Barilla Operations Case

Barilla Case ____________________________________________________________ ______________ Overview of Barilla Barilla appears to be in a commodity industry, suggesting flat demand. Barilla positions themselves as the branded, premium, dry pasta. Their order qualifiers are consistency and quality, and their order winners are brand recognition and variety in shapes. In fact their product line is extensive – 800 products. However, Barilla faces demand fluctuations that strain their supply chain operations and making it difficult to anticipate product demand. Barilla proposes a Just in Time Delivery system to help improve margins. Our overall recommendation is that a JITD delivery system is premature, and instead we recommend building a new information management system to resolve the information bottleneck between customer and the manufacturer and align incentives at each stage in the supply chain to reduce inventories. Only then can a JITD delivery system be properly evaluated. The Impact of Fluctuating Demand on Operations Fluctuating customer demand results in higher inventory for distributors who carry a cross-section of product lines, as demand among product lines fluctuates in unpredictable ways. Certain lines will stock out, while other inventory will merely sit. Thus the sitting inventory creates higher carrying costs. Unanticipated demand will result in higher stock without sufficient information to forecast demand. This is a mismatch in inventory allocation, and a information-transmission issue. Since the manufacturer cannot anticipate which lines will be in greatest demand, lead time is increased, as the manufacturer cannot tailor production to the increased demand until determining which line to produce. These lead times essentially result in a whip-lash effect, in which the factories over-react to stock outs. This results in higher inventory and higher costs. These higher inventory costs contribute to the lower margins and stock outs impair Barilla’s brand equity as a premium brand – a premium brand should not have empty shelf space. The causes of the fluctuating demand The underlying causes include customer demand, customer price sensitivity, some seasonality, the manner and duration of the promotions, the lack of sufficient information to anticipate demand, and the fragmented information stream from small shops. Customer demand is not well recorded. Though pasta volume tends to be steady other than some seasonality, demand among varieties is uncertain, and this flows up the supply chain. Furthermore, the extensive product offerings make it difficult to determine if certain lines are purchased as a substitute for others. One aspect of this uncertainty is the fragmented information stream that results from the many small shops, each conducting inventory at different times, with few incentives to pass information upstream except when they decide to place a new order. This lack of real-time info about customer demand other than periodic orders is a large barrier to accurate forecasting. The promotion structure may be exacerbating the demand problems. We do not know the windows of promotions, but narrow promotion windows should increase ability to forecast demand, suggesting that they do not use promotions that are narrow enough to predict demand. Internal and External Barriers to Implementation of JITD First of all, there is an information bottleneck just past the customer, and the information relating to amount and timing of demand does not flow directly up the Supply Chain. Instead Shops, Distributors and Barilla’s Factories are forced to use existing orders to inform their supply decisions. Barilla’s Long lead time 10 days combined with distributors reviewing inventory levels once a week, does not allow orders to catch up with the demand. This will make the accurate forecasting that Barilla needs to perform JITD very difficult. Distributors distrust giving Barilla info. Barilla has inadequately explained toe potential costs savings that could result from reducing inventory. Distributors also fear that they will lose the volume discounts they currently receive if the JITD system results in smaller batches. Externally there are concerns that greater dependence on Barilla due to a smaller inventory would place them at risk of supply chain interruption. Our recommendations to deal with the barriers to implementation Barilla could vertically integrate, buying the distributors, and centralizing shipment information. Alternatively, we think that incentives could be aligned better to promote the free flow of information up the supply chain and reassure distributors regarding discounts. To reassure distributors, we would recommend basing discounts not on individual shipment size, but monthly volume, so that they would, on average, receive the same discounts under JITD. Also, Barilla should use promotions with short terms to create set periodic demand for promoted products. Rewards should be established as incentives to distributors and retailers to better document sales volume. This could invest in electronic barcode readers and tracking technology. Similarly, Distributors should be educated about the specific gains that they could realize by assisting Barilla to produce more efficiently, including improved margins and reduced lead times. With accurate delivery, retailers only need to maintain minimum amount of inventory and thus reduce the inventory management cost. Good incentives will produce good information. Accordingly, we recommend, building a new information management system that better gauges distributor and retailer statistics to provide accurate customer demand. Only when demand can be forecast can a JITD system’s efficiency be properly evaluated.

Diets Are Not the Answer

Do you know that almost everybody in the world is sick with obesity? Cries have been heard all over the world over the invading monster. Children, young women and men, elderly women and men have been attacked by this strange ailment. However, it is an ailment of their own making and in the real sense no one should be crying out of its consequences. Perhaps children have a right to let out a wild wail. Their blood is innocent and parents are to blame. Eating of fatty and sweet fast foods has been the main cause of obesity.Fast foods might be sweet in taste and good in eating but they have a long-lasting negative effect to the body. The additional calories in the fatty and sugary food lead to the addition of a couple of pounds in the weight of an individual. Studies have been made to find a solution to obesity. Without much thought, dieting has in the past been found to be that solution long sort for. Does it help in curing obesity? This research paper seeks to prove the earlier studie s wrong and support the statement that ‘Diets are not the answer’. Reason that researchers had for conducting this studyFor the past two or more decades, obesity cases have been on the increase bringing the attention to the researchers. All around the world, obesity has been on the increase. In the United States for instance, obesity related health problems are the main causes of the high mortality. It is the second after issues related smoking. According to researches carried out in the years of 1980, more than 15% of the American population suffered from obesity. In a period of two decades, the percentage of those suffering from obesity rose drastically to 34% of the total US population (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007).Because of the rapid increase of obesity, Medicare has in the recent years made alterations in its policy covering the treatments of obesity. One of the areas that the Canters for Medicare and Medicaid Services worked upon is the removal of the phrase that quoted that obesity was not an illness from the coverage manual. It was a new dawn for people suffering from obesity as well as Medicare. Obesity treatments could be given rather than the initial treatments for the specific conditions that were thought to result to obesity such as hypertension and diabetes (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007).Long-term outcomes of the calorie-restricting diets have been of major concerns to researchers. The question that these researchers seek to answer is ‘Is dieting an effective obesity treatment? The truth of the matter is that dieting does more harm than good (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007). According to earlier researches made, it has been found out that 1/3 or 2/3 of people who diet gain more weight than losing it. The studies however are more likely to underestimate the counter-productivity of dieting as a result of methodological problems.All the methodologies app lied in these studies are bias and show a successful loss of weight through dieting. More so the previous studies do not give a clear explanation and evidence to show that in the real sense dieting leads to health improvements irrespective of the changes in weight. Little or no support is given in support of dieting as a lasting solution to weight loss or in the fight against obesity. Similarly, previous researches do not give enough support on the relationship between dieting and the accruing health benefits.These and many more limitations of the previous studies lead researchers in a study to prove that â€Å"Diets are not the answer† as far as obesity and the related health problems are concerned† (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007). Diet studies were therefore was carried out to evaluate the truth about dieting and its relationship with weight loss. Several hypotheses were therefore made (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007). Main Hypothesis of the research †¢ Starvation or eating less than normal food quantities leads to a short term loss of weight. †¢ In the long-term, starvation encourages weight gain.Individual who have stopped dieting or starvation gain much weight than they had lost as time goes by. †¢ Eating less as well as specified types of foods as prescribed by the doctor do not have any positive health benefits to an individual who is dieting. †¢ Dieting is not the absolute solution to obesity. Type of study Experimentation was used in this study in an effort to look at the effects of dieting on weight loss. Some of the individuals who were suffering from obesity were put under the medication or the dieting where by they were starved for 38 days. They formed the experimental group or the dependant variable.The others were not starved and they formed the control group or the independent variable. The application of dieting procedures included the manipulation to the experim ental group. Experimental method was the best method in carrying out this study. This type of study makes it possible for casual conclusions to be made on the diet effect on weight. It was as Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman point out in their study â€Å"The most rigorous designs in studies†¦that randomly assign individuals to a diet condition or to a no-diet condition and then follow them over time† (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007).Summary of main findings The reviews done on dieting scientific literature drew two conclusions concerning the diets. To begin with, diets have a short-term effect as far as weight loss is concerned. According to research studies carried out in the years of 1970-mid 90’s, participants in dieting lost a considerable amount of weight. Each individual lost an average weight of between 5-10% of their total body weight (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007). Secondly, the researches found out that the weight loss cannot be maintained. In one of the reviews, the rates of weight regain opened many debates.More weight is regained after the individuals stopped their dieting. As Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman point out in their research study on Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: diets are not the answer â€Å"The more time that elapsed between the end of a diet and the follow-up, the more weight is regained† (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007). For instance, according to the study of the research in which patients suffering from obesity in hospital were starved for 38 days, they lost a lot of weight.However follow-ups that were carried out for varying time lengths showed that in less than two years 23% of the patients regained even more weight than they actually lost during the starvation period. Within a span of two years or more, 83% of the patients had regained more weight than they had lost. Studies whose follow-ups took a lengthy time of about 4-5 years after dieting gave negative results. There was no sign of weight reduction but participants continued to add several pounds of weight (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007).Research findings and the hypothesis These finding completely supports the postulated hypothesis that eating less, starvation or dieting has little or no help in the fight against obesity. It actually leads to increases in weight when it is stopped. Weight loss is short lived and only occurs when the individual is under dieting. It has no long term weight loss and it is impossible to starve a person for the rest of his/her life. Therefore, obese they will remain even after dieting. Dieting is in fact not the answer! (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007).Major limitations of the data On of the limitations of the study is that dieting does not lead to a life-time weight loss for obesity sufferers. Follow-ups that a re given after dieting is stopped reveal that dieting results to additional weight gain. However, only few studies give long-term follow-ups to allow clear comparison between dieters’ weight and that of the control group because it is very difficult to make people who are obese to diet for a long period of time (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007).This study however is not the best method as it is impossible to keep obesity people on diet for the rest of their lives (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007). More so, dieting in many studies is combined with lifestyle interventions such as exercise. Dieting therefore could hardly work alone without some physical exercises. There are diseases that are associated with obesity such as obesity and hypertension. In a study carried out on those dieters who also suffered from hypertension, there was no significant outcome in the improvement of systolic and diastolic pressure of blood.However the par ticipants in dieting showed less need for the antihypertensive drugs. In addition, dieting can only prevent diabetes but cannot actually cure it (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007). Research Agenda Individuals who have been put under dieting are gaining and maintaining their weight. According to the studies carried out, dieting becomes an ineffective way to stop obesity. Even in prospective nonrandomized studies, dieting does not result to once and for all loss of weight. It is not the answer to obesity. The benefits of dieting in obesity treatment are few.Health problems associated with obesity are also not curbed by dieting. Short-term effects of dieting are considerable but long-term outcomes are minimal. There are also potential harms as a result of weight cycling. Dieting is not therefore a good recommendation for effective obesity treatment (Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007). Further studies are therefore needed to address obesity rel ated health problems. Rigorous diet studies have produced poor results. All that is needed now is a long term randomized study on dieting effects on health outcomes.More studies should also be carried out to determine whether short term weight loss has any effect to the obesity health related problems after the weight is regained. Are there any consequences of weight regain? What are the health outcomes of weight cycling? Exercises have been linked to weight loss and reduced health problems. Is physical exercise a treatment for obesity? Future research should focus on the physical exercise as the obesity treatment. It is not known as to whether exercises alone can lead to weight loss or reduced heath problems and further studies are needed.If Medicare is out to fund for the treatment of obesity, improvements need to be made as far as weight and health aspects are concerned. Majority of the individuals in the world need to be helped out of diabetes but dieting does not seem to work ( Mann, Tomiyama, Westling, Lew, Samuels & Chatman, 2007). Conclusion Dieting is not the cure in the treatment of obesity. All the studies that have been made on diabetes have been disappointing. The study on the effect of reduced calories intake for people suffering from diabetes on weight loss has produced negative result.Actually, the short-term effects are very promising as individual loose considerable amounts of weight during the starvation period. However, when the starvation is brought to an end, pounds and pounds of weight add to the already overweight. More weight is even gained than what was lost during dieting. Obesity, health related problems seem not to be affected by dieting and physical exercises when used together with dieting produce significant result. However, more research needs to be made on obesity health related problems in relation to dieting and physical exercises as a fight against obesity because dieting have proved not to be a cure.

Merck & Company, Inc: The Recall of Vioxx Essay

Introduction Geroge W. Merck stated once stated, â€Å"We try never to forget that medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits. The profits follow. Initially, Vioxx was the blockbuster drug that Merck needed due to the upcoming Zocor patent cliff in 2006. With an estimated 27,785 heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths that could have been avoided if Celebrex had been used instead of Vioxx, Merck faces the possibility of not only having to pay enormous civil and criminal penalties, but also losing the trust of patients. Many parties are partially culpable, but Merck faces the severe uphill battle of regaining a reputation that once served as a market differentiator; in the 1980’s, Merck was voted the â€Å"Most Admired Company in American Business† for seven consecutive years. A critical issue in this case is to analyze the events listed in the case and propose an alternate course of action that may help prevent future deaths from other pharmaceutical drugs while not prohibitively restricting innovative research that could potentially save lives if tested properly. Critical Points and Issues Merck was relying on the success of Vioxx due to Zocor’s expiring patent and the direct competition Vioxx was engaged in with Celebrex, which had a first mover advantage. While Celebrex was also a Cox-2 inhibitor, Vioxx was the only Cox-2 inhibitor proven to be beneficial for ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. Once studies came out suggesting that Vioxx contributed to a greater number of cardiovascular problems than naproxen, Merck seemed to opportunistically interpret these results. Furthermore, Merck did not institute any studies that might have found negative cardiovascular results, and management failed to perform a study that focused specifically on the cardiovascular risks of Vioxx. Instead, Merck spent a record amount on advertising the gastrointestinal benefit of the drug in a period of uncertainty. The advertising in the time of uncertainty is really unparalleled, and opens the door to questioning (Appendix). Stakeholder Impacts Merck Merck wanted to discover a drug in the Cox-2 inhibitor class that would compete with another class of drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). Cox-2 inhibitors were developed to eliminate the most common side effects of other NSAIDs, ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding, as an estimated 15,000 people die from GI bleeding annually; Vioxx was designed to treat those high-risk candidates. Vioxx was the only Cox-2 inhibitor proven to have a benefit for ulcers and GI bleeding. Thus, the blockbuster status was created: a stronger drug with a proven benefit for ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding. As the events unfold in the case, the crucial errors occur prior to the decision to recall the drug on September 30, 2004. After Merck learned that patients had double the risk of heart attack or stroke than if they took placebo and two new competing Cox-2 inhibitors were introduced, Merck decided to pull the drug, but it was already far too late. Dr. Eric Topol, a highly regarded cardiologist conducting research at the Cleveland Clinic, was the first researcher to raise questions about Vioxx. While he concluded that Vioxx produces a risk of heart attack five times greater than naproxen sodium, some believed that Merck’s scientists interpreted the data opportunistically; by saying the difference was due to the protective effect of naproxen, this downplayed the important possibility that Vioxx was contributing to cardiovascular problems. Some scientists say that the protective effect of naproxen argument is implausible, and noted that naproxen would have to be three times as effective as aspirin to account for the difference. While the FDA didn’t buy this argument and issued a warning on all Vioxx labels, many began to wonder if this was the first sign of an unethical deception, cover-up, and manipulation by Merck. Additionally, as the label was added, Merck would later ironically cite the VIGOR study in defense o f Vioxx: it increased the risk only in those patients believe to be a high risk. However, Dr. Gregory D. Curfman, editor of the prominent New England Journal of Medicine noted that it had â€Å"solid evidence that important data on cardiac events was deleted or withheld.† Dr. Curfman argued that the three deleted heart attacks occurred in people who were otherwise at low risk for heart problems, which would ultimately discredit Merck’s claim that is only increased the risk for high-risk patients. The FDA’s mild warning hardly curbed the widespread use of the drug, yet Merck continued to advertise its big benefit to consumers more than any other company in 2000 (Appendx): it causes fewer cases of stomach bleeding. However, this is only a problem for a very small percentage of patients. Thus, there was evidence that hundreds of thousands of people were using the drug that didn’t really benefit from its one advantage. Merck seemed to engage in deceptive marketing practices highlighting this benefit and not the immense risks to compensate for its declining financial situation, nor the fact that the drug was designed specifically for consumers that were in the high-risk gastrointestinal category. In March 2000, management first learned the results from a study of 8,100 rheumatoid arthritis patients that began to take the medication in January. The results from the Vigor study should have alerted management to the potential dangers and risks of using Vioxx. However, since the FDA repeatedly approved the drug, this psychologically this seemed to create the illusion that the drug was safe. While evidence was mounting against the potential risks, in 2000 alone, Merck spent $160 million in direct-to-consumer advertising, the highest that year for all drugs. FDA The FDA has commonly been criticized for requiring superfluous testing. However, others argue that drugs are rushed through testing due to enormous pressure from the drug companies. Even after a drug has been approved, many of the risks are still unknown. The mild warning given by the FDA seemed entirely inappropriate, an action that ultimately prolonged the use of Vioxx for consumers that were not high-risk candidates. In Merck’s defense, it was promoting a product that did in fact reduce pain and gastrointestinal problems; however, it omitted the crucial detail that it increased the risk of cardiovascular problems. The FDA responded by giving Merck a warning, but ultimately, the FDA failed in its ultimate duty to protect the American consumer. Doctors The doctors prescribing the medications failed to sufficiently research the medication and seemed to rely too heavily on the influence of Merck salespeople and/or the general public. If physicians were cognizant that only a small percentage of the population would actually benefit from the fewer gastrointestinal problems, but would expose themselves to a potentially higher risk of developing heart problems, the doctors should have at least informed the patients that NSAIDS might be a safer alternative. The risk-benefit for many patients simply was not justified. The mild warning given by the FDA did not prompt most doctors to research the warning, as essentially all drugs have notable risks. Doctors and patients are also usually affected by the psychological affect of new drugs-these drugs are perceived to be better than existing drugs on the market. Knowing this psychological affect on consumers, the doctors may have felt pressured to prescribe the drug if consumers were asking for it after seeing the advertisements. However, Vioxx was first approved for people with a high risk of GI problems. It is estimated that only about 10% of the prescriptions for Vioxx were most likely for patients that had a high risk of GI problems; the drug was widely overprescribed and was not the optimal treatment for many patients. Patients and Advertising As Merck spent over $500 million advertising Vioxx, many critics try to blame Merck for promoting a product that many believed had a risk that severely outweighed the benefit, especially for patients without a prior history of gastrointestinal problems. An underlying problem in the case is that medicines in America are overused. Many health problems can be avoided by a lifestyle change. Patients need to know that all medications are potentially dangerous and should be used sparingly. However, in the Vioxx case, many consumers were ultimately oblivious about the risk-benefit tradeoff, as it was not mentioned in the advertisements or consultations with physicians. Options and Solution Implementation Considering that Merck adheres to the philosophy of its founder, George Merck, â€Å"medicine is for the people. It is not for the profits,† the course of action taken by modern-day Merck executives followed a path seemingly motivated by financial pressures. The executives seemed to believe that the success of the company was heavily reliant upon Vioxx, and wanted to mitigate any negative associations the drug had with cardiovascular problems. When evidence began to come in showing a potential link between Vioxx and cardiovascular problems, Merck did not run any studies that attempting to reveal the cause of the negative cardiovascular results. Management should have listened to Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, who proposed a study of Vioxx in patients with severe chest pain to Merck management. Dr. Bhatt commented at the time â€Å"they {Merck} should have done a trial like this. If they {Merck} internally thought this drug was safe in patients with heart disease, there was no reason not to do it.† Management never ordered a test that would directly explain the results of the clinical trial in 2000. The FDA sent Merck a warning letter for minimizing the serious cardiovascular findings. However, a better option would have been for the FDA to put a black-box warning on Vioxx’s label, or stop the direct-to-consumer advertising until the issue was sorted out. Considering Merck operates under the aforementioned motto, Vioxx was not the optimal treatment for the majority of the patients that took the medication. The patients were not aware of this, and Merck’s aggressive marketing campaign reinforced the belief that this was the proper medication for all patients. Many patients were unnecessarily exposed to a risk due to aggressive marketing tactics when other NSIDS would have been the optimal medication for many patients, not to mention at a lower cost. The government should pay for tests that compare new drugs to older drugs. Many older drugs are simply ignored in favor of newer, heavily advertised drugs. Ultimately, it may take several years following approval for side effects to be exposed-a phenomena that could be avoided altogether if this analysis is done. In addition, the patent life of drugs should be extended. Obviously after this tragedy, drug makers should be required to conduct more studies, but the patent life should be extended to mitigate the pressure to rush drugs to market. Another year of testing means another lost year in terms of patent coverage, and many companies feel pressured to rush drugs to market due to the declining exclusivity period. Bringing a drug to market takes roughly 14 years at a cost of $1.3 billion. If companies are forced to go through additional testing, patent lives should be extended to ensure the incentive for future innovation. Additionally, this could help alleviate the pressure placed upon the FDA to rush drugs to market if companies have longer exclusivity periods, allowing the FDA to conduct additional testing that could potentially prevent future problems. Communication Analysis Vioxx was a medication that was designed to alleviate the gastrointestinal problems for high-risk patients. Vioxx was effective for these high-risk patients that did not have weak hearts. The drug should have never been prescribed to 90% of the patients that received the medication. In the end, some people who shouldn’t have been taking the medication died, and the people who could actually benefit from the medication couldn’t use it because it was pulled from the market. Once preliminary evidence began to mount that there was evidence of this potential link, the aggressive advertising should have stopped immediately. Management should have communicated more clearly to the physicians that this medication was primarily for high-risk patients and articulated the cost/benefit more clearly. In addition, ignoring negative evidence seemed to prove management’s confirmation bias. Management’s deceptive promotion of the drug to increase sales has marred the reputation of a company that may never sufficiently recover. The rigidity of management, unethical, and criminal behavior has tarnished a once respected name.

EMPLOYMENT LAW Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EMPLOYMENT LAW - Case Study Example Equal treatment in school and in the workplace is a civil right under federal and state laws†. In this given problem, the sexual advances made by Jami’s boss constitute sexual conduct in the work environment. The traumatic ordeal she had to go through forced her to seek medical and psychiatric treatment to overcome the sexual abuses she had experienced in the hands of her employer. In the case of Smith V. First Union National Bank (202, F. 3d 234,242, 4th Cir. 2000), sexual harassment was defined as a situation when â€Å"a work environment consumed by remarks that intimidate, ridicule, and maliciously demean the status of women can create an environment that contains unwanted sexual advances.† Jami, who is a victim of sexual harassment should file a complaint against Mr. Clark, her boss before the U.S. Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or file the case before the federal or state court. During the hallway review, Mr. Hallway even insisted that she can go b ack to her work only if she dropped the charges against him. Clearly, this harassment by the boss continued to persist because he knows that Jami is in dire financial distress because she was supporting her ailing mother. The former boss still places her in a hostile situation even if they no longer had a working relationship. The acts committed against Jami undoubtedly falls within the context of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended in 1991), which â€Å"prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin with respect to compensation, terms, conditions and privileges of employment†. In a number of occasions in the work place of Jami manifested that sexual harassment was present. First, the colleagues who commented on her physical attributes, like her body; and Second, the offensive gesticulation of Mr. Clark, the Vice-President of the company who stared at her body parts in a provocat ive manner, are indicative signs of sexual harassment. It is evident that a sexually hostile atmosphere was present in the work place. The illicit invitations made by Mr. Clark on Jami for lunch and out-of-town getaways on one weekend at his cabin, constitute sexually obnoxious behavior. These instances are severe enough to form the basis for a legal claim of sexual harassment. Although Jami accepted the invitations made by her boss on two occasions, her refusal to give in to his sexual demands such as kissing to maintain her present position in the company is an indication that she does not consent to the immoral acts. The case of Smith V. First Union National Bank (202, F. 3d 234,242, 4th Cir. 2000) stated that: â€Å"It was sexual harassment for a male supervisor to tell a female employee that women are too emotional to be in the workplace, that they need sex in order to perform well, and that violence may be the only way to keep a woman in line†. In the similar case of Sc hmidt V. Smith (684 A.2d 66, 1996), the Supreme Court ruled that: â€Å"This falls within the purview of sexual harassment when a young New Jersey woman left her job after six weeks, because the President of her company, among other things, constantly asked her to have sex with him, and on several occasions, grabbed her and tried to kiss her.† The situation of Jami is undoubtedly indicative of a sexually aggressive and antagonistic work atmosphere. However, due her current financial situation, she was forced her to reconsider giving in to the sexual favors of her boss in to retain her job. However, in the end, she refused to give in to the sexual innuendos of the boss in exchange for her position in the company. Thus, her rejection resulted to her demotion and reduction of her pay per year, and earned her a poor evaluation

Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Book Review - Essay Example Whats more important, Heckel says, is understanding how the strategies and approaches used in Alexanders time are still the same today, after you make allowances for changes in technology. "Field Marshall Mongomery thought that even in the twentieth century the fundamental principles of war had not changed since ancient times" (ix). Heckels book is designed to argue against the hero worship of Alexander the Great and to move away from the investigations of his personality in order to look more objectively at his actual accomplishments and defeats. Heckel is an appropriate person to have written such a book because he is a professor in the department of Greek and Roman studies at the University of Calgary. He has studied Alexander the Great for a long time and has written several books about him. He is also on the board of dedicated newsletters regarding this time period and he has helped with translations of ancient text about the time of Alexander the Great. This goal of providing a realistic overview of Alexanders accomplishments and their importance to todays leaders is carried through the major chapters of the book. The book is organized into nine major chapters, but they are not necessarily the chronological sequence one might expect for such a book. Heckel starts the book with a preface that explains his primary goal in writing the book and then provides an extensive timeline graph of Alexanders life and some maps that show the growth of his empire. This is finally followed by a generalized introduction to the historical figure he discusses as well as why Alexander is considered so great for todays leaders. In establishing the context leading up to Alexander, Heckel continues to relate events to similar events today. An example of this is when he says, "The extent of Persian intervention is doubtless exaggerated, but there was

American and Chinese Management Culture Research Paper

American and Chinese Management Culture - Research Paper Example According to Chinese management culture, business success is attributed to luck while business failure is attributed to personal failures in life. In contrast, American management culture attribute organizational success to high performance of employees, creativity of managers and good management practices. American culture attributes business failure to poor leadership and management practices or high competition in the market (Wenzhong 37). Another difference in the management cultures is on delegating responsibilities and accountability. Responsibility delegation will influence employee accountability and performance in his job. In America, management embraces proper delegation of authority and responsibility to the subordinates. Employees are accountable for the tasks delegated to them. In China, there is less delegation of authority and responsibility to employees thus employees are not personally accountable for the tasks but are considered to be part of a group work or team (L ynch 42). Chinese management philosophy values collectivism while American management cultures are individualism. In China, the management emphasizes on group cooperation. Chinese managers expect every employee to actively participate in accomplishing the goals of the organization. Individual employees are expected to show loyalty to organizational goals. Chinese collectivism management culture utilizes strict rules and disciplinary measures in order to ensure group stability. On the other side, American management culture is individualism. In America, employees exercise more freedom by exhibiting creativity and innovation in their jobs. American management culture values individual rights and goals and tries to align the employee goals with organizational goals in order to maximize employee productivity. In America, employees value personal achievement and success in their individual tasks, they work hard for promotions and better compensation (Lynch 66). Another difference in Amer ican and Chinese management cultures is the perceptions on time. Chinese managers pay more attention to past and long-term relationships with business partners and suppliers. In China, the management builds working relations with customers before starting transactions thus resulting in time wastage on discussing business decisions. Other the other hand, American management culture is less in the past relationships with business partners. American managers expect short term rewards from their business decisions. American management culture entails fast decision making and less established working relationships with business partners (Wenzhong 39). Chinese economy experiences some high government control while American economy is purely capitalist and free market economy. Chinese managers must establish cordial relationships with government officials in order to succeed unlike American management thus only need to work within the established business regulations and business legal env ironment. Chinese management culture values working personal relationships than established rules and procedures. American management culture follows well documented processes and rules that are fair to all the stakeholders in the organization. For instance, most companies in China may lack grievances handling procedures or a ethics code. American management culture has written human resource policies and ethical code of conduct that all employees must follow (Nocera 5). Chinese

My vision of the modern lawyer in the 21st century Essay

My vision of the modern lawyer in the 21st century - Essay Example Justice and fairness is a principle that many nations are advocating for in the 21st Century. The fundamental role played by diversity and dynamism of modern lawyers and modern law cannot be refuted. A dynamic character should be creative and innovative. In this regard, the modern lawyers cannot hold onto the old doctrines of operation, where so much time was needed to make a significant reform independent of external factors. Embracing this principle is a guarantee that commerciality of lawyers in the 21stCentury will be achieved. Lawyers play a very crucial role of guiding their clients on legal matters. The services offered are not free of charge. In this regard, service delivery is accompanied by costs, which are basically the underlying principle incentive for duty and responsibility discharge. In other words, legal and business aspects are combined, where either party to this undertaking is a beneficiary. Going commercial is a desire for a 21st Century lawyer. The level of representation does not matter, but the activities undertaken therein do. Lawyers provide their services at differentiated levels. Some operate simply as private consultants on legal matters, others practice advocacy, while others perfectly commercialize their services into commercial law firms. Whatever the case, it is evident that legal matters primarily determine how functional a lawyer is. For a 21st Century lawyer, the field and line of work should be enterprising, but most importantly competitive and effective. Therefore, the place of work does not really matter, but the quality of a lawyer’s output does. Law, legal practice and related professions are highly influenced by one factor; the client. Contemporary trends have saw clients become more cautious on legal issues that surround them. The world has become a dynamic structure, and every now and then there is something new that seems to improve a given phenomenon. However, with these changes, there are underlying

Why do people choose to take Complementary Medicines and Therapies Essay

Why do people choose to take Complementary Medicines and Therapies - Essay Example Here the emphses re rther different. While mny of the topics my seem fmilir from the policy driven gend-regultion, the evidence bse, use of CM by generl prctitioners (GPs), nurses nd others-they re treted in very different wy. ssumptions re chllenged; motives nd strtegies re explored. CM is first nd foremost exmined s topic worthy of study in its own right, s historiclly specific socil product. Phenomen re studied in their socil context. It is this sociologicl rther thn policy-driven strting point tht underpins this study. While the reserch covered herein my provide insights of prcticl benefits, tht is not usully its fundmentl purpose. I have to express my thankfulness to people who participated in my research. They were of great help as through the interviews I conducted it became possible to complete the research. I am also acknowledged to my professor, Mr INSERT THE NAME, who instructed me during composition of my thesis. Also I have to mention my wife/parents, who helped through writing and research. I feel honoured to know such great people and am happy that this topic is of such a broad interest. Complementry nd lterntive medicine (CM) is now mjor prt of the helthcre system in ll dvnced societies. It is lso common prt of discourse in medicine nd helthcre. This growth of interest hs only prtilly been mtched by cdemic study of it. Indeed, over recent yers there hs been n incresing recognition tht CM is essentilly under-reserched (House of Lords 2000). However, with this recognition hs come n incresing concentrtion on prticulr form of reserch-tht gered towrds the production of n evidence bse nd/or n immedite relevnce to policy nd prctice. There ws n extrordinry growth in the use of complementry nd lterntive therpies nd medicines (CM) in the ltter hlf of the twentieth century in Europe, ustrli, Cnd nd the US (Ernst 2000; Sks 2001; Wootton nd Sprber 2001). This pper sets out some of the explntions tht hve been presented to help understnd this extrordinry growth nd, wherever possible, exmines empiricl studies to evlute, modify or extend those explntions The globl extent of the growth nd the globl chnge in sttus nd nomenclture mens tht the reson for the chnges cn not be found by exmining specific country's helthcre systems. Nor cn it be found by exmining helth providers or even by looking t people who re sick. Sick people do turn to CM, but the dys when doctors could dismiss lterntive medicine s the lst refuge of the terminlly ill re long

Political science Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Political science - Research Paper Example ossible for hyperglobalization to be fully-embraced by countries without negative consequences.This is because one way or another, there will always be clauses within international policies set by the WTO that can either be beneficial or detrimental to a country’s growth, of which it may be impossible to fully change or circumvent these policies in the country’s favor. In turn, the government has to choose between following the international policy at the cost of the economy and of the local market, or be subject to the sanctions imposed to countries when these are unable to comply with international standards. Either way, unless governments are able to strike a balance between smart globalization and national democracy, it can be expected that local and international trade policies will always clash, and the government and its economy will bear the burden of its effects. Issues on hyperglobalization arose from incompatibilities between national interest and of international policy implementation. The issues that arose from Argentina’s economic problems in the 1990’s were able to capture the essence of the inherent incompatibility of hyperglobalization with national democracy, wherein the over-reliance of politicians to â€Å"tried-and-tested† methods of maintaining economic growth became its downfall upon the crash of the Asian markets and the devaluation of neighboring Brazil’s currency(185). Due to the reluctance of some politicians to change economic and trade laws that were considered obsolete even by then-standards, the crises that came about and resulted to the overvaluation of the Argentinian peso with respect to other neighboring countries made investments less profitable. This caused a large amount of capital to be pulled out from the country, which in turn cascaded into wider panic among citizens as more and mor e people pulled out their money from financial institutions and essentially reduced the monies circulating and fueling the economy. The

External Environment, Internal Environment and SWOT Analysis Essay

External Environment, Internal Environment and SWOT Analysis - Essay Example On November 24, 2005 the company was awarded a patent for its ground breaking technology which utilizes banana tree trunks as the raw material to produce paper (Papyrusaustralia, 2009). A SWOT analysis will help us understand the internal and external environment of the company. Papyrus Australia is start up company with an innovative product that will revolutionize the paper industry. The company has a patented technology which gives it a monopoly for at least 17 years. There is surplus of raw in the word due to the fact there are over 25 million banana trees in the world (Prospectus, 2005).The energy utilization for a manufacturing plant is extremely low and a complete manufacturing facility can be set up in farm in a small space of 500 square meters. The water expense of the manufacturing facility is cero. The plantation actually receives the additional benefit of obtaining free water to irrigate the banana trees since the actual tree from which the truck is extracted is made up of 60% water, which can be put to good use since it has to be disposed of anyways during the manufacturing process. The production of the banana paper is limited to the size of the farm. The business model does not consider the transportation cost of bringing in banana tree trunks as raw material from other farms. There are logistical problems associated with the producing banana trees because has to set up a large network of manufacturing plants across the world. The operation is dependent on penetration the Sub-Saharan African region which is one of the most underdeveloped regions in the world. The company has not shown yet they can mass produce their product. The company is still in the adolescence stage of its business life cycle. Due to the fact that the company is starting out from scratch there are plenty of opportunities for business expansion. Africa is focus point for

World Literature Essay Example for Free

World Literature Essay In this introductory lecture it better to say something about the intimate connection between English literature and English history. They go hand in hand: they are both sides of the same coin. English history is considered as the fundamental base for English literature. A history of English literature has therefore a national, as well as a personal character and interest. The inner life of each generation is revealed in the literature. In studying English literature, according to the chronological method of history, let us always try to think of it as the progressive revelation of the mind and spirit of the English people. We shall look in detail at the social and cultural history of the centuries in which the British literary tradition has grown, and explore the historical experience as well as the literary importance of the writers it considers. English literature as an integral part of the world cultural heritage English literature is an integral part of the world cultural heritage. The best traditions of English art have enriched the world literature. The masterpieces of English prose and poetry were translated into almost all languages, thus winning the recognition far overseas. Together we shall explore the long, jagged /? d? ag? d/ history of writing in the British Isles, from the Anglo-Saxon and the early Christian period up to the present day. Strong emphasis is made on the growth and development of the English language, and how changing understanding of the nature of language has affected the growth of writing. The British Isles have always been a multilingual landscape, and the language or rather languages have always been in constant change. The Celtic /? k? lt? k/ heritage, the Viking invasion, the Norman invasion, the deep penetration of Latin as the lingua franca /? l gw? ?fra? k? / a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different. – all are part of the great word-stock we call English. And that has led to no less profound changes in language’s most developed form of expression – that is, in its oral and, above all, its written literature. Today, for a variety of different historical reasons, English has become the world’s first language, the modern lingua franca. It is used in all six continents as first, second or third language. Over 300 million people today speak it as a mother tongue; another 300 million use it regularly as a second language. All over the world, authors write in English, to describe worlds, landscapes, cultures for which the language itself was not originally devised. This has led to an extraordinary expansion not just in the spread but also in the vocabulary, structure and power of the language, which some contemporary writers ignore at their peril. Literature written in the British Isles is read everywhere. This vivid, expanding, difficult language is one of the world’s richest. Part of that richness comes from the remarkable history of its literary use. This is a language that has constantly recreated itself. The Anglo-Saxon of the Beowulf poet is a quite different English from that of the travelled and educated Geoffrey Chaucer, writing under the influence of court French, even while he was recreating the contemporary vernacular /v nakj? l? / the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people of a country or region. The rich Elizabethan / l? z bi (? )n/ English is something else again – and different from the more formalized, Latinate /? lat? ne? t/ language of John Milton. Dickens’s English carries the noise of the Victorian streets of London when it was the world’s biggest city. The language of writers today is shaped by contemporary multi-culturalism, by streets that are noisy with different sounds and by the universal spread of travel and contact. So there is still a tradition to be remembered: a sequence of forms, myths, preoccupations, cultural debates, literary and artistic trends, great and influential literary movements. The flowering of verse in Anglo-Saxon times and again in the Middle Ages constructed a poetic tradition that still has influence on the most experimental poets of today. The flowering of drama in the Elizabethan age has, despite many transformations, founded a lineage /? l? n d? / direct descent from an ancestor that still has its impact on the theatricality of modern playwrights. The remarkable emergence of the novel as a popular form in Britain in the early eighteenth century not only composed a form in which some of the essential stories of national life have been told, but helped create what is now one of our most important and popular of literary genres, practised right across the world. Any writer draws in many ways on the previous heritage of the form he or she uses, the devices and artifices / t? f? s/ clever or cunning devices or expedients it has developed, the cultural energies it has acquired, the themes and experiences it has explored. The same is true of the history of the language, that elegant instrument of expression which has taken on such a complicated shape over time. A literary language goes through a great range of adventures and experiments. Forms and genres take shape: the comedy and the tragedy, the ode /d/ and the epic / p? k/, the novel and the dramatic poem, blank verse and stream of consciousness /? k? n sn? s/. Literary language moves between high formality and vernacular ease; common speech frequently transforms conventions when they grow fixed, so creating – as with the Romantic movement – a major literary and emotional revolution. Tradition deposits a vast stock of words and meanings, complex grammatical and artistic devices: simile and metaphor, irony and burlesque /b l? sk/ and satire. Literature is our link with great humane /hjme? n/ and moral ideas; it is part of the advancement of learning and the imaginative / mad n? t? v/ understanding of other people’s lived experience. Literature is always an experiment, as significant and innovative as any in medicine and science – as well as an eternal story of the power of the human imagination. The true tradition of literature is never simply national; it never has been. Writers constantly venture out of their own landscapes, borrow from other traditions and other tongues, welcome in travellers or influences from elsewhere. This course rightly emphasises the relationships among the different traditions within the British Isles, and their relation with other traditions beyond. But every new writer of significance shifts the tradition slightly, adding something of his or her own, extending, sometimes totally upturning, what has gone before. At the beginning of the twenty first century, a time with its own conviction of deep and fundamental change in political, gender and global relations, as well as in science and the technologies, that extending and upturning is visibly happening again, as it did at the start of the twentieth century. Yet writing still needs the past and the tradition – if only as a help in discovering the present, and prospecting the future. So, my task as a lecturer is to lead the way as effectively as possible to the works of past and present that show you British writing does have a long and fascinating history. Periodization For the sake of convenience, the history of English literature is divided into periods.

Girls Education Essay Example for Free

Girls Education Essay It is one the basic necessities to be educated for human, as world is full of competition, where one needs certain amount of skills to survive and be a threat to others. Education gives an insight to the person to differentiate between good and bad. Both men and women are part of our society so we need education for the females as well as for the males. In India despite of all the plans measures, initiatives and tall claims by the government and various voluntary organizations, a vast majority of the girls are yet illiterate in India. During the last four decades since independence, many schools and colleges are founded for girls. Education of girls is one of the basic features of the government plans. The female education is important for the society as mothers are the first teachers of the children. They are the first teachers of the future citizens of the country. It is being increasingly recognized that educated wives and mothers are an asset to a nation. Educated girls are working in banks, private firms, hospitals and government offices and supporting their families as well as contributing to the development of the country. Educated girls have an honored position in society. They have secured their rights from the reluctant men but all this is confined chiefly to the urban areas. Indians are conservative by nature. So, their blind faith and age old superstition stood against the female education. In rural areas most of the people are still against girls education. So much needs to be done yet. Special legislation should be enacted to deal with parents who neglect the education of their daughters. There are many villages where schools for girls do not exist. Every village must have a girl schools, or if that is not possible owing to lack of funds, parents should be persuaded to admit their daughters to the schools providing co-education. In recent years situation has improved considerably. People have felt the virtue of female education. Now in India we find women professors, lady doctors, lady scientists, lady politicians and lady ministers. Girls should be educated in the interest of our national progress. India is now optimistic in the field of female education. We had the female philosophers like Gargi, in the Vedic age. We had Mirabai, Ahalyabi and Laxmibai in the days of history. They were all learned. Hence, we had a great tradition during the days of our degeneration. Now, we have revived. So, we will certainly revive the female education in India.

Business background and overview of Nestle

Business background and overview of Nestle The Nestle is almost 140 years old company providing the vast variety of the products across the world. The company as it is very old and senior in its category have its roots in almost every country across the world. Nestle is very famous nutrition and food products company it is very vast as far as their products are concerned. In UK is also have a very much reputation and reorganization of its brands are good enough. The employment in the UK of Nestle company is almost 7,000 at the various sites across the country. The Nestle has almost 6,000 different brands which are across the globe showing the reputation and appreciation of its products and brands worldwide. The quality of the product is the symbol of the organizations commitment to build a product with care and dedication. It is a universal fact that it is the quality which retains a company in the market. Nestle always kept in mind this principle because it knows very well that customers have no tolerance for the quality of product. Nestle efforts are to maintain highly customer satisfaction products. The Company implements a system approach that insure products of highly quality. It time to time integrated its system of manufacturing producing quality products. In its research system that data is entered by the researches to visualize the quality of product. Previous researches conducted by the company shows that when quality is produced with fixed cost, a high quality form like Nestle can undercut its rivals pricess and may find it profitable to invest more on quality according to market size. This is the reason that Nestle has been remained concentrated despite market growth. In the recent years Nestle products which are produced with fixed cost, the average quality of produces increases with marke t size and the market does not fragment as it grows large. In the global markets only those products are survived which are batter in quality and in competitive pricess. The Nestle always keeps in view that market trends and international quality standards are maintained. Nestle receives a great response from the investors because of its highly reputed products and quality management. As a result of its highly fame products its market size increased manifold. Its relationship strengthens between product quality and market size. Whereas outcome of a relationship between product quality and market size familiarity of the products. In this report we examined all aspects of the nestle products. Nestle Standards The nestle quality standards ensures its products acceptance and believe of the consumers in the product. The wide range of the supply of the Nestle products through out the world is presently working as the standards of the quality are maintained by the Nestle Product management team. Quality Assurance The quality means the purity in the product manufacturing by applying the applicable and necessary tools/ techniques which is good for health. The quality ensures the first step of product popularity as the purity/quality of the product is most likely to appreciate by the consumers. The quality of the products ensures the following. popularity of the product Acceptance of the product by the consumers. Health and environmental health factors are satisfied Build organization reputation in the market Gives tough competition to the competitors Nestle has come to realize that current economic down term and keen market competition it is not easy to attract customers without maintaining product quality. Other competitors of Nestle under estimates the enormous significance of seeking and recognizing consumers view and opinions regarding product improvements and service quality besides pricing managements. Nestle given importance the areas focuses on consumers perceptions of product and service quality as well as the product prize. Nestle used to study the data which is collected through the use of questionnaires, personal interviews, observations and data obtained from the market. The Need for the Change The need for the change in any of the company or organization is very much on the cards and necessary for any of the organization to keep itself at the high standards and up to date presentation and working of the company. The quality control is a process to ensure a level of acceptable quality of product. The department of quality control of Nestle keeps a closed watch to maintain the quality according to international standards. The quality control department needs to be changed time to time to get the latest equipments available for the process of quality assurance of the products t various stages of its production. The various products of Nestle go thorough the complex process after many laboratory examination and tests. Quality control involves the examination of product at various levels and after passing all the stages it is approved to be marketed. The Nestle knows very well that it is not possible for a single one but it is the collective responsibility of entire team. The Nestle engaged a team of professionals who work hard to maintain the quality of nestle products. The team work needs to be developed in the workable environment to gain the goal at the neutral grounds. The goal of quality control team of Nestle is to identify the products which do not meet specific standards of quality. The products of the Nestle need the proper advertisement and its presentation in front of the target market to get the appreciation from the market. The change in the policy of the advertisement of the various products is becoming more necessary and vital for the product appreciation and acceptance towards the customers. The change in the management policies and the employment enrollment process is also needs a revision in the company. The cultural and the race difference should be eliminated and the equal opportunity employment should be needed to be structuralized in the organization. Identification for the change If we are looking for the positive change in the organization and making the performance of the organization more and more better. The first step towards this is to create a team which identifies the various areas and spots on which the positive changes can be made and implementation of such changes are logical and applicable for the company. The identification of the changes requirement of the company at various levels is very much inevitable to create the understanding the future of the company and the future of the strategy of the company in the short and the long term basis. The identification can be made possible by making the proper evaluation process and analysis of the history of the various products selling and the future expected demands and trends of the organizations various products and brands in the international market. The change is not only the requirement in the development and the strategies of the brands and the products of the company it is also necessary in the management, employment and in the workforce of the company. The identification of the change in any organization requires the following steps to be taken The evaluation of the brands strategy and acceptance among the consumers The evaluation of the employment satisfaction and performance inside the organization. The evaluation of the consumer management relationship and its outcomes. The analyzing of all the evaluation data and figuring out the malfunctioning parts and brands of the organization Making a effective proposal for the elimination of the problems and the implantation strategy presentation. the possible ways to get the solutions of the ongoing problems and threats that can cause the damages to the origination Areas and Techniques/Methods for Evaluation The company management can adopt various methods and tools to analyze and evaluate its different areas for e.g. they can evaluate brands, consumer management relationship, employment satisfaction and performance etc. Areas Business Environment The analyzing the business environment is very much necessary for the organization. The Nestle maintain the good business environment however the changes according to the passing of time are also on the cards and should be taken time to time to maintain the healthy business environment. Management Performance The management has multi-dimensional responsibilities and should present the sense of responsibility to perform their duties with full commitment and dedication. However the management done their part in the companys work performance and done with responsibility but the evaluation of the performance of the management of the organization is also very important as they should might be fully committed but should be committed enough to meet the needs of the organization in the long run. Employees Participation The employees participation in the change and n the acceptance of the changes is also a big thing to worry about, they are the one which I reality implement the change in any origination. The employment of the organization should be well aware and prepared to accept and implement the change in the origination to get the full participation of the organization. Product Marketing And Delivery The product marketing and delivery is also a very key issue to discuss if we discuss the changes and need to be made the changes in the organization. The review in the marketing and the marketing strategy of the various products should also be a part of the change. Product Appreciation The evaluation form the customers will make the company analyze the appreciation of the product among the consumers of the products especially when the company is launching the new products the customers evaluation should be taken in account as a priority in evaluation. Employment Satisfaction The employment satisfaction to the new changes adopted and the expected changes to be adopted in the future should be analyzed and studied. The evaluation from the employment of the organization is good enough to get the view that the employment of the company is indented to the change or satisfied from this kind of the change or not. Methods: Evaluation Performas: The evaluation Performas are made to get the customers opinion for a particular product and there should be another for the employment that either they need the changes if yes which areas they require changes. This is the best source of getting the direct evaluation from the customers or the employment of the company at a short period of time. Product profit/loss ratio: The product acceptance in the market will get a good business for the company and gives the profit if not so it gives the loss. The analyzing the statistical reports on the profit or loss of the particular products individually will enable the management of the company to make an opinion that the product is doing well enough for the company or not. Market trend: The market trends should also be analyzed by the management of the company to make any decision for the brand or a product. Consumer Behavior: The consumer behavior is the also very must effective stimulus for the change strategy of any organization the consumers are those which can cause the changes in the products and branding of the organization. Diagnostic Change After the brief identification and getting the clear picture of the needs for the changes in the organization the very next step of the management is to diagnose the strategy an effective strategy that can be adopted in the future for the implementation of the changes in the organization. Change Management Process To maintain the quality of the product the Nestle Change management team follows proper outline provided by the Nestle Company. The process involves the following steps Analyzing the available resources of Raw Material. The change management team analyses the different available resources from where the raw material can be collected and utilized in the product manufacturing. The Analyses is done by the team of experts which apply different tools/techniques to test. The quality of the raw material in available resources. The best and purest resources are selected to manufacture a product. Collecting methods for Raw Material The selection of method of collection of new material is as important as the decision to select a source of raw material. The collection of product raw material is done with proper care and by utilizing hygiene tools/ Techniques to make the product look good taste good and it should also be good for health also. Product Manufacturing The product manufacturing is also a very vital and key factor for the quality of the product. The quality of the product can be affected if not manufactured under the good and hygiene standards of the products. The Nestle Company has adopted the applicable methods followed by tools/techniques for the product manufacturing. The product is pure as come under the manufacturing process and the process is designed in such a way that it maintains the quality and purity is assured at the outmost and prime objective. Product Packing The product after manufacturing process is passed to the consumers for the purpose to maintain the quality of the product the packing of the product is done in standard packing which can insure that the quality can be maintained over a large period of time. The packing of product by Nestle is done in such high standard that when its products are used by the consumers the quality standards are maintained and build the image of the Nestle product in the eyes of the Consumers Specially food products are packed in such a way that there are no slide chances of Damage of Nutrition. Implementating A Change The implementation of the change in the organization is very important and the implementation of the change needs a well defined and organized strategy which brings the changes in the organization. The implementation should be done through best available resources and methods and techniques. Criticism on the Change Although the changes in the organization brings many positive developments and progress for the organization but it can face different type of the criticism at various levels by the customers as well as from the employment of the organization. The customers will record or show their criticism if they are not likely to accept the changes in the brands, products or the other options provided by the organization. The employment might also criticize the change in the organization if they are not use to implement such changes which they thought might not be good for them and the organization. Strength Nestle Tries its best to provide the products to there consumers keeping in view the total Change management ethics. Followings are the Strengths of Its products The High Quality and Purity of the Products. The Standard packing and high product image in the market. Competitive quality products in the market. Manageable pricess of the products. Weaknesses It is said there is always remains space for the betterment so Nestle Products always needs improvement with regard to quality and pricing. Following are the Weaknesses of the Nestle Products. Nestle Products are high priced as compare to other companies products. The cost of packing sometimes incurred higher then the product. Quality costs high and it becomes difficult for the company to compete in the market. The prices of standard products changed the consumer behavior. Opportunities The Good will of the company attracted the consumers. A wide range of the product captured the market Standard of the products is pleasing the consumer and changing their preferences. Attractive packing is providing health competition. Packing is hygienically very suitable to maintain quality. Threats Expansion of the market is a major threat to maintain demand and supply. High prices of raw material will effect the cost the products Nestle has expanded the net work in other countries so administrative costs will increase. Storage and supply will effect the market Conclusion The change is what which is required and necessary everywhere in the world and the change for the betterment or the apace for the betterment is always available. Nestle makes packing decisions keeping in view the following reasons Protection of Product -Due to expand marked of Nestle; International standard packaging is used to protect the product from damaging during transportation and minimizing spoilage. Customer protection -A visible packaging design is used to attract customers. This is also important for customers who are not well-known with the Nestle Product. The Nestle tries its best to make its products prominent among thousands of other products of other companies. For which its packaging designs stand out more likely to be remembered future shopping. Value added packaging -Though packing designs and structure and value of the product but benefits can be obtained from the package structure as it make the product easier to use where as stylistic designs catch more attraction of the customers. And looks beautiful in display in the stores as well as at home. Distribution Beautiful and attractive packaging attracts the customers and facilitate the storing. Pricing Affect packaging can influence a significant of a product selling price. It is experienced that some time cost of some product increased to 40% of a product selling price yet people do not mind to purchase owing to high standard maintained quality. However smart packaging minimizes the actual price. Research and Development department of Nestle continuously conduct surveys and research to improve the quality of products and its packaging. Thats why the company develops the revised packaging time to time according to the wishes of its consumers and desires of market. Whenever the company creates a new package it is most often with the intension of having the design on the market for an extended period of time. As changing packaging design for a short period can have negative effects as compare to long term. In order to locate the product and may not confused in the altered design. Recommendations By analyzing the facts and the history of the organization we can recommend the following The change management strategy of the origination should be reviewed and restructured The management and the customers relationship should be built by different scenarios. The new opportunities for the employment and the product launching are required but the management change in terms of organizational behavior is important. The advertisement of the products should be launched with the new strategies and promotional strategies should be developed.

The Voice of the Sea in The Awakening Essay -- Chopin Awakening Essay

The Voice of the Sea in The Awakening  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many different symbols were utilized in Kate Chopin's The Awakening to illustrate the underlying themes and internal conflict of the characters.   One constant and re-emerging symbol is the sea.   The voice of the sea is seductive, never ceasing, whispering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in mazes of inward contemplation.   The voice of the sea speaks to the soul.   The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace (Chopin 25).      In the novel, â€Å"the ocean symbolizes Edna's "awakening" to a life filled with freedom and independence† (Nickerson). On a hot summer evening Robert and Edna go bathing.   Although Edna does not wish to go and initially declines his offer, something inside is compelling her to go down to the water.   It is there in the seductive ocean that Edna's awakening begins.      A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her... [she] was beginning to realize her position in the universe as a human being and to recognize her relations as an individual to the world within and about her (Chopin 25).      That warm ocean environment is in direct contrast to the responsibilities and rules of the cold, hard city.   And it is there in that relaxed and   forgiving atmosphere that Edna can explore her new found freedoms.  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While relaxing on the beach with Mrs. Ratignolle, the sight of the endless ocean brings back memories from Edna's childhood.   She suddenly recalls a summer day in Kentucky and "a meadow that seemed as big as the ocean to the very little girl...and I felt as if I must walk on forever without coming to th... ... on, thinking of the bluegrass meadow...believing that it had no beginning and no end" (Chopin 190).   It is there in the ocean that she first realizes her physical, mental, and emotional potential. It is only natural that the water, which has seduced her with its sound reclaims her.    Throughout the story the ocean represented Edna's constant struggle for self-realization and independence.   From her first flow of emotion on the beach to her last breath of life in the sea, the ocean beckons her.   The voice of the sea lures her onward in her journey toward liberation and empowerment.    Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Kate Chopin. New York : Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Chopin, Kate.   The Awakening.   1993: Bedford Books, New York. Nickerson, Meagan. "Romanticism in The Awakening", The Kate Chopin Project. America On-line. February 2000.   

Reflections Based on the Work of Bernard Lonergan :: Bernard Lonegran Essays

Reflections Based on the Work of Bernard Lonergan ABSTRACT: The theory of agency, it has been claimed, seems to involve two strange notions: on the one hand, that of a self who is not merely an event, but a substance; and that of causation, according to which an agent, who is a substance, can nevertheless be the cause of an event. The understanding of the conscious subject as constituted by the operations of experience, understanding, judgment and decision, proposed by the Canadian philosopher and theologian, Bernard Lonergan, might resolve the puzzle, and provide the basis for an understanding of human freedom that is the affirmation of neither determinism nor arbitrariness. Perhaps one of the strongest arguments in the proposal's favor is that any attempt to refute it in theory would entail its adoption in practice. I. Introduction The theme of freedom is an early and enduring one in the works of the Canadian philosopher and theologian, Bernard J. F. Lonergan (1904-1984). It was the subject of his 1940 doctoral dissertation at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (subsequently published as Grace and Freedom in 1971). Lonergan devoted further explicit attention to the topic in his study of human understanding, Insight, and again, in 1972, in Method in Theology. Since the focus of the doctoral thesis is centred on supernatural grace, I shall turn to the two later works, and other articles, for the elaboration of Lonergan's understanding of human freedom. II. Consciousness and Subjectivity What Lonergan wants to propose concerning human freedom cannot be understood apart from his view of the human subject who is free. In many ways, in fact, Lonergan's understanding of freedom, like his cognitional theory and his theological methodology, is simply an application of a more basic theory of subjectivity. In Lonergan's view, while there is a great emphasis on the human subject in contemporary philosophy, the understanding attained is either incomplete or mistaken. The study of the subject is nothing other than the study of oneself inasmuch as one is conscious, and should proceed as follows: It attends to operations and to their centre and source which is the self. It discerns the different levels of consciousness, the consciousness of the dream, of the waking subject, of the intelligently inquiring subject, of the rationally reflecting subject, of the responsibly deliberating subject. It examines the different operations on the different levels and their relations to one another. One's view of human subjectivity will be inaccurate or mistaken to the degree that one either does not advert to all the different operations of consciousness, or to their inter-relationship.

The Human Service Field Essay -- Ethics, Advocacy

The Human Service field can be challenging to people at times and rewarding as well in other moments of one’s career. What is the Human Services field exactly? According to the National Organization for Human Services they report that â€Å"the field of Human Services is broadly defined, uniquely approaching the goal of meeting human needs through an interdisciplinary knowledge base, focusing on prevention as well as remediation of problems, and maintaining a commitment to improving the overall quality of life of service populations† (NOHS, 2009). Human Service professionals are responsible for many tasks over a course of one’s position as a professional. One part of what is required of a Human Service worker would be the understanding of the individual, family and community that they are serving, respecting the diversity that would be amount us, and being able to make professional judgments whenever one is needed to. Now, Reamer (2006) lists those keys to soci al work practice in which I find to be where I like to walk the path in and in which I was just talking about above. These include the following â€Å"commitment to enhancing well-being and helping meet basic human needs of all people, client empowerment, services to people who are vulnerable and oppressed, focus on individual well-being in a social context, promotion of social justice and social change, and sensitivity to cultural and ethnic diversity â€Å" (pg/ 49-51) Human Services workers must have some other qualities as well in order to successfully complete their position in this career. Some of these are but not included are; effective listening and communication, effective organization skills, and good working relationship with others. As I considered Reamer (2006), he goes on... ...tential benefits and risks for each† (2006, pg. 73). Next, you will then examine and determine what the reasoning was behind what just occurred. â€Å"What happened when you acted? To what extent, if at all, did your action bring about the expected consequences? To what extent, if at all, were there unforeseen consequences? Knowing what you know now, would you have acted in the same way or chosen a different response to the situation† http://kspope.com/memory/ethics.php. Once this has been done you may want to consult with another colleague or an expert of some kind to run this information by to get some advice from. Then a decision can then be made on where to go from this point forward. Once the decision has been made there needs to be documentation that need to be filed. The last thing that needs to occur is the monitoring, evaluating, and then document the decision.

“Broken Lives” By Estelle Blackburn Essay

The chapter â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† is a chapter from Estelle Blackburn’s expository text Broken Lives. This chapter focuses on one night of Eric Edgar Cooke’s murderous sprees where he steals a rifle and shoots a baby sitter, once again leaving the city of Perth in the hands of fear and danger. The purpose of this chapter is to fight for Cooke’s guilt. It shows that he had no fear of being caught and was a devious man when it came to him stealing, killing and the plans he came up with. Through particular aspects of its construction including point of view, structure, language, personality presentation and tone, our response to the ideas conveyed are able to be shaped and moulded to the ideas that are presented The point of view in â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† is from a third person omniscient view, looking in on the world surround Cooke. However the point of view is no ordinary third person point of view, it is in fact shifting, jumping from one character to the next so that we can get into the minds of all the characters and the emotions they are experiencing at the time of the ‘gunman’s rampage.† The point of view is shifting as to present the views of the many characters we come into contact with throughout the chapter. All people views on Cooke come to fruition and to our realisation. The fear that Cooke spread throughout Perth is exposed and our response to him and our feelings moulded. He shoots an innocent girl studying, through the point of view we can look in on his emotions and thoughts and the evil side of him. â€Å"†¦ He had a rifle and was in a killing mood †¦Ã¢â‚¬  This suggests that Cooke had been in this mood before when he has killed people previously and asks us the question, what sort of man is he if he gets in a killing mood. If Broken Lives was written from a first person point of view, we would not see the same emotions and feeling that we do from a third person omniscient view. The language goes hand in hand with the point of view. The sort of language that is used in â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† is one to convince people of Cooke’s guilt when it comes to these murders and shows how much of  a crazed killer he really was. It also proves how he enjoyed the fear of being caught and the fear that someone could see him. â€Å"†¦ He could see a short woman sitting in the lounge. He loved the risk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What is this saying about Cooke? That he is a quiet, well-mannered, law abiding citicen? Or that he is a crazed madman that enjoyed the risks of robbing people and killing them without any remorse. The language even describes the look on Cooke’s face or the way in which his heart was beating. Even though some of this is fictionalized, it has been incorporated to shape our response towards Cooke so that we feel the same way in which Blackburn does about him. â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† is structured in such a way so that many points of view and characters are presented. The chapter jumps from one character to another, which results in many feelings and attitudes being presented. Through the numerous amounts of characters being presented we are able to see that it was not only a handful of residents of Perth that feared for their lives, but it was all people, ranging from the better off people to those that weren’t as well off. Through the way she has structured â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† Blackburn has successfully conveyed many ideas into one small section. By structuring the chapter in this way, Blackburn can also select the details that she wants to include, those that will support her view, and exclude other, those that will contradict her view. By selecting certain details from certain characters, Blackburn’s point can be made stronger without her need to fictionalise or fabricate some of the ‘facts’ that she is presenting to the reader. The way in which the characters are presented in â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† shapes our response and how we react when Cooke take the lives of people. When we are first introduced to Shirley Martha McLeod we are told of how she is a hard working science student at St Catherine’s College. She is presented in such a way that sets visual pictures in our  head of just what McLeod would have been like. â€Å"†¦ She had a satchel of books with her and told Dowd how she planned to work very hard for The rest of the university year†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This sets up an image of a young girl who concentrates on her school work and is well mannered and polite. â€Å"†¦ Dowd felt comfortable leaving baby Mitchell  in her care†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The way in which McLeod is presented sets up the fact that Cooke stole the lives of innocent, caring people that he did not know and had everything going for them. This proves that it was a case of wrong place, wrong time. By giving us this information, Blackburn can shape our response by playing on this. Blackburn can emphasise how much of a caring young lady McLeod was and ask us to question how Cooke could take the life of a person so innocent. Then there is also the way in which Blackburn portrays Cook’s personality. She describes him as a monster that was only out to kill and nothing else. â€Å"†¦ The feeling of power began to come over him as  ran his fingers along the barrel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This is describing the feeling that Cooke got when he found the .22 rifle that would eventually lead to his demise. Through describing Cooke like this, Blackburn is reinforcing her previous opinion of Cooke’s personality. By doing this we are once again being shaped into responding in a particular manner. Does Blackburn know how Cooke felt or has she once again fictionalised sections to fight for the innocence of John Button? By putting a serious mood and tone to â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† Blackburn is setting up the fact that this was all real and it was not something she made up. Some sections of Broken Lives have a good-natured feel about them, especially when they are speaking of John Button. An example of this is â€Å"Life’s a Ball† where the tone is less serious as Blackburn is describing John Button and how he was a fine upstanding member of society. However by using a more serious mood and tone when speaking of Cooke, Blackburn is shaping our response to the ideas she presents. If â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† was presented in a lighter mood such as â€Å"Life’s a Ball† the chapter would not be as effective in proving Cooke’s guilt. Seeing as the purpose of Broken Lives is to assure us that Cooke was guilty and Button innocent, Blackburn would not go and put a humorous tone on something as serious as a young girl being murdered, especially when it was Cooke that murdered her, the one she is trying to prove guilty. â€Å"Another Gun, Another Unlocked Door† succeeds in it’s purpose of assuring us of Cooke’s guilt. Blackburn does this be presenting particular characters in particular aspects. Or including certain information that supports her argument or even just through the language she chooses. This chapter argues for Button’s guilt and just proves what type of a man Cooke really was. These particular aspects of narrative construction all shape the way in which we respond to the ideas the Blackburn is presenting.

Employee led innovation

Nevertheless, thanks for our work on mistakes we started to see obvious the inns today; we can ;t be successful when only one leader is thinking but we can look at the robber from different perspectives and find an appropriate solution when we are discussing it collaboratively. Therefore, the contribution of everyone is essential. Personally, I think that if employees would get enough right to tell their positions and to present new ideas, big corporations could achieve better goals in the end.In my country- Astrakhan and specifically in the regions of post-Soviet countries as Russia, Ukraine or Beleaguers employees are not treated as intellectual people and because of that fact, we have a big coordination among working and ruling class. That problem among employee and employer led to the ineffective work of whole company s workers. Good example of using the idea of employee led innovation is the system of Google workers. They are provided with freedom of action and do not restricted in their workplace.The main aim of Google Corporation is to provide comfortable conditions for their workers, so they II be able to use their time properly and the work will be effective. The good side of providing such workplace for employees is that they have a freedom and by appropriate time-management, they are able to work effectively on their big projects, and also they are open to new ideas, which can be presented to administration, thanks for what Google looks at the problems from different perspectives fixing every mistake in their search tool, finding the right way to increase audience etc.Furthermore, employees work directly with product and method of its production. It can be different product: informational, engineer or just simple production of food. Administration and leaders look only at result, which was achieved by the company, but they are not well informed about how the company is working inside and what problems does it have. Important thing to mention here is that leader only knows facts that was presented to him and even if he has some information about overspending on production, he could ;t look at that problem as professional as employee, who actually works on production of those products.In this case, leaders should to work as filters, choosing the best solution and employees should to present problem and show the solution as they are more informed and experienced in this field. In other hand, cultural intent should be mentioned as it plays a major role on how employee works. Referring to my country, we have strict rules at most of governmental and business workplaces, because from the times of the Soviet Union population of Astrakhan were used to make their best only when failure led to punishment of the worker.Even living in democratic country, direct and fast reconstruction to employee led innovation is not possible as it leads to problems of workers as laziness and procrastination. That s the reason why most of national and priv ate companies still don t give full freedom of action ND speech to employees, because before we need to have a good base and experience in this field.Overall, employee led innovation is becoming popular in nowadays as companies see the profit from that system of working. It provides workers with more critical and analytical thinking participating in company's life and giving a chance to improve the sphere, where they are good. However, before the start of process employers should to prepare their workers mentally, so they ‘II be able to work using that system with maximum effectiveness and profit.

Continuing Academic Success Essay

There are many steps a student or employee can take to ensure success in any endeavor they may choose to undertake. Whether you are a first-time student or someone interested in getting ahead at work, finding your personal learning style is a great place to begin. Then you have a starting off point for using your strengths and improving weaknesses. My personal learning styles, feeling and doing, indicate that I learn best when I care about what I’m learning, and when it applies to my life, and by physically doing something, like a lab which is usually very hands-on. Because getting my degree in order to improve my future is very important to me, caring about what I’m learning, no matter the subject, is quite easy. It will also apply to my life after college, so the hands-on aspect is met in that way, in that I can see how the subjects might be used in my future. Another important step for success is to set small goals. This step allows for easy opportunities to do well while making progress towards the larger â€Å"main† goal. Finding and using all available tools is essential for success, as is being ethical; doing the best work possible will ensure the best results. With long term goals such as ‘get a degree’ or ‘get a promotion a raise or both’, the amount of work can be daunting. Breaking those into smaller goals makes each step much easier to obtain. Those many small accomplishments can increase self-esteem, giving the student or employee a good sense of their ability to get things done, rather than faltering because they feel overwhelmed when looking at the big picture. In my situation, my long term goals are to graduate from college with a bachelor’s degree, and then start a career that will allow me to take care of my family if needed. These are connected, and looking at them in the long term is very stressful, and  overwhelming. Instead, I’m just focusing on the class I’m in at the time. If I can do well in my Foundations class, then I’ll start my next session on a high note, feeling like I’m already on the right path, and already succeeding. I haven’t set any small goals for my future career yet. That’s mostly because I’ve only just started looking at the details of where I might want to work. I don’t think I’ll be sure what exactly I want to do until closer to graduation, and I’m sure I won’t know where until I know better â€Å"what†. Something I learned in this first class is that there is an easy to follow format for writing and that it can be used in many formats and situations. †It can be referred to as the â€Å"five paragraph essay† and consists of a thesis, three to five supporting paragraphs and a conclusion.† (Halusska, 2006) Learning about this basic formula was a bit of an ‘ah-ha’ moment for me. It gives a very basic way to write papers for just about any occasion that is easy to remember, and to follow. In any class where a paper is required, such as a book summary, lab results, or a short essay, this format can be applied. It also works for presentations, proposals or other professional writing settings. Using all of the resources available is a great way to ensure success. Knowing what those resources are, and how to find them is important as well. In the setting of the University of Phoenix, there are more tools for success than any college experience that I’ve had before. The University Library is so much more than it seems. When I hear â€Å"library,† I think † big building with stacks and stacks of books for all interests†. The online library has that, but it also has tools like the Center for Writing Excellence (CWE), and the Center for Math Excellent (CME). I haven’t used the CME yet. I’m fairly sure it will come into play in my next class. The CWE, however, has been an essential part of my current class. It has tutorials, live help, a grammar checker, free online plagiarism checker for students with percentage, a reference creating tool, and so much more. Another tool for success that I was introduced to recently is the ELI or Ethical Lens Inventory. Your ethical lens is your window to the world for decision making. There are several different perspectives to consider when trying to make an ethical decision, including what’s best for the community (or whatever the group might be), versus what’s best for yourself. In a professional setting, an employee’s position (whether they are management or staff) might make a difference in how they perceive a problem, and how they come to a solution.  A manager might have the good of the company in mind while a staff member is likely more concerned with his or herself. McNutt, and Batho (2005) say, for example, â€Å"Values are intimately connected with moral and ethical codes, and determine what people think ought to be done. The value set is composed of rights and duties. The distinction is reasonably straightforward. For the most part, rights and duties are the opposite ends of a given spectrum. If management [or] an employer have a duty to ensure reasonable standards of health and safety for workers, workers have a right to expect it. If it is believed or if it has become a norm that workers have a right to a minimum wage, then management as employers have a duty to pay it.† In a school setting your ELI and critical thinking come into play in other ways. It is very important to cite one’s sources when using anything other than your original thoughts in a paper. Anything less is plagiarism. This includes self-plagiarism, using your own previous work without citing that, unintentional plagiarism, not properly citing your source in a paraphrase or quote, and deliberately cutting and pasting someone else’s work and claiming it as your own. Plagiarism doesn’t just happen school, of course. Publishers see this quite often. The good news is that it’s becoming much more difficult to get away with using someone else’s work. A great example of plagiarism in a professional setting comes from Micron. They had to retract an article because they discovered that a micrograph was doctored with Photoshop. (Cox, Braet, Egerton 2014). Critical thinking, or looking at a situation in a clear, rational yet open-minded way, is very important no matter your situation. A good example of using critical thinking is when you must determine if a source you want to use is credible. You must consider many factors when deciding on the source. This is one major downside of using the internet for research. A lot of sources might be biased, or not well researched. When using outside sources it’s a good idea to check that there are references given, and also to check those references. It’s also important to look at the URL of the resource. Dot Coms are often business oriented, and less reliable due to advertising involvement. Some good websites might be college pages or non-profit organizations, with authors who are authorities in the field they’re discussing. It is never a good idea to use sites like Wikipedia. They are authored by the general public, and while some articles are well documented, the majority are not. Thinking  critically can be a challenge, but it is also a learned skill, which means there are several ways to improve your ability. Knowing that you’re going to have to make a decision is the first step and includes knowing what your options are. It also means acknowledging that when you have made a choice, your other options are no longer viable. You’ve chosen a path, and must move forward. Before you can do that, however, you must define your priorities. What is the desired outcome? The decision you make should focus on that, and move you toward some goal. If it looks like there are no good solutions, the best option might be to wait to make any decisions. Often other options will present themselves. Your situation might change, or you might think if something you hadn’t considered before. (Ellis & Toft, 2014) All of these tools combine and work together to enhance your ability to meet your goals. They can be applied separately or together to make good choices, reach your goals, professional or academic, and succeed at life. Whether you’re a student or a professional, using ethics, critical thinking, formulaic writing, will lead to positive outcomes. References Halusska, J. C. (2006, Dec). In Defense of the Formula Essay. Academic Questions, 20(1), 46-55. McNutt, P. A., & Batho, C. A. (2005). Code of ethics and employee governance. International Journal of Social Economics, 32(8), 656 – 666. Cox, G., Braet, F., & Egerton, R. (2014, Feb). Ethics Issues. Elsevier, Micron 61(iv). Ellis, D., & Toft, D. (2014). Becoming a Master Student (15th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. p.221