Technological Advances in Health Care and Human Services Essay Sample free essay sample

There are several advantages or benefits that engineering provided for the Health Care and Human Services. Let’s take for case this engineering known as â€Å"Electronic Medical Record† which is really advantageous because: First of all. there are times when electronic medical records are available online. this means entree to it anytime you need it and anyplace you want it claimed ( About. . . 2007 ) . Second. it is much more convenient to redact and update electronic medical records as compared with making it manually ( About. . . 2007 ) . Finally. it is much more easy to seek it through the computing machine than by shoping through all the booklets in all the registering cabinets of a Health Care and Human Services establishment ( About. . . 2007 ) . However. this peculiar engineering being discussed has besides created some disadvantages and troubles including the followers: First of all. a proficient job may convey about trouble of clinical forces to be able to entree patient information at any given topographic point or scene ( The. We will write a custom essay sample on Technological Advances in Health Care and Human Services Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page . . 2006 ) . Second. it is possible that inaccurate and uncomplete claims processing by insurance companies may happen because of a proficient job every bit good ( The. . . 2006 ) . Third. there may be clip when clinical notes may non be retrieved ( The. . . 2006 ) . Fourth. it is possible that edifice of machine-controlled cheques for drug and allergy interactions will be beyond range ( The. . . 2006 ) . Fifth. invasion of medical privateness may go on ( The. . . 2006 ) . Sixth. directing to and sing by research labs of electronic medical records will be stopped ( The. . . 2006 ) . Seventh. programming of assignments may go unsystematic ( The. . . 2006 ) . Last but non least. prescriptions may non be seen if double-checks and confirmations are necessitated ( The. . . 2006 ) . Mentions Approximately. Inc. ( 2007 ) .Electronic Medical Records: Coming Soon to a Computer Near You. Retrieved September 30. 2007 fromhypertext transfer protocol: //seniorliving. about. com/od/healthnutrition/a/medical_records. htmThe College of Physician and Surgeons of Ontario.( 2006 ) .Medical Records.Retrieved September 30. 2007 from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. cpso. on. ca/Policies/medicalrec. htm

Profession and Cultural Language

Profession and Cultural Language Executive summary Psychology is one among many professions that is considered to be fulfilling. The psychologists are concerned with the behavior of human beings. They are mainly interested in solving problems that are emotional and mental.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Profession and Cultural Language specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Their aim is to help patients recover and live normal lives. Like in other professions psychology has its own culture and language. Culture and language are revealed in their daily practice as they solve different problems. Culture is evident in the training, teamwork, research, work and experience, ethics, communication and use of internet, working environment. Language is interactive, with frequent use of psychological concepts and based on research. To become a psychologist one trains as an undergraduate for four years. They later work under the supervision of a qualified and regi stered psychologist. Training enables learners to acquire the language used in the working environment. Experience is gained over time and the individual is considered valuable and knowledgeable. Psychologists learn to deal with different individuals from diverse background and assist them equally. Teamwork yields excellent results as the tasks to be covered are adequately and efficiently done. Effective communication skills have an impact on the quality of work. Written and verbal communication is frequently used. The emails are also used communicate both within and outside the institution. Psychologist can either be self employed or be employed in different organizations. They can work in the area of development of research or be involved with patients. Patients have behavioral problems like drug abuse, mental illness among other emotional problems. They give assistance while observing ethical guidelines provided by the psychological regulatory boards.Advertising Looking f or report on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Psychology engages in research to generate knowledge and to find solutions for emerging problems. Concepts that are used in the profession are as result of the concepts. The findings of research are verifiable and recognized by authorities. Research influence policy making and can be effective in preventing undesirable behavior. Introduction There are many professions that one could join. Before joining students evaluate what their interest is and choose a profession from a long list. Among many professions, psychology is a widely known profession that has been practiced over many years. Many who join the profession are interested in helping people who have emotional and others with mental illnesses. Psychology is a well developed profession. It has well established and developed theories as discussed in the Occupational outlook handbook (2011, p. 1). Those who train in psychology can be employed in institutions and can be self employed. Moreover the field has the challenge of dealing with behavioral problems that have emerged in the contemporary world. Like many other professions, psychology has its own culture and language. This report will identify and discuss the culture and language within psychology. The culture and language of psychology Psychologists though different in areas of specialty have commonality in their practices and language. They observe regulations and ethics of the profession. They focus on behavior to assist patient overcome difficulties and lead healthy lives (Flinders.edu, 2010, p. 2). The America Psychology Association (2011, p. 1) indicates that research is at the core of the profession as theories are developed through research. Concepts are also developed and used as professional language to refer to specific ideas. The language used is understood amongst them and is part of their daily work. Culture withi n the field of psychology Training Training marks the beginning of a professional journey in psychology. All psychologists are trained to be competent professionals in accredited institutions. They cover units relevant to the field as the tutors mentor them. They participate in individual work, group work and work as interns in psychological institutions.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Profession and Cultural Language specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They also engage in research in the relevant field. The training prepares them to be knowledgeable, efficient, effective, team workers and to rely on verifiable knowledge. Those who undergo training can choose to specialize in different areas. they can become sports psychologists, social psychologists, school psychologists, engineering psychologists, clinical psychologists, cognitive and perceptual psychologists, counseling psychologists, educational psychologists, de velopmental psychologists, evolutionary psychologists, experimental psychologists, forensic psychologists, health psychologists, industrial psychologists, rehabilitation psychologists, research psychologists and neuropsychologist (America Psychology Association 2011, p. 2). After training for four year training in an undergraduate program, the psychologist works under the supervision of qualified and practicing psychologist for two years. Thereafter they can be registered with the professional bodies (Flinders.edu, 2010, p. 4). Team work A common observation in today’s organizations is the adoption of teamwork in the working environment. Teamwork encourages the psychologist to complement each other as well as motivate each other while working. They contribute ideas and share ideas within the teams. A team leader who is a member of the team is in charge of the team. Psychologists share ideas in their team and better decisions are made. However, decisions take a very long time to be concluded and disagreements within the team can affect the efficiency of work negatively. Teamwork creates a competitive environment. Those who fail to meet the targets required and have difficulties coping are likely to be relieved from their work. Research Knowledge on used in the study of psychology is obtained from research findings. The psychologists investigate on a prevailing problem among patient to find explanations of the causes and also find solutions. What is more research can be done to generate knowledge.Advertising Looking for report on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Besides generating information, research facilitates the psychologist to make informed decisions. Information obtained from research is trusted by the authorities and can influence change in policy. Research is also an effective tool in prediction. Policies can be adopted to prevent undesirable situations in the future from happening. Research helps identify the changes that have occurred and helps the professional deal with specific situations accurately. The information obtained clarifies doubts and differentiate facts from myths. They get information from literature review, observations and investigations. Psychological institutions are diverse in their objectives and goals. The research is done within the organizational objective. The findings are presented inform of report. The report gives details on the investigation done, the findings and the recommendations. Implementation of the recommendations requires may have financial effect among other outcomes. In accordance with the America Psychology Association (2011, p. 1) research is vital in finding solutions to emerging problems. Individuals keep changing behavior which leads to new problems. Research generates knowledge that is used to train new professionals. Moreover the knowledge helps understand different cultures of the world. Work and Experience Lannon (2010) argues that the most experienced psychologists are valuable to their institutions. They are seen as a reservoir of knowledge. The patients prefer those with experience too. Gaining experience means that one must be practicing and at the same time take note of the new developments in the field. Psychologists work hand in hand with other professionals. They work with policy makers, the medical practitioners, school educators and courts as well as interact with a wide range of professionals. They assist people handle mental challenges and emotional experiences so that they can have healthy relationships within their environment. Their advice is highly regarded in disaster management where people are traumatized. There are many opportunities for those who train as psychologists as pointed out by the America Psychology Association (2011, p., 1). Psychologist can provide counseling in a firm, be involved in research, become educators in education institute and may also become a consultant for both individuals and society. Problems that psychologist treat are behavioral and constantly increasing. Some include adolescent rebellion, drug addiction, stress related to work and family life, disasters related trauma and other ailments that are emotional or mental in nature. The field of psychology is one of the most fulfilling professions that last as long as the psychologist is healthy and capable of working. Ethics The ethics within the psychology discipline must be followed. According to Lannon (2010) ethical issues require understanding between members of a profession such that there are well laid regulations and standards that must be followed. Ethics in psychology is requiring psychologist to be conduct themselves in the acceptable manner when handling the patients. Like in other professional bodies, psychology has its own ethics that are stipulated by the psychological regulatory boards, the state and other organizations within the profession (America Psychology Association 2011, p. 2). The significance of following the ethics is ensuring that patients receive quality services. Ethics originate from the professionals. They engage in discussions that lead to formulation of the ethics. The more experienced psychologist is the more likely they are to give contributions. Experienced psychologists give major contributions in the discussions. In some cases they vote before implementing or discarding the idea. Those who violate the ethics could receive sanction from either the state or the psychological organizations. Psychologists have to learn different personalities to be able to communicate. Psychologists deal with different people with unique problems. Listening is given important so that they clearly understand the patient. Communication and use of internet Communication between the professional and patients is important. Within the workplace there are various forms of communication. They include written, verbal and non verbal. The written form of communication is usually formal. It is used by the superiors to communicate to the employees. They give instructions and communicate changes in written memos and letters. The employees use written communication to give feedback to their superiors. The employees request for assistance and give reports inform of writing (America Psychology Association 2011, p. 2). Consistent with Lannon (2010) the world has many developments in technology which have been incorporated in the working environment. The employer and employees use the internet in communication. The emails have been used to recruit and to communicate within the organization. Psych ology is no exception. Patients can get assistance from online psychologists who offer services over the web. The internet is very rich in knowledge and can be handy in assisting professionals find facts very fast. Other institutions have used the internet to communicate with the patients. The institutions have web pages that are designed by the employees to get feedback. Working environment The Occupational outlook handbook (2011) mentions that the working environment in different institutions is diverse. The diversity is identical to the different subfields of psychology and the goals of the institutions. The psychologist adapts to the culture and the goals of the organization that they join. The psychologist gives high regard to patient. The patient is assured of confidence by the psychologist who offers to assist them. After being assured of confidentiality, patient feels liberated to talk to the psychologist. Additionally, they are not supposed to be condemning the patient if t hey confess, their role is to be understanding and have a relationship that will be effective in helping the patient recover. Language within the field of psychology Interactive language Psychologist interacts with the patients engage in a face to face conversation. They maintain good relations. Verbal conversations matter a lot as the psychologist uses a polite and friendly tone while assisting the patient. During the four year training the student of psychology learns the concepts used. They engage in literature review to understand their meaning and importance. Moreover, they can learn about the concepts during internship in a psychological institution. More concepts are learnt in the journals after the publication of an article or a book. Knowledge is cumulative and with time one adds knowledge on the concepts they know and use in conversation or in writing (America Psychology Association 2011, p. 2). Use of psychological concepts Language is one of the best ways of expressing o neself as Lannon (2010) indicates. The language an individual uses gives a lot of information about what the individual. In psychology, language use is important for both the patient and the psychologist. There are several important concepts used in everyday life of a psychologist. According to the America Psychology Association (2011, p. 1) the word psychology refers to the study of an individual’s behavior. This is different from sociology which investigates the behavior of people as a society. What an individual thinks is the concern of the psychologist. To be able to assist an individual they have to understand the individual behavior. Research Concepts used in psychology are generated from research. The concepts are used by psychologist to refer to specific ideas or conditions. The concepts are developed for easy communication within the field. They are more specific and well understood by the professional (America Psychology Association 2011, p. 1). The psychologist use s the language of the patient to communicate. The language in most cases should be simple. The psychologist explains meaning of complex words to patients when they request for explanation. While communicating, the psychologist is sensitive to different communities and diversity in the use of language. They pay attention not to use words that may be offensive in a community. Moreover they pay attention to the age and of the patient while making a conversation. For instance children require a polite conversation. Conclusion Psychology is a field whose objective is to assist individuals overcome emotional and mental problems. The professional language and culture are learnt throughout ones professional life. Research is very important and increases the knowledge and helps solve problems. It generates concepts used in the field and influences policy. The students specialize in different areas after training. Working as a psychology requires one to be good in communication teamwork and o bserve the ethics of the profession. Moreover one has to learn to work in an environment with diverse people. Reference List America Psychology Association. (2011). Career in Psychology. Web. Flinders.edu. (2010). The Psychology Profession. Web. Lannon, J. M. (2010). Technical communication 11th edition. Web. Occupational outlook handbook. (2011). Psychologist. Web.

Dockside Cranes Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dockside Cranes - Research Paper Example The prominent quayside cranes were exceptionally quick and those operating the heavy gears were so skilled enough to timely and efficiently cause the lifting, turning and and luffing in order to expedite the given jobs in a synchronized and corrdinated manner. The responsibilities of those drivers became more important considering the safety concerns of the other workers and laborers involved in crane and cargo operations in the port. Added to that was the fact that goods for shipment then were mostly in sack, packets or boxes and all had to be handled with utmost care to avoid merchandise damage. S & P manufactured all those sophisticated cranes which were designed, in a large part, to All the cranes were made by Stothert & Pitt in Bath. S & P were pioneers of the use of electricity to drive cranes and came to specialise in dockside models like these - at one time, almost every port in the world had S & P cranes. These lifters were generally designed to raise objects weighing two to five tons. One dockside crane had a ten-ton capability. Somnetime in the month of November in the year 1974, the last trader call was served by these machines.1 The goods moved, loaded and unloaded by the dockside cranes in Bristol were varied, from fruits to coffee and cocoa, to nuts and beer and spirits, to tobacco and coal and even included frozen meat and many others. The strengths of the machines differed from one another and there were those with specialized functions. Many of the cranes had been dismantled for junk. The four in the photograph, all electric cranes made by S & P, were built in 1951 and still survive today. These are the last remaining old city dockside cranes in the United Kingdom which fully or partially function.2 There are no available data on the cost of each equipment, meaning the amount of money then needed to complete a dockside crane set. Neither are there information on the safetry mechanisms incorporated in every machine when it was fabricated. Nevertheless, further research and investigative study will surely arrive at those details albeit the process may take some time considering the period that had alread y elapsed. Dockside cranes used for ship repair and other services This is one of the two Stothert & Pitt dockside cranes being used by Harland and Wolff in its facilities in Northern Ireland within the east coast area. The duo consists of (a) one with a capacity of eighty tons and a height of thrity eight meters, and (b) another with a forty-ton capacity which is twenty five meters high. The complex renders ship module design, repair, construction and decommissioning services.3The same observations have to be made that there are no available facts and figures anent safety measures and features established within the cranes and fabrication costs. There is therefore a need for inquiries with Harland and Wolff. Cranes from China A company from the People's Republic of China named Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. advertises availability of gigantic dockside cranes called the Goaliath cranes. It

SPEAKER NOTES 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

SPEAKER NOTES 2 - Essay Example Without passion, one can never be able to enjoy their occupation or fruits of their hard work because money can come and go but job satisfaction will always remain as a testimony. Perhaps another insight that comes up in the presentation is the fact that most people do not realize their full potential due to lack of self-esteem of adequate confidence. Undeniably, real success can never visit any person unless they discover their inner ability to the maximum and exploit it fully. Although the presentation is fair enough as far as giving insight into the business world is concerned, it is worth noting that certain issues such as the art of winning contracts and tenders require more consideration. Before one ventures into private practice, they need to consider whether they will be able to win and implement contracts successfully, as there is more to it than meets the eye. Additionally, one needs to consider whether the capital they have is enough to finance their prospective businesses . This is especially so because while some ventures require small amounts of finances to start, others require huge capital input that might drain an individual hoping to establish a start-up. Lastly but more importantly, one ought to conduct an accurate cost benefit analysis in every endeavor in order to ensure that the adverse consequences of a particular project do not exceed the anticipated benefits. When it comes to controversial issues such as the ability to achieve success without prior experience, I slightly differ with the presenter due to a number of reasons. Essentially, one needs a bit of experience so that they can be able to execute their duties effectively the absence of which they ought to learn first. This means that can has to undergo various significant stages in life before being fully qualified for any eventuality, an aspect that the speaker dint seem to mention. The controversy struck when the speaker simply mentions that they can achieve both personal and prof essional success without having to gain initial experience. Besides, the speaker does not explicitly reveal the fundamentals of professional growth that encompass dedication, discipline, and motivation from those who have achieved success. From the issues discussed in the presentation, I personally connect with the idea of having a positive attitude in whatever one is doing. Since success in career and business largely depend on the audacity with which one believes in themselves and their undertakings, I find the speakers words quite motivating to the extent that they are worth emulating. Indeed, I have interacted with these interesting perspectives in the past whereby I had to take courageous steps in choosing a career that most of my peers shunned owing to its relative toughness. Similarly, when I once wanted to start a business, I had to sacrifice my pride and begin small so that I could grow my business from strength to strength. Finally, one important insight that I gained from the presentation besides having the audacity to try out new things was that everyone is unique in their own ways and can influence the world in a different way. According to Venkataramany and Bhasin, financial inclusion and government intervention plays a major role in enhancing financial success of citizens, contrary to what was said by the speaker in the

Cultural Differences in Uncertainty Reduction Essay

Cultural Differences in Uncertainty Reduction - Essay Example The basic difference between high context cultures and low context ones is that while high context cultures view communication as a means for social bonding, low context cultures see it as a means for information transmission. As a result people while people from these varied cultural backgrounds are faced with anxiety when dealing with strangers, the manner in which they tackle the issue is rather different. Charles Berger's Uncertainty Reduction Theory deals with this concept of 'uncertainty' and focuses on how different aspects of communication can increase or decrease our uncertainty level about others Uncertainty reduction is all about understanding a stranger and being able to predict and explain his/her behaviour in a given context. (Griffin, 2006)The first part of this paper focuses on Charles Berger's uncertainty reduction theory and how this theory is important to our understanding of communication between cultures. The second part of the paper discusses the issue of cultural differences between societies and individuals. This section will describe the various characteristics of high and low context cultures and how they try to reduce uncertainty while dealing with strangers. Expanding on Berger's theory,. ... Expanding on Berger's theory,. William Gudykunst and his colleagues found out that all cultures seek to reduce anxiety and uncertainty in the initial stages of the relationship, but they do so in different ways (Littlejohn & Foss, 2004). The difference can be explained by whether one is a member of a high-context culture or low-context culture. Central to the uncertainty reduction theory, which was originally formulated by Charles Berger, is the assumption that when strangers meet, their primary concern is one of uncertainty reduction or increasing predictability about the behavior of both themselves and others in the interaction (Wright, 2000). The original formulation of uncertainty reduction theory in initial interactions posited seven axioms and 21 theorems which specify the interrelations among uncertainty, amount of communication, nonverbal affirmative expressiveness, information seeking, intimacy level of communication content, reciprocity, similarity, and liking (Gudykunst, 1985). The seven axioms that Berger uses to reinforce his theory are; as verbal communication increases, the level of uncertainty decreases; uncertainty causes increased levels of information seeking; high levels of uncertainty result in low levels of self disclosure; uncertainty causes increased levels of reciprocity; similarities decreases unce rtainty whereas dissimilarities increase uncertainty; and high levels of uncertainty causes a decrease in liking whereas low levels of uncertainty increase liking (Wright, 2000). Charles Berger's Uncertainty reduction Theory focuses on how human communication can be used to gain knowledge and create understanding. (Griffin, 2006) . Uncertainty reduction follws a three step pattern of developmental stages namely, entry personal and exit. At

Project management within organisations

Project management within organisations Executive Summary This report is focussing on the critical evaluation of two major aspect of project management process; stakeholder management and risk management. In depth analysis of tools and techniques of both the aspects has been done. Along with power/interest matrix, communication plan for stakeholder management and risk identification, risk analysis, risk mitigation and control and documentation have been illustrated as different steps of risk management, with appropriate frameworks and diagrams. The importance of these aspects has been reflected with the literature support and examples of both successful and unsuccessful case-studies have been used, from both academic source and personal experience. Introduction Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) defines project as A temporary endeavour or undertaken to create a unique product or service, temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and definite end (Project Management Institute, 1996: cited in Project Management Journal, 2003). In the same context other authors point out that projects are non-routine processes and involve the coordination of interrelated activities (Rad, 2003). PMBOK, 1996 defines project management as The application of knowledge skills, tools and techniques to provide activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a project. Projects are now the most popular way to get things done and projects themselves are now often co-ordinate thorough programmes. Maylor, 2005 states that to have a successful project, manager needs to be good at planning and managing projects with sufficient knowledge and experience, especially in the kind projects and about the tools and techniques to project activities. Project management helps companies in attaining targets based on vision and strategy (Thurston, 2009). There are no magical instructions for a successful project however good project planning during the initial phase, can impinge positively on cost, time and quality areas of any project. This report has been written to critically evaluate the two aspects i.e. Stakeholder management and Risk management as an important aspect of overall project management process, with the support of literature and case-studies are provided as an example. Literature Review Stakeholder management Maylor, 2005 states that stakeholder management is 1 of the s out of 7s framework of project management and management related issues were later promoted by Mckinsey Co., Management consultants. Stakeholder management is one of the major aspect of project management and Freeman (1984) describes the concept of stakeholders as any group or individual who can affect, or is affected by, the achievement of a corporations purpose however it has been criticised by Phillips, 2003; Sternberg, 1997; and Mitchell et al., 1997, that if everyone is a stakeholder of everyone else then there is little value-added in the use of the stakeholder concept. The other school of thought identify stakeholders through the potential harms and benefits that they experience or anticipate experiencing as a result of the organizations actions or inactions (Donaldson and Preston, 1995). Figure 1 shows that projects generally have a range of stakeholders with strategic expectations and operational requirements. St akeholders can be either internal or external. Internal stakeholder can be defined as project owners in the sense they have overall managerial responsibility and power usually linked to a financial stake and organisation teams or individuals who have a contractual relationship with the project owner (Chapman, 2008)-ref. needed for example- Top-management, Accountant, other functional managers, project team members whereas external shareholders are who may be positive or negative about a project, who may seek to influence the project through political lobbying, regulation, campaigning or direct action (Ward, 2008)-ref.needed, like clients, competitors, suppliers, consumer. Stakeholders can be internal and external to the project scope or it can be external and internal to the project team, therefore their determination depends on the point of view of the observer. Johnson and Scholes (1999) state that it is not enough simply to identify stakeholders however managers need to assess each stakeholders interest to express its expectations on project decisions and if there is the power to follow it through. Although there are various perspectives of stakeholder theory (e.g., social science stakeholder theory, instrumental stakeholder theory), one common perspective is their perception that they have stake in an entity or task. As a result, they have certain expectations, and consequently, engage in certain types of behaviour, sometimes constructive, explained later in the case study of green-belt project in Genpact and sometimes destructive, explained later in the case-study of new airport terminal at Jersey airport (Bourne Walker, 2006). Because of their perception, stakeholders behave in ways in which they feel, will help them achieve their project objectives, which may be congruent or incongruent with the project managers project mission, vision, and objectives. Frequent conflicts between stakeholders revolve around long term versus short-term objectives, cost efficiency versus jobs, quality versus quantity, and control versus independence (Newcombe, 2003). Therefore, it is incumbent upon the project manager to understand the objectives of each project stakeholder in order to effectively manage his or her needs and desires. According to Jergeas et al. (2000) and Cleland (1986), important key to project success is an efficient management of the relationship between the project and its stakeholders. In order to achieve a successful project outcome, the project manager must be expert at managing the interests of multiple stakeholders throughout the entire project management process (Sutterfield et al, 2006). Jergeas e t al (2000) argued that some stakeholders have power because they control information and resources, while other stakeholders are important because they decide whether the project result is a success or not. Power/interest matrix Firstly, it is important to identify the space between the current and future expectation of the shareholder as well as to study the qualitative relationship they share. Secondly, because of difference goals and interests, stakeholders face difiiculty in reaching to an agreement on deliverables as a result it leads to a conflict between them. Antonioni, 2009 suggests that project manager may tend to avoid or accommodate, instead of engaging in collaborative problem solving to attain winning outcomes. The formation of stakeholders is often triggered off with specific events. Therefore, if faced with different possible future events, it is helpful to speculate on the degree of unity or diversity between the various groups. During strategic analysis, the process of uncovering potential alliances or rifts may be significant when thinking about future strategic choices (Miller Wilson, 1998). Lastly, failure to establish and manage the communication process with stakeholders can lead to a lack of support from stakeholders, disapproval of the deliverables and dissatisfaction working with project manager (Antonioni, 2009) and for this reason communication plan holds importance in project management. Communication Plan Effective communication is very important in any project and every project should include communications management planning. Communication plan is a document which gives guidance to the project team to communicate with the stakeholders, at a right time, and to timely inform them, though it varies according to the needs of the project. Therefore Schwalbe (2006) suggests that Stakeholder communication plan should include Information to be communicated with the format of who will receive the information and who will produce it, Suggested methods or technologies for conveying the information, Frequency of communication, Escalation procedures for resolving issues, Revision procedures for updating the communications management plan. It will help in avoiding wastage of time and money or even from disseminating unnecessary information. Figure 3 is an example of a stakeholder communication analysis: Case-study comparison as successful and unsuccessful: There is an example, Fig. 4, which reveals that how an efficient management can leads to an accomplishment of project-targets. In this project the stakeholders identified as controllers, allocations, treasury department, client and Genpact, wherein the key recognized problems were to reduce the delay in hand-off of un-reconciled items to controllers which are impacting the performance of other related departments, reduced frequency of reconciliation preparation leading to un-processed items, affecting the financials of the company. In lieu to carry on the project, the business goal and challenge has been set-out by keeping in mind the interests and objectives of all stakeholders mentioned above. The improvement actions suggested providing benefit not to one but to all the departments so that the projects outcome could be successful, without having conflicts. Due to effective management of stakeholders vested interests and objectives, the projects outcome was delightful and figure 5 shows customers feedback to the Genpact and to the related stakeholders. On the other hand, the case-study of construction of a new airport terminal building at Jersey Airport illustrates as to what can happen when project managers do not adhere to the fundamental principles of stakeholder management, adapted from article in Financial Times (1996, cited in Maylor, 2005). The main concern is the completion of the project in stipulated time-frame, i.e. in spring to cater to the in-flux of tourist in summer, though the target was achieved however suffered a negative publicity when financial times reminded potential visitors to Jersey that .they can easily go by boat. Customers, external stakeholders, will need to know that their requirements have been considered carefully and sufficient steps have been taken to fulfil them. Complaints by air-traffic controllers (ATC) that they were being dazzled by sunlight reflected on the roof of the new terminal building and CEO replied that at-least this will not happen in winter, another complaint by the ATC, stakeholde r, is that the new building is affecting the accuracy of wind speed indicator and they were advising pilots to use their own judgement regarding the wind-speed and furthermore the new building has obscured the view of parts of the taxiway to the ATCs clearly reflects that How can the mismanagement of the stakeholders interests and objectives can hamper a project. Risk Management- Project risk management, as one of the key disciplines of project management, is defined as the systematic process of identifying, analysing and responding to risk as project-related events, or managerial behaviour, that is not definitely known in advance, but that has potential for adverse consequences on a project objective (Project Management Institute, 2004 cited in Kutsch and Hall, 2009). Ben-David and Raz, 2001 states that regardless of number and definition of stages, project risk management processes have one element in common: an activity that deals with planning actions that will be implemented in order to reduce the exposure to risk. Reiss, 1995 has created an argument by citing examples as a survey of IT management consultancies which showed that only 30% applied any form of risk analysis and yet 90% of projects went over budget and 98% had changed specifications, usually to a lower spec however in December 1992, Computer weekly reveals that as a result of abandoning or r eplacing projects up-to 50 UK companies recently lost as much as $1 billion between them. Risk management includes identification of risks, assessment of risks either qualitatively or quantitatively, choosing an appropriate method for handling it and last but not the least is monitoring and documenting the risks. The requirement of an effective risk management is that a manager needs to be proactive and demonstrates a willingness to develop contingency plans, actively monitor the project and be willing to respond in a quicker manner in an event of risk occurrence. Time and money are essentially required for effective risk management to take place (Kerzner, 2003). Risk Management has 4 stages as Risk Identification Analysis of profitability and consequences Risk mitigation strategies Control and documentation Risk-Identification and techniques- Uncovering weaknesses in methods used in product development through structured approach so that timely mitigation actions are initiated to avoid risk, transfer risk, reduce risk likelihood or reduce risk impact refers by risk management process (Risk Management Standard AS/NZS 4360, 1999). Figure 6 shows the risk management process proposed by the Australian Standard for Risk Management. It is composed of seven iterative sub-processes of establishing the context of risk, identifying risks, analysing risks, evaluating risks, communication and consultation across stakeholders and monitoring and controlling risk events. Study a situation to identify what could go wrong in the product design and development project at any given point of time during the project is risk identification. Identification of risk and potential consequences sources to be done, before they can be acted upon to mitigate (Ahmed at al, 2007). Risk identification helps managers in identifying different types of risk s such as financial, technical, commercial, execution and legal risks and it can be identified with the help of different tools, such as- Checklists- An insignificant method, where crucial points are examined for symptoms of potential risk situation (Ahmed et al, 2007), usually evolve over time through collective experiences and contributions from various functional experts (Ward, 1999) Influence diagrams Before the risk situations eventuate, their effects can be described through visual display (Clemen, 1996). Cause-and-effect diagrams Also known as fish-bone diagram which means the breaking up of the root causes of any problem into detailed sources (Russell and Taylor, 2000). These are easy to use however they do not provide a foundation for further analysis. Failure Mode and Effect analysis (FMEA) and Hazard and Operability study (HAZOP)- In a technical system, FMEA provides a format for determining causes, effects and relationships wherein a scale of 0 to 10 is used to rate the causes (Kumamoto and Henley, 1996). It is calculated by multiplying the severity, occurrence and detection. An extension of FMEA, HAZOP can be applied by considering project parameters such as strategy, budget and schedule to identify risk situations (Ahmed et al, 2007). Fault trees and Event trees- A visual technique used for breaking down failure in the system into source events is performed by fault tree analysis where as graphical representation is of potential consequences arising from a failure where possible consequences are generated and broken down from an initial event (Kumamoto and Henley, 1996). Risk Analysis and techniques- After the identification of risk events, if their further analysis is required then project manager needs to be determined whether the risk event information can be acquired through quantitative or qualitative means. There are two parameters to measure risk- risk probability and risk consequence (Chapman and Ward, 1997). The function of risk analysis is to determine influence of risk factors on the system as a whole. One or more aspects of the project are cumulatively affected by the risk events and if the risk events are bunched together they can be mitigated easily. The bunched risk events can be dealt at the higher level in the long run rather than handling one particular risk event at a time, where the project is likely to be micro-managed. Because the techniques which have been mentioned earlier, applied for project analysis, can also be applied for risk analysis such as- Fault tree analysis, Event tree analysis and Estimation of system reliability and sensitivity analysis and s imulation. Estimation of system reliability It includes the analysis of smooth functioning of a technical system. Hence, cumulative effects on the critical components of the project are determined as the system reliability. Fault tree and Event tree analysis- It analysis the flow of risk from top-level to the low-levels as mentioned earlier. Event tree analysis states The probability of occurrence of a particular outcome is determined as a product of all probabilities of occurrence in the associated branch (Ahmed et al, 2007). Sensitivity analysis and simulation A baseline for the project metrics is generated as a precursor to a what-if analysis and then project conditions are manipulated to determine their effect on the project metrics. This leads to an understanding of the system response to changing project situations. Simulation is used as an extension to the sensitivity analysis (Berny and Townsend, 1993). In simulation, a system model is constructed to reflect actual processes with project parameters and constraints. Then, the values for the risk parameters and constrains are randomly selected in a predefined range (Ahmed et al, 2007). Its a flexible technique which requires a statistical analysis of a problem. Risk Mitigation When risk events eventuate, the risk mitigation actions are initiated and which can be seen as initiation of contingency plans, this process is known as a reactive approach or a feedback approach however a proactive approach or a feed forward approach is the process when any occurring risk event results in initiation of actions such as insurance. A combination of these two approaches is applied to risk management to avoid risk, reduce the likelihood of risk, reduce the impact of risk, transfer risk, or to retain the risk (Kartam, 2001). A project manager should draw a risk mitigation framework, as shown in figure 7, to establish a risk structure that will facilitate the subsequent functions in the risk management process. Case-study comparison as successful and unsuccessful: A project has been carried out at Genpact to carry out a smooth global disbursement process, which is responsible to make payments through electronic wires, within treasury department wherein few risks have been identified by the project manager. Being a mission critical process, because of involvement of payments with figures in millions, considerable attention is required to the pertaining risks as time limit, cost and error free process. The key areas of focus were the correct amount, to the correct banking details, to the correct payee and at the right time. A framework has been prepared, once the risks have been identified and the cost-benefit analysis has been carried out with the estimation of system reliability. Because RPN(risk priority number) of control checks in the FMEA was the maximum therefore all the control checks were aligned to the validation checks stage, as shown in figure-8, like valid requestor and valid approver as per the Genpact approved list, double check o f bank-details by approver with the details appearing in the database as well as request, booking must be reflecting outstanding against the beneficiaries name in the sub-system and payment platform is checked for duplicate payment. Because the due consideration has been given to the risk-management aspect of project management process as a whole, in particular, the project came out with magnificent results and is one of the best six-sigma projects of Genpact (Genpact-Finance overview, 2008). On the contrary, a product of an IT firm, while in the development phase went through the identification phase and came out with 152 possible risk events. Out of which most of the products features are not in accordance to the customer specifications/likings as a matter of fact that the steps in risk management process, like analysis of probability and consequences, quantitative measures, risk mitigation framework and control and documentation has not been followed. This would have been highly productive if the risk management tools and techniques would have been followed. Unfortunately the team left the hotel after brainstorming over the same without achieving it and 80% of their risk events actually occurred, during the next 2 years. As the team has only identified the risks however has not followed the risk management process as a whole as a result it was so disastrous that it almost finished the company (Maylor, 2005). Conclusion There is no magic wand to achieve success however References Ahmed, A., Kayis, B., and Amornsawadwatana, S., 2007, A review of techniques for risk management in projects: An international Journal, 14(1), pp. 22-36. Ben-David, I., and Raz, T., 2001. An integrated approach for risk response development in project planning: Journal of the Operational Research Society, 52, 14-25. Berny, J., and Townsend, P., R., F., 1993, Macrosimulation of project risks a practical way forward: Risk Management, (11)4, pp. 201-208. Bourne, L., and Walker, D.H.T., 2005. Visualising and mapping stakeholder influence: Management Decision, 43(5), pp. 649-660. Clemen, R., T., 1996, Making Hard Decisions: An Introduction to Decision Analysis, New York, Druxbury Press. Henley, E.J. and Kumamoto, H., 1991, Probabilistic Risk Assessment: Reliability Engineering, Design and Analysis, New York, IEEE Press. Jergeas, G., F., Williamson E., Skulmoski G., J., and Janice T., 2000. Stakeholder Management on Construction Projects: AACE International Transaction, pp. P12.1-P12.6 Karlsen, T., J., 2002. Project Stakeholder Management: Engineering Management Journal, 14(4), pp. 20. Kartam, N., A., and Kartam, S., A., 2001. Risk and its management in the Kuwaiti construction industry contractors perspective: International Journal of Project Management, (19) 6, pp. 325-335. Kerzner, H., 2003, Project management, 8th edition, Canada, John Wiley Sons. Kutsch, E., and Hall, M., 2009.Deliberate ignorance in project risk management: International Journal of project management, 28, pp. 245-255. Maylor, H., 2005, Project Management, 3rd edition, Essex, Pearson education Limited. Newcombe, R., 2003, From client to project stakeholders: a stakeholder mapping approach: Construction Management and Economics, 21(8), pp. 841-848. Olander, S., and Landin, A., 2005, Evaluation of stakeholder influence in the implementation of construction projects: International Journal of Project Management, 23(4), 321-328. Olander, S., 2006. Stakeholder impact analysis in construction project management: Construction Management and Economics, 25, pp. 277-287. Rad, F., P., 2003. The Professional research Journal of the Project Management Institute: Project Management Journal, 34(3), pp. 1-7. Schwalbe, K., 2006, Information Technology Project Management, 4th edition, Massachusetts, Thomson course technology. Thurston, L., 2009. Project management vital in todays business environment: Caribbean Business, 37(17), pp 52-52. Ward, S., C., 1999. Assessing and managing important risks: International Journal of Project Management, 17(6), pp. 331-336.

The Impotent Othello Essay -- Othello essays

The Impotent Othello Othello is one of the most extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare's dramas. He enjoyed unheralded success on the battlefield, which gave him the reputation as one of Venice's most able generals. The Moor's military proficiency placed him in a class by himself in the same way his ethnicity distinguished him from his Venetian counterparts. These are two intrinsic and highly identifiable characteristics of Othello. But a much lesser discussed idiosyncrasy of the Moor was his sexual disorder - impotency. As striking as this claim sounds there is much evidence in the drama to support the idea that Othello was impotent in both sexual and social relationships. Othello's sexual impotence stifled the consummation of his marriage to Desdemona as the two never experienced sexual intimacy. His sexual disorder then sparked a social impotence: powerlessness in dealing with his wife and friends. In terms of shaping the final events of the drama, Othello's impotency played an even more vital role than his military might or Moorish heritage. Throughout Othello, there is much evidence to suggest that Othello and his wife Desdemona never consummated their marriage. Shortly after murdering his wife, the Moor remarked, "cold, cold my girl?/Even in thy Chastity" (V.ii.273-4). The final word Æ chastity - brings what actually transpired in their bedroom into serious question. By referring to Desdemona as chaste is it possible that Othello was divulging that he and his wife never had sexual intercourse? Other passages from the play indicate that this is indeed the case. Upon his arrival at the citadel in Cyprus, Othello invited his wife to their sleeping quarters for the second time with the following utterance: Com... ... character as his Moorish ancestry.   Ã‚         Works Cited Butler-Evans, Elliot. "'Haply, for I am Black': Othello and the Semiotics of Race and Otherness." New Essays by Black Writers. Ed. Mythili Kaul. Washington D.C.: Howard UP, 1997. 139-150.       CEINET. Impotence On-line. Online. Internet. Available: http ://www.cei.net/~impotenc/deth.html.       "Impotent." Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.       Koch, Carl. Living a Christian Lifestyle. St. Paul: Saint Mary's Press, 1996.       Sedwick, Eve. Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire. New York: Colombia UP, 1985.       United States. Natl. Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Impotence. Online. Internet. 9    July 1998. Available: http://www. niddk.nih.gov/health/urolog/pubs/impotnce/impotnce.htm#cause

Being a Good Leader

Introduction In today’s organizations there is a greater focus on employees stepping up to be leaders rather just managing their respective responsibilities. It is not enough to simply manage tasks and perform your delegated responsibilities any more employees are expected to take initiative and motivate those around them to also be leaders even if you are not a manager by title. In order to be a leader, one must start by making a commitment and learn those skills needed to model the way and be examples to others. As our organizations become more diverse, being able to manage ethics and diversity is also important as we will encounter and work with others who have different perceptions, thoughts and experiences than what we may be accustomed or familiar with. We must be become change agents in our organizations, people who challenge the status quos and established processes in an ethical manner. If employees are motivated and engaged, organizations will be successful and be able to withstand adverse environments. Modeling the Way In all aspects of our lives we must be examples of how we want others around us to be whether in our own families, organizations or communities. How can we expect our employees to take initiative when they do not see their leaders taking initiative in their own roles? Even if you are not a manager or leader by title, people around you are still watching to see how you perform and behave. For example, I am an individual contributor in my organization but there are other employees around me who see what I do and how I behave in my role. I always have a positive attitude and a smile on my face which motivates them to also have a positive attitude. I have to be aware that I’m an informal leader in my organization even though I currently do not lead a team. On the other hand my direct manager is a great example on how a leader should behave and how to be an effective leader. She has the flexibility to work from home and she also gives me that option as a result that makes me work harder. Before introducing a new initiative, she always gets the buy-in of all our business partners so that when it is implemented, it is not a shock to anyone and everyone had an opportunity to share their thoughts. I never realized the importance of engaging everyone who will be affected by a new process or decision until now. Prior I was used to managers and senior leadership making decisions and the rest of the employees who were expected to follow them did not have any say or input. This is not an effective method of motivating employees. I have learned how important it is to seek feedback in order to continue doing the things that make you a good leader, change any actions that are not appropriate and start doing other things you would like your subordinates or those around you to do. â€Å"Setting the example is all about execution. It’s about putting your money where your mouth is†¦ It’s about keeping promises. It’s about walking the walk. † (Kouzes & Posner, 2007) Managing Ethics When we are a part of an organization, we are all responsible for managing ethics not just managers. Ethical practices should be woven in the fabric of the organizational culture and the organization should have systems in place to enforce ethical behavior. â€Å"When developing the values statement during strategic planning, include ethical values preferred in the workplace. When developing personnel policies, reflect on what ethical values you'd like to be most prominent in the organization's culture and then design policies to produce these behaviors. † (McNamara, 2008) First we must know what our own ethical values are, what are our belief systems? If we believe it is ok to steal from your organization because they owe you anyways, that person should take time to do some self-reflection and analyze their values. There are many laws in place that outline what an organization can and cannot do to assist managers in deciding what constitutes ethical behavior. Most organizations also have guidelines in place that explain what is acceptable behavior and what is not as well as procedures to report unethical actions and behaviors. Again, managers must behave ethically to set examples for their employees and those around them. Unethical actions not only hurt the individual but the entire company and that is why managers must enforce the company’s stance on ethics, ensure all their employees receive all brochures and materials so there is no question on how to handle observed unethical behaviors. Ethical practices should be a topic of discussion in meetings and on one-on-one conversations. Managing Diversity Today more than ever our workforce are increasingly become more diverse and managers must be equipped to not just treat diverse employees fairly but know how to leverage the different perspective, experiences and points of iew to create innovative products and how to respond to a growing diverse customer base. It is important for managers to understand diversity does not just imply to ethic or cultural differences but to also people in different age groups, education level, physical ability, economic status and many more. A manager must be able to communicate and manage conflict that arises betwe en an older worker and a younger worker. Managers have to the open about learning about different people in their organization and as a result, the organization will benefit from all the great ideas. As an example, by the end of the month, our organization have scheduled a meeting with diverse managers for a round table discussion to get their ideas on how we can improve our recruitment of diverse leaders into our organizations. We are tapping into their experiences and possible networks to create a process in place instead of searching outside the organization. We also want to understand if they have had opportunities for advancement or professional development to see how we can improve that process. It is not enough to hire diverse leaders if we cannot engage them in the organization, develop them and retain them. We also try to enforce to the organization that it is not the job of just Human Resource’s to own diversity and creating a culture of inclusion, it is everyone’s job. Managing diversity is not just the right thing to do, it makes good business sense. For example, if we do not have a strategy in place to create products and services geared towards the Hispanic population, which is growing at a rapid pace, our competitors who do target this group will experience larger profits. â€Å"Just as the workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, so too are the customers who buy an organization’s goods and services. (Jones, George, 2009) You do not have to be a manager to promote and support diversity. You can do it by your actions and by challenging others and educating them on how diversity makes good business sense and supporting your organization’s diversity efforts. Challenging the Process Good leaders do not just follow procedures and conduct business as usua l. True leaders question why certain procedures are in place and suggest alternative solutions to improve the process. Leaders take the initiative to conduct any research needed to show the proof or the foundation on how to implement a new procedure, present the business case for the change. Leaders have to trust their gut instincts when introducing a new process or a different way of doing things that may not be received with open arms. As an example, when my manager introduced a new diversity scorecard to the senior leadership to hold managers accountable for including diversity efforts into their respective departments, it was not greeted with enthusiasm. It took a few years of her having to â€Å"prove† the business case and showing with data why they had to be consistent with their diversity efforts. As a result, the same leaders who were skeptical are now the ones refusing to interview any candidates for open positions unless they have a diverse candidate slate. Now, three years since injecting diversity into our culture, diversity is included in our bonus achievement plan. As a leader who wants to implement change, you must be persistent and believe that the change you want to make will benefit everyone in the organization and other leaders are also committed in making similar changes within their regions and divisions. â€Å"Leadership isn’t about challenge for the challenge’s sake. It’s not about shaking things up just to keep people on their toes. It’s about challenge for meaning’s sake. † (Kouzes & Posner, 2007) Conclusion Being a leader is much more than holding a leadership title but we become leaders by the decisions we make. We must make a choice to have purpose and passion in our every day lives. We must care about ourselves, employees and the organizations we work for. When we have a purpose and passion about what we do it becomes infectious to others, we become examples and without realizing we are modeling the way for others to see how leaders behave through actions. Leaders must also do what they say they will do in order to be credible with their employees, colleagues and customers. If a leader looses his or her credibility, they will not receive the support he or she will need to implement any necessary changes. Leaders do not only manage ethics but have at the center of their belief system a high regard for human worth and dignity. (Huber, 1998) Their decisions are made based on these values and beliefs which tie in with managing diversity as our world becomes more global. Leaders are made by the decisions we make every day that help make our organizations as successful and competitive as possible. Resources Huber, N (1998). Leading from Within. New York, NY: Krieger. Jones, Gareth R. and George, Jennifer M. (2008) Contemporary Management 6th edition; McGraw-Hill Irwin, N. Y. , N. Y Kouzes, J. , & Posner, B. (2007). The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. McNamara, C. (2008). Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers. Retrieved March, 2009, from Free Management Library Web site: http://managementhelp. org/ethics/ethxgde. htm#anchor39675

Essay about gossamer years analysis

Essay about gossamer years analysis Essay about gossamer years analysis According to the book The Gossamer Years, gender play a relative unbalanced role in the distribution of the wealth and power during the Heian period. Men owned the most of wealth and power and thus women could hardly have access to the wealth and power. From my perspective from the book, women only had a freedom of action.In the book The Gossamer Years, the author tried to deliver the emotion which could described as unhappy and disappointed to the marriage,even the society through the actions and observations including in the book. She compiled her memoirs which could be regarded the detailed description of life of a noblewoman. According to these detailed memoirs, she depicted the uneven standings between men and women and the sympathetic daily life for a noblewoman residing in the period of Heian Japan. Throughout the the book The gossamer Years, we can know that the men in the aristocracy hierarchy could have multiple lovers From the perspective of men at that period, the right t o have multiple wives could be seen as the symbol of high status and dominant of the society. However, it is really pitied for the women there who could not get the complete love from their husband. According to the detailed description in the book, Fujiwara Kaneie sent sweet letters frequently to the author when they were falling in love with each other. Just as the note Kaneie left to the author in the beginning of the book, â€Å"I had hoped to spend at least today with you, but the indications are that this would not be convenient. Have you left me and become a hermit?†(page 35). We could see Kaneie took a lot effort including sending letters and frequently visiting to court the aurthor. However, they got far away from each other after Kaneie got married with his another wife. The relationship between them came to be worse and worse. Kaneie visited less frequently in the following days :â€Å"His visits became still more infrequent. I began to feel listless and absent-mi nded as I had never been before†.(page 40) . The relationship between them came to be worse and worse . â€Å" Then he seemed to assure me of dependability;but the place he called home was not obviously here,and our relationship was far away from what I would have had it.†(page 51) Finally, she literally had nothing left except only one child and â€Å"he life is rich only in sorrow and loneliness†.(page 52) We could concluded that it’s a completely failure marriage for the author but it is destined to be failure at that period. Women could not get the same standing as men and men usually took few accounts of their

A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management Essays

A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management Essays A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management Essay A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management Essay A Survey of Information Technologies in Logistics Management Anil Gurung University of Texas at Arlington Department of Information Systems and Operations Management, College of Business Administration Office: Room 630 Business Building Box 19437 701 S West St. Arlington, Texas 76019-0437 Voice: 817. 272. 3528 Email: [emailprotected] edu ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the impact of information technologies (IT) on logistics by conducting a survey of literatures on academic logistics journals and practitioner journals. The literature survey and practice find that third party logistic providers have better opportunity to leverage IT since they need to have interoperable IT systems with their customers. The business philosophy of Just-In-Time (JIT) has also contributed to the impact of IT in logistics. Further, information technologies are identified that has benefited the logistics. Future directions of logistics are discussed. INTRODUCTION The proliferation of information technologies (IT) and the internet technologies have provided impetus and challenges to the logistics. New technologies present new means to manage the flow of information. IT as a productivity tool can be utilized to both increase the capability and decrease the cost at the same time (Closs et al. , 1997). It has been widely accepted that firms can achieve competitive advantage by cost reduction or differentiation with the proper implementation of IT (Porter Millar, 1985). Enabled by IT the logistics has become a source of competitive advantage for many firms. Two streams of research are identified that highlights the role of IT in logistics. First stream relates to just-in-time logistics information system (Anderson Quinn, 1986; Bookbinder Dilts, 1989; Das Handfield, 1997; Gomes Mentzer, 1988; Perry, 1988; Schwarz Weng, 2000; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1994; Spencer, M. S. et al. , 1996; Takahashi Nakamura, 2000; Titone, 1996; Wafa Yasin, 1996). The other stream is the third party logistics (Lewis Talalayevsky, 2000; Peters et al. , 1998; Sauvage, 2003; Sink Langley, 1997; Vaidyanathan, 2005). Importance of IT in logistics has grown to some extent by business philosophy of Just-InTime (JIT) by firms. With the emphasis of firms on JIT, the impact of logistics has grown as it is increasingly recognized as a source of consistent, low lead time, damage free deliveries (Bardi et al. , 1994). In pursuit of competitive advantages, firms outsource their functions which are noncore competencies so that they can focus on their core competencies. A recent survey found that 83 percent of the surveyed Fortune 500 companies reported having at least one contract with a third-party logistics provider (Lieb Bentz, 2004). Over the years, the use of third-party logistics has been increasing. Similar survey of Fortune 500 companies taken in 1991 had only 38 percent of the respondents reporting the use of third-party logistics provider (Lieb, 1992). The 618 third party logistic operators attempt to harness the capability of information technology to provide superior services to their customers. The objective of this paper is to study how IT has impacted logistics. To this end, literature review of both leading academic and practitioner logistic journals is conducted. The next section will report the framework of logistics. The following section will analyze the IT enablers in logistics. Then, the implications of ecommerce are discussed followed by a section on future directions for logistics. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE A classification scheme logistics functions provides a meaningful way to study how IT has impacted the various functions of logistics. Previous research in logistics have categorized the use of information systems in logistics in different ways. A system of logistics functions can be divided into following five broad areas (Bowersox, 1974): facility location, transportation, inventory, communication and material movement. Based on the problem areas that application addresses, seven areas of logistics has been identified as facility location, inventory control, order entry, vehicle scheduling, warehouse layout planning, freight rate retrieval, and product and shipment tracing (Ballou, 1976). Another survey identified five categories as facility location, inventory control, transportation, production scheduling, and total physical distribution (House, 1978). These categories treated each category as individual entities rather than a whole system. Noting this shortcoming, Stenger (1986) proposed another classification consisting of transaction systems, short-term scheduling and inventory replenishment systems, flow planning systems, and network planning and design systems. Expanding on the framework developed by Bowersox, Novack et al (1992) divided logistics function into two categories. The first category refers to physical activities that are required various utilities of customer need. These will include inventory, transportation and customer service operations. The second category refers to flow of information or transaction activities that follow or initiate the physical activities. The physical and information flows in logistics function is well-depicted in Figure 1 that shows the categorization of logistics functions as described by Vaidyanathan (2005). As shown in the figure, information flows between logistics function are managed, coordinated and supported by various logistics technologies. 619 Inventory and Logistics Management: Freight Consolidation Freight Distribution Shipment Planning Traffic Management Inventory Management Carrier Selection Order Entry/ Management Information Flow Customer Service: Freight Payments Auditing Order Management Fulfillment Help Desk Carrier Selection Rate Negotiation Information Flow Warehousing: Packaging Product Making Labeling Warehousing Material Flow Transportation: Fleet Management Cross Docking Product Return Figure 1: Categorization of Logistics Functions (adapted from Vaidyanathan 2005) IT enablers in Logistics The literature in logistics is full of instances where information technology has been touted as a means to enhance logistics competitiveness (Bowersox, 1974; Closs et al. , 1997; Rabinovich et al. , 1999; Stenger, 1986). Yet there has been few empirical studies that relates logistics information capabilities to logistics competence (Closs et al. , 1997). A popular framework in information systems discipline put forward by Gorry Morton (1989) place logistics decisions as structured and varying from operational to strategic. The role of logistics information systems as operational and strategic enablers in different areas of the firm’s supply chain has been stated in the literature (Langley et al. , 1988). There has been a shift of IT from being an enabler of operational and material handling functions to being an enabler of decision-making and activityplanning functions within the supply chain (La Londe Auker, 1973). Logistics Information System Logistics Information System (LIS) is the application component of logistics information technology. An effective LIS facilitates the proper information flow between inventory, 20 Information Flow warehousing and transportation to realize the high level of customer service. The ability to optimize the logistics cost and service levels is affected by the LIS of the firm and its partners. Firms that provide better logistics services at a lower cost can have competitive advantage over its competitors (Bardi et al. , 1994). Two classes of LIS has been recogn ized in the literature (Closs et al. , 1997). Logistics operating systems (LOS) refer to transactional applications such as order entry, order processing, warehousing, and transportation. Logistics planning systems (LPS) refer to coordinating applications such as forecasting, inventory management, and distribution requirements planning. EDI Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has successfully enhanced the communication between firms which is essential for logistics. This technology requires firms to have common data formatting and transmission standards or protocols. Such technologies have been employed by companies to coordinate their value chain activities including logistics. Early applications of EDI has been on transmitting vehicle location information by railways to their customers. Other types of logistics information carried by EDI are purchase orders/releases and changes, advanced shipping notices, bills of lading, and invoices. Timely and accurate information is crucial in decision making about complex logistics problems. Japan Airlines (JAL) adopted EDI to manage their complex value chain logistics required for their operations, including procurement and just-in-time delivery of aircraft fuel, repair and maintenance aircraft parts, food catering and other customer requirements (Chatfield Bjorn-Andersen, 1997). The competitive advantage gained by companies employing EDI is cited in the literature. Firms utilizing EDI were better able to fulfill greater number of services to their customers (Rogers et al. , 1992). Bar coding Bar coding is one of the most IT enablers to date and has made significant impact in the practice. Starting in 1960’s some of the earliest implementation of bar codes were in rail road cars. Nowadays it is rampant in anything that needs to be identified and tracked. The different type of bar codes are available, known as symbologies, for different purposes. In practice, most firms prefer to use industry standards rather than proprietary standards for most of their bar codes on their products. By following industry standards, bar codes reduce the complications inherent in the use of multiple standards and thus provides a strong foundation for integrating the corporate logistics and the supply chain (Closs Kefeng, 2000). Real-time communications capability The logistics IT capability of real-time communications is essential for maintaining the flow of information. As noted by Dudley Lasserre (1989), one of the important roles of logistics IT is to substitute information for inventory. To make real-time tracking of goods, logistic information systems of business partners should have real-time communications capability. The business partners require an integrated messaging architecture which exchanges business data while customizing business flows and format transformation. Real-time communications also allows for schedule plans to change in dynamic routing and scheduling system when the vehicles are 621 already out on the road. Any last minute changes in routing and scheduling system or constant tracking has been possible only with real-time communications ability of the respective systems. RFID RFID helps to identify, track and locate items automatically. The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is expected to increase rapidly in coming years. Often referred to as the next step in the evolution of bar-coding, RFID is growing rapidly in the automatic data capture and identification market (Srivastava, 2004). RFID is not a new technology, in fact, its use dates back to 1940’s but only now it is starting to make a significant impact within the supply chain. The growth in use of RFID will be enhanced to some extent by mandates from large retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, and the US Department of Defense, who require their suppliers to adopt this technology within the next few years (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). Among the companies that are piloting RFID in their supply chain management prominent ones are WalMart, Procter Gamble, Coca-cola and Gillette. Although the biggest driver in the popularity of RFID has been supply chain, companies are experimenting in other applications as well. Other applications are theft detection, asset tracking, mobile payments, in-process inventory tracking and luggage tracking. Dell, Seagate, Boeing and Ford are among other companies that are using RFID to track their in-process inventory in manufacturing. An RFID system includes transponders or tags that can identify items ; antennas that allows tags to be interrogated and to respond; and software that controls the RFID equipment, manages the data and interfaces with enterprise applications. RFID has lots of potential to improve the efficiency in the supply chain and reduce waste. For example, efficiency would result from automatic update of inventory system when products with RFID tags are unloaded from trucks into stores. The advantages of RFID over bar coding are as follows: RFID tags can provide longer read distances; store more data; require no direct line of sight between tag and reader; and can collect data from multiple sources simultaneously (Asif Mandviwalla, 2005). There are some technical and business challenges to overcome before RFID can be ubiquitous. Technical issues include problems of interference, security and accuracy while business issues relate to costs and lack of standards. Another significant business challenge in adopting RFID faced by managers is to work out a business case for the executive board. Early adopters of these technologies are marred by problems such as possible adverse consumer outbursts to perceived invasion of privacy, reliability of the RFID system, and issues related to health, safety and IT integration. IMPLICATION OF ECOMMERCE ON LOGISTICS The growth of ecommerce pose opportunities and challenges for logistics. As internet retailing increases the companies are accepting orders from their clientele across the borders. In many instances the location of clients are not covered by any existing distribution system of the companies. On such occasions the companies have no resort but to turn towards third party logistics operators for physical flow of goods. As for the information flow, the companies need to have capabilities for ecommerce applications. The group of technologies and processes for coordinating logistics information flow has been named e-logistics. An important web 622 technology that facilitates the exchange of business data among logistics business partners across different platforms is extra markup language (XML). For example, UPS is exploiting the power of the web services to streamline its information flows for logistics activities such as RFQ, shipping and tracking. Changing Trends in Logistics Consultants are beginning to take an active part in helping out the shippers select third party logistics operators. Shippers hire consultants to help them align business processes with supply chain strategies. The newly coined term â€Å"4PL† for consultants stands for dominant role that consultants will be taking in managing the resources, the technology and the processes in the supply chain. It is yet to be seen whether the shippers will let the consultants manage all the logistics processes. Instead of handing over the authority to manage the logistics processes to the consulting firms, shippers may choose to develop alliance with the third party logistics operators and maintain the supply chain themselves. The key thing that will allow coordination between shipper firms and the third party logistics will be information technology and management skills to run the supply chain effectively. This implies that firms should also have proper logistic technologies in place to enjoy the full benefits of use of third party logistics. FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS The research directions that are available for researchers in logistics are numerous. Before companies implement new logistic information technologies such as RFID it is important to assess the viability of adopting the technology. What would be the expected benefits? What is the ROI? Researchers can come up with various econometric models to predict the outcomes of adopting logistics technologies. Modeling techniques can be used to assess the scenarios that would be beneficial for adopting new technologies. As companies are entering into ecommerce, better coordinating techniques are required to streamline logistics activities for transactions taking place on the internet. Collaborative technologies for supporting e-logistics would greatly enhance the future logistics. Multi-agent systems (MAS) provide an interesting avenue of research that is applicable for supporting logistics technologies on the internet. Intelligent software agents can be used to assess the bids offered by multiple third-party logistics operators. To support global ecommerce the companies need to have different options for global logistics. The best way to traverse the geographical distribution is through technology. What are the communication channels and technologies that would benefit the company in terms of monitoring and coordination logistics functions? More empirical evidence will be preferred to establish the direct link between organizational performance and logistics information systems. Researchers can seek to examine the complex relationships between logistics technologies and performance from different paradigms and theories. The perspective of organizational learning can be used to evaluate the performance gained by employing logistics information systems. 23 CONCLUSION The objective of this paper was to observe the impact of information technology on the logistics functions. A literature review of the academic and practitioners journals was conducted. The information technologies that have been used to support logistics functions were discussed. It is evident that academic researchers are aware of new tec hnologies in practice such as RFID. Development in technologies offer sources of competitive advantage for companies. Adoption of new technologies provide challenge and opportunities for the companies. Proper business case and calculation of ROI needs to be done to assess the expected benefits from new technologies. Changing trends in business in terms of ecommerce open new markets for firms for all sizes to expand their market share. Strategic use of information resource would bear results of competitive advantage and thus leading to success stories. The best practices in logistic information technologies need to be adopted by firms in alignment of their strategic goals. Future trends in logistics may prompt companies to rethink their logistics strategies. Firms may choose to use third party logistics in order to focus on their core competencies. However, firms need to have logistics information systems in place that is compatible with the third party operators in order to fully benefit from their services. REFERENCES Anderson, D. L. Quinn, R. J. 1986, The Role of Transportation in Long Supply Line Just-InTime Logistics Channels , Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 68-88. Asif, Z. Mandviwalla, M. 2005, Integrating the Supply Chain with RFID: a Technical and Business Analysis, Communications of the AIS, vol. 15, pp. 393-427. Ballou, R. H. 976, Computer Methods in Transportation-Distribution, Transportation Journal, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 72-85. Bardi, E. J. , Raghunathan, T. S. Bagchi, P. K. 1994, Logistics information systems: The strategic role of top management, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 7185. Bookbinder, J. H. Dilts, D. M. 1989, Logistics Information Systems in a Just-In-Time Environment , Jo urnal of Business Logistics, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 50-67. Bowersox, D. J. 1974, Logistics Management: A Systems Integration of Physical Distribution Management and Materials Management, Macmillan Publishing, New York, NY. Chatfield, A. T. Bjorn-Andersen, N. 1997, The impact of IOS-enabled business process change on business outcomes: Transformation of the Value Chain of Japan Airlines, Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 13-40. Closs, D. J. Kefeng, X. 2000, Logistics information technology practice in manufacturing and merchandising firms An international benchmarking study versus world class logistics firms, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 30, no. 10, pp. 869-86. 624 Closs, D. J. , Goldsby, T. J. Clinton, S. R. 1997, Information technology influences on world class logistics capability, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 4-17. Das, A. Handfield, R. B. 1997, Just-in-time and logistics in global sourcing: An empirical study, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 27, no. 3/4, pp. 244-59. Dudley, L. Lasserre, P. 1989, Information as a Substitute for Inventories , European Economic Review, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 67-88. Gomes, R. Mentzer, J. T. 988, A Systems Approach to the Investigation of Just-In-Time , Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 71-88. Gorry, G. A. Morton, M. S. S. 1989, A Framework for Management Information Systems, Sloan Management Review, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 49-61. House, R. G. 1978, Computer Models in Distribution Management, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 129-52. La Londe, B. J. Auker, K. 1973, A Survey of Computer Applications and Pr actices in Transportation and Distribution, International Journal of Physical Distribution, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 92-301. Langley, C. J. , Carlisle, D. P. , Probst, S. B. , Biggs, D. F. Cail, R. E. 1988, Microcomputers as a Logistics Information Strategy, International Journal of Physical Distribution and Materials Management, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 11-7. Lewis, I. Talalayevsky, A. 2000, Third-Party Logistics: Leveraging Information Technology , Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 173-85. Lieb, R. C. 1992, The use of third-party logistics services by large American manufacturers, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 29-42. Lieb, R. C. Bentz, B. A. 004, The Use of Third-Party Logistics Services by Large American Manufacturers: The 2003 Survey, Transportation Journal, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 24-33. Novack, R. A. , Rinehart, L. M. Wells, M. V. 1992, Rethinking concept foundations in logistics management, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 233-67. Perry, J. H. 1988, Firm Behavior and Operating Performance in Just-In-Time Logistics Channels , Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 19-33. Peters, M. J. , Lieb, R. C. Randall, H. L. 1998, The use of third-party logistics services by European industry, Transport Logistics, vol. , no. 3, pp. 167-79. Porter, M. E. Millar, V. E. 1985, How information gives you competitive advantage, Harvard Business Review, vol. 63, no. 4, pp. 149-60. Rabinovich, E. , Windle, R. , Dresner, M. Corsi, T. 1999, Outsourcing of integrated logistics functions, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 353-73. Rogers, D. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Stank, T. P. 1992, Enhancing service responsiveness: the strategic potential of EDI, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 22, no. 8, pp. 15-20. Sauvage, T. 2003, The relationship between technology and logistics third-party providers, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 236-53. Schwarz, L. B. Weng, Z. K. 2000, The Design of a JIT Supply Chain: The Effect of Leadtime Uncertainty on Safety Stock , Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 231-52. 625 Sink, H. L. Langley, J. C. J. 1997, A managerial framework for the acquisition of third-party logistics services, Journal of Business Logistics, vol. 18, p. 163. Spencer, M. S. , Dale, S. R. Patricia, J. D. 1994, JIT Systems and External Logistics Suppliers, International Journal of Operations Production Management, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 6074. Spencer, M. S. , Daugherty, P. J. Rogers, D. S. 1996, Logistics support for JIF implementation, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 701-14. Srivastava, B. 2004, Radio frequency ID technology: The next revolution in SCM, Business Horizons, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 60-8. Stenger, A. J. 1986, Information Systems in Logistics Management: Past, Present, and Future, Transportation Journal, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 5-82. Takahashi, K. Nakamura, N. 2000, Reactive logistics in a JIT environment, Production Planning Control, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 20-31. Titone, R. 1996, Moving Beyond JIT to Logistics Planning, IIE Solutions, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 22-4. Vaidyanathan, G. 2005, A Framework for Evaluating Third-Party Logistics, Communications of the ACM, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 89-94. Wafa, M. A. Yasin, M. M. 1996, The impact of supplier proxi mity on JIT success: an informational perspective, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 23-34. 626

The Debilitating Effect of Hierarchical Structures on Those With and Essay

The Debilitating Effect of Hierarchical Structures on Those With and Without Power Then and Now - Essay Example In various forms, hierarchy gives rise to leaders or a handful of principal individuals in a group, which naturally occurs from interactions. Magee and Galinsky (3) discuss the definition and behavior of a hierarchical structure: Resources are unequally distributed across individuals and groups, and positions and roles are granted different amounts of sources of power, which are conferred upon the individuals who occupy them. Like both human and non-human primate societies more generally, most, if not all, organizations have a stratified structure, a pyramid shape with fewer people at the top than at the bottom. Even when one considers the heterogeneity of organizational forms and organizational practices and cultures that are intended to dodge or suppress hierarchy, what is most noticeable is that hierarchy relentlessly rises up against these pressures. Most importantly, hierarchy is a naturally-forming phenomenon that is always present in various forms across all societies in the w orld. It inescapably develops between and within groups even when some organizations reduce the effect of its structure by adopting alternative models of shaping an organization (Leavitt 42). Social hierarchy in organizations is defined as â€Å"an implicit or explicit rank order of individuals or groups with respect to a valued social dimension† (Magee and Galinsky 5). ... 930). Hierarchies create power and control to individuals of the higher rank that hold greater ability, skills and motivation to complete certain tasks within a group. In formal hierarchy, the differentiated structure is constant but passive since changing the assembly of ranks is difficult and borderline unreasonable. On the other hand, the organizational structure in informal hierarchy is weak and conditional because the hierarchical differentiation is only done on short interaction based on stereotype-based expectations (Magee and Galinsky 7). Over the years, hierarchical structures faded and developed a debilitating effect to those members of groups and organizations that possess power and to those who lack one. This gradual weakening of hierarchy will be discussed by exploring the literary pieces, â€Å"The Use of Force† by William Carlos William, â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† by Robert Hayden, and â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke. William Car los William’s famous short story, â€Å"The Use of Force† presents the application of physical superiority of a person with power to others who have none. In the story, a doctor is shown to diagnose a sick child whom they suspect of having the deadly disease diphtheria. The doctor needed to get a throat culture in the mouth of the child in order to examine the cause of the illness correctly, however the stubbornness of the child and the passive authority of the parents made the process harder to execute. The doctor appeared to be compassionate at first, addressing an open mind to the expressed fear of the child in being examined, and at the reluctance of the parents to accommodate a stranger like him into their home. But as the child becomes more

Project Censored Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project Censored - Essay Example This follows the calls for the respect of human rights and human dignity in the democratic space that U.S dominates. Indeed, U.S being the most democratic nation in the world should ensure that there are no cases of sexual assault in the military and in the society. News of sexual assault of U.S military women is unique since it defines unethical behavior among the disciplined forces, which contravenes the code of conduct for such officers. More so, the story is unique in that there are very few reported cases of sexual assault in the U.S military. With the information presented in the story one can be able to view the democratic levels in U.S based on this context, understand the place of women in the democratic society, and derive the correct measures to avert such a scenario. Furthermore, this information will help us to understand the public health issues, sexuality in men and women, and the extreme violence in women. The story will equip us with knowledge on the dynamics of sexu al assault in the military and how more victims are finding confidence in reporting sexual assault cases. Such information will derive knowledge on what motivates victims to report any sexual assault. Notably, upon reporting, victims can lay claims for health effects that may emanate from such sexual attacks. This story will help any victim and the society to understand the remedies for sexual assault in the US military. As such, the story is important as it defines sexuality in men and women and analyzes how victims can access justice and the relevant benefits upon suffering from sexual assault in the US military. It also shows how authorities discriminate women who report sexual assault with a view of accessing justice and getting the relevant claims. As such, we can establish that not having this information can affect citizens who live in a democratic society. Indeed, citizens without this information will not know the incidence and precedence of sexual assault in the US militar y (Chemaly 1) as a public health issue. The information depicts the level of increase in the number of reported sexual assault cases in the US military. Democratic citizens without this information will also lack enough knowledge on the causes for the increased numbers of reported sexual assault cases (McVeigh 1). This will deny such citizens a chance to devise mechanisms geared towards reducing cases of sexual assault and increase incidences of reported sexual assault cases for purposes of taking the necessary measures. The democratic citizens will equally lack enough knowledge on where to report sexual assault cases in the US military. This jeopardizes the efforts aimed at reducing cases of sexual assault. Moreover, democratic citizens who lack this information will not understand the suffering of the victims and the claims of the advocates groups thus missing the gusto to fight against sexual assault against women in the US military. Furthermore, lack of this information will low er the citizen’s knowledge on the government’s initiatives geared towards encouraging victims to report assaults (Chemaly 1). Indeed, the information also depicts the efforts of the Congress, Senators, former military officers, and victims' groups in reducing cases of sexual assault in the US military (McVeigh 1). Lack of this information will also deny the democratic citizens a chance to know their human rights and benefits attached to the victims