Babette’s Feast and the Power of Art Essay

When all deadlines are met and time is out in my favor, one can usually find me sitting comfortably on the couch with a bowl of popcorn on one hand and a remote control on the other. Watching movies has always been one of my favorite leisure. Although I try to see films from different parts of the world as much as I can, perhaps like the many others who belong in my generation, Hollywood movies are always top of the list. Seldom do I find fascination with other international productions especially European ones. They are slow-paced, often more serious and â€Å"less entertaining† than those produced in Hollywood. However, watching the Danish film â€Å"Babette’s Feast† made me reconsider and view European films with a different lens – one with a little more appreciation and interest. While the slow pacing is inherent to this kind of cinema, they also present a different style and meat altogether, leaving more room for its audience to think rather than just instant gratification offered by most American movies. This is very evident in Babette’s Feast. In its subtlety and simplicity, together with the use of brilliant metaphors and symbolisms, it was able to uncover the transforming power of art with beauty and sophistication. Babette’s Feast tells the story of two pious sisters whose lives were changed by their French servant, who was apparently an unspoken artist, Babette. One of the images that constantly reappear all throughout the movie, especially in the beginning, is the image of the dried fish. This symbolizes the life of Martina and Philippa and perhaps even those in the community who was devoted to the preaching of their father that to attain salvation, one must deprive himself all physical or worldly pleasures including food. They lived a life of unhealthy simplicity and unreasonable meagerness. Their simple and puritan way of living is so extreme that it has become dreary and ironically â€Å"lifeless†, like a dried fish in contrast to the delectable meal of Babette in the end. Another powerful symbolism is Babette’s washing of the window from the outside. It speaks to me as if Babette was trying to show the sisters what they have been missing for the longest time. Their world and their lives are similar to the dirty windows Babette were washing – dark and clouded by their austere beliefs. Because of the hyperbolic focus on spirituality, they were blinded from the beauty and joy of the outside world, from the other things that life has to offer including the love from men they rejected when they were young. Through Babette’s feast, which they initially refuted as they believed it was sinful, the sisters were opened to a new world from which they were hiding, to a reality where â€Å"righteousness and bliss [..] kiss†, where the spirit and the flesh are both nourished and nurtured without choosing or isolating one from the other. This reconciliation is symbolized by the candlelight snuffed out in the end. Aside from Babette’s art which is the sumptuous food she prepared very well, another integral element that played a significant role in the transformation of the sisters and the other members of the congregation is the character of General Loewenhielm, one of the sisters’ ex lover. If the sisters lived a deprived life, a deprivation not of accident but of choice, the general was at the other end of the spectrum. He symbolizes everything the sisters were not – luxurious and powerful. He enjoyed a life of abundance and glory. Because of this background, the general honestly and wholeheartedly enjoyed the feast while the others remained skeptical, refusing to surrender to their delight of the food. It was also the general who had this realization that there is joy both from bodily and spiritual nourishment, as he was dumfounded to partake in such kind of dinner in an unexpected place, considering it then as a grace and blessing from the heavens. All in all, Babette as an artist was successful. Like a masterpiece that brings joy to its audience, her feast was able to transform and bring love and happiness on the table, to the people who received her art. And this is what is meant by her statement, â€Å"an artist is never poor.† Her talent, which was able to transcend the material, and her ability to do her very best, is her wealth. Indeed, art has a very strong power to transform. Not only did Babette’s art transformed the characters in the story but the movie itself, as a form of art, was able to transform its viewers, me included. It may not be able to provide the â€Å"fun† from the thrilling and idealistic yet shallow plot of Hollywood movies but it was able to deliver something deeper and more delicate, something worthy of admiration and appreciation.

Adoption from China vs the United States Essay

When a couple begins to explore the idea of adopting a child, it is easy for them to quickly become overwhelmed with information, questions and decisions. One of the first dilemmas couples face is whether to pursue international adoption or domestic adoption. By thoroughly researching and weighing both options, a couple can decide whether international or domestic adoption is best for their family. Some of the requirements that must be met to adopt in China include marital Status, only married couples with marriage defined as between a man and a woman, who have been married for at least 2 years are able to adopt from China. If either has been divorced, the couple must be married for 5 years before considering adopting from China. No more than two divorces are allowed; the age of prospective adoptive parents must be between 30 and 44 years old to adopt babies around 1 year old. Prospective adoptive parents can be between the ages of 30 and 50 for other children (about. com, 2012); Educational requirement for both parents are that they must have a H. S. diploma or vocational training. Typically from start to finish it will take 36-48 months for the adoption to be final. The biggest factor influencing the wait for a child is the time it takes the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) to make a referral to a family. The current referral time is approximately eight months after the detailed prospective parents files are submitted and registered with the CCAA. The cost to adopt from China is not inexpensive; it can run $20,000 to $40,000, including travel. This cost also covers registration and program fees, applications, and home study fees, necessary paperwork and background checks, just to name a few. Medical records of children adopted internationally are often minimal, if available at all. Information regarding the social history of the child’s birth parents, such as family medical history is also often unavailable (the Adoption Guide, 2012). In comparison, some of the requirements to adopt in the United States include marital status; couples do not have to be married to adopt; however, it will be easier for them to adopt if they are married. If the adopting parent is married, a minimum of a three year marriage is a common requirement; the minimum legal age to adopt is generally 18 years of age to 40 years of age. In most situations, however, there will be a requirement that the adopting parents must be at least 20 years older than the child they are seeking to adopt; history of employment stability, and the prospect of future employment stability, are always considered to be big plusses in the eyes of birthparents; there is a thorough background check done in an attempt to uncover evidence of any prior legal or criminal problems, or any problems with child abuse, financial instability, or substance abuse. The average time from preparation of portfolio to match with a birthmother can vary from 3 months (this being the majority) to being longer than 24 months; this includes time spent in false starts. The final adoption decree is usually finalized 6 months after the placement of the child with an adoptive family. The cost of adoption in the United States can range from $5,000 to $40,000 for agency and private adoptions. The cost includes; Agency applications nd program fees, attorney fees, birthmothers expenses, and travel just to name a few. One very large legal concern in domestic adoption is that in an attorney-facilitated adoption, a birth parent can try to withdraw consent to the adoption before the final adoption decree goes into effect, which is six months after placement. To exercise this right to withdraw consent, a birth parent must present clear and convincing evidence that the â€Å"best interests of the child† have changed (adoption. com, 2012). Furthermore, the numbers of children in China awaiting adoption has dropped significantly in the past few years. In 2006, about 6,493 Chinese orphans came to the United States; in 2011 only 2,587 children were adopted. The belief for the decline is the rather strict adoption requirement that have been placed on prospective parents. Despite the fact that we live in one of the most fortunate nations in the world, there are 115,000 children in the U. S. foster care system waiting to be adopted. Unfortunately some of these children are waiting because they are difficult to place due to their age, the fact that they are part of a sibling group, or their disability. The total number of children worldwide who are orphaned and waiting to be is approximately 2. 2 billion. Out of those 2. 2 billion children, 16 million children are estimated to be orphans. How do you even wrap your brain around that many parent-less children? The total number of children adopted worldwide each year, out of those 16 million orphans, is a mere 250,000. These numbers are pretty overwhelming when you think about it (the Adoption Guide, 2012). The decision between domestic adoptions vs. international adoptions only scratches the surface of this big decision. Because a family’s experience with adopting from China will be very different from a family adopting from the United States, it is difficult to describe what to expect in either situation. Couples should fully research each of these adoption venues and then weigh their options to see which best matches their adoption plan.

Business quiz answer

Your Answer: culture Correct serve as a baseline for actions and decision making and guide employees in the organization's intentions and interests. Your Answer: Values Correct Question: A company's Answer: mission Correct is its primary reason for existence. Your Question: The primary resource of all organizations is . Your Answer: employees Incorrect Question: Organizational climates are Answer: counter-productive to Correct corporate cultures. Your Question: The process of collecting information about the external environment to identify and analyze trends is called: Your Answer: environmental scanning.Correct is a function of the ability to learn and to perform according to changes in the environment. Your Answer: Organizational adaptability Correct Question: For many organizations, what customers value often becomes the company's: Your Answer: distinctive competitive advantage Correct Question: The final step in the basic planning process is Answer: controlling and evaluating th e results Correct Question: Which of the following questions applies directly to the function of landing?Your Answer: What do we want to accomplish? Incorrect Question: The step in the basic planning process would the statement ‘This organization will capture 5% more of the product market in the next 2 years† focus upon: Your Answer: production schedules. Correct Question: The three levels of strategies are corporate, business, and . Your Answer: functional Correct Question.

Media Affect on Violence in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Affect on Violence in America - Essay Example Third, violence in the media helps us to understand the nature of violence and why we should avoid it. Violence is part of our lives. For hundreds of years, it has always been part of human entertainment. Even before television, movies, the internet and the entire media system has been created, people from all over the world have been entertaining themselves with plays and sports that involve bloodshed. Early recorded history of the Egyptians show that these people has been re-enacting the killing of their god Orisis (Shaw, Ian (2003). Ancient Romans also have their share of violent entertainment. Gladiator games which involve bloodshed were very popular around 380 B.C (Adkins, Lesley; Roy Adkins (1998). This sport drew the people to the coliseum and spur economic activities. Yes, the whole idea of people screaming with ecstasy as one gladiator raises his blooded sword while the other fall bleeding on the ground seems barbaric but we cannot deny the fact that fascination of the people on the bloody gladiator sports did help shape the Roman culture and economy at that time. Since the ancient times, our fascination on violence and bloodshed has changed much. People are still fascinated with bloodshed and violence and this made violent films very profitable nowadays. According to boxofficemoj.com and filmsite.org, 8 out of top 10 box office hits of all seasons have explicitly violent scenes in them. At number one of the list is Titanic, which grossed $600.8 million to dat,e featured the violent struggle between the two leading men in the film (www.boxofficemojo.com). In number two of the list is Dark Knight which grossed $528.6 million featured even more violent scenes with lots of explosives and fire power (www.boxofficemojo.com). Even the supposedly innocent movie "Shek" which is designed for young viewers and is at number four on the list of all time box office hits has some violent

Aunt Ethel Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Aunt Ethel - Movie Review Example When she bakes a pie she cleans the oven right then so she won't have to wait for it to heat up again. She usually serves her vegetables fresh because it takes no time to cook them. Aunt Ethel also saves time shopping. When she goes to the grocery she gets enough food for a month. On her way to the supermarket she also does any other shopping she has to do. Aunt Ethel always takes a list and her entire shopping route is planned ahead. She also finds a way to save her leisure time. Aunt Ethel will knit while she watches TV. When she goes for a walk, she takes a book to read. Her exercise period consists of mowing the lawn and raking the leaves. There is no time that Aunt Ethel isn't saving time. down. Aunt Ethel's shoes are all slip-ons so she won't have to spend the energy tying them. Some people say that Aunt Ethel drinks Ensure just so she won't have to chew her lunch. She does her part for global warming by saving gasoline. She never drives when it's cold because it will waste gas while the car warms up. When going down a hill she turns the car off and lets it coast down. At a stoplight she turns the car off rather than waste fuel by idling. Environmentalists would be proud of Aunt Ethel's electricity saving methods. The low wattage bulbs she uses are hard on her eyes, but they save electricity. The water at Aunt Ethel's is always cold because she keeps the hot water off until she is ready to use it, and then it's barely tepid. In the winter she saves electricity by burning wood instead of using her electric heater. If the world runs out of energy it won't be because Aunt Ethel used it all. Aunt Ethel likes to save her money more than anything else. She can save money on the most common household items. She uses old newspapers to clean her windows instead of using paper towels. When she cleans her windows she uses vinegar rather than the more expensive window cleaners. Her family secret, a concoction made with baking soda, is the only cleanser she keeps in her kitchen. Her money saving ideas also reduce her food bill. Aunt Ethel can make the best chicken soup out of a leftover chicken. She will add a broth to this soup made from the parts of vegetables that most people would discard. For desert she makes bread pudding out of her stale bread. Because her wardrobe [Name] Page 3 Essay 1 is so stylish you would never guess how few dollars she spends on clothes. She saves money by shopping at yard sales and thrift shops. She tries to shop for articles that match so her wardrobe has a wide variety while only purchasing a few items. If she finds an item with a little wear she mends it. Whether in the home, the kitchen, or the closet Aunt Ethel is always saving money. Aunt Ethel may appear to be a cheapskate, but she is simply being practical with her time, her energy, and her money. At her golden age she realizes the value in saving time by utilizing it wisely. She has also come to value the scarce resources of energy and money and has found creative ways to conserve both. When Aunt Ethel pinches a penny Lincoln does not cry out in pain, he simply says thank you for being

WalMart Merger Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

WalMart Merger - Assignment Example The paper has been divided into two main parts: the first part mainly dealing with the Retail Industry, the major players, their production schemes, and their impact on the consumers and society overall. The second part deals with the advantages and disadvantages the firms might have because of the merger. PART I: INTRODUCTION Oligopoly is characterized as consisting of a small number of large sellers, being called the ‘Competitive Fringe’, with a few big firms dominating the entire industry’s production (Lipsey, 2004). These big firms, act as the trend-setters in terms of price and output, and are a major reflection of the entire Market. In this instance, the Retail market, is characterized by one big firm – Wal-Mart, with smaller firms either adhering to an acquisition or a merger, for their benefit. For example, in the United Kingdom, the Big Five Banks – Barclays, Lloyds TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC and HBOS - dominate the Banking Sector. Si milarly, there are many small departmental stores, selling retail products, but a dominant few, like Sainsbury, Asda and Tesco, taking over the entire nation. The small firms, then, sometimes, find it profitable to merge, consolidate, co-operate or be purchased by the Big One. SALES, OPERATIONS AND FIRMS IN THE MERGER According to Forbes Global 2000 list, Wal-Mart is the world’s 18th largest public corporation, and the world’s largest corporation when it comes to annual revenue ($421.849 billion), with its international operations accounting for 26.1 % of its total sales, and a gross profit margin of 24.7%, running chains of discounted departmental stores and warehouse stores. With a total of 8500 stores in 15 different countries, with 55 different names, Wal-Mart extends its operations in nine different retail formats, including general merchandise, food and drugs, Super Center, small markets, cash and carry stores, membership warehouse clubs, apparel stores, discount stores and restaurants (Holdings, 2011). VERTICAL INTEGRATION: REASONS TO CONSOLIDATE A lot of consolidation has been seen among retailers and retails chains, over the past couple of decades, with 40,788 mergers & acquisitions having been announced only between 1988 and 2010. The main reasons behind the consolidation of firms in the industry may be due to: 1. Economies of Scale: This refers to a significant decrease in the fixed cost of the merging firms by the removal of duplicate or extensive operations; 2. Economies of Scope: Economies of scope exist due to the alteration of method of the distribution and the marketing of products. For instance, two homogeneous products may have been advertised in a similar way previously, but now they are not; 3. Vertical Integration: This primarily means the merging of two or more firms from the same industry results in increasing profits and a larger consumer surplus than before, implying a decrease in the deadweight loss. This is done by the firms deciding on a particular amount of output, and then sticking to that output level; 4. Investment benefits: The merged firms have higher chances of receiving greater benefits when it comes to Investment, because of the name of the big firm attached to it. Sensing financial stability, the smaller firms, once a part of the big firm, are viewed as being stable, and thus attract a larger number of investors. There

Analyzing And Improving The Appropriateness Of The Exams Term Paper

Analyzing And Improving The Appropriateness Of The Exams - Term Paper Example To determine these factors, a myriad of assessment methods are used on the exam questions, including basic statistics to determine the performance of the students, qualitative and quantitative item analysis. In this case, basic statistics include the mean of each question in the exam and the entire test (Black, 2003). Qualitative item analysis refers to the careful reading of the contents of the exam to determine the accuracy of the exam, find proofreading errors, and determine whether any components of the exam could tip the students towards the correct answer (Triola, 2003). This paper will analyze the hypothetical psychology test presented using the methods discussed above, after which a suggested method for improving the exam is given. The first part of this analysis will focus on basic statistics, followed by the qualitative item analysis and the quantitative item analysis. The quantitative analysis will be focused on determining a difficulty-rating index for each question in th e test. The mean for the entire test is found by adding the total scores by each student, as represented by the totals column. The mean is then found by adding all the total scores and dividing the sum by the number of students taking the test (Black, 2003). As previously mentioned, the analysis of the test will include an analysis of the basic statistics, which in this case is the mean for each question and the entire test. The mean score for the first question is 1.8, which indicates that the pass rate is high among all the students.... Basic Statistics: Mean for Entire Test Question 1 Question 2 Question 3 Question 4 Question 5 Total Student 1 2 2 0 2 0 6 Student 2 2 2 0 2 0 6 Student 3 2 0 0 2 0 4 Student 4 2 2 0 2 0 6 Student 5 2 2 2 2 2 10 Student 6 2 0 0 2 0 4 Student 7 2 2 0 2 0 6 Student 8 0 0 0 2 0 2 Student 9 2 2 0 2 0 6 Student 10 2 2 0 2 0 6 Mean 5.6 The mean for the entire test is found by adding the total scores by each student, as represented by the totals column. The mean is then found by adding all the total scores and dividing the sum by the number of students taking the test (Black, 2003). Graphs for Each Question Analysis As previously mentioned, the analysis of the test will include an analysis of the basic statistics, which in this case is the mean for each question and the entire test. The mean score for the first question is 1.8, which indicates that the pass rate is high among all the students. Question 2 has a mean score of 1.4, while questions 3 and 5 have mean scores of 0.2. Question 4 has a mean score of 2. The mean scores indicated above show the average pass rate for each question for each question, and can be sued as an indicator for the difficulty rating for each question in the test. This indicates that the easiest question is question 4, and the most difficult questions are questions 3 and 5. The mean for the entire test is 5.6, and indicates that the pas rate was evenly distributed among the students. This pass rate is depicted by the graphs shown above, which indicate the scores for each question. To determine the difficulty and appropriateness of each question, we have to conduct both qualitative and qualitative analyses.

How do we end gridlock in the American political System and modernize Term Paper

How do we end gridlock in the American political System and modernize the federal Government's administrative infrastructure t - Term Paper Example â€Å"Gridlock† as it is experienced in Washington D.C. today represents a system of government that the Anti-Federalists specifically warned against in the founding of the United States through the Constitutional Convention, â€Å"Bill of Rights† negotiation, and state ratification process. In understanding how Jeffersonian ideals relate to â€Å"Athenian† democracy, and also how populism and progressivism present a historical framework for reform of the political system, the goal is to continue in the tradition of innovation in social institutions so as to make them more open, transparent, participatory, and non-violent as a basis of civil society. This essay discusses downsizing government, decentralizing political organizations, and building stakeholder frameworks that lead to real participation in government organizations and decisions by citizens. The essay also discusses possibilities to increase multi-party political representation through use of informat ion technology and other forms of innovation in democratic organization to implement fundamental ideals through progress. Table of Contents Abstract 1 Table of Contents 1 I. Introduction 2 II. Definition of â€Å"Gridlock† 4 III. Two Party Monopoly 6 One example commonly cited as â€Å"gridlock† is the prevention of legislation from passing by one party through control of one branch of government, such as a Republican party majority in the Senate refusing to support Democratic legislation, or a Republican president unable to build legislative support for his/her agenda in the House of Representatives. A larger aspect of â€Å"gridlock† is the actual two-party monopoly that prohibits a wider representation of views and discussion of issues in the Federal system. This can be compared to systems of government internationally that encourage wider multi-party frameworks and coalitions, as well as an ideal of direct, participatory democracy that would be supported thr ough a more diverse representation of views than found in two-party politics. While the Constitution does not mandate a two-party system, â€Å"winner take all† representation does discourage third party candidates from attaining office, as do the discriminatory ballot measures that restrict ballot access to third parties. 6 IV. Corporate Interests over Public 6 One of the most important issues related to the ideological fusion of Capitalism and Democracy in Enlightenment thought is corruption in government related to minority business interests and the use of â€Å"pork-barrel† politics and legislation to produce social injustice. The recent Wall St. bailouts are an excellent example of the valuation of the interests of the â€Å"super rich† over the â€Å"super poor†. Nevertheless, innumerable aspects of the interrelationship between the U.S. government and the economy can be found. The chart below estimates the Federal Government to be related to appro ximately 43% of U.S. GDP through taxation, spending, and social programs. It is interesting to note that before the 20th Century government spending was typically representative of less than 10% of GDP, representing another aspect of the anti-federalist view. 6 US Government Spending as Percent Of GDP Source:

Discuss the advantage and disadvantage of social media Essay

Discuss the advantage and disadvantage of social media - Essay Example This is achieved through the employees themselves when they discuss ideas, post various news and information, ask questions and also share useful links. Technologically savvy organization like Nokia, presently acquired by Microsoft, has successfully implemented social media as their internal communication platform. The motto of the organization was to connect people and explore various possible ways that can enhance the internal communication. Nokia’s Social Media Communications team was established in early 2008 with the aim of improving inter-company communications and engaging employees (Carr, 2010) . The modern organizations use this as an effective and useful recruitment tool. For example, LinkedIn is the number one professional networking website that many organizations use to hunt the best talents for a job portfolio. The modern recruiters look for the profiles of the potential candidates in LinkedIn. L’Oreal, one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world, has successfully used social media for their recruitment drive (Connell, 2009). The organization has uniform branding in each country they operate. Interestingly, the job section of each website lists available positions in the country and a few links to the social networks. For example, The UK LOreal.Jobs website links to the L’Oreal Talent Recruitment Facebook page, the L’Oreal LinkedIn page, the L’Oreal Luxe TalenTube Facebook page and the @LOrealCareers Twitter feed. This helps in widening the target audience of the company, whether they want to recruit the best talent or increase their business. Because of the reach of social media, the businesses use the technology to improve their business reputation. For example, the more number of ‘Likes’ and ‘Followers’ in Facebook and Twitter give an impression of the popularity of the product, company or the brand. Social media enables enhancing the

Philosophy of Hugo Bedau and Ernest vd. Haag Essay

Philosophy of Hugo Bedau and Ernest vd. Haag - Essay Example Soon he is called to pay for the sins of his nature. The ultimate punishment for man's heinous crimes has continued to raise differing views in the civilized society. Hugo Bedau upholds the American Civil Liberties Union that "death penalty inherently violates the constitutional ban against cruel and unusual punishment and the guarantee of due process of law and the equal protection of the laws". This idea is based on the premise that the state should not usurp the power of taking the lives of human beings especially in a "premeditated and with ceremony" under the guise of law. The punishment of death for a capital offense is frowned upon as too "harsh, freaky and arbitrary" to be constitutionally acceptable. He believes that this form of punishment is still based on the early days of barbarism when other forms of corporal punishment were acceptable. The killing of a person has no place in a civil humane society because it wastes the resources of the courts, the legal counsels, juries and other correctional personnel. Executions impar t to the society the unmistakable message that "human life no longer deserves respect and that homicide is legitimate when justified by pragmatic concerns." He has also added: "that threat of severe punishment cannot deter criminals especially ones who are in the drug trade. If however, long term imprisonment is severe enough to cause any rational person not to commit violent crimes. Bedau also demonstrated that "death penalty violates the constitutional guarantee of the equal protection of the law" as it is applied randomly at best and discriminatorily at worst. He also added that "it is imposed disproportionately upon those whose victims are white, on offenders who are people of color and on the poor and uneducated". He based this argument on the misdistribution of the implementation of the punishment on criminals whose offenses were against white victims because statistics would show that in 2005, of the 60 inmates who were executed, 41 were white and only 19 were black. Ernest van den Haag, for his part believes that capital punishment likely serves as a deterrent factor to the commission of a crime because of the common fear of death. Criminals, although not scientifically supported have a strong and palpable fear of the capital punishment on its severe form. There are murderers who are not hindered by the threat of imprisonment but death as a finality serves to inflict a sense of foreboding, knowing that after death there is only void. More so, "death penalty certainly deters the murderer who is executed". He further argues that the abolition of this capital punishment "is prayed upon by pro-life activists like Bedau with the argument that there is misdistribution between the guilty and the innocent." He reasoned out that Bedau's argument of misdistribution of punishment is irrelevant to its justice or morality as "punishments are imposed on the person, not on racial or economic groups". In short, equality in the appropriation of the punishment is less important than justice. The long term imprisonment preferred by pro-life activists is a costly maintenance which cannot inflict the kind of fear that the possibility of death brings. There is a likely chance of escape in prison. In some third world countries, the despicable criminals quite enjoy being afforded food while being

What is the best way to motivate employees to perform better Essay

What is the best way to motivate employees to perform better - Essay Example The other school of thought is that workers are motivated to perform better by internal motivating factors, such as achievement, enjoyment, a sense of competence, and personal loyalty to employees, which are factors that drive employees to work better or harder (intrinsic motivation) (Linder, 1998: p6). What all have in common, however, is that whether external or internal, rewards play an essential role in job satisfaction for the employee. When examining the internal factors that motivate employees, it has been found that the behaviour of employees is linked to attitudes and that the motivation for employees is not solely dependent on money (Lindner, 1998: p7). Internal factors of motivation consist of variables that are directly associated with the work of team members with such dimensions as challenging work environments, autonomy, and responsibility being closely linked with intrinsic motivation of employees. Indeed, interesting work has been identified as one of the most important internal factors of motivation, while having a sense of ownership concerning the work and output also acts as a major motivating factor. There is no clear agreement on where the responsibility for providing these set of motivating factors comes from, however. This is in line with Lindners (1998: p7) idea that these motivating factors differ within the organizational context that the employee works in. Under a ‘rewards’ system, it is clear that it is up to the management to provide motivation for employees. Longenecker (2011: p11) states that managers are responsible for motivating employees to use their talents and energy more willingly by encouraging ownership through maintenance of productive relationships and developing trust with individual employees. Lindner (1998: p) also identifies managers as being responsible for motivating their employees, noting that they should ensure that the work

Reynolds and Reynolds Essay Example for Free

Reynolds and Reynolds Essay Reynolds Reynolds Case Study The Reynolds and Reynolds case about team selling had very many positives and few negatives, and was a very well rounded and planned way for the American Ford Dealership to improve its customer service sector. First, I wanted to point out the effectiveness of team selling that the Reynolds team did well. They had three people comprise the team, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Wiltgen, and Mr. O’Neill. Sherman would pitch the plan to the dealership and discuss the reports with them, Wiltgen was the implementation guy, meaning that he would set everything into place if and when they agreed on what plans to use, and O’Neill was the manager overseeing everything and was there for backup if needed. The three positions and roles they played stayed the same throughout the plan and they followed through with how they wanted to present. Another thing I feel was very effective was how Sherman brought to the attention of the dealership the â€Å"lost opportunities† they had and how more much profit they could have made the previous year. O’Neill confirmed these numbers, thus making a good team decision and presentation of the facts. Also, another effective point they made was bringing up the way the dealership’s competitors were doing business and what systems they were using. The one and only disadvantage I found during this team selling presentation was that Sherman took on multiple roles as the team leader and the business consultant, and the other two were basically just there on an as-needed basis. The Reynolds team also showed great execution to the client access, client education, and fulfillment perspectives. To satisfy client access, they split the client base into three categories: Actives (customers who have been in for service in the previous 6 months), Inactives, and New Customers. Splitting customers into these categories made it easy for the dealership to see who is coming in for service, who should be notified they are due for service, and those new customers they still want to target. They executed client education/ persuasion by creating the â€Å"Preferred Customer Card† program. They also did this by implementing over 100 different types of coupons that can be easily customized to each individual customer by type of car, zip code, etc. and with the service reminder program where customers would be mailed letters, coupons, and notified via phone call that they are due for service or there was a deal going on for them. Fulfillment was achieved by the dealership choosing to implement the Direct Drive program and the service reminder program ideas that the Reynolds team had presented to them, and setting up future plans between the marketing firm and the car dealership.

The Process Of Leading And Directing Construction Essay

The Process Of Leading And Directing Construction Essay According to Websters Dictionary, management defines as the process of leading and directing all or part of an organization, often a business one through the deployment and manipulation of resources (human, financial, material, intellectual or intangible). Other function of management is the action of measuring a quantity on a regular basis and adjusting an initial plan and the actions taken to reach ones intended goal. This applies even in situations where planning does not take place. Situational management may precede and subsume purposive management. Therefore the maintenance management will characterise the process of leading and directing the maintenance organization. British Standard Glossary of terms (3811:1993) defined maintenance as: the combination of all technical and administrative actions, including supervision actions, intended to retain an item in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform a required function , maintenance is a set of organised activities that are carried out in order to keep an item in its best operational condition with minimum cost acquired . According to British Standard 8210 defined maintenance as the combination of all technical and administrative action intended to retain an item in, or restore it to, state in which it can perform its required function. Another British standard ( BS 8831 : 1964 ) maintenance as the combination of any action will be make to retain the items or restore it to make sure it in acceptable standard , maintenance management typically required both capital and operating expenditure. The maintenance management needs to work hard to make sure the maintenance standard is achieved. According to (Noble, 1984; Lee, 1987).there is no absolute maintenance definition for maintenance, the definition is very subjective, the standard is depends on person, or organization as a client request. The standard of maintenance is base on the objectives of the company or organization that the maintenance company will take care. Every building have their function and the maintenance works need to achieve to make sure the building is function as the client wanted, for example, for the building that function as a business purposed, the maintenance standard is high, such as maintenance for hotel building. According to books (building pathology principles and practice by David S. Watt), building and their services inevitably become obsolete as a result of factor relating to the use of the building (functional, economic, locational, social, statutory or physical) and changes in the needs of building user. BS 3811: 1984 define maintenance as A combination of any action carried out to retain an item in, or restore it to an acceptable condition. From this definition two key components can be identified: Action that will take is not only to the physical execution of maintenance, but it also concerned with its initiation, financing and organization. The notion of an acceptable condition, which implies and understanding or requirement for the effective usage of the building and its parts which in turn compel broader consideration of building performance. The committee on building maintenance recommended the adoption of the following definition work undertaken in order to keep, restore or improve every facilities, i.e. every part of the building, its services and surround to a currently acceptable standard that and to sustain the utilities and value of the facilities. According to Paul Wordsworth ( Lee s Building Maintenance Management, 4th edition ) The Charted Institute of Building offer the following definition work undertaken in order to keep ,restore or improve every facilities i.e. every part of building services and surround to an agreed standard by the balanced between need and available resource. 2.2 MAINTENANCE OBJECTIVE Maintenance may be undertaken either in anticipitation of failure (preventive maintenance) or carried out to restore the building to an acceptable standard after failure (corrective maintenance). According to several of reference the successful maintenance program should achieve these goals. Help buildings function as they were intended and operate at peak efficiency, including minimizing energy consumption. (Harvey H. Kaiser, The Facilities Managers Reference (Kingston, MA: R. S. Means Companying., 1989), 81; and American Public Works Association (APWA), Public Works Management Practices (Chicago: APWA, August 1991), 65.). Building maintenance must achieve to make sure the building can functioning as it proposed to be. For example, the design for commercial building must be function to attract people to come; proper maintenance to keep the building in good condition must be program. Prevent failures of building system that would interrupt occupant activities and the delivery of public services. (R. S. Means Company, Inc., Cost Planning Estimating for Facilities Maintenance (Kingston,MA: R. S. Means Company, Inc., 1996), 264.) Building that operate trouble-free allow public employee to do their jobs and serve the public. Because building maintenance includes regular inspection and replacement of equipment crucial to operating a building, maintenance staff reduces the problem that might otherwise lead to a breakdown in operation. Sustain a safe and healthful environment by keeping building and their component in good repairs and structurally sound.( APWA, Public Works Management Practices, 63; and International Code Council, Inc., International Property Maintenance Code 1998 (Country Club Hills, IL: International Code Council, Inc.,1997), 9-10.). Building maintenance must protect every building component in good condition, to create safe and healthful environment to the building occupant. Any serious defect to the building must be take an action because event a small defect it can slowly effect the building structure, and sometimes it also can effect to the occupant health. Provide maintenance in ways that are cost- effective. (Federal Facilities Council, Standing Committee on Operations and Maintenance, Budgeting for Facilities Maintenance and Repair Activities (Washington D.C.: National Academy Press, 1996), 29. Cost-effective denotes both economic efficiency and desirable results.) A main goal of maintenance is to minimize cost without reduce the quality services and building performance. To achieve cost effective a proper building maintenance cost planning must be developed to make the maintenance cost that will be spent for the building is relevant. To protect building owner invest for the building. (Dr. Ahmad Bin Ramly, 2002, Prinsip dan Praktis Pengurusan Bangunan) Building owner has been investing a lot of money for the building; every investment must give an income. The increasing operation and maintenance cost of building will cause the owner investment will unrelavant and also not economical for a long term. The impact will be more conspicuous when the building has a lot of problem defect and need a lot of repairing works. 2.3 BUILDING MAINTENANCE CLASSIFICATION. In generally, building maintenance can be categories into 2 categories, planned and unplanned maintenance. Planned maintenance is maintenance organized and carried out with forethought, control and the used of record to a predetermined planned. Maintenance works must be program properly, to make sure there no failure will occurred, any defects or problem must be recorded to make the observation works will be easier. Unplanned maintenance is ad hoc maintenance carried out to no predetermined plan. According to the Audit Commission considered a better maintenance to be as follows. Strategic repair and maintenance. This represent work required for a long term preservation of an asset, and includes planned maintenance of the building fabric (decoration and routine replacement), maintenance of engineering services and maintenance repair items such as re-roofing. There are normally item which can be plan of because, for some extent there can be foreseen and budgeted for. Tactical repair and maintenance. These items are related with day to day works of minor nature in response to immediate need. The audit commission point out that tactical maintenance is not necessarily the same as responsive maintenance as some immediate respond item are clearly of strategic nature for example a flat of roof failure. According to BS 3811 and for practical purposed about maintenance classifications are Preventive maintenance this maintenance carried out at pre determined interval, or corresponding to prescribe criteria, and intended to reduce probability of failure or the performance degradation of an item. Corrective maintenance maintenance carried out after failure is occurred, an intended to restore an item to a state in which it can perform it required function. Emergency maintenance maintenance which it is necessary to put in hand immediately to avoid serious consequences. Condition based maintenance preventive maintenance as a result of knowledge of the condition of an item from routine or continuous monitoring. Schedule maintenance preventive maintenance to carried out to a pre-determined interval of time, number of operation mileage etc. Another maintenance classification was made by Noble (1984) that classified maintenance as five different types: a. Routine or cyclic maintenance, it is task carried out at more or less regular intervals without prior inspection, such as cutting grass, lamp changing, cleaning of drains and gutters. b. Planned maintenance; can be determined as selected services, plant and equipment. It is a regular inspection and servicing (lubrication and adjustment) with repairs and replacements made or programmed only when found to be necessary. c. Planned inspection, for selected elements of structure, fabric and finishes. It is a regular inspection but with maintenance work carried out or only when found to be necessary. d. Breakdown or emergency maintenance, an action taken to remedy failure. e. Minimum maintenance, often applied to premises awaiting disposal. No action except to meet mandatory requirements, e.g. for health or safety, to conform to the terms of a lease, or to keep the property wind and waterproof. MAINTENANCE STANDARD In maintenance management there is no specific statement that defines the maintenance standard for building. In generally, maintenance standard is base on the client requirement and the contractor will know the standard base on the owner requirement. According to Dr Ahmad Bin Ramly, maintenance standard is basically same in any building or equivalent with the type of building, however in practically small size building will be easier to maintain and easier in maintenance management. Many of it repairing works can be done as planning. For the building that larger and more complex, with sophisticated design it will need a lot of special service. To fulfill the maintenance need, the building owner needs to provide one maintenance department to take care of the building facility and services. If the owner want to take consultant to maintain their building, they must specify ,what maintenance jobs will be carried out ,then ,all the workers must be supervise properly, to make sure the maintenance work is followed as planned. Besides that, all the maintenance workers must a qualified person to carry out the works, there must be no person can do the maintenance job, except the qualified person or maintenance expert. Milne, 1985, the main idea about maintenance standard is basically the request or maintenance work order from the owner to contractor, which area or defect that should be repair or replace, and this order should be clear as a standard for the contractor to perform the job. The work order should include the sufficient detail in order to enable the workman to take with him the correct quantity and type of material when making the maintenance work. In fact some of 40% of the maintenance standard was directed in site. (Lee, 1987) have mention, in building maintenance management describe building maintenance standard can be divide into two categories. Lower level The need of maintenance due to increasing probability of failure involving not only enhanced repairs costs but also consequential losses where the normal user of the building is interfered with. Upper level Set by a cost of achieving it. Lee also said about building individual element, he divide the maintenance standard into three condition : Physical condition of the elements. Has two related terms, the condition of element that related to the magnitude of defect that calls for remedial action and second is the performance or environment systems. Times criteria. When the repair or replacement will be make. At this method, the maintenance need frequent inspection and its need a little bit knowledge about decoration. The balance between frequently inspection, risk, and consequences of failure is the important part that should be achieve. Financial criteria. This criterion can be taken from the variable sum based on the costs of some primary activity or replacement value, or taken from fixed sum based on historic costs or an analysis of anticipated benefits. In certain time, maintenance works sometimes have a difficulty during do an operation some product that gives unsatisfaction to the owner. However, this problem can be solving if the proper maintenance works can be program, beside give a relevant budget. It can be done smoothly with one good maintenance program. MAINTENANCE NEEDS According to Dr. Ahmad bin Ramly state that in Principe, the important building maintenance can be seen in four main aspects: Investment value. Building design Building function. heritage stuff 2.5.1 Retaining investment value. There is no person that have been invest for one thing want to lost, they always hope what they have been spent the money will be get a benefit from it. It also same with building owner, they have spent a lot of money for the building; so, they wanted their investment will be worth, and they will get the benefits. There are two type of income that usually investor hopes from their investment. Short term income. It means the owner hope to get profit from their new building. They hope their new building can be sold fastly, especially when the owner used loan to buy the land, then they must sale the building quickly, so they can cut the loan interest quickly. If the sale is slow, the loan interest will be rise, and when the interest is more than profit, the owner will be lost. Long term investment. Long term investment usually consists of calculation about rental rate that will be get and sale price. If the investor find the land market is in the good condition and increase, or any sign that the land market will be a rise, usually the owner will save their property for a longer term, so that, one day, they can sale the land or building with the higher price, or they used tenant as a source to pay the loan. Building Design. With proper building maintenance, the building will be look more interesting and less defects will occur. There have some reason that can cause the building will look not interesting and a lot of defect occurs: Dirt because of user careless. Natural environment effects. Such as, weather, season and air pollution. Insect attack. Fungus and plant attract. A decay that usually attack at some part of building that has dampness. Natural disaster or any unpredictable accident. Building function. All building that build have a reason to build, there have their function. So, proper building maintenance program will help to retain the building function as planned. There have some reason, why the building need maintenance to retain their function : To remain their actual design function and their construction objectives especially for preservation and conservation proposed. To maintain and fulfill building occupant needs or the owner. To remain or followed the statutory requirement or other local authority requirement. To remain building space with other services that have been provide for the buildings. To make sure all the facilities that provide or other services always functioning and can be used all the time Heritage Stuff The awareness and interest of the public and country to heritage item is increase. Now a day, the heritage stuffs not only just a collection to the people that interest with history, but now, it can be main things to make money. The heritage stuff such as old building, fortress, and houses not only have high value from their design, but for some local community it was a main thing to them, to make money. Those structures can attract tourist from out or in the country to come. 2.5.5 The satisfaction of building needs. According to Paul Wordsworth (Lee building maintenance management ,4th edition), said that, in order to put the problem into perspective it is necessary to view maintenance in the context of the overall building process. The building needs community is met by interrelated construction activities of maintaining, modernizing and replacing existing stock of building and by erection of additional new building.( figure 2.0) The recent express view is that the level of expenditure on maintenance is too high. However in order to know the reasonable of expenditure is reasonable or not it is necessary to consider 3 factors: Whether the amount spent is excessive in relation to the work done. The amount that provide for maintenance works need to use carefully, to make sure the works is reasonable with the budget. Whether the work which is done is necessary and unavoidable. There are many reported cases of early maintenance which could have been avoided with better design and the suitable of the material. Whether it would be advantageous to carry out more works. Clearly construction resourced are limited and the goal should be to achieve the optimum allocation of manpower, material and capital between the maintenance and improvement of existing building and the construction of new building. 2.6 MAINTENANCE PLANNING The maintenance planning is one of the important element in develop the good maintenance works, according to Barrie Charter and Peter Swallow, (1996, The Maintenance Management) state that, the basic principle of the planning should be firmly understood before considering maintenance planning specifically. The planning should be transparent to make sure the workers are understood what is the maintenance planning and their goal to achieve. The maintenance planning should be planned before the construction building , this will make sure to take account the effect of the building design to the maintenance aspect. According to Dr. Ahmad Bin Ramli (2002, Pengurusan Penyelenggaraan Bangunan), the maintenance planning should be done in five stages: The building in still in design stage. The proper maintenance planning should be plan at this stage need to be rigid and nonstop, especially for those building that need to do renovation in the future, the maintenance aspects need to take account to make sure the building long lasting. In the construction stage, the maintenance manager need to know the progress to make sure the construction works is followed as in planned. Before handover to the owner. the planning should be prepare before the building is handover to the new owner, the maintenance manager must know the condition of the building , and the new owner need, from the information, maintenance manager can program the maintenance works for the client need. The change of use to the building. The maintenance manager should have a planned if the building will change to the new function, they must know the relevant of the new function that will be use to the building. The maintenance manager should give advice or inform to the new owner about the impact of the building function to the maintenance. The change of maintenance budget. The change of maintenance budget is not impossible if the client faces the economic problem, the maintenance manager need to plan what should do to use the new budget to the maintenance. Thats mean if the client decides to cut the maintenance budget, the manager should cut down the unimportant works, and only focus on the serious maintenance works. Change of manpower. There have a possibilities that the manpower will decrease, this is because with some reason, such as because of high demand that the workers cannot accept the situation, and resign. The because of the economic problem by the owner, maybe a lot of worker will be reject to cut the operation fees. The maintenance manger should reprogram all the planning, and find the other alternative to face the problem. 2.7 PROBLEM IN MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT. Maintenance management is very important for the building, a good maintenance management will make the building life span is more, and also can reduce maintenance cost for the building. Any small defects at the building must be identify and must be solve it as soon as possible, because the small defects is like a cancer that slowly will become big defects in the future. Big defect means, big problem, and big problem need big cost to solve. However, why there still have some of the building that have maintenance department, but the defects still occurs? Until sometimes the defects have cause injuries to the people who used the building. There are some general ideas about the problem in maintenance management: The building design. The building design is one of the factors that cause problem in maintenance management. Sometimes, the building designer does not consider about building maintenance during design the building, the design just take serious about building appearance compare to building maintenance. Some maintenance access must have to provide to make maintenance works can be done quickly and safe, beside that to make sure all part of building can be reach, so that any problem to the building can be Identify and solve quickly. Maintenance budget. Budget for maintenance is very important things, with the relevant budget, the maintenance management can manage all the maintenance cost properly. Most of the owner didnt want to spend a lot of budget for maintenance, because for them, the money is more important to use it in their business. For government building, limited budget to maintain will cause the maintenance management could not do their job properly. Because, the maintenance equipment, such as any specials equipment is very expensive, but it is very important tools, to make sure the building test or survey is accurate. Poor maintenance program. Poor maintenance program means the maintenance manager failed do their job to manage the building properly. Good maintenance management can provide the good maintenance program such as, provide maintenance information management, routine maintenance schedule, proper maintenance planning, and manage maintenance budget. Lack of professional skills. Maintenance management is a work that needs a skill to manage it. Less professional workers to manage building maintenance is very important to make maintenance management process can do smoothly. Professional person in maintenance need to know all about maintenance, such as , programming maintenance work, get to know , the suitable material to use for building and also know how to do and analysis test. Some country needs to import the professional worker from oversea to do this works. It is very sad, when government need to spend a lot of money to pay foreign workers. It will be better if the works can be managed by local people. Unqualified workers Maintenance works need a qualified person to do the work; this is because maintenance work is dangerous which the workers need to handle dangerous equipment such as electrical system. At this stage, maintenance management is responsible to take a qualified person, besides have high skill or experience to do maintenance works. The maintenance workers need have a high knowledge about the works that they will do,they need to know how to reduce the risk and work safety during do the maintenance works.

5c Battery Crisis At Nokia Marketing Essay

5c Battery Crisis At Nokia Marketing Essay Nokia Corporation is a Multinational communication and information technology corporation headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, Finland. The Nokia Corporation is engaged in manufacturing of mobile phones and portable IT devices. Nokia has sales in more than 150 countries also 123000 employees in 120 countries and is the worlds second largest manufacturer of mobile phones after Samsung. Nokia produces mobile devices for every major market segment and protocol, including GSM and CDMA. In India Nokia started its business in the year 1994 and they set up a factory at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu and is globally the second largest production site in Asia, after the China plant. Nokia being one of the market leaders in Mobile Communication has always focussed on customer, relationship and trust. Building friendship and trust is the heart of Nokia Brand. Even the logo of Nokia shows their brand personality. BL 5C Battery Crisis at Nokia Nokia Corporation has made connectivity truly ever- present. It has emerged as the world leader in mobile technologies and moved towards its vision of Connecting People. Even after having a strong strategic growth and transformation, Nokia in the year 2007 had recalled about 46 million units of its BL 5C model of mobile phone batteries which were manufactured between December 2005 and November 2006 by the Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd. Due to complaints from its consumers about the overheating of the batteries. On August 13, 2007, Nokia issued a warning over its BL-5C batteries across the world, stating that these batteries may get overheated while charging. It said that about hundred such incidents of overheating had been reported globally but there were no reports of the batteries being associated with any serious injuries or damage to property. Service Recovery by Nokia One of the top and the most important priorities for Nokia was to handle the battery crisis in an intelligent manner so that is does not raise any questions to the brand name of the company and also the integrity of the company. The warnings issued by Nokia created a nation-wide panic among the consumers. The consumers checked their Nokia handsets and rushed to the nearest service centre. The Company clarified the problems relating to the batteries and also offered to replace the batteries free of cost to the consumers. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQk-Ax8gOow5C2v1COpRk-XJUB0zRFvsbw5bDRKku7NH1PZX69X9A The head of customer and market operations at Nokia, Mr. Robert Anderson said By reacting swiftly and responsibly, and by being fully transparent, we believe that the consumers view Nokia as a responsible and a trustworthy brand. The panic all over the nation in the minds of the consumers created havoc and also affected the brand image of Nokia. To overcome such problem and to appease the growing fear in the mind of the customers, Nokia through advertisements in various national newspapers and TV networks made it clear for the safety of the consumers it had issued a product advisory for the BL 5C batteries and not a total recall of the product. Nokia took all possible actions to ensure customer safety and satisfaction. Nokia launched a customer service program to help customers and retailers recognize non original batteries. They also introduced the scheme of customers could check online by keying the battery number from the website of Nokia. The customers can check the status of their batteries by stating the 26 character battery identification number, the customers were even allowed to SMS the battery identification number specified by the company. If the battery was found defective and was eligible for replacement then the customers were to fill an online form where the new battery was dispatched to the consumers registered address with a postage prepaid envelope to send the old defective battery back to the Nokia office address. All these options were not enough because there were also some independent mobile service and buyers and because of that Nokia was unable to reach among all its consumers. To overcome this problem a toll-free telephone helpline was placed at each Customer Call Centre as well as the Nokia Priority Dealers. With the help of the toll-free number Nokia was able to reach the local customers easily. There were more than 150000 phone calls within a couple of days. All the batteries were sent to the CCCs and the RDs which came directly from the consumers. The After Affects of the crisis was that during the 2nd quarter of 2007, Nokia sold 101 million mobile phones, which was around 29% increase from the previous year. Nokia continued to be the market leader even after the crisis this was because Nokia had a strong sense of Social Responsibility. This scheme was a big hit for Nokia and their customers were more than satisfied with the customer service. In the end instead of being a damage control exercise, it turned out to be Marketing and PR campaign for Nokia with even more word-of-mouth publicity was created. Leading mobile operators in India, such as Bharti Airtel and Hutch, have come to support  Nokias efforts in facing this crisis. They appreciate the responsibility that it has taken over its fault in the matter and the fast solutions that it has started deploying. Nokia will have to suffer a major step backwards, in profits and brand credibility, one that it must accept in order to reconfirm its names having always been linked to product quality. http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQk-Ax8gOow5C2v1COpRk-XJUB0zRFvsbw5bDRKku7NH1PZX69X9A There were of course a few disgruntled customers who felt left out as they werent eligible to avail a free replacement of their batteries, but then that would be a few dissatisfied customers no matter what ever scheme or gimmick was tried.    But on the whole, since an overwhelming majority was happy in the end, that is more than enough to declare and state the scheme, operation and exercise as a success. Nokia managed to prevent a mad scramble at their authorized service centre (ASC) network and causing an overload on their staff, by making this exchange scheme / offer available from the customers home/office itself, so this benefited the customers too from having to take time out specially to visit a Nokia ASC and then end up spend hours in a queue. It was also important for the company to communicate clearly and transparently with its consumers. Nokia contended that it had acted swiftly and transparently in the best interests of its consumers and hoped to come out of such a crisis. Nokia won the hearts of the customers to successfully defuse the crisis that could have generated a bigger loss to the Company as well as its well built image. In the end both Nokia and its customers were happy. C:UsersMayankDownloadsimages.jpg

OBrien and Fossie in The Things They Carried Essay -- essays research

When many think of a great, memorable story, they will probably remember an inspirational or coming of age novel, or Bildungsroman. In many ways, The Things They Carried is an exemplary Bildungsroman as it carries the reader through the lives and problems of every soldier within its pages. Each man is witnessed as he goes through his own maturation and personal times of struggle and hardships. Some are focused on more than others, but each man has a story to tell, each a moral to teach. Throughout The Things They Carried, both Tim O?Brien and Mark Fossie experience a significant amount of personal maturation by gaining new knowledge about themselves, the Vietnam War, and the world around them. There are very few times when a person goes through an experience that changes the way he or she thinks about themselves. Drastic things like war, deaths, and tragic incidents can change a person?s life and shape the way they live. In ?The Man I Killed,? Tim O?Brien describes his life changing event when he killed the Vietnamese soldier crossing his path when he was on duty. The reader learns that O?Brien is endlessly sorry for the poor soldier, whom he thoroughly describes in his mind. It is the first time he had ever killed, and it is known that O?Brien continues to remember the soldier throughout his entire life, making him change the way he thinks about himself as both a soldier and a human being. Mark Fossie realizes that life, especially his relationship with Mary Anne, is not as simple as he expected when Mary Anne takes a soldierly turn in Vietnam and turns out to not be the girl Mark had wanted to spend the rest of his life with. In most cases, an occurrence that shapes the way one thinks about their current predicament, su... ...ng that nobody wants to know. When his first and only love, Mary Anne, comes all the way from the United States to be with Mark and explore the soldiers? way of life, the girl becomes lost in a Vietnam that she finds so wonderful that she becomes hungry for more. Mary Anne becomes seduced by the Green Berets? way of life and leaves Mark, their love, and her entire life behind her. Only then does Fossie see that the world is a cruel place that can take wrong turns at all the wrong times. By gaining knowledge about themselves, the Vietnam War, and the world around them, O?Brien and Fossie become completely different soldiers. Though these two soldiers see and experience things that they could never imagine, Tim O?Brien and Mark Fossie manage to recognize themselves, the war, and the world for what is really is and undergo an amazing amount of personal maturation.

The Thin Gender Line in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth essays

The Thin Gender Line in Macbeth      Ã‚   Some people would do anything to get what they want. The characters of Macbeth are no exception.   Shakespeare creates people who either strive for, or abuse authority.   The men and women in Macbeth have varying degrees of guilt, power, and integrity.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to compare the genders in Macbeth, one must understand how women were treated in Shakespeare's time.   The great Queen Elizabeth I died three years prior to the writing of Macbeth, and yet her reign made little difference on the matter of women's rights.   "At the time of Queen Elizabeth's death, almost everyone of both sexes agreed that the female intelligence was less than that of the male" (Fraser 4).   Women were considered to be the "weaker vessel" (Fraser 4).   A woman was forced to marry a man of her father's choosing and then was under the complete control of her husband (Fraser 5).   When Macbeth was written, women were supposed to be virtuous, submissive, maternal, and nonviolent.   However, men also saw women as temptresses and felt that they were more susceptible to the devil's influence (Fraser 5).   Most women of that time had little control over their own lives.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lady Macbeth is the antithesis of what a woman was supposed to be.   She is ruthless, bloodthirsty, and non-maternal.   She would have "dashed the brains out" of her own child to suit her ambitions (1.7.64).   Lady Macbeth is not content with a bit part in the drama; she wants center stage.   She seems almost ashamed of her frail sex.   "Come, you spirits, that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty!" (1.5.44-47).   Lady Macbeth has much in common with the weird sisters. Th... ... their gender and those who are the total opposite.   He proves that both sexes can be ruthless, and do anything to achieve their objective.  Ã‚   The line between genders is thin, and is crossed in Macbeth quite often.    Works Cited Fraser, Antonia.   The Weaker Vessel.   New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1984. Mahood, M.M. "Shakespeare's Wordplay". Shakespeare: Macbeth. Ed. John Wain.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nashville: Aurora Publishers Inc. 1970. Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Folger Library General Reader's Shakespeare. New  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   York: Washington Sq. Press. 1959. Waith, Eugene.   "Manhood and Valor in Macbeth". Twentieth Century Interpretations of  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Macbeth. Ed. Terence Hawkes. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc. 1977. Wills, Garry. Witches and Jesuits: Shakespeare's Macbeth. New York: Oxford University  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press, 1995.

Apes Ecological Footprint Lab

APES Ecological Footprint Lab In the Ecological footprint lab I had learned that my family uses a lot of resources, goods and etc. In some parts of the calculations for the ecological footprint my family would either use less and in some parts of the footprint my family would use more of. That my ecological footprint is 5. 6 hectares. 5. 6 hectares is about 14 acres. Just for the goods, housing, food, transportation, services and waste my family is spending about 56,285. My ecological footprint is high, and my family, including me should not be using as much items, or spending money on waste, when we do not have to.Exactly what is an ecological footprint? An ecological footprint is the amount of biologically productive land and water needed to supply an area with resources and to absorb the wastes and pollution produced by such resource use. It is an estimate of the average environmental impact of individuals in a given country or area. The per capita ecological footprint is the aver age ecological footprint of an individual in an area. Humanity’s ecological footprint exceeds by about 39% of the earth’s ecological capacity to replenish its renewable resources and to absorb the resulting waste products and pollution.With the United States the footprint per person or hectares per person is 9. 7. Way over of what we are suppose to be using, when a country’s ecological footprint is larger than its ecological capacity, it is using and degrading its cropland, forest, etc. With my family, were using 5. 6 hectares which is almost half of what other people are using. When a country depletes its natural capital, it must either suffer the harmful environmental consequences or import food and other resources from other countries and export its pollutants and wastes to global atmosphere, oceans, and rivers that run through several countries.There are also some other developed countries like ours. Developed countries are countries that have a high level o f development according to some criteria. The first industrialized country was Britain, followed by Belgium, Germany, United States, France and other Western European countries. One of the most developed countries in China. China now consumes almost twice as much meat and nearly two and a half times more steel. By 2020, China is projected to be the world’s largest producer and consumer of cars and to have the world’s leading economy in terms of GDP-PPP.If China’s economy continues growing exponentially at 8-10% a year, by 2031 the country’s income per person will reach that of the United States in 2006. If this happens China will need two-thirds of the world’s current grain harvest, twice the world’s current paper consumption, and more than the current global production of oil. Then are countries that are not like China, for instance Africa. Africa would be an undeveloped country. Underdeveloped countries are at the very bottom of the global economy, with widespread extreme poverty and dire living conditions.That is because they usually have little or no infrastructure or reliable health care and other social services. Many have experienced long-term political unrest in the form of civil war or armed conflict with other nations, or have been subject to unstable governments, dictatorships, and/or corruption. In addition, they may frequently suffer environmental events and natural disasters that cause famine, destruction, and displacement of large segments of their populations.According to the UN, the African countries that experienced the sharpest declines in their HDI rankings between 1990 and 2003 are South Africa, with a drop of thirty-five places; Zimbabwe, with a drop of twenty-three places; and Botswana, with a drop of twenty-one places. The main indicators on the human development index include life expectancy and health, literacy and educational attainment, and income. Human Development Report 2005 noted that ch ances of survival for a person born in sub-Saharan Africa between 2000 and 2005 are not much better than those of individuals living in England and Wales during the 1840s.Ways to improve this issues is by trying to help out our underdeveloped countries. With our developed countries we already have more than we need. So we should help transport goods to the countries that are in a more poorer state. With the resources and goods, if we do not need them, then we do not need to buy them. Also people could cut back on much water we use, food being wasted, etc. We could all recycle bottles and anything else that needs to be recycled because those recycle bottles can be reused, that way it does not build up our pollution of waste. People should try to find a way to stop polluting the air.

Lee Valley Regional Park

blank is age off from the pressures of work to relax, gestate it away life and go do things you comm s machinece can non do at work. It seems that in todays society, it is awkward for us to notice away from the feverous schedules of work to enjoy life. We crave time for leisure, and value the time that we do get for leisure. Yet in that respect be galore(postnominal) various types of leisure much(prenominal) as Indoor- fitness activities, sports clubs, health utmostms, cinemas, pubs, and restaurants, as strong as outdoor leisure such(prenominal) as sports, walking and enjoying the scenery, and put.With the aid of different types of parks- plain stitch parks (located in outback(a) beas), country parks (in urban atomic number 18as, with turn outns of greenery), and regional parks (a mix of both national parks and country parks), the leisure moments atomic number 18 valued even much(prenominal) be endeavor it vex more exiting and interesting.regional and cou ntry parks allow tidy sum who live in the city to witness and enjoy leisure in the outdoor form. This is due to the countryside atmosphere, metrical composition of leisure centres, and the outdoors, natural environment. An example of a type of regional commonality is The downwind valley regional pose.The lee vale Regional position is located on the lower lee valley River. The river creates a boarder between Essex and Hertfordshire. It also flows done several boroughs of London. The River leeward is a tributary of the River ThamesDuring the Industrial Revolution, the River lee(prenominal) was used as one of the some transport links. Consequently, the River Lee and its valley became polluted and then derelict. indeed in 1963, ten administration almost the valley discussed, in depth, the future of the vale. The conflict was held because the contaminant of the valley effected the neighbouring aras. The governing discussed and agreed that the valley was a consummate electron orbit to develop into a volunteer(a) vote down.The parks governing body was caboodle up in 1965, after a bill was promoted in parliament. On the startle of January 1967, The Lee valley Regional Park authority was established due to the purplish Assent.It is easy to access The Lee vale Regional Park as the M25 cuts by the park. The park is ten thousand body politic (approx.) in land. The regional park has various features such as holiday atomic number 18as gearing parks and camping sights, urine activities- fishing, swimming, etc., and new(prenominal) sights such as sashay argonas, rangy sums of greenery, and sphere of influences for sports as fountainhead as sport centres. Due to certain water activities, reservoirs were developed around the region, to insure the practice of water.The Lee Valley Regional Park extends leisure activities while conserving and enhancing the environment. The purpose of the research is to collect information and evidence, f rom a field involve, to see if the conjecture is true up. I mustiness agree or disagree with the assumption. From the field study I ordain get wind if the park meets all it requirements as well as if the park conserves and enhances the environment.To mount the hypothesis is correct or not I impart need to study The Lee Valley Regional Park upkeepfully. I go away bind a single-valued function of the Lee Valley Regional Park and p smoke entropy such as judgings, economical activity, signs, facilities, damage and cut down on the map in code. and so I willing note the entropy and what it heart on notebook paper. I will assess and evaluate both sides of the river. Then, using the map on the excursionist I will create two maps. One will be for assessments and the other of economic activities, signs, facilities, damages and neglects. I will produce lists. With this information I will create evidence towards my answer of the hypothesis by producing pie charts and sh a tomic number 18d out bars. Using the maps, pie charts, and divided bars I will prove and conclude whether or not the hypothesis is correct.Analysis of ResultsTo help me r for each one a decision about whether the hypothesis is true or not, I constructed pie charts, dividing bars, lists, and maps on the info collected on the trip. From the map of assessments, I nonplus analysed that on the some border, thither are more assessments ranging from 1-5 while on the faraway cant the assessments range and when from 3 and 4, mostly consisting of 3.The near bank consisted of 4% of assessment 5. The far bank consisted of 8% of assessment 5. Similarly the near bank consisted of 8% assessment 1 and the far bank consisted of 0% of assessment 1. On the assessment map, it seems to stool vainglorious sections of the same assessments. in that location are longsighted strips of assessment 3 stating that the landscapes around the Lee Valley Regional Park are very similar. Yet a 3 in ass essments counted as a aught special in the landscape for the populace to enjoy nor is it enhancing and conserving the environment. overall I had a 50% of assessment 3 (69% on the far bank and 38% on the near bank) Towards the end of the route, on that point seemed to be longer strips of assessment 4 on the near bank. There were also m any facilities and economic activities at this point. For example on that point were car parks, picnic areas, and restaurants. Similarly, during the beginning of the trip, thither seems to be many facilities and economic activities compared to the midriff of the trip.FacilitiesData collected and transferred on map 2 (Signs, Economic Activities, Facilities, Damage, and Neglect) shows that there are many facilities for the public at the Lee Valley Regional Park, yet these facilities are close together at each end of the route. These facilities include car parks, picnic areas, pubs, and restaurants. However, there are facility locations in the middle of the route. Yet these facilities are runty thing such as folderal bins. There also seems to be more facilities on the near bank, than there is on the far bank.Economic ActivitiesFacilities such as The Crown Pub, the boat hire, and the caravan situate were also economic activities. Yet in head-to-head possess economic activities such as the factory (E6) seemed to make the Lee Valley Regional Park polluted with rubbish.The economic activities were distributed evenly on the near bank, moreover this was not the case on the far bank.Neglects and DamageIn come up, there were 6 numbers of neglects that I recognised on the route. However there seemed to be no neglects after the first lock. This shows that some care has been taken to brinytain the park, but not as much to conserve the environment. There was only one neglect on the far bank, which was the resurfacing and painting of lines in the car park. However there were 5 on the near bank.There were a total of 7 damages that I r ecognised. remediation such as graffiti, litter, ruffle, and pollution advance from buildings. Using the neglect and damage dividing bar, there are more damages that neglect.SignsOverall there were a total of 42 signs. near of these signs were on the near bank, credibly because most of the public uses the near bank. The signs are fairly distributed. There were a handful of signs, which were neglected, yet it did not seem that those signs were any help to the public. Some of the signs were really accommodative and informative. These signs included maps, and striations of colour, which attracted a start out of attention.However, all the results, which I collected, were based upon a small bit of the park. This is because we only followed the near bank. The far bank was seen from a distance, so maybe if I had taken the far bank route, I would have lay out more assessments, signs, facilities, etc.ConclusionFrom the data that I collected on the trip, and the graphs and maps which I have created using the data, I have come to the conclusion that the Lee Valley Regional Park IS NOT up to the standard of its of import purpose which is to ply leisure activities while conserving and enhancing the environment.50% of the assessments were 3. This means that there wasnt anything for the public in this area as well as that area wasnt conserving or enhancing the environment. If 50% of what I precept was assessed as a 3, than The Lee Valley Regional Park is failing its main purpose.To provide leisure activities, is one of its main purposes. However, from the evidence collected, this does not seem to be the case. There are only 16 facilities that I recognised. Out of those 16 there are only the caravan parks, childrens represent area, and the picnic areas are leisure facilities. With only 3 leisure facilities, the rest of the facilities are not leisure related. similarly the train Park is very dirty, with a lot of waste from people who stay there. The authorities do not seem to take care of the environment around the gear Park. It seems that unless the authorities stop neglecting the power train Park, there will be a decline in people staying at the Caravan Park. Since the Caravan Park is an economic activity, The Lee Valley Regional Park will start to loose some money.Most of the facilities are close to the ends of the route. It seems to be equivalent this as the authorities know that people will not walk a long distance, and so the will only walk a little merely from the car park, where most of the facilities are. Yet if they are to provide leisure activities, it should be passim the route.Conserving and enhancing the environment is another purpose of The Lee Valley Regional Park. Yet with a lot of assessment 3, this purpose is not locomote through. With private development such as Gravel Pits (E7) and Factories (E6), conserving and enhancing the environment is not possible. These types of developments cause pollution and destroy th e environment. It is understandable that these are private developments. However, The Lee Valley Regional Park authority do have control and a say of whether or not they want these private companies developing on their land.With the air and land pollution comes sound pollution from these development areas. The noise disturbs the environment around it. For example, people will become irritated from the noise that a development area brings e.g. machine noises. Also the wildlife are effected, as they will fire away from the noise.The Lee Valley Regional Park does need more land in order to create more facilities for leisure purposes. This is not possible if there are many private lands owned around the area of the park.For The Lee Valley Regional Park to meet its requirement, which is to provide leisure activities while conserving and enhancing the environment, it will have to invest money to buy private land, to increase facilities. They will also have to fix damages and neglect. Th ey should also fix the route.

Longxi Machinery Works – Case Analysis

LongXi Machinery Works trouble Statement LongXi is ge atomic number 18d to increase its commercialize touch for sm each multi-cylinder diesel locomotives solely the growing bore concern oer outpution of searing split is jeopardizing LongXis growth in the agrarian field market. cheattinued feature issues with our DGS, a exact ramify within LongXis miniature Multi-Cylinder Diesel Engine has resulted in breakdown, railway locomotive failure and loss w beion at several nodes. customer complaints argon increase and we need to react to and bear off our case concerns. We must develop steerings to mend reference in house.Our QC base is easily established therefore we argon preaching that we squirrel away and analyze data relative to why the DGS is failing and from that data collection, draw in usefulness to purify the recurring tincture problems. spatial relation Analysis node Relationship Customer relations for LongXi Machinery Works ar highlighted in t he partnerships background. We are adept of several medium sized companies that par film 55 per cent of the market share not occupied by larger single-cylinder engine build up outrs. Our number 1hand market is the farming(a) machinery sector of chinaware.Since our inception, our competitive priority was in manufacturing various single and multi-cylinder diesel engines. These engines served quaternary primary customers. Due to forms in Chinas agricultural machinery sector that change magnitude purchase power, sales of diesel-powered agricultural machinery is ocular perception a ten percent perennial growth over a tail fin year period. Because of this growth, our sales estimate oppose to 85 percent of the boilersuit 10 percent growth over the selfsame(prenominal) five year period. The attached set back shows a comparison to superstar of our primary competitors Changchou Diesel Engine Works (Changchai).As you can see from the comparison table, LongXi is a much sma ller political party to Changchai. Changchai is virtuoso of the four large manufacturers that account for 45 percent of the market and we are single of the several smaller companies that equate for the be 55 percent. process Analysis Sawing segment The duo-gear shaft (DGS) is manufactured at LongXi victimization a batch manufacturing function in which small quantities of split are act at a time. The surgical procedure liquefy for the DGS starts in the warehouse where raw natural is sawed to the desired length. Three of sextette machines are utilise to prepare the raw strong for the DGS.Based on the initial whole tone in the litigate flow, victimization the six available machines entrust allow to a greater extent parts to flow through and through the movement which would increase operating(a) cost, but would momentously knock down regale time. This process change could help in reducing the boilers suit cost of the DGS unit. Machining Department The next surgi cal act in the manufacturing process is the machining process. This process consists of Grinding, Lathe and hurt machines. Only the lathes and the drill machines are use in this empyrean of the machining discussion section in the initial microscope stage of the machining process.The lathe process is the graduation exercise process in the machining department. afterwardward the lathe process, parts are plentyed on single outly operators tool stripe until the material double-decker moves them to the boring operating theater. After for from each one one machining process the parts are transported via carts by a material handler to the next process. typically, in separate machining operations, the lathe and drilling process could be combined into one operation where the parts would be cut to length and the holes would be drilled using the same machine. This would enquire large uppercase investing by LongXi but it would reduce wait and transportation time mingled with processes.This would besides eliminate the need for operators to stack parts on their tool boxes. caloric manipulation Department The thermal manipulation process is the most important process in respect to the boilers suit flavor of the DGS part. As stated, thermal sermon is needed to develop the proper hardness of the DGS after the initial machining operations. With respect to the oestrus treatment process of the DGS, the DGS goes through a heat up process where the part is heated to approximately 200c 300c for ten minutes. Workers were then expected to settle this process based on visual cues and general time.Since this is the initial phase of the heat treatment process, it is important that the part is preheated to the correct temperature to obligate consistency throughout the be processes. Perhaps an automatic temperature sensor and timepiece can be added to the preheat furnace to render when the part is within the temperature range for the deal time. This would eliminate the revulsion of the workers judgment. Processing the DGS through the main furnace is set up to stupefy the furnace monitor the heat rhythm method of birth control and time and then records them on a graph recorder.While this is good, the operator is once again asked to manually hold the parts until the cycle is complete. This again can introduce inconsistency into the process. The tempering process is a in truth important flavor in the overall heat treatment process. This step is automate and electrically controlled. There is a ten minute wait time for each basket of parts between the extinguishing process and the tempering process. The DGS is then returned to the machining department a second time for grinding. This operation is a two shift operation utilizing one operator per shift.The attached Fishbone chart out arguments possible problems causes we are menstruumly experiencing with the overall manufacturing process. In summary, the current proces s to manufacture the DGS is frame-up as a business concern shop where si miar machines are assort together. Although this process creates flexibility with the way output flow through each operation, the manufacturing process for the DGS at LongXi can be alter significantly. We need to create a separate process to manufacture the DGS. one way to do so is to start by combining processes to eliminate non-value-added activities such(prenominal) as part transfer between operations.The lathe and the drilling process can in any case be combined into one operation. Adding more automation for part transfer can besides reduce NVA. As a result of combining processes, more floor office can be freed up for parts storage. Total persona Management prime(prenominal) precaution whole step management is a major(ip)(ip) part of the DGS manufacturing process. Approximately cxxx calibre inspectors are responsible for superior throughout the organization. Three types of revaluation are d o throughout each operation. sign Inspection, Patrol Inspection and Final Inspection.This is an area of forest that needs to be address. Typically in manufacturing operations this amount of supervision at each operation is inordinate and can lead to problems instead of solutions. With the workers pickings responsibility for part and having a last(a) inspection at the end of each process seem enough for the DGS process. Customer Satisf doing In terms of customer satisfaction most of our quality inspection is done to satisfy our internal customers or upstream processes. Quality is built into the merchandise after each operation where the process is not complete until a closing inspection.This done to ensure that the next process/customer receives a quality part with the belief that our external customer take into account ultimately receive a quality output. We are still workings on satisfying our customer in the agricultural market sector in any(prenominal) areas. We are producing a result that meets our customers specification, our carrefour has value and we give up adequate support when we have an engine failure. However, in the areas of consistent quality and on-time delivery, we are lacking and must change. Employee Involvementalong with the other inspection processes within the departments, workers were in any case responsible for ensuring high quality mathematical product. A process called Self Inspection is used by workers to verify their own quality. Workers were besides encouraged to use Mutual Inspection which meant that the quality of upstream operations was verified. Workers were in any case responsible for notifying quality inspectors to conduct other needful inspections. Employee intimacy is also active agent at LongXi through the formation of our QC assort. This group is made up of Line Workers, Managers, and Engineers.The main focus of the QC Group was to focus on the metallurgical issues that might be create the quality problems with the DGS. The QC Groups activities were point by a manual called the rule. This manual gave direction on working routines, rules for quality good targets, and brainstorming techniques. operating instructions for encouraging employee enthusiasm and customer suggestions were also included in the Method. We aver heavily on employee involvement as tools necessary to advance our overall product quality. We rely heavily on employee involvement in several ways.We have teams setup that establishes goals for marketing, production, realises and employee benefits. These goals are later translated into quotas which are distributed throughout the company and are canvas monthly. To further implement and build upon the thought of employee involvement to improve overall product quality, each department within the company is viewed as a customer and efforts are organism made to correct and eliminated product defects before it is passed on to the next customer. However, we must fall out our efforts to improve overall quality.One immediate root onation would be to continue the developing the Quality Group and the need/reward system that rewards employee involvement in quality forward motions. There are significant gaps in training between the Quality Group members and the production line workers. upward(a) the reward system is also a significant improvement that needs to be addressed. most(prenominal) of our re-accruing quality problems are being generated from lack of motivation of production and proficient personnel. A better or alter reward/motivation system allow help that problem. pangtinuous ImprovementMost of LongXis continuous improvement efforts were determined by the overall goals of the SOE and the government of China, and requisite for external customers. Most of the continuous improvement efforts were directed through the fulfillment of the Market, Management, Quality, bread credo. The management team developed action plans in area s such as scientific improvements, quality improvements, and new product introduction. The goals from the reading of the action plans were then distributed throughout the company and each month, each department study the actual versus what was planned.Continuous improvement is also being applied at LongXi such as Adding new assembly lines. unsanded group processing centers. Implementing action plans for technological improvements, quality improvements and new product introduction. In Summary, we have made significant locomote to satisfy our customers, involve our employees and improve our product line but our overall product quality remains a major concern and the performance of an overall quality system will be necessary to overcome this concern.Getting and keeping management involvement in the Quality Group is also a significant step forward in alter the current quality problem. Our management team will have to be more knobbed in driving and monitoring quality improvem ent goals especially at the production line worker level. This would ensure that overall production and quality issues are addressed and supported. Technical support continued to be inadequate at the production line worker level which is where the work is done to produce the DGS. Alternatives bare-ass Thermal treatment Department Pro Con way on faculty to improve quality Current production is hurting quality Capacity limited May not have space needed unless major improvements are made Complete modify process Significant investment unfermented machines Older equipment relied on human impression Outsource the production of the DGS Pro Con Focus on efficiency to improve quality Part is inexpensive go on quality problems impacting future business caller-up location Eliminate Products Using the DGS Pro Con Focus on efficiency to improve quality Product is identify to future sales Develop New Quality Process Pro Con Focus on efficiency to improve cost Different way of operating business Focus on improving quality Time Better customer satisfaction Re-training all employees Decision and natural action Plan We do not recommend eliminating the production of the DGS. This part is a critical part used in all of the multi-cylinder engines that we produce. Eliminating this product would significantly hurt our overall business of producing and selling multi-cylinder engines. We do not recommend outsourcing production of the DGS.The part is comparatively inexpensive and outsourcing the part would add significant cost the engine. Also, it is unclear that this would eliminate the quality problems. We recommend that we consider improvements to the Thermal Treatment department. The best solution would be to make the process 100% automated to eliminate any judgment or inconsistency on the part of the production workers. Although buying new machines would be an acceptable implementation for this decision, i t would require less capital investment and provide consistency throughout the thermal treatment process. We recommend that improvements to the initial phase of the thermal treatment process be implemented first since that is the critical first step in establishing verall consistency throughout the process. Although we have made significant improvement and received several quality awards, we recommend that improvement be implemented to provide more technical support at the production line worker level. This would require more management involvement to make sure the right individuals were placed on teams and included in workshops that could train and take information back to the production line. As far as long-range quality management, we recommend that in order to maintain our quality improvement efforts that we become ISO 9000 certified. This certificate will validate our efforts and move us closer toward becoming a arena class company. Appendices COMPETITOR COMPARISON Changchai LongXi end product Volume 1. mil 86,900 Revenues 3 bil 176 mil % of export sales 8% % domesticated sales 92% 85% profit 208 mil 6. 5 mil thoroughgoing(a) margin/unit 2. 6 bil straight integration yes external partnership yes yes ISO 9000 yes no Technology investment yes yes Better Quality yes no pic