Delegating responsibilities is the key to effective management Coursework

Delegating responsibilities is the key to effective management - Coursework Example Delegating work is truly a way to manage an organization successfully. Delegation is not meant to reduce the workload on the leader but to promote professionalism to other staff. Delegation when not well done can lead to other personnel seeing it as the abuse of power. It should be conducted in a manner that reflects it as a transfer of power and skill to another person. It also involves a process of selecting the right person to carry on, which also relies on the leader to be available for support and consultation, instead of supervision. (Jackson, 2015, p.189-190). Some leaders always think that delegating works is a way to relieve themselves from duty which should not be the case. They should guide those delegated, on how things should be done to achieve the set goals. Delegation needs a good mutual relationship between the two for it to be successful. Inadequate delegation can be like a rowing boat with only you doing the rowing. Your subordinate presence is just for the ride which leads too tiring and pressured management. (Burns, 2001, p.10). Creating a healthy environment with the subordinates is the key to delivering set goals. The relationship between a leader and junior staffs is vital in delegating task. For example, a leader who is too harsh to his subordinates may lead to the delegated task poorly performed while a leader who motivates his subordinate through rewards and promotions stand a high chance of achieving successful delegation. Delegation to be successful it must be conducted in a sequence of events that are: assignment of the task, delegation of authority, acceptance of responsibility assigned, and creation of accountability. Delegation does not relieve managers of Responsibility and accountability, that implies that managers will always be responsible and accountable for the task delegated, (Plunket & Warren, 2011, p.191-200). Developing efficient delegating strategies is the key success to productive management. When

Toyota Motor Company Essay Example for Free

Toyota Motor Company Essay In the worldwide automotive industry, Toyota Motor Corporation is the leading player in terms of revenue, profit and net worth as of April this year (Associated Press).   The Aichi Prefecture, Japan-based automaker reported in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission consolidated earnings of 1.6 trillion yen or about $14.3 billion for the year ended Mar. 31, 2007. To have reached its current leadership position in the market, Toyota Motor follows a business strategy that focuses on safety, reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of its products.    The company was able to capitalize on its smaller but more fuel-efficient models to increasingly gain bigger shares in different markets worldwide. The companys key market areas are: China, Japan, North America, and Europe.   Toyota’s corporate goal is to hold on to its position as a market leader, while continuing its growth.   In order to achieve this, the automaker believes in the importance of advances in technology, production and marketing, quality control, and strengthening of its cost-efficiency model. Specifically, Toyotas strategies are focused on: a) offering of full product lineup and distinguish products through hybrid technology that includes: expansion of distribution reach for its Lexus model to reach the most number of countries, manufacturing global brands that would meet regional characteristics while  utilizing the same designs and core components. b) localization of global operations with targeted regional strategies: the company understands that having a local manufacturing, marketing, and sales offices will help it maximize that markets potential while saving on cost of shipping vehicles and parts.   The localization wil lalso protect it from currency fluctuations and help it respond better to local preferences and tastes. Toyotas biggest strength is its ability to provide markets with good alternatives to bigger and more expensive vehicles.   Its product lines are attractive and are designed to make them affordable for consumers to buy, while keeping maintenance costs minimal. I dont consider Toyota to have a weak point, but rather, I consider it to be facing challenges.   The carmakers biggest challenge, for me, is to stay competitive, not only with the American and European carmakers, but with other Asian car manufacturers that also offer quality cars at affordable costs. BIBLIOGRAPHY TOYOTA. Home Page. http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/index.html (7 November 2007) Toyota overtakes GM in global vehicle sales, The Associated Press, 24 April 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18286221/ (7 November 2007) Toyota Motor Corp. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-   Ã‚   edgar?action=getcompanyCIK=0001094517owner=includecount=40 (7 November 2007)

Comparing Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle :: Roald Dahl Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Essays

Comparing Roald Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter and The Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Both ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ and ‘The Speckled Band’ is detective murder mysteries. They share some similarities but have many differences. In my essay I will discuss these and the effects they have on the story. Roald Dahl wrote ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ in 1954. It is much more modern than Conan Doyle’s ‘The Speckled Band’ of 1892. In ’Lamb to the Slaughter’ the main point to the story is to find out whether Mrs. Maloney will get away with committing a murder. Dahl also tries to illustrate that appearances can be deceptive. However, in ‘The Speckled Band’ the reader continues to read the story to find out who the murderer was and whether Holmes will discover how the crime was committed. The stories are both murder mysteries yet their shapes are almost opposite. The setting of ‘The Speckled Band’ is a typical old mansion. ‘The manor house is very old’. This lends an atmosphere of foreboding and suspense to the story. This is because it is natural to find dark and sinister places scary. Conan Doyle uses descriptions such as ‘A picture of ruin’, ‘Ill trimmed lawn’, ‘the building was of grey lichen-blotched stone’; to show this age. The setting is important in that the atmosphere and the suspense, which keeps the reader interested, are dependant upon this. In Victorian times, this type of setting would be more suited to the audience than that of a warm and cozy house. Conan Doyle was not challenging stereotypes, instead using them to his own advantage. However, in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ the scene of the crime is the complete opposite. ‘The room was warm and clean’. This causes the reader to feel relaxed without any suspicion that events such as a murder would occur. Roald Dahl uses this homely image ‘the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight’ to contrast sharply with the murder – shocking the reader – and to support the impression given by Mary Maloney’s character, so forcing the reader to challenge their preconceptions. Whereas great attention to the setting is given in ‘The Speckled Band’ it is no longer needed after the initial description in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ as suspense is built in different ways. This is a large difference between the two. The main character in ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’ is Mary Maloney. Dahl spends a long time at the beginning of the story creating an impression of her as a loving wife and house-proud women. ‘Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come home’, ‘She took his coat

Does It Matter? by Siegfried Sassoon Essay -- Papers

Does It Matter? by Siegfried Sassoon "Does It Matter" is an angry, heavily ironic war poem written in 1917 by the famous World War I poet Siegfried Sassoon. On first read, it appears that the poet is addressing an injured soldier who has returned from the trenches, asking this man whether or not it is important that he is missing limbs and sight, instead highlighting the virtues of the world and offering these as a remedy for his pains. The poem is written in a nursery-rhyme-like structure, where there is an obvious rhyming pattern and distinctive rhythm, and where many lines even have an equal number of syllables. For such a complicated subject matter, the poem is also rather brief - very succinct at just three stanzas comprising of five lines each. The opening lines of each stanza begin similarly with a question asked but never answered: Does it matter - losing your legs?... There is a lot to discuss even here. Firstly, we notice that the question itself is not answered - Sassoon does this very deliberately. Of course he goes on to back his rather naà ¯ve point by highlighting the constructive aspects of living without the use of one's legs, but he leaves a great void here, like the unfilled silence after a particularly awkward question. We, as readers, can easily answer the question of whether or not it matters in our own minds - of course it matters, and it matters further when we shake our heads at the sinister complacency exhibited throughout the remainder of the poem. Sassoon intentionally utilises this almost child-like perspective (given more strength through his nursery-rhyme structure and know-no-better naivet... ...stion at the beginning of each stanza - does it matter? The poem is turned on its head and, just maybe, the soldier complies with Hamlet's statements: "To die, to sleep / No more". How, then, does this fit in with the rest of the poem? Well, it soon becomes clear to me that the form of Utopia the narrator describes in the three stanzas is hard to visualise even today, and we must remember that the poem is set during a major and bloody war. This form of Utopia, then, can exist only beyond reality - in a paradise found after death. It would appear, then, that this is a goodbye note from a dying soldier, seeking comfort as he withers away amidst the fighting in thoughts of the "undiscovered country", and finally exhaling his last breath, taking his afflictions away with him to a place where 'people will always be kind'.

Lifeboy Handwash

Executive Summary for Case Study on Lifebuoy Hand Wash Customer Problem: To develop, grow and accelerate Lifebuoy Hw in Hand wash category within the constrain of limited support budget given the limited support budget relatively small size of current Hand wash business. Task Summary: We surveyed 56 families’ i. e nearly 180 people, retailers, Hw sellers over a period of 20 days and based on our survey we did a detailed analysis of the data and came out with several findings & marketing strategies to overcome the current hurdles. Challenges To Overcome: Consumer mindset, which believes soap is a more economical and viable option for hand wash. †¢ Economical & wide reaching marketing strategies. †¢ Competition: Soaps, Sanitizers, other Hand wash brands like Dettol HW. The Market: The market for this business is the universal population which believes in eating healthy and remaining clean. In order to tap this entire market an awareness needs to be generated amongst th e masses that hand is the part of the body that comes in direct contact with dirt, other bacteria from air, water, earth and touches our skin, ears, eyes, nose, tongue.By keeping our hands clean we can keep away most of the illnesses. Hence cleaning of hands requires extra care & protection and not any ordinary soap. Opportunity: By creating awareness about personal hygiene and extra care for hand wash, Lifebuoy can not only create a market but also penetrate this created market very aggressively. Solution to the challenges: Consumer Mindset can be tackled by generating awareness about the importance of hand wash via Lifebuoy and conveying, HW last long and is more effective whereas soaps in long run tend to decay, become pale and ineffective due to moist conditions under which it is kept.Hence Hw liquids are as economical as soaps and more effective for HW. Non-conventional & economical Marketing Strategies: †¢ Ads on the Lid of food containers served by pantry in public trans portation like trains, bus, airways, waterways generating awareness on importance of hand wash through the medium of Lifebuoy. †¢ Working Population consume Dabba Food. We must sent 1 re Lifebuoy sachets along with Dabbas promoting Lifebuoy and generating awareness about the importance of Hand wash. †¢ Men spent an average of 25mins a day and women spent an average an hour a day in wash rooms.Here we must have life boy paper adds pasted on the doors and walls of washrooms in public places. †¢ Lifebuoy HW machine in corporate washrooms. (M/c will consist of LB HW refill container, LB tissues and hand dryer). †¢ Local doctors/medical shops must give away free samples of LB 1 re sachets along with medicines. Support Marketing Strategies can include 1)Health Gift packs eg. pack of lifebuoy products for a pregnant woman. This will earn us goodwill of the entire family. 2) Lifebuoy sachets for travelling. 3) Use of stylish bottles to target young population. )LB commer cial adds can show that in comparison to other HW, the LID drops less liquid and is more effective. Product Variants: 1) Quick HW(99. 99% germs in 10 secs)- Targeting children age group 3 to 14 years. 2)Economic HW(1 drop, antiseptic & more effective)-Targeting Housewife’s who are the families budget planners. 3)Trendy Hand wash(Keeps hands soft, fresh and good aroma)- Promote as an item of style & Hygiene to tap youngsters. Recommended New Variant as 50% of Indian Population is in this age group. 4)Total Health Care(skin care, Slower hand wash but longer protection)-Targeting Pregnant woman, old people, clinical uses.

The Proper Way To Make References In A Dissertation

The Proper Way To Make References In A Dissertation How To Make References In A Dissertation Right? When it comes to academic papers, every writer must understand the importance of references. It has many reasons to be so significant. Firstly, this is one of the main requirements for the academic writings and it serves as a final touch for the paper, showing it is completed. Secondly, this is a way you can maintain statements in the text and provide proofs for your arguments. The presence of references displays that you have done quality research and have a deep knowledge of the topic you have disclosed in the dissertation. Today we will take a closer look at â€Å"academic† or â€Å"scholar† references in academic writing and discover their peculiarities. What is academic reference? This is the type of references you add to your academic paper to direct your reader to the sources of the information you have used in the paper. It can be a citation, quotation or another way of â€Å"borrowing† thoughts from other experts. We have many options for providing references in the paper. In this article, we will take a closer look at three of them. However, they all have similar features and purposes and provide the same piece of basic info about the source of thoughts: the name of the author of the text you refer to; the name of the paper/article/book/etc.; the type of work (book, article, magazine etc.); the date of publication, edition (if you refer to the particular edition of the book, with specific features, you need to specify what copy you have used exactly as the information, used in the older versions may drastically differ from statements used in the latest copies or the structure may vary and create a confusion when reader will try to find the original source you refer to); the place of publication and the name of the publisher; extra details, if needed, to provide complete direction to the source of information that is used in your academic paper. Reasons you need to make references and when you should do so Excluding plagiarism The most significant reason to use citation is to exclude cases of plagiarism in your dissertation or any other paper. It is not forbidden to add to your work thoughts and statements of other influential experts in the field. But you can do so only with proper references for their work. This is the way you can support your own statements and give credits to the people who have inspired you in your own discoveries at the same time. Keep in mind, that references are required not only for direct quotations of someone’s words but also to other data and thoughts, even if you have paraphrased them. Some people plagiarize other works unintentionally. But still, they are under the danger to be accused of dishonest researching. We advise making references anytime you know or consider the thought in your work is the representation of some other one. Be cautious. Additional reasons Apart from the danger of being accused in plagiarism, you need to keep in mind a few more reasons to make a habit to provide references to the sources of information you use. They are important in evolving as a scholar and following policies of collective knowledge creation: provide readers with the opportunity to dig deeper and find out wider explanation of the things from your paper, which can be a thing if your work stimulates reader’s thinking. Moreover, thus us just a common scholar courtesy to display the way your thoughts were formatted clearly and understandable; providing references to the works of other scholars will show you have done deep research on the topic and display your insight into it. This may help you in convincing your readers and make your arguments sound stronger. With quotations of the reputable sources, your interpretations may become even more understandable. What system for references is better to choose? Usually, there are no many options. In most cases, you will have an opportunity to choose between parenthetical referencing and footnote referencing or their preferred parenthetical and numerical styles for Arts or Humanities subjects and for Sciences or Social Sciences respectively. As a rule, it is up to the university choice. In case you have an opportunity to choose, you need to study the â€Å"usage† passage and check the following aspects: What is the number of sources you are about to use in my work? To what extent will you use the sources: will you use a lot of data from them or just include a few thoughts from each of them to point out some trends in the field? What will you choose: paraphrasing or direct quotes? So in case, your educational institution will provide you with the freedom to choose the referring method, use this checklist to make the right choice considering specifications of your work. Ways to make effective and consistent references Systematism Working dissertation, it is obvious that you will have to use dozens or even hundreds of sources and will have to provide references to them as well. You will need to work on the bibliography section for sure to display the list of used sources. But during months or even years of work on the paper it is impossible to remember and recall all the book, articles and papers you base your research on. So it would be wise to develop a system for organizing all the materials, whether you just read them or quote. This approach will be helpful for writing the bibliography section and making in-text quotations as well. Helpful software for automatizing the process Academic writers usually have their own ways of organizing sources lists and notes for their work. They may use spreadsheets or make notes on paper. It is good to implement even these techniques. But when you work with numerous sources and for a long time, you may require additional assistance from special software for managing references. This is one of the most effective ways to store and retrieve sources. Many educational institutions provide commercial subscriptions for their workers for software like RefWorks and EndNote. But you also may use free packages of Zotero. There might be some restrictions compared to the paid versions, but still, it can serve a great deal. Usually, this type of software provides a similar list of features: the feature for organizing the database by dividing it into different folders according to the particular criteria, that is especially useful for large databases; a number of fields that collect info that is typically needed for the proper citation in the academic paper; at least one option for automated recording of the info (for instance, plugins for grabbing citation data from pages you use in your work; DOI searches for collecting citation info right from the internet; functions for importing text or XML files, or even complete databases); plugins for word processing to make in-text quotations in any footnote or parenthetical form; at least one tool for creating lists of references or bibliographies – in a text form extracted from the program or collecting data about sources from the word procession results. Using these helpers, you can save a great deal of time while you will have an easy way for cataloging, retrieving or annotating materials you use in your paper. The automated citation will help you to create the full bibliography list for your paper. But keep in mind that automated tools cannot guarantee 100% accuracy in their results. So it would be better to check the records of the program and complete them with missing data or to fix some inaccurate parts. Parenthetical references Usage This type of references is used most often in academic writing and it can be applied in various academic disciplines with minor differences considering discipline specifications. MLA and Chicago styles are usually used in disciplines of the Arts and Humanities field, particularly in the north part of USA. When it comes to Social Sciences, APA can be appropriate. But the Harvard system is the most universal option that is acceptable by most universities and disciplines globally. Parenthetical methods are usually applicable on an economic basis. With their help, the reader may quickly and without any special troubles or time-wasting find the source of the provided information in the section with all references (can be marked as â€Å"References† or â€Å"Bibliography† etc.) where all the papers you have cited are collected. Due to the fact that this style is based on economy approach, it has simplified requirements considering the author’s name. So you can specify it only if it is not clear from the context. But if your quotation looks like â€Å"Brown states that.† you can omit Brown’s name in the references a few phrases later. System based on author-date principle Most references of the parenthetical format are based on the â€Å"author-date† principle. They include the name of the author and then the year of publication. As it was stated above, you can omit the author’s name and specify only the year, in case the name is understandable from the context. Here’s an example: We can observe many complaints that we have â€Å"too many styles for references that may only waste our time we could spend on deeper research† (Brown 2018, p.8) or Brown claims that â€Å"There are too many styles for references that may only waste our time we could spend on deeper research† (2018, p.8) The year of publication is the second main information about the source you need to specify in your referencing (after the name). This allows easy tracking of the source of the thoughts of the piece of the text and finds it in the bibliography section. The author-date principle usually creates a unique marker for each source of information. But in can the scholar has written more than one academic work in one year without specifying other dating information, and you need to use and quote each of the sources in your dissertation, so you need to make each identifier unique like â€Å"2018a† and â€Å"2018b† etc. The way you make references may differ depending on the selected format, discipline etc. For instance, we will use APA when we are assigned to write a paper on any of the Social Sciences discipline. It does not have any strict rules for mentioning page numbers as usually in such works the sources of information are rather paraphrased then cited directly. In most cases, it is just a general reference for giving credit to the inspiration and the direction for the thoughts in the paper. In the APA system, you need to specify the author’s name and the date of publication. In case you need to mention the page number, add this information at the end of the quote in a separate parenthetical note. Brown (2018) claims that â€Å"There are too many styles for references that may only waste our time we could spend on deeper research† (p.8) The Harvard system This citation method required separate disclosing, despite the fact it belongs to the author-date group of referencing styles. There are high chances that your university uses the Harvard system as the main citation system, or at least for some disciplines. But it is also possible, that your university may understand this system differently comparing to other educational institutions. While Chicago and MLA styles serve as detailed identifiers that have many rules for academic writing, apart from the references, Harvard method only specifies the type of info you need to add to your reference, but it has much more formatting rules. Harvard formatting differs from institution to institution and publication that apply this style. So variations may be many, but we can define basic principles that remain the same: capitalize the name of the author; referring to the page numbers, use â€Å"p.† or just add the number; separate the name of the author and the publication data with a comma; use the formatting and elements of bibliography that is specified by the university. It may be confusing, but many universities do not take into consideration these specifications. If you go to any library in any university, you will see that its referencing guide will disclose the main set of rules of Harvard System, without including elements of its variations. This will help you to identify the unique requirements and spot the ones, added by your university or software. Keep in mind this information, especially if you use the special software to automate tracking and collecting bibliography data. If you will choose the Harvard system in its settings, the high chances that the result will not match the requirements of your university. So you will need to fix some settings manually to reach the needed format. Some referencing tools offer a few variants of the Harvard system, so you can try each of them to find the most suitable option for you and your university. But still, you may need to make a few corrections as well. MLA format and features of MLA approach is even more economical in using the information in references. The main thing here is that we do not have to use dates but organize sources according to the names of the authors with minimal punctuation as well. For instance, it can look like this: We often hear complaints that there are â€Å"too many styles for references that may only waste our time we could spend on deeper research† (Brown 8) In case the author has more than one work, connected to the discussed topic, you can add a reference to the particular book, but make it the shorter possible, like this: We often hear complaints that there are â€Å"too many styles for references that may only waste our time we could spend on deeper research† (Brown, Education’s 8) More examples Take into account that all the references we provide in the examples are fictional and made up by us to display the main principles. In text: We often hear complaints that there are â€Å"too many styles for references that may only waste our time we could spend on deeper research† (Brown 2018, 8) In the list of references: Brown, John. 2018. The Challenges of Modern Education: Requirements and Academic Writing. Parenthetical styles examples Chicago (author-date) MLA (Modern Language Association) Harvard APA (American Psychological Association) Footnote/endnote references and their usage Usage Method of footnote referencing is used mostly in papers in Arts and Humanities disciplines and more common in the UK and Commonwealth countries. It is suitable for direct quotes and references to the sources when it is required to provide instantly what source has been used and when you need to add some comments to the info you have used in the main text. This type of referencing usually includes page numbers if possible. The exceptions are the classical texts that may exist in various editions and in such cases it is more appropriate to refer to the particular chapter, scene, line etc. Footnoting is based on the assumption that the reader may decide to trace the source to study the context of the quote and get a deeper understanding of the thoughts in the paper. So we often can see this type of referencing in the books and articles and they usually contain bibliography references and other info about the source. Formatting and style specifications Usually, we can see the number in the superscript note (less often – parentheses) at the end of the sentence of the passage quoted or some other option to display that the text has noted. In most cases, footnotes can be found at the bottom of the page that contains the reference. It can also be an adjacent page in case there is too much text in the footer. The referencing section as a rule id separated from the main text with a horizontal line. Less often universities use the endnote approach when all the references are marked with a running number and then at the end of the paper, book etc. we have a special chapter with references and comments. The amount of details in the footnote reference usually depends on the presence or absence of the bibliography. If the is one, in a footnote we can just add the main info to track the original source in the bibliography section. It can be the name of the paper and its author’s name and the particular page where the quote is. Footnote is the unique style as it allows using bibliography as well with the sources of quotations. You also can add to the footnote any other source and information that is important for the deeper understanding of the paper your work on, whether you cited it or not. In some cases, footnote referencing does not imply the bibliography section at the end of the paper. This means that all the details about the source of information must be added to the footnote. At the same time, two the most popular styles Oxford and MHRA usually require that all possible bibliographic details were mentioned in the footnote as well as in the bibliography section in the alphabetic order. Sometimes MHRA allows omitting of the general bibliography, but often universities require creating it anyway. Considering this, the short note is allowed (containing the author’s name, title and the page of reference) to be added to the footnote after the source was mentioned and introduced before. Examples In text: Brown often complaints that â€Å"There are too many styles for references that may only waste our time we could spend on deeper research†. 1 In the footer: Brown, John. 2018. The Challenges of the Modern Education: Requirements and Academic Writing (Oxford: Scholars Press, 2018), p. 8. In the list of references: Brown, John. 2018. The Challenges of the Modern Education: Requirements and Academic Writing (Oxford: Scholars Press, 2018). Footnote style examples MHRA (Modern Humanities Research Association); Oxford; Chicago (footnote style). Numbered reference styles Usage Numbered referencing style is most common in scientific works. They are perfect for cases when there are too many sources of information and they are used brief or paraphrased and when you use more than 5 sources to prove one point or statement but without direct quotations (or without it at all). Numbered collection of the references in bibliographic records are the best options for cases when there are too many sources and even the shortest parenthetical approaches will lead to the often and long interruption of the main text. Format and features Every source you use in your work has its unique number in the bibliography depending on the appearance order in the text. The definite number is inserted in the main text in parentheses (not in a superscript way like in footnotes) and when in the further text you refer to this source, you use the same number for referencing to it. At the end of the paper, you will have to collect all the references in one list in the respective order. Numbered references are suitable for the texts where there are many numbers and terms and you may need many references or even hyperlinks to explain them. Examples In text: Scholars often complain that there are too many styles for references that may only waste our time we could spend on deeper research. (1-4) In the list of references: Brown, J. The Challenges of the Modern Education: Requirements and Academic Writing. Oxford: Scholars Press, 2018. Examples of numerical styles One of the most standardized styles of numerated referencing is Vancouver style. But more often you can hear mentioning only â€Å"numerated referencing† without specifying Vancouver style. As well as Harvard style, this method of making references may be altered depending on the university requirements, time of publication and other factors. But the unique Vancouver style of referencing will remain the same and you may use it as a starting point to organize a large number of references in your paper. Changes in referencing approaches – e-sources and DOI The DOI style, or A Digital Object Identifier, is standardized and currently a very common method for making references to the online sources. This is like the connection between an ISBN and a URL. It is a unique and stable identifier that marks the particular source in electronic format and allows looking for it in the database. URL features are in its functioning as the â€Å"address† to the source and make it possible to found it quickly. Most of the articles published today online use DOI method. The main info of the DOI is collected in the centralized database as metadata. This is a very convenient option for those, who use referencing software. All you need is to input the DOI of the article and the system will collect the required bibliographic data. But the most convenient feature is that the metadata is being regularly updated so the unique DOI will contain the relevant URL and other info about the article. Type http://dx.doi.org/ before any DOI identifier and it will find the most suitable place in the article for reference. If the source is open, it will direct to the page where the full article is available. In other cases, it will lead to the login page or any other page that will help you to get access to the original source. The referencing techniques are still in the process of incorporating DOI. However, recent editions of APA and MLA now contain guidelines for using DOI as the references and even make it possible to exclude some details about the source of your reference have DOI.

3 Tips on How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay - BestEssay.Education

3 Tips on How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay 3 Tips on How to Write a 5 Paragraph Essay A 5 paragraph essay, is not a type of essay in the most formal sense. Types of essays include argumentative essays, persuasive essays, definition essays, literary analysis essays, etc. Any of these types of essays can be written as a five paragraph essay. Essentially, a 5 paragraph essay is an essay format that includes the following elements: Introductory Paragraph 3 Body Paragraphs Concluding Paragraph Writing a 5 paragraph essay is quite common in introductory writing classes where students are focusing on learning the basics of essay writing more than they are focusing on elements such as research. Â  As students learn how to write a five paragraph essay, they study concepts such as defining and writing a thesis statement, creating a main idea sentence, and writing a conclusion that integrates the evidence introduced in the body paragraph into a final statement proving the writer's thesis. Another reason that instructors assign 5 paragraph essays is to teach students how to properly cite their sources both in the body of the essay, and on the works cited page or bibliography. The simple 5 paragraph format is convenient for the instructor, because they can quickly read these short essays and determine what each student understands and where each student is lacking understanding. Don't be fooled by the short length and relative simplicity of the five paragraph essay. These are sti ll graded assignments, and your work will be held to the standards of good writing. This is the reason why we have developed this brief set of tips on writing an excellent 5 paragraph paper. Content is Still Important While it is true that you are not going to delve into anything very deeply in a 5 paragraph essay, that does not mean you can be sloppy when it comes to the information you are delivering. Make sure that the facts you provide are accurate and verifiable. Use smooth transitions when moving from one paragraph to the next. Read each body paragraph to yourself in order to be certain that there is a clearly identifiable main idea sentence and that the other sentences support that main idea. Work hard to ensure that your thesis statement is well-written. Demonstrate That You Understand the Essay Writing Process Check and double check your writing. Do you have every required paragraph? What about your citations? Have you made certain that you have all of the inline citations correctly formatted? If you are using direct quotes, have your cited those correctly? Are your font size, margins, title page, and works cited page in compliance with the citation format that you are using? Spelling and Grammar are Major Factors in Your Success This is extremely important when writing a 5 paragraph essay. The short length of your paper will make any errors stand out. After all, it's pretty hard to hide a mistake in only 500 words or so. One thing that you can do to stay on top of errors as you go is to try writing a paragraph and then reviewing it for errors before going on to the next. This can make your final editing and proofreading go much more quickly.

Definition of Order Number 1

Definition of Order Number 1 In the days of the Russian Revolution of 1917, an order went out to the countrys military which almost destroyed its ability to fight, and made a takeover by socialist extremists more likely. This was Order Number One, and it had only good intentions. The February Revolution Russia had experienced strikes and protests many times before 1917. They had once, in 1905, experienced an attempted revolution too. But in those days the military had stood with the government and crushed the rebels; in 1917, as a series of strikes convulsed the political orders and showed how a Tsarist government that was dated, autocratic and would rather fail than reform had lost support, the Russian military came out in favour of the rebellion. The soldiers whose mutiny helped turn strikes in Petrograd into Russia’s February Revolution in 1917 initially came onto the streets, where they drank, fraternized and sometimes held key defensive points. The soldiers began to swell the newly appearing councils - the soviets - and allowed the situation to become so bad for the Tsar that he agreed to abdicate. A new government would take over. The Problem of the Military The Provisional Government, made up of old Duma members, wanted the troops to return to their barracks and regain some form of order, because having thousands of armed people wandering around out of control was deeply worrying to a group of liberals who feared a socialist takeover. However, the troops were afraid they’d be punished if they resumed their old duties. They wanted a guarantee of their safety and, doubting the integrity of the Provisional Government, turned to the other major government force which was now nominally in charge of Russia: the Petrograd Soviet. This body, led by socialist intellectuals and comprised of a large body of soldiers, was the dominant power on the street. Russia might have had a Provisional Government, but it actually had a dual government, and the Petrograd Soviet was the other half. Order Number One Sympathetic to the soldiers, the Soviet produced Order Number 1 to protect them. This listed soldier’s demands, gave the conditions for their return to barracks, and set out a new military regime: soldiers were responsible to their own democratic committees, not appointed officers; the military was to follow the orders of the Soviet, and only follow the Provisional Government as long as the Soviet agreed; soldiers had equal rights with citizens when off duty and didn’t even have to salute. These measures were hugely popular with the soldiers and were widely taken up. Chaos Soldiers flocked to carry out Order Number One. Some tried to decide strategy by committee, murdered unpopular officers, and threatened the command. Military discipline broke down and destroyed the ability of huge numbers in the military to operate. This might not have been a major problem were it not for two things: the Russian military was attempting to fight World War One, and their soldiers owed more allegiance to the socialists, and increasingly the extreme socialists, than the liberals. The result was an army which could not be called upon when the Bolsheviks gained power later in the year.

The use of social media by criminal gangs Research Paper

The use of social media by criminal gangs - Research Paper Example The very basic, often considered as the pioneer, a text only social networking system was Six Degrees (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Success of this free site did not go unnoticed and soon other enthusiastic companies came into play. MySpace was launched after this. In addition to the profile creation and connecting with different users of choice, myspace allowed users to change the layout of their profile as a direct reflection of their personality. Sharing and listening music was also added later. Myspace was one of the most popular websites ever launched though it has several problems like openness of profile to everyone in the network. The ease of finding other people in the network had influenced the stalker to harass the victims without minimal effort. Myspace’s problems pushed many users to visit a trendier and privacy concerned website, named Facebook. At the starting of the business, facebook was targeted to the young audience, but it is focused to a broader segment of users . Facebook tried to share more information about the people from their profile and they have changed their security settings numerous times. Continuous distraction of users by new messages, or any intimation has become an annoying factor. These drawbacks have shifted the site’s once loyal users to a different social networking environment. Twitter is the latest addition to this trend. Launched in 2006, twitter soon became successful because of their distraction free method of connecting with different users in the network just by posting the message. It is now integrated to many platforms, including mobile phones and different operating systems. Twitter is an instant success and the success of twitter inspired Google to launch their social networking website named Google+. The Company has registered more than 90 million users (Barnett, 2012) in a span of a few months and its contact management

Leading and Managing in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Leading and Managing in Organisations - Essay Example The theory, exchanged the follower and the leader to take place in achieving the normal performance goals. This form of theoretical exchange involves the following dimensions, contingent rewards, active management through exception, passive management via exception, and Laissez-faire. According to the contingent rewards, the transactional leaders connect the goal of the workers to their rewards, clarify the expectations, and offer the necessary resources (Wood 1992). In active management by exception, the transactional theory actively monitors the subordinates work, and watch for the deviation standards. Another dimension is passive management by exception. Here the theory, interferes when the standards of leadership are not met. Consequently, in Laisses-faire, the leadership theory, offers an environment where the subordinate will get the various opportunities in making the decision. The leaders themselves abdicate the roles and avoid carrying out decision and the group tends to lack the decision. Some of the assumptions underlying the transactional leadership theory include; the workers are motivated by the punishment and rewards, the subordinates need to obey the guidelines from the superior, and the subordinates are not motivated (Valle 1975). They need to be controlled and monitored closely so that their work can be carried out. The implication of the transactional theory is that the leaders tend to overemphasize on the short-term and detailed goals and the standard procedures and goals. They fail to make efforts in enhancing the generation and creativity of new idea (Petri 1991). This form of leadership technique tends to work well where the problems of the organization are clearly defined and simple. The leaders believe in not rewarding or ignoring the ideas that do not confine the existing goals and plan. In this theory, the transactional leaders are effective in directing the effective decisions, which are meant to

Causes of building collapes Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Causes of building collapes - Term Paper Example This means that as long as there are natural disasters, the risk of building collapse will continue to be recorded. This point is made against the backdrop that in most cases of natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, almost all types of buildings collapse including short buildings and skyscrapers alike. What this teaches is that natural disasters perhaps have the worse effect or impact on building collapse. Having said this, it would also be appreciated that even when an ordinary building and skyscraper all fall, the impact that will be created in the two can never be said to be the same. This is because the extent of loss that will be recorded with the falling of a skyscraper in terms of lives and property will certainly be more than what will be recorded with a shorter building. What this teaches is that as far as natural disasters as cause of building collapse are concerned, it is important to ensure that areas that are noted to be disaster prone will not be clustered with skyscrapers and other tall buildings. Using the 27 February 2010 Chile tsunami as an example, Palermo et al (2013) made a new revelation on the extent of resilience that different buildings endure in the case of natural disasters such as tsunamis. The outcome of the tsunami revealed that there are two major types of buildings which are engineered buildings and non-engineered buildings. These categories are found in both high-rise buildings and shorter buildings. In the case of engineered residential buildings, natural disasters such as tsunamis are found to have very minimal impact. This is because such modern engineered buildings generally exhibit high levels of resilience to the disasters, being affected only in areas of non-structural components. On the other hand, not the same can be said of non-engineered buildings, especially residential buildings. This is because with such buildings, the impacts of natural disasters are not only experienced with

Educational Issues and Special Educational Needs Essay - 1

Educational Issues and Special Educational Needs - Essay Example the Act key intent was to help the all the children including those with special educational needs to achieve five outcomes which matter most to them, their parents as well as their carers (The Children Act 2004) These outcomes were; staying safe, being healthy, achieving and enjoying, making positive contributions to the society and also the economic and social wellbeing of the children. The Every Child Matters Children Act 2004 has had a great impact in the lives of the children especially those children who have various special educational needs. This Act has led to the promotion of the equality and the opportunities for the children who have special needs in education. This has enabled majority of these children with special needs to be treated equally as the other normal children and they are not alienated by the educational system because of their disabilities. (The Children Act 2004) Similarly these children receive equal treatment as the rest of the children who do not have any learning disabilities. On the other hand the Act has led to the creation of a lot of changes locally as well as internationally and also various programs have been instigated and this has led to the improvement of the of the outcomes for the disabled children. The Act has had major policy priorities which are very relevant to the children with special educational needs and this enables them to receive fair and equal treatment in all their educational learning processes. (The Children Act 2004) The legislation has further led to the bridging of the gap of the children with special needs who do not attend school regularly and this has further led to the improvement of their school attendance. Similarly through this act the government has initiated a strategy for meeting the needs of the children with special educational needs. This has also led to the removal of various barriers that hinder the progress of these children with the special needs and it has led to the improvement of

Case Study Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study Paper - Essay Example The news is a catastrophic event for the unemployed persons in the country, particularly for those who are living in their own house and have gone jobless for last few months or more and are unable to pay on their mortgages. Alan from Wall Street Journal reports, â€Å"About 3.6 million homes are likely to be lost to a foreclosure or distressed sale by 2013, on top of 6.7 million since 2006, according to Moody's Analytics.† This is really a grim situation in the sense that it is likely to bring a doom to all real estate owners. Why? In a free market, economic principles apply in its full force. One such law is demand and supply. Price remains in equilibrium when supply matches demand. Here the scenario is different. There is huge supply and very little demand. Sources say that the excess inventory of housing units for sale or on rent is estimated to be 1.2 million units at the end of 2010. (Fig 1; Berg, Robert 2010). Housing stock is stated to have aggregate demand of 0.3 mill ion units per year in the country. Simply these figures indicate that there is already a huge build up in the inventory over the demand.

Educational Issues and Special Educational Needs Essay - 1

Educational Issues and Special Educational Needs - Essay Example the Act key intent was to help the all the children including those with special educational needs to achieve five outcomes which matter most to them, their parents as well as their carers (The Children Act 2004) These outcomes were; staying safe, being healthy, achieving and enjoying, making positive contributions to the society and also the economic and social wellbeing of the children. The Every Child Matters Children Act 2004 has had a great impact in the lives of the children especially those children who have various special educational needs. This Act has led to the promotion of the equality and the opportunities for the children who have special needs in education. This has enabled majority of these children with special needs to be treated equally as the other normal children and they are not alienated by the educational system because of their disabilities. (The Children Act 2004) Similarly these children receive equal treatment as the rest of the children who do not have any learning disabilities. On the other hand the Act has led to the creation of a lot of changes locally as well as internationally and also various programs have been instigated and this has led to the improvement of the of the outcomes for the disabled children. The Act has had major policy priorities which are very relevant to the children with special educational needs and this enables them to receive fair and equal treatment in all their educational learning processes. (The Children Act 2004) The legislation has further led to the bridging of the gap of the children with special needs who do not attend school regularly and this has further led to the improvement of their school attendance. Similarly through this act the government has initiated a strategy for meeting the needs of the children with special educational needs. This has also led to the removal of various barriers that hinder the progress of these children with the special needs and it has led to the improvement of

Reuse Collection System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reuse Collection System - Essay Example There are five (5) distinct phases in the whole process of refuse collection, which are the following: first step is from the house (kitchen, toilet, etc.) to the refuse can, second step is from the garbage can to the garbage truck, third step is the garbage truck going from one house to the next house, fourth step is selecting the most efficient truck routes, and lastly, the movement of a garbage truck to the final destination (either a materials recovery facility, a disposal site such as a sanitary landfill, or to a transfer station for eventual transfer to another final destination), so this process of refuse collection is actually a multi-phase process (Worrell & Vesilind, 2012). Some improvements are the home garbage compactor which reduces the waste volume to about one-fifth the original volume or size, the increasing use of plastic garbage bags to control any fluid leakages, use of garbage trucks which are side-loaded instead of rear-loaded to reduce worker injuries (strains, bruises, cuts, and fractures), use of can-on-wheels (waste wheelers), use of hydraulic hoists, use of garbage can snatchers, and covered trucks with compactors to increase the volume capacity a single truck can carry on its regular route per day to minimize trips. On a larger scale, environmental awareness gave the insight never to locate a landfill on top of water underground aquifer, near a wetland or bodies of water like lakes and rivers (Greenberg,

Cyclical Political Theory Essay Example for Free

Cyclical Political Theory Essay Personally, I subscribe to the opinion that what we have in this world is a necessary connection between things. Technically, something can not come out of nothing. Actions are interrelated and whether we accept it or not, they overlap. Thus, I accept George Modelski’s position in his cyclical political theory. However for me, this principle is not only limited to only political events but all areas of life. In the case of World War I and World War II, I hold the position that both of them are not two separate political events. Why do I hold this claim? The truth is that if we look at both events critically, one would see that both wars are one and the same, only that it was fought in different locations and at different years. I provide the reasons for my position below. To begin with, the issues that surrounded the war are one and the same. The Germans wanted to dominate Europe and knew that to achieve this, they had to root out some other powerful nations like France, Britain, Russia and America. The German leaders also felt threatened by the expansion of Russia and wanted to root them out before they could overshadow the Germans. Furthermore, both of them were between colonial Lords. Apart from this, both wars was a scenario where the good guys are trying to stop the bad guys – the Allies being the good guys while Germany and their alliance being the bad guys. In both wars, we see elements of ideological propagation where one party wanted to feed their ideas to the other party. Summarily, I believe that the world war two was just a way of bringing what could have been brought to an end in World War I to an end. It involved the same set of people who were fight for the same cause and wanted to achieve the same results. Reference: †¢ Microsoft Encarta Dictionary 2008, â€Å"World War I†. †¢ Colby University Website, â€Å"German Responsibility for the Outbreak of the War† Retrieved August 5, 2008 from http://www. colby. edu/personal/r/rmscheck/GermanyC1. html †¢ Daniel Pipes, â€Å"Similarities in treason during World War II, the Cold War, and now† Retrieved from http://www. danielpipes. org/comments/11660 August 5

A transaction cost analysis of the apparel industry

A transaction cost analysis of the apparel industry The gradual integration of global economic markets bears many challenges for companies which continuously attempt to adjust to changes in their business environment in providing value to customers. In many industries and in particular the apparel industry the supply chains through which firms operate have become increasingly dispersed and global (Gereffi, 1999). With post crisis consumer spending still unstable and cotton prices  [1]  having increased by more than 160% since March 2010 (see figure 2 in Appendix E) apparel retailers see their margins eroding. Simultaneously, short product life cycles, volatile consumer preferences and fierce competition on price and quality through an increased availability of low cost manufacturing  [2]  make it difficult for retailers to sustain a competitive advantage. Since the 1990s, many retailers have shifted the arena of competition to timing and know-how or simply put on supply chain management in trying to reduce the risk of mark downs, stock-outs and high inventory levels inherent in the supply chain (Hammond Kelly, 1991, p. 1; Richardson, 1996, pp. 400-401). It is a general opinion that it would be optimal in terms of cost and flexibility for retailers to source apparel from independent suppliers likely in low-cost countries. This seems to be valid for the mom-and-pop stores around the corner as well as for two of the worlds largest apparel retailers The Gap and HM. At the same time, we see Zara and Benetton who partially produce merchandise at company-owned factories located in Spain and Italy, Eastern Europe, Tunisia, India respectively. This is striking for two reasons: one, the production cost in Europe are higher than in most East Asian economies  [3]  towards where much of global apparel manufacturing has shifted (Gereffi, 1999). Second, vertical integration is perceived to be a burden in an environment that requires a high degree of operational flexibility (Richardson, 1996). So why is it that those firms break with the rule of contracting out all production (CNN.com, 2001) that has developed over the past decades? In this paper, I will analyze the motives and strategies that determine a retailers sourcing decision. Although the sourcing strategy defines both, the location and the organizational entity  [4]  , the focus of this composition is to explain why HM and Gap outsource production while Zara and Benetton are vertically integrated into apparel manufacturing. In explaining vertical integration economic theory has considered different aspects: the neoclassical theory turns to efforts of firms to mitigate inefficiencies caused by market power [] or enhance market power within the vertical chain (Joskow, 2006, p. 1). From an organizational perspective, the approach adopted here, transaction cost economics (TCE) ties production, coordination and motivation costs to the various forms of organizations economic agents attempt to minimize. I will explain the basic trade-off underlying the decision of vertical integration, review the origins of TCE and introduce a framework by Oliver Williamson. Williamsons framework focuses on measuring the risk of opportunistic behaviour The analysis of the apparel industry shows that the risk of expropriation is mainly driven by the Sourcing has become a central process in the context of coroporate functions (guericini) Fashion industry shows different approaches To be analyzed in terms of efficiency and transaction costs Is there an optimal governance structure How have they changed over time What are the implications and drawbacks to the theory How will this be in the future Using case studies Implications for validity of TC Is it a matter of choice or a matter of searching for the unique best way? Vertical integration and its determinants Vertical integration and the make or buy trade-off A vertically integrated firm performs subsequent steps along its vertical chain defined as the process that begins with the acquisition of raw materials and ends with a sale (Besanko, Dranove, Shanley, 2000, p. 109) internally. Those internally performed activities define the vertical boundary of a firm. The vertical chain in the apparel industry is illustrated in Figure 1 and described in more detail in Appendix D. Figure : The vertical chain in the apparel industry Source: self-made diagram, based on Besanko et al. (2000) and Milgrom Roberts (1992) In mapping a firms boundary a useful criterion is the degree of flexibility and authority of a firm to make investments, product-mix and employment decisions at the relevant stage (Richardson, 1996, p. 403). This is in line with Hart Grossmann (1986) who define a firm to consist of those assets that it owns or over which it has control. The choice of performing an activity inside the firm is often called a make or buy decision. At the extreme end of buying an input, parties use anonymous market contracting (Joskow P. J., 1988, p. 101) and may not engages in further transactions. Contrary, vertical integration substitutes the contractual exchange through an internal process. For further use the form of organizing a transaction is called governance structure. In determining the optimal governance structure organizational based theories help to link respective costs and benefits of organizing a transaction. According to TCE a firm must weigh technical, coordination and motivation cost in defining its vertical boundaries. A firm operates technically efficient if it is using a cost-minimizing production process. This can be achieved through making investments in technology and engineering or sourcing from external suppliers who are specialized on the production of that input. Organizational efficiency refers to the minimization of coordination, motivation costs and the risk of opportunistic behaviour (Besanko, Dranove, Shanley, 2000). Through vertical integration a firm benefits from the authority to settle conflicts, control over the production and information process as well as stronger team incentives. Potential costs of vertical integration arise from a lack of competitive pressure and thus a potential lack of innovation, lower economie s of scale in production, more bureaucracy, the risk of bad management decisions  [5]  leading to tied resources in possibly inefficient processes and coordination efforts to align interests among business divisions. The market has benefits from competitive pressure on the firms operating in the market, economies of scale facilitated by the possibility of demand pooling, technological efficiency since firms are specialists and the possibility of freely choosing a supplier. Costs of a market transaction are higher coordination efforts, misaligned incentives between trading parties and inefficiencies arising from opportunistic behaviour (Besanko, Dranove, Shanley, 2000; Perry, 1989; Milgrom Roberts, 1992: Joskow, 2006). According to Ronald Coase and Oliver Williamson considered to be the pioneers in the field of TCE the main determinant causing frictions between parties involved in a transaction is the risk of expropriation by trading parties. In the next section I will review their work in the field of TCE and introduce Williamsons framework which I will use in section 5 to analyze the apparel industry. Williamsons transaction cost framework The origin of transaction cost economics Ronald Coases motivation was to explain why firms would obtain a product from the market when it can produce the product itself. Coase saw the mechanisms for allocating resources as substitutes He criticized the view that resource allocation through the market works itself (Coase, 1937, p. 387) and the lacking concept for the existence of firms ince he saw the different resource allocation mechanisms as substitutes, not as complements. Coase focused on the exchange mechanism of a good, a transaction, which can either occur in the market or within a firm. His main contribution was the incorporation of costs linked to organizing a transaction into the analysis of vertical integration (Coase, 1988b, p. 17). The comparative costs of organizing a transaction would determine the optimal governance structure. First, when organizing a transaction in the market a firm has to bear search cost in looking for relevant suppliers and prices. Negotiating over the terms of exchange and writing contracts particularly when dealing with several suppliers and multiple transactions bear cost. These marketing costs eventually become larger than the costs of coordinating transactions internally (Coase, 1937, pp. 390-391). Second, Coase identified costs corresponding to diminishing returns to management (Coase, 1937, p. 395). With an increasing number of transaction organized within the firm, the entrepreneur struggles to allocate resources to projects with highest payoffs. Simply put, the internal organization bears the cost of bureaucracy that must be weighed against transaction costs. Consequently, a firm expands its vertical scope until the costs of using the market equal the cost of internal organiza tion. The framework Oliver Williamson, Oliver Hart and other economists used the insight that firms are economizing on the sum of production and transaction costs (Williamson O. , 1979, p. 245) and expanded this notion to a context where organizations adapt efficiently to the ever-changing circumstances of the moment (Hayek, 1945, p. 523). They focused on opportunistic behaviour and its effects on ex ante incentives and ex post performance as the main determinant for vertical integration whereas Coase saw ink costs (Klein Murphy, 1997, p. 419) arising from searching a price and writing a contract as the limiting force on the use of the market (Joskow P. J., 2006, pp. 2-3). In understanding opportunistic behaviour it helps to illustrate the definition of appropriable quasi rents by Klein, Crawford Alchian (1978): The quasi-rent value of the asset is the excess of its value over [] its value in its next best use to another renter: assume firm A owns a production asset and provides B with a service at a price of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 5,000 (Bs maximum willingness to pay). Assume that a third firm C with a maximum willingness to pay of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 3,500 is also interested in obtaining the service from A. Now, firm B would try to lower the price down to à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 3,500 by threatening to terminate the relationship with A. The price difference of à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 1,500 is the appropriable portion of the quasi rent that firm B will try to extract from A  [6]  (Klein, Crawford, Alchian, 1978, p. 298). This is a simplistic example for the hold-up risk that can arise in a market transaction. The presence of opportunistic behaviour relies on two behavioural assumptions. First, economic agents are simultaneously subject to bounded rationality  [7]  . Agents are incapable to consider and specify all contingencies that might arise after engaging in a contractual relationship. As a result, incomplete contracts are the first best results. At the same time, it might be too costly for the two parties to write a contract specifying all foreseeable contingencies since ex post alterations would be costly. The second assumption is that agents behave opportunistically and try to extract a maximum of rents from their trading partners (Williamson O. E., 1981, pp. 553-554) Williamson developed a framework which explains a firms governance structure based on variations in the importance of asset specificity, uncertainty, product complexity, and the constraints of repeat purchase activity (Joskow P. J., 1988, p. 101). These attributes measure the risk of opportunistic behaviour in a trading relationship. Asset specificity measures the difference between the value of an asset in its pre-specified use and in its next best use outside the trading relation. It basically indicates whether there are large fixed investments [that are] specialized to a particular transaction (Williamson O. E., 1981, p. 555). An asset which has been modified and designed for a particular transaction leads to a lower outside value of the asset, creates higher appropriable rents and hence leaves more room for ex post opportunism  [8]  . This is what Williamson called physical asset specificity. Site specificity deals with the mobility aspects of an asset. Once an asset has been positioned and installed there are costs of modification or removal. The trading partners try to economize on inventory and transportation expenses when successive stations are located in a cheek-by-jowl relation to each other (Williamson O. E., 1981, p. 555)  [9]  . Last, human asset specificity arises when workers develop knowledge which is idiosyncratic to a transaction. Williamson calls this training and learning-by-doing economies (Williamson O. , 1979, p. 240) . Thus, with an increasing degree of relationship-specific attributes of a transaction, it becomes more costly for trading parties to terminate their relationship such that they are locked-in to the transaction (Williamson O. E., 1981, p. 555). Hence a firm might want to protect itself from opportunistic behaviour by vertically integrating. Of the other transactional attributes, complexity and uncertainty work in the same direction as asset specificity whereas frequency puts a constraint on the degree of vertical integration that a firm might choose. A transaction might simply occur too seldom that the cost of setting up a governance structure is greater than the risk of using the market. To review, the transaction cost framework predicts that with an increasing asset specificity, complexity and uncertainty, the optimal governance structure will move from a spot market transaction, to an intermediate solution and finally to vertical integration  [10]  . (ZITATE Raus) Methodology, value, implications and limitations In this paper I am using TCE to analyse the trade-off between differing governance structures of four companies in apparel retailing by using a qualitative approach to measure the different dimensions of a transaction. I have dismissed the neoclassical theory in analyzing the apparel industry since it defines vertical integration as a strategic response to market imperfections  [11]  treating firms like a black box (Hart, 1988, p. 120). The empirics of the neoclassical theory are hence more concerned with the effects of vertical integration on consumer prices and welfare. In contrast, this paper is concerned with the motives and strategic concerns that determine the form of organizing manufacturing in the light of TAC. The value of this paper is the linking the TCE framework to four case studies Zara, HM, Gap, Inc. and the Benetton Group. It is useful to analyze a firms governance structure in terms of the control and authority borne by the two parties involved in the transaction at hand. The degree of vertical integration is reflected by the ownership and control of assets in successive stages (Richardson, 1996, p. 403). The sample has been designed to characterize the differing governance structures in apparel manufacturing. From the four companies studied in this paper Gap and HM source all garments from independent suppliers. Zara and Benetton on the other hand purchase semi-finished products and manufacturing services like cutting and sewing which are integrated with the firms manufacturing capabilities (they produce 40% and 60% of apparel internally). Given the fact that each of the four companies has been in business for more than 30 years, built a strong global presence and managed to gain substantial profits throughout many years  [12]  it is appropriate to say with confidence that they are managing their operations through an effective governance structure. Thus, the main question that arises is what factors determine the decision for each firms governance structure. By mapping the firms business with the sourcing strategy I will show that a proper TAC analysis must consider those interd ependencies in order to have valid implications. In gathering data on the apparel industry and the case studies articles from business press, annual reports and other publicly available information provided by the firms  [13]  , company reports from investment banks, business cases from Harvard Business Review and academic research papers have been used as primary sources. I attempt to present the information on the cases in a consistent format whereas there are some differences due to the availability of information. It is for example not clear what the strategic activities are that Benetton keeps in-house (Benetton Group, 2011). In applying the TAC framework I have used this information and extended the analysis with my own evaluation if procurable on the different dimensions of the transaction (discussin Scott?). Primary data, possibly gathered through interviews with the retailers production offices, were not collected but would add additional value to analysing the relationship between the apparel retailers and the manufacturers. This would help to understand how retailers manage their supplier relationships, how they negotiate over contracts and how they deal with contingencies that are not pre-specified in product orders. Such information would help to evaluate the degree to which relationship-specific investments occur in the apparel industry and consequently how the different dimensions of a transaction differ across and within firms. In particular, the potential hold-up risk created by the adversarial relationship between suppliers and manufacturers, would be easier to quantify. Whereas I am using a qualitative approach to examining the relevance of relationship-specific assets in apparel manufacturing there is much empirical work based on case studies and econometric analysis devoted to the relevance of transaction costs. Scholars have managed to quantify the transaction attributes of asset specificity, complexity and contractual difficulties. Joskow (1987) for example provides evidence for the US coal industry that higher relation-specific investments encourage longer commitments of buyers and sellers to the terms of future trades. In general the the empirical results are much more consistently supportive for TCE (Joskow P. J., 2006, p. 27) than for the neoclassical theory on vertical integration. Case studies from the apparel industry In this section I am going to describe the cases of Zara, HM, Gap Inc. and Benetton trailblazers of fast fashion operating in the middle priced casual apparel segment. The four firms accounted combined for approximately 3.0% of global revenues in 2010  [14]  . All companies are close competitors but have positioned themselves differently with respect to vertical scope in manufacturing and in terms of pricing and fashion content  [15]  . I am going to describe each firms governance structure and coordinating mechanisms with manufacturers, background information on the apparel industry, the idea of fast fashion and the firms studied can be found in Appendix D. Gaps governance structure and coordination with manufacturers The group controls design, merchandise, distribution, marketing and retailing of its own brands and also sells products branded by third parties. The group purchases all garments private and non-private label from independent vendors with approximately 700 factories in 50 countries  [16]  . In terms of costs 98% of merchandise is produced outside the US with South/ Southeast Asia representing approximately 50% of the factory base  [17]  (The Gap Inc, 2008a). Overall no vendor accounted for more than 3% in 2010. The firms sourcing and logistic group along with buying agents coordinates with vendors around the world and place orders. After the clothes are manufactured they are sent to the firms distribution centers  [18]  where the firm conducts quality audits (Wells Raabe, 2006, p. 21). The firm manages its vertical chain with lead times  [19]  of 3 to 8 months. (Quelle?) Since the 1990s and particularly after the ATC expired in 2005 the group has increased efforts in building long-term relationships with suppliers attempting to get discounts and extend the sharing of planning and forecasting information through aligned IT systems at strategically-located factories (Wells Raabe, 2006, p.12; Guericini Runfola 2004, p. 311). To facilitate coordination the group pursues a factory engagement strategy  [20]  : factories need to get the firms approval based on quality, price and delivery time  [21]  , factories are closely monitored  [22]  to ensure they act according to the legal, social and environmental standards outlined in the COVC, the social performance of factories is evaluated such that problems can be resolved and factories are supported with building compliant and operationally effective management systems. The attention devoted by Gap to each factory depends on the specific requirements. Recently, the firm started to support factor ies with developing human resource management systems. Repeated violation of the firms standards may lead to a termination of the supplier relationship but is attempted to be avoided by Gap  [23]  . Seldom, the firm issues conditional approval to a factory in case of a short-notice order. Benettons governance structure and coordination with manufacturers The Benetton group operates through a sequential and integrated supply chain covering the steps from design, RD, manufacturing, distribution and sales  [24]  . This approach is to balance efficiency with speed and is planned and coordinated from headquarters by the product department. For roughly 50% of its production Benetton uses a vertically integrated manufacturing model keeping automated and strategic activities in-house and outsourcing labour-intensive tasks  [25]  to SMEs (Benetton Group, 2011). Each plant is specialized in one type of product and control, integrate and coordinate the production activities of contractors leveraging  [26]  their network of skills (Benetton Group, 2005). In order to adjust production to demand, Benetton had developed a process where the dyeing of the garment was postponed after manufacture. The firm further engages in full production cycles and controls parts of its upstream processes through a subsidiary  [27]  . The remaining 50% of merchandise are sourced from external suppliers with whom the firm coordinates through localized production offices  [28]  . Finished garments are distributed centrally through the firms logistic hubs  [29]  . Benetton runs operations with lead times of two weeks for continuative articles and up to four months for newly designed garments. Through providing production planning support, technical assistance to maintain quality and financial assistance to procure [] machinery the group built close relationships with its approximately 200 contractors. This enables the group to smoothly coordinate the contractors activities into the production process. The group audited the compliance with the groups code of ethics  [30]  of 200 suppliers but did not enter formal contracts with suppliers since this was not felt by either party (Indu, 2008a, p. 4). Postponement strategy? HMs governance structure and coordination with manufacturers HM operates in product research, design, merchandise, distribution and retailing. Product development and procurement is managed through the central buying office in Stockholm which coordinates with merchants at 16 production offices in Asia and Europe. Merchants for the most part drawn from the local population manage the interface with the 700 independent suppliers which produce all of HMs garments in around 2,700 production units in Asia and Europe  [31]  (HM, 2011). According to estimates, around one third of production is done in China, one third in residual Asia (e.g. Bangladesh) and one third in Europe (particularly Turkey) (just-style.com, 2011; Indu, 2008b; Guericini Runfola, 2004). Finished garments are shipped to the central warehouse in Germany or one of the distribution centres. HM operates with lead times between twenty days and several months. The production offices keep in regular contact with suppliers, identify new suppliers, place orders and are responsible for monitoring suppliers compliance with the COC. Throughout an auditing cycle HM scores the suppliers management systems  [32]  aimed at preventing violations of the COC (HM, 2010a). When placing an order, buyers balance the factors quality, price, lead time and location of the supplier  [33]  (HM, 2011). To ensure quality HM carries out extensive testing  [34]  at the factories and after delivery. Order for high volume basic items were placed about six months in advance while in vogue garments are designed, produced and sold within just a few weeks (Indu, 2008b). For the latter, proximity of the manufacturer to sales market was the prime consideration, but overall the firm focused on producing at low cost (Indu, 2008b). HM audits its suppliers compliance to the firms COC, helps to implement corrective actions, provides training and engages in knowledge sharing. The firm meets with suppliers to discuss their evaluation and attempts to minimise late changes on product orders by establishing capacity plans and purchasing orders where possible most relevant for its key suppliers  [35]  . HM attempts to contribute to the long-term improvement of its suppliers but may terminate its relation in the case of continued non-compliance but in that case commits to a reasonable phase-out period (HM, 2010a). Zaras governance structure and coordination with manufacturers The business model of Zara  [36]  is characterized by an integrated approach covering the design, manufacturing, distribution and retailing of apparel (Inditex, 2010). This allows the firm to adjust production to demand observed in stores and achieve lead times of minimum two weeks. Zara produces time-sensitive items at a dozen manufacturing subsidiaries in Spain estimated at 50% of total production  [37]   or with suppliers whose processes are [] integrated with the groups dynamics (Tokatli, 2008, p. 34) located close to the firms distribution centre. Basic items tend to be outsourced mainly to Asia where back in 2006 20 suppliers accounted for 70% of external purchase. Zara maintains relationships with 1,237 suppliers  [38]  managed through purchasing offices in Spain and Hong Kong attempting to minimize formal commitments (Ghemawat Nueno, 2006, p. 11). Zara operates automated and capital intensive tasks, specialized by garment type, of pattern design, cutting and finishing while outsourcing labour-intensive tasks to workshops in Northern Spain or Portugal. Those workshops have long-term relationships with Zara who provides them with technology, logistics and financial support (Ghemawat Nueno, 2006, p. 11). Roughly 85% of in-house production is done during the selling season and the firm may leave open production capacity for short notice orders or changes, limits production runs and strictly controls inventory (Ghemawat Nueno, 2006). Upstream, half of the fabric is purchased by a Spanish subsidiary as gray allowing in-season changes of production (Ghemawat Nueno, 2006, pp. 10-11). All clothes are distributed through the firms distribution centre in Spain. Both, internal and external suppliers are re

Rewriting Canonical Portrayals of Women :: Good Bones Margaret Atwood Literature Essays

Rewriting Canonical Portrayals of Women In her collection of short stories, Good Bones (O. W. Toad, 1992), Margaret Atwood (1939 - ) has included Gertrude Talks Back, a piece that rewrites the famous closet scene in Shakespeare ´s Hamlet. The character of Hamlet ´s mother has posed problems of interpretation to readers, critics and performers, past and present, and has been variously or simultaneosly appraised as a symbol of female wantonness, the object of Hamlet ´s Oedipus complex, and an example of female submissiveness to the male principle (Hamlet ´s as much as Claudius ´s). Like other revisionist rewritings produced by women writers in the last few decades, Margaret Atwood ´s short story challenges received concepts of the female, and particularly the "Frailty, thy name is woman" notion that has marked so much canonical literature. Recent developments in the humanities, usually grouped under the common label of "post-structuralist theory," have contributed to making us sensitive to the politics of culture, in general, and of literature, in particular. Much thought has been given in the last few decades to how the literary canon emerges and holds its ground, and to the relations between canonical and non-canonical, between the centre and the margins. Post-colonial theorist Edward Said reminds us that "[t]he power to narrate, or to block other narratives from forming and emerging, is very important to culture and imperialism, and constitutes one of the main connections between them" (xiii). Here as in other respects, the political agendas of feminism and post-colonialism overlap; both aim at challenging the canon and at inscribing the experiences of the marginal subject (female and/or post-colonial). Revisionist rewritings are one of the strategies that can serve that purpose; I need not mention the by now many rewritings of such canonical texts as The Tempest or Robinson Crusoe. As regards the author I am concerned with here, Margaret Atwood, extensive attention has been paid to a recurrent feature of her fiction: her repeated reworking of fairy tales, most importantly the different versions of Bluebeard ´s Egg, a re-shaping which culminates in her novel The Robber Bride (1993). I would also point out how what is perhaps her most popular novel to date, The Handmaid ´s Tale (1985), thematizes the politics of reading and writing or, as Hutcheon has aptly put it, "the opposition between product and process" (139). Similar concerns are apparent in the compilation of her short stories under the title Good Bones (1992). If the constructions of womanhood and manhood occupy her in The Female Body and Making a Man, in other stories (There Was Once, Unpopular Gals, etc) it is the literary construction of womanhood that is foregrounded.

Gene Therapy Saves Lives Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Argument Es

Gene Therapy Saves Lives   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tim was diagnosed with a rare and deadly disease this morning. He is only five years old with the rest of his life ahead of him. It isn't his fault that he received this disease or even his parents'. This disease comes out in anyone's body that has a defected gene. The disease has made Tim live in a sanitized bubble the last year because of the fear that he might catch any common bug and die. He has severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID. The disease lacks a gene in charge of the body's immune system called adenosine deaminase. Tim could be helped through a process called gene therapy, but he won't because there is too much debate on the ethnicity of gene therapy; too much even to save his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The use of gene therapy to prevent illness and disease by changing a person's genetic makeup is a good use of science. Gene therapy is an approach in science to treat, or ultimately prevent disease by changing the expression of a person's genes. The way a gene is expressed is something like a person's hair color. Gene therapy is still in its very early stages of development. Any gene therapy that is being worked on today is still in its experimental stages. It will not be used in humans for extensive use for a while. The only humans are ones who are in clinical trials ("Gene Therapy").   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gene therapy can be done by using either somatic, which are from the body, or germ, which are from egg or sperm, cells. In somatic gene therapy the recipient's genome, genetic makeup, is changed, but the changes are not passed down to the next generation. In germ line gene therapy, the parents' egg and sperm cells are changed with the goal of passing on the changes to their offspring. Germ line gene ... ...http://www.srtp.org.uk/genthpy1.htm#Issues]. "Gene Therapy." Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 21 Nov. 2002. 3 Dec. 2002 [http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/medicine/genetherapy.html]. "Genetics in the Courtroom." Oak Ridge National Laboratory. 21 Nov. 2002. 10 Dec. 2002 [http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/courts/courts.html]. Godoy, Maria. "Gene Therapy Offers Hope for the Blind." TechTV News. 1 May 2001. 4 Dec. 2002 [http://www.techtv.com/news/specialreport/story/0,24195,3325114,00.html]. "Human Genome Diversity Project." Morrison Institute. 6 Oct. 1994. 3 Dec. 2002 [http://www.stanford.edu/group/morrinst/hgdp/faq.html]. Kitcher, Phillip. "Manipulating Genes: How Much is Too Much?" PBS Online. Apr. 2002. 8 Dec. 2002 [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genome/manipulate.html]. "Scenario A- Part 1." Strategis.gc.ca. 6 Dec. 2002 [http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/bb00010e.html#AP1].

Organizational change at Shlar of Newton

Shlar of Newton is an organization catering to patients’ dietary needs. The company’s mission is to seek new ways everyday to improve the lives of patients. The decision to implement steam table serving system just started out as a simple initiative to improve the quality of life of patients. Initially, the top management did not realize the magnitude of change required to implement this system. However, when they gradually began to understand the various interconnected variables involved, a decision to make a significant organizational change to facilitate the new system was finalized.It was agreed that organizational change would be effected in accordance with the company’s mission and values (Free Management Library 2008). The company also decided in advance that organizational change would not come at the cost of weakening or compromising established and successful operational methods that have been its cornerstone for years, unless a significant reason is pu t forth. This included current practices in the kitchen floor, dining room or managerial functions.The cost factor involved in organizational change was analyzed and sufficient funds were allocated in the yearly budget to pursue the necessary actions. However, no expansion in manpower was initially foreseen by management as the new equipment did not need expert assistance. Introduction of Steam Table To begin with, new steam table equipment, utensils and other allied accessories had to be purchased. There were a lot of choices in brands as well as features to consider when it came to choosing the right hardware. The senior staff members in the kitchen were consulted in this regard to understand their requirements.Steam tables could be powered by gas, hot water bath, as well as electricity. Each one had its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Steam tables functioning on water bath were comparatively inexpensive, but not very efficient for our requirements. The gas-powered ste am table was quite efficient, but it lacked in features. The electric steam table was finally chosen for its efficiency as well as features; certain models of electric steam tables also had a cold-storage compartment, which could be useful to store fruits and refreshments (Steam Table world 2008).After conducting an exhaustive research on the numerous brands available in the market, â€Å"Eagle Group† brand was selected based on its reasonable pricing, durable hardware, favorable customer service reputation and free installation offer. The steam table is an expensive piece of machinery which needs professional maintenance from time to time. Hence, an annual maintenance contract was signed with the same company to facilitate periodic maintenance, repair and refurbishing. The new equipments installed in the facility also were insured to cover for accidents and unforeseen events.The steam table system required a more robust power supply to meet the added power requirements. Henc e, this required hiring electricians to upgrade the power supply in the premises. A training program was also designed to make kitchen staff comfortable using and cleaning the new steam table equipment; its features as well as emergency measures to handle a hardware malfunction were also clearly demonstrated. As steam tables as well as steam table pans needed regular cleaning, a staff member was needed to accomplish this task.The same staff member who was responsible for cleaning the trays in the previous tray passing system received appropriate training and took over the new responsibility. Soon after installing the steam tables, there was a noticeable raise in temperature due to the heat generated by the new equipment. So, the management decided to rectify the situation immediately before it started making patients uncomfortable. Hence, additional air-conditioning equipment was installed to lower the temperature to comfortable levels.These problems were solved smoothly because the management understood that organizational change was a long process that needed to be approached with extreme caution and sensitivity. It anticipated unforeseen expenses and was well-prepared, as it viewed the expenses an investment towards its stable future. Merits of Steam Tables The primary advantage of implementation of the steam table system is the availability of fresher food, which is tastier and more nutritious to the patients. The steam table also acts as a quality-check mechanism, wherein food items that are not preferred are not requested by patients and they stay on the counter.Hence, food items that are not favored by patients can be avoided or improved in future, thereby eliminating food wastage. In the conventional passing tray system, the food items that are not preferred by patients would have been served anyway and eventually wasted. This system also helps understand patients overall food preferences better and more effectively cater to their needs. Moreover, redu cing food wastage would eventually benefit the patients as cutting down on our expenses would translate to cheaper food bills on the long run.The steam table system affords patients the freedom of choice to consume the food they want. This has been shown to psychologically as well as physiologically improve the patients’ condition (Hay 1932). Shlar of Newton also firmly believes that right food, in combination with medical treatment, plays a critical food in treating a person’s illness. Although talking a small stroll to the steam table counter to take food may sound insignificant to the average person, it can serve as a mild form of exercise that is critical for most patients.In the field of health care, it is important to understand that even the minutest of factors can add up and lend a patient a better lifestyle. Hence, the most marginal benefits could be treated as significant when it comes to health care, since the quality of life of a human being is at stake (Su llivan & Atlas 1998). Organizational Resources Our management team is spearheaded by the Nutrition Care Manager and Director of Dining, working in coordination with a dining service agency named Morrion Service Dining. The Nutrition Care Manager, Tina Miller works out the menu by rigorously analyzing our patients’ nutritional needs.She constantly experiments with different combination of food items to ensure that the menus do not stay stale, while also meeting nutritional needs of patients. Hence, the responsibility of managing the fine balance between taste and nutrition is handled by her. Tina Miller gives a lot importance to ensure that the quality of food served meets the higher standards of hygiene and health, since we understand the importance of food in healing patients and improving their quality of life. Nutrition Care Manager also briefs the serving staff about specific food allergies of various patients, thereby eliminating any food-allergy related incidents.The Di rector of Dining, Timothy Smith takes care of maintaining the dining hall that serves the patients food. He keeps operations in dinning hall running smoothly by handling infrastructural demands of the facility by making sure that the water, electricity and staff charges are paid on time. He also coordinates with staff to ensure that the dining environment comprising of basic amenities and furniture is well kempt. He also interacts with patients to get their perspective on things, and duly works on their complaints and suggestions.The Director of Dining also conveys the patient’s grievances to the dining service agency and constantly works with them to bring about changes. Timothy Smith also functions as a company representative while dealing with public relation initiatives and external agents such as Health Inspectors. Teamwork at Shlar of Newton Morrion Service Dining is very customer-friendly and takes frequent inputs from our managerial team. The company has been working seamlessly well with them for quite sometime and are satisfied with the quality of their food as well service.The Director of Dinning and Nutrition Care Manager often pay surprise visits to asses their kitchen conditions, and until now they have fared quite well on our satisfaction scale. The company also frequently interacts with the nursing staff to get their inputs on patients’ specific requirements. It employs only legitimate chefs and other kitchen staff, while paying a lot of attention to kitchen hygiene. The kitchen staffs also have been well-trained to cater to patients’ unique demands and also exhibit the highest standards of professionalism expected in this sector (Kongstved 2007).Besides all these resources, we have also accumulated a powerful knowledge base over time, by learning from patient feedback and behavior. Post-implementation Phase Although a lot of positive changes were envisioned out of the stream table system, a monitoring mechanism had to be de signed to measure the impact of the new system and justify its implementation. The company already had a system for regularly measuring its performance, so as to constantly improve service and ensure business sustainability.It was designed in-house as quality measuring system based on several aspects such as patients’ satisfaction, nutritional value, and nurses’ feedback. Patients, nurses and doctors were also encouraged to fill out questionnaires to measure improvement in quality of service to improve on the current system Quality-check Mechanism Patients as well as the nursing staff reported that they were more satisfied with quality of food, after the enforcing organizational change. Some doctors also reported subtle improvements in few patients’ psyche, although there is no empirical evidence to support this claim.It was also observed the overall quality of food factor went up from 3. 77 in 2007 to 4. 1 in 2008. This improvement was quite steep compared to l ast year’s marginal improvement from 3. 58 to 3. 77. Although a multitude of elements had contributed to our success, this year’s surge in performance can most certainly be attributed to the steam table system. These figures explicitly convey that the organizational change has impacted the company positively. Hence, the efforts and expenses incurred have been worthwhile in improving the company’s brand image as well as quality of service.