Business - The Nature of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business - The Nature of Leadership - Essay Example The workplace should be meaningful that provides opportunities for all stakesholders. This meant power is distributed equitably in the business organization where the costs and benefits of doing business are shared by all. Ultimately, the vision of Christian based business should provide growth and development not only among those who are in the organization but also on the society at large. Chapter two deals with the formulation of an employment strategy that reflects Christian values that will overcome any form of injustice and discrimination. This differs from the traditional perspective of work in a way that a business run through faith views â€Å"work is a healing process† that seeks to reconcile and overcome past injustices. It affirms the diversity in the workplace and thrives on it as it looks at differences as assets rather than a liability. Part three talks about Christian leadership which is unique among different leadership styles because it focuses on servant lea dership. The overall plan or strategic plan of a business is being implemented through the use of servant leadership which inspires employees to focus on the bigger purpose of the organization. Ethics and moral leadership comes naturally which is lacking in today’s business leadership and desists from using manipulation to motivate employees and emphasizes true stewardship of a business. A management that is Christian centered is one that listens and truthful and values cultivation of communication as an essential element towards business success. While being truthful, Christian centered management is neither brash or harsh nor judgmental in conveying truths. Finally, â€Å"Business through the Eyes of Faith† translates the broader meaning of its principles into ethical practice on how it deals with its external stakeholders. It exegetes "business, as an institution, provides the opportunity to participate with God in the creation and distribution of God’s wealt h in God’s world " (pg. 195). It enforces it social contract theory to reconcile the business dilemma of making profits and calls on to exercise â€Å"its stewardship responsibility to God by managing businesses in ways that serve the needs of their communities† (pg. 208). It distinguishes what it produce by having the right criteria between wants and needs and treats the marketplace with honesty and competition where competition is viewed as a healthy competition rather than a guerilla warfare that abandons ethical propriety. Ultimately, business that is run through the eyes intends to make the world better by having a business that is less rapacious and more concerned and conscientious not only within its organization but also towards the society at large. Mere Christian Summary Clive Staples Lewis Book I. We as humans are created by some being who also dictates, through our conscience, how we  ought  to behave.   All of us are subjected of a Law of Nature whic h is present within us in a form of a conscience that provides us a common sense of what is right and what is wrong. Many of us fails to follow it because of our inordinate instinct but this Law can provide us a better instinct that will defeat our baser instincts which are often justified with our excuse of circuitous reasoning. The world is created with two opposing theories. The church posits that this Law is given to us by God through our consc

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

Project report - Essay Example I reached the reception counter of the school 15 minutes before the scheduled time of opening of the school. More on my observations are recorded in the following report: The school is situated in the outskirts of the city. It is about 3 kilometers from the borders of the city. Since school buses are provided from majority of the housing colonies of the city, no problem is encountered on this account. The school is housed in a 12 acre plot of land. The lawns and the garden are well maintained. Tree plantation is carried out within and outside the compound walls of the school in a planned manner. The school works for six days in a week. It is closed on Sundays, but a skeleton management and maintenance staff is always available. Residential quarters are provided for such personnel, within the school compound. The hours of operations are between 8 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. A lunch break is provided between 11.a.m. to 11.30 a.m. The program is in line with the Bush Administration’s early childhood initiative, â€Å"Good Start, Grow Smart.† It includes efforts to strengthen Head Start, partner with States to improve childhood education and provide necessary information to teachers, caregivers and parents. The school commenced its activities from 1-1-1997, which means it was founded about 10 years ago. A registration certificate issued by the State Education Department is prominently displayed in the Office as well as in the cabin of the Principal. The School goes by the standards prescribed by the Education Department of the State Government for various categories of staff in the school. Most of the teachers are post graduates and have done special diploma courses in Montessori system of education. The School has many experienced staff on their rolls as well. Each staff member has to produce two testimonials from gazette officers, or prominent personalities of the area in which they reside. Their original

Leadership Principles Essay Example for Free

Leadership Principles Essay Abstract This paper explores the definition of leadership, and how applying the principles of leadership can yield more success for teams in the workplace. It also serves to further explore personality self-evaluation and how personality traits help to define an individual’s leadership likely traits and strengths. Reference will be made to personality assessments such as the â€Å"Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator† (MBTI) and the â€Å"Big-Five Approach to Personality Assessment†, and what those assessments imply about an individual. While individuals tend to demonstrate particular trends and traits in relation to the personality assessments, the results are not absolute, and in no way offer definitive information about an individual’s specific characteristics (Scholl 2002). Detailed exploration of particular aspects and principles will yield a more refined working knowledge of leadership and practical applications in the workplace, specifically self-awareness and personal recognition of individual characteristics and learning styles. A summary with findings and conclusions will conclude the paper. Leadership Leadership is the ability to get a group to achieve greater accomplishments and achievements than the sum of individuals’ actions. Leadership means taking advantage of opportunities and finding ways to improve upon a situation, whether or not someone else gave you the empowerment to accomplish those goals (Blanchard, Fowler, and Hawkins, 2005, p. 15). Leaders have the innate ability to observe a scenario, realize what needs to happen to realize results, seize the moment and guide others to work together to accomplish a common goal. Ultimately, â€Å"a leader is anyone who can give you the support and direction you need to achieve your goal.† (Blanchard et al, 2005, 133). Self-Evaluation Every person is an individual, and as individuals they naturally have unique personality traits that affect how they interact and interact with others in the world. Personal assessment is a valuable tool that allows an individual to realize their own unique traits and tendencies, allowing them to be aware of precognitive tendencies that they might demonstrate in given situations. For me personally, I was assessed using the MBTI method to be an introvert, who tends to be slightly sensing, somewhat thinking, and strongly judging (https://www.typefocus.com). At first, I took some offence to being categorized in this method, but after researching the general description of my personality, as well as specific definitions of the preference categories, I came to realize that this information would ultimately empower me to become a stronger and more capable leader in the future. A summary of careers suggest that I could become a strong manager that would enjoy a workplace where I could use m y knowledge and organizational skills. I am likely to enjoy occupations that involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. (https://www.typefocus.com). I am able to ascertain that my personality traits suggest I am a person who is capable of teaching others my knowledge and other applicable skills. I am a leader who possesses both information power as well as expert power (Yukl, 2011, p. 193) Another assessment that helped me to understand about my character was the Big-Five Approach to Personality Assessment (Scholl, 2002). The Big-Five assessment provided five factors, along with several more specific traits and facets that help individuals understand and recognize concerning their personality. The five factors, or domains, are neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. My low scoring on the neuroticism portion suggests that I am a confident, optimistic individual who is even tempered and relaxed; able to face stressful situations without becoming upset (Scholl, 2002). I had a low extraversion score, suggesting that I am reserved and interpersonally formal; an independent thinker rather than a follower (Scholl, 2002). In the domain of openness, my score was almost dead center, suggesting that I do not have strong tendencies one way or the other (Scholl, 2002). I believe that this suggests that my reaction depends on the situation and the environment surrounding it. I can be curious and imaginative about certain situations, but cautious and conservative for others. Personal morals and ethics strongly influence my openness, whereas I am open to new ideas and thinking about scenarios, as long as they do not violate my personal ethical standards. For agreeableness, my slightly higher than center score suggests that I am for the most part a generous, trusting person who is sympathetic to others. At the same time, I can be suspicious and impatient with those who have disappointed me in the past. This is one aspect that I need to be aware of my past, and how it influences my present and future. I once had an assistant who I trusted complicity attempt to stage a mutiny to attempt to remove me from my position. Thankfully, my employees had enough ethical standards to make me aware of the decision, so that I could deal with the situation through the proper channels. However, as a result of that situation I have found it much more difficult to trust subordinates, and I tend to be suspicious of actions that could be viewed as disloyal and insubordinate to me as a manager and leader. For the final domain, conscientiousness, my score was again dead center, but the results for this particular section made me think more deeply about myself. I had always thought that I demonstrated the traits associated with someone who scores high for conscientiousness, but I must accept the fact that I may have tendencies that are normally for those scoring low. For me to be successful, I must constantly be aware of these traits, and be able to recognize and adjust my actions when I act in a way that is not conscientious. The guidelines representing how to promote emotional intelligence in the workplace (https://www.eiconsortium.org) suggested twenty-two steps to assess the situation, instigate change, then transfer power and evaluate how everything worked. The company I formerly worked for must have been influenced by these guidelines, as I had been introduced to the process years ago, and was a continual body of work for me as a retail manager. For every employee that was hired, whether full or part time, I had to assess them as an employee, and implement a training program that would yield the best results for the company. Teaching has always been a passion of mine, and I enjoyed showing how every employee had an impact on our store, and their effort and personal pride could have far reaching impact on our daily success, both for sales and customer satisfaction. The process of encouraging transfer and maintenance of  change was mainly designated for the management team, but that was an essential process for our team. I simply could not do it alone: I needed every member of the management to perform to their potential, so that we could function as a team, and each member of management would learn and better their skills for the next advancement opportunity that might come along. It was through this process that I was able to train and advance several members of management, many of whom are now store managers with their own stores to run. Leadership Style My personal leadership style is supportive leadership. I will always try to empower others around me to be aware of their potential, and support them when they need assistance. As Yukl suggests, I use my interpersonal skills to be supportive and compassionate with others as they try to get their work done (Yukl, 2011, p. 64). I attempt to learn more about an individual’s personality, so that I can find a way to best assist them in their own growth and leadership potential. That requires a being a coach who is sometimes there to boost their confidence, and at other times kick them in the rear when they are not putting forth their best effort. At the same time, I realize that it is not possible to provide the motivation for everyone. Every individual has different motivations, and ultimately must take responsibility for creating their own work environment (Blanchard et al, 2005, p.29). I am aware that to be a successful leader, I need to be able to not only empower others, but to show them how to be leaders unto themselves. Every individual needs to be aware of their own strengths and powers before they can lead themselves (Blanchard et al, 2005, p.62), and I plan help others find their way to lead themselves, and ultimately lead others to success. References Blanchard, K., Fowler, S., Hawkins, L. (2005). Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Self Leadership. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishing, Inc. Buckingham, Marcus (2005). The One Thing You Need to Know†¦About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success. New York, NY: Free Press. Lencioni, Patrick (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Scholl, Richard (2002). Dispositions: The Big 5 Personality Assessment. Retrieved from University of Rhode Island, Labor Research Center Web site: http://www.uri.edu/research/lrc/scholl/webnotes/Dispositions_Big_5.htm Yukl, Gary (2011). Leadership In Organizations, Eighth Edition. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Australian Economic Review Essay Example for Free

Australian Economic Review Essay The calculation of poverty lines are published in the year 1987 and latest in the year 1996. (Australian Economic Review) Melbourne Institute analysis of poverty states that as per the year 2005, June first quarter, household disposable income per head stands at $477. 73 per week. View on Australia poverty states that there are 340,000 unemployed people and nearly 800,000 children are growing in jobless families (ACOSS). Payments for unemployed people are very low as just $200 per week for a single parent / jobless people continue to live in poverty. Poverty is evident in Australia due to various reasons such as single-parent families, inadequate education for people in families, unawareness of career opportunities and computer technology or lack of opportunities for employment or under development in suburban areas of Australia where people are not utilizing the resources of job opportunities or disinterested in advancing ahead with good standards of economic living, for all these reasons, in a macro perspective, G8 summit was focused on poverty all over the world. Poverty is prevalent all over the world, where it is quite apparent in some parts of the world and unseen in other parts of the world although the problem of poverty is persistent in gripping the lives of people. It is important here to define ‘poverty’ for clear understanding and demarking the poverty line. Widely accepted definition poverty states that â€Å"an enforced lack of socially perceived necessities†(ACOSS) which means that people are disabled or have deficient money flow to buy enough food, pay rent and stay in a good accommodation, good clothes, lack of clean water and electricity for non-payment of government charged bills which otherwise drive people to compromise and adjust with whatever comes in a way either by choice or by chance and compels to stay satisfied. Alleviation of poverty is a long-term process and mostly it is recurring in several states. In order to completely eliminate poverty, strong laws of social welfare and status of living standards must be construed in order to ensure economic growing of living as a whole in all nations particularly in Australia as this paper discusses. A thorough study and survey, research must be made in order to conclude and identify the ground reasons of poverty. ACOSS view on Australia poverty states that, firstly it is required to raise the income levels of people which will help parents and children to the process of thinking in making good opportunities and also offers satisfaction and comfort in living. Families with low education get placement in lower cadre jobs which carry low salaries, which otherwise emphasize that good and appropriate education is much more important to draw a bigger pay to meet the challenges of life style and family needs. This can never be reversed at any point of time. In Australia there are 11. 3 unemployed people who are not holding even a high school certificate as compared with 3 per cent of people who have a bachelor degree. This would further leaves greater impact on children such that, if 15 per cent of children are doing well whose parents have completed 10 STD, 44 per cent of children are outstandingly doing well whose parents have completed university education. This point clearly indicates that parents need good education, good job, good pay which in turn would help to lead children into a greater success areas. This cannot be achieved by a community or a societal organization whereas from the ground level, the work must begin i. e. from federal government and politicians who have to work hardly in bringing an efficient industries, developing infrastructure and creating employment areas and encourage people to advance in career and education for betterment of economic growth and also in satisfying the basic requirements of its people. In fact, for all governments of all nations, people and meeting the needs and basic demands must be its priority with the fact that, without people’s happiness, there cannot be healthy and prosperous nations. There is a huge gap between rich and wealthy people and poor people, which means that wealthy people continue to expand riches whereas poor and needy people continue to live in deteriorated poverty which is unacceptable and should not be encouraged keeping the future generations of children. A study of UNICEF confirms that Australia has 56. 2 per cent of children who are living with solo mothers which provides a fact that, how difficult it is for single mothers to make a status for living and in settling children. This is further confirmed by Australian Democrats, â€Å"Overall, the results demonstrate that unemployment continues to be a major cause of poverty in Australia and that employment only provides an escape when it comes in the form of a full-time job. Because many of the new jobs created over the last two decades have been either part-time or casual, they have not been sufficient, by themselves, to protect workers and their families from poverty†. (Peter Saunders of Social Policy Research Centre )

The Concepts Of Supply Chain Management Business Essay

The Concepts Of Supply Chain Management Business Essay Explain what are the supply chain uncertainties and supply chain risks; explore some already established theories about the supply chain uncertainty using academic and professional journal articles. Discuss the phenomena and behaviour of the Forrester Effect as one of the models for demand uncertainty; further explore the countermeasures of Forrester Effect. Elucidate the critical importance of supplier relationship management for the supply chain competitiveness; by finding and referencing to a number of professional literatures critically review some relationship management frameworks, models and approaches; discuss how a business might decide on the most appropriate relationship portfolio and management approach. Define and explain the concept of strategic outsourcing in the context of designing and reconfiguring supply chain structures; discuss the decision process of outsourcing and influencing factors; explore what might be the difficulties and barriers in its operational implementation; and finally summarise the key benefits and potential risks. Requirement: A content page and page numbering To complete two separate reports on two chosen topics from the three above, indicating the question number. Properly structure the discussion into sections and give subtitles for each section. Use references (normally 3-5 professional journal articles for each report) to demonstrate the extended learning Each topic is recommended to be up to 2500 words in length. No lengthy case study is required, but some short (a few sentences) real world examples may be adequate. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Table of Contents 1.0 SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT.2 1.1 Introduction .2 1.2 Importance of Supply Relationship Management..2 1.3 Relationship Management Framework.4 1.3.2 Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) interaction Approach..4 1.3.3 Supply Chain Frameworks.4 1.3.4 Service Supply Modelsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦5 1.4 Relationship Portfolio and Management Approach6 2.0 STRATEGIC OUTSOURCING11 2.1 Outsourcing and Supply Network Design..11 2.2 Outsourcing Decision Process and Influencing Factors..11 2.2.1 Planning phase12 2.2.2 Explore the Strategic Implications phase..12 2.2.3 Tactical implications phase.12 2.2.4 Cost analysis phase..13 2.2.5 Implementation phase..13 2.3 Implementation Problems.14 2.4 Key Benefits and Potential Outsourcing Risks.15 REFERENCING..17 1.0 SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT 1.1 Introduction An important feature of a world class organisation is the way the organisation has been able to develop and link its suppliers with its external processes, Peter Hines, World Class Suppliers, (Pitman, 1994). Supplier relationship management can be defined as the relationship that exists between the supplier and its buyer based on long term commitments and trust with the ultimate aim to maximise the potential value of the relationship. This will include the management of different forms of supply relationships such as partnership, joint venture and vertical integration. 1.2 Importance of Supply Relationship Management The critical importance of supplier relationship types to achieve supply chain competitiveness can be viewed under the following headings: The effective use of strategic partnership Typical traditional short term relationship is characterise by irregular or one-off transactions that give rise to supply uncertainties, difficulties in choosing suppliers, and is price oriented making this type of relationship unreliable and unsupported. Organisations can move from this type of relationship towards a long term relationship known as partnership based on trust, shared goals and risks to achieve mutual benefits. Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers and Robert Johnston, Operations Management, (Pearson, 2010), define partnership as an agreement between two firms that seek to accomplish a common objective. The Japanese, James P Womack et al, the Machine That Changed the World, (Macmillan, 1990) , used the concept of partnership and lean to gain competitive advantage because they realised their partners had the expertise, the technical knowledge and were reliable. Effective partnership with suppliers made them to compete favourably in the market because of good product quality, lo w cost and reliable delivery. Therefore, firms can use this same method to rationalise their supply base and use the lean concept to produce efficiently which will lead to reduce product lead times, reduce inventory and inventory cost. The implementation of new management tools and systems A key element of supply relationship management that gives firms competitive advantage is the implementation of the lean concept of monitoring supplier performance and continuous improvement. Monitoring performance is a post-contractual procedure in which the buyer continuously keeps an eye on the supplier by either managing the suppliers activities to make sure all commitments are met or using a measurement matrix such as key performance index (KPI) to compare supplier progress and divergence from targeted objective. The overall competitive advantage is an operation that is continuously improved in terms of quality, delivery and service. In 1989, Chrysler benching against the Japanese companies, initiated the Supplier Cost Reduction Effort (SCORE) program aimed to reduce cost, quality and monitor supplier performance; Dawei Lu et al, Supply Chain Management module notes (WMG, University of Warwick, 2011). The integration of knowledge and technology to create an all new technology Integration with supplier is all about coordination. Here, the buyer and supplier come together to align their processes thus improving communication and supply chain visibility for both parties. When firms integrate their knowledge and technology they are able to meet the needs of end customers by getting the right product at the right price and quality, giving them a competitive edge. This strategy was used by Bose Corporation 1990 that led to the extension and creation of the JIT2 concept, a logical extension of JIT that eliminates waste in the system, improves communication and reduces demand variability. Efficient consumer response (ECR) to demand variability caused by the forester effect. Firms are always seeking solutions for continuous demand variation and consumer requirements. Through effective supplier and buyer collaboration, firms will be able to achieve competitive advantage by efficiently managing their supplier relationship to meet the needs of the end consumer creating a fluid inventory flow from suppliers to the consumers reducing lead times, demand variability and uncertainty. This has led to initiatives such as Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID), a tracking technology that provides real time information and location of goods. Tesco, UKs largest grocery retailer has exploited this technology strategy and is piloting pallet-level RFID to manage its logistics; Christos Tsinopoulos and Carlos Mena, Competing Supply Chain Strategy: Tesco, Aldi and Lidl, (ECCH, 2010). Increase competition amongst firms to secure and increase domestic and international market share. Domestic and international market pressures are just other facets that have pushed firms to collaborate and develop strategic partnership with suppliers to gain competitive edge. Using this approach, firms use both local and international suppliers to broaden their sourcing base, reduce product lead time, and stream line cost through cheaper, global and local sourcing alternatives. The benefits are quick response to demand variation and high availability of variety of products at reasonable price and quality. This in turn attracts a greater amount of customers and increase market share. This is a strategy which IKEA, a Swedish international furniture company has successfully used to provide quality products at reasonable price and secure a large market share both domestically and internationally. 1.3 Relationship Management Framework 1.3.1 Introduction A relationship defines an interaction between individuals, organisations and groups; Kenneth Lysons and Michael Gillingham, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (Prentice Hall, 2003). There are many possible supply chain relationship types because very few companies can operate on their own. These relationships can be categorized as business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumers (B2C), consumers-to-business (C2B) and customers-to-customers (C2C). B2B relationships are most common and have been used in many approaches and models such as IMP, SCOR, HP, GSCF, Service supply chain and IUE-SSE to help explain supplier-customer interaction. 1.3.2 Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) interaction Approach The IMP interaction approach is a dynamic model of supplier-customer relationship developed in the mid 1970s by a group of five European countries and universities; IMP Group.[online].(http://www.impgroup.org/about).(Accessed 06 Feb 2011). Based on investigations of about 900 business relationships, the IMP group developed a model of an interaction process at both the firm and individual levels creating a dynamic, complex and long standing relationship rather than one based on a short term stable relationship; Bensaou M (1999), Portfolios of Buyer-Supplier Relationships, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 40, 35-45. This relationship is influenced by soft factors such as power, cooperation, closeness and expectations as well as external environmental factors such as market structures, dynamism, internationalisation and position in the market. The IMP Group approach and model provide a good overview of buyer-supplier relationships and have formed the basis of other frameworks like David T. Wilson, (1995) Integrated model of Buyer-Supplier relationships, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , Vol. 23, 335-345. 1.3.3 Supply Chain Frameworks Customer-supplier relationship management models and frameworks can also be viewed within the context of the different types of supply chain models that exhibit customer-supplier relationship management. This will include a variety of supply chain models which address customer-supplier relationships such as HP, SCOR, GSCF, and IUE-SSC model. These models identify customer-supplier relationships by adopting two differing views; product and service supply chain view. Product oriented models adopt a manufacturing approach that involves the physical movement of goods under uncertainties managed to satisfy customer demands and include the HP, SCOR and GSCF models. The Hewlett Packard (HP) model was developed by the Hewlett Packard Company as a result of spiral inventory and customer dissatisfaction the company was facing with its order fulfillment process. Lee, H. and C. Billington, (1995), The Evolution of Supply-Chain Management Models and Practice at Hewlett-Packard, Business Source Premiere, Vol. 25, 42-63, used this model to demonstrate how suppliers, manufacturers and customers are linked in the flow of goods with multiple warehouses providing inventory at each stage to buffer demand. The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model is a highly structured and broad model developed by the Supply Chain Council to measure total supply chain performance; Supply Chain Council. [Online].(http://supply-chain.org/f/SCOR%2090%20Overview%20Booklet.pdf ) (Accessed 06 Feb 2011). The SCOR model adopts a process manufacturing viewpoint and identifies supplier- customer relationships by breaking down the supply chain into links, each link made up of processes representing supplier-customer relationships. These relationships are then benchmarked using Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to assess the success within the supply chain. This model, although it improves customer satisfaction through improved supplier-customer relationships, it does not attempt to describe some elements of post delivery customer support, a critical feature of supplier-customer relationship management. The Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF) is yet another supply chain framework that adopts the process manufacturing approach and identifies supplier relationship management as one of its eight key business processes of product flow. Croxton L. Keely et al, (2001), the Supply Chain Management Processes, International Journal of Logistics Management, Vol. 12, 13-24, depicts this model as an end-to-end process where each process is linked and managed to interface with key customers and suppliers. This creates eight business processes among which is customer-supplier relationship management to allow the smooth flow of product within the supply chain. 1.3.4 Service Supply Models The above three models define supply chains purely from a traditional perspective of product flow. However, with the growing importance of services and service industry, Ellram et al, (2004), Understanding and Managing Service Supply Chain, The Journal of Supply Chain Management, Vol. 40, 17-32, adapted this manufacturing approach into a new line of service thinking that uses service capacity and delivery, instead of products to classify supply chains as the key processes. This service supply model captures customer-supplier relationship via an end-to-end supplier and customer process that include capacity and demand management, cash flows and service delivery management, and just like manufacturing supply chain, customer relationship management. This is a very good approach that identifies relationship management but limited in that services are intangible and this makes them difficult to visualise and measure. A follow up to the service supply chain viewpoint is the work of Baltacioglu et al (2007), A New Framework for Service Supply Chains, Service Industries Journal, Vol. 27, 105-124, who proposed the IUE-SSC model. IUE-SSC model represents the initials of the affiliated organisation of the authors and Service Supply Chain Model. This model identifies customer-supplier relationships by breaking down supply chain into three basic parts: the supplier, the service provider and the customer. Here, the service supplied by the supplier constitutes a core and supporting service and just like the service supply chain model by Ellram et al, this model identifies a number of activities that includes some customer-supplier relationship management essential to the service supply chain. Relationship types are diverse and could either be of business type such as B2B or consumer type such as C2C. In my thinking the popularity of B2B and the historical context of consumer-supplier behaviour pushed the above mentioned authors to focus exclusively on B2B relationships in explaining customer-supplier behaviours in the models they proposed. But the general shift in consumer behaviour and the impact of globalisation and information technology should trigger a move to contemporary models of consumer-supplier relationships in business-to-consumer, consumer-to-business or consumer-to-consumer. I therefore think that the modern business world would appreciate models build around E-commerce type relationships and a move from product or service approach models that explains consumer-supplier relationship management. 1.4 Relationship Portfolio and Management Approach Conventional thinking suggests that relationships tend to vary with companies and there is no fit for all purpose relationship. A logical step after organisations are able to identify the various types of relationships is to focus on the relationship portfolio they want to build with their suppliers and to effectively manage this relationship for competitiveness. A number of methods and approaches have been adopted ranging from the various types of relationships to more analytic models such as Kraljics Purchasing/supply portfolio-analysis and the power regime. Firms have adopted different approaches to tailor the different types of relationships to fit their particular products, service or markets. These relationships tend to follow a pattern from a short term traditional arms length relationship to a new form of close and long term relationship known as partnership or vertical integration; Alan Harrison and Remko van Hoek, Logistics Management and Strategy, (Pearson, 2008). Others have viewed this trend as a continuum and included additional types such as strategic alliance and joint ventures. Depending on its strategy, a firm might adopt a range of style such as develop strategic partners by rationalising its supply base and dealing only with a few suppliers, a popular approach most firms are now adopting. It might also adopt a variety of relationships style depending on the markets and the products. The Kraljics model analyses the purchasing portfolio of a firms product into high and low supply risk and supply impact on the financial results. The end result is the segregation of products as: strategic, leverage, routine and bottlenecks as shown below; High Low Fig 1: Kraljics model Leverage products Alternate source of supply available Substitution possible Competitive bidding Strategic products Critical for products cost price Dependence on supplier Performance based partnership Routine products Large product variety High logistics complexity Labour intensive System contracting E-commerce solutions Bottleneck products Monopolistic market Large entry barriers Secure supply and search for alternatives Low Supply Risk High Source: Dawei Lu et al, Supply Chain Management module notes (WMG, University of Warwick, 2011). Using this method, management can therefore spend time and develop performance based relationships such as partnership on those suppliers whose products matter most, for example, strategic products and outsource non critical or leverage products. Bensaou M (1999), Portfolios of Buyer-Supplier Relationships, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 40, pp. 35-45 adopted a similar approach based on product and market conditions to create a supplier portfolio of our different relationship profiles; captive buyer, strategic partnership, market exchange and captive supplier. Fig 2: Relationship Portfolio Source: Bensaou M (1999), Portfolios of Buyer-Supplier Relationships, Sloan Management Review, Vol. 40, pp. 35-45 To effectively manage the relationships such as the Captive buyer and Market exchange, Bensaou suggested the use of management practices such as treating each other with respect and fair profit sharing and for strategic partners to regularly exchange information or pay frequent visit creating a social climate that is trusting and collaborative. The ABC analysis method is another commonly used technique by businesses to segment supplier relationship portfolio. Wagner S. and Johnson J. L., Configuring and Managing Strategic Supplier Portfolios, Industrial Marketing Management, Vol. 33, 717-730 adopted this approach using a wide range of factors such as volume, suppliers performance, supplier strategic importance, price and quality to segregate suppliers into category (Cat) A, B and C. Cat A suppliers where suppliers that supplied a total 80% volume, while Cat B supplied 15% and finally Cat C, 5%. Very little time is spent on managing and developing Cat C supplier because of their limited volume. In most cases they are used by the company as a way to reduce cost by either direct sourcing or via e-procurement. On the other hand, Cat A suppliers should be considered imperative by top management and a close relationship or partnership should be developed. This relationship can be monitored through regular and annual meetings with suppliers as well as creating an award for suppliers to maintain motivation. In addition, the buyer can invest on supplier development by either assisting or sponsoring supplier to improve performance. Another approach is that by Andrew Cox et al (2004), Managing Appropriately in Power Regimes: Relationship and Performance Management in 12 Supply Chain Cases, Supply Chain Management, an International Journal, vol. 9, 357 371, that correlates the findings of relationships and performance management strategies in power regimes. In a power regime, a business can decide on the appropriate relationship and relationship management style(s) depending on their power condition, as shown on the fig 3. Therefore, in a business deal where the buyer is dominant or has an interdependence power position, it will be better to choose a relationship approach based on supplier development. Conversely, in a supplier power regime relative to supplier dominance and/or interdependence then the option is for a supply chain management approach to be adopted. A change in the power structure in this technique will lead to a change in the relationship portfolio and this will lead to improve performance outco mes especially when either parties change their behaviour. Fig 3: Power Regime 2.0 STRATEGIC OUTSOURCING A significant decision facing most businesses today and which have a long term impact on the firm is whether to produce internally (insourcing) or use an outside supplier (outsourcing); Robert Monczka, Robert Trent, and Robert Handfield, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, (Thomson, 2005). 2.1 Outsourcing and Supply Network Design Outsourcing, sometimes referred to as make-or-buy, is a strategy by which an organisations management decides to hand over its non-core activities to a specialised third party that can efficiently provide the service; Kenneth Lysons and Michael Gillingham, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, (Prentice Hall, 2003). Therefore, central to outsourcing is the make or buy decisions and the relationship that is formed between the purchaser and the supplier. The make or buy decision arises because organisations have come to the realisation that they cannot produce or make everything on their own and can effectively spend more time on core competence while non core competence could be outsourced. This decision to outsource or make or buy is a strategic one that will create a new supply network of suppliers and sometimes suppliers suppliers. In this new supply network, the organisation will need to adjust its operation in line with its new suppliers and, where possible, its suppliers suppliers creating a total supply network; Nigel Slack, Stuart Chambers and Robert Johnston, Operations Management, (Pearson, 2010). This strategic decision to outsource brings a whole new chapter within the organisation and will prompt a key design decision; how to configure the new network and how much of the network should be retained by the organisation. This will help management to decide on how it intends to influence and manage the overall new structure . 2.2 Outsourcing Decision Process and Influencing Factors Traditionally, the main outsourcing decision process focused on cost reduction. However, the importance of outsourcing decision to an organisation competitive position has pushed many organisations to consider a number of other factors. The decision process adopted here is one adapted from Robert Monczka, Robert Trent, and Robert Handfield, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management, (Thomson, 2005). 2.2.1 Planning phase The initial process in undertaking any outsourcing motive is to initiate a project of a cross functional team and define its scope and objectives. The team should identify activities to be outsourced and present to management for acceptance. Explore the Strategic Implications phase Strategic implications will mean aligning the outsourcing decision with three main factors: The companys long term plans and its impact on other activities and functions. This means if the activity that is being outsourced should disrupt the companys future plan or affects other functions, it is better off being insource. Furthermore, the decision should be in line with an understanding of the organisations core competence. If outsourced activity is not perceived as being core capabilities, the firm might decide to outsource. Analysis of the impact of process technological and how it compares to its competitors for competitive advantage. If analysis shows minimal competitive advantage then the organisation can decide to outsource but in cases where in house process technology provides competitive advantage, the organisation could reconsider to insource. 2.2.3 Tactical implications phase Tactical decision process will consider the following factors, and the ability to test prospective outsourcing initiative. Alternatives to outsourcing: Being tactical is crucial in outsourcing because the final decision to outsource can be very expensive for the organisation. Therefore, before making that final decision, the organisation could reconsider alternatives to outsourcing such as producing in-house, subcontracting or vertical integration. The length of contract: Outsourcing decision could mean being tied down in a long term contract which could impact on other strategic objectives. Impact of size: Also the size of the outsourcing activity can impact on the decision process as management can decide on other options if the activity to outsource is too large and can have adverse effect on core activities. Corporate culture: The impact on corporate culture is another key tactical factor that should be considered on outsourced activity to organisation. This means considering employees feelings regarding the activity to be outsourced. 2.2.4 Cost analysis phase Critical to any outsourcing decision process is its ability to be cost-effective at a quality level competitive in the marketplace. An accurate cost-effective calculation looks beyond the initial and obvious costs and is based on a marginal costing principle; a cumulative costing concept including total variable cost, total fixed cost and operating costs. Other costs will include the opportunity cost which is the potential benefits forgone if the activity being outsourced is done in house. Implementation phase The implementation process will be driven by effective service provider selection and managing post-contractual relationship. Because outsourcing usually involves a long term contract and high investment, selecting the correct service provider is imperative. The selection process will include; Market research: This involves carrying out a thorough market research to determine market price and terms of conditions, and identifying potential service providers with the right expertise, capacity and similarity in corporate culture. Develop a tender request. The tender request should provide in detail the outsourcing requirements as well as general information about the organisation including the scope and the objectives of outsourcing. This document will form a good guide to potential service providers. Conduct site visit. After tenders have been submitted, a site visit to potential service provider will aim to compare reality to what is on paper. It will be an opportunity to look at the corporate culture, its processes, the people, and how they can fit in to the outsourcing organisation. Negotiate. Negotiation will aim to find a common ground for a win-win situation. Central to this will be: quality of service and the performance level, scope for improvement and change, pricing and management style including assimilation of employees. The implementation process is not complete without any form of decision to manage post-contractual relationship which is very important to the sustainability of the whole outsourcing process. The key factor is to develop a key performance indicator (KPI) to continuously measure and monitor performance of service provider so that service quality is maintained and relationship continuously improved. In conclusion, the decision to outsource by a firm is a crucial and strategic one because it affects a greater part of the firm and it can be used as a competitive tool. Traditionally, this decision was based simply on cost and benefits but as discussed above, the decision process is now influenced by many factors and departments. Therefore, for an outsourcing decision process to be effective and efficient, a cross functional team should be selected to be part of the whole process. Implementation Problems Shawn McCray (2008). [Online].(http://www.tpi.net/pdf/papers/Top_10_Problems-with_Outsourcing.pdf).(Accessed 23 February 2011), identifies poor change management and governance as key issues in implementing outsourcing. Some of the problems related to implementation are: Post-contract processes poorly written: This occurs because both parties after signing the contract do not want to work together. The root problem being mutual misunderstanding of contract and the scope of outsourced activities resulting to services not performed and increase frustration amongst staff. Cultural clash: Cultural clash, corporate or international, can tend to produce tension, distrust and misunderstanding. This is problematic especially in a situation of offshoring where communication is limited to email or phones. This will be further compounded in difference in work ethics which if not streamlined will create added tension. Quality of service: A main reason management decides to outsource is to improve the quality of service. Where service provider is unable to achieve this, the whole outsourcing process becomes questionable and creates problems surrounding contractual performance and implementation. Lack of Coordination: Coordination and the lack of a coordinating team present an implementation problem. This is because as soon as the contract is signed, the client quickly shifts all responsibilities to the service provider who is still trying to get started and there is no team in place to coordinate activities. This wi

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The rabies virus is a zoonotic disease that attacks the nervous system, leading to acute encephalitis and eventual death. Rabies is spread most commonly through contact between saliva from an infected host and the open wound of a victim, in the form of a bite. However, infection from the contamination of any mucous membrane, including the eyes and mouth, with infected saliva is also possible ("How Is Rabies Transmitted?†). Once transmittance has occurred, the virus uses the peripheral nervous system, or the â€Å"nerves and ganglia outside of the brain and spinal cord†, in order to reach the central nervous system (â€Å"Peripheral Nervous System†). During this time, known as the incubation period, the virus exhibits little to no symptoms in victims, including the ability to infect others through saliva contact ("The Path of the Virus."). The incubation period is determined by the specific length the virus has to travel to reach the brain. Subsequently, larger ani mals may experience longer incubation periods ranging from weeks to months. Once rabies reaches the central nervous system, rapid viral replication results in encephalitis, as well as the first outward symptoms. These symptoms include increased aggression, excessive drooling, disorientation, seizures, and hydrophobia (Harris County Public Health). During this time, the virus begins being secreted by the saliva glands. Unlike the incubation period, the active period is relatively short; most symptoms appear within three to five days after the incubation period, and death usually occurs within seven days after exhibiting symptoms ("The Path of the Virus."). As a result of the rapid neural degradation, rabies is nearly incurable after the onset of symptoms. The rabies virus has the ... ...in China at the time (Schiller). Due to their low medical funds, underdeveloped and developing countries have difficulty dealing with local rabies epidemics. Though rabies is still prevalent in many countries today, it has little pandemic potential. Simply, rabies has nearly been eradicated in developed countries in the last several decades, present only in isolated cases. Though underdeveloped and developing countries continue to battle rabies, the issue is more of a concern for medical funds than for rabies itself. If developing countries had the potential to purchase rabies vaccinations and promote population control legislations, then rabies would be eliminated worldwide. The fact that developed countries have lowered rabies rates to near-nonexistence is proof of possible worldwide eradication. Rabies is an issue of the past, and it has no place in the future.

The Giver Vs. Brave New World :: essays research papers

The Giver by Lois Lowry and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley have many similarities. They both take place in futuristic utopias where happiness is the overall goal. Jonas and Bernard, the major characters in the novels, are both restless individuals who want change. Despite the close similarities, there are many contrasts in the two novels. The childhood, family, and professions arrangements are differently portrayed in the similar novels The Giver and Brave New World. The similarities in the two novels are few despite of the similar concept the novels have. Both deal with utopias where everyone is happy. They both have individuals wanting to change the way society operates. Every individual in the novel is genetically engineered and conditioned to like what he or she has and be happy. Emotions and feelings aren’t supposed to exist in either utopia. Though the utopia in Brave New World is more technologically advanced than the one in The Giver, they are both more advanced than today’s technology. Growing up is very different in the two novels. In The Giver, each child grows up in a similar way to the way today. They each grow up in a family unit, go to school with children their age, and play child games like today’s. They grow to live a normal child until they reach the age of twelve, where they begin training for their assigned profession. In Brave New World, the children don’t experience childhood. After they are born in a lab, they are all conditioned what to like and what to hate according to their social placing. The children entertain themselves by playing very complex games that require much equipment and also by sexual recreation. The two novels’ family unit system is very different from each other. The family structure in The Giver is somewhat similar to ours today. The families consist of parents and children but each family unit is limited. A unit is restricted to two adult parents, one male child, and one female child. Brave New World has no family structure. A motto included in the novel states, â€Å"everyone belongs to everyone else†. Every adult lives alone in his or her own apartment with no spouse but with many sexual partners. Professions were assigned in both novels, but in a different manner. When children turned twelve years old in The Giver, they began training for the professions they were assigned.