Case Analysis of Sunflower Incorporated Essays

Case Analysis of Sunflower Incorporated Essays Case Analysis of Sunflower Incorporated Paper Case Analysis of Sunflower Incorporated Paper Sunflower Case Is a large distribution company that purchases and distributes salty snack foods and liquors throughout the united States and Canada. The company employs over 5,000 employees and has gross sales of over $700 million. The head office has encouraged each of its regions to operate separately in order to accommodate different tastes and preferences. When studied, it was determined that the profits across the regions varied widely and the decision was made that the process needed to be standardized in order to Increase profits, capture market share ND ensure quality remained at an acceptable level so not to tarnish the Image of Sunflower. This decision created the need to hire Agnes Lebanese as Director of Pricing and Purchasing to implement the planned change throughout the organization. The Four-step General Model of Planned Change was not properly followed in the proposed changes in the organization although portions of it were used. Mr.. Statesman, the President of Sunflower, did engage In entering and contracting when he hired Agnes Lebanese as Director of Pricing and Purchasing to Implement the planned change throughout the organization. Statesman felt that such standardization was necessary in order to avoid market loss and a decrease in quality-control due to the practice being employed in some regions to purchase lower-quality items including seconds in order to boost the profit margins. However, Statesman failed to carry out the next step In entering and contracting and while he defined the problem, he did not establish a collaborative environment and instead simply fired off memos and notified parties Involved through a company newsletter. In addition, Statesman as well as Mr.. Mobile, whom Lebanese reported to, gave Lebanese great latitude and encouraged her to establish whatever rules were necessary to carry out the changes. In this environment, neither Statesman nor Mobile established specific responsibilities that Lebanese was to carry out other than the goal of standardization. They failed to become Involved In the strategy set up by Lebanese. Lebanese was encouraged to gather as much Information from each region as possible so that she could understand the problems facing the organization, and she appeared to do so but on a very rushed timeline. Diagnosing, the second step in the Four-step General Model of Planned Change, was tempted by Lebanese as she was encouraged to gather as much information from each region as possible so that she could understand the problems facing the organization. Unfortunately, this task took place on such a rushed timeline that there was no way for Lebanese to take all of the factors Into account for each region. The change program that Lebanese wanted to implement may have been a step in the right direction toward standardization, but it did not accurately take into account several of the issues that the organization was also concerned about including low quality products. Lebanese only focused on increasing the profit margins. After only three weeks on the Job, Lebanese decided to institute a policy that pricing and purchasing echelons Decode standardize Ana to Deign tons step Tanat seen De notified of any change in local prices that exceeded a threshold of 3% or any purchases exceeding $5,000. Mobile agreed to the new policy and worked with Lebanese to submit a formal policy to the president and board of directors who ultimately approved the plan. One of Lebanese critical errors in the model of change was her decision to implement the new procedures right away which meant hey would be go into effect prior to the peak holiday season for Sunflower. In diagnosing what needed to happen, Lebanese should have realized that it would be impossible for the regions to undergo such standardization during a time when decisions and orders needed to be filled rapidly and without interruption. Also, the idea that such a low threshold of change required centralized approval was somewhat unrealistic without looking further into what is a reasonable amount of change expected in local prices. With low quality items becoming an issue, Lebanese addressed price only and did not appear to diagnose how to correct quality control. Statesman and Mobile should have provided more feedback and assisted Lebanese with the data as well as the implications of change within the organization in order to ensure she was in fact addressing the issues that needed to be corrected. The third step which is planning and implementing change also seemed to occur too quickly to be effective. Lebanese did not take the time to design interventions so that she would be able to achieve the organizations vision or goal of standardization. The goals were not clearly set so it would have been impossible to determine whether or not they have been reached. In addition, Lebanese needed to properly consider the culture and power distributions as well as skills and abilities of the change agents in place to properly put the change in motion during the peak season for the organization. The very nature of each region requiring separate items and contracts to cater to specific markets made the idea of centralizing all decisions difficult even under the best of change implementation. However, the idea to communicate the change through email while a good first step, needed follow up and direct communication planned and discussed with the change agents at each region. Mobile should not have signed off on Lebanese plan to implement such fundamental changes with the only communication being by email. In addition, he should have realized that execution of such an implementation could never take place on such a tight timeline. Properly planning and explaining the implementation process is a critical step in successful execution of any planned change within an organization and glossing over this step with nothing but an email left the entire plan ineffective. If the procedures proposed by Lebanese were so critical that they could not wait to be implemented until after the peak season, Lebanese should have ruefully planned out an implementation process that explained not only the new policies and procedures but encouraged buy in from each of the regions. Lebanese overlooked the importance of getting the region managers to buy in on the new process so that they would not only follow the procedures but also encourage their employees to do the same. Buy-in needs to be established from the top down in order to gain effective change. While the executives agreed with the email distributed by Lebanese, none of them actually followed the new guidelines and Lebanese did not receive any notices from the regions about local prices increasing. I en Tall step In ten process Is evaluating Ana Institutionalizing change tonguing the organization. Clearly, upon evaluation the change program was unsuccessful due to poor planning, implementation and execution. The changes were not continued and the organization continued with usual procedures followed for the particular time of year. Clearly, the plan needed to be modified and specific goals should have been set and agreed upon by not only upper management but by each region. Change is usually difficult but without proper planning and getting the right people on board even the best ideas can be difficult to execute. The strategy employed by Sunflower Incorporated management to plan and implement change was not successful because the change program itself was inadequate. The decision to hire Lebanese to oversee and manage the change program was good as clearly Sunflower needed to increase profits while standardizing procedures. Unfortunately, Lebanese was not given the proper support or direction to effectively manage the change program, and even when Mobile disagreed with Lebanese approach, he did not intervene and insist on a different plan of implementation. Lebanese came up short in her diagnosis of the issues at Sunflower, and her plan of implementation and execution was severely lacking. Communicating with regions through no other form than email is not going to develop the kind of relationship necessary to get buy-in from the regions to follow the newly established policies and procedures. In addition, there should have been one-on-one training explaining exactly what was expected of each region as well as how the change would help the organization to thrive and be successful going forward. Lebanese needed to develop relationships with key people to help communicate the message within the regions so everyone knew exactly how to implement the new policies. If travel was too expensive or time consuming, Lebanese could have provided webbing training where participants could ask questions and she could gain a better sense of the direction of the program. There also needed to be evaluation and feedback so that the change program could be properly measured and adjusted for optimum effectiveness. If I had been in Lebanese position, I would have met with key leaders at each region to discuss each step of the change management program and would have made sure those leaders had bought in to the new policies and procedures being proposed. Such a large change should never have been implemented in such a short time during peak season, and I would have spent those three months planning and garnering support for the program. I also would have developed talking points to help the regions get their employees on board so that they understand the change and how it could help prosper the organization as well as the regions individually. In addition, the quality control issue needed to be properly addressed and a strategy to ensure that all products being sold by Sunflower in fact met the standards and inferior ingredients ere not being used in order to boost profits. More research and planning needed to go into the change program in order for it to be successful. Once the program had been properly diagnosed and planned, careful and monitored implementation should have been executed and Lebanese should have remained in consistent contact with the leaders involved in the changes to the policies and procedures. Clear guidelines should have been set and updated as the change program was evaluated and institutionalized. Change is seldom easy but it becomes even more Doolittle wilt not proper planning Ana communication.

Human Resource Allocation in Software Development

Human Resource Allocation in Software Development Human Resource Allocation in Software Development Human Resource Allocation in Software DevelopmentThis fact contributes to the diversity of domains for software projects. Rapid evolution of software frameworks, technologies and approaches creates a constant need Software development industry is one of the core industries in the modern world. New software products are used for automating processes in virtually all spheres of human life for change. Hence, companies operating in software development industry have to deal with short-term projects, projects with very specific knowledge requirements, projects requiring special expertise, etc. This diversity creates a situation when software developments and other IT professionals are involved in the projects from time to time, often combine working on several projects and deal with various technologies simultaneously. Due to high flexibility of workforce in software projects and very specific requirements to project members, there emerge situations when the resources are allocated ineffi ciently.Problem StatementThe problem considered in this report is the following. The company provides the services of software development to a large number of clients. Due to the varied nature of projects, short-term project life cycle and specific skill sets needed in software projects there emerges the problem of inefficient resource allocation.According to Fairley (2011), companies providing the services of custom software development and companies offering consulting services in software development allocate 85% or more of their operating costs to development costs. In other words, business costs of such companies are formed by the salaries paid to software developers and other IT professionals (Fairley, 2011). However, the company has numerous inefficiencies in the process of workforce allocation to projects. This means that the company spends excess money on development and reduces the chances of successful project completion. Such state of affairs reduces the companys compet itiveness and viability. Therefore, it is important to address and resolve this workplace issue.There are several sources of inefficiency in the current process of resource allocation. The company deals with different projects, the duration of which varies from 2 weeks to 6 months on average. These projects are broken into stages; commonly, these stages include setting requirements and planning, software design, implementation, verification and sometimes maintenance (Martin, 2009). At each stage, the number of IT professionals required is different, and the skill sets needed during different phases also change. However, project team is usually assigned at the first stage, and there are additional resource allocations during implementation and verification phases.Sometimes project members lack the necessary skills for implementation and verification. They have to deal with technologies where they have little experience or perform supplementary tasks. It also happens that team members have no business expertise in the required domain, and there are no professionals with the required technical skills and business knowledge available. In such cases, team members have to master the new domain, which increases their value for future projects but reduces the effectiveness of solutions in the existing project. Finally, the work load is not uniform: there are times when team members have to work overtime and times when team members have to wait until other developers complete their parts of work. Such situation leads to professional burnout after overtimes (which are followed by escalating project costs) and to low performance during the idle time.This report is devoted to analyzing the problem of inefficient resource allocation in a software development company, considering several workplace programs and procedures aimed at resolving this problem and selecting one of the alternatives according to five criteria of software project effectiveness relevant to the situatio n. Therefore, this report contributes to improving workplace effectiveness in companies providing the services of custom software development.Overview of AlternativesAlternative A The first alternative that is commonly used in software development industry relies on the services of outsourcers or freelancers. Analysis of the key factors causing inefficiencies in resource allocation shows that there are three major causes: inflexible or premature allocation of resources, absence of prospective team members with the required characteristics (combined with the inefficiency of hiring developers with these characteristics due to short-time nature of the tasks) and fluctuating workload.The industry-wide practice is to invite freelancers or using the services of outstaffing companies to resolve such issues (Futrell, Shafer Shafer, 2002). Possible implementation of such approach include (Futrell, Shafer Shafer, 2002): placing ads for the required freelance services, contacting potential t eam members in person or using the services of an outsourcing company. It would be most efficient to use the latter option and sign a contract with several outstaffing companies. These companies would help to add external team members when necessary.Alternative B Another alternative is using more efficient resource leveling practices and detailed assessment of employee skills and abilities. The proposed program is the following: project managers should divide the stages of the project into smaller sub-stages, assign project roles and responsibilities in accordance with these sub-stages (Schiel, 2009). It is essential that project managers adjust project roles after every sub-stage of the project and align the changes with the schedule containing   activities of potential team members (including previous projects and future projects) (Schiel, 2009). HRM professionals should improve skills assessment process and introduce sub-skills in development and different business domains. The se skills should be weighed against current project role requirements so that project managers could assign team members who can add maximal value to the project.CriteriaCriterion 1. Compliance with customer requirementsThis criterion determines to which degree the company’s ability to adhere to customer requirements will be changed after implementing the new program.Criterion 2. Adherence to initial budget estimates.This criterion determines the extent to which project teams will be able to match initial budgets after implementing the new program.Criterion 3. Compliance with project timingThis criterion describes the degree of complying with schedule that teams will demonstrate after implementing the new program.Criterion 4. Business risk exposureThis criterion assesses the change in the degree of exposure to business risks achieved due to implementing the new program.Criterion 5. Project risk exposureThis criterion assesses the change in the degree of exposure to project ri sks achieved due to implementing the new program.Research MethodsThe methods used to research the information needed to determine the best recommended alternative included reviewing literature, analyzing research evidence pertaining to the impact of the use of outstaffing and advanced resource leveling on project resource allocation. In addition, the sources related to the influence of outstaffing and/or resource leveling on software quality, project time and budget, project risks and corporate risks were considered. The information was collected from software project management books, human resource management books and journals, computer science journals and case studies evaluating the effect of project management solutions.

E-Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

E-Business - Essay Example Second, the brick and mortar presence will serve as a show room to support the products and services online where customers can actually interact with the company’s personnel and hold, touch, and test the products that the company is selling. The brick and mortar stores can also be taken as an expansion. People who do not normally make their purchases or avail services online can also visit the store/office and buy or transact the traditional way. This is serving non-technology savy segment in the market. The sales made through the stores may not be its core business but it could signficantly supplement the online store. The interaction of the customer with the employees personnel could also serve as forstering goodwill among its customers to enhance its position in the market. The brick and mortar presence is very important especially if the company is offering pricey tangible products where customer’s need to see, test and have a feel of the actual product before buying

Rails to Trails Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rails to Trails Program - Research Paper Example As a function of this particular level of analysis, the author will discuss five of the sea goals/accomplishments that Rails to Trails has elaborated on within its 2011 annual report. By engaging in a summary and objective analysis of these goals and competence, it is the hoped that the reader can come to a more appreciable understanding of detailed victories and further goals that program necessarily engenders. Secondly, as a means of determining the effectiveness of the entity in question, the analysis will also engage with an analysis and discussion of whether media coverage of the group has been on the whole either positive, negative, or neutral. Likewise, by leveraging an understanding of the internal accomplishments and goals that the group seeks to affect as well as understanding the likely level to which societal shareholders have engaged with the group via the media, it will be able for the analysts to calm to a more clear and definitive understanding of whether or Not the m acro and micro scheme that the group seeks to affect has a likelihood of general success. It can and should be understood that a broad and overarching goal that Rails to Trails has sought to affect is with regards to the level and extent to which the entity and its stakeholders continually seek to engage key members of Congress. This is done so that awareness within the minds of the legislatures can be created and key responses made with regards to proposed legislation and potential cuts (Hannan 44). In this manner, it can be understood by the reader that one of the primary goals with which Rails to Trails seeks to engage is with regards to the current economic environment; the environment in which the clear and present need for economic cuts places the life blood of Rails to Trails at a distinct risk. Accordingly, one of the greatest, judgments that was detailed within the annual report 2011 was with regards to the general success which was achieved at keeping the Federal Transport ation Fund available to both highways and trails. Movements and interest by key legislators to remove trails and walking paths into the general fund of the Federal Transportation Fund; whereas before these programs that always enjoyed a degree of safety from the competition that the general fund would necessarily imply. Secondary item of success and a compliment is with regards to the way in which Rails to Trails engaged with Representative Mica. This was done in something of an expert manner due to the fact that Representative Mica only recently became the head of the Transportation Infrastructure Program; a powerful body that was able to decide what expenditures or cuts would be made to key government programs (Fisher 10). Due to the fact that Representative Mica was a Republican, it would’ve been easy for the organization to merely seeks to combat him rather than co-opt him. However, a resounding success was able to be realized when stakeholders from Representative Micaâ⠂¬â„¢s home district were able to begin passing several resolutions. These resolutions had the impact of encouraging Representative Mica to consider his view upon funding cuts and ultimately support the Rails to Trails Program. Another means by which a level of success was able to be realized was with regards to the partnership with the Campaign for Active Transportation (CAT). As a means of providing a unified voice and engaging with other stakeholders to maximize the combines impact upon legislation and potential cuts looming on the horizon, this particular engagement was extraordinarily helpful to achieving these goals (Hearne 118). Yet another compliment is with regards to the bipartisan support that Rails to Trails was able to

The Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

The Great Gatsby Essay They say that money is â€Å"the root of all evil. This novel exemplifies how the characters live for money and are controlled by it. Love and happiness cannot be bought, no matter how much money was spent. Tom and Daisy were married and even had a child, but they both still committed adultery. Daisy was with Gatsby and Tom was with Myrtle. They tried to find happiness with their lovers, but the risk of changing their lifestyles was not worth it. They were not happy with their spouses but could not find happiness with their lovers. Happiness cannot be found or bought. Daisy lost her love and respect for Gatsby when she found out he was a bootlegger. The important thing was not just having money, but where they money came from. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, money is a prominent theme. The author shows that money is earned and spent in very specific ways. Each character’s relationship with money allows the reader to see their personalities more clearly. In the beginning of Chapter Two, Nick and Tom Buchanon have just met Tom’s girlfriend Myrtle. The three of them are on their way to Tom and Myrtles apartment when an elderly man selling puppies on the side of the street catches Myrtle’s eye. The author explains, â€Å"I want to get one those dogs, she said earnestly. I want to get one for the apartment. They’re nice to have- a dog-I think its cute†¦Is it a boy or a girl? She asked delicately. † â€Å"It’s a bitch,† said Tom decisively. † Here’s your money. Go and buy ten more dogs with it† (pages 27-28). Tom’s actions and choice of words when he is buying the puppy for his girlfriend Myrtle show the reader that he does not have respect for women. The way Tom throws his money around illustrates that he believes he, because he has money, is better than the person selling the puppies. Fitzgerald uses the money theme again when he writes about the parties that his characters attend. He notes â€Å"I like your dress, â€Å" remarked Mrs. McKee, â€Å"I think it’s adorable. †Ã¢â‚¬  Mrs. Wilson rejected the compliment by raising her eye brow in disdain. † â€Å"It’s just a crazy old thing,† she said. † I just slip it on sometimes when I don’t care what I look like† (page 31). Myrtle rejects the compliment on her dress because she wants to portray herself as a woman who wears extravagant clothing. When in reality, the dress that she is wearing was a dress that Tom had bought for her. It is actually the most expensive dress that she owns. Prestige and money are so important that she lies to impress those around her. In the 1920s money was very abundant. This was known as the golden age. People were very materialistic during this time period. The wealthy families in the novel such as Gatsby or the Buchanons were always trying to impress rather than trying to be themselves. This was a period of drinking, partying, and spending which was best portrayed by the Buchanons. They seem to be very self-centered people who couldnt give up a bit of the ritzy life to take care of their own child. Nick Carrows, the narrator of the novel differentiates and alternates between the two different types of money in the novel. East Egg and West Egg. The West Egg is the less fashionable side of Long Island where Gatsby and Nick live. The East Egg is the fashionable side of Long Island where the Buchanons and other old money people live. Those living in West Egg have wealth, but they have earned it themselves, but the people in East Egg have had money in their families for generations. People from East Egg only associate themselves with other people from East Egg and are rather ashamed of people of a lower status. The author explains a situation with Tom on the train, â€Å"Mrs. Wilson sat discreetly in another car. Tom deferred that much to the sensibilities of those East Eggers who might be on the train† (page 26). Tom is dating a girl named Myrtle who is from the Valley of Ashes; The Valley of Ashes is a very poor area. She has no money to her name whatsoever, and that is why Tom will not sit in the same car with her on the train. He will not allow people to see that he associates with someone of her station in life. Nick sees firsthand how different people from West Egg act compared to those from the East Egg. The author writes, â€Å"Come along, â€Å"he said- â€Å"but to her only. † Gatsby looked at me questioningly. He wanted to go, and he didn’t see that Mr. Sloane had determined he shouldn’t†¦My Go, I believe that man’s coming,† said Tom. â€Å"Doesn’t he know she doesn’t want him? (page 103). Gatsby was invited to a party at the East Egg as a form of an apology for having to leave Gatsby’s house. Gatsby is from West Egg; he completely missed the apology and took it as an invitation. The authors point is that even though people from West Egg and East Egg both have money, they live completely different lifestyles and behave complet ely differently. The author uses money to reveal several different traits in the novel. All of the characters personality traits in the novel are based off of wealth. Without the money, these characters would be nothing. Gatsby is known for his money and attitude. The author writes, â€Å"I heard the familiar â€Å"jug-jug-sput† of a motorcycle, and a frantic policeman rode alongside. † All right, old sport, called Gatsby. Taking a white card from his wallet, he waved it before the man’s eyes. † â€Å"Right you are,† agreed the policeman, tipping his cap. â€Å"Know you next time, Mr. Gatsby. Excuse me! † (page 68). Because of Gatsby’s past he has been able to meet popular people in his lifetime and acquire special privileges over the years. The only reason Gatsby can act this way and get away with it is because of his wealth. Another important character who portrays that her personality is shaped by money and wealth is Daisy. She lives a rich lifestyle but is forced to live with a man she can’t stand. The author explains, â€Å"Everybody thinks so-the most advanced people†¦The instant her voice broke off ceasing to compile my attention, my belief, I felt the basic insincerity of what she had said† (page17). Daisy is talking about how she knows so much because she has traveled the world and talked to interesting people through out her life. The author uses Daisy as a prime example to show that while money may provide opportunities in life, it is what you do with those opportunities that matter. If Daisy didn’t have money, she wouldn’t be considered smart or sophisticated; she would just be another boring person. New money and old money represents the way in which people are criticized, judged or understood. Old money has a tendency to seclude themselves from lower classes but do not discriminate. While new money tends to show off their wealth to the lower classes by throwing spectacular parties and get togethers. A new money party is portrayed as if it were the time of your and a night that no one will ever forget. The author says, â€Å"The groups change more swiftly, well with new arrivals†¦confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable†¦excited with triumph, glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light† (page 40-41). New money parties are exciting and extravagant but the only reason these parties exist is because people with new money become selfish and proud. They pride themselves on where their wealth has brought them. Newly acquired wealth causes people to change, to become someone they really aren’t, and to do things or be with people they normally would spend time with. An old money party is more like a get together. People must be invited and old old money is expected. The author explains, â€Å"People disappeared, reappeared, made plans to go somewhere and then lost each other, searched for each other found each other a few feet away† (page 37). The author describes the old money parties in a relaxing manor because parties are not new to people who have had money all their lives. It is not difficult to see the importance that money played not only in the novel, but apparently in the 1920’s. The author crafted each character around their social station in life, which was determined by where their money came from. It was apparent that despite the fact that Jay Gatsby worked and earned his money, that it didn’t change the fact that he was from the â€Å"wrong side of the tracks†. And while being from the â€Å"right† side of those same tracks, having money didn’t really give Daisy what she wanted or needed to be happy. In the end, Gatsby died a lonely death, remembered by few.

Marketing Plan for Bio-Mag Bracelets Essay example -- Business Marketi

Marketing Plan for Bio-Mag Bracelets EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this analytical report is to provide a marketing plan for Bio-Life Ltd new product, Bio-Mag Bracelet on its magnetic therapy purposes. As health issues are popular concerns of people in Australia and overseas market, it is necessary for Bio-Life Ltd to get into this market as soon as possible. This marketing plan is to review the company’s marketing arrangement for the new product but to also recommend strategic responses to assist Bio-Life Ltd in developing a sustainable operating system. In the following sections, product, Bio-Mag Bracelet will be analysed in depth in the order of firstly, background; secondly, marketing strategies; thirdly, marketing mix included product, price, people, placement and promotion; lastly, SWOT analysis. It is anticipated that the marketing plan we have developed will facilitate the new product, Bio-Mag Bracelet success in the coming years. Marketing strategies of the Bio-Mag Bracelet is based on Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning. Positioning and Segmentation strategies adopted by Bio-Mag Bracelet are quality; styling and pain relief to attract its targeted customers. Besides that, the main purpose of Bio-Mag Bracelet is natural healing without drugs in pain relief, increase blood circulation and reduces inflammation and speeded up recovery rate from injuries. The targeted consumers of the product are middle and upper classes, which need natural healing and health care. Differentiation is also an important strategy. Bio-Mag Bracelet differentiated from competitors with the additional features of one size fits all. As the product will be finished by 9ct gold and stainless steel, the retail price of it is in a higher range. It is also contain a 2000 Gauss / 200 mTesla special Rare Earth magnets. The location of the retailing will be mainly in big shopping malls or more prestigious and well known area. Placement includes elements such as channels, coverage, assortments, locations, inventory and transport of the product. The S.W.O.T is to analysis Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the product’s marketing plan. Background As technology advances, the environment has also start to become more and more demanding and competitive with each and every individuals’ pace life always on the inc... ...ing up sales. Nevertheless, Bio-Mag Bracelet also faced great competition from other health products such as massage machine and so forth; which there are many different health products in the market. BIBLIOGRAPHY Barrett S., 2001 ‘magnet therapy’ available online at http://www.helhetsdoktorn.nu/magnet.htm Cralle, R. (1997). Therionresearch.com: Magnetic Therapy. http://www.therionresearch.com/learning_center_articles.html (Accessed 18th May 2005). Kotler, P. (2003) Marketing Management. Pearson Education, Inc., New Jersey, United States. No Author. (2005) Stuck On You: Magnetic Therapy Supplier. http://www.stuckonyou.com (Accessed 15th May 2005). No Author. No Date. Magnetic Therapy History. http://www.discovermagnetics.com/faq2.html (Accessed 18th May 2005). No Author. No Date. The Scientific Basis For Magnet Therapy Analytical Research Report. http://www.itembioenergy.com/infocenter/ScientificBasisMagnetTherapy.pdf (Accessed 18th May 2005). Competitors’ Company’s Website: - Magnet-EZe: http://magnet-eze.com.au Australian Magnet Therapy: http://www.australianmagnettherapy.com Bio-Magnetic Therapy: http://www.biomagnetictherapy.net

Effect of both parents working Essay

â€Å"Good, honest, hardheaded character is a function of the home. If the proper seed is sown there and properly nourished for a few years, it will not be easy for that plant to be uprooted.† ~ (George A. Dorsey. http://www.quotegarden.com/parents.html ). The fact that parents nowadays lack attention to their children has caused the child to have a weak performance, bad behavior, and a negative outlook had grown in popularity among people. It is possible to identify two main aspects in which parents don’t give their children the right attention they need as a child; the outer aspects, and the inner aspects. Consequences arise when parents don’t spend enough time with their children, one would be behavior toward the society, and the other is the negative affect on the family bond. First of all, children might seek attention from people around them, which may result might make him loose them. For example, when a child comes home from school, he/she likes to talk about what has happened in school, and kinds of details about his/her day. However, if that person was not around on a regular basis, the child will slowly start to seek attention from elsewhere. Second comes the lack in the family bond. For example, parents will get used to not having their children around, therefore, consequently will not value their parents presence like they should, so neither of the two parties will value the other and as a result, this valuable parent-child bond will start to get weaker with time. Thirdly, communication between parent and child will be effected, which will lead to many issues ahead. F or example, when a child lacks communication with his parents, attention will be pursued with someone else, which is not an advantage for either the child or the parent. Many children tend to develop a sense of shame and embarrassment when such issues arise. Moreover, if attention is still not found, emotional issues arise, where children start to bottle up instead of opening up, and this itself may have a negative effect on the emotional stability of the child. Finally, when not much time or attention is given to children, there will be a gap in a child’s life as he/she grows up. A strong bond with children creates the most wonderful memories of time spent together that will last a lifetime, and when such  bond is affected, memorable moments decrease along with their value. For example, when a child grows up, if a memory seems to be unclear, looking back at a precious photo in an album brings back all the good memories spent that day, when the photo was taken. The emotional, physical and mental environment the child is brought up in plays a big role in an individual’s life even up to late adulthood. Firstly, if there was a lack in affection expressed by the parents, children might not have enough affection towards their own parents, which is what they have learnt from their own family and what they will be considering to be normal. For example, children will not love their parents enough to look after them in old age. Secondly, lack of moral guidance. For example, children will not be able to develop the sense of right or wrong, unless they were guided and told over and over again by their parents. Thirdly, children might suffer from emotional vacuum. For example, children will always try to search for someone to fill this this emotional gap they have, which could result in children drifting to the wrong path, and as an adult this individual might develop regrets to the past and force him/herself to escape reality via drugs or alcoh ol, which could result in all sorts of addiction problems in time. Finally, a child might not get to draw the great qualities of character his/her parents have, and instead draw in negative behavior and qualities from his/her friends at school. For example, children who lack the care and attention of their parents try to get it through a strong act, such as stealing, lying or bullying. In conclusion, parents have to be careful in many aspects of a child’s life while growing up. A person’s childhood is such a critical time in an individual’s life because it has the biggest input in shaping and molding the individual as an adult. The better and healthier the childhood is, the more successful an individual is in many aspects of life such as being a parent, work, career, social life, health, cognition etc.

Television Is Bad for Children

It has been suggested that watching television may do more harm than good to a child's developmental skills. But a new study says that it all depends on what children watch — some educational programs on TV can actually enhance children's intellectual development. Until now, television viewing has been blamed consistently for having a negative effect on children's developmental skills. But the authors of a new study, which was published in the September/October issue of Child Development, argue that not all television programs are created equal. All TV is not alike,† says co-author Aletha Huston, PhD, professor of child development at the University of Texas at Austin. â€Å"Educational television can have a very positive impact on young children. † For the study, researchers recruited more than 200 children in the Kansas City area who were from low- to moderate-income families. About 40% of the children were African-Americans, and the rest were Hispanic and Cauca sian Americans. During the 3-year study, which followed children from ages 2 to 4 years, researchers tested the children and visited their homes every year.The tests included reading, vocabulary, math, and school readiness. â€Å"Children who watched educational programming — particularly at age 2 and 3 — performed better on tests of school-related skills than children who did not watch educational television,† says Huston. â€Å"Watching a lot of general audience programming was related to poor skills. † After controlling for the family environment, which included parents' education and family income, researchers found that watching educational programs on television may indeed translate to better skills.Daniel Anderson, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, says that the findings highlight the importance of the type of content that is viewed. â€Å"What children watch on television is the key,† says Anderson. â€Å"When the television programs are designed to teach, children learn good things. If they are not designed to teach, and especially if they include violence, children learn things that end up being bad for their behavior. Anderson points out that for children from low- to moderate-income families, such educational programming is filling in parts of their childhood experience that they might not otherwise get. â€Å"These children very often don't have other educational resources available in their homes, such as age-appropriate books, and parents often don't understand the importance of reading to their children and encouraging their children to read,† says Anderson. Researchers say that it is heartening to see that educational programming has become a regular, if small, part of broadcast offerings.Children can learn cognitive and social skills from such programs if parents supervise what they watch. â€Å"Television is a powerful tool to teach things good or bad,† says John Murray, PhD, professor in the school of family studies and human services at Kansas State University. null But he cautions that too much television for school-aged children may have the opposite effect. â€Å"The rule of thumb is two hours per day,† says Murray. â€Å"Watching too much television takes away time children spend on exercise and other school-related activities. A related study, released this week in the September issue of Ambulatory Pediatrics, found that easy access to television, such as having a TV in a child's room, leads to more time spent in front of the tube. The study author, Jean Wiecha, PhD, says her study backs up that 2-hour rule. â€Å"Parents should limit the time children spend watching television,† says Wiecha, deputy director of the prevention research center on nutrition and physical activity at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. â€Å"More than 2 hours of viewing time may have health consequences for children, such as obesity. Technology runs in the veins of society. It is the fuel that drives our lives. It is an integral part of daily life. It has definitely benefited society. It has brought luxury in the life of every common man. Automation brought about by technology has saved human effort and time to a large extent. It has brought distant places closer and simplified information access. It has made the world a smaller place to live in. Let us look at some of the important areas, where technology has brought a positive change.Automation of Processes in the Industry and the Household: Technology has automated many of the critical processes in the industry as well as the household. Imagine the amount of labor that must have been involved in industrial processes when the concept of automation did not exist. Electronic gadgets have entered homes of the common man to rescue him from the boredom of daily chores. Imagine the amount of time people must be spending doing household chores durin g the time there were no machines and household appliances. It's better not imagined.Today's is the age of robotics. Machines can learn, adopt new things and perform tasks with near-human efficiency. Changed Modes of Transport: The automobile industry and technology are interwoven. Time has witnessed this industry evolve from mechanical scooters to automated aircraft. Animals were the only modes of transport in the olden days. Technology was the driving force behind the creation and design of the modern-day automobiles. Bicycles evolved into scooters and sports bikes. The idea of having four-wheeled modes of transport gave rise to the creation of cars.Modes of air and water transport came up, thanks to technology. Reduced Risk to Human Life: Machines have automated many crucial industrial processes. Machines are now taking up mundane jobs that were once done by human workers. Technology has evolved to an extent where machines can perform tasks that are not feasible for man, either b ecause they are risky or life-threatening or because they are beyond human capacity. The use of advanced technologies like robotics and artificial intelligence has proven to be helpful in life-risking endeavors like mining and space exploration.Data Management and Information Retrieval: Computer technology, needless to say, has changed the face of the world. Computers can store, organize and manage huge amounts of data. They can process large amounts of information. Computers have given rise to the software industry, one of the most progressive industries of the world. The Internet that seeded from computer networking concepts is the most effective communication platform and the largest information base existing today. Impact on the Entertainment and Advertising Industries: The Internet has brought a positive change to the entertainment and advertising industries.Over the Internet, advertisements can reach the masses within seconds. Internet advertisements have changed equations of the advertising industry. Branding on the Internet is much more effective that other forms of product promotion. The entertainment media has progressed because of advancements in technology. Movies, songs, games are a few clicks away. People have begun using the Internet to watch and download movies, listen to music, play games and entertain themselves. Thanks to handy, mobile and user-friendly devices, all this has become really easy.Onset of the Digital Age: There's hardly anything analog now, we live in a digital world, a digital age. Talk pixels and bytes. The digitization of information has made it possible for us to store it in a compact form. Ever wondered how gigabytes of data can be stored on a small chip? Digitization it is! Also, digitization enriches the quality of data storage. Digital voice and digital images are of a higher quality. Digital cameras and digital TVs provide users with an enriched picture quality, thus bettering user experience with technology.Communicat ion Redefined: Cellular communication has revolutionized the communication industry. The conventional telephone, also a piece of technology, was one of the earliest technological developments in communication. Mobile phones have broadened the horizons of communication by enabling convenient long-distance calling and mobile use. Letters have taken a backseat and emails and cell phone messages have become the easiest means to connect. Owing to developments in technology, communication is wireless.Social networking is another defining factor here. It has given an all new dimension to communication, entertainment and recreation. Satellite Technology: Satellite communication is an important facet of technology. Satellite TV and satellite radio have eased the broadcasting of events across the globe. How else do you think could matches and concerts be broadcasted live? Not just TV and radio, even communication to ships and airplanes wouldn't have been possible if not for satellite communic ation.Even your hand-held devices wouldn't be of use, if not for radio communication. These were still a few fields influenced by technology. It is almost impossible to enlist all the positive effects of technology on society. The fast-advancing technology on the whole, has given impetus to developments in various fields and improved the quality of human life. There's less risk, less effort, less mess. There's more leisure, more ease and more speed – all because of that ten-letter word – not a word, a phenomenon – technology.

Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori Education, as one of the most significant processes in human life, has been the focus of attention for centuries on end. Starting from Plato and Aristotle, philosophers have been attempting to figure out the most productive ways of educating young generations, and thus the philosophy of education was born.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Maria Montessori specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More At a certain point in history, education started to be viewed as a life-long process that could help influence social circumstances. The ideas of social pedagogy, voiced in the eighteenth century by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, were developed, inter alia, during the New Education Movement. In the first half of the twentieth century, one of the most outstanding practitioners of New Education was an Italian educator and philosopher Maria Montessori (1870–1952). Montessori’s basic view of education as a process of creati ng the right environment for children to develop themselves found a widespread response among the informal education systems. The philosophic basis of Maria Montessori’s education system can be found in the teaching of New Education, the basis of which was laid by one of the most prominent philosophers of the French Enlightenment, Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Reminiscent of Rousseau’s ideas on childhood being the ideal age for learning and on adult world giving little concern for the peculiarities of children are Montessori’s views of children as creatures who are close enough to nature to be let to develop in their own way and at their own pace: â€Å"It is essential to let nature have its on way as far as possible; the more freedom children are allowed to develop, the quicker and more perfectly they will attain higher forms and functions† (Montessori, as cited in Rà ¶hrs, 1994, p. 3). Under the influence of president of the English section of the New Educati on Fellowship Percy Nunn, Montessori concluded that human mind is a developing entity which does so in constant interaction with the environment (Rà ¶hrs, 1994, p. 3). In connection with this view of education as a process of comprehension of the impulses from the environment, Montessori arrived at the idea of the necessity to allow children develop at their own pace and to evolve their individuality on the way to self-realization. In compliance with such vision of children as self-learning beings, Montessori reconsiders the role of teachers in the educational process.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Instead of traditional perception of teachers as omniscient mentors who instruct the students by communicating ready-made knowledge to them, Montessori envisions a â€Å"new type of teacher†: â€Å"Instead of talking he must learn to be silent; instead of instr ucting he must observe; instead of presenting the proud dignity of one who desires to appear infallible he must don the robe of humility† (Montessori, as cited in Rà ¶hrs, 1994, p. 7). The center of educational process in Montessori system belongs to the student, while the teacher moves away to the periphery, assisting the students in their development and letting the students’ intuition lead them in the process of exploring and discovering knowledge. Thus, the role of the teacher comes to organizing the necessary learning materials and assisting children by establishing the general atmosphere of search for knowledge in the classroom. Maria Montessori put her theoretic ideas on education into practice by establishing a series of educational establishments called the Children’s Houses. Those were in fact living environments for children, specially adapted to the learning needs of children so that the latter could freely develop without any hindrance to their indi vidual attitudes and perceptions. Everything in Children’s Houses was specially adapted for children, starting from small-sized furniture and child-friendly architecture and ending with colors and sounds (Rà ¶hrs, 1994, p. 4). The purpose of living in Children’s Houses was envisaged as allowing the children develop in a free manner but in a responsible way. For Montessori students, freedom and order were combined in one non-stop process of self-determination, or, in other words, discovering the laws of functioning by oneself and submitting to those laws of one’s own free will. Thus the children could actively participate in and even create their daily environment, grasping the rules of law and order and thus arriving to the notion of justice based on moral autonomy. The understanding of the principles of order, law, and justice was practically brought up in children through a systematical program of daily activities developed by Maria Montessori herself and cal led â€Å"exercises in daily living† (Rà ¶hrs, 1994, p. 5). These activities were aimed at developing the qualities of patience, exactness, and repetition, which in their turn helped to increase the children’s ability to concentrate and thus perform their tasks not simply by manner of mechanical imitation but through thoughtful and orderly approach.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Maria Montessori specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Maria Montessori continuously emphasized the necessity of not only performing certain practical tasks but of connecting those tasks with intellectual and moral ideas, thus creating a harmonious sense of logical interdependence and relationship among the objects and phenomena in the world. The didactic materials used in Montessori schools are aimed at appealing to the sensitive side of children, since senses are the initial gateway through which children get to know t he world. Colors, shapes, and sizes are combined in Montessori didactic materials so that the child occupying himself or herself with these materials subconsciously enters a certain problem situation, the solution of which would involve employing logical, intellectual, and even moral capacities. One of the greatest advantages of using Montessori didactic materials is that the child is able to figure out their meaning and possible implications on his or her own, and moreover, is able to assess the degree of success when solving a certain task. These abilities of independent thinking, self-realization, and continuous self-assessment provided by Montessori didactic materials constituted a significant step on the way to socialization of children, providing them with a combination of both practical and social life within the educational process. The effect of Maria Montessori’s ideas on educational process cannot be overestimated: she has found the ways to employ the idea of child uniqueness and independent importance in teaching practice. Reassessing the learning nature of the child as a creature able to explore the world intuitively, Montessori created a balanced system of practical activities that allow children trace, discover, and recognize the logical and moral relations existing in the world. The â€Å"absorbent mind† of children allows them to automatically integrate the practical knowledge they acquire into their basic character and thus to form their personality for the rest of their life (Montessori, as cited in Rà ¶hrs, 1994, p. 10). Therefore, it is the task of the teachers to observe the learning process and to control the learning environment (and not the child) in such a way that it would meet the individual learning requirements of children and foster their personal development. Due to such harmonious development of both their inner and their outer characteristics, children increase their chances of independent thinking and successfu l integration into society in the future.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References Rà ¶hrs, H. (1994). Maria Montessori. PROSPECTS: The Quarterly Review of Comparative Education (Paris, UNESCO: International Bureau of Education), XXIV (1/2), 169-183. Retrieved from ibe.unesco.org/en/

Pope Gregory VI - The Pope Who Bought the Papacy

Pope Gregory VI - The Pope Who Bought the Papacy Pope Gregory VI was also known as: Giovanni Graziano (his birth name); also John of Gratian (the Anglicized version.) Pope Gregory VI was known for: Buying the papacy. Giovanni paid his predecessor, Pope Benedict IX, what is sometimes considered a pension; when Benedict left, Giovanni was recognized as Pope Gregory VI by the cardinals. Gregory is also known for being one of the few popes in history to resign. Occupations: Pope Places of Residence and Influence: Italy Important Dates: Begins papacy: May, 1045Resigned: Dec. 20, 1046Died: At an unknown date in 1047 or 1048 About Pope Gregory VI: When Giovanni Graziano paid his godson a pension to convince him to resign, most scholars agree he did so out of an honest desire to rid the papacy of the dissolute Pope Benedict IX. Unfortunately, as Pope Gregory VI, he achieved little in Rome before Benedict and the antipope Sylvester III returned. The chaos that resulted as each man represented himself as the true pope was too much, and King Henry III of Germany rode south to settle the matter. At a council at Sutri, Italy, Benedict and Sylvester were deposed, and Gregory was convinced to resign the office because his payment to Benedict could be viewed as simony. He left Italy for Germany, where he died not long after. For more about the life and pontificate of Gregory VI, see his Concise Biography. Pope Gregory VI Resources: Concise Biography of Gregory VIPopes Who Resigned Pope Gregory VI on the Web Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope Gregory VIConcise look at Gregory by Horace Mann. Pope Gregory VI in Print The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the books page at one of the online merchants. by Richard P. McBrien by P. G. Maxwell-Stuart The PapacyChronological List of PopesMedieval ItalyWhos Who Directories: Chronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society

ZIMMER Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ZIMMER - Case Study Example patients in making amputation unnecessary and replacement of joints possible, but was a relief to health insurers such as Medicaid and health practitioners; they were able to handle such cases with much ease, at lower costs and resulted to much less suffering in the patient. It was in the 90s that the leading companies in orthopedics realigned in a competitive market, which led to massive mergers and acquisitions of other device makers that a new trend in orthopedics was designed. Companies in this period vehemently searched for smaller companies to acquire to improve their product lines, improve innovations through technologies, increase market penetration, and reduce complexity of managing rapidly growing companies, especially in spinning off major business lines by large pharmaceutical companies to reduce the size of their enterprises (Bickel, 3). As explained earlier, it was innovativeness through research and development that many companies such as Zimmer managed to venture rapidly in the market, while strategically making acquisitions to strengthen their footing in the global market. For example, through such innovativeness Zimmer became the pioneer of initiating a bloodless and less painful surgery operation, resulting in reduced trauma in a patient’s body tissues; such innovations opened another new page in orthopedics, a window that introduced the company to stiff competition. The strength of the company was concentrating more on research and development, to come up with new products increased its competitiveness. In addition to innovations, marketing activities were critical in defining a company’s presence in any particular market. However, in this marketing approach there were unfair trends in selling of orthopedic products to hospitals. Instead of manufacturers dealing directly with major hospitals, di stributors were largely used to acquire such products. The problem was that surgeons and other medics could take advantage of such distribution

McCarthyism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

McCarthyism - Essay Example The McCarthyism movements had greatly affected the lives of the people in the U.S. Tens of thousands of Americans were charged of being Communist or communist sympathizers during McCarthy epoch. They had to undergo aggressive investigations and questioning before the government and private-industry boards, committees, and bureaus. Besides, in the realm of social policy, McCarthyism seems to have stopped the much-needed reforms at midstream. Measures including national health insurance, a social reform held up by rest of the industrialized world, just fell by the pavement. There were chances that left liberal political alliance would have implemented health reforms and similar proposals; but the sanguinity was torn apart by the crusades of anti-communist movements. The moderates were against anything that seemed radical and the people who were left to them were always either to no avail or under exploitation. The McCarthyism movements again had put into the attenuation of the reformation impulse by diverting public attention of the labor movement. In fact, McCarthyism not only affected the lives and political thinking of the people in the U.S. but also had impact on the international affairs. The antagonism against the cold war had been so thoroughly identified with communism. The nation’s cultural and social life was also suffered by the McCarthyism. Moreover, even after the anti-Communist uproar s was retreated, the antidemocratic associated with the earlier still continued to affect the citizens. It can be traced from the COINELPRO programs of prosecuting political rebels throughout 1960s and, the Watergate related misdemeanors in the 1970s and the Iran-Contra issues in the 1980s (Schrecker 2002, p.106,) . McCarthyism was not the only cause for these outrages. The assault on democracy that started during the 1940s and its