Interview Questions and Answers - 16418 Words

The Best Answers to Tough Interview Questions Tell me about yourself. This is really more of a request than a question. But these few words can put you on the spot in a way no question can. Many quickly lose control of the interview during the most critical time- the first five minutes. This is not the time to go into a lengthy history or wander off in different directions. Your response should be focused and purposeful. Communicate a pattern of interests and skills that relate to the position in question. Consider your response to this question as a commercial that sells your autobiography. Provide an answer that includes information about where you grew up, where you went to school, your initial work experience, additional education and†¦show more content†¦Such responses indicate a lack of long-term interest since you do not plan to be around for long. While some may respond that they honestly havent really thought that far ahead, the interviewer infers that the applicant lacks vision and goals. Describe a major goal youve set for yourself recently. Give an example of a goal you both set and achieved. Ideally, this should be a professional goal; such as improved time management skills, achieved new performance targets, or learned a new skill. A personal example can also be appropriate if it reinforces your pattern of accomplishments. For example, if you take a great deal of initiative and quickly move into leadership positions, you might use a personal example relating to your recent community work: organized a community walk-a-thon that raised $30,000 in matching funds to purchase new computers for the local library. Talk about results of achieving your goal. This indicates you set realistic goals and that you can focus on outcomes. Select an example that has interesting outcomes related to your efforts. The example should showcase your skills and abilities. Now that youve had a chance to learn more about us, what would you change about our company? Be careful here. Most companies dont want you to come in and shake up the place. At the same time, they dont want someone who says, Nothing, everything looks great here. Seek a middle ground by focusing on one or twoShow MoreRelatedJob Interview Questions and Sample Answers1444 Words   |  6 PagesAds Strong Interview Answers www.InterviewSuccessFormula.com The 3 Things You Should Never Say in a Job Interview. Check Them Out! Best Interview Answers www.InterviewAdvisers.com Secrets to Help You to Get Hired in Your Next Job Interview. Start Now! The Best Interview Answer CareerConfidential.com/FreeEbook Answers Top 50 Interview Questions DownLoad Free Ebook Now. See More About job interview questions and answers job interviews interview questions job interview tips Ads How To Speak EnglishRead MoreEssay on How to Answer Any Interview Question1059 Words   |  5 PagesHow to Answer Any Interview Question Dont be rattled by your next job interview. Its possible to answer any question that comes your way. How? By preparing and knowing how to direct the conversation to the topics you want to cover. To start, take a tip from consultants who coach executives and politicians on how to handle media interviews. These trainers say you can deliver the message you want to an employer, regardless of the question youre asked. Most people dont realize that theirRead MoreInterview Question and Answer for Sap Sd10206 Words   |  41 Pagesproject tasks. By extension, you get a handy forecast of your overall project costs. Youll also learn how to review planned costs for tasks, resources, and assignments, so you can analyze costs at the level of granularity you need. Frequently Asked Question: Fixed Costs vs. Cost ResourcesWhen should I use a fixed cost instead of a cost resource?Before Project 2007, when cost resources were but a gleam in Bill Gatess eye, the fixed cost field was the best way to include travel costs, printing costsRead MoreInterview questions and answers for house manager and waiter/waitress985 Words   |  4 Pages1) Interview Question Ideal Answer (a) Waiter/ Waitress Question 1: What attitude should waiters/ waitresses have? Answer 1: We should always greet customers with a smile and should also have good manners to everyone. Justification 1: Leaving personal matters at home, being work-minded when u go to work, and having a good attitude is the aspects that a professional require to have. Additionally, having a good attitude means being polite, puncture and considerate. Question 2: What wouldRead MoreMost Basic and Frequently Asked Interview Questions and Answers10148 Words   |  41 PagesMost Basic and Frequently Asked Interview Questions and Answers 1. Tell me something about yourself 2. Why should we hire you? Or how can u say that you are the right candidate? 3. Why BPO/ (company name)? 4. What are your strengths and weaknesses? 5. What are your short term and long term goals? 6. What are your contributions in order to meet the goals of our company? 7. Tell me about your native place. 8. Tell me about your college days. 9. Can u explain about Child labour/Corruption/Poverty? 10Read MoreInterview Questions and Answers: Recall a Service You Had Received Since the Day You Had Applied for Admission 1283 Words   |  6 Pagestheir customers. This is because my friend also went for the upgrading service but her experience was not as good. So if everyone unifies the way they serve their customers, they’ll improve in their overall service. Use the above sub-headings in your answer. 2. Rank the following five definitions of service (1 for best, 2 for second best etc). Justify your ranking. Service is a. doing better than yesterday b. being at your best with every customer. c. going beyond what is expectedRead MoreStructured Interviews1122 Words   |  5 Pageschoose to use structured interviews when conducting their research (20 marks) Many sociologists choose to use structured interviews when they are conducting their research, because by having a structured interview there are a set of prepared questions that are close-ended and already have pre-coded answers. One reason why researchers choose to use structured interviews is because they are cheap, quick and easy to do. This is because by going out and actually trying to interview the public it is quickerRead MoreReliability and Validity1262 Words   |  6 PagesThe purpose of this article is to summarize, integrate, and evaluate the many ways interviews can be structured. Reliability and validity are key concepts in the process of selecting among job applicants, since the main goal of selection is to make accurate predictions about which individuals will perform well on the job. Reliability is the consistency of measurement, or the degree to which an instrument measures the same way each time it is used under the same condition with the same subjects (definitionRead MoreA Interview On Social Research Interviews853 Words   |  4 PagesThe aim in social research interviews is that the interviewer elicits all different kinds of information from the interviewee/respondent. The information may include the interviewees’ own behavior, attitudes, norms, beliefs, and values. When social researchers are doing a survey in quantitative research they employ the structured interview. The structured interview is one of the two main ways of administering a survey research instrument; the main forms of it are face-to-face and telephone. SocialRead MoreThe Challenges And Resiliencies Of Latino Immigrant Parents Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesis examining the challenges and resiliencies of Latino immigrant parents. This study will be using a qualitative research design. This qualitative design will be accomplished through the use of face to face and phone interviews. This current study seeks to answer the following questions: What parental challenges do Latino immigrant parents face? What resiliencies do Latino immigrant parents obtain? What resources/services do Latino immigrant parents feel they need? What parenting skills, styles, and/or

The Portrayal of Indian Marriages in the Stories The Old...

The Portrayal of Indian Marriages in the Stories The Old Woman and The Bhorwani Marriage Culture is comprised of those things which we tend to cherish, and those things, which are important to us, being therefore the accepted and patterned ways of behaviour of a given people. India is one of the richest countries in the importance it gives to its culture and heritage. Marriage forms an important of Indian culture and traditions and is considered as one of the major pillars of society. A traditional Indian marriage is an arranged affair in which the decision of the perfect spouse is the parents, mostly the mothers, as is shown in the short story, The Bhorwani Marriage, written by Murli Das†¦show more content†¦This would justify parents wanting to choose a spouse for their children, especially for the daughters as they would need a man who would look after them and protect them, not just love them. As hard as it may be for us to imagine, love, in those days, did not play a very important part in marriages. Coming back to the freedom to marry out of choice, even in A Stench of Kerosene, written by Amrita Pritam and from her collection called, Land of Five Rivers - Stories from the Punjab, we see that although Guleri liked Manak, the decision of marriage was not hers and Manak would have to ask her father for permission, If you want me, go and ask my father for my hand. However, in The Old Woman, written by Manik Bandyopadhyay, one of Bengals most prolific writers, and from his collection of short stories called, Of women, outcasts, peasants and rebels - A selection of Bengali Short Stories, the boy Nanda has married a person of his own choice, who the whole family has found faults with, not because she was not a good person, but because her faults were considered bad according to Indian tradition, Nanda had chosen her, married her against the wishes of the family. Here we see, how not only was

Link Manufacturing Process and Product Life Cycles Free Essays

string(117) " only a few models and use a relatively mechanized and connected production process, such as a moving assembly line\." 133 Link manufacturing process and product life cycles Focusing on the process gives a new dimension to strategy Robert H. Hayes and Steven C. Wheelwright Although the product life cycle concept may have value for managers, its emphasis on marketing can make it inadequate for strategic planners. We will write a custom essay sample on Link Manufacturing Process and Product Life Cycles or any similar topic only for you Order Now These authors point out that using a process life cycle can help a company choose among its various manufacturing and marketing options. Using the concept of a â€Å"product-process matrix,† they show how a company’s position reflects its weaknesses and strengths, and they discuss the implications for corporate strategy. Mr. Hayes is professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School. He is currently serving as faculty chairman of and teaching at Harvard’s Senior Managers Program in Vevcy, Switzerland. One of his previous articles in HBR is â€Å"How Should You Organize Manufacturing? † (coauthor, Roger W. Schmenner, JanuaryFchruary 1978). Mr. Wheelwright is associate professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School. He is currently teaching in the MBA program and is faculty chairman of Harvard’s executive program on Manufacturing in Corporate Strategy. One of his previous HBR articles is â€Å"Corporate Forecasting: Promise and Reality,† [coauthor, Darral G. Clarke, NovemberDecember 1976). The regularity of the growth cyeles of living organisms has always fascinated thoughtful observers and has invited a variety of attempts to apply the same principles—of a predictable sequence of rapid growth followed by maturation, decline, and death-to companies and selected industries. One such concept, known as the â€Å"product life cycle/’ has been studied in a wide range of organizational settings. However, there are sufficient opposing theories to raise the doubts of people like N. K. Dhalla and S. Yuspeh, who argued in these same pages a few years ago that businessmen should forget the product life cycle concept. Irrespective of whether the product life cycle pattern is a general rule or holds only for specific cases, it does provide a useful and provocative framework for thinking about the growth and development of a new product, a company, or an entire industry. One of the major shortcomings of this approach, however, is that it concentrates on the marketing implieations of the life cycle pattern. In so doing, it implies that other aspects of the business and industry environment move in concert with the market life cycle. While such a view may help one to think back on the kinds of ehanges that occur in different industries, an individual company will often find it too simplistic for use in its strategic planning. In fact, the concept may even be misleading in strategic planning. In this article we suggest that separating the product life cycle concept from a related but distinct phenomenon that we will call the â€Å"process life I TJie Product Life Cycle and Internationa! Trade. Louis T. Wells, |r. , ed. ICambridge, Mass. ; HarvaiiJ University Press, 1D71I, im example. proviJcs evidence from a number of industries that argues for broad application of this concept, 2. N. K. Dhalla and S. Yuspirh, â€Å"Forget the Priidutt Life Cycle Cnni;epU† HBR I3nuary-February 197(1, p. 101. 134 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 cycle† facilitates the understanding of the strategic options available to a company, particularly with regard to its manufacturing function. The product-process matrix The process life cycle has heen attracting increasing attention from husiness managers and researchers over the past several years. ^ Just as a product and market pass through a series of major stages, so does the production process used in the manufacture of that product. The process evolution typically hegins with a â€Å"fluid† process—one that is highly flexible, hut not very cost efficient—and proceeds toward increasing standardization, mechanization, and automation. This evolution culminates in a â€Å"systemic process† that is very efficient hut much more capital intensive, nterrelated, and hence less flexible than the original fluid process. Using a product-process matrix, Exhibit I suggests one way in which the interaction of both the product and the process life cycle stages can he represented. The rows of this matrix represent the major stages through whieh a production process tends to pass in going from the fluid form in the top row to the sys temic form in the bottom row. The columns represent the product life cycle phases, going from the great variety associated with startup on the left-hand side to standardized commodity products on the right-hand side. Diagonal position A company [or a husiness unit within a diversified company) can be characterized as occupying a particular region in the matrix, determined by the stage of the product life cycle and its choice of production process for that product. Some simple examples may clarify this. Typical of a company positioned in the upper left-hand comer is a commercial printer. In such a company, each job is unique and a jumbled flow or job shop process is usually selected as being most effective in meeting those product requirements. In such a job shop, jobs arrive in different forms and require different tasks, and thus the equipment tends to be relatively general purpose. Also, that equipment is seldom used at ioo% capacity, the workers typically have a wide range of production skills, and each joh takes much longer to go through the plant than the lahor hours required by that job. Further down the diagonal in this matrix, the manufacturer of heavy equipment usually chooses a production structure characterized as a â€Å"disconnected line flow† process. Although the company may make a numher of products (a customer may even be able to order a somewhat customized unit), economies of scale in manufacturing usually lead such companies to offer several hasic models with a variety of options. This enables manufacturing to move from a job shop to a flow pattern in which batches of a given model proceed irregularly through a series of work stations, or possihly even a lowvolume assembly line. Even further down the diagonal, for a product like automobiles or major home appliances, a company will generally choose to ake only a few models and use a relatively mechanized and connected production process, such as a moving assembly line. You read "Link Manufacturing Process and Product Life Cycles" in category "Life" Such a process matches the product life cycle requirements that the automobile companies must satisfy with the economies availahle from a standardized and automated process. Finally, down in the far right-hand comer of the matrix, o ne would find refinery operations, such as oil or sugar processing, where the product is a commodity and the process is continuous. Although such operations are highly specialized, inflexible, and capital intensive, their disadvantages are more than offset by the low variable costs arising from a high volume passing through a standardized process. In Exhibit 7, two corners in the matrix are void of industries or individual companies. The upper right-hand comer eharacterizes a commodity product produced by a job-shop process that is simply not economical. Thus there are no companies or industries located in that sector. Similarly, the lower left-hand corner represents a one-of-a-kind product that is made by continuous or very specific processes. Such processes are simply too inflexible for such unique product requirements. Off the diagonal The examples cited thus far have been the more familiar â€Å"diagonal cases,† in which a certain kind of product structure is matehed with its â€Å"natural† process structure. But a company may seek a position 3. For example, William ), Abernathy and Philip L. Townscnd, â€Å"TechnoloRy, Pioductivity, and Process Changes,† in Tachnalo^icdl Forfcoitinj: iind Social Cbange, Volume VII, No. 4, 1975, p. ^79) Abcmathy and lames Ulierback, â€Å"DyQ. mic Model of Process and Product Innovation,† Omega, Volume HI, No. 6, 1975, p. 6i9i Abernathy and Uuerback, â€Å"Innovation and the Evolution of Technology in the Firm,† Harvard Business School Working P. iper |HBS 7S-fiR, Revised |unc 197^!. Process life cycles 135 Exhibit I Matching major stages of product and process life cycles Product structure Product life cycle stage I Low volume-low standardization, one of a kind Multiple products low volume Few major products higher volume IV High volume-high standardization. commodity products Process structure Process life cycle stage Jumbled flow (job shop) Commercial printer Disconnected line Mow (batch) Heavy equipment Connected line flow (assembly line) Automobile assembly IV Continuous flow off the diagonal instead of right on it, to its competitive advantage. Rolls-Royce Ltd. still makes a limited product line of motor cars using a process that is more like a job shop than an assembly line. A company that allows itself to drift from the diagonal without understanding the likely implications of such a shift is asking for trouhle. This is apparently the case with several companies in the factory housing industry that allowed their manufacturing operations to become too capital intensive and too de- 136 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 pendent on stable, high-volume production in the early 1970s. As one might expect, when a company moves too far away from the diagonal, it hecomes increasingly dissimilar from its competitors. This may or may not, depending on its success in achieving focus and exploiting the advantages of its niche, make it more vulnerable to attack. Coordinating marketing and manufacturing may become more difficult as the two areas confront increasingly different opportunities and pressures. Not infrequently, companies find that either inadvertently or by conscious choice they are at positions on the matrix very dissimilar from those of their competitors and must consider drastic remedial action. Most small companies that enter a mature industry start off this way, of course, which provides one explanation of both the strengths and the weaknesses of their situation. One example of a company’s matching its movements on these two dimensions with changes in its industry is that of Zenith Radio Corporation in the mid-1960s. Zenith had generally followed a strategy of maintaining a high degree of flexibility in its manufacturing facilities for color television receivers. We would characterize this process structure at that time as being stage 2. When planning additional capacity for color TV manufacturing in 1966 [during the height of the rapid growth in the market), however. Zenith chose to expand production capacity in a way that represented a clear move down the process dimension, toward the matrix diagonal, by consolidating color TV assembly in two large plants. One of these was in a relatively low-cost labor area in the United States. While Zenith continued to have facilities that were more flexible than those of other companies in the industry, this decision reflected corporate management’s assessment of the need to stay within range of the industry on tbe process dimension so that its excellent marketing strategy would not be constrained by inefficient manufacturing. It is interesting that seven years later Zenith made a similar decision to keep all of its production of color television chasses in the United States, rather than lose the flexibility and incur the costs of moving production to the Far East. This decision, in conjunction with others made in the past five years, is now being called into question. Using our terminology. Zenith again finds itself too far above the diagonal, in comparison with its large, primarily Japanese, competitors, most of whom have mechanized their production processes, positioned them in low-wage countries, and embarked on other costreduction programs. Incorporating this additional dimension into strategic planning encourages more creative thinking about organizational competence and competitive advantage. It also can lead to more informed predictions about the changes that are likely to occur in a particular industry and to consideration of the strategies that might be followed in responding to such charges. Finally, it provides a natural way to involve manufacturing managers in the planning process so that they can relate their opportunities and decisions more effectively with marketing strategy and corporate goals. The experience of the late 1960s and early 1970s suggests that major competitive advantages can accrue to companies that are able to integrate their manufacturing and marketing organization with a common strategy. ^ Using the concept We will explore three issues that follow from the product-process life cycle: [1) the concept of distinctive competence, [2) the management implications of selecting a particular product-process combination, considering the competition, and |3) the organizing of different operating units so that they can specialize on separate portions of the total manufacturing task while still maintaining overall coordination. Distinctive competence Most companies like to think of themselves as being particularly good relative to their competitors in certain areas, and they try to avoid competition in others. Their objective is to guard this distinctive competence against outside attacks or internal aimlessncss and to exploit it where possible. From time to time, unfortunately, management becomes preoccupied with marketing concerns and loses sight of the value of manufacturing abilities. When this happens, it thinks about strategy in terms only of the product and market dimension within a product life cycle context. In effect, management concentrates resources and planning efforts on a relatively narrow column of the matrix shown in Exhibit 1 on page r35. 4. See â€Å"Manufacturing—Missing Link in Corporate Stiatcgy,† by Wickham Skinner, HBR May-June 1969, p. i]6. Process life cycles 137 Exhibit II Expanded product-process matrix Product structure Product lite cycle stage III Low volume —low standardization, one of a kind Process structure Process life cycle stage Multiple products low volume Few major products higher volume IV High volume-fiigh standardization. commodity products Key management tasks Flexibilityquality †¢ Fast reaction †¢ Loading plant, estimating capacity †¢Estimating costs and delivery times †¢ Breaking bottlenecks †¢ Order tracing and expediting †¢ Systematizing diverse elements †¢ Developing standards and methods, improvement †¢ Balancing process stages †¢ Managing large, specialized, and complex operations †¢ Meeling material requirements †¢ Running equipment at peak efficiency †¢ Timing expansion and technological change †¢ Raising required capital Jumbled flow (lobshop) Disconnected line flow (batch) Connected line flow (assembly line) IV Continuous flow Hone Dependabilitycost Flexibility-quality Dependability-cosi dominant competitive mode †¢ Custom design †¢ General purpose †¢ High margins †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Custom design Ouality control Service High margins †¢ Standardized design †¢ Volume manufacturing †¢ Finished goods inventory †¢ Distribution †¢ Backup suppliers †¢ Vertical integration †¢ Long runs †¢ Specialized equipment and processes †¢ Economies of scale †¢ Standardized material The advantage of the two-dimensional point of view is that it permits a company to be more precise about what its distinctive competence really is and to concentrate its attentions on a restricted set of process decisions and alternatives, as well as a re- stricted set of marketing alternatives. Real focus is maintained only when the emphasis is on a single â€Å"patch† in the matrix—a process focus as well as a product or market focus. As suggested by Wickham Skinner, narrowing the focus of the business unit’s 138 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 ctivities and the supporting manufacturing plant’s activities may greatly increase the chance of success for the organization/’ Thinking about both process and product dimensions can affect the way a company defines its â€Å"product. † For example, we recently explored the case of a specialized manufacturer of printed circuit boards. Management’s initial assessment of its positi on on the m. atrix was that it was producing a lowvolume, one-of-a-kind product using a highly connected assembly line process. (This would place it in the lower left comer of the matrix. On further reflection, however, management decided that while the company specialized in small production batches, the â€Å"product† it really was offering was a design capability for special purpose circuit boards. In a sense, then, it was mass producing designs rather than boards. Hence, the company was not far off the diagonal after all. This knowledge of the company’s distinctive competence was helpful to management as it considered different projects and decisions, only some of which were supportive of the company’s actual position on the matrix. Effects of position As a company undertakes different combinations of product and process, management problems change. It is the interaction between these two that determines which tasks will be critical for a given company or industry. Along the process structure dimension, for example, the key competitive advantage of a jumbled flow operation is its flexibility to both product and volume changes. As one moves toward more standardized processes, the competitive emphasis generally shifts from flexibility and quality (measured in terms of product specialization) to reliability, predictability, and cost. A similar sequence of competitive emphases occurs as a company moves along the product structure dimension. These movements in priorities are illustrated in Exhibit 11 For a given product structure, a company whose competitive emphasis is on quality or new product development would choose a much more flexible production operation than would a competitor who has the same product structure but who follows a cost-minimizing strategy. Alternatively, a company that chooses a given process structure reinforces the characteristics of that structure by adopting the corresponding product structure. The former approach 5. â€Å"The Focused Factory,† HBR May-June 1974, p. 113. 6. Robert H. Hayes and Roger W. Schmenner, â€Å"How Should You Organize Manufacturing? † HBR January-February iy78, p. 105. positions the company above the diagonal, while the latter positions it somewhere along it. A company’s location on the matrix should take into account its traditional orientation. Many companies tend to be relatively aggressive along the dimension—product or process-where they feel most competent and take the other dimension as â€Å"given† by the industry and environment. For example, a marketing-oriented company seeking to be responsive to the needs of a given market is more likely to emphasize flexibility and quality than tbe manufacturing-oriented company that seeks to mold the market to its cost or process leadership. An example of these two competitive approaches in the electric motor industry is provided by the contrast between Reliance Electric and Emerson Electric. Reliance, on the one hand, has apparently chosen production processes that place it above the diagonal for a given product and market, and the company emphasizes product customizing and performance. Emerson, on the other hand, tends to position itself below the diagonal and emphasizes cost reduction. As a result of this difference in emphasis, the majority of Reliance’s products are in the upper left quadrant, while Emerson’s products tend to be in the lower right quadrant. Even where the two companies’ product lines overlap. Reliance is likely to use a more fluid process for that product, while Emerson is more likely to use a standardized process. Eaeh company has sought to develop a set of competitive skills in manufacturing and marketing that will make it more effective within its selected quadrants. Concentrating on the upper left versus the lower right quadrant has many additional implications for a company. The management that chooses to compete primarily in the upper left has to decide when to drop or abandon a product or market, while for the management choosing to compete in the lower right a major decision is when to eater the market. In the latter case, the company can watch the market develop and does not have as much need for flexibility as do companies that position themselves in the upper left, since product and market changes typically occur less frequently during the later phases of the product life cycle. Such thinking about both product and process expertise is particularly useful in selecting the match of these two dimensions for a new product. Those familiar with the digital watch industry may recall that in the early 1970s Texas Instruments introduced a jewelry line digital watch. This product represented a matrix combination in the upper left-hand quadrant, as shown in Exhibit U. Unfortunately, this line Process life cycles 139 of watches was disappointing to Texas Instruments, in terms of both volume and profitability. Early in 1976, therefore, TI introduced a digital watch selling for $19. 95. With only one electronic module and a connected line flow production process, this watch represented a combination of product and process further down the diagonal and much more in keeping with TI’s traditional strengths and emphases. Organizing operations If management considers the process structure dimension of organizational competence and strategy, it can usually focus its operating units much more effectively on their individual tasks. For example, many companies face the problem of how to organize production of spare parts for their primary products. While increasing volume of the primary products may have caused the company to move down the diagonal, the follow-on demand for spare parts may require a combination of product and process structures more toward the upper left-hand corner of the matrix. There are many more items to be manufactured, each in smaller volume, and the appropriate process tends to be more flexible than may be the case for the primary product. To accomodate the specific requirements of spare parts production, a cohipany might develop a separate facility for them or simply separate their production within the same facility. Probably the least appropriate approach is to leave such production undifferentiated from the production of the basic product, since this would require the plant to span too broad a range of both product and process, making it less efficient and less effective for both categories of product. The choice of product and process structures will determine the kind of manufacturing problems that will be important for management. Some of the key tasks related to a particular process structure are indicated on the right side of Exhibit U. Recognizing the impact that the company’s position on the matrix has on these important tasks will often suggest changes in various aspects of the policies and procedures the company uses in managing its manufacturing function, particularly in its manufacturing control system. Also, measures used to monitor and evaluate the company’s manufacturing performance must reflect the matrix position selected if such measures are to be both useful and consistent with the corporate goals and strategy. Such a task-oriented analysis might help a company avoid the loss of control over manufacturing that often results when a standard set of control mechanisms is applied to all products and processes. It also suggests the need for different types of management skills [and managers], depending on the company’s major manufacturing tasks and dominant competitive modes. While a fairly narrow focus may be required for success in any single product market, companies that are large enough can [and do) effectively produce multiple products in multiple markets. These are often in different stages of the product life cycle. However, for such an operation to be successful, a company must separate and organize its manufacturing facilities to best meet the needs of each product and then develop sales volumes that are large enough to make those manufacturing units competitive. An example of separating a company’s total manufacturing capability into specialized units is provided by the Lynchburg Foundry, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mead Corporation. This foundry has five plants in Virginia. As Exhibit U shows, these plants represent different positions on the matrix. One plant is a job shop, making mostly one-of-akind products. Two plants use a decoupled batch process and make several major products. A fourth plant is a paced assembly line operation that makes only a few products, mainly for the automative market. The fifth plant is a highly automated pipe plant, making what is largely a commodity item. While the basic technology is somewhat different in each plant, there are many similarities. However, the production layout, the manufacturing processes, and the control systems are very different. This company chose to design its plants so that each would meet the needs of a specific segment of the market in the most competitive manner. Its success would suggest that this has been an effective way to match manufacturing capabilities with market demand. Companies that specialize their operating units according to the needs of specific, narrowly defined patches on the matrix will often encounter problems in integrating those units into a coordinated whole. A recent article suggested that a company can be most successful by organizing its manufacturing function around either a product-market focus or a process focus. * That is, individual units will either manage themselves relatively autonomously, responding directly to the needs of the markets they serve, or they will be divided according to process stages (for example, fabrication, subassembly, and final assembly), all coordinated by a central staff. Companies in the major materials industriessteel companies and oil companies, for exampleprovide classic examples of process-organized manu- 140 Harvard Business Review January-February 1979 facturing organizations. Most companies that broaden the span of their process through vertical integration tend to adopt such an organzation, at least initially. Then again, companies that adopt a product- or market-oriented organization in manufacturing tend to have a strong market orientation and are unwilling to accept the organizational rigidity and lengthened response time that usually accompany centralized coordination. Most companies in the packaging industry provide examples of such product- and market-focused manufacturing organizations. Regional plants that serve geographical market areas are set up to reduce transportation costs and provide better response to market requirements. A number of companies that historically have organized themselves around products or markets have found that, as their products matured and as they have moved to become more vertically integrated, a conflict has arisen between their original productorganized manufacturing facilities and the needs of their process-oriented internal supply units. As the competitive emphasis has shifted toward cost, companies moving along the diagonal have tended to evolve from a product-oriented manufacturing organization to a process-oriented one. However, at some point, such companies often discover that their operations have hecome so complex with increased volume and increased stages of inhouse production that they defy centralized coordination and management must revert to a more product-oriented organization within a divisionalized structure. ct line with a manufacturing system—a set of people, plants, equipment, technology, policies, and control procedures—that will permit a relatively high degree of flexibility and a relatively low capital intensity? Or should it prefer a system that will permit lower cost production with a loss of some flexibility to change [in products, production volumes, and equipment) and usually a higher degree of capital intensity? This choice will position the company above or below its competito rs along the vertical dimension of our matrix. There are, of course, several dynamic aspects of corporate competitiveness where the concepts of matching the product life cycle with the process life cycle can be applied. In this article, however, we have dealt only with the more static aspects of selecting a position on the matrix. We will discuss in a forthcoming article how a company’s position on the product-process matrix might change over time and the traps that it can fall into if the implications of such moves are not carefully evaluated. Strategy implications We can now pull together a number of threads and summarize their implications for corporate strategy. Companies must make a series of interrelated marketing and manufacturing decisions. These choices must be continually reviewed and sometimes changed as the company’s products and competitors evolve and mature. A company may choose a product or marketing strategy that gives it a broader or narrower product line than its principal competitors. Such a choice positions it to the left or right of its competitors, along the horizontal dimension of our matrix. Having made this decision, the company has a further choice to make: Should it produce this prod- How to cite Link Manufacturing Process and Product Life Cycles, Essays

Introduction to Management Accounting

Questions: 1. Discuss the role of management accounting in an organisation.2. Discuss the different methods of dealing with overheads when pricing products in a manufacturing firm. 3. Provide an analysis of two of the modern techniques in management accounting An example of a modern technique would be JIT, making references to practical applications.4. Discuss the objectives of budgeting. Answers: 1. Role of Management Accounting Management accounting is a method through which the provisions relating to the accounting information is used for the enhancement of the financial and operational policies of the business enterprise. It is used for the purpose of management decisions making and the financial reporting procedures in the business organization (Kaplan 2015). The following are the differences between the financial and managerial accounting in a business organization. Aggregation financial Accounting takes into account the entire business performance of an entity. However, management accounting operates on a more detailed level considering factors like the profitability, product line as well as the customer and the geographic region(Weil 2013. ). Efficiency - Financial Accounting relates to the financial condition of a business enterprise. In addition, it can be noted that the management accounting refers to the issues in the financial information and the methods through which the organization is solving them. Proven information - Financial Accounting deals with the reporting of facts in the accounting statements of a business entity. In this regard, it can be said that management accounting deals with the operational policies of a business rather than concrete financial facts.(Salako 2016) Reporting focus - Financial Accounting deals in the development of financial statements in and outside the company. Management accounting deals in the development of operational reports, within the financial operations of a company. This is an essential distinction between the financial and the management accounting. Management accounting has been playing an essential role in the process of re-innovating every aspect of the internal operations of a business enterprise(Weygandt 2015.) . Standards -- The financial accounting system is only concerned with the development of financial reports of a business entity (Parker 2012). In this regard, it can be noted that the management accounting is concerned with the development of the financial reports of a business entity. The standards have to be set as per the needs and the wants of the organization. Time period -- The financial accounting of a business entity have to be concerned with only with the past financial statements prepared in the operational policies of a business entity Management accounting concerned with the issues relating to the development of the financial and the operational policies of a business enterprise. Therefore, it deals with the future time period of the operational strategies of an entity. Valuation - The financial accounting shall address the valuation of assets and the liabilities of a business entity. In this regard, it can be said that it is involved with impairments as well as revaluation.(Demski 2013). However, management accounting is concerned with the value of these items in the operational policies of the business enterprise. , 2. Major methods of overhead allocation The following are the major methods in allocating the overheads. Job- order costing - Small and medium business enterprises generally use job-order costing. In this regard, it can be said that these business enterprises have to allocate overhead costs based upon a pre-determined rate. The job order costing is usually done by dividing the total estimated overhead costs by an allocation-based chosen in a company. The labour costs have to be changed as per the changes in the labour costs of an organization (Otley 2013.) The job order costing has been effective in evaluating the job order received fromm Process costing - Companies using the process costing method have to assign costs to certain products. The processing departments have to be used on the basis of the operational costs of an organization.(Roncalli 2013) . Te process costing method is the most appropriate method in determining the operational processes of a business entity. The process costing method is the most suitable procedure in the case of the manufacturing entities having an impact on the operational processes of a business entity. This method is used in assessing the production expenses of a business enterprise(Weil 2013. ) .This would reducing the operational expenses of a business entity. Activity based costing -- This method shall not facilitate the business enterprise in the case of external reporting. This method would only be appropriate in the case of internal reporting to stakeholders of the business entity(Chenhall 2015). As such, it can be said that activity based costing has been essential in pre-determining the allocating expenditures of the organization. The activity - based costing is suitable to all kinds of expenditures in the organization. Activity - based costing has been essential for the business entity to improve the operational processes of the business enterprise. (Roncalli 2013). The Activity based costing has been essential for the business enterprise in re-innovating the internal operations of the business enterprise. This shall help the business enterprise in determining the operations of the business enterprise in the case of the activity-based costing of the business entity. (Deegan 2016). Variable costing - The variable costing method specially emphasizes on the production levels of the business entity in determining the operational expenses of the business entity. Tthis would assist the business enterprise in changing the operational procedure to achieve maximum profits.(J. K. Weygandt 2015) In this regard, it can be said that the brand has been effective in determining the operational expenses of the business entity. The variable costing procedure has been effective in determining the operational expenses of the business expenditure. The variable costing has been effective in determining the expenses of the business entity. The variable costing method assesses the production expenses and makes the budget accordingly. 3. Management Techniques in Management Accounting The following are the two main tools that are an essential part of the modern management techniques in the modern management techniques Balanced Scorecards An essential part of the modern management techniques is the balanced scorecard that combines the financial as well as the non-financial measures to assist the organization in achieving business growth. The annual compensation offered to the management of the organization is dependent on the balanced scorecard method.(Otley, Readings in accounting for management control 2013.) In this regard, it can be said that the balanced method have certain limitations. There have been negative consequences associated with the balanced sheet method. However, calculation of bonus amounts in when offered to the employees of the organization is a complex procedure. As such, the business organization has to be careful in using the balanced score- card strategy. Incorrect use of the balance score- card shall be essential for the employee in analyzing the performance of the employee and achieving growth. The balanced score card in the business organization have been effective in determining the operational policies of the business enterprise. The balanced score card assists in classifying the expenses as per the fixed expenses and the variable expenses of the business enterprise.(Salako 2016). This has been instrumental in reducing the workload of the operational department in a business organization. Real time inventory management The real time-inventory management had a considerable impact on inventory management.(Baiocchi 2014). The real time inventory management system in the organization, business have been able to track each item throughout the production as well as the distribution procedure in the organization. This inventory management system has been useful for the organization in dealing with a huge amount of inventory. (Demski 2013) The real time inventory management system has been an essential innovation that facilitates the financial operational of the business enterprise. The real time inventory management shall assist the management of the organization in creating effective policies for the management of the organization. The real time inventory management has been effective in creating the operational policies of the business enterprise(Roncalli 2013). The inventory management has been effective in maintaining the inventory levels to meet the supply demands of the organization. However, the real time inventory levels have been operating in the same product and the service line. The real time inventory management system is an essential part of the global market. The manufacturing and the service department are the essential user of the real time inventory system in the global market. 4. Budgeting Objectives Budget is the guideline and the framework, which determines every expenses that has been incurred in the operational activities of the business(Kaplan 2015).It shall assist the business entity to make a pre-determined marketing plan and as well as inherent financial position of the business entity. The following are the objectives of budgeting Providing structure - A budget establishes the framework under which the expenses of the organization is to be allocated. Thus, the daily business functionalities are executed under the pre-determined objectives of the budget. The expenses of the production and the operation are restricted within a limited period, through which the organization is expected to deliver the expected results. The structure have been providing guidelines and the regulation through which the organization is expected to execute the operational activities in the existing financial year(Chenhall 2015). The structure reflects the guidelines that would represent the existing trends of the operational policies of the business enterprise. The budget guidelines has stated the existing expenses schedule of the organization and thereby identifies the discrepancies in the operational processes of the business organization(Blankespoor 2013) . Following the budget structure prepared in the beginning of the year, the budget plans its business functionalities accordingly. Cash Flow prediction - The cash flow of the existing year is determined with the help of a budget. This is particularly useful in the case of companies having a irregular sales revenue throughout the year. This is an essential feature of the budget of an organization and shall assist the business enterprise in delivering the expected results as per the pre-determined objectives of the enterprise (Blankespoor 2013).The prediction of cash flow in every year shall assist the business entity in controlling the expenses as well as achieving financial stability. It has been mentioned that the budgets have generally served the organization in predicting the future cash flows of the organization. The Cash flow levels in the organization shall reflect the inherent ability of the business organization to pay off the short term loans. In addition, the cash flow represents the inherent financial strength of the business organization. Allocation of resources - The budgeting process is use in the process of decision making in the case of allocation of resources. According to Kaplan and Atkinson (2015), the purchase of fixed assets in the organization can be decided upon the pre-determined budget of the organization. This is particularly useful in the case of the manufacturing industry where there are different aspects to the production and the distribution process in the organization. stated that the allocation of resources has been a particularly essential feature of the budgeting process in the organization (Baiocchi 2014). The resource allocation has been important in saving time and resources of the business enterprise. The budgeting technique has been essential to ensure smoother business operations. stated that the budget help decide the amount of variable expenses in the business entity (Deegan 2016) Model Scenarios - The budget helps in determining the model scenario or the path through which the business organization can follow to attain the pre-determined goals and the objectives of an organization. The financial results of the organization have to be achieved as per the model scenario developed in the organization.(Kaplan 2015). The model scenarios in a business organization shall address the needs of a business entity. In addition, it shall enable the errors in the operational policies of the business entity. Performance assessment The performance of the organization shall be assessed as per the budget developed in the existing financial year. As such, it is an effective tool to monitor organizational performance for the management of the organization, thereby, leading the organization towards the growth. The budget has been effective tool for the business organization to achieve growth of the organization.(Baiocchi 2014) . Thus, the performance assessment shall deal with the operational policies of the business enterprise. References Baiocchi, G. and Ganuza, E. " Participatory budgeting as if emancipation mattered." Politics Society, 2014: 42(1),. pp.29-50. Beatty, A. and Liao, S. " Financial accounting in the banking industry: A review of the empirical literature." Journal of Accounting and Economics., 2014: pp.339-383. Beatty, A. and Liao, S. "Journal of Accounting and Economics." Financial accounting in the banking industry: A review of the empirical literature, 2014: pp.339-383. Blankespoor, E., Linsmeier, T.J., Petroni, K.R. and Shakespeare, C. . " Fair value accounting for financial instruments: Does it improve the association between bank leverage and credit risk?." The Accounting Review, 2013: 88(4),pp.1143-1177. Chenhall, R.H. and Moers, F.,. "The role of innovation in the evolution of management accounting and its integration into management control." Accounting, Organizations and Society, 2015: pp.1-13. Deegan, C. "So, who really is a noted author within the accounting literature? A reflection on Benson et al.(2015)." Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal, 2016: 29(3), pp.483-490. Demski, J. Managerial uses of accounting information. Springer Science Business Media., 2013. Grendel, A. and Welter, M., Sap Ag,. Method for allocation of budget to order periods and delivery periods in a purchase order system. U.S. Patent, 2013. Kaplan, R.S. and Atkinson, A.A. Advanced management accounting. PHI Learning, 2015. Otley, D. and Emmanuel, K.M.C. Readings in accounting for management control. . Springer., 2013.. Readings in accounting for management control. Springer, 2013. Parker, L.D. . Qualitative management accounting research. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 2012. Roncalli, T. Introduction to risk parity and budgeting. CRC Press., 2013. Salako, M.A. and Yusuf, S.A.,. . Cost Accounting: A Pivotal Factor of Entrepreneurial Success. 2016. Weil, R.L., Schipper, K. and Francis, J.,. Financial accounting: an introduction to concepts, methods and uses.. Cengage Learning, 2013. . Weygandt, J.J., Kimmel, P.D. and Kieso, D.E. Financial Managerial Accounting. John Wiley Sons, 2015. Weygandt, J.J., Kimmel, P.D. and Kieso, D.E.,. Financial Managerial Accounting. . John Wiley Sons, 2015.

Mapping Communication and Technological Issues

Mapping can be termed or refereed to as the aspect of map-making. This is based on various issues that are supposed to be considered as far as communication and technology is concerned. It should be known that map making can be useful in communication based on different aspects. As far as the general principle of mapping is concerned, there are a lot of things that need to be looked at like design, implementing and generation. In this case, mapping revolves around a lot of technological issues that have evolved as time goes by.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Mapping: Communication and Technological Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Maps are supposed to be delivered effectively to optimize on technology and thereby enhance communication. All in all, the web has been used for dissemination of mapping in relation to communication and technology (Ong 23). Mapping principles have always changed as time goes by because technology is also evolving. Mental mode seeks to explain how various things work in the real world. This is done by explaining somebody’s thought process. In this case, the world around us is represented by looking at various intuitive perceptions. It should be known that behavior is generally shaped from mental modes. As far as the principles of mental mode are concerned, there are fundamental assumptions that will always distinguish various aspects. Mental modes can be distinguished from other representations. As a matter of fact, there is always a possibility that can be represented by each mental mode. What is common is always captured as far as mental mode is concerned. A mental mode is very important in ensuring that we have a dynamic system (Blais 27). It should be known that a mental mode can be explained in various forms. In this case, system dynamics can be connected to enhance communication. The proximity principle revolves around a rule that is very impor tant in communication and technology. In this case, it is quite obvious that if objects are close to each other, there is always an implication that they might be seen as relating units. This means that if various objects are together, there is a similarity that might exist. As a matter of fact, all this objects can be said to belong together based on their closeness and the features that they share. This similarity can be on a visual perspective that definitely creates an important bond. Designs can be enhanced thorough the proximity principle thereby enhancing communication. As a matter of fact, a bond between elements and people on a given page can be enhanced through proximity (Ong 45). All this principles can be combined to ensure that there is a less problematic interface. This is as far as the user and technology are concerned. An interface as a point of interaction is very important in connecting various components (Lidwell et al. 74). All this principles can be combined thr ough visual organization. These visual organization principles have various logical ways that can be employed for long term sustainability. In a broad perspective, all these principles can be combined through proper evolution of an interface (Ron 56).Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A less problematic interface between these principles can be achieved by looking at various similarities that might exist thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the alliance. Examining similarities ensures that there is a proper sense of representation as far as these principles are concerned. Effective coordination of mapping, mental mode and proximity can provide a good interaction interface that will not give the user any problem. The use of major metaphors that relate to these principles should be used as time goes by. Works Cited Blais, Steven. Business Analysis: Best Practices for Success . New York: John Wiley Sons, 2011. Print. Lidwell, William., Holden Kritina and Butler Jill. Universal Principles of Design. Minneapolis: Rockport Publishers, 2003. Print. Ong, Walter. Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. London: Routledge, 1988. Print. Ron, Oliver. The Role of ICT in Higher Education for the 21st Century: ICT as a Change Agent for Education. Australia: Perth University, 2002. Print. This essay on Mapping: Communication and Technological Issues was written and submitted by user Asia H. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A Serious Interest Penalty essays

A Serious Interest Penalty essays In this case, a bank, The Western National Bank, is trying to offer free checking benefits to those customers with a minimum balance great enough to do so. The bank ¡s problem is finding the amount the minimum balance should be, as well as meeting certain criteria given in their advertisement. Some details of the criteria are that they would like to be able to claim that the mean account balance exceeds the minimum balance required to qualify for free checking. They also desire that less than half of all accounts have a balance that exceeds the minimum balance required to qualify for free checking. A financial product manager at the bank has made a suggestion of $1,500.00 for the minimum balance. The bank wants to know if $1,500.00 is used as the minimum balance, then would they meet the criteria stated in the advertisement. In analyzing the given data, it was noted that this problem could be approached by using hypothesis testing. In viewing this case, it was determined that the case was asking two questions which had to be answered by using both proportional hypothesis testing and mean hypothesis testing. By using hypothesis testing, many assumptions had to be made. First of all, both hypotheses had to be made. It also had to be concluded what values were to be considered a failure or a correct value. A bell curve had to be drawn for both hypotheses to illustrate and more clearly see the data. After more clearly representing the data on the graph, it was analyzed to determine if the calculated values fell within the given intervals. The first step in the problem is to understand that the case is asking two questions: one which was a proportion, and the other which was a mean value. In understanding this, two different problems had to be approached in solving the original problem. I first began with the mean hypothesis. I stated that the null hypothesis was Æ’Ã  ...

One of them 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

One of them 4 - Essay Example This paper shall look at the different ways in which the internet has affected the lives of people at the level of the individual and larger collectives like the nation. Many thinkers are of the opinion that the influence of the internet on people who are rich enough to afford it is so immense that in the years to come, it would deepen the gulf between those who have it and those who don’t (Hermeking). Apart from increasing the distance between the haves and the have-nots, it has also redefined what it means to be a have in an ever-changing society. To take the case of how people spend their money on shopping, a lot of the shopping for clothes, electronic goods and books is done on the internet at this point of time. There are an immense number of websites that offer goods to be bought online. This has changed the culture of the supermarket and the department store in a massive way. These sites for socialization have undergone changes as far as their social roles are concerned. This argument may be refuted by the claim that most of the perishable items that are consumed by people are still bought in stores that people physically go to. This s till, however, means a reduction in the spaces that are available for the socialization of people. This brings one to a discussion of the virtuality of the internet space. Beginning from internet chatrooms to online dating and social networking sites, the space of the internet has changed to that of a virtual one where people meet and talk without being themselves or otherwise. They do not, however, meet each other physically and the contact remains at a virtual level. This has been the subject of many a study and people have often referred to how this has reduced actual human contact in today’s world. This has led to changes in the way in which people approach relationships and human emotions. Shawn P. Wilbur has talked about this phenomenon and

Simone Weil regards Christianity as a religion for slaves. What does Essay

Simone Weil regards Christianity as a religion for slaves. What does she mean by this, and is it a justified claim - Essay Example universe good outweighs evil†¦ Thus the object of this certitude is an eternal and universal dispensation constituting the foundation of an invariable order in the world. Diving Providence is never represented in any other form, unless I am mistaken, either in the sacred texts of the Chinese, the Indians, and the Greeks, or in the Gospels. She believed that such pseudo-universal religious idea was significantly transformed by the Romans in their unique and odd acceptance of Christianity, with historic outcomes: â€Å"†¦ when the Christian religion was officially adopted by the Roman Empire, the impersonal aspect of God and of Divine Providence was thrust into the background. God was turned into a counterpart of the Emperor.† Weil believed that the ideas of nationalism of the Jews and the Romans were the same—both were cruel, profane, and agnostic, both supported the exploitation and persecution of the inferior by the superior. Associated with this sameness of outlooks was a shared subject matter in the spirituality or worship of the two groups. Both the Romans and the Jews, regardless of their dissimilarities in other aspects, had a similar idea of slavery, essential to the cosmological beliefs of both people. The Jews believe that: In the texts dating from before the exile, Jehovah’s juridical relationship to the Hebrews is that of master to his slaves. They had been Pharaoh’s slaves: Jehovah, having taken them out of Pharaoh’s hands, has succeeded to Pharaoh’s rights†¦ He orders them indifferently to do good or evil, but far more often evil, and in either case they have to obey. It matters little that they should be made to obey from the basest motives, provided that orders are duly executed. With regard to the Romans, â€Å"Such a conception as this was exactly on a par with the feelings and intelligence of the Romans. With them slavery had undermined and degraded all human relations.† Therefore, Weil claimed, in addition to the

Why it is Important for those in the Criminal Justice field to have Research Paper

Why it is Important for those in the Criminal Justice field to have good character - Research Paper Example Various people who assist or serve in distinguished capacities of the criminal justice system include the judges, legislators, prosecutors, prison supervisors, police officers and advocates among others. They are all faced by challenging situations that put to test, their moral conduct, but have to take responsibility and execute their functions ethically. In a way, they hold a special position, which they can exploit to influence citizens, offenders, co-workers, and least themselves into having a sense of what is right and wrong. The public servants The criminal justice system is a central institution which any public member expresses some form of trust in. Citizens call the police for help and have their cases taken t to court because they have the confidence that those in these positions will serve them with loyalty, courage and honesty. According to Pollock, being a public servant in criminal justice field entails performing special duties involving the public trust; and as such they take oaths to be guardians of public interest (6). Their positions are those of leaders with a great impact on the public. The public looks at them with much expectation, to commit themselves to the assigned roles (whether to govern or guard the people) and do the right thing without taking advantage of them. It is a challenging job that requires refraining from unethical compromises in the field. However, despite the being paid from the public funds, some servants do not live to fulfill their promise and have been involved in corrupt acts and intimidation cases while on duty. These are people who have been entrusted with the public interests, but use their positions to enrich and serve themselves, which is an abuse of office. It would be unfair if the public is left to be led or served by servants who harass, deceive, and are unreliable or disloyal to them. As a public member, one would expect the police to arrest criminals and the judges to be available and decide with fairne ss, but not to free a criminal just because he is willing to part with a bundle of cash. Public servants ought to have exemplary standards, be reliable and available when needed, talk and exercise honesty with respect and without compromise. For the purpose of discretional powers The manner in which each one of them can make a decision in duty is fundamental. Those who work in the field have to make official decisions using their reasonable judgment and at least guided by the law in discharging of public duties. The decisions they make are arguably different, but in general, they involve power over others, whom they guard or govern. Good characters would lead them to make right decisions from the acceptable alternatives, instead of abusing the allotted discretional powers. In Article III and section 2of the US constitution, the judiciary is granted broad discretional powers that the jury can use while handling cases. Each is faced with choices; judges can approve or disapprove a cas e, police can arrest or release a suspect, legislators can point to legal or illegal behaviors punishable by law, and the correctional officers can either fail or offer counsel to the inmates, depending on how they use their discretional powers. However, the choices they make have to be within their powers, and free from third party influence, which calls for their good character. The decisions made have to be out of good faith, for proper and logical reasons after considering various issues or evidences (Ombudsman Western Australia â€Å"Guidelines: Exercise of discretion†). The public lies at the risk of being intimidated or even denied freedom by professionals who abuse their discretional powers in the field; to deny people their rights in the areas professionals’

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Neighbourhoods Young People Essay

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Neighbourhoods Young People Essay The phrase neighbourhood renewal/regeneration relates to a series of programmes in place to ascertain local needs and develop ways to deal with poverty and deprivation in the United Kingdom which are known as Super Output Areas (SOAs).   Local area based initiatives have been a universal approach to the problems that deprived neighbourhoods have endured in Britain since the 1960s. The majority of programmes at that time were very short term and tended to focus on single issues. In the late 1980s an integrated approach was tried. (Imrie and Raco, 2003). Initiatives started to increase in the 1990s and as a result of this, the number of the governance of neighbourhood regeneration came to be characterised by a series of interlinked and spatially overlapping partnerships (Imrie and Raco, 2003: 85). Labour introduced the neighbourhood renewal strategy plan in 2001, this was a new approach to tackle social exclusion and poverty in the most poorest neighbourhoods in UK. Tony Blair talked about the purpose of The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy in his speech to the nation: where no-one is seriously disadvantaged by where they live, where power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many not the few. This action plan is a crucial step in creating one nation, not separated by class, race or where people live   the purpose of the strategy was to narrow the gap between outcomes in deprived areas and the rest (Social Exclusion Unit, 2001:1)    The main aims of local based anti-poverty and community development programmes are to tackle the issue of social exclusion in the more deprived areas of the country. In relation to British social policy, the term social exclusion is relatively new. The government has described social exclusion as a shorthand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown. (www.socialexclusion.gov.uk). There are many different explanations for social exclusion, and many different factors which add to social exclusion, by examining the different factors programmes can be developed in order to address the problems and try to promote a more cohesive community. The individual can contribute to social exclusion by the nature of their race, gender, culture, beliefs, disability etc. Lack of resources Lack of opportunities to work Learning opportunities Health issues Decent housing Disruption of family life. Living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods (Haralambos and Holbron, 2004:253) Anti-poverty and community development programmes are targeting these areas with improvements in social housing, re-developing existing social housing, increasing education opportunities (such as access to education and grant schemes for students), making health care more available, targeting the younger generation to educate on matters that will effect their future, raising the profile of neighbourhoods. One of the projects I am more familiar with is the Sure Start programme (now known as Childrens Centres) and I am going to discuss the strengths and weakness of the centres. Governments Policies In 2003, the Government published a green paper called Every Child Matters. This was published alongside the report into the death of Victoria Climbie. The Green Paper prompted discussions about current services for children, young people and families. There was a wide consultation with staff that worked in childrens services, and with parents, children and young people. Following the consultation, the Government published Every Child Matters: the Next Steps, and passed the Children Act 2004. The Act provides a legislative spine for the wider strategy for improving childrens lives. This covers the universal services which every child accesses, and more targeted services for those with additional needs Department of Education and Skills, Children Act 2004. http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/childrenactreport Indeed, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown MP, speaking about child poverty at the Sure Start Conference on 7 July 1999, acknowledges that poverty is a many-sided problem which requires many-sided solutions: First, we must tackle child poverty at its source the absence of work, in work poverty and providing increased financial support for families to tackle child poverty, so that by our actions we lift a million and more children out of poverty. Second, what I want to concentrate on today, because improving public services health visitors, nurseries, playgroups, childcare, learning support in the poorest communities is vital to tackling child poverty, our Sure Start programme will invest in young children in areas of greatest need. Third, we must mobilize not just government, local and national, but voluntary help and community action and in the programmes we are introducing not only in Sure Start but in the New Deal for Communities and our expansion of childcare provision we must mobilize the forces of concern and compassion in new partnerships to tackle child poverty. Fourth, as David Blunkett has said, we must make sure that all our schools are as good as our best. In the old economy it was possible to survive with the old inequalities an education system that advanced only the ambitions of the few. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/633.htm Key achievements: Labour has undertaken the biggest expansion in early years education since 1945; investing  £21 billion since 1997. Every three and four year old has the right to a free nursery place, which we will extend from 12.5 hours a week to 15 hours by 2010. Since 1997, the number of registered childcare places is up by around 644,000 from a place for one in eight children to one in four children. Delivered nearly 3,000 Sure Start Childrens centres, reaching two million children and their families. Labour has expanded nationally the Bookstart scheme which gives every one and two year old a satchel of books and every three and four year old a treasure chest of books and crayons. http://www.labour.org.uk/early_years Sure Start Sure Start was the Labour Governments programme that aimed to deliver the best start in life for every child. They bring together early education, family support, childcare, health and welfare advice. It aims to develop services in some of the more disadvantaged areas (identified by the multiple of deprivation indices. In Sure Start there is a normally a central office where all the team work together to support children and families in the local areas. The sure start programme was initially a ten year programme but was abolished in favour of childrens Centres. The change from Sure Start has not really been noticed and is still referred to as Sure Start. Amid all the hullabaloo about the governments 10-year childcare strategy, one quite momentous change has gone relatively unnoticed: the governments much-lauded Sure Start programme has been abolished. N. Glass, The Guardian, Wednesday January 5 2005 The Sure Start centres, provided integrated services including health services and family support services, as well as childcare. The different services that children centres provide for children and families contribute to the Every Child Matters outcomes. Local authorities lead in planning and implementing centres. Some of the services I have seen implemented at RoseHill include, support that has been individually tailored to meet the families and their childrens needs such as, parenting assessment, working with families in the home or at the centre based on a one to one basis, providing parenting courses that aim to improve parental skills so improve the life and chances for children. There are also family workers at the centre that deal with over 11s and their families and carers, this service aims to work through problems the family may have and keep the children at their homes with their parents. One big issue the centre faces in relation to families is that of extended families and the centre provides a much needed support framework and advice for children and families that are going through divorce and separation issues, given the families a safe environment to discuss issues and problems. Along side this are the other services normally associated with a Children Centre, education courses , healthy eating, reading and writing support, I.T. help, employment help such as C.V. writing and interview techniques, and childcare support. Some of the members include:   Education advisers Activities Volunteer co-coordinators Midwives Crà ¨che Workers Health Visitors Play workers Speech and language therapist Child care advisors Family Support (Social Services PEEP Workers IT Trainers One of the most important facts that impacted on the programme was that the Sure Start programme was not allowed to run its full ten years span, and little or no follow-up evidence was available for analysis, before expansion. With principal responsibility for Sure Start alongside my DfES colleagues, I had to argue against its immediate expansion on the grounds that it would be better to accumulate some experience of running it first. (By the October 1999, when I first discussed the scheme with the chancellor there were only two local projects actually running). My arguments did not win the day and in July 2000 the programme was extended to 550 local projects. Norman Glass Society Guardian, 2005:1 The Sure Start programme was very generously funded and when the programme was agreed to be spread around a further 3,500 centres, the money had to come from somewhere. This meant that the generous funding had to be more evenly distributed. This has meant that the centres had very limited funding and cuts had to be made. Although the Sure Start programme did not continue for the full planned ten year term and lost most of the generous funding, many of the good practice is carried out in the Children Centres that followed the Sure Start initiatives one of which is PEEP. PEEP is an early learning intervention, which aims to contribute towards improving the life chances of children, particularly in disadvantaged areas.  It concentrates on supporting parents/carers to develop three particular aspects of learning with their children: literacy and numeracy self-esteem learning dispositions The PEEP Learning Together programme  focuses on how to make the most of the learning opportunities in everyday life at home listening, talking, playing, singing, sharing books and having fun!  PEEP supports parents and carers  in their role as the first educators of their children. It works with adults about their childrens very early learning. http://www.peep.org.uk/section.asp?id=5 Another flaw of the Sure Start centres was that although Sure Start centres were based in deprived areas not all deprived children lived in these neighbourhoods. Because not all disadvantaged children live in deprived areas each small sure start programme could serve only a minority of disadvantaged children: those from adjacent areas could not could not participate and local authorities and health agencies were faced with relatively well-financed early years programmes in one part of their domain and much less well provided areas next door. This was very difficult to handle. Norman Glass Society Guardian, 2005:1 We know that children who grow up in poor families are less likely to reach their full potential, less likely to stay on at school, or even attend school, more likely to fall into the dead end of unemployment and poverty as an adult, more likely to become unmarried teenage mothers, more likely to be in the worst jobs or no jobs at all, more likely to be trapped in a no win situation poor when young, unemployed when older. http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/633.htm Another weakness of the centres is that it involves trying to motivate and empower the local community to identify their needs and participate in the management side of the day to day running. This requires community workers who have good community and social skills to encourage local community members to actively take part. The concerns were that after the ten years were up that the community centres would not have been taken on by the local members and the centres would eventually be closed down. The Childrens Centre at Rosehill was formerly a Sure Start Centre and the differences are striking. The centre has lost a vast amount of staff members and the funding has been cut considerably. The workers continue to provide opportunities for the local parents and children so the principles of Sure Start are being maintained. Some of the local projects are working well such as the Reclaim your garden for food, Further education for parents, IT sessions, and one particular programme that I am involved with is Without Walls. Without Walls aims to network within the community to bring people together and try out new activities. It aims to break down barriers between people by organising little trips and coffee mornings with a view to a residential trip in the near future. The strengths of this project are that it encourages members of the community to mix with different groups within the community and to form a bond between them. Encouraging and empowering people to try different activ ities in a comfortable and safe environment. The only draw back is that Community Development takes time, patience and enthusiasm. Disadvantaged communities have to be persuaded to participate and their natural suspicious leads them to hang back until there is something to show. Norman Glass Society Guardian, 2005:1 The childrens centre network is still being expanded, and there will be up to 2,500 childrens centre throughout the country. Centers will be established to provide the most disadvantaged areas with links to local childcare networks and Job centre Plus. The ten-year strategy for childcare recommends that more local area based and to ensure that services are more accessible. The Strengths of Local based and community development programs are: The strengths of these projects are:- Brings diversity to local areas Raises education within the community Builds social capital Promotes a more healthy lifestyle Facilitates more parents to be able to return to work Develops individual social skills Encourages participation of community members Promotes cohesiveness Uses a bottom up approach as opposed to top down Creates Job opportunities Attracts other resources Has local government involvement The Limitations of Local based and community development programs are: It doesnt always reach those that vulnerable and excluded Resources limited opportunities Can cause discrimination over resources Funding limitations Can be difficult to evaluate/target and identify objectives Time consuming Can have funding limitations The project was aimed at parents to enable them to raise their children themselves, this in itself can prove difficult as many different cultures, races and societies have different views on what is considered successful parenting. Some of the more successful local projects seen at Rosehill/Littlemore Childrens Centre have been the parenting courses and Baby G, a group set up specifically to target under 25s with young children and childcare courses. This has brought a diverse group from the community together and is still successfully recruiting members that might not have attended the centre for various reasons. Again outreach work has enabled this to happen. In conclusion, local based area projects are as successful so long as participation is encouraged and that the projects are based on the communities needs. Community workers must continue to empower local residents to take part and in part, own the projects themselves in order for it to be sustainable. The most important part of any project is to reach the more vulnerable members of the local population; this can be achieved by successful outreach work. The success of any local area based projects depends entirely on the community workers personal skills and support from local authorities, along with a good community based knowledge. To be able to continue with all the work at Childrens Centres) I believe the projects need more funding to grow and sustain the important work carried out by these centres. Only with more government funding will they survive and be successful. Bibliographies and Referencing www.socialexclusion.gov.uk, 3rd November 2008 Haralambos and Holborn, 2004, Sociology, Themes and Perspective, Sixth Edition, HarperCollins Publishers Limited. Brown, G., (1999) Speech by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown MP, at the Sure Start Conference, 7 Jul. 1999, London: HM Treasury (online). http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/633.htm November 3rd 2008 Glass, N., 2005 Surely some mistake? Society Guardian 5th January, pg1 Glass, N., The Guardian, Wednesday January 5 2005, pg 1 http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/childrenactreport 20th October 2008, 10.23am http://www.labour.org.uk/early_years 21st October 2008, 10.39am http://www.peep.org.uk/section.asp?id=5 20th October 2008, 10.13am Imrie, R. and Raco, M. (2003), Urban Renaissance. New Labour, community and urban policy. Bristol, The Policy Press

Themes in Othello :: essays research papers

Themes in Shakespeare’s Othello Throughout Shakespeare’s play, Othello, there are many themes interwoven to describe the author’s perspective of the true nature of a man’s soul. Three themes critical to the play are doubt versus trust, monstrous imagery and the fallible love of man. One central theme of the play is the major contrast of doubt versus trust. For whatever reason, Othello's trust of Desdemona is too weak to resist Iago's accusations. As happens in many of Shakespeare’s works, miscommunication and mistrust lead to "prepost'rous conclusions" (1. 3. 323). Othello's heart tells him that Desdemona loves him; however the critical Iago can dismantle Othello’s trust in his wife by planting seeds doubt through what appears to be rational proof. Having built Othello’s curiosity about Cassio’s supposed thoughts; Iago manipulates Othello into seeing a situation between Desdemona and Cassio that does not exist. Because Othello suspects that Iago is aware of more details than he is telling, he begins questioning Iago. "Why of thy thought?"(3. 3. 108), "What dost thou think?" (3. 3. 116). The superficially answered questions cause Othello to make demands for further clarification: "If thou dost love me, show me thy thought" (3. 3. 127-28), "give thy worst of thoughts the worst of words" (3. 3. 145-46), then "By heaven, I'll know thy thoughts!" (3. 3. 175). Due to Othello’s equating of Iago’s thoughts with factual knowledge, he is eager to mistrust Cassio and does not fully scrutinize the evidence. It is because he trusts Iago that he trusts the false â€Å"facts† and doubts the virtue of his wife, Desdemona. In addition to inferring Desdemona’s unfaithfulness to Othello, Iago alludes to Desdemona's duplicitous deception of her father, Brabantio -- she was able to "seel her father's eyes up close as oak"-when he reminds Othello that "She did deceive her father, marrying you" (3. 3. 224, 220). As Othello makes his final desperate attempt at trust by saying, "I do not think but Desdemona's honest," Iago again exploits the line between thinking (or having trust) that Othello’s wife is faithful and knowing (through evidence) whether it is actually true (3. 3. 241). Othello fails to see that honor cannot be subject to empirical proof. Shakespeare's exploration of the concept of jealousy leads to the theme of the human mind’s predisposition to favor the "monstrous." Monsters of the human psyche are self-generating, even without the prodding of an evil manipulator such as Iago.

Mr. Rogers Essay

I grew up in a community named North Miami located. My upbringing developed my core beliefs of religion, family, loyalty, compassion and honesty. It also taught me that all things worthwhile require hard work. Becoming a Neonatal Nurse through school will prove challenging and intense, but has the lifelong reward of a career that has meaning and value to me. My goal is to become a Neonatal nurse specialist to obtain professional, hands on experiences in Neonatal care units. My interest in nursing started when I was 6 years old, when I volunteered to help my aunt at the clinic she worked in as a nurse. Over the summers, I learned a lot about healthcare, nurturing, and empowerment. I also discovered through the interactions with the residents how therapeutic and comforting an encouraging smile, a friendly conversation and a helpful hand could be. I established strong relationships with several of the residents. I especially treasured my time with Charlene, a funny 56 year old resident. She showed me that helping others is one of life’s greatest gifts. For that wisdom, I will always be grateful. Eager to learn more, I shadowed my aunt during her daily rounds at a local clinic she worked in, observing her genuine care as she completed her daily routine. She proved she knew as much about the person as she did about the health concern; I was impressed by the connection she had with each of her patients. My experience took an unexpected turn about midday when I participated in the labor and delivery of a baby to a mother that was in her late 20s. As the delivery neared, I stepped away to make room for the medical team However, the mother was quick to call me back to her side asking me to help her hold her legs as she delivered. It was at that moment that I realized the connection I had made with her, even though I was a complete stranger only hours before. This experience solidified my desire to pursue nursing. Upon arriving in high school I’ve learned that I was going to be able to learn the standardize steps of taking care of my future patients on my own. It took a few minutes for me to compose myself, then I said, â€Å"Okay, where do I start? † As the days passed, my confidence grew with every task that I’ve completed. Training and instinct immediately took over and my adrenaline was surging. No pulse. No breathing. No responsiveness. I started chest compressions, those are the things I’ve learned in act of becoming Neonatal nurse. My upbringing and education thus far have helped define who I am, and who I would like to become. My hard work and dedication to helping others can be furthered by continuing on through high school and college where I will gain a new level of knowledge and skill that will be represented in the field in places where these are needed the most.

Shadow – Creative Writing

Despite it's been two years since I last saw my father, the shadow of his back still remain vivid and clear in my memories. That winter, mother died and father lost his job. It was a day of tragedy and sadness. I left London for Stoke-On-Trent to join my father in hastening home, the sight of the disorderly mess in the courtyard reminded me of mother. I couldn't help but shed tears. â€Å"Now that things have come to such a pass, let's get over it, after all every cloud has a silver lining,† he said. When father arrived home, he pawned and sold things in order to pay off his debt, then he borrowed new loans to hold the funeral. During these days our family was in such a state of sorrow and distress due to both the events of the funeral and the near-collapse of father's firm. Once the funeral ended, father had to return to America in a hopeless attempt to save his firm, and I had to return to London to finish my degree. Since we hardly had chance to see each other, we decided to depart together. After an old friend took me for a tour around Manchester, I was supposed to catch a train heading for London in the afternoon the following day. Father was over occupied by his business matters so instead of seeing me off at the train station, he asked a hotel waiter to accompany me. Anxious and worried, he relentlessly urged him to take good care of me. However, he didn't feel reassured and mulled over it. Ironically, his concern was completely unnecessary. I was already a grown up and had travelled to and from Manchester several times before, but he insisted and said, â€Å"It's better off this way. These days people simply can't be trusted. † Getting out of the taxi, we entered the train station. While I bought my ticket at the ticket booth father tended to my luggage, which was quite a huge load. When I came back father was busy bargaining with the porter over the fee. I was then such â€Å"smart aleck†. I felt that he was so terrible at haggling over the price that I was about to chip in words when the bargain was finally clinched. Boarding the train with me, he selected a seat right next to the carriage door for me. I spread the overcoat he got tailor-made for over the seat and sat down. Then for the tenth time, he reminded me to be watchful on the way and be careful not to catch cold at night. Miraculously, he somehow still managed to summoned up the courage and plead the train attendants to look after me. The disapproving and disbelieving eyes they gave us, it was so hilarious! I laughed at father for being so impractical and naive. These days people only cared about money, it would be unlikely that they'd take of me. Besides, at age twenty I was obviously capable of taking care of myself. Alas, when I come to think of it now, I can see that I was really too â€Å"smart† back then. â€Å"Dad, you better hurry for your appointment now,† I said. But he looked out of the window and said, â€Å"You'll need some refreshments on the way. Stay here don't go anywhere, I'll be back in a few minutes. † Outside the railing and beyond the other railroad platform were several vendors waiting for customers. To reach that platform, he'd have jump down the railway tracks, cross them and climb up the platform. For an exceptionally fat man in his mid-fifties, this proved to a physically demanding and strenuous task for father. I volunteered to go, but he insisted, so I reluctantly let him off. Dressed in a top black hat, worn-out morning dress and stripped trousers, I watched him totter towards the railway track. He climbed down the tracks with ease,but after crossing the tracks he struggled when climbing up the platform. Fingers gripped tightly onto the platform, legs huddled up, his corpulent body tipped slightly to the left. He was obviously exerting a huge amount of energy. Then I noticed the shadow casted off his back, tears gradually streamed out of my eyes. I quickly wiped them off for fear of embarrassment. When I gazed of of the window, father had just turned away from one of the vendors, holding two fists full of brightly-packaged chocolate bars. As he reached the edge of the platform, he placed he bars down, climbed down cautiously and then retrieved them back again. As he approached near the train, I ran out to help him. Back on board, he laid all the bars on my overcoat. Patting the dirt off his clothes, his expression looked somewhat relieved and after a while he said, â€Å"Go back to your seat. Don't leave yours things unattended. † I, however, did not return to my seat until his shadow was lost among crowds of people hurrying to and fro, and could no longer see him again. Then returning into the train and settling down, my eyes were again streaming out tears. In recent years, both father and I have been constantly on the move traveling here and there, and circumstances of our family got even worser. When father was young he left home to seek a livelihood and did achieve quite a few things on his own. To think that his fate should now be so bleak and gloomy at old age! Series after series of discouraging and unfortunate events filled him with a sense of dread and sorrow. He could no longer retain his emotions, as a result he would often vent his emotions on small mishaps and treat me harshly. However, after two years of separation, he has become soft and forgiving, and he dearly misses me and my son. A upon my arrival in London, I received a letter from him, in which he said, † My dearest son, I'm in an excellent state of health except there is much pain in my shoulders, causing me undesirable pain whenever I try to hold a pen or use chopstick. Perhaps it won't be long now before I rejoin your mother†¦ † Amid the glistening and bitter tears which these words brought to my eyes, I once again saw he familiar shadow casted off the back of father's corpulent form in the top black hat, worn-out morning dress and stripped trouser. Alas, how I long to see him again! Yet, little did I know that it was the last time I'd ever see him again.