How the Black Death Transformed the Role of States Essay

How the Black Death Transformed the Role of States - Essay Example This paper discusses the impact of the Black Death on the role of states. The Response of the State to the Black Death From the 16th century, the state had persuaded the city government, the London Corporation, to take steps to stop the pestilence and other maladies. The frequently recommended solution was a kind of quarantine, where the afflicted were prohibited to leave their homes.ii Theodore de Mayerne, the king’s physician, produced a statement in the 1630s indicating a stricter regulation for food distribution, removal of beggars, and widespread cleansing. Furthermore, he suggested that a public health centre be formed, with power over issues of beggars, cleanliness and sanitation, and health assistance.iii Even though the physician received due respect from the king’s counsellors, his recommendations were immediately overlooked after the plague had stopped. In the period after the 1640s deaths from pestilence were unusual, and the ‘pesthouses’ where the afflicted were confined had been renovated for other functions. A lot of physicians, by 1665, had never observed the typical indications of the epidemic, and London stayed defenceless.iv The Royal College of Physicians, the certifying association for physicians, had been licensed by Henry VIII and had been an esteemed organisation. However, by 1665, its power was greatly diminished due to its historical connection with the state, oppositions from other associations, like the Society of Chemical Physicians, and the reality that only a few Royal College physicians were working in the city, and several doctors could simply be identified as frauds whose certification had been coerced by King Charles on the Royal College.v Yet, when the Black Death stormed, the Royal College suggested medications and public health actions to mitigate the predicament. The Royal College also financially supported medications for the infected people who could not pay for them. Additional pesthouses were hurriedly constructed, and alleged ‘plague nurses’ were assigned to look after the afflicted, even though many thought that their major interest was to speed up their demise so they could steal from them.vi As usual, the state attempted to fight the pestilence by removing beggars and wandering merchants from the streets, shutting down courts, schools, and other establishments, and implementing quarantine on the afflicted and their families. London’s economic being was plunged into pandemonium, and countless animals were exterminated due to suspicions that they carry the virus.vii State-supported exterminators were hired to eradicate cats and dogs and received two pence for each animal as wage. This was a big pay at that time, and Daniel Defoe, who presented a description of the pestilence, assessed that 200,000 cats and 40,000 dogs were killed, and usually the remains were left to rot in the streets, hence worsening the already revolting reek in the city.viii Th ese actions only made the rat population bigger, because nobody knew in during this time that these pests were the main virus-carriers. In September, the state ordered the kindling of flares to expel the epidemic from the air. Countless were dying successively that burying the deceased became a serious hygiene problem. Digging of mass graves was the initial response of the state, but there were very few gravediggers.ix At last, when the October weather chilled, the number of deaths dropped and

How to Develop Self-Confidence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How to Develop Self-Confidence - Essay Example It is rightly said that self confidence is all in your mind. The first step that should be taken for the development of self confidence is to realize one’s own self. First of all make a list of qualities present in the personality and read it daily until your mind starts believing on such qualities in the character. (Robert Anthony - Self-Help, 2005) Another important way to develop self confidence is self talk. It is very important in the way of success to express all your thoughts in the figure of words. For such ability one has to eliminate self doubt from the personality. Once this quality develops in the character it will become helpful in every race of life. Self praising is also an important activity for the development of confidence. One should praise himself that he is gorgeous, talented and possesses all the qualities that one should have to be a successful person. This appreciation will of course help him in reducing hesitation from his behavior. In contrast, never criticize one’s own self. It plays a great role in suppressing the self-belief. It may demodulate the mind and develop feeling of hopelessness in one’s character. Self confidence may also generate by the elimination of bad habits from the personality and replace them by positive activities. If an individual gets command on his behavior he will definitely become confident in his all dealings of routine life (Coon et al 2009). One more important thing that should be mentioned here is that there is no need to hide your progress in any race of life. Let the people know your efficacy towards your objective. To hide anything would always irritate the mind. It keeps suppressing the confidence. Once the confidence has developed avoid the company of people who diminish your self confidence with their negative comments and opinions. Continuous

Relocating Margaret Thatchers in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Relocating Margaret Thatchers in the Workplace Essay Working environments are dimensions in which the individual’s skills, talents and production capabilities are put into the test. The war-like situation manifested in corporate arenas continues to post a challenge to each and every individual. It is a legitimized jungle wherein only the strong remains and the weak perish. Thus, for every struggle that is addressed, this spells sweet victory for the triumphant warrior. It is for this aspect that Karsten described the workplace a source of one’s â€Å"sense of self, power and prestige (162). † As the individual continue to climb the corporate ladder, his or her â€Å"sense of self, power and prestige (Karsten 162)† continue to increase. This is most especially true in scenarios wherein leadership roles are assumed and performed. However, a critical examination shows that holding power, garnering respect and expressing authority have exclusively remained in the hands of men. The opportunity to lead has been an exclusive right of males and women, despite of the strong campaign to uphold equality, are continuously pushed to the periphery. Women leadership remains a critical issue in the corporate environment. Despite of the efforts to render equal opportunities to both men and women, the actions taken, remained futile. Women as leaders are still seen from a derogatory perspective. As Spade and Valentine described, work places are no less than â€Å"gendered institutions† that operate under â€Å"inequality regimes (341). † Under this context, it can be argued that the so-called â€Å"inequality regimes† mentioned in this discussion, is no less than the hegemonic and oppressive patriarchal orientations that are highly manifested in various work spaces. Drawing on Dahrendorf’s distribution of power and authority (Lemell Noll, 52), it is evident that many working environments deprive women from having equal chances or access to positions that demand an exercise of power and control. Also, power legitimacy as for the case of women leaders are often questioned or blatantly ignored. While it is true that women have managed to acquire managerial positions, Ely et. al expressed that only 1 % of these females are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies or establishments (161). Likewise, Ely et. al mentioned that in terms of governmental positions and functions, only a small percentage of women can be observed. The seemingly under representation and to a certain extent—total absence of women leaders in the corporate world is triggered by society’s patriarchal culture. The practices seen in the business world reflect the manipulative and discriminating orientation of the patriarchal system. Under this context, societal roles and functions are highly determined by gender. Men are seen as the stronger sex whereas women are the exact opposite. Women are constantly confined into domestic roles. They are mothers and wives whose values and worth are best exemplified in the bedroom and kitchen. Thus, their entries into the workplace or business environments are often seen as a threat. In addition to that, this scenario highly contradicts the so-called â€Å"normative behaviors (Ridgeway 223)† of world. Leadership in business environments translates to performing firm decision, asserting authority and showing direct control, if necessary. Needless to say, these traits or characteristics are often played or portrayed by men. On the other hand, the idea of being a mere â€Å"follower† is relegated to women. Therefore, in the event wherein a woman leader practices authority, utilizes power and make decisions, these scenario is immediately dismissed as a violation of the canonical norms not only of the workplace, but also of the overall social structure (Ridgeway 223). The problem with women executives or leaders is that their socially-constructed roles are mixed with their corporate or work-related functions. The merit of their leadership skills and capabilities are based on how well they perform their overtly stereotyped duties and obligations. When women act like leaders, the patriarchal system immediately questions their efficiency via insisting the women’s highly biased and gender-based tasks (Ridgeway 223). As Ridgeway stressed, women leaders are initially seen as a woman, then a leader (223). Gender would always come first and leadership capabilities are only secondary. There are several ways in which women are prevented from acquiring leadership positions in the workplace. The first one is illustrated by the â€Å"glass ceiling concept (Goethals Burns 77). Under this context, women are blatantly deprived of acquiring leadership positions via unequal distribution of chances and opportunities (Goethals Burns 77). This is despite of eliciting commendable work-related achievements and success. The glass ceiling acts as a barricade that prevents women from being hailed as managers and executives despite delivering good results and performances (Haslett, Geis Carter 128). In addition to that, it is also evident that women are placed into positions or departments in which they cannot possibly harness their leadership skills (Goethals, Sorenson Burns 77). They are subjected into roles that do not engage into actual corporate management and decision making. Therefore, in the event in which women are recommended for promotions, their skills and experience readily lag behind. Or in such cases, a woman must shoulder the entire burden of exerting efforts and energy to prove themselves, but with no assurance that they will be selected. But then again even if some women were able to secure their positions on the corporate hierarchy, Goethal, Sorenson and Burns shared that this is no less than a defense mechanism used to avoid accusations of gender discrimination and inequality (77). Aside from the glass ceiling, the persistence of the seemingly omnipotent â€Å"old boy network (Goethals, Sorenson Burns 77)† is also instrumental in the under representation of women leaders. A critical examination of the old boy network clearly shows the strong attempt of men to protect their own interests (Sanchez et. al 240). There is the intention to keep power in the hands of the few and eliminate new players. This basically explains the degree of favoritism in promotions. Men often receive high preference compared to women not because they are better or more productive. Instead, this is just a way to preserve the patriarchal rule. Since majority of senior executives are men, their power legitimacy is highly acknowledged and recognized. This kind of prestige is then used by males to control, manipulate and safeguard their interests. Thus, to ensure that their power and authority shall remain, these executives are more likely to choose male protegees—individuals, who like them, present a common set of beliefs, ideologies and value systems. Lastly, the limited access of women to building social networks lessens their chances of being corporate leaders (Goethals, Sorenson Burns 78). Goethals, Sorenson and Burns mentioned that â€Å"informal gatherings† is a way for women to connect with other individuals in the business organizations (78). It is through these activities that women can further improve their social and communication skills—two of the most significant traits that leaders should acquire. However, these opportunities are hardly given to women. Other than obstructing women to create meaningful relationships and camaraderie, this scenario also inhibits females from having their own mentors and role models (Klenke 185). Mentors and role models serve as a support system. Through them, valuable knowledge and insights are shared and transmitted. Mentoring relationships help potential leaders devise sound decisions and appropriate solutions. Unfortunately, this right is highly exclusive to men. The struggles and challenges faced by women leaders in the corporate system is yet another gender issue that should be readily addressed. Leadership roles should not be equated to gender-based functions. Equal rights and opportunities should be provided to both genders and should not be an exclusive privilege of men. It should be stressed and remembered that leadership efficiency is determined by skills and performances, never by gender. Works Cited Sanchez, Penny; Philip Hucles; Janis Sanchez-Hucles and Sanjay Mehta. â€Å"Increasing Diverse Women Leadership in Corporate America: Climbing Concrete Walls and Shattering Glass Ceilings. † Women and Leadership Transforming Visions and Diverse Voices Eds. Jean Lau Chin; Bernice Lott; Joy Rice and Janis Sanchez-Hucles. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2007 Ely, Robin; Erica Foldy; Maureen Scully and The Center for Gender in Organizations Simmons School of Management. Reader in Gender, Work and Organization. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2003 Goethal, George; Georgia Sorenson and James MacGregor Burns. Encyclopedia of Leadership. California: Sage Publications Inc, 2004 Haslett, Beth; Florence Geis and Mae Carter. The Organizational Woman. New Jersey: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 1992 Karsten, Margaret. Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Workplace. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006 Klenke, Karin. Women Leadership. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 1996 Lemell, Yannick and Heinz-Herbert Noll. Changing Structures of Inequality: A Comparative Perspective. Canada: Mc-Gill Queen’s University Press, 2002 Ridgeway, Cecilia. Gender Interaction and Inequality. New York: Springer –Verlag New York Inc. , 1992 Spade, Joan and Catherine Valentine. The Ka

Three Fundamental Functions Of Business Organizations Management Essay

Three Fundamental Functions Of Business Organizations Management Essay BMW stands for Bayerisch Motoren Werke AG established in 1916. The company was first known as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. In 1928, it started focusing on car manufacturing with the purchase of the Eisenach motor vehicle factory. The BMW 3/15 which was a version of the Austin Seven, from British automaker Austin was the companys first passenger car. It operated with a 15 horsepower engine and had a top speed of 45 miles per hour. BMW began to design and build its own cars in the 1930s. The company developed its own engine plant that allowed BMW to build both sports cars and sedans without using engines made by other companies. The 327, 328 and 335 models were advanced technologically that made BMW be recognized as a major European automaker. During WWII BMW was forced to produce motorcycles and engines for the German army. They had to stop car production until the 1950s. After WWII, BMW had to restart their car production from zero. In 1952, they began producing the large 501 luxury sedan. It was the first car to be mass-produced in the West Germany. The successful 501 was followed by the 502 sedan in 1954 and the popular 507 roadster in 1956. This series help the company regain the prominent position for sports and luxury cars. Today BMW cars is recognized as a worldwide luxury brand with a high reputation for quality and by their marketing slogan, The Ultimate Driving Machine. BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce are three of the strongest premium brands of BMW nowadays. BMWs car is a superior product in terms of aesthetic appeal, dynamic performance, technology and quality. It underlines the companys leading position in innovation and technology. BMW Group Production Network currently includes 29 production and assembly plants in 14 countries on four continents with a network of more than 12,000 suppliers all over the world. The integration of production and logistics systems within the individual BMW Group locations provides advantages for the customer. Higher efficiency in the supply of production materials helps accelerate the delivery of cars to customers. Each plant contributes to the smooth operation of the global production network. The main locations of BMW Group Production Network include: USA: Spartanburg, South Carolina. Germany: Dingolfing, Berlin, Eisenach, Landshut, Munich,  Regensburg and Wackersdorf Brasilia: Manaus. Italy:   Cassinetta India: Chennai Great Britain: Goodwood, Hams Hall Oxford Swindon Austria: Graz, Steyr. Indonesia: Jakarta Russia: Kaliningrad Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Thailand:   Rayong South Africa:   Rosslyn China: Shenyang (Dadong) and Shenyang (Tiexi) (Adapted from www.bmwgroup.com; BMW group (2011); http://www.ehow.com/about_5145304_bmw-cars.html ) Operations management as a set of decision making 2.1. What resources will be needed and in what amount? 2.1.1. What resources will be needed? The production process is concerned with transforming a range of inputs into those outputs that are required by the market. This involves two main sets of resources the transforming resources, and the transformed resources. Transformed resources include those that are transformed in some way by the operation to produce the goods or services that are its outputs. Three types of resource that may be transformed in operations are: materials the physical inputs to the process (manufacturing) information that is being processed or used in the process customers the people who are transformed in some way (common in the service business) Transforming resources include those that are used to perform the transformation process. The two types of transforming resource are: staff the people involved directly in the transformation process or supporting it (labour) facilities land, buildings, machines and equipment (capital) (http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-transformed-resources-and-vs-transforming-resources) In the case of BMW group, the resources necessary for their car production can be summarized in table1 Resources Types Notes Transformed Iron, Steel, Aluminum, Rubber etc Energy Car Body Paint Engine Other parts For the production of car body, bolt, rivet, wire, seat and other parts etc Transforming Land Engine production plants, body shops, paint shops and assembly plants Automated machines and other related machines Equipment and tools -Computers and supportive software Workers, managers, supervisors, inspectors -To build different types of car manufacturing plants 2.1.2. In what amounts? The amounts of resources required for car manufacturing largely depends on the demand of the product. The number of the goods/ services the company intends to produce and deliver to customers and the variety of products to be produced will determine the amounts of resources needed within a defined production system. To make decisions on the amounts of resources needed for manufacturing the product(s), operations managers should consider carefully two elements: selection of production process (operations strategy) and forecasting of demand of products/services. Selection of production process: There are three basic types of production methods or process: Make-to-stock (mass production): this method commonly goes along with line-flow strategy in which high volumes of products of relatively few standardized products are manufactured base upon relatively accurate anticipation of future demand for those products. This requires the firm to hold products in stock for immediate delivery. The competitive priorities of this method are stable quality and low cost. Since the demand for the products have been well anticipated so does the amounts of required resources (Krajewsky et al, 1999). Make-to-order: this method is commonly used by firms with flexible flow that produce low-volume, high-variety of goods/services according to customer specifications. In this direction, high level of customization is the major competitive priority of this method (http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/NC/B0/B66/098MB66.html) Assemble-to-order (mass customization): this method is used to produce goods/services with many options from a relatively few number of assemblies and components in line with the customers specific order. Assemblies and components are held in stock until specific orders arrives. Then respective products will be assembled with appropriate assemblies and components. This method is relevant to high volume and relatively high variety of good/services (Krajewsky et al, 1999). Forecasting: In order to determine more accurately the amounts of resources needed for the product/service the organization is to offer to the market, it is vital to forecast the demand of this product/service. Demand forecast is usually developed by the marketing department and its accuracy will be the crucial element of the success of capacity management plans implemented by operations. Forecast provides a strong basis for determining the capital invested in the plants, machines and equipment, purchasing the right amount of materials and employing the right amount of labour (Albert Porter, 2010). Production methods and capacity planning of BMW group as means to define amounts of resources needed. In terms of production method, BMWs leading production principles includes horizontal and vertical integration of functions, team work organisation, visual management, built in quality processes, pull system of procurement and continuous improvement. This can be seen as a hybrid production system with a strong German element in product, production technologies and quality standards, a strong part of Japanese principles in process and work organisation and an American part of vertical management hierarchy. BMWs production approach is characterized with high quality, high productivity and high product flexibility which is closed to the mass customization model of production (Ludger Pries, 2002). With this production approach today BMW produces at least 80 percent of its vehicles to customer orders. (http://www.bmwgroup.com/e/nav/index.html?../0_0_www_bmwgroup_com/home/home.htmlsource=overview). With regards to capacity planning BMW develops a well-elaborated strategic-planning process where products and sales are forecast before production capacity planning. Derived from the results of market research, planners decide on the set of future products and estimated sales figures during their life cycle for different geographical markets with the necessary flexibility reserves (i.e. difference between expected demand and available capacity based on their experience). This serves as data for plant loading in which planners allocate the products to the plants and determine the required production capacities including future amount of resources needed and the way to procure them (Bernhard Fleischmann, 2006). 2.2. When will each resource be needed? When should the work be scheduled? When should materials and other supplies be ordered? When is corrective action needed? All those above questions are connected with materials management, scheduling and quality control the operations manager should carefully consider once the production process is put in place. Master Scheduling Plan and Work Scheduling Forecast of future demand of sales helps companies set up an overall production capacity plan which in turn tailored into Master Scheduling Plans (MSP) with an intermediate timeline where the quantity of specific end-products and the time to produce them are defined. It is the major control of all production activities. To create an MSP, it is important for managers to know where materials are located and how they flow at every step in the production process. For this purpose, they determine the routing of all materials-that is, the work flow of each item based on the sequence of operations in which it will be used (Anil Kumar et al, 2009). On the other hand, as it is necessary for managers to control the timing of all operations, they have to build work schedules for this purpose. Scheduling allocates resources over time to perform specific tasks (Krajewsky et al, 1999). Managers determine jobs to be performed during the production process, allocate tasks to work groups, set timetab les for the accomplishment of task and ensure that resources are to be adequately provided when and where they are in need. Two most popular techniques used in scheduling are Gantt and PERT charts (http://www.webbooks.com/eLibrary/NC/B0/B66/098MB66.html) Inventory control It is disastrous if a manufacturer runs out of the materials it needs for production. However, keeping large inventories of materials is wasting money because the firm has to pay for those materials in stock and find places to store them. Therefore, to remain competitive, firms have to manage inventories efficiently. They need to ensure the availability of materials for production and at the same time not to waste money due to large inventory. Achieving the balance between those two risks rests on the inventory management and control. There are three types of inventories including (i) raw materials; (ii) purchased goods and (iii) finished parts and components. The various types of inventory to maintain the continuity in the production process is illustrated in fig 1. Inventory Raw materials Process Inventory Parts + Purchased items Process Finished products Market Inventory Fig 1: Inventory of materials (www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/001386.pdf) There are two common inventory-control methods as follows: Just-in-Time It is seen as the modern concept of inventory planning where the materials should be purchased and brought in the stores just before it enters the production or sold out so that inventory cost is negligible. The zero inventories are the ideal planning because the costs of holding inventory are significantly cut. JIT, however, requires considerable communication and cooperation between the manufacturer and the supplier. The manufacturer has to know what it needs, and when. The supplier has to commit to supplying the right materials, of the right quality, at exactly the right time (Albert Porter, 2010). . Material Requirements Planning However, in the present situations in any of the organization particularly manufacturing organization, it is not absolutely possible to keep no inventory of materials required for production. Another inventory control method is commonly used called Material Requirements Planning (MRP). The MRP is a technique relies on a computerized program both to calculate the quantity of materials needed for production starting from the raw materials, finished parts, components, sub-assemblies and assemblies as per Bill of Materials (BOM) and to determine when they should be ordered or made to support a Master Production Schedule (MPS) (Krajewsky et al, 1999; Anil Kumar et al, 2009). The basic MRP focuses on material planning, but there is a more sophisticated system-called Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II)manufacturing resource planning (MRP II)System for coordinating a firms material requirements planning activities with the activities of its other functional areas.-that goes beyond material planning to help monitor resources in all areas of the company. Such a program can, for instance, coordinate the production schedule with Human Resource managers forecasts for needed labor (www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/001386.pdf) Quality control Quality control of materials The quality of the product largely depends upon the quality of the materials used to produce that product. Therefore, it is a very important for the firm to purchase the right quality of materials. Quality control of materials aims at delivering product at higher quality with lower cost. It also helps decide the selection of suppliers and the relationship between buyers and suppliers. In quality control, the quality assurance is decided by inspection and checking. The various properties of materials are decided by the standards they should follow. (www.newagepublishers.com/samplechapter/001386.pdf) Total quality management Today, quality is an efficient weapon firms use to compete with their rivals in the market. Total Quality Management (TQM) or quality assurance includes all managerial steps that firms take to ensure that its goods or services are of high quality to adequately meet customers need). TQM encompasses the following three principles: Customer -driven definition of quality: firms encourage customers to tell them how to make the right product. Firms also track customers feedback about their products (via surveys and other methods) to know what they need to improve. Employee involvement: commitment of employee in ensuring quality of their tasks and in detecting and correcting quality problems is very important. Training and other tools will help employee be actively involved in quality assurance process. Continuous improvement: the commitment to making constant improvements in the design, production, and delivery of goods and services ((Krajewsky et al, 1999). A range of tools have been developed to control quality and indentify areas of improvement such as Statistical Process Control, Benchmarking and Taguchi`s Quality Lost Function method. In addition, a set of standards called ISO has been devised by the International Organization for Standardization to help companies comply with quality documentation standards and get recognition worldwide. There are a set of standards: ISO 9000 family for quality management and ISO 14000 for environmental management. (http://worldacademyonline.com/book/applied_operations_management_manufacturingand_services/). Materials Management and Quality Management at BMW BMW forecasts their new products and demand of sale for capacity planning and allocate the products to their plants worldwide. Each plant then develops the MSP based upon the new orders and demand of sales. The MSP determines explicitly the quantity and the time of the resources (materials and capacity) needed based on the sequence of operations. In terms of inventory management, since BMW adopts a hybrid production system, MRP is used to calculate the quantity of materials needed for production and to determine when they should be ordered or manufactured with the integration of JIT principle to reduce inventory. In each location, BMW manufacturing plant establishes a network of first tier suppliers located nearby, for instance the Spartanburg plant has 18 first tier suppliers that are located in the nearby industrial park and committed to provide ordered materials and components with high quality and right in time. E-orders and purchasing are used to communicate and do the transacti on with its suppliers. As a result, buffers between body shop and painting is18 units and between painting and assembly is120 units. The suppliers are forced to recompense the rigidity of the production system with their own and extensive buffer (Ludger Pries). This mixed inventory control method allows BMW to develop a mass customization production system characterised with high quality, high productivity but also high flexibility. Quality is the strongest competitive advantage of BMW cars. For BMW to achieve premium quality, it is important to recognize any defects/mistakes before production begins and to correct them. Therefore the company has adopted sophisticated computer-aid quality inspection technology to control the quality of purchased parts, engines and all the semi-products and components going from the press, body shop to the final assembly with start-of-the-art inspection device such as 3D CAD, mobile optical TRITOPCMM system (http://www.capture3d.com/file-capture3d-bmw-assemblyline.pdf). Computer-aided inspection systems contribute significantly to saving rework time, optimizing processes and thereby reducing production costs. BMW group also complies to ISO 9000 and IS014000 for quality and environmental management system ((Ludger Pries, 2002). 2.3. Where will the work be done? The selection of plant location or facility location is a key strategic decision for an organization. The location decision is costly and time consuming to change. This is because large investment is made to buy the land and to construct buildings. Companys competitiveness will be affected by its location since it will impact costs such as transportation and labour. Improper location of a plant may lead to loss of competitiveness, and eventually waste of all investments put in land, buildings and machinery. Therefore, before making decision for the selection of a plant location, long range forecast about the future demands should be made. The plant location should be based on the firms expansion plan and policy, diversification plan of products, changing market conditions, changing sources of raw materials and other resources and many other factors. The key following factors are seen important for location decision: Proximity to customers (extremely important in service business) Proximity to suppliers Proximity to labour Infrastructure and transportation availability (Albert Porter, 2010; Anil Kumar et al, 2009). BMW group and its worldwide plant locations Needless to say, BMW group has seen the development of its plant location worldwide network as a key strategic planning to enhance its competitiveness in the automobile global market. From their dominant position in Europe with their plants located in strategic countries such as Germany (its headquarter), Britain, Austria and Italia, the company spread their manufacturing to strategic countries of all over other continents (except Australia) for instance the US for North America, Brasilia for South America, South Africa for Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thai for Southeast Asia, India for East Asia and recently China for North Asia. In each country, BMW has meticulously identified most suitable area for the location of their strategic manufacturing plant corresponding to their expansion plan and policy and the diversification of their products. Proximity to suppliers, labour and the land, infrastructure and labour availability are factors the group always considers when making plan loc ation decision.

How Being in Love can Change People :: essays research papers

â€Å"How Being in Love can Change People†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the three marvelous works, Matchstick Men, Punch-Drunk Love, and â€Å"Mama Day†, people are all changed greatly, and for the better by romantic or father/child love. How everyone knows that there is no one on Earth who is perfect, yet when there is love, we come so close to it. Within these three works of art, one can analyze how there is actual change through people when there is love present.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cocoa states in Gloria Naylor’s â€Å"Mama Day†, â€Å"When I had come to New York seven years before that I had wondered about the need for such huge buildings. No one ever seemed to be in them very long; everyone was out on the sidewalks moving, moving, moving- and to where?† Cocoa starts out as a lost cause, going to New York as a resident tourist. Meeting George saved her vision of New York . . . . He knew what it was really about, â€Å"New York wasn’t on those Manhattan sidewalks, just the New Yorkers. My city was a network of small towns, some even smaller than here in Willow springs. It could be one apartment building, a handful of blocks, a single square mile hidden off with its own language, newspapers and magazines- its own judge and juries. You’d never realize that because you went and lived on our fringes.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cocoa was living in New York and had resided there for seven years, but was she seeing the real New York? Or was she seeing a New York fantasy world? †¦A forever-tourist New York resident. George insists that New York is much more than its’ buildings or looks, it’s the little things, â€Å"To live in New York you’d have to know about the florist on Jamaica Avenue who carried Yellow roses even though they didn’t move well, but it was his dead wife’s favorite color. The candy store in Harlem that wouldn’t sell cigarettes to twelve year olds without notes from their mothers. That they killed chickens below Houston, prayed to Santa Barbara by the East River and in Bensonhurst girls were still virgins when they married.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the reasons why George offered to show Cocoa around New York was because she needed a â€Å"guide†. She had lived in New York for seven years and still had thought like a tourist, the same way of thinking she had had when she arrived seven years earlier.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkiens Accomplishments Essay -- john tolkien, the

A man that once incorporated the ideas and viewpoints of past events such as WWII and the renowned epic of Beowulf, has impacted many in his works as an author. All of which, political views, personal experiences, and opinions in events within history were all included. He had an imagination like which of Joanne Rowling, the author of the â€Å"Harry Potter† series, or George R. R. Martin, the author of â€Å"A Game of Thrones†. His style of writing was more of an interpretation of his mind than just pure fantasy. His books were to tell a story, informing while also generating interest. He was also Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University, as well as Merton Professor of English Language and Literature there. He was born in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, and was Commander of the Order of the British Empire. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor. Tolkien, with his books â€Å"The Lord of the Rings† Trilogy and â€Å"The Hobbit† and many other stories, was definitely a very influential British author. Americans aspire t...

Impact of New Media on Society – Smartphones

Impact of New Media on Society: Smartphones The term ‘new media’ is one that is constantly evolving, and on a daily basis, encompassing more as well as newer and innovative elements in it. In the broadest sense, it is the opposite of ‘traditional media’, which includes print, television and film, and radio. According to New Media Basics, new media is essentially interactive, and it includes a host of communication mechanisms that revolve around the internet, and include elements such as e-mail, social networks, websites, blogs, online videos and pictures etc.And new media also includes new media devices and technologies such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, i-pods, and a host of other devices, which also includes smartphones, the main emphasis of this paper. New media tools have enabled increased collaboration between people across the world, and has thus accelerated the pace and reach of globalization. It has allowed an unparalleled connectivity with wid espread information, and most significantly, it has allowed for creativity, inventions and inno vations, as well as entrepreneurship.This paper will focus on the impact of smartphones on society, focusing on the education, business, health and government sectors, as well as on an individual’s personal life. It will weigh the argument from multiple sides, with the support of theories put forth by specialists and theorists within this realm. The IBM Simon, released in 1993, was the first ever ‘smartphone’ known to man. This propelled Nokia and Ericsson into the creation of their own superior versions, the ‘Communicator’ and GS88 respectively.It was in 2002 when the smartphones as we know them came into being with the Pocket PC, Palm OS and most significantly, the first Blackberry 5810. It was after this point that smartphones began to flood the market, with Apple’s I-Phone line, the Google Android, the Motorola Droids, HTC’s, and the Sams ung line of smartphones. Smartphones have had a dizzying and echoing impact on society, with its effects being felt in nearly every aspect of life. In regards to reach and richness, no doubt it is wide spread, and rich in content, options, accessibility etc. According to Colin Dean Murphy of University ?of? KwaZulu?Natal South Africa, it has been statistically proven that mobile phones are the most widespread and predominant ICT’s (Information and Communications Technology) of this day and age. For starters, â€Å"they are generally cheaper than computers, offer mobility, and are densely converged platforms. † And most importantly Murphy states, that this has led to ‘globalized convergence’. It has supported and significantly enhanced links to global networks. Smartphones have enabled constant connectivity, which one could argue is also allowed by computers, but what distinguishes the smartphone from a laptop or desktop, is the factor of mobility.Mobile ph ones enabled connectivity between people via phone calls and text messages, however smartphones have disrupted this, as they have allowed connectivity that is almost unparalleled. It has allowed people to interact on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, with all of these creating applications for the multiple smartphones out there. This does not only allow for enhanced communication but has enabled people to, for example via Facebook, to ‘check in’ and thus publically state their current location, allowing for others to physically access them more easily; it has also enabled eople to share precious moments such as holidays, graduations, holidays, a baby’s first steps etc. with their friends and family as soon as the picture is snapped with the smartphones cameras. It has brought about ease and efficiency in the workplace, and have allowed for employees, employers and coworkers to constantly be accessible officially via e-mail for instance, and important documents and information can be exchanged constantly. The browsers are available just as they are on a laptop or desktop, and enables students and the work force alike to promptly search for things, translate documents, and research topics and so on.Students have found it to enhance their learning, and even enabled them to do entire assignments while being on the go. Additionally, smartphones are a source of entertainment, ranging from music, to fun apps, games and videos. It is for these smartphones that a whole range of apps have been created. Some apps are entertainment oriented, such as those surrounding photographs, music and games; others allow you to book flights or do bank transactions, while some are designed to accelerate knowledge and learning.There is no genre that has not been explored by apps, and no lifestyle and culture, preferences and tastes that they have not catered to. We will now examine the effects, both negative and positive, of smartphone in detai l across different sectors. Education Sector: In ‘The Impact of Mobile Access on Motivation: Distance Education Student Perceptions’, by Penn State University, students were interviewed in regards to their usage of smartphones, as well as the benefits and drawbacks they perceived and experienced.Overall, students found smartphones to expedite learning and information, while offering the gift of mobility. Students we re able to access textbooks and course materials on their smartphones, their study time knew no barriers, as they could access the information at their ease and convenience. It was easier for them to seek help and get advice, as well as getting important class course updates from online groups and communities. Another favorite was flashcards, which students would download on their phones and study, especially if they were commuting, for instance on the subway.Students can even download or stream class podcasts on their phones, and listen to it at a later tim e, and to utilize otherwise ‘dead time’ (for instance, commuting, travelling, waiting for lift/cab etc. ) This paper explored an up and coming sector, which has accelerated, and has also come to be entir ely defined by smartphones: ‘m-Learning’. M stands for ‘mobile’, which in turn stands for ‘on the move’. MLearning evolved from eLearning, since in this day and age, with the spread of smartphones and tablets, people are mobile, on the go, while they are acquiring knowledge, skill and information.According to Tella, an m-Learner can access and work on his smartphone at any given point, at any given time, and thus it means the decentralization of information handling. According to USA Today, schools and universities globally are spending a large part of their budget on smartphones and tablets as a mode to attract students to their institutions as they have realized that it is such an important element in supplementing education. How ever, students are not all praise either for their smartphones. They have found smartphones to be very intrusive.With the ever increasing pressure of studies, they feel that they cannot get away, as their smartphones are always with them, allowing them to get notifications and calls for duty by their class mates and professors alike. Also, it has made students lazy to a degree, and encouraged several to do their work in the last minute, which in turn results in many of them plagiarizing content and handing it in to the teacher right before class. Smartphones offer such an attraction and constant entertainment that students are sucked into the online world, that it greatly hinders interaction with nature and the value of face to face communication.Business Sector: The Blackberry was initially marketed as a phone for the business man, and smartphone services initially were primarily for the business and industrial sector. Forrester Consulting conducted a study on RIM to ascertain the economic impact of a blackberry solution in North American enterprises. Blackberry smartphones, as well as other smartphones offer invaluable services and features to enterprises, such as ‘wireless voice and data applications including push e-mail, wireless calendaring, voice, text messaging, multimedia applications, and Web browsing’, to name a few.Forrester Consulting found that with the introduction of Blackberry smartphones and services, (and thus we can apply this to all smartphones over all) there was an increased productivity, greater efficiency, less wastage and a more economical utilization of time and resources. Smartphones allow enterprises and businesses to constantly be connected. Business decisions can be made promptly; important files and documents can be sent, accessed, read and approved as soon as they crop up. However, a major criticism to this development is the fact that the line between ‘work time’ and ‘leisure time’ has be en blurred.No longer can an individual be separated from his work life, and it keeps invading his personal life, family time, meal hours and so on. Mazmanian, in her 2006/2007 study on Blackberry handhelds and services pointed out several benefits and drawbacks experienced by Blackberry users, and their gains and costs, can effectively be applied to other smartphones. On the one hand, she said it enabled monitoring communication flow and controlling message receipt, but conversely, there was a compulsion to always check your blackberry, and an inability to disengage yourself from it.There are major implications in the realm on social relations, as it reduced the quality of social life, and quality time spent with family and friends, and instant messaging applications such as Whatsapp and BBM, resulted in people spending less time together, and actually engaging in verbal communication and physical contact. Health Sector According to Boulos, Wheeler, Tavares and Jones, the health sec tor has found smartphones very advantageous to their industry. It has allowed for immediate access to medical sites by doctors and patients alike.Patients are able to make their appointments on their smartphones, with several hospitals and clinics having their own apps for this purpose. Also, patients of various diseases have apps, specific to their diseases and treatments on their phones, which allow them to monitor their health regularly and efficiently. Government Sector: The government sector as well has initiated and embraced the age of m-Government, an enhanced, and rather mobile form of e-Government, as explained by Pierre Rossel, Matthias Finger and Gianluca Misuraca in â€Å"Mobile† e-Government Options: Between Technology-driven and User-centric.Through this the government attempts to invest in research and development in ICT’s. It aims to maximize productivity and innovation in areas of public administration. It also aims to create a link and relationship be tween the government and the users of their services. As we can see from the world around us, new media is a very powerful medium, which creates a ripple effect all over society, and smartphones is just one of its tools. There are several disadvantages that this technology depicts, but it is hard to compete with the advantages and progress it offers across the board, in every sphere of human life.It offers limitless possibilities, and has offere d solutions and innovations in the various facets of society, from education to business, entertainment to health, whilst catering to the old and the young, cutting through cultures, nations and any other tangible or intangible barrier.BIBLIOGRAPHY: New Media Basics Aids. gov http://aids. gov/using-new-media/new-media-basics/ Mobile? Convergence? and? Mobile? Adoption? Colin Dean Murphy University? of? KwaZulu? Natal South Africa http://146. 230. 128. 141/jspui/bitstream/10413/6320/1/Murphy_Colin_Dean_2012. df ‘The Impact of Mobile Acc ess on Motivation: Distance Education Student Perceptions’, Penn State University http://learningdesign. psu. edu/research/MLRTWhitePaper. pdf M-Learning—Cybertextual Travelling or a Herald of Post-Modern Education? Sappo Tella, 2003 University of Helsinki http://www. helsinki. fi/~tella/mlearningtella. pdf Economic Impact Of A BlackBerry Solution In North American Enterprises Forrester Consulting, 2009 http://us. blackberry. com/content/dam/blackBerry/pdf/whitePaper/northAmerica/english/Economic_I mpact_Of_BlackBerry_Devices_2. df UBIQUITOUS EMAIL: INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF BLACKBERRY USE Mazmanian, Yates and Orlikowski MIT Sloan School of Management http://seeit. mit. edu/publications/blackberry_aom. pdf How smartphones are changing the face of mobile and participatory healthcare. Boulos, Wheeler, Tavares and Jones, 2011 http://www. biomedical-engineering-online. com/content/10/1/24 â€Å"Mobile† e-Government Options: Between Te chnology-driven and User-centric Pierre Rossel, Matthias Finger and Gianluca Misuraca Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne, College of Management of Technology Switzerland http://issuu. com/academic-conferences. org/docs/ejeg-volume4-issue2-article81 http://www. bitrebels. com/technology/the-evolution-of-smartphones-infographic/ http://www. usatoday. com/educate/devry/devry1. pdf http://sheryllam. wordpress. com/2012/06/06/the-impact-of-electric-telegraph-and-iphone-on-socialrelationships/ http://thetamnews. org/2011/09/editorial-the-impact-of-smartphones-on-student-life/ http://www. marketingtimes. com/2011/01/whats-the-impact-of-smartphones-social-media-on-ourlives/