10 Traits of a Good Team Member

10 Traits Of A Good Team Member by Naseem Mariam W hat ATTRIBUTES do you look for in a team member? W hat is the mix of attributes, traits, skills, and talents that you should gather into your team? EXCELLENT TECHNICAL, PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE Business projects require professional skills. If it is a shorter project (3 months) you should have a lot of TASK oriented, good technical experts on board; however if the project team is large (more than 8), the duration greater than 6 months then having a few SOCIAL oriented people on board would reduce the interpersonal- communications strain from the project team. GOOD INTERPERSONAL SKILLSEffective interpersonal communication is vital to the smooth functioning of any task team. COMMUNICATION skills — listening, written and oral, telephone, email — are an absolute must for each member. CONFLICT handling, negotiating skills are an added advantage. You need to know that each team member trusts, supports, and has genuine concern for other team members. SHARING, GIVING TENDENCY You want a team member who shares his knowledge and expertise FREELY with team members -shares openly, with honesty and integrity with others regarding personal feelings, opinions, thoughts, and perceptions about problems and conditions.You also want to make sure team members do not engage in one-upmanship. A perfect team member gives of his time, energy and heart to own and SOLVE the problems that arise during the course of the project. RESPECTS AUTHORITY Your aim is a team member who has an aura of AUTHORITY around him — who gains the respect of every team member, and who respects his boss, the Top Management of the organization, and the customers' managers. A good team member consoles and reasons with other team members and RESOLVES complaints of other team members with patience, understanding and empathy.Each person needs to understand and is be committed to team objectives. CARES FOR THE CUSTOMER A desirable team member is polite and courteous to everyone including the customers. He or she has real CONCERN and thinks of both short term and long term benefits from customer's viewpoint. Good team members negotiate well with the customer and the company's top management to ensure less stress and strain for the team. SELF-RELIANT, HAPPY, POSITIVE PERSONYou want a team member who is COMFORTABLE with himself — who respects himself and will not become a sycophant (insincere compliment giver, trying to get into boss' good books insincerely). Good team members are positively charged, full of ENTHUSIASM, and love for their work. They put in an honest day's work and are willing to cheerfully put in a few extra hours whenever the need arises. WELCOMES FEEDBACK A valuable team member encourages feedback on his or her own behavior — then takes the necessary CORRECTIVE and PREVENTIVE actions to ensure harmony, peace and joyful environment for project execution.FINGER ON THE PULSE He has a finger on th e pulse of the teams' feelings and concerns — he helps to fix the conflicts, NEGOTIATES between conflicting parties, and negotiates a win/win ending. This type of team member is aware of what goes on around him, is able to sense danger and steer the te am members onto happy solutions faster. DELIVERING ON COMMITMENTS You want a reliable, DEPENDABLE person who always keeps his promises and commitments.You need someone who informs both the customer and the boss well in advance when things go wrong -who DISCUSSES the issues and concerns and sets new commitments. INTEGRITY, HONESTY AND TRUST W hatever good qualities a person may possess, they are of no use to him or to anyone else when he does not have integrity of character. Integrity is being true to O NESELF, honesty is being true to OTHERS. He should be trust worthy and trust others with his eyes open. He is able to evaluate phonies and insincere people a mile away.

Alternative to GDP

Topic: â€Å"There is rising criticism of the widespread use of GDP as an indicator of the health of an economy. In fact, some experts are of the opinion that GDP growth is making the society poorer. Critically analyse this opinion in view of the concept of sustainability and also discuss some alternate measures being suggested and their implications to the businesses? † GDP as an economic measure of the economic progress of a country Gross domestic product (GDP) is considered one of the most important factors that determine the economic activity and hence the progress of the development of a country. It is the monetary value of all the final goods and services produced by a country in a specified time. Therefore, it is considered that if the country’s economic production increases, other factors remaining positive, then it positively benefits all the citizens of the country. It is hence used as an indicator for the country’s standard of living[1]. Therefore, greater the GDP, better the health of an economy and hence better the lives of the citizens. Reasons for criticism on the use of GDP as an indicator of economic progress As GDP measures the monetary value of the final goods and services produced, it means that the money spent on the country’s well-being for example, millions spent on manufacturing fancy electronic gadgets, constructing a prison, cutting forests to use wood for production of further goods – are all considered at par while measuring the GDP. There is no emphasis on the quality of the output, the progress of the country in terms of the social state of affairs, human happiness, etc. As these are essential ingredients in determining the health of an economy, the concept of using GDP as a measuring scale of the economic progress of a country if criticised. Disadvantages of GDP GDP is criticised on many aspects – it obscures growing inequality, aids depletion of resources and one of the most prominent criticisms is that it measures expenditure on education at par with expenditure on cigarettes i. e. it does not differentiate whether the spending that aids the GDP percentage is going towards a positive or negative cause. GDP does not measures the economic services that nature provides – for example, prevention of floods and landslides by existence of dense forests – it does not account for health, clean environment, etc. i. e. GDP falls short in taking into account equally important things that exist to make a country liveable by fostering social cohesion, along with just the monetary value of goods and services * GDP takes into account the gove rnment spending, but from where the funding is sourced and where it is utilized is not taken into account. Hence, government borrowing is considered good for a country as far as GDP calculation is concerned * Money transactions that take place unofficially and go unrecorded are not accounted for in the calculation of GDP. Hence it does not help in avoiding taxes or prevention of illegal transactions and spending of such huge amount goes unnoticed * Harmful side effects like, pollution is not accounted for in the GDP. No deductions are made from GDP for their harmful effects but addition to GDP is made by market transactions that aid in removing these harmful effects. Hence the calculation of GDP is not balanced * The GDP takes into account the goods and services produced but not exchanged for money. For example, volunteer work or growing own food and consuming it is not included in the GDP whereas expenditure on buying food from the market is taken into account [2]. Adverse effects of using GDP as a sole measure for economic success As GDP takes into account only some value created in the country and does not take into account several key transactions, GDP often increases at the expense of real growth and progress. The result is that GDP fails miserably as an indicator of economic success on the sustainability scale. The environmental and social aspects are not covered by the GDP. Alternative measures & their business implications There are several alternative indicators of the progress of a country. These measure economic activity, environmental or social activities, well-being or changes in environmental, social or human capital. * Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI): It provides a complete picture of economical and social progress. There are several indicators used to calculate GPI that are broadly classified under three categories – economic, environmental and social. The economic category indicators are similar to gross product measurement. The environment factors measure cost of pollution, cost of change to natural resources, cost of climate change, etc. The social indicator includes the value of education, lost leisure time, cost of crime, etc. This indicator has been adopted by the state of Maryland and is altered to include the impact of income inequality on the economy of the state. This indicator indicated the need to focus on reducing the level of income inequality in order to improve Maryland’s overall economic and social growth. Hence, this indicator has been successfully implemented that includes all the factors of well-being in a society. This leads to modified business practices in order to reduce inequality and improve economic, environmental and social spheres of the state * Human Development Index (HDI): It is used by the UNDP to show how the improvement in economic growth and human development is improving conditions of the human in the various countries. The HDI is defined as process of widening choices available to humans in order to live an educated, long and healthy life and to have access to resources to have a healthy and decent standard of living. It makes use of political freedom, human rights and self-respect to measure the index but as they are difficult to measure, the index uses longevity, knowledgeable and decent standards of livings as indicators in lieu of prosperous and long lives. * Gross National Happiness (GNH): It is frequently used as an alternative measure of progress. It was originally suggested by Bhutan to be used instead of using GDP as an appropriate measure of progress. It measures quality of life or social progress in consistency with Bhutan’s culture and spiritual values rather than focusing more on economic activity. It measures seven types of wellness – economic, environmental, physical, mental, workplace, social and political. Several conferences have also been held on use of GNH and it was primarily used to base the progress of the country on reflections of the country’s Buddhist origins[3](Coztanza, Hart, Posner & Talberth, 2009). Conclusion There are several alternative measures that are suggested to be used to measure the progress and the social well-being of a country. GDP is flawed such that it aids detrimental activities and does not take into account the positive activities of a country. Hence, an alternative that measures not only the market value of final goods and service but which also takes into account the social, economic and environmental factors while calculating the progress of a country is imperative to lead to sustainable development. The current use of GDP leads to more consumption of harmful cigarettes with no emphasis on the environmental degradation from the industrial and business rocesses. Hence, although the economy is progressing in certain spheres of economic activity, it is indeed lagging on sustainable development which requires pollution control, reduced resource usage, better social and income equality. Therefore, alternate measures that take into account all the factors that impact a nation should be developed and the alternative measure that is a composite of all the factors should be used to ensure sustainable develop ment of the economy that reflects progress in daily lives of its citizens. References: 1. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gdp.asp 2. http://zorach.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/why-gdp-gross-domestic-product-is-a-poor-measure-of-wealth-and-prosperity/ 3. (Coztanza, Hart, Posner & Talberth, 2009) – http://www.bu.edu/pardee/files/documents/PP-004-GDP.pdf

Ethical language is meaningless Essay

Ethics is concerned with what is right and what is wrong. Meta-ethics however looks at the language, it asks â€Å"What does it mean to say that something is right or wrong†. In the words of Pojman, â€Å"normative ethics is a philosophical examination of morality, meta-ethics is philosophising about ethics -that is, about the very terms and structure of ethical theories.† I aim to explore the claim that all ethical language is meaningless by looking at some of the common statements used in the ethical language and what they actually mean. Firstly let me take the question itself- what exactly is ethical language? Dr Richard Paul defines ethics as â€Å"a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behaviour helps or harms sentient creatures†. Paul also states that most people confuse ethics with behaving in accordance with people’s religious beliefs and the law, and don’t treat ethics as a stand-alone concept. However, according to the dictionary ethics is defined as the â€Å"study of morality’s effect on conduct: the study of moral standards and how they affect conduct†. With people defining ‘ethics’ in different ways, ethical statements would have contrasting meanings depending on how you viewed the actual term ‘ethical’. This idea of looking into the language of a statement before determining whether the outcome/notion would be right or wrong is called meta-ethics. This view of language limits its meaning to something that can be verified by sense experience (i.e. proven true or false). This view can be found in the works of Wittgenstein in ‘Tractatus’ (1921). This initial view went on to influence a group of philosophers known as the ‘Vienna Circle’ who developed the idea of ‘positivism’. This then influenced A J Ayer who claimed in his publication of ‘Language, Truth and Logic’ that there are only two kinds of proposition being the truths known by definition, and the truths known by reference to sense experience. For example, to Ayer ‘all bachelors are unmarried’ would be known as a tautology because this is correct by definition and thus claims nothing. However, ‘That man is a bachelor’ can be either proven false or true by using external facts (i.e. does he wear a wedding ring etc.). To  Ayer both these statements would be meaningful as they can be proven true. However, an ethical statement such as ‘abortion is wrong’ cannot be verified analytically or synthetically (like the examples before could be) and so aren’t meaningful. On the other hand, F H Bradley argued that the supreme good for mankind was self-realisation, meaning that we choose to go one way or another in life, so that we can join the wider community. Morality to Bradley is about the actions you take which express the character that you are. This is known as metaphysical ethics and is often referred to as depending on two abstract ideas. The first being the world as a whole and the second being self-realisation. Neither of these ideas can be reduced to the sort of empirical evidence that the logical positivists such as Ayer would say, can determine whether it has meaning. Therefore Bradley would say that ethical statements are meaningful. I agree with Bradley in that I can see how you can investigate the world as a whole and individual people’s inner characters I have to disagree with the overall opinion that for a statement to have meaning it must fit into one of two categories. Not everything can be proven through science or experien ce, but that is not to say it does not have meaning to some people. R M Hare agreed with my thoughts as he put forward his approach of ‘Prescriptivism’. He argued that an ethical statement ‘prescribes’ a course of action and tells you what one ought to do. It is stronger than just a suggestion of how to behave, but at the same time is more than a command because commands are related to specific things at specific times, i.e. ‘you should tidy your room’ would have meaning. An ethical statement is a general command of how to behave, making it both prescriptive and universalisable. Therefore one can apply logic to the statement and can deduce whether they should follow the statement or not. Hare would not make the decision so black and white that the statement is either ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ but would instead say ‘yes I think I agree with the statement and I intend to follow what it says’. Therefore these statements are full of meaning as they prescribe how one should act. Having said that, many people would not be happy with the above outcome as it is down to the individual and could arguably make excuses for actions that people may do. By following Ayer’s argument it is much simpler and universal as it is not down to the individual, it is either right or wrong through science and facts. Ayer, an emotivist, also felt that ethical statements are not just expressions of the individual person’s emotion but also of their attitude towards the situation. A good example to use- if I say capital punishment is wrong, it’s because I have an attitude opposed to capital punishment which is formed due to my beliefs. Therefore Ayer compared these ethical statements to the ‘laughs’ and ‘boos and hisses’ the ‘cheers’ and the ‘screams’ that people may voice in the audience of a debate. The statements are meaningless and add no weight to the situation. For example, saying that charity is good you are saying â€Å"hoorah for charity work† and nothing more. We would simply be expressing our attitude towards that topic or situation, and in the words of Ayer â€Å"I am not making any factual statement†¦ I am merely expressing certain moral sentiments.† Moral and ethical arguments serve no real purpose as everyone has their own opinion but who are we to say which opinion is right? We cannot know from people’s own expressions whether a moral statement is right or wrong, and therefore will come to no outcome so all ethical statements are meaningless. C.L Stevenson took this further and developed Ayer’s emotivism. Stevenson felt that whilst People’s subjective opinions are often based on objective facts so meaningful ethical discourse could take place. For example; if I say war is wrong it is my opinion and purely subjective. However if we say that war is wrong because 10000 people were killed innocently that is objective and factual evidence as to why so many people believe war is wrong. Therefore ethical statements can be meaningful. Ethical statements also include a persuasive element, which encourages other people to adopt the same attitudes/beliefs as us. Here Stevenson bridges both prescriptivism and emotivism together, and believes that ethical statements are meaningful. My opinion, however, would be that most people in society would be able to recognise that an ethical statement such as â€Å"It is wrong to murder† is prescribing a course of action that will benefit the rest of society. I  agree with R M Hare that an ethical statement is meaningful as it provides a guide as to how you should go about your daily lives. Language in general can have several meanings, but this still means each has a meaning. Ethical statements are made up of language, therefore each statement in my opinion is meaningful. You cannot make the decision of whether ethical language has meaning purely based on logic and evidence through experience- some things cannot be reduced to these categories, but that does not mean some people don’t consider this language as meaningless.

Ethics Final Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics Final - Term Paper Example However, the challenge of the project lies with its side effects to the locals and to the environment. The keystone pipeline project entails transportation of oil from the extraction site to the storage facilities, hence passing through many regions before reaching final destination. Therefore, it has many disadvantages based on its environmental degradation in the areas. Similarly, the process of extracting oils is very difficult and risky to the locals in cases measures are not placed to curb any uncertainty that may arise (Figueiredo and Brent 8). Hence, many factors require consideration before embarking on the project. Accommodating different players involved will be crucial in the management of the project and reducing the negative impacts associated with it. One of the key people for the successful implementation of this project are engineers who have different function. One of the roles of engineers is to conduct an environmental assessment to evaluate all the claims that might hinder the implementation of the project (Figueiredo and Brent 8). It is true that oil pipelines are hazardous, especially when they break and leak into the environment. Their impacts are always immense and make people oppose them whenever they hear about their construction. Therefore, engineers must conduct an environmental assessment to determine risk and mitigation measures. Secondly, engineers have a role of informing the community where the pipeline is to be constructed on the benefits of the projects. They also need to know the risk involved and their duties for the success of the project (Figueiredo and Brent 8). This will be essential since it will give the locals an opportunity to contribute and participate in the construction of the projects. Creating awareness to the surrounding communities is critical to the implementation of any project since it becomes inclusive, and people have to give

All Peptide Hormones after Cell Function by Phosphorylation, while Essay

All Peptide Hormones after Cell Function by Phosphorylation, while Steroid Act by Alerting Gene Expression - Essay Example For instance, endocrine signaling involves the secretion of specific hormonal signals in the blood stream which are then distributed to other parts of the body. The first messenger molecule cannot pass through the target cell membrane, but instead are bound by specific receptors. Intracellular communication takes place when receptors activate secondary messengers or signaling proteins which convey those signals through chemical reaction to the nucleus of the cell (Marks, 2008). Proteins are the key signal processors in a cell. The incredible structural flexibility and chemical reactivity offers characteristic signal transduction property i.e., signals movement inside from outside of the cell, to all proteins. The input signals allow conformational changes in the structure altering the specific protein functions and cellular activity. Proteins capable of binding to a phosphate molecule are called phospho-proteins, and play a central role in the signaling pathway regulating various cel lular processes. Protein phosphorylation or phosphoregulation is a reversible process which regulates the protein function by covalent modification. To switch between phosphorylized and dephosphorylized states, specific kinase (tyrosine, serine/threonine) and phosphatase enzymes act respectively. Phosphorylation may either increase or decrease activity depending on specific type of enzyme. The affinity towards interacting cohort protein, enzymatic action, and subcellular localization and other functional changes are altered by protein phosphorylation (Goto, Kiyono and Inagaki, 2007). As a signaling molecule, proteins have a receiver and a transmitter module. In order to recognize and decode a specific signal, the receiver requires prior information for that signal which has to be either obtained or is genetically fixed. To coordinate signal and its exact implication, differentiation occurs exclusively in the receptor cells or target proteins. For instance, adrenaline hormonal signal has different meanings for different target tissues or target proteins control various functional consequences of phosphorylation. The intercellular signaling molecules including peptides, amino acids, amines and proteins cannot enter cell membrane and thus interact with receptors on the surface. The output signal transduction in receptor proteins results in a conformational alterations which are then differentiated by other signal transducing proteins along the pathway such as G-proteins. The chemical interactions taking place as a result of signal reception are not definite sequences, but rather diffused and complex excitation patterns (King, 2012). The hormones secreted by endocrine tissues get attached to particular plasma carrier proteins and composites are then distributed to distant parts. The receptors in the responding tissues have very high affinity for hormones and regulate metabolism of target through a coupled process. The receptors for amino acid and peptide hormones are mostly present on the cell membrane. Signal transducing receptors are classified into receptors with ability to enter cell membrane such as tyrosine kinases, tyrosine phosphatases and serine/threonine kinases, serpentine receptors which are coupled such as adrenergic and odorant receptors, and nuclear or intracellular receptors such as steroid

Economic Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Economic Geography - Essay Example The first aspect of economic geography is depicted by the presence of international trade of solar panels between the Chinese firms and the American customers. The fact that products are manufactured in a different locality from one it is being sold at, is a great example of the aspect of economic geography. Additionally, the article states that Chinese firms are opting to assemble their products with parts bought from a different location. This, strangely enough, guards them against being impacted by the tariffs. This change in location for acquiring raw materials is also an aspect of economic geography. Aside from this rather clever tactic, other firms are opting to increase their interaction with their foreign supply chains. Simply, they ship their components to foreign countries to be manufactured into cells only to ship them back to china. As such, before the product reaches the final consumer it would have transverse between three or more countries. Simply put, the Chinese products have their components manufactured elsewhere, and then the components are in turn assembled in a different country and finally, the finished product is sold in a different country. This intrinsic web of change of localities is an excellent illustration on economic geography. This article offers two contradictory assertions, these being based on the overall impact of the tariffs. The article gives conclusive evidence backing this stance. The decision by the commission seems to be ill-informed.

Supreme Court Winery Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supreme Court Winery Decision - Essay Example It is plausible to note that the ruling destroyed the distribution chain by the wine fabricating companies including chain stores, wholesalers, and retailers (Bravin A1). The system reduced benefits since it boosts unemployment in the United States. Although the decision might create a new market niche for the country’s products, the benefits are enjoyed at the expense of collapse of local infant/inefficient industries. Kantianism suggests that although some actions could bring about more happiness than the others could, there is a possibility of being prohibited. Based on this principle, the Supreme Court ruling was morally upright since it encouraged equality, transparency, and fairness in the market. In fact, if all states and countries could act and emulate the earlier ruling, then globalization together with its benefits could be a nightmare. There is the essence of collaboration and competition in the market, which benefits all market participants. The earlier law did not respect the goals of the human being but rather was used to protect the local industries and presumed consumption of alcohol by young Americans. According to Kantianism theory, the moral of an action does not depend on whether the presumed action is wrong or right on their consequences, but rather on whether such action fulfills its duty (Bravin A6). Out-of-state wineries can still conduct online businesses with their customers in a socially accepted manner. Tax is a fundamental ingredient to the government that assures benefits to the greatest majorities. In this perspective, online out-of-sale wineries would be considered dealing in a moral perspective only if they contribute a significant amount of the profits as tax to the government to support the establishment and creation of public goods.  

Ethical issues in Health Care Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical issues in Health Care Management - Essay Example One of the most baffling and difficult potential causes for ethical issues in the healthcare system is the doctor-patient relationship. Let’s take for example a fictitious healthcare center. In any case the issue of doctor-patient relationship can extend much more in reality and can indulge even the healthcare personnel – nurses, caregivers and medical assistants. We can discover multi-layer ethical issues arising on the grounds of giver-receiver relation. This relationship is radically distinctive in the sense that one has the advantage of possessing certain knowledge and the other is exposed, vulnerable and intimidated to trust. In order to prevent misuse of the giver (medical personnel and doctors) and imposing his dominance over the receiver (the patient) ethic codes and value must be solidly instilled. There are several causes for ethical issues in the doctor – patient model. The first cause is the information availability. We can look at two examples. On one hand due to the nature of the healthcare institution, the personnel is able to extract details from the patient which is any other situation would be considered invasive. Thus, the healthcare institution is obliged to keep high confidentiality to preserve the patients’ rights and privacy. On the other hand, possessing the knowledge allows doctors to withhold sensitive information in order to protect the patient. A fine line needs to be created and ethical codes in healthcare centers try to achieve the ethical violations. Klugman and Dalinis (2008) give a distinctive commentary on the healthcare issues and practices in the rural areas and how they differ from the urban settings. They comment that rural practitioners are physically placed in small, closed communities where socializing with their patients is necessary outside of the healthcare center. Residents in the rural areas have different

Can managers develop the 'culture' of their organisations Critically Essay

Can managers develop the 'culture' of their organisations Critically discuss - Essay Example It is only logical that organizations and companies have good managers that management can be termed efficient.4 In light with this, organizations or companies could develop their own culture where they have unique management system that is different from other. Such kind of management ensures that the top management does not necessary have to follow the usual protocol of management.5 In fact, some of the best rated companies in terms of management are that have developed their own culture in working and dealing with their employees. Simply, they have better working conditions and the employees are motivated in numerous ways as compared to other organizations or companies. Of importance to note is that, organization culture entails behaviours that are prevailing beliefs, practises and thought. Some of these fundamentals might deter the improvement of an organization if leaders and managers do not embark on a program to support this improvement.6 It is worthwhile that for this to be a chievable, certain strategies must put in place. These strategies entail employment relationship, theory and practise, finding alternative ways to high performance in work places, transformation of personnel roles to fit the current management programme, over and above, the impact of human resource management in an organization.7 Employment Relationship Employment relationship is a legal term that is used globally to denote the relationship between the employee and the employer under certain conditions that incorporate remuneration. Through this employment relationship, rights and obligations are created between employee and employers.8 Apparently, this relationship continues to facilitate a route in which employees are could be able to access their rights and benefits associated with employment in respect to labour laws and social security. In general, employment relationship is the periphery of determining the origin and extent in which employers are mandated to treat their employ ees.9 Of importance to note is that, this relationship has drastically changed with reference to the labour market. Some of the new forms of relationships that are being created have loopholes especially on the increasing number of employees whose employment status is unclear. With numerous labour institutions working on the need for standardization, it is evident that an employment relationship is crucial to both the employees and employers. 10Consequently, an organization or company must be able to handle this kind of relationship with ultimate care to ensure that it carries the best of interest from either side.11 For instance, any organization should ensure that all its employees have clear employment details in respect of the International Labour law and any other law that is applicable.12 Their rights as human beings and workers should be respected at all cost. Through this, organization is certain of embracing it own culture that could be different from firms, organizations a nd companies that do not embrace the employment relationship.13 Empowerment, Theory and Practise Employment theories and practises are crucial plan

Breakdown of Venezuelan Democracy Research Paper

Breakdown of Venezuelan Democracy - Research Paper Example This began in the 1960s when Venezuela got democratic presidents who steered the country on a path of democratic reforms (Levine, â€Å"Transition† 49). During this period, Venezuela emerged as a model democracy in the Latin America region, which was plagued with undemocratic governments and weak social policies. The democratic presidents that served Venezuela between the 1960s and the 1990s placed Venezuela on a path for growth of democracy as well as the economy (Golinger 23). During this period, the people of Venezuela enjoyed better incomes because of the effective policies and governance that was in place. However, the period of Venezuelan democracy was short-lived. The crumbling of the democracy in Venezuela started showing in the 1970s and 1980s when corruption became rife. This corruption was mainly fuelled by the growing revenues from the country’s main resources, oil. This growing corruption adversely affected the gains made in the previous years and led to the decline of President Carlos Andrà ©s Pà ©rez’s credibility, which led to his impeachment and imprisonment (Golinger 24-25). A new president, Rafael Caldera took over power but did not make any major positive changes to the country. This ultimately led to his defeat in the 1998 elections by Hugo Chà ¡vez., who was president until his death in 2013.

British Airways Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

British Airways - Essay Example The concept of organizations developing to global citizenship has been developed in the recent past to ensure that organizations have an input on the societies they are in. Usually, the main purpose of why an organization exists is to make profit for the shareholders. However, this is not all, organizations are obliged to take care of the people that sustain it in different aspects ion order to have a corporate social responsibility. Therefore, according to the World Economic Forum, corporate global citizenship refers to the adoption of real and lasting contributions by a corporate body to societies apart from making profits for the shareholders. The organization should be able to take care of the stakeholders at all levels, these includes the customers, the suppliers, the community in which they operate, aid organizations and governments. It is becoming clear that the act of corporate global citizenship is becoming a corporate norm. The organizations have been under intense pressure to comply with the community expectations ad at the same time remain profitable, the pressure may not be direct but it is evident. This concept has in the recent years shifted from the acts of philanthropy, public relations or legal compliance to become more of a corporate strategy with an aim of creating a corporate name for the organization driven by values. It is therefore necessary for companies to adhere to these provisions in order to maintain not only a corporate image but also a social image that demonstrates to the world that the organization has an input. A company that is a good global citizen should be capable of participating in community development as well as supporting the government through developments. (Nelson, 2005).. Such a company should be able to devote its resources in developing the community around them; this ca n be majorly done through initiation of projects and programs that facilitate development. Global Citizenship Policy of British Airways The airline has reached the community in several different ways. Firstly, they have developed a charitable affiliation called Flying Start that is a joint initiative with Comic Relief. The main purpose of the aid organization is to help children undergoing through hard times across the world. The organization has left a big mark in the lives of many children and their families all around the globe. The second initiative is the establishment of a Community Learning Centre, which was opened around 1999 and has seen more than seventy eight thousand people get training (British Airways 2012). The centre has focused on training the community on information and communication technology, environmental education, language trainings, and customer service among others. The airline has also been on the forefront in supporting charitable organizations both loca lly and internationally, so far they have reached out in support for over forty organizations. One major and recurring impact has been through Dream Flight, which takes seriously ill children and disabled from the United Kingdom for a vacation to Orlando, United States. There is support accorded to street children through a program called Railway Children, several children found in the streets and especially those who live on railway platforms in the United Kingdom have benefited. The airline goes beyond to take care of the wild life through the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust that takes care of orphaned wildlife in Kenya; the initiative has played a critical role in the conservation of elephants (British Airways 2012). British Airways has developed a number of partnerships with the community where they have an input in the development both within the United Kingdom and within other countries. The major areas that the airline has focused on include, in education and youth development , colleague engagements, conservation and emergencies. The staff is very instrumental in providing

Expensive purchase Essay Example for Free

Expensive purchase Essay I bought my first laptop when I was doing my bachelors and when the circuits shorted out on the laptop and the engineer at the service center told me that it would be too expensive to replace the motherboard, I had to make a decision as to whether I was going to buy a second laptop or a desktop. My first laptop had been Toshiba and I had been to the service center several times in the past to get replacements for the first laptop now and then. All that time the service center had provided a level of service that was beyond reproach. As a result when I found out that the first laptop was not going to work any more, I did not go shopping any more. I began to check out the prices at the sales center that was also part of the service center. There was one model of Toshiba that was particularly cheap and I immediately purchased that model knowing full well that if anything went wrong, the people here provided great after sales service. But still, immediately after purchase I began to have doubts as to whether I had done the right thing. But the doubts began to evaporate as I began to use the model which had several additional features that the previous model did not have. The service center sent me a letter of appreciation a few days later to thank me for the purchase and to assure me of their continuing cooperation. Now all doubts were laid to rest. It is clear from the above that I had developed a brand loyalty for Toshiba. When the first laptop stopped working finally, I could have gone shopping for other models such as Dell. But I decided to stay with Toshiba because they had provided such wonderful support during the four and a half years that I had used the first laptop. Toshiba representatives had always been there to give me advice on how to best proceed whenever I needed a decision to make about replacing some part of the previous laptop. This makes me think that computer hardware manufacturers must focus on making their after sales services the best that they can. This area represents the core of competitiveness in the computer hardware manufacturing industry. An important factor that helped to resolve my doubts about making such an expensive purchase was also the warranty. There were lots of second-hand laptops available which were much cheaper. But if something went wrong with those laptops, then there would not be any services available to fix the problems. Toshiba had provided such great services during the years I had used the first laptop that I had no doubts that the best thing to do was to buy a second Toshiba laptop. The process by which Toshiba had gained a loyal customer like me was to follow the marketing strategy of providing not only a product of high quality but also high quality support throughout the life-cycle of the product.

The Good Governance In Public Sectors Politics Essay

The Good Governance In Public Sectors Politics Essay Principles of good governance in the public sector are very important because it builds a relationship with people in the community. These principles are based on support, respect, communication, fairness, predictability and competence. The first section of this essay will discuss all of them in detail because they all lead into each other. Support is a good principle because if you do not support the public they could turn on you and put someone else in power that will support them and listen to their needs. Support helps build confidence in the public sector by giving the people what they need and want. If the people are happy with you, you will gain their respect, which leads to my next point. Respect begets respect because without it, you could be put out of power, but if you respect the public, the public will respect you and the decisions you have made. You could also get ideas from the public if you listen to and respect their input, which helps you tend to their needs and wants. This could also help you in staying in power for a longer period because you are communicating with the public, which brings in my next point communication. Communication is the interaction of people, who create meaningful interaction together as a team. This is very important in the public sector because you need to communicate with th e public and receive feedback from them before you can make decisions on any matter. The reason for this is so you can make the right decisions. In this way, the communities are happy and know that they are being treated fairly. Fairness is my next point. Fairness is important because you have to treat everyone equally. You do this because it is right to give everybody an equal say in what is happening because they are the ones who have to live with the choices made. Furthermore, if the community gives an idea that you use, give the community the credit and recognition that they deserve. In this way, the community will say that you are fair in your decision-making processes. So, always consider what everyone has to say and be fair to all of them by giving everyone a fair chance. My next point is predictability. Predictability means that you know what someone is going to do before thy do it. In the public sector, it is good because if you know what problems are going to arise, you ca n have an effective plan to deal with the problem before it becomes severe. You can predict what the peoples needs and wants are and supply it to them without wasting any time. This leads into my final topic, which is competence. Competence is the ability to do something very well. It is important because you have to know what you need to do for your job and you need to do it right. If you are competent, the community will see that you know what you are doing and they will trust you and the decisions that you make because they will believe that you have their best interests at heart. There are three separations of powers in the government. They are legislative authority, executive authority and judicial authority. They all have different responsibilities and duties to the public and this section will discuss all of them. To start, legislative authority is going to be discussed. The legislative authority in a democratic society is responsible for the orderly conduct of that society. Legislative authority plays a leading role in the process of state administration, by means of the law of the country and the budget of the rising expenditure and revenue. Parliament is the legislative authority of South Africa. Therefore, the legislative authority has the power to create laws for the country in accordance with the Constitution. It consists of the National Assembly, the National Council of provinces and sittings are open to the public. These laws apply only in the boundaries of the province. The following are some of the functional domains with regard to which the prov inces can make laws: agriculture, environment and local government. The legislative authority at local government level is vested in the municipal council which has the power to make bylaws. Such bylaws may not be inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:146) This ends legislative authority and continues with judicial authority. Judicial authorities main goal is to guarantee the rights and freedoms of the individual and to preserve the sovereignty of the lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Judicial authority of the Republic vests in the courts. The judiciary is independent, impartial and subject only to the Constitutions and the law. No person and no organ of state may interfere with judicial officers in the performance of their functions. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:147) The judicial authority of the Republic vests in the courts, the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court, the Magistrates Court and other courts. The judicial authority has the power to give more rights to the people. Some of the rights they gave are the right to life, the right to human dignity, the right to privacy and many more. Judicial authority has a definite influence on the Public Protector. The executive authority is the next and final power. The executive authority consists of a variety of public executive institutions established by some law or government decision and which are financial either wholly or partly from state funds. These executive institutions are referred to as the public service. The public has to execute the laws of the country and function as part of the public sector. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:153) All the powers are different and the have there own goal in mind but all are linked to one greater goal and that is to make South Africa a better place. Every government institution makes an indispensable contribution to the ultimate goal of the state, namely the advancement of the general welfare of society. For this reason, there is a relationship of interdependence between the respective government structures and institutions. This relationship of interdependence implies interaction between the respective government structures and institutions. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:161) Coordination and liaison between the respective authorities and executive institutions, is of great importance. To date, a number of intergovernmental structures have been told to promote and facilitate co-operative government and intergovernmental relations between the respective spheres of government. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:162) These include an Intergovernmental Forum (IGF), Ministerial Forums, Intergovernmental Forums and the Department of Constitutional Development. Approaches to governmental relations are Constitutional or legal approach , Democratic approach, Financial approach and Normative operational approach. Vertical intergovernmental relations can be divided into three. They are relations between the central government and provincial governments, relations between the central government and local governments and relations between the provincial government and local governments. Horizontal relations between government institutions refer to relations between institutions at the same level, and they are particularly important for public managers. At local government level, horizontal relations take place mainly through, among others things, municipal associations and cooperation agreements. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:164) Extra-governmental relations are relations between government institutions and external institutions. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:164) The categories of relations that can be distinguished are social, politics, economics and institutional. There are four factors that may influence go vernmental relations, they are organisation of government institutions, decentralisation, fiscal and financial variables and personnel and human resources problems. Public versus private management. The differences and similarities. Private businesses are run for a profit and public institutions are not, but they are run for the general welfare. In the private sector, the various businesses compete with one another but the public institutions are basically monoplies. Private businesses can become involved in any activity not prohibited by legislations, while public institutions may only carry out functions or exercise competencies expressly delegated to them by the laws of our country. The nature and scope of services or products provided by the public sector are smaller in extent than those provided by government institutions. The transactions of private institutions usually known only to the owner or shareholder and are not divulged to the public while the actions of public institutions should always take place in the open.(Southern Business School, 2007:73) The differences are that legislation plays a prominent role; it is financed by the pub lic funds and is not non profit-oriented; it is directed by politics; accountability to the public is of prime importance; the focus in the public sector; the principles of public administration plays an important role and the method of allocating functions in the public sector is frequently based more on political considerations that on pure efficiency. The similarities are both comprise people and fixed personnel regulations are therefore required, work programmes methods and systems are the same, organisational arrangements and structures for providing time and staff functions delegation of authority coordination and communication are more or less the same, management principals, techniques, functions and skills are generic to both sectors, both follow standard accounting principals and control measures are applicable to both to ensure that predetermined objectives are achieved. Those are the differences and similarities of public and private management. Although there is a broad spectrum of disciplines which can be involved with considerable success. We will focus only on those disciplines that seem more approachable. They are Political Science, Economics, Developmental Administration/ Management, Etnology, Management Science and Sociology. Political Science can be defined as the scientific study of politics. Fields and subfields of Political Science include political theory and philosophy, national political systems, international politics, public administration, political institutions and political behaviour. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61) Political Science studies the public or government sector in terms of its political context, as opposed to Public Administration, which concentrates on the internal functioning of executive government institutions (Cloete, 1986 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61). Economics studies individuals as economic entities and their behaviour in economic affairs that is how they use scarce resou rces (Cloete, 1986, in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61). According to Cloete, Public Administration and Economics are inextricably linked. Development Administration developed as a specialised field of study from Public Administration. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61) Public Administration may well be concerned with the overall improvement of living standards. It implies development but a need nonetheless exists for a discipline specialising developmental principles and morals. Ethnology aims at creating a better understanding of developing communities. In this way, insight is gained into the way of life and institutions of different racial groups, including the way in which they conduct their public affairs. (Cloete, 1986 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:61) According to Cronje, Neuland and van Reenen (1987 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:62), management science studies private enterptises in the search for ways to improve their functioning. Sociology involves the study of numerous institutions and other phenomence encountered in human society. (Cloete, 1986 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:62) There are various disciplines in Public Administration and new theories and approaches develop as a result of the interaction between academics and practitioners who study and practice the individual disciplines. Successful management of an institution is closely related to the way people are managed in that institution and it is important that managers understand the individuals in the institution. A manager has to be a psychologist, sociologist, anthropologist and political scientist all at the same time to understand and motivate your employees. There are three guidelines a manager needs to follow. They are guidelines from the body politic, guidelines from community values and prescribed guidelines. Guidelines from the body politic includes political supremacy which is ministers are the political head of public institutions and therefore have authority over the actions of officials, public accountability which includes the public responsibility of the legislative judicial an executive authorities with regard to service delivery and conduct which is in the public interest and tenets of democracy which implies that those who govern must not abuse the power vested in them in their personal in terest or in the interest of one population group only and that deliberations and consultations with the community must take place. Guidelines from communities values include religious doctrines and values systems, fairness and reasonableness, balanced decision-making, thoroughness, probity and honesty, and efficiency and effectiveness. Prescribed guidelines includes legal rules which is every action of a public official must be within the limits of enabling provisions of Acts and regulations, fundamental rights which are binding on all legislative and executive organs of state at all levels of government and it provide for equality, the right to life and respect for protection of dignity, Code of ethics or conduct which specialist unit within the public sector has a set of guidelines governing conduct, the conduct usually do not have any legal authority, but are simply guidelines that have been formed over time, right to information held by the state which is provided in terms of s ection 32 of the Constitution is also important with regard to internal ethical conduct, Just administration action is the normative principles of Public Administration. Measures to prevent unethical conduct are training and development of officials by means of courses, among other things, control measures and checkpoints, participation in departmental decision making, the elimination of excessive secrecy, media coverage of unethical conduct, politically dishonest officials can be removed during elections, the public service commission, the auditor general in his / her capacity, the public protector who looks after the interest of the public, administrative law and legal rules and a code of ethics or conduct for every profession, occupational group and field of activity. There are three different environmental levels in the public institution. The levels are macro-level or general level, the intermediate level and the micro-level or specific level. Micro-environment or internal environment is defined in more specific operational terms. Kast and Rosenzweig (1974 in Van der Walt and Du Toit, 1999:102) define the internal level as an attempt to classify and describe the focus that have an influence on the institution specifically. (Schwella 1983 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:102) describes the micro-environment as that part of general environment that is potentially relevant for the setting of objectives. The specific environment is thus more concrete than the general environment. It may directly influence the availability of resources to be the organisational unit. The influences it may have include supplying, withholding, decreasing or increasing the recourse used by the institution (Van der Waldt, 1992 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:102). Th e core components of micro environment is mission, goal, strategy, resources, institutional culture, inter regulars, external regulators and information. The intermediate environment or task or client environment induces al institutions, groups, individuals and influences with which the institution has direct outward interaction because public institutions are essentially providers of services. The community should be the most important component of the intermediate environment. Another intermediate environmental component is regulators that control and regulate the relationship between an institution, its suppliers, clients and competitors. Regulators include policy, laws, procedures and standardsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Opportunities and threats in the intermediate environment pg102 have a direct implication for the functioning and management of an institution.(Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:102) Intermediaries or facilitation acts as agents linking the macro and micro-environment. Another factor that plays a significant role in the provision of services is ethical norms and standards that are derived from the community. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:102) According to Schwella (1991 in Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:100) the macro- or general environment level consists of political, economic, legal, social, cultural and technological components. It includes influences outside the boundaries of the institution that is all factors external to the institutions micro- and intermediate environments that influence the functioning of both these environments. It is important to note that these environmental components are interdependent and that there are no absolute distinctions between them. Events in one environment can lead to changes in environments. (Van der Waldt and Du Toit, 1999:101) Before, public managers were expected to present good ideas about which director the state should take, to decide on courses of action or goals to be accomplished and to use their influence or control to sway the opinions and the views of the staff in that certain direction. A more modern approach indicates that the future leader will be someone who assists the organisation in understanding its needs and potential combines and formats the vision of the group and catalyses the occurrence of group action. The leader will also not just be the head, but will play out every ones roles. Future public managers will need to be able to do certain things by utilising, among others, the following skills and abilities: leadership, deliberation and the skills associated with it viz. mediation, teamwork, negotiation and problem-solving etc. in various cultural settings; communication skills such as written, graphic, oral, technological and foreign languages; the skill of gathering, analysing and evaluating information; being able to critically (using different views and opinions), creatively (having the ability to come up with different ideas) and ethically (not infringing on anyones rights and moral obligations) reason; human relations i.e. dealing with staff, clients etc., which is vital for attaining success in a world that is so diverse in culture and ever changing; commit themselves to their own physical, emotional and psychological wellness, as well as that of others around them; have the ability to appreciate the human experience as being diverse which includes activ ities that are aesthetic and creative; display behaviour that is in accordance with the ethical principals and civic virtues normally displayed by good and responsible citizens of the immediate community, the state or province, the nation and ultimately the world; thinking critically, creatively as well as ethically; interpersonal (with themselves), intra-group (within a specific group) and inter-group (amongst different groups) skills which are important for attaining success in a world so complex; etc. According to Fox et al. (1991) and McCurdy (1995), a public manager has to adopt some new attitudes, which go against the rigid and bureaucratic inclinations of the past. (Southern Business School, 2007:118 119) They suggest that a public manager should become a crusader, an organiser, a pro-active policy formulator, a social change agent, a crises manager, a humanitarian, an interest broker, etc. for this they will need to be critical and honest about themselves and their own positions and allow personal change.

The Concept Of Research Design Information Technology Essay

The Concept Of Research Design Information Technology Essay In this chapter we will cover the research questions concerning the impact of CRM implementation on company performance. In the first section, we will explain the concept of research design and the different research designs types. In the second section, we will define the research design that we will use in our thesis. First, we will define the problem and explain the objectives of our studies. Second we will define the research method that we are using. Third, we will explain the different concept of scaling. Fourth, the will explain the design of the questionnaire and the sampling process. Section 1: The concept of research design In this section we will explain the different concept and methodologies of the research design in order to use the correct research design type in our thesis. 1. Research design The research design is defined as a framework with specific procedures for collecting and analyzing the necessary data from different sources, allowing the identification of the research problem (Emory and Cooper, 1991). The successful research design should cover the following tasks: it should define the research problem, select the required information when it is needed, specify the measurement and scaling procedures, make a pre-test questionnaire, define the sampling process and the sample size, select the correct plan for data analysis and tabulation, define the time and financial constraints and follow up on the completed research study ( Brierty and Al,1998). The Nature of the study defines which research method should be adopted. It exist three different types of research, the exploratory, the descriptive or the causal. 1.2 The exploratory Research type The objective of exploratory research is to help the researcher to understand the problem situation. The results of using this type of research are guidelines for a better comprehension of the problem and encouragement of the personal explanation and creativity of the researcher (Sudman and Blair, 1997). Usually the exploratory research is used for the following reasons: developing hypotheses, in case we dont know much information about the research issue, to isolate the variables and relationships for advanced examination, for positioning studies, familiarization with customers, to establish precedence for auxiliary research, getting new ideas, to describe process, to defines a problem more specifically and developing an approach to the problem. The exploratory research is necessary when the information is loosely defined that leads to unstructured working format. This type of research allows high flexibility in the research, since it allows changes in the procedures and protocols (Tull and Hawkins,1993). In addition the exploratory research can be divided into four categories: expert surveys, secondary data analysis, pilot studies. First, the expert surveys are conducted by consulting persons that have experience in a specific field, which help the researcher to collect technical data about the studied subject. Second, secondary data analysis is based on another research area which is economical and ready to use. Secondary data help the researcher to identify and define the research problem, to develop clear research design approach for the problem, to allow analyzing the primary data more astutely and to answers some research questions (Malhotra, 1996). Third, pilot studies are small scale exploratory researches that are used to understand the research problem setting (Zikmund, 2000). In general the exploratory research use the focus group , which is an interview conducted with a small group of respondent in a free-flowing manner. Focus groups have many advantages, since it is much quicker to collect information compared to interviewing individuals, the level of excitement increase when the topic stimulates the respondents, the discussion is usually recorded and the researcher can refer to it later, the moderator controls the discussion and he doesnt allow respondents to deviate the topic, respondents feel more comfortable in group discussions and they will express their personal ideas more freely which produce a wide range of information and ideas. In other hand, focus groups have some disadvantages, since they are difficult to moderate and sometimes they are misjudged , results can be misused and can be considered not to be representative of the whole population (Malhotra,1996). 1.3 The descriptive research type The descriptive research is used to describe a phenomena and it studies the relationship between variables (Churchill, 1998). The descriptive research should be the most accurate as possible allowing the understanding of the research problem. The results of successful descriptive studies can answer any question with high precision. The descriptive research is used for the following reasons: for define the perceptions of problem characteristics, to explain the decision making process and its impacts, to get specific predictions, to explain the characteristics of groups such as customers and organizations, and to determine the differences in needs among subgroups. The descriptive research is characterized by the formulations of explicit hypotheses, which leads to a research design more structured and contains several statistical methodologies. In addition, the descriptive research can be applied using four different methods: panels, secondary data, observational data and surveys. First, the panels are group of people that answers to a number of telephone interviews or mail or personal interviews for a period of time. The observation includes recording the behavior of the respondents in a methodical way to obtain the needed information about a proposed problem. Second, the surveys include interviews with a number of people by using a questionnaire about the studied subject (Tull and Hawkins,1993). 1.3 The causal research type The causal research type is to recognize the cause and effect relationship between the variables in the problem model. In general, the descriptive and the exploratory research lead the way for cause and effect relationship studies. The descriptive research allows examining the associations between variables, and the causal research explain the relation between those variables, for example a change in one variable affects the other variables. The causal research can be used in the following cases: to define which variables are the cause, the independent variables, and which variables is the effect, the dependent variables, of a phenomenon, and to explain the nature of relationship between the dependent and the independent variables. The causal research has a structured design and should be carefully planned. The design explain how several independent variables are manipulated to see its effect on the dependent variables in a well-defined environment (Malhotra, 1996). The causal research has some disadvantages, since it is expensive, difficult to administer, doesnt reflect the real population opinions (Walker et al., 1999). 2. Selecting the research approach In general, the nature of research and the researcher personal discretion defines which research design should be adopted in the study (Zikmund, 2000). The previous researches can direct the researcher to the right direction for choosing the correct research design. In general, it is always recommended to start the research design using the exploratory research if the research problem is of an ambiguous nature. Researchers use the descriptive research when they are aware of the research problem but they need more understanding of the different aspects of the problem. In case of the research problem is clearly defined, the researchers use the causal research method. The exploratory research allows forming hypothesis and the causal or descriptive research are used to statistically test the hypothesis. In order to choose the correspondent research approach it is very important to compare every approach characteristics, and to choose the research method based on logical examination of the research problem aspects. The purpose of our study is to determine the impacts of changes resulting from the implementation of the CRM solution on the Lebanese firms performance. In addition, we will use the exploratory research to formulate the hypothesis and the causal research since we will evaluate the effects of the CRM on the firm. In order to achieve the required results of the study, the researcher should define the stages of activity which must be worked through to achieve a reliable study (Johnson, 1994). Those steps are : establish the purpose of the study, identify the specific objectives of the study, define the research method, develop the research instrument and access, collect the required data, ordering the data, analyzing the data, writing results and conclusion. The measurement procedure is defined by assigning numbers to the different aspects of objects based on certain pre-defined rules, to produce accurate data (Malhotra, 1996). In our thesis, we use statistical numbers to analyze and communicate the responses of the employees and the customers. In addition, scaling allows the generation of a continuum upon which measured objects are located (Malhotra, 1996). Section 2: The research design In this section we will define the research design that we will adopt in our thesis. We will explain all the aspects of the adopted research design. 3. Problem definition: The research problem is divided into different interconnected steps allowing the researcher to deeply study the proposed subject and it defines the direction of the study. The challenge that researchers face in the research problem definition is that the defined should not be defined too broadly or too narrowly. The caution should be exercised when defining the problem to avoid defining a symptom instead of the real problem (Cravens, 2000). The purpose of our study is to evaluate the impact of changes brought by the implementation of CRM on the firm performance in the Lebanese market. Firms are implementing CRM to increase their competitive advantages. This implementation has several impacts on firm performance, such as financially (Profits and ROI), customer loyalty and employees productivity. From here we will study the impact of CRM implementation on firm performance. 4. The objectives. In order to achieve the required results from the study, researchers need to have clear understanding of the research purpose (Sigmund, 2000). The main objective of our research is to evaluate the impact of CRM implementation on the firm. The success of CRM process starts with the implementation phase, by including the entire firm departments in the implementation and by focusing on the processes re-engineering. The research objectives are defined as following: the importance of change management plan before implementing a CRM system, the importance of people in the CRM, the importance of customer satisfaction, the ROI of the CRM implementation and the productivity of the employees. The managers having experience with the implementation of CRM provides the research with the necessary background information and the employees working the CRM (customer service) solution provide us with the necessary operation information. 5. The Problem definition After the implementation of CRM in the firm, the managers in the Lebanese organizations cannot evaluate the impact of the CRM Solution on their organization performance. The evaluation of the CRM starts from the implementation phase before going to the after implementation phase. The managers cannot define clear criteria for controlling the results of CRM on the firm. Furthermore, the reason is that the impacts of CRM cannot be viewed directly and it requires a long period to see tangible results. In order to clearly define the problem researchers need to view the problem from different aspects. The first issue that we need to evaluate after the implementation of CRM is the success of the implementation. This can be evaluated by studying the change management strategy adopted. Based on our literature review, most of the projects failures are due to the absence of clear change management strategy. The second to evaluate is how the CRM affected the firm performance; this can be evaluated by studying the customer retention and satisfaction in addition to the employee productivity. In order to define all the dimensions of the problem, a questionnaire should be prepared. In the questionnaire we will include all the objectives of our study. First we will focus how to manage an information technology driven change in the firm from the change management perspective (change management strategy, planning and budget). Second, we will study the impact of CRM on people in the organization (Training, evaluating their productivity and rewarding) and resistance problem. Third, the questionnaire will include the importance of customers background and satisfaction in CRM implementation (Customers trends, and customers feedback). At the end, we will the study the Return on investment of CRM. Our research will evaluate different change aspects resulting from the implementation of CRM in the Lebanese firms. 6. Research methods In this section will explain the research method that we will adopt in our thesis. We will define the work field and the different aspects of the research methods. 6.1 Surveys The research method is the base of the research project, since it defines the methods to collect the necessary information for the project. The research method defines and justifies the methods to collect the required data, and to develop a questionnaire allowing us to obtain the required information. It also specifies the sampling of the respondents. The first step in the research method is to select the respondent for the survey, to allow the collection of the primary data. In our thesis the population is employees from Lebanese firms, and the respondents are managers and employees from three Lebanese organizations that have implemented CRM. The surveys have many benefits for the researchers, since it is low-cost and efficient to get the required information about the population. The surveys are simple to administer, it allows the researcher to have control on the sample, and the use of fixed responses decrease the variability in the results (Birks, 2003). It exist several forms of surveys such as emails and personal interviews (Zikmund, 2001). In our survey, we will use two methods, the email form and the personal interviews method. The personal interview is personalized and it allows direct interaction with the respondent, but it is time consuming for the researcher. Personal interviews assure high response rates, and better observation of the respondent behavior. The personal interview is based on the direct communication with respondent and the researcher asks the questions face to face. Personal interviews have many advantages for the researcher; he can change or adapt the questions depending on the interviewee reaction. In addition, personal interviews increase the response rates and increase the number of the participants in the surveys. The disadvantage of personal interviews is that respondents sometimes find difficult to answer face to face personal questions. In other hand, the online survey provides the researcher with instant feedback and it is inexpensive to distribute especially for large samples. However the main disadvantage of online surveys is the inaccurate data in the answers of the survey. Thus, online surveys depend on people to be honest especially about their personal information such as age, gender and location. The inaccurate data may affect the results of the study. 6.2 Survey research errors: The error is necessarily a part of any survey, and it exist different type of errors. The first error is associated with the respondents that answer the survey. This type of error occurs when the sample is drawn from larger population and there are chances that the sample differs from the total population (random sampling error). Furthermore, the way the sample is designed and selected can influence how much the sample shows the real characteristics of the population. The random variation from the real characteristics of the population should also be taken in consideration in the sampling process. In our thesis, the random sampling error is reduced since the target population is specifically selected. We will select number of firms that have implemented CRM, which operates in the Lebanese market. In addition, the sample should be representative of the Lebanese market. The second type of error is the systematic error that occurs from some mistakes in implementing the research. The systematic errors are non-sampling errors which are divided into two categories: the administrative error and the respondent error. First, the administrative error is caused by confusion or by neglecting some aspects of the survey or improper administration of the survey. The administrative errors are divided into four types: the data processing error, the interviewer error and cheating, and the sample selection error. In order to reduce this type of errors we will double check the data processing. Second, the respondent error depends on the respondents answers; if the answers are not accurate the results of the surveys will not be significant. The non-respondent error occurs when a number of respondents of the sample fail to answer the survey questions. Third, the response bias occurs when the respondent like to take a pre-defined direction for the answers and this doesnt represent the correct opinion of the interviewee. The respondent may give answers that differ from the way he really thinks. In order, to avoid the response bias we will use clear and well defined questions to minimize the ability of the respondent to direct the survey in a pre-defined way. 7. The concept of scaling A scale is considered a series of arranged items and every item is placed according to its quantification. The scale is divided into four types ordinal, nominal, ratio and interval. The ordinal scale type is ranking the data according to have more or less characteristic. The ranking have logical order. Furthermore, this type of scale allows the measurement the degrees of difference but not the specific amount of difference. The nominal scale, provide the respondent with series of possibilities in the objective of categorizing events or attributes. The nominal scale does not express any relationship between the variables. Furthermore, the only statistical operation that can be done by using the nominal type is the frequency run. It is important to include all the possible answers in the nominal scale, and it is important to provide the respondent with the choice to choose other. The ratio scale demonstrates growth relationships between items and time periods. It allows comparing items in the same graph, starting at different levels. In other hand, the interval scale is an advanced notion of ranking items, since the distance between adjacent points are equal. In order to determine if a scale is interval or not it is important to underlie intent regarding the equal intervals. For example, dates can be measured on interval scale because differences are measured in years and no ratio can be given to a ratio of times (Collins, 2003). In our thesis, we will use three interval scales, the nominal, ordinal and interval scales to explain and compare the different aspects of CRM impact on the firm. First, we will use the nominal scale to collect data concerning the demographic data concerning the respondents and the Lebanese firms. Second, we will use the ordinal scale to allow respondents (employees and managers) to rank the answers. This allows us to know which answer is the most important for the respondents. Third, we will use interval scale to identify the importance of the answers by using the Likert scale. In natural science, the validity and reliability of the research is essential to assure the integrity of the research and assure the achievement of the desired objectives. The reliability is concerned with consistency. The consistency has three aspects, the first aspect is when reproducing the study again, the same results are found. This is defined as stability over time. The second aspect is equivalence; this means that the study can be done elsewhere, for example in a different country. The third aspect is internal consistency which means that the results of one section is confirmed by the others sections (Bryman, 2001). Validity is concerned with accuracy and which method provides the most accurate answers which is the integrity of conclusions (Gorman and Clayton, 1997). The internal validity is when we assure that any causal relationships found are related to the variables and the external validity is that the result can be applied outside of the current research context. Furthermore, the face validity and criterion validity are necessary elements to assure the reliability, which means that the information fit the expected pattern, and assure the accuracy of findings by using a different method. In addition, to enhance the reliability and the validity each item in the survey is clear and easily understood, each item should be analyzed in the intended way, and the relation between the items and the objective of the study is clear (Suskie ,1996). In order to assure high reliability and validity of the collected data we address the questionnaire to managers and employees that are directly related to the CRM, in Lebanese firms. 8. Designing the questionnaire Designing a questionnaire is based on setting specific questions allowing the researcher to get the required information. The well designed questionnaire minimizes the response error and pushes the respondents to complete the questionnaire (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The benefits of the questionnaire is to ensure comparability of the data , increase the speed and accuracy , and facilitate the data processing (Kotler, 2000). It is necessary to choose the right type of questions and the optimized ordering. In order to collect data related to our pervious hypothesis we prepared two questionnaires. The first questionnaire is addressed to the employees and managers in the Lebanese firms that are directly related to the implementation of CRM. The second questionnaire is addressed to customers that are buying from these firms. The questionnaires will be divided into two parts. In the first part, we will collect information about the background of the respondent and the profile of the company. In the second part, we will collect information about each of the research objectives. The questionnaire starts by asking general simple questions such as the respondent opinion about CRM and the firm. This will increase the will of the respondent to proceed with the questionnaire. In addition, we will ask the sensitive questions at the end of the questionnaire such as costs and ROI of the CRM project. The questions will be asked with third-person approach and we will use structured and unstructured questions. In addition, we will include open ended questions and structured questions. The structured questions provide the respondent with several alternatives for answering the question. In addition, structured questions take the form of dichotomous, multiple choice and scale. The open ended questions allow the respondent to provide personalized answers. For the firm employees and managers the questionnaire will include the demographic information about the respondent, attitude about the CRM system (Five point Likert scale), dealing with the implementation of CRM system, CRM implementation information and working with CRM system. For the customers, the questionnaire will also include the demographic information, attitude toward firms that have implemented CRM, general feeling about the relations with the firms that have implemented CRM, the will customers to pay more to gain more services, likelihood to keep dealing with the same firm, and wanting to have stronger relationship with the firm. After developing the questionnaires we will run pretests, to identify the problems in questionnaires directions and design. Furthermore, pretests are run with a small group of respondents. We will provide small sample of people (ten persons) with the questionnaires to evaluate the questionnaires direction and quality. The sample will include three middle line managers and three employees and four customers. After answering to the surveys questions we asked the respondent about their opinion and about the problems they found in the surveys. This helped us to improve some aspects in the surveys and adding some new questions. 9. Sampling Sampling process has to answer some basic questions: how should we select the sample? Second, which process should be used? What is the size of the sample? How can we adjust the non-response errors? In general, the more diversified sample assures an accurate research. The random sampling error varies depending on the sample sizes (Hawkins et al., 2000); with the increase of the sample size the results reliability decreases. In order to determine the sample size several factors should be taken into consideration such as the resource constraints, the variance of the population, the previous studies, and the confidence interval (Hawkins and Tull, 1993). The first step in the sample selection process is defining the target population; the collection of objects that the researcher considers having the necessary information is considered as the target population. The target population should be chose based on the sampling units, the time and the elements (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The elements of our research are employees and customers of Lebanese firms that have adopted CRM .The extent of the survey is Lebanon, and the period is between December 2012 and January 2013. 9.1 The sampling technique In order to create the sample, we used the sampling without replacement technique. Adopting this sampling technique means that when an element is selected, it is removed from the sampling frame and it cannot be selected again. Furthermore, we adopted the non-probability technique in order to define the correspondent sample for our study. The non- probability depends on the personal opinion of the researcher and doesnt rely on chance to choose the sample elements (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). In addition, the convenience sampling technique is also adopted; the convenience sample is used to select a sample of correspondent elements that helps to achieve the objectives of the study. In general, the interviewer selects the convenient units (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The convenience sampling is the least expensive in comparison to other sampling techniques, it is the least time consuming and all the sampling units are cooperative and accessible. In other hand, the convenience samples may not represent any definable population. 9.2 The sample selection The sampling design includes several criteria to select the correct sample, such as size and kind of sample. In our thesis, the firms studied are employees and customers of Lebanese firms that have implemented CRM which are considered the population. The respondents are the employees and managers that work with CRM. In addition, the customers sample is selected from the CRM database in the same firms. In our research, we chose three (3) Lebanese firms that have implemented CRM from different industries, and we selected three (3) managers from each company, and five (5) employees from each firm. In addition, we selected ten (10) customers that deal with these firms. Population Employees and customers of Lebanese Firms that have implemented CRM Sample Three (3) Lebanese Firms employees and customers Managers Nine (9) Employees Fifteen (15) employees Customers Thirty (30) customers Table 2: The population and the sample of the study 10. The Data collection The data collection for our thesis started in December 2012 till January 2013. We distributed the questionnaire by two ways, by email and personally. The respondent of the questionnaire were in general cooperative and most of them completed all the questions of the survey. The selection of three Lebanese firms in different industries allowed us to have a variety in the respondents perceptions.

The Meat Industry Essay -- Food Cattle Environmental Health Essays

The Meat Industry The cattle industry produces vast amounts of strain in the environment. It is energy inefficient, pollutes water, occupies many acres of land, and deteriorates the health of the people who abuse its consumption. The government subsidizes this industry. Therefore, the price paid for meat doesn’t reflect the environmental hazards involved in the process. In order to protect our health and the health of the environment we should pay close attention to our food choices and make sure we don’t support industries that degrade it. The energy return ratio (as food energy per fossil energy expended) of the most energy efficient factory farming of meat is 34.5%, while that of the least energy efficient plant food is 328%. Fossil energy is utilized from before a cow is raised until it is eaten. This account for the necessary energy to clear land from its original vegetation, to grow cow feed, to operate slaughterhouses and transportation. Forty pounds of soybeans are produced by the same amount of fossil fuels required to produce one pound of meat. All these factors indicate the inverse relationship between meat production and fossil energy savings. The meat industry consumes over half of all water used for all purposes in the United States. Most of this water is used to irrigate cattle feedlots. Water utilized to produce 1 pound of meat amounts to 2,500 gallons. In comparison, the water utilized to produce 1 pound of wheat amounts to 25 gallons. In Texas, a quarter of the groundwater has already been used to grow crops for the expanding cattle feedlots and wells are drying up across the northern part of the state. Also, cattle contribute to water pollution. Cows are routinely washed and the runoff containing manu... ...en to be energy inefficient because of the quantity of fossil fuels required for its production. It causes deforestation, topsoil erosion, extensive water usage and pollution, along with numerous health hazards. Many of our tax dollars are directed towards this cause through government subsidies. Among the possible solutions to this problem would be to implement laws to halt deforestation for cattle production, to stop subsidizing water for cow feed, to control cattle population and to increase standards for manure management. Also to, implement mandatory education measures in hospitals for patients suffering from cardiovascular disorders and other health problems related to meat consumption. At the personal level, it is necessary for us to take responsibility for our actions, by paying attention to every bite and being aware of how our decisions affect the planet.

Essay on the Illusion of Escape in The Glass Menagerie -- Glass Menage

The Illusion of Escape in The Glass Menagerie       In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the characters exhibit a state of delusion that originates from their dissatisfaction with their lives. Tom seeks adventure in the movies. Amanda reminisces often about her days as a Southern Belle. Laura sits in a dream world with her glass collection, and Jim basks in the praises of his high school glory. In their respective ways, they demonstrate their restlessness. The quotation from Thoreau, "The mass of men lead lives of the quiet desperation," applies to the characters in that they are all unhappy, but take no action to improve their situation in any significant way.    Tom, as the narrator, explains to the audience the progression of the play and allots this with "the pleasant guise of illusion." When he speaks to the audience, the events he relates are in the past, and he has realized how distanced his family had been from real life. Through the play, he is angry and bitter because of his duty to his sister and mother. His father absconded, leaving Tom as the sole provider, a title neither wanted. Tom is not prepared to settle down and feels as though he "makes a slave of himself." Whether or not he had the ability to create a separate life for himself, Tom feels placed in a "nailed up coffin." He is tortured by boredom in the warehouse and aches for his own vision of life. He remarked to Laura that he did not know how anyone could "[get] himself out of a coffin without removing one nail." A primary source of his desperation is the fact that he know that if he leaves he will destroy Laura, and he does not want that. He is inactive on his own behal f for a long time, feeling enclosed by a life he cannot stand. He is... ... They scurry around trying to end their suffering, but they impede each other's efforts through their individual ones. These people seem doomed to their fates: to run away, to live in the past, or to exist continually in a intangible world.    Works Cited and Consulted Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. King, Thomas L. "Irony and Distance in The Glass Menagerie." In Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 85-94. Levy, Eric P. "'Through Soundproof Glass': The Prison of Self Consciousness in The Glass Menagerie." Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568. Essay on the Illusion of Escape in The Glass Menagerie -- Glass Menage The Illusion of Escape in The Glass Menagerie       In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the characters exhibit a state of delusion that originates from their dissatisfaction with their lives. Tom seeks adventure in the movies. Amanda reminisces often about her days as a Southern Belle. Laura sits in a dream world with her glass collection, and Jim basks in the praises of his high school glory. In their respective ways, they demonstrate their restlessness. The quotation from Thoreau, "The mass of men lead lives of the quiet desperation," applies to the characters in that they are all unhappy, but take no action to improve their situation in any significant way.    Tom, as the narrator, explains to the audience the progression of the play and allots this with "the pleasant guise of illusion." When he speaks to the audience, the events he relates are in the past, and he has realized how distanced his family had been from real life. Through the play, he is angry and bitter because of his duty to his sister and mother. His father absconded, leaving Tom as the sole provider, a title neither wanted. Tom is not prepared to settle down and feels as though he "makes a slave of himself." Whether or not he had the ability to create a separate life for himself, Tom feels placed in a "nailed up coffin." He is tortured by boredom in the warehouse and aches for his own vision of life. He remarked to Laura that he did not know how anyone could "[get] himself out of a coffin without removing one nail." A primary source of his desperation is the fact that he know that if he leaves he will destroy Laura, and he does not want that. He is inactive on his own behal f for a long time, feeling enclosed by a life he cannot stand. He is... ... They scurry around trying to end their suffering, but they impede each other's efforts through their individual ones. These people seem doomed to their fates: to run away, to live in the past, or to exist continually in a intangible world.    Works Cited and Consulted Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 1-8. King, Thomas L. "Irony and Distance in The Glass Menagerie." In Tennessee Williams. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. 85-94. Levy, Eric P. "'Through Soundproof Glass': The Prison of Self Consciousness in The Glass Menagerie." Modern Drama, 36. December 1993. 529-537. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. In Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing, 4th ed. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1995. 1519-1568.

Compare the ways in which the authors present the main characters “Growing Up” and “Flight” as learning something new

The two stories are very similar in many ways. Both are about learning new things and the changing attitudes between the old and the young. Also the main learners in both stories are the older generation. In Flight it is the Grandfather while in Flight it is Robert Quick. Also in both stories the secondary learners are the younger generation Jenny in Growing Up and the mother of the younger generations seem to have already learned and accepted the lessons. However there is a slight difference I feel that in â€Å"Flight† it is more about accepting new concepts than about learning. In flight the first thing Quick realizes is that his daughters have grown up, he realizes this due to their lack of response to him and their lack of affection. This is how in lines 4 to 6 â€Å"He had hoped indeed that they might, as often before, been waiting at the corner of the road† and in line 25 to 26 â€Å"He shouted ‘Hullo, hullo, children.' There was no reply. And he stopped, in surprise.† He expects the children to be the same as they were when they were younger but they have changed. This is also shown from lines 34 to 49 where the children are very unresponsive towards their father, Jenny answers by having â€Å"peered at him through her hair† and a â€Å"slight wiggle of her behind† and Kate answers him only by â€Å"faint, muffled†¦ ‘Hullo'†. The Grandfather in Flight learns that his granddaughter has grown up as well in lines 116 and in lines 119 to 122 what makes him realize this is their â€Å"grown up seriousness†. The author shows this by contrasting the grand father being â€Å"shut-out† by their â€Å"grown up seriousness† while they are â€Å"tumbling like puppies on the grass†. This contrast shows that although they appear to be the same the grandfather has learnt that inside his granddaughter has changed. Mr. Quick also learns that his daughters can be hurtful and learns not to have fixed expectations of them. He learns of their hurtful ness in lines 75 to 105 when the girls first torture snort and then begin to attack him. But he then learns not to have fixed expectations of them when shortly after that in lines 125 to 136 they then begin to take care of him and nurse his wounds. A similar thing happens in Flight when the granddaughter first taunts her grandfather in lines 47 to 51, but then later 103 to 105 bring him a present as a peace offering showing him not to have fixed expectations either. Both the granddaughter in Flight and Jenny in Growing Up also learn something new by the end of the stories. The granddaughter realizes that her grandfather does not wish to spite her (as it seems in lines25 to 39) and is only trying to prevent her from getting married because he truly loves her, and he does not wish her to be unhappy. The author has presented this at the very end of the play, so that it has a lingering effect on the reader. Doris Lessing shows this not by any words but by an action, namely when the grandfather releases the birds (which have been made to symbolize the granddaughter) free in lines126 to 145, symbolizing setting his granddaughter free to do as she pleases. In turn she realizes this and reacts to it and is said to be having â€Å"tears run shivering off her face† showing the profound impact it has on her. Joyce Cary author of growing up also shows Jenny's new understanding at the end of the story. He leaves the reader with a sense of uncertainty concerning Jenny, unsure as to what exactly she is thinking, leaving it at â€Å"she also was struck by something new and unexpected†. I believe that Jenny gained a new understanding of Quick, perhaps one of vulnerability. This is perhaps due to the fact that quick towards the end is shown as fearing his children. In lines 174 to 175 he is shown as unsure what to think of what Jenny was doing, which may be the base of her new understanding Another similarity between the stories upon comparison is the resemblance in the roles of the Daughter in Flight and Mrs. Quick in Growing Up. The authors of both stories show them as being superior and show them as already understanding what the other characters are yet to learn. In Growing Up when Mr. Quick tells Mrs. Quick about the events of the day which have shocked him she merely replies â€Å"All you children- amusing her selves while we run the world.† As if the events were perfectly normal and natural, because she already knows to expect it. The same is true for the Daughter in Flight she too shows that she understands both sides and knows what to expect when she converses with her father in lines 75 to 100 when she appears to have al the answers to the grandfather's questions. Both stories have a lot in common in the way the authors present the way in which the characters learn new things. This is especially true in terms of structure where the layout is close to identical. Though both stories seem to be about different themes they are very similar in comparison.