecurity for about 257,000 people due to internal supplanting ( FEWS_Net, 2008d ) . Thus the combination of these factors reduces the ability of the local population to obtain sufficient nutrient from local economic activity and increases dependance on international markets and assistance. The cost of nutrient is a major determiner of nutrient handiness and entree. The GHA part is a net importer of nutrient, particularly of cereals from international markets due to lacks in production capacity ( IFRC, 2008 ) . The period from 2006-2008 proverb record degrees of nutrient monetary value additions globally, particularly of cereals including rice and corn. The Food and Agricultural Organization ( FAO ) monetary value index for cereals increased by about 90 % from March 2007 to March 2008 and a more than 200 % addition since 2000 ( FAO, 2008 ) . Furthermore, despite overall additions in universe cereal production, the stock-to-utilization ratio of cereals remained comparatively low at 18.8 % ( FAO, 2008 ) . This has been attributed to hapless crops and high internal demand in major exporting parts such as Australia and the EU, every bit good as increased usage of harvests for bio-fuels ( ~100,000,000 metric tons globally in 2007/08 ) , therefore doing less cereal available for export ( FAO, 2008 ) . Furthermore, in the GHA part there were modest additions in domestic cereal production from 2006-2009, excepting a brief dip in 2007, from 33.9 million metric tons to 34.7 million metric tons. However, this was deficient to run into demands, partially due to the high population growing. Furthermore the import demands really increased for the part from 6,203,000 metric tons in 2007/08 to 6,577,000 metric tons in 2008/09 ( FAO, 2009 ) . In add-on, lifting fuel monetary values contributed to increased cargo costs for importing harvests and fertiliser. The monetary value of rough oil peaked at $ 147/barrel in July 2008 before worsening below $ 50 by the terminal of 2008 ( Human_Development_NetworkandPoverty_Reduction_and_Economic_Management_Network, 2008 ) . Therefore, a combination of deficient domestic production, reduced handiness on the international market every bit good the comparatively higher transit costs for importing have all contributed to driving the monetary value of nutrient high taking to nutrient insecurity. For illustration in Somalia the monetary value of imported rice and cereals went up by 200-400 % in 2007/08 ( Sheeran and Diouf, 2009 ) . In most of the GHA states where the bulk of household income is spent on nutrient, this has resulted in get bying schemes that could increase the hazard of hapless wellness and malnutrition. The increased hazard of malnutrition due to nutrient insecurity There is grounds that many people within the GHA are at hazard of malnutrition due to nutrient insecurity. Two parts most extremely at hazard are Somalia and Ethiopia ( Human_Development_Network and Poverty_Reduction_and_Economic_Management_Network, 2008 ) . The Food Security Analysis Unit Somalia ( FSAU-S ) reported in July 2007 that 6/18 parts were critical for their nutrition position with the bulk being either qui vive or serious, nevertheless by August 2008 all parts were either critical or badly critical ( FSAU-Somalia, 2008 ) . Very critical nutrition state of affairss are indicated by Global Acute Malnutrition ( GAM ) rates of above 15 % . Southern territories of Somalia were most badly affected including Bakool with a GAM rate of 24.1 % and 25.5 % in the agro-pastoral and pastoral populations severally every bit good as a GAM rate of 23.3 % and 25.5 % for the Gedo pastoral and riverine support zones, severally ( FSAU-Somalia, 2008 ) . In add-on, within many southern territo ries in Ethiopia surrounding Somalia, UNICEF estimated that 120,000 kids had less than 1 month to populate and that 6 million kids were at hazard of terrible acute malnutrition due to nutrient insecurity ( USAID, 2008 ) . Thus the hazard of malnutrition has increased during the period of the planetary nutrient crisis. It is of import to appreciate that high nutrient monetary values in themselves would non do malnutrition but they have exacerbated the hazard in a part already enduring from nutrient insecurity due to deficient production, civil agitation and hapless conditions. Malnutrition and the menace of famishment have forced people to follow get bying schemes which are farther detrimental to their nutritionary position and do it more hard for them to retrieve in the long term. Rising nutrient costs erode the people s buying power cut downing entree to sufficient measures of nutrient. Many people hence have to cut down their nutrient intake doing them to go ill-fed and less able to contend disease. There are cutbacks in the usage of dearly-won wellness and instruction services, which means that less healthy and economically productive populations will emerge in the long term, farther intensifying the growing chances of the part. ( Human_Development_Network and Poverty_Reduction_and_Economic_Management_Network, 2008 ) . Therefore early intercessions are critical to forestall malnutrition and irreparable harm to populations. Such populations are as a consequence less likely to be self-sufficing and more dependent on international nutrient assistance in t he hereafter. Decision The surging cost of nutrient due to monetary value additions during 2006-2008 has resulted in decreased entree to nutrient in the GHA part. This by and large nutrient insecure part has been unable to set to market conditions which have caused a rise in nutrient import measures ensuing in higher nutrient monetary values for domestic consumers. Furthermore at the single degree the decreased entree to nutrient has resulted in most domestic consumers non possessing the resources to keep a pre-crisis nutrient consumption. This has led to a undernourishment in parts of the GHA and get bying schemes that make long term recovery hard. It is hence critical for International assistance bureaus to organize a fast alleviation response in order to cut down the figure of people going malnourished and to forestall hard long term effects of undernourishment particularly for kids. This will intend that non merely more nutrient assistance be delivered but besides conflict declaration and agricultural investing so these states are better able to get by with dazes in the hereafter. Mentions BUREAU_OF_AFRICAN_AFFAIRS ( 2010 ) Background Note: Somalia. US Department of State. FAO ( 2006 ) Food Security. Food and Agricultural Organization Policy Brief. FAO ( 2008 ) Crop Prospects and Food Situation 2. Economic and Social Development Department, Food and Agricultural Organization. FAO ( 2009 ) Crop Prospects and Food Situation 3. Economic and Social Development Department, Food and Agricultural Organization. FEWS_NET ( 2008a ) Ethiopia Food Security Outlook. WFP ; USAID. FEWS_NET ( 2008b ) Hazards Impacts Assessment for Africa June 19 25, 2008. The USAID FEWS NET Weather. FEWS_Net ; USAID. FEWS_NET ( 2008c ) Hazards Impacts Assessment for Africa September 18 24, 2008. The USAID FEWS NET Weather. FEWS_Net ; USAID. FEWS_NET ( 2008d ) Post-election struggle causes utmost nutrient insecurity in rural countries, urban centres. Kenya Food Security Emergency. USAID. FSAU-SOMALIA ( 2008 ) Nutrition Update: Particular Focus on Gu 08. Food and Agricultural Organization. HUMAN_DEVELOPMENT_NETWORK A ; POVERTY_REDUCTION_AND_ECONOMIC_MANAGEMENT_NETWORK ( 2008 ) Rising Food and Fuel Monetary values: Addressing the hazards to future coevalss. The World Bank. IFRC ( 2008 ) Horn of Africa: Exceeding nutrient security crisis. Operationss Update. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies. RIELY, F. , NANCY MOCK, COGILL, B. , BAILEY, L. A ; KENEFICK, E. ( 1999 ) Food Security Indicators and Framework for Use in the Monitoring and Evaluation of Food Aid Programs. Food and Nutrition Technical aid. Office of Health and Nutrition, USAID. SHEERAN, J. A ; DIOUF, J. ( 2009 ) Food Aid for Emergency Relief and Protection of Livelihoods. Somalia Emergency Operation 10812.0. World Food Programme. USAID ( 2008 ) Global Food Insecurity and Price Increase update # 3. USAID.

The Major Causes of American Involvement in WWI. essays

The Major Causes of American Involvement in WWI. essays There were several causes for American involvement in World War One. The United States policy in 1914 embraced issues concerning strict isolationism and neutrality. Although the United States hoped they would sustain their neutrality, they also thought it was essential for the U.S. to trade with disadvantaged Allies. Furthermore, the causes of United States involvement into World War One extended due to factors such as, banking interests with the allies, German authoritarianism, Wilsonian idealism, unrestricted submarine warfare, and the Zimmerman Telegram. The contributions of all these dilemmas eventually lead to the United States entering the First World War on April 2nd, 1917. After taking into consideration all the causes for the United States participation into World War One, I believe the most persuasive act that motivated the U.S. to move into the war would be the Zimmerman Telegram, simply because it was their last straw. The other factors greatly impacted the U.S., however the Zimmerman Telegram was bound to create enough friction for the United States to finally act upon what they had originally hoped to steer clear of. The unrestricted submarine warfare created conflict when the Germans issued the U-boat policy, which meant that they would not warn enemy vessels for their forthcoming explosions and as a result, they would fire at any ship whether it was an enemy merchant ship or allied vessels disguised as neutral ships, they were to enter at their own risk. It was inevitable, for the Americans had to fight back, especially after the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7th, 1915, given that it did kill 128 Americans and a year later with the sinking of the French channel streamer the Sussex. This infuriated the Americans, and on February 24th 1917, everything turned from bad to worse. Walter Hines Page, United States ambassador to Great Britain, transmits to th...

buy custom Linear and Mathematical Programming Use in the Petroleum Refineries essay

buy custom Linear and Mathematical Programming Use in the Petroleum Refineries essay Mathematical programming was used in the petroleum industry for the first time 40 years ago to manage various tasks and processes; moreover, it was actively used in management of such tasks in the 1990s. However, before the invention of computers its use was limited and it could only be used when there was the need to solve a few problems that involved hand applications (Prn, Harjunkoski Westerlund, 1999). The major events that culminated in the use of mathematical programming include the introduction of the simplex algorithm by Dantzig in the 20th century and the invention of electronic computers. As a result of introduction of the simplex algorithm in 1947, an area of programming called linear programming was created and it was used in a number of mathematical applications such as operations research. In 1949, other applications were developed and started to be used in management of tasks related to the petroleum industry. Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Model for Gasoline Blending and Distribution scheduling During mixed integer programming, it is assumed that perfect mixing can be achieved at the blend header and that the changeover time between various products can be neglected. The scheduling model involves the use of a number of constraints such as material balance constraint (Prn, Harjunkoski Westerlund, 1999). This constraint states that the amount of product s in tank j at the previous event should not be higher than the amount of products stored in tank j. The following formula is used to obtain material balance:Pst(s,j,+1) = Pst(s,j,n) + Blnd(s,j,n) -lift(I,j,n) Another constraint used is the allocation constraint which states that when the amount of product j is not zero at point n, that is lift (I,j,n) =0 otherwise (Quesada Grossmann, 1995). To ensure task splitting is not experienced, the constraint above is processed only once when the case of a small order is involved. In some cases, it can be processed three times. Another constraint used is the demand constraint which is used to determine the amount of processed materials that can be contained in a particular tank at a particular time when the products are lifted from stock tanks (Ramage, 1998). In order to understand this constraint, the formula used is:uv(I,j,n)=Prod-ord(I,s) In addition, the sequence constraint is used. This constraint enables understanding of the sequences in which orders should be processed and the time at which processing should start and end. Viscosity in the tanks can be understood by applying the viscosity constraint which can be represented by the following formula:VISCt= (MIUV XQC) It should be understood that this equation is non-linear and thus hard to solve. However, when suitable mathematical treatments are provided to the equation, it is possible to derive an exact linear program model. Application of Mathematical Programming Language during Supply of Oil, Blending, Product Distribution and Refinery Planning An example of mathematical programming language that can be used to describe the process of supply, blending and distribution of oil is the matrix method (Rigby, Lasdon Waren, 1995). This is where matrices that represent supply and those that represent constraints are used so that an optimized problem solution can be obtained. For instance, in the equation below, B1, B2 and B3 represent supply, blending and distribution constraints in the order in which they appear while A1, A2 and A3 represent the associated constraints of supply, blending and distribution in the order in which they are listed. As a result of the use of this mathematical program, it is possible to understand the dimensions of the resulting optimizations. Z*= min c1X1 + C2X2 + c3X3So that B1X1 b1B2X2b2A1x1 + A2x2 + A3x3 0X1. x2 . x3 0 The above equation can be used during Liquid Petroleum gas (LPG) processing in a refinery when the raw material is fed into the heating tower so that the capacity of the heating tower can be understood and also during operation of the column such as during separation of the raw material into sub-components of petroleum such as butane and other byproducts of petroleum refinery. Improving Oil Refinery Productivity Through Enhanced Crude Blending Using LP Model In order to improve refinery productivity, it is important to ensure that optimum requirements during blending stage are established and the right mathematical and programming techniques are used to understand these requirements. For instance, programming languages such as Matlab can contribute towards understanding of the required resources so that there is no resource wastage (Shah, 1996). In addition, understanding of constraints such as the amount of a product to be stored in a tank can facilitate establishment of the right tank sizes to be used. It is recommended that linear programming tools are used in both long-term planning and daily scheduling of petroleum refining operations. However, there has been lack of consistency between the LP models and actual operations (Steinschorn Hofferl, 1997). This is due to the effects of market forces and constraints in the internal environment. However, if linear programming tools are used it is possible to identify and quantify these variations. The use of LP tool ensures that optimum objectives are achieved in the refinery scheme and costs of production are reduced. However, other planning techniques can contribute to the efficiency of oil refining activities such as planning and scheduling, receiving of products and finished products, designing processes aimed at controlling bottlenecks, coming up with optimum methods of operation that result into generation of optimum profits and coming up with a method of production that results into minimal operating costs. Buy custom Linear and Mathematical Programming Use in the Petroleum Refineries essay