Internet Cafe Business Plan

An Internet cafe or cybercafe is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the cafe in the name. The fee for using a computer is usually charged as a time-based rate. Internet cafes are a natural evolution of the traditional cafe. Cafes started as places for information exchange, and have always been used as places to read the paper, send postcards home, play traditional or electronic games, chat to friends, find out local information. Cafes have also been in the forefront of promoting new technologies. Internet cafes are located worldwide, and many people use them when traveling to access webmail and instant messaging services to keep in touch with family and friends. Apart from travelers, in many developing countries Internet cafes are the primary form of Internet access for citizens as a shared-access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment and/or software. A variation on the Internet cafe business model is the LAN gaming center, used for multiplayer gaming. These cafes have several computer stations connected to a LAN. The connected computers are custom-assembled for gameplay, supporting popular multiplayer games. This is reducing the need for video arcades and arcade games, many of which are being closed down or merged into Internet cafes. The use of Internet cafes for multiplayer gaming is particularly popular in certain areas of Asia like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and The Philippines. In some countries, since practically all LAN gaming centers also offer Internet access, the terms net cafe and LAN gaming center have become interchangeable. Again, this shared-access model is more affordable than personal ownership of equipment and/or software, specially since games often require high end and expensive PC's. There are also Internet kiosks, Internet access points in public places like public libraries, airport halls, sometimes just for brief use while standing. Many hotels, resorts, and cruise ships offer Internet access for the convenience of their guests; this can take various forms, such as in-room wireless access, or a web browser that uses the in-room television set for its display (usually in his case the hotel provides a wireless keyboard on the assumption that the guest will use it from the bed), or computer(s) that guests can use, either in the lobby or in a business center. As with telephone service, in the US most mid-price hotels offer Internet access from a computer in the lobby to registered guests without charging an additional fee, while fancier hotels are more likely to charge for the use of a computer in their â€Å"business center. For those traveling by road in North America, many truck stops have Internet kiosks, for which a typical charge is around 20 cents per minute. Internet cafes come in a wide range of styles, reflecting their location, main clientele, and sometimes, the social agenda of the proprietors. In the early days they were important in projecting the image of the Internet as a ‘cool' phenomena. Building up an internet cafe seems so easy from outside. It feels as if one just needs to pull some chairs and tables, few computers and an internet networking system, and here goes the flourishing business. One has to take many steps and decisions to make his business successful. It needs a lot of patience, administrative quality and leadership skills to maintain an internet cafe. Running an internet cafe is quite challenging job as you have to deal with the employs, customers, the safety on internet, environment of the cafe and the quality of internet. One has to satisfy everyone, has to keep an eye on because there is lot of competition in this field too. It might difficult at the beginning, because there were not many resources. But nowadays, with the invention of high technological efficient internet cafe software, it has been quite little easy for the internet cafe owners to take care of all their duties. A lot of burden has been raised from their shoulders. Having a check on the customers activities as the cyber crime rate is getting sky high, blocking of different sites that are harmful for the environment of the viewers and giving a homely environment to users, are some of the various advantages that one can achieve using the internet cafe software. Moreover to these advantages, internet cafe software also accelerates the speed of internet. It makes the users feel contented while using the internet in cafe as it increases the downloading speed and improves the quality of internet. Due to all above discussed reasons the work of cafe owners has become trouble-free and convenient. The customers are attracted towards the cafes due to their better performance and professional environment. As the environment is professional, it does not fascinate only one class of people, it caters to the need of people of every age. As Internet access is in increasing demand, many pubs, bars and cafes have terminals, so the distinction between the Internet cafe and normal cafe is eroded. In some, particularly European countries, the number of pure Internet cafes is decreasing since more and more normal cafes offer the same services. However, there are European countries where the total number of publicly accessible terminals is also decreasing. An example of such a country is Germany. The cause of this development is a combination of complicated regulation, relatively high Internet penetration rates, the widespread use of notebooks and PDAs and the relatively high number of WLAN hotspots. Many pubs, bars and cafes in Germany offer WLAN, but no terminals since the Internet cafe regulations do not apply if no terminal is offered. Additionally, the use of Internet cafes for multiplayer gaming is very difficult in Germany since the Internet cafe regulations and a second type of regulations which was originally established for video arcade centers applies to this kind of Internet cafes. It is, for example, forbidden for people under the age of 18 to enter such an Internet cafe, although particularly people under 18 are an important group of customers for this type of Internet cafe. In Asia, gaming is very popular at the Internet Cafes. This popularity has helped create a strong demand and a sustainable revenue model for most Internet cafes. With growing popularity, there also comes with this a responsibility as well. In fighting for competitive market share, the Internet cafes have started charging less and hence are adopting alternate means to maximize revenue. This includes selling food, beverages, game and telephone cards to its patrons. Today in the Philippines, the net cafe business has even expanded to online gaming to which most net cafe owners admit rakes in the bigger share of their monthly revenues. Then, there’s the local chain of net cafes like Netopia and Station 168 that’s been mushrooming all over the country. So it looks like putting up an internet cafe is still a viable business. But, and that’s a big BUT, take into consideration several factors that will spell the success or failure of your business venture. As the popularity of the Internet continues to grow here in Philippines specifically here in Albay, easy and affordable access is quickly becoming a necessity of life. We will provide communities with the ability to access the Internet, enjoying it with snacks we offer, and share Internet experiences in a comfortable environment. People of all ages and backgrounds will come to enjoy the unique, upscale, educational, and innovative environment that we will be provided provides. Internet Cafe Business Plan The Integration of Computer in Manufacturing Business Executive Summary â€Å"Computer-integrated Manufacturing is the integration of total manufacturing enterprise by using integrated systems and data communication coupled with new managerial philosophies that improve organizational and personnel efficiency. † This is according to Erhums. This system helps to reduce problems regarding to the manufacturing of products with the help of the implementation of computers. This strategy helps to improve the performance of manufacturing.It is implemented to satisfy the needs and demands for a productivity enhancement and higher quality products with fewer errors in production process. This paper discusses about the help provided by the computer-integrated manufacturing in various business. It also states here the illustration of the key issues of the integration and adaptability of CIM. In addition, a new framework has been proposed in this paper for the design and implementation of CIM. Introduction Business has so many things to consider. And one of it is how will you increase efficiency and enhance productivity with fewer errors.Before, the only way to manufacture products is through manual approach wherein there is a possibility of wrongdoings which may lead to business failures. But since advanced technology has been developed, it will be a very big advantage in the field of manufacturing business. It focuses on producing products in its most favorable condition, and at the same time, guaranteeing high quality, low costs, high flexibility and even smaller production quantity. Computer-integrated Manufacturing (CIM) is concerned with the integration of the business, engineering and manufacturing processes of an enterprise.It helps the enterprise to achieve and maintain a competitive edge in the manufacturing marketplace. Over a period of time, factory owners have integrated computer systems in order to control the entire production process. This is done by taking the design, analysis, planning, purchasing, cost accounting, inventory control and distribution departments and interlink them with the factory floor, material handling, and management departments. This system will have an impact on every system within the factory.This paper focuses on the integration of computer in the manufacturing process. This is an area of significant importance of computer application which is inclined to the field of Information Technology in business. Literature Review According to the US National Research Council, CIM improves production productivity by 40 to 70 percent as well as enhances engineering productivity and quality. CIM can also decreases design costs by 15 to 3o percent, reduce overall lead time by 20 to 60 percent, and cut work-in-process inventory by 30 to 60 percent.Managers who use CIM believe that there is a direct relationship between the efficiency of information management and the efficiency and the overall effectiveness of the ma nufacturing enterprise. Thacker’s view is that many CIM programs focus attention on the efficiency of information management and the manufacturing machines, material transformation processes, manufacturing management process, and production facilities. Computer-integrated Manufacturing can be applied to manufacturing organizations by changing the manufacturing focus toward a service orientation.CIM and Job Definition Format (JDFF) are becoming increasingly beneficial to printing companies to streamline their production process. A better understanding of manager’s needs would help systems develop recognize the emerging opportunities for creative use of information technology, and implement necessary changes. Methodology Computer-integrated Manufacturing is the system used to describe the full automation of manufacturing plant, with all processes functioning under computer control and digital information on tying team together.This system was promoted by machine tool man ufactures in the 1980’s and the society for Manufacturing Engineers. It is not the same as a â€Å"lights-out† factory wherein it will run completely independent of human intervention. The hearts of CIM are the Computer-aided design (CAD) and Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM). These systems are essential in reducing cycle times in the organization. Functional requirements must be compared to the current inventory of systems and available technologies to identify the accessibility of the system.According to Jorgensen and Krause, there are techniques that is being used in satisfying system requirements which includes utilizing unused and available functional capabilities of current systems; identifying functional capabilities but not currently in house; recognizing state-of-the-art technology that is not immediately commercially available on a system; foreseeing functional capabilities of systems on the technical horizon; and identifying whether the requirement is beyon d the capabilities of systems on the technical horizon. StudyComputer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) system is simply the manipulation of computers in manufacturing products or other activities where final products or other activities are the main concern of this system. CIM has a big role regarding to the development of a product concept that may exist in the marketing organization which includes product design and specification, commonly the responsibility of an engineering organization; and its extension through production into delivery and after-sales activities that reside in a field service or sales organization.CIM systems had come into view as an outcome of the developments in manufacturing and computer technology. This integrated computer aided manufacturing system, operates on both hardware and software. The software is simply what runs the factory or it is the brain of the factory. And the hardware is what makes the machine functions or run, or simply hardware is the musc le of the factory. These systems run on efficient output process. This means that the hardware and software works in the factory together. They should be not separated because as a unified unit, it operates for the peak benefit of the whole factory.CIM system divided every individual â€Å"center† of the factory into work cells. As work cells, they are then divided into individual stations. He stations are the broken down to the individual processes and this process are what metamorphosis that raw materials into actual product. It may sound interweaving, but it streamlines the whole manufacturing process. This also allows the operations to change any necessary things that should be altered to the system without shutting down the whole system. In this way, optimizing production and its good quality will be highly obtained.Analysis In spite of all the positive outcomes of the computer-integrated manufacturing system, there are also problems or key issues arose that needs to be ponder carefully such as the equipment incompatibility and difficulty of integration of protocols. The integration of different brand equipment controllers with robots, conveyors and supervisory controllers is a time-consuming task with a lot of pitfalls. In other words, the time required for software, hardware, communications and integration and large investment cannot be financially justified easily.Another problem is data integrity. Machines react clumsily to bad data and the costs of it upkeep as well as general information systems departmental costs is higher than in non-CIM facility. Another problem that evolved is to try to accomplish in programming extensive logic to be able to produce schedules and optimize part sequence. There is no human mind that is to put into place of this approach in reacting to a dynamic day0today manufacturing schedule and changing priorities.On the other hand, integrated manufacturing is neither a universal remedy nor should it be embraced as a rel igion. It is an operational and tool that if executed and used properly will provide a new dimension to competing. Eventually, it will introduce quickly new customaries high quality products and delivering them with unprecedented lend times, swift decisions, and manufacturing products with high velocity. Conclusions and Recommendations Computer is one of the models of the information and communication technologies in manufacturing.There are factors which are involved when it comes to the CIM implementation and this includes production volume, in order to make the integration, the experiences of the company or personnel is highly concerned also the level of the integration into the product itself and the integration of the production process. When a company wants to integrate the computer into their business, they must be careful in starting manipulating this system for this undergoes a complex process. Computers, made an enormous impact regarding on the speed and accuracy of the pro duction process.With the help of this system, it is now accessible to create high quality outcomes in just a short period of time and it is hustle-free and less effort not like in the previous tomes, it would have taken a number of days to make the same products with no assurance that they would all be able to have the same quantity and quality. Computer-integrated manufacturing is a very interactive and hands on system. If it is applied appropriately, it will surely increase efficiency and enhance productivity with fewer errors to the whole factory. References http://www. computerintegratedfacturing . com/

Machiavelli – The Prince and Totalitarians

Another good example of this Marxist theory Is Joseph Stalin. Stalin used his military to rise to power. He killed countless people in order to come into authority and impose his beliefs on the state. Jewish virtual library explains, â€Å"Stalin consolidated his power base with the Great Purges against his political and ideological opponents, most notably the old cadres and the rank and file of the Bolshevik Party. † (Jewish Virtual Library, 1) Throughout the Great Purges Stalin imprisoned tortured and assassinated his enemies through his militaristic force.This Is a very clear display of Machiavellian theories because Machiavelli repeatedly states that military is the root of power and authority and he emphasizes that military should be used in order to rise to power. Another Machiavelli theory that justifies the actions of totalitarian rulers is the theory that it is more efficient to rule with cruelty and fear rather than love and fairness. Each of these totalitarian ruler s used this Ideology during their time as which is why people feared and respected him.BBC states, â€Å"Lenin demonstrated a hilling disregard for the sufferings of his fellow countrymen and mercilessly crushed any opposition. † (BBC, 1) This shows that Machiavellian theories did support Linen's actions because Machiavelli explains that it is better to for a â€Å"prince† to be feared rather than loved because love can come and go but the fear of pain is everlasting. Lenin proves this because he was feared and therefore people obeyed him. Another example of the use of cruelty is the cruel acts of Joseph Stalin.Stalin ruled with an iron fist and struck fear into peoples hearts. This fear is what drove hem to obey Stalin and conform to his will. Jewish Virtual Library states â€Å"It is believed that with the purges, forced famines, state terrorism, labor camps, and forced migrations, Stalin was responsible for the death of as many as 40 million people within the borde rs of the Soviet Union. † Jewish Virtual Library, 1) This follows Machiavellian theory because Stalin was excessively cruel to millions of people and was respected for a long period of time because of fear.Another theory that these totalitarians embody is the theory that a â€Å"prince† should ease their decisions on the well being of the state. For example: Karl Marx imposed his theory of communist-based Marxism on his state because he thought it was the best thing for the state. The Communist League explains â€Å"Marxist-Leninist accept the concept of social class put forward above, but hold that a person's social class is determined not by the amount of his wealth, but by the source of his income as determined by his relation to labor and to the means of production. (Marxism and Class, 1) Marx created this intricate system of classes in order to maintain order thin his state. Although it was not successful, Marx created this policy for the well being of the state, so that the state could flourish. This relates to Machiavellian theory because Marx did as Machiavelli advised. He had the well being of the state in mind throughout his time of ruling. Another ruler who followed Machiavellian theory on well being of the state was Vladimir Lenin. Lenin not only followed a Marxist trend in his state, but he also tried to improve his state's economy.BBC states, â€Å"He introduced the New Economic Policy, here a measure of private enterprise was again permitted, a policy that continued for several years after his death. † (BBC,I) Lenin introduced this policy in order to preserve the economy of his state. It lasted several years after his death, which means he was successful in doing so. Lenin laid out a structure for the state to thrive because he had the well being of the state in mind while making his decisions. This follows Machiavellian theory because Machiavelli said to make every decision based on the well being of the state.Although he w as cruel and used militaristic power, he was ultimately trying to better the state in his own way which is exactly what Machiavelli preaches. All in all, Karl Marx, Joseph Stalin, and Vladimir Lenin were embodiments of the theories Machiavelli introduced in â€Å"The Prince†. They ruled and based their states on militaristic power, they ruled their states through cruelty and pain over compassion and love, and kept the well being of the state in mind in every decision they made. Machiavellian theories Justified their actions in that they each very closely followed them.Karl Marx had a strong military and had the well being of the state in mind, throughout his time as ruler, and Vladimir Lenin had a strong military and also made sure to keep the well being of his state in mind. Although the states of these rulers were not very successful and resulted in the deaths of many people, they were supported by the Machiavellian theories. The lesson to be learned is that although their actions were supported by the Machiavellian theories, they caused severe damage and terror to the world and these theories should ultimately not be used in any type of modern government.

Automated Testing of Distributed and Heterogeneous - Free Samples

Various healthcare organizations are now working with a huge chunk of data. The database is consisted of this chunks of data organized in a proper manner. The information is derived from the data that are collected by the system. The Information System is the piece of technology that assist an organization to manage the data and process the data to generate information. The information system also responsible for generating reports based on information that assist the management and doctors to take decision precisely. The report is consisted of discussion on two subsystems of the James Healthcare Organization. The sequence diagrams have been developed based on the patient registration sub system and appointment scheduling sub system. The report also provide the ways of modifying the designs to make it more effective.   James Healthcare Center is a renowned organization that operates its business based on twelve thousand patients and four hundred and fifty staff. The owner of the organization is currently thinking of opening a new center that will consists of all the modern medical facilities. The organization provide insurance coverage to its employees. The need of the modern technology and information system is required to support the business growth. The new system will be replacing the old paper based processes of the organization. The office manager supervises all the employees of the organization. The HR handles the staff benefit and human resources. Lee Sue is responsible for managing the appointments of the healthcare. He has to maintain the appointment related data single handedly. This is a critical and effortful process. The possibility of errors is very high. The patient registration is s crucial process as it is consisting of the data that will identify the patient. The project will be developed using the agile methodology where the organization will be able to develop the system based on the prototype development. The designs of the project is created on the OO design. The system will be responsible for making the reports for management so that they can facilitate the decision making. The clinical decision making system will be integrated into the system so that clinical treatment decisions can be taken properly. Electronic Medical Record is the data storing technology that will hold the patient treatment related data. The EMR will hold the patient details, diagnosis details and its results, the test reports, the doctors who are providing treatment, the medicines that are prescribed to the patient and the effect of the medicines and much more. The project is consisted of various parts and development of various subsystems. These subsystems will be developed individually and then bined to create the plete system. The system will be running on a single server. The project will be developed using various programing languages. Database that can store business and patient health related data for a very long time. The ERM will be integrated into the system to hold the patient health and treatment related data. A CDSS or clinical decision support system that can facilitate the decision making process of the system.   The deliverable of the project are as following. The main constraint of the project is designing of the system. The system design is based on the ou e of the requirement analysis process. If any issues occurs in the requirement analysis process then the system project will fail. Managing the change in the organization is a considerable issue. The main requirements of the system are human resource, support of the stakeholders, programing language, database, network and many more. The programming language is used for making the GUI and the backend coding of the system. The functionalities of the system will be developed using the programming language. The data base will allow the system to hold the data in a secure location. The database has to be accessed through a predefined queries based on the database type. The deigning software is a crucial requirement of the project. The software will be used for designing the system functions and interactions with the end users. The software form third parties and the hardware to setup the system are also significant requirements of the system. The system network will be developed using the wireless method. All the client devices of the network will be connected using the Wi-Fi.   The advantages of the project are as following. Figure 1: Patient Registration Subsystem Sequence Diagram   Verification and Analysis: The sub-system design has been done using the system sequence diagram. The diagrams has been done properly to establishing a fine understanding of the sub-system processes. At the beginning, the patient will open the application or website (which is no concern of the report) and enter the details. The details will be consisting of the data like patient personal data such as name, address, spouse, age, email address, phone number and many more. It is to be assumed that a patient may want to open various accounts on the system to cheat the organization or may forgot he has one existing. In such cases, the system will verify all the details provided by the patient to ensure that the patient does not have any previous account. The patient will input the id and password of his wish to the system so that using the id and password the patient can later login to the system. The system will then read the inputted registration details and convert it into the machine readable values. The system will be developed using the object oriented language like java, python or any other. The system development will be based upon the OO designs. The designs have to be as per the proposed scope of the system. The designs will be created using the user data that are provided during the requirement analysis process. In this diagram the patient has been the actor who will trigger the system functionalities. The patient object will trigger the registration function mentioned as the `register()` in the diagram. The register function will be acting upon the defined variables which will be initialized based upon the user input. The variables will then be used by the system to verify user and register patient after success verification. The system design has been done with pleteness as it is consist of all the processes that are required to register the patient. It is mon in the healthcare industry that a patient ing from a doctor who has been providing treatment to the patient. The system will hold the data of the doctor so that it can be used for future decision making purpose. The system will be storing the daises of the patient that is already known so that assistance can be provided during treatment. The EMR will hold the data like to which medicines the patient has allergy and more. As this data will be recorded during diagnosis, these data will not be considered at this sub-system development.   Figure 1: Patient Registration Subsystem Sequence Diagram Verification and Analysis: The payment registration will also be done by only the interaction of the patent. No receptionist or other staff of member will be handling the appointment process anymore. The system will hold the appointment related data into the system and based on these data and patient desired appointment details, the new appointment will be scheduled. The system will be collecting the data form the patient through the GUI provided to him/her. The patient will access the system and login to the system using id and password. A session will initiate and the patient id will be used for storing the activities. The patient will request for appointment through the schedule appointment section in the GUI. The user will input the date desired for appointment and the type of the specialist. Selecting the physician is based upon the system it is not up to the patient. After getting all the data from the user, the system will retrieve data from the database. These data will be about the appointment scheduled the preferred day against the selected physician type. If the system fids that the appointment data is vacant in that day then the appointment will be scheduled and if not then the system finds for an alternative day. The patient will select an alternative date. After the patient select the alternative day, a notification will appear in the screen saying the ‘Appointment will be confirm. Are you sure of the date?’ If the patient select ok then the system will confirm the appointment against the patient. The system sequence diagram did not include any information regarding the verification process. Each of the data must be verified so that only authenticated data can be inserted into the system. The sequence diagram can be developed by dividing all the processes into the sub-processes so that all the system functions can be understood properly. Form the above report it can be concluded that the system development process can be difficult task but if done properly then can invite many opportunities for JHC. The system sequence diagram has been a great tool to show the functions of the patient registration and appointment scheduling sub-system. Baresi, L., Pourhashem Kallehbasti, M. M., & Rossi, M. (2014). Flexible modular formalization of UML sequence diagrams. In Proceedings of the 2nd FME Workshop on Formal Methods in Software Engineering (pp. 10-16). ACM. Cerqueira, T. G., Ramalho, F., & Marinho, L. B. (2016). A Content-Based Approach for R mending UML Sequence Diagrams. In SEKE (pp. 644-649). Chitra, M. T., & SHERLY, E. (2016). Verification of behavior preservation in uml sequence diagrams using graph models. Indian journal of puter science and engineering, 7(4), 1-6. Dao, V. T., Hung, P. N., & Nguyen, V. H. (2016). A Method for Automated Test Cases Generation from Sequence Diagrams and Object Constraint Language for Concurrent Programs. VNU Journal of Science: puter Science and munication Engineering, 32(3). Dou, L., Lu, L., Zuo, Y., & Yang, Z. (2014). Verification of UML Sequence Diagrams in Coq. In puter Engineering and Networking (pp. 1233-1244). Springer, Cham. El Ahmar, Y., Le Pallec, X., & Gà ©rard, S. (2016). Empirical Activity: Assessing the Perceptual Properties of the Size Visual Variation in UML Sequence Diagram. In HuFaMo@ MoDELS (pp. 33-43). Faria, J. P., & Paiva, A. C. (2016). A toolset for conformance testing against UML sequence diagrams based on event-driven colored Petri nets. International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer, 18(3), 285-304. Jena, A. K., Swain, S. K., & Mohapatra, D. P. (2015). Test case creation from UML sequence diagram: a soft puting approach. In Intelligent puting, munication and Devices (pp. 117-126). Springer, New Delhi. Kaur, B., & Kaur, E. H. (2015). Clone Detection in UML Sequence Diagrams Using Token Based Approach. International Journal, 5(5). Lima, B., & Faria, J. P. (2015, July). Automated Testing of Distributed and Heterogeneous Systems Based on UML Sequence Diagrams. In International Conference on Software Technologies (pp. 380-396). Springer International Publishing. Minhas, N. M., Qazi, A. M., Shahzadi, S., & Ghafoor, S. (2015). An Integration of UML Sequence Diagram with Formal Specification Methods—A Formal Solution Based on Z. Journal of Software Engineering and Applications, 8(08), 372. Mohapatra, D. P., Godbley, S., & Dutta, A. (2017). Measuring Hit ratio of Software Systems using UML Sequence Diagram. Muram, F. U., Tran, H., & Zdun, U. (2016, December). A model checking based approach for containment checking of uml sequence diagrams. In Software Engineering Conference (APSEC), 2016 23rd Asia-Pacific (pp. 73-80). IEEE. Rhmann, W., & Saxena, V. (2016). Test Case Generation from UML Sequence Diagram for Aadhaar Card Number based ATM System. system, 11(4). Silva, C. V., & Villarroel, R. (2014, November). JPI UML: UML class and sequence diagrams proposal for aspect-oriented JPI applications. In Chilean puter Science Society (SCCC), 2014 33rd International Conference of the (pp. 120-123). IEEE. Song, J., Zhou, Z., & Guan, Y. (2015). Agent UML sequence diagram and meta-model. American Journal of Engineering and Technology Research, 15(1).

The New Payroll Clerk (Case study in Instructions) Case

The New Payroll Clerk ( in Instructions) - Case Study Example Irene lacks knowledge of what to do, how and full details about her work package. As pointed out in the article, there lacks rules and procedures meant to fully orientate new employees. This makes the new employees feel detached and not part of the family. As noted in Siddiqui (2005), a bonded family of employees is more productive and satisfied with their work packages than in an organization which is marred with mere rules and regulations without adding value. Second, Irene suffers from a problem of harmony and coordination of activities. A productive and profitable organization values the value chain through improved business processes, for instance, taking quality improvement tools and techniques in order to improve quality of products and service that a company produces. It makes the firm posses a better competitive position and grows in the ever-growing competitive business environment (Muijen & Witte, 2000) Another problem is that work packages and roles are not clear. This is fueled by the nature of structure instituted that over emphases on rules and regulations, most of which are unpleasant and confusing. According to Martin (2002), rules are meant to establish and install a viable culture that will work to leapfrog the company’s missions of growth, survival and profitability. The organization should have a workable, flexible and yet stable working culture and structure that match the strategy and assist the company maximize value.

The Interview with David Konig - a Professor at the Washington Essay

The Interview with David Konig - a Professor at the Washington University - Essay Example The person I chose to interview in this case was David Konig, a professor at Washington University. The interview was conducted within the institution for the purpose of convenience to the professor. I particularly chose a person in the teaching profession because this is one profession that employs the importance of effective listening most of the time. The interview conducted lasted twenty minutes and these twenty minutes were actually the most insightful minutes I have ever had with regards to the art of listening in individuals. It is of the essence to understand what it really means to listen effectively in the education sector. This is a particularly touchy issue in the sense that when it is taken lightly there tends to be a very high chance that the wrong information will be communicated to the target audience. In education, especially, active listening entails being in a position to communicate to what a person hears from the speaker. The main reason for this is to establish whether the person has understood that which is being passed across. Indeed it is true that listening is a process. In this light, it can be set as a three-step process. These steps are actually the most important if effective listening is to be achieved. The first step is that of comprehending that which is being communicated. This is what will point out whether there is actual communication to the recipient. The next step is retaining the communication that has been received.  

Breast Feeding and Prevention of Breast Cancer Research Proposal

Breast Feeding and Prevention of Breast Cancer - Research Proposal Example This was particular for BRCA1, which is one of the breast cancer faulty genes. The other one is BRCA2, and did not show any response to breast feeding, regardless of the length. Since the Swedish study, researchers have been giving contradicting results about breast cancer and breast feeding (Carlson, 2012). This means that research is ongoing to try and further elucidate whether it is a myth or a fact. This study looks at experimental research to prove the fact that breast feeding will actually offer a protective advantage against breast cancer. Objective This research draws its hypothesis on already done researches to assume that there is a protective advantage against breast cancer in breast feeding. Therefore, the main objective is to find out the truth in the allusions that the earlier researches have come up with. It focuses on evidence to prove that there is truth in breast feeding having a protective effect on breast cancer. Further, the study also intends to give mothers and would be mothers the probable duration of breast feeding that will help to check the risk of breast cancer, despite it being a very personal decision how long one plans to breast feed. Background Globally, breast cancer accounts for almost 10.4% of all the cancers among women. A large percentage of this occurs in third world countries (Goldberg, 2009). Control would be gained among women and health practitioners if it was to be detected earlier before becoming critical. This means that ignorance has been the cause of high cancer mortality rates in developing countries around the world. Screening practices and breast cancer awareness will help a great deal in enlightening people about the disease. The level of ignorance about breast... To evaluate the hypothesis of a protective advantage against breast cancer in breast feeding, the research employed a cross sectional study method by use of a structured questionnaire in a period of two months. The questionnaire covered demographic principle and breast cancer risk factors. The main objective of the research is to find out the truth in the allusions that the earlier researches have come up with. The paper focuses on evidence to prove that there is truth in breast feeding having a protective effect on breast cancer. Further, the study also intends to give mothers and would be mothers the probable duration of breast feeding that will help to check the risk of breast cancer, despite it being a very personal decision how long one plans to breast feed. Further, the results provide evidence that women breast feeding for longer periods keep themselves protected against breast cancer. Additionally, there is evidence in the fact that most women in first world countries either do not breast feed or breast feed for shorter periods, hence there is high rates of the disease in those countries. Basing on evidence, breast feeding has a significant protective effect on breast cancer. The study above proves that women who frequently breast feed reduce their risks of getting the disease significantly in comparison to women who do not breast feed. Therefore, this study confirms the hypothesis. From this study, mothers should breast feed their babies for a period of at least one year.

Arth 1380 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Arth 1380 - Assignment Example Despite using marble in their compositions, people of this period also introduced bronze and used it frequently, thus that age was known as Bronze Age. The reclining female figure found in Menil collection is carved in marble with less obvious facial features except prominent nose that is the only visible portion in the face. The shape of face is oval which is connected to neck with a slender torso depicting two round shapes showing breasts of a female. The female figure is made in nude form with breasts and sexual organ shown; the only features that consider the figure as feminine. However, the figure has a slightly slender waist that is also indicative of a female figure. The female figure is shown with arms folded below breasts in a manner as if both of the arms are tightly enclosed around the body. The shoulders are angular and the legs are shown closely connected with each other and giving an illusion of being separated, however they had been carved in a same marble. The feet are carved in an upward style which gives an impression that the figure might have been of a lying human as it seems difficult to keep the figure stand w ithout support. (McGill, 1987) The formal analysis of the reclining female figure has been done here by highlighting the color, form and shape, space, line and texture of the piece. Firstly, the color of the statue is dull with cool color and the value of color is light with not bright intensity. The color of the figure seems to be close to grayish brown with dull outlook giving the impression of seriousness. As the color used is not a warm color such as red, orange or yellow, the figure cannot be considered an indicative of a delightful occasion. The figure incorporates certain hue stains all over which suggest use of paint on marble to give it a colorful look. It conveys the message of seriousness and the impression created on the minds of viewers

Why am I Iinterested in MBA Program of GGSB, and How do I See it Essay

Why am I Iinterested in MBA Program of GGSB, and How do I See it Helping Me to Reach My Future Career Goals - Essay Example As the reporter declares "good education as such, helps in enriching the knowledge and broadening the horizon of an individual. Therefore, after discussing the issue with some of my close associates I came to the conclusion that a Master’s degree in Management from a reputed Institution not only helps in learning the techniques of dealing with adverse circumstances, but it will certainly help me in enhancing my confidence level. The Grenoble Graduate School of Business is one of the prime institutions offering a number of academic programs ranging from undergraduate courses to the doctoral and executive education programs. As of now my future plans hinge very much around a Master’s Degree in Management from Grenoble Graduate School of Business. Well, having observed the functioning of the corporate sector, I find it quite a bit of necessity that one must be qualified and knowledgeable enough on how to manage the issues and the resources. I have realized that in order to find an acceptable and desired solution to an issue, it is of utmost importance that the issue is taken up in an appropriate manner. The Grenoble Graduate School is known to keep a balance between theoretical studies and applied learning. This will certainly provide me an opportunity to have practical hands-on training, constantly focused on the real world. Today we are living in a society where competition is all pervasive."

MHE599 - Culminating Project Module 2 - SLP Outline & References Essay

MHE599 - Culminating Project Module 2 - SLP Outline & References - Essay Example sky in his article, Natural Disasters and the Militarization of America discusses how government particularly its leader can use natural disasters as a pretext to militarize America. According to the author, Hurricane Katrina and even the Avian Flu threat were being used by the erstwhile President Bush to justify a greater role for the Military in the countrys civilian affairs. With NRP also eliminating the distinction between a civilian and a national security emergency situation and relief organizations like American Red Cross endorsing military role, the author fears that there will be extreme militarization of America. This article lists all the valid and important Dos and Don’ts which the NGO should carry out or not carry out during a national disaster as part of humanitarian assistance. For example, the article states that if a country as well the representatives of the relevant UN bodies, are unable to properly coordinate with NGO in providing emergency relief responses, the blame will be mainly on the country. NGOs cannot be held for this failure. NGOs do not usually have the mandate to provide the overall co-ordinating framework for disasters. This responsibility falls to the host government and the relevant United Nations authorities This source in the form of a report and document annex submitted by the Select Bipartisan Committee formed to investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina. This official government committee came up with in-depth findings about the roles of the many government based stakeholders. How these stakeholders performed or underperformed during and aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina. Who can all be blamed or appreciated. In total, this report analyzes all the important stakeholders during Hurricane Katrina and in the aftermath of the Hurricane This article published in the Think Progress website with a Youtube video of Bush’s final Press conference (video has since been removed) focuses on the

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Growing up, children are often told things that grown ups would question, as people grow they learn to question those things too. In the book The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn written by Mark Twain. Huck faces the challenge of either following what everyone is telling him is right, but he knows is wrong, or going against the grain and standing up for what he knows is right. Throughout the book Huck is unsure in what he believes and struggles to determine if what he is taught is wrong. The widow took over the role as guardian for Huck since his father and mother are both out of the picture. When Huck was being raised by his father he wasnt taught any morals or values, so the widow took this as an opportunity to make Huck into a person whose life was all about morals. In the book the widow tells Huck that hell is bad and that heaven is good, but Huck is unsure that he should believe everything that she is telling him. Huck decides that going to hell, if it means following his gut and not societys hypocritical and cruel principles, is a better option than going to everyone elses heaven. â€Å"All right then, I’ll go to hell! (245). † This is Hucks true break with the world around him. Huck faces the moral conflict of whether or not to turn Jim in because it is what society dubbed as the right thing to do. â€Å"I was paddling off, all in a sweat to tell on him; but when he says this, it seemed to kind of take the tuck all out of me (89). † Right off from the beginning, Huck wanted to turn Jim in because it was against society’s rules to help a slave escape and Huck knew it. But when Jim said that, â€Å"Huck; yous de bes fren Jims ever had; en you is de only fren; ole Jims got now (89). † helped Huck to grasp the concept that there is a friendship in the making. Even though Huck didn’t turn Jim in, he is till troubled by his conscience when the slave catchers were leaving because he knows it is wrong to help a slave. Still Huck cannot bring himself forward to tell on Jim, thus showing that his innate sense of right exceeds that of society. The con-mens attempt to pose as the brothers of the late Peter Wilks is an important part of Hucks moral development. The Duke and King try to take Peters estate, however, Huck decides to return the money to Peters three daughters. This action demonstrates further moral growth, as he does choose to abandon the two con-men. Huck learned that people can be nice and show each other that they care about one another. Women would walk up to Peters daughters and kiss their foreheads, and then put their hand on theirhead, and looked up towards the sky, with the tears running down, and then busted out and went off sobbing and swabbing, and give the next woman a show (159). Huck has never seen anything so disgusting. When Huck Finn sees one of the daughters crying beside the coffin, it makes a deep impact on him. Hucks religious beliefs and moral standards cross pathes as he handles the situation. When Huck says, All right then, Ill go to hell! (245). He has decided to go against what society tells him to do by freeing Jim. Throughout the entire book Huck struggles with separating his own moral beliefs and what society tells him is the right thing to do. From the beginning of the book Huck showed that he did not always believe what people told and went against the grain when he said he wanted to go to hell instead of heaven. The moral development that Huck shows throughout the book causes Huck to develop other traits as well, such as compassion and sincerity towards others. Huck really came out of his shell and fully developed his moral beliefs when he gave the money back that the con-men stole to the three girls. It allowed Huck to get in touch with his emotional side of his moral beliefs and it told him what th right thing to do was.

Benefits Of Leadership Promotion Within Organizations Management Essay

Benefits Of Leadership Promotion Within Organizations Management Essay There have been numerous arguments as to whether business leadership should be promoted from within or outside the organization. This project was aimed to ascertain whether leadership promotion within organisation may benefit the overall performance of the organisation or if leadership promotion or recruitment from outside will help an organisation to do better, the case of Nestle Ghana Ltd. OPOKU BOAKYE table of contents 1 INTRODUCTION 4 1.1 BACKGROUND 4 1.2 RESEARCH MOTIVATION 4 1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study 5 1.4 The research question 5 1.5 significance of the study 5 2 LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 6 2.1 INTRODUCTION 6 2.2 UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP 6 2.3 THEORIES OF LEADERSHIP 7 2.3.1 PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY OR LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE (LMX) THEORY 7 2.3.2 CONTINGENCY AND SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP THEORY 7 2.3.3 NEW LEADERSHIP THEORY 8 2.4 ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP PROMOTION 9 2.5 LEADERSHIP PROMOTION IN ORGANISATION 10 2.5.1 LEADERSHIP PROMOTION WITHIN ORGANISATION 11 2.5.2 LEADERSHIP PROMOTION OUTSIDE ORGANISATION 11 2.6 LEADERSHIP PROMOTION IN SUPERMARKETS 12 2.7 SUMMARY 12 3 METHODOLOGY 13 3.1 METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH 13 3.2 RESEARCH STRATEGY AND DESIGN 13 3.2.1 RESEARCH STRATEGY 15 3.2.2 RESEARCH DESIGN 15 3.3 SOURCE OF DATA 16 3.4 DATA ANALYSIS 16 3.5 ETHICAL CONSIDERATION 17 4 DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF RESULTS 18 4.1 INTRODUCTION 18 4.2 BACKGROUND OF RESPONDENTS 18 4.3 RELEVANCE OF LEADERSHP IN ORGANISATION 19 4.4 LEADERSHIP AND ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR 20 4.5 LEADERSHIP PROMOTION IN ORGANISATIONAL 21 4.6 SUMMARY 22 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 23 5.1 CONCLUSION 23 5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS 23 5.3 LIMITATIONS 24 5.4 REFERENCES 25 Appendix A Questionnaire for Staff 28 appendix B: semi structured interview questions for staff 30 Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Background Leadership can be described as a dynamic process in a group, whereby one individual influences others to contribute voluntarily to the achievement of group tasks in a given situation (Gill, 2009). It has been observed that, in many organizations, leadership promotion is done outside the organizations. Some critics like Goldsmith et al (2003) have observed that lack of confidence on the part of some leaders; make some companies promote potential leaders from outside their organizations. However some critics have argued that leadership is the lifting of peoples vision to a higher sight, the raising of their performance to a higher standard, the building of their personality beyond its normal limitations (Goldsmith et al, 2003). By this, it could be vital for organisations to promote leadership from within. Leadership involves diagnosing situations, determining what needs to be done and marshalling collective efforts sufficient to achieve a desired future or avert significant problems. Therefore if individuals are promoted within an organisation, since they understand the organizational culture and know its structures, they can promote whatever vision or mission the organisation have to a certain height. Effective leadership entails the use of power and persuasion to define and determine the changing and ongoing problems within an organisation and, any other opportunities, while working to address solutions and actions needed to cope with the situation (Goldsmith et a l, 2003). 1.2 Research Motivation The motivation behind this investigation came up as a result of my observation in leadership promotions in many organizations that I have worked as a factory operative or part-time staff member. What was observed over the period is that, instead of organizations promoting their leadership from within the organisation, the promotion was made externally. In other words, each time there is leadership vacancy, the position is advertised and potential job seekers, who have leadership qualities being sort, apply and the recruitment is made from the applicants. Some critics have argued that, some of the leadership priorities are concerned with ensuring continuity, development, improvement, monitoring, and evaluation both for the work being done and for those involved in helping those objectives to be achieved. Therefore if leadership is promoted within an organisation, such continuity is not curtailed. If leadership is promoted from outside an organisation, it has a lot of serious consequences as pointed out by Mendenhall et al (2008). For instance, if staff members notice that there are potential members who possess the same qualification and employment experience as those recruited from outside, the recruited leaders work or efforts may be sabotaged, therefore opening the door of failure ajar. In some cases they may decide not to corporate or intentionally put up lackadaisical attitude to weaken his/her leadership. It is against this background that this investigation becomes very important for organisations such as Nestle Ghana Ltd, to understand the benefits that could derive from leadership promotion within it rather than getting potential leaders from outside the organisation. 1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study Aims: The aim of the study is to ascertain some of the benefits that will be derived from leadership promotion within organisation rather than recruiting people from outside the organisation to lead the teams within the organisation. Objectives: To achieve the above aim, the study will be achieving the following objectives; To investigate the reasons behind why organisations need leadership instead of managers To assess why leadership promotion within organisation may benefit the overall performance of the organisation To analyse some of the difficulties involved in promoting leaders within an organisation rather than from outside the organisation Understand how organisations could enhance its performance through internal promotion of its leadership. 1.4 The research question The research is aimed at answering this research question; What are the benefits involved in promoting leadership from within an organisation, and what are some of the challenges associated with this approach? Answering the above questions will help in the achievement of the objectives; and through that, some recommendations will be suggested for the formulation of policies to address some of the leadership promotional challenges. 1.5 significance of the study This study will benefit all stakeholders in both large and small scale businesses as a result of effective recruitment decision making by organisations. Chapter Two Literature Review and Conceptual Framework 2.1 Introduction Chapter one talked about the introduction which gave a clear background of the study and how it has become very important for such an investigation to be carried out. In this chapter, the various themes that underpin the study will be reviewed in more detail. The concept of leadership and leadership theories will be made very explicit. Organisational culture and leadership promotion will also be examined in more detail. The chapter will end by looking at the relevance of leadership promotion from within or outside organisations. 2.2 Understanding the concept of leadership Leadership can be described as dynamic processes in a group whereby one individual will influence the others to enable them make voluntary contribution to the achievement of a group or organizational tasks in a given situation (Mendenhall, et al, 2008). Leadership involves diagnosing situations, determining what needs to be done and marshalling collective efforts sufficient to achieve a desired future or avert significant problems. It entails the use of power and persuasion to define and determine the changing nature of an organization and solving its problems, as well as making use of all opportunities, finding solutions to its problems and taking actions where necessary and helping it to cope with any given situation (Goldsmith, et al (2003). Leaders are supposed to set their organizational vision knowing where the organization is and where it is suppose to go. They also set the longer term vision for the organization. A leader in an organization is also a member of that organization, company, institution, etc whose purpose, vision, and values are for the benefit of the entire organization and its stakeholders, and those values and vision are shared by the entire organization. He or she is supposed to see his/her members as not just followers, but also as stakeholders striving to achieve that same purpose, vision, and values. The leader mobilises, motivates, inspires or encourages others. He/she must be exemplary in his or her dealings. Leaders must be able to motivate, inspire and energize their members (Gill, 2009; Fulop et al, 2004). To ensure that teams voluntarily follow and resources are attracted to the cause, ideas must be translated into simple, direct and positive statement of what the leader is going to do, how and why this is to be achieved and the benefits that it will bring to others (Mendenhall, et al, 2008). Leadership therefore become the most influential aspect of an organization; so a good leader is suppose to ensure that success of his or her organization is paramount and achievable, even within turbulent times. 2.3 Theories of leadership Theories of leadership have been used to explain the characteristics of those whom we expect them to be leading or are seen leading their organizations. There are many leadership theories, but most leadership theories explain how the style of leadership help shapes organizational culture. According to Gill (2009), there are so many types of theories of leadership. He stated psychodynamic theory or leader-member exchange theory, contingency and situational leadership theory and the new leadership approach which comprises of visionary theory as some of the theories that this study will be looking at. 2.3.1 Psychodynamic theory or leader-member exchange (LMX) theory Psychodynamic theory, or leader-member exchange theory as some writers explained, looks at the effectiveness of leaders as a function of the psychodynamic exchange that occurs between the leadership and the group members following the leader (Gill, 2009). Leaders are supposed to provide direction and guidance for the organization or the members through their influence given to them by members or management or the organisation. In some cases it is the board members who give the powers to those who are supposed to lead the organization, but the leaders will be influencing certain decisions depending on their power of influence. The LMX approach defines the effectiveness of the leaders and as a function of the psychodynamic exchange that is occurring between the leaders and group members that is, the followers or sub-ordinates. The leaders provide direction and guidance for the organization through influence permitted to them by members. Exchange theories focus on the characteristics of the leader, their individual followers and how they relate with their followers. In contrast to leadership-style theories, LMX theorists argue that leaders-member relations are sufficiently variable and it is suppose to warrant on each pair of leaders and their members in a separate dimensions; and that the members may differ markedly based on their descriptions and how they perceive the leader (Dansereau et al., 1975; Graen, 1976; Graen et al., 1977). The essence of psychodynamic theory is the understanding of oneself and others and in terms of results and performance of the organization; and the transactional nature of the style of the leader and the leader-follower relationship (Stech, 2004). 2.3.2 Contingency and situational leadership theory Contingency and situational leadership theories suggest that there is no one best style of leadership (Graen, 1976; Graen et al., 1977). They explained that successful and enduring leaders use different styles according to the nature of the organization they lead, the situation at stake and the followers. A condition or situation may compel a leader to change his/her behavior, while some of the situations political, social or economic may compel some leaders to their style, sometimes making them become authoritarian leaders, due to certain circumstance. Graen et al. (1977) noted that contingency theories suggest that there is no one best style of leadership. Nevertheless, successful and enduring leaders use different styles according to the nature of the organizational culture, the situation they may be handling and the followers. Such leaders know how to adopt a different style for a new situation, regardless of how effective any one particular style has been in the past. The effectiveness of a particular style of leadership depends on the relationship between the characteristics of the leader, the followers and the situation as suggested by Graen (1976) and Graen et al (1977). Bass et al, (1975) found that specific leadership styles are associated with different ways in which organization operates, the task at stake, personal and interpersonal characteristics or relationship. Hodgson and White (2001) argued that effective leadership is by finding the best fit between good behaviour, context and need. Contingent and situational theorists therefore argue that, there is not acceptable form of leadership, rather, the situation will justify what type of leadership is appropriate and must be applied. This means those in leadership position must be able to change their leadership style based on the situation. 2.3.3 New leadership Theory The new leadership theory comprises of visionary, charismatic and transformational leadership theories. Transformational leadership occurs when leaders raise peoples motivation to act and create a sense of higher purpose as explained by Graen (1976). He further noted that it is distinguished from transactional leadership, because it involves an exchange between the leader and the followers with an emphasis on correction mistakes from requirements and providing a material or extrinsic reward systems in return for compliance with the leaders orders or wishes. The new theories also place emphasis on strategic leadership and pragmatic leadership styles. Burns (1978) explained that vision, charisma and transformation are some of the keywords for the New Leadership theory. The concept of transformational leadership arose from a study undertaken to understand rebel leadership and revolution form of leadership that occurred in the early 1970s (Downton, 1973). However, others also argued that it was James MacGregor Burns who was seen as a political, historian and biographer, who in a seminal book published in 1978 first described transformational leadership and blended it with transactional leadership style (Burns, 1978). Transforming or transformational leadership as he explained them occur when both the leader and followers raise each others motivations to a sense of higher purpose. Transactional leadership on the other hand is a form of transaction or exchanges that occur between a leader and followers, such that it provides material or psychological reward systems in return for followers compliance with the hope of accomplishing their wishes. According to Sashkin visionary leadership, concerns itself with transforming an organizational culture such that it falls in line with the leaders vision it has for the organizations future (Sashkin,1988). Sashkin and Rosenbach have also suggested that there are three personal attributes that guide the leaders behavioral approaches. They include self-efficacy, power orientation and cognitive capability (Sashkin and Rosenbach, 1998). Cognitive capability therefore concerns itself with understanding complex that is cause-and-effective chains to be able to take action at the right time to achieve organizational desired outcomes (Streufert and Swezey, 1986). Very good leaders are often perceived as charismatic or born leaders, because of how they are connected with their followers. They inspire them and encourage them to follow their cause. Charismatic leadership may be found at most levels within the organization, though they are frequently found at top most part of the organization (Bass, 1992; Sashkin, 1992). They further noted that it is associated with greater trust that members or the followers will have in the leaders and achievement that have been noticed among followers. The charismatic leader weaves a spell outside that of the organization; and may attract shareholders, customers and investment in troubled times, as argued by Flynn and Staw (2004) the French researcher. Waldman et al. (2001), however, in a study of senior managers in Fortune 500 companies in the United States, also noted that charismatic leadership is associated with net profit margin registered with some organisations, but only under conditions of environmenta l uncertainty. Charismatic leadership appears to be dysfunctional in predictable conditions, perhaps because it may generate unnecessary change. 2.4 Organizational culture and leadership promotion Culture has been described in many ways, and it has become very difficult to find a consensus or a common and clear definition. Some critics have argued that culture describes what an organization is about or how organization conducts itself (Smircich and Cala, 1987). Leigh and Maynard (2000) see culture as a heady combination of organisations vision, its values, tradition, ethos and its self-image. While the Work Systems Associates (1996) also describe culture as the lifestyle of the organization; its main core values, its hidden assumptions or beliefs, systems, policies, programmes and procedures, and the way it conduct its business everyday and its relations with stakeholders. Linstead (2004:107) has argued that, leaders can exert a powerful influence on the culture of their organization, especially if they are the founder, for that matter can play a very significant role in promoting those expected to be leaders or to lead it. Understanding the organization culture and how leaders influence promotion of leaders within it become very significant for the organization. While some of the organizations have a culture of promoting leaders from within it, others prefer getting leaders from outside. The later is preferred because some schools of thought argue that, if leaders are promoted within an organization there is little respect for those who will be promoted, while exercising their authority also become difficult because of familiarity with members. The ability to perceive the limitations of ones own culture and to develop the culture adaptively is the essence and ultimate challenge of leadership. The most important message for leaders at this point is how they have to understand the organizational culture, give what is due, and ask how well the culture could be understood which the leadership is embedded (Schein, 1992). The need for leaders to create and manage organizational culture is consistent with the increasingly becoming accepted part of organizational-wide leadership concept or become an expert of distributed leadership style (Ashkanasy et al., 2000). With regards to leadership style, and how culture may influence its promotion, significant, indirect pervasive effects on organizational performance could also be very significant (Gill, 2009. Linstead (2004) has explained that, since leaders can shape the culture of their organization more especially if they are the founder, promoting leaders could be very easy, because they have direct influence on the culture of the organization. The culture of an organization and how leaders are promoted therefore could be very significant because every organization has a way of conducting itself and how it may decide to promote its leaders. Ogbonna and Harriss overall conclusion was that organizational culture mediates the relationship between leadership style and organizational performance and in effect has a positive role to play in promoting leaders (Gill, 2009). 2.5 Leadership promotion in organization Leadership promotion takes place, of course, mostly on the job and in many organisations. In fact most of what we know about leadership and leadership promotion and how it can be done is learned through experience in real life rather than in the classroom. Formal training in general, and leadership development programmes in particular, aim to enhance organizational development and performance through a well managed organization. Leadership promotion could serve as a learning process for those who may have the potential and skills to become future leaders. Examples of leadership promotion in an organization could be to rotate job responsibilities, taking on the leadership of special projects or assignments, deputizing others of for the bosses and leading in a cross-functional team (Economist, 2001d). The value of real experience is well demonstrated by the way in which some of the top consulting firms have become a rich source of CEOs, through leadership promotion. It is almost as if the experience and ideal leadership program exist within such organizations, because of how the leadership promotion is well nurtured to develop future leaders (Linstead, 2004). Leadership promotion becomes very important for organization to effectively manage its affairs. Most organizations prefer to promote staff onto higher position within their organizations, while others promote from outside the organization. However, even though some organizations may prefer promoting from within others also prefer to do their promotion from outside the organization even if there are skillful individuals to serve as leaders within it. 2.5.1 Leadership promoting within organization Leadership promotion within organization means instead of getting people from outside an organization to occupy leadership positions, organization promote its own staff that it considers to be very effective or have the leadership potential or skills that are needed and get promoted. One may argue that such a move is very good and that, since members in a company are used to the way things operate and understand the system very well, promoting such individuals is a form of continuous process. That is since employees know the system already, if they are promoted internally, they are familiar with the situation so they will know what to do from day one. It might be a change of position, but continue doing what they already have an idea of how it is done. Linstead (2004) has argued that, when a company is small, and the leaders are easily seen, the influence they can have in the development of the company can easily be seen, than if it were to be a multinational company. Promoting leaders from within a small company although could be bringing some benefits as explained by Linstead; familiarity which will bring contempt could also affect the leaders performance and his or her ability to exercise his or her full authority and powers as a leader. While some critics also argue that, promoting from within is the best way because most members that are promoted from within an organization are familiar with the job, the culture and structure of the organization. This will serve as a good foundation for those promoted to be leaders from within to have a basis to begin their leadership assignment. 2.5.2 Leadership promotion outside organization Promoting leaders to higher positions is another way that many organizations or institutions have to adopt as a means of motivating their employees. It is not just to promote them because they have to be motivated in one form or the other, but when staff gets promoted within their organization, they feel motivated to work very hard. Like promotion within an organization, other critiques also argue that, promoting within an organization is very bad and support promotion from outside an organization. They are that, since individuals become stagnant and too familiar with colleague when they have worked in the same place for long, making become seniors in the same workplace may not enhance respect being given to them by other members. 2.6 Leadership promotion in supermarkets Leadership promotion is very crucial in every organisation. It is not only supermarkets that need to promote leaders in their organisation, although leadership promotion is very vital for organisations to remain competitive and improve. Supermarket like any other organisation also must improve or develop its leaders so as to make the organisation move forward. Every organisation should have those who can set its vision and communicate the vision to the members to enable them support it. 2.7 Summary It can be said that effective leadership place a central role in the success of every organisation, regardless of the size, form or structure. Leadership therefore needs to be effectively promoted such that all stakeholders will feel part of the organization and therefore promotes its standings within todays market. Chapter Three Methodology 3.1 Methodology of the Research There are three main methodologies, which can be used to undertake research in the real world; they are quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies (Kumar, 1996; Robson, 2003). The study will adopt both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to ascertain the relevance of managing across cultures and the techniques managers need do so effectively, which according to critics like Flick (2002) and Kent (1999) will give the researcher to gather good data. To do so successfully, employees from selected organisations will be interviewed alongside managers and chief executive officers to seek their views about the topic under investigation. The interviews will be conducted on a one-on-one basis for both ordinary workers and some individuals in management positions. Some employees will also be made to answer questionnaires to triangulate the interview data Forms methods such as observation participants or non-participants will not be suitable for the data gathering. According to Kent (1999) looking at non-participant observation method for instance, although it may be suitable for the research, position of the researcher and his/her inability to probe whatever may transpire makes it difficult for adequate information to be obtained from the respondents. Besides, clarification cannot be done during data collection. Respondents may also exaggerate their activities if it becomes obvious that the researcher is amongst them gathering data. While others may also decide to withhold information, that will enhance the degree of biases that may affect validity of the data. These reasons have made it very important to adopt both questionnaire and interview and will neglect the other methods. 3.2 Research Strategy and Design Nestle Ghana Ltd Nestlà © started in the 1860s by Henri Nestlà ©, a pharmacist, whose initial aim was to develop food for babies who were unable to breast feed. A study by the Institute of IDE-JETRO (Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organisation), Nestlà © is not only one of Switzerlands largest industrial company, but also, currently, one of the worlds largest food companies. They products include Perrier, Nescafe, mineral water, pet food. It is also fast increasing its share of the ice cream market.   The study continued that Nestlà © Ghana Limited is one of the divested businesses by Nestlà © whose origination dated back in 1957 under the trading name of Nestlà © Products (Gh) Limited with the importation of Nestlà © products such as milk and chocolates. It was incorporated as Food Specialties (GH) Limited to manufacture and market locally well known Nestlà © brands in 1968, however, in 1987, it became Nestle Ghana Limited. Services and Products Nestlà © Ghana Limited has numerous well-known brands including; IDEAL Full Cream Evaporated Milk, CARNATION Filled Milk, Carnation Tea Creamer, MILO, CEREVITA Porridges, CERELAC Maize/Milk and CERELAC Wheat/Milk. Nestlà © Ghana also imports and distributes brands such as: NIDO Milk Powder, LACTOGEN Infant Formula, NAN Infant Formula and NESCAFE Soluble Coffee among others. Number of Employees Nestle Ghana Limited employs 1,000 people. Financial Information Nestle Ghana Limiteds turnover in 2008 was US$173,491 and net profits US$18,499. Market Share Nestlà © Ghana limited is ranked 437 in the Top 500 Companies in Africa 2009 and as one of the top ten companies in Ghana for 2009 (6th position overall and it is the only company in the food industry category on the list of top 10). Business Objective Though Nestlà ©s business objective is to manufacture and market the Companys products in such a way as to create value that can be sustained over the long term for stakeholders, however, Nestle Ghana Limiteds aim to be the number one company not only in business terms and the highest profit making business but also the best employer, the most socially responsible citizen and ethically sound company. Ownership of Business Nestle Ghana Ltd owns 76% of the business with 24% belonging to the Ghana Government.   Benefits Offered and Relations with Government The numerous business and social activities undertaken by Nestlà © Ghana Ltd is hailed as a direct contribution to the Ghanaian economy. Aside aiming at maximising profit, they also undertake series is of activities which promote the growth of Ghanas workforce. For example, Nestle Ghana Ltd promotes medical students in health sciences, supports child education and social events as well as sports. These achievements have earned them a place by the Ghana Government who qualifies the company as a responsible citizen. Source: Jetro, I. ().  AGE (African Growing Enterprises) File.  Available: http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Data/Africa_file/Company/ghana04.html#anchor1. Last accessed 11th Oct 2012. 3.2.1 Research Strategy The use of Nestle Ghana as the only company being used for the study justifies the case study approach being adopted. As it has been argued by May (2001), the exploratory study helped to develop understanding and analysis of the issue under investigation. However, according to Gray (2004) research in real world could be carried following the qualitative, quantitative or a combination of two research methodologies. Robson (2003) and May (2001) explained that, the choice of methodology depended on the research question that were answered, the nature of organisation and also the respondents who were involved in the study. The study utilized the survey questionnaires to generate data from employees of Nestle Company and their understanding of how BSC could be applied in the organisation to enable it measure its performance. In the process of finalizing the questionnaire survey, informal discussions with those knowledgeable about BSC or measurement of organisational performance was carrie d out. The survey instrument used for this research was a carefully designed. 3.2.2 Research Design The data collection tools were designed in a way that could make it possible for the research objectives to be achieved. One of the ma

Stopping Terrorism Worldwide Essay -- essays research papers

Can We Stop the Worldwide Disease-Terrorism? Terrorism, which has been around for as long as people can remember, has been on the rise for the past ten years. Terrorists usually use murdering, kidnapping, hi-jacking and bombings to achieve their political purpose. For instance, according to Wikipedia.com (2006), in 1985 816 deaths, then in 2003, more than 1,000 people died by terorist acts around the world. In recent years, terrorism seems to be at a new height and attacks are much more violent than in the past. Unfortunately, in spite of many anti-terror campaigns, projects and organizations are being created for prevention (to prevent) terrorism, the number of terrorists only is increasing. These days terrorism is all over the world. Terrorists use violence against civilians or against civilian targets, in order to attain political aims. As it is mentioned in Cfrterrorism.org (2006), The US Department defines terrorism as "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience." Paul Pillar (Council on Foreign Relations, 2004), a former deputy chief of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center, interprets the definition of terrorism as follows,â€Å",†¦, planned in advance, rather than an impulsive act of rage and not criminal, like the violence that groups such as the mafia use to get money and not carried out by the army of a country.†, The purposes of terrorists are different but majority of their victims are peaceful people. There are many different types of terrorism, for many different purposes. The primary purpose of terrorism is to force a change in their government structure or position. If terrorists are not s... ...hat terrorism can not be ended with violence. Violence in response to violence can only lead to further violence. So we should discover more creative programs about reducing the poverty, let everybody study, regarding their religion, sex, race and nationality. If we invest money into these things than investing to wars, we have already reduced terrorism. Other crucial thing is freedom. Nowadays, many terrorists claim that they are freedom fighters of their country. From this we can conclude that we, ourselves, are making terrorists by occupying their native country. If we do not want any terrorism, let them enjoy their freedom. But these days it is sad to realize that some bigger countries, with its (their) powerful economy want to take control over smaller countries, which is again leading people of these countries to take a gun and defense their countries values.

The Second Shift-Women in Society Essay -- Feminism Feminist Equality

The Second Shift-Women in Society Women have pushed forward in the struggle for equality. Today women are staples in the professional world. More women are attending college than men as proved in recent studies. Women have outnumbered men on college campuses since 1979, and on graduate school campuses since 1984. More American women than men have received bachelor's degrees every year since 1982. Even here on Haverford's campus, the Admissions Office received more applications from women for early decision candidacy than men for the eighth straight year. The wage gap is slowly decreasing and the fight for proper day care services along with insurance coverage for birth control pills are passionate issues for women across America. From the outside, it seems we have come along way. But step closer. Stop looking at the fights we have won and are continuing to fight as measures of our success. Look deeper. Look into the every day life of a working woman today in the United States. What you will find there tells a very di fferent story of a woman's world today. In 2002 the journal "Sex Roles: A Journal of Research" published a study on women and their roles in the family. The study found that "Seven out of ten married parents believe child care should be shared equally, but two-thirds of the moms said they mainly cared for children....[additionally] women continue to spend about three to seven times as many hours as men on cleaning and laundry tasks." This information does not cease with this study alone. The New York Times recently published an article which also explored the inner workings of an American family. The article quotes its own study: "The average working woman also gets about an hour's less sleep each night than ... ... established in the social construct of a more progressive society will our government legislate more feminist understandings of issues such as maternity leave and daycare. Women who are able to answer the question of womanhood in the privacy of their own self will spread this idea to her household. Eventually the private household will become a model for the public sector and eventually, the gradual process of redefining a woman's role will affect the means we organize our own society: laws and legislation. Women must embody the change before society achieves it. Sources Cited: 1)U.S. Dept of Education 2) "Striking a balance between mom and dad. Women are overloaded at home so how can couples better achieve the equality they say they want?" The Seattle Times 8 May 2004 3) "Survey Confirms It: Women Outjuggle Men" The New York Times Sept. 15, 2004

Aldous Huxley :: Biography Biographies

Aldous Huxley Many talented twentieth century writers have been overshadowed by classical writers such as Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare. Novels dealing with classical topics are often more recognized than works that tackle controversial topics. Aldous Huxley defies this stereotype, for his controversial works gained great fame while influencing many people. Huxley was not just a successful writer; he was a complex person whose ideas and novels influenced many people. Aldous Huxley was born July 26, 1894 (It’s Online-Aldous Huxley) in Godalming, Surrey, England (Aldous (Leonard) Huxley). Huxley was born into a prominent family. His grandfather, Thomas Henry Huxley, was a biologist who â€Å"helped develop the theory of evolution.† Huxley’s aunt, Humphrey Ward, was a novelist. His mother was the niece of Matthew Arnold, a poet, and the granddaughter of Thomas Arnold, a famous educator and headmaster of Rugby school (Aldous Huxley-Biography). When Huxley was fourteen years old, his mother died of cancer. He said his mother’s death â€Å"gave him a sense of the transience of human happiness† and â€Å"he felt that heredity made each individual unique, and uniqueness of the individual was essential to freedom† (Aldous Huxley-Biography). From 1908 until 1913, Huxley studied at Eton College (Aldous (Leonard) Huxley). While at Eton, Huxley developed a condition of near blindness that plagued him until hi s death (Philosopher’s Corner Presents: Aldous Huxley). After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in English at Balliol College, Oxford, Huxley worked in the War Office in London and taught at Eton and Repton (Aldous (Leonard) Huxley). While at Oxford, Huxley was introduced to the literary world and became good friends with D.H. Lawrence (Aldous Huxley-Biography). In 1916, Huxley published his first book of poems, The Burning Wheel (Philosopher’s Corner Presents: Aldous Huxley). From 1920-1921, he was a part of the editorial staff of the Athenaeum under Middleton Murray. Through the years, Huxley also worked as a drama critic for the Westminster Gazette, was an assistant at the Chelsea Book Club and worked for Conde Nast Publications (Aldous (Leonard) Huxley). Huxley married Maria Nys in 1919. In 1920 they had a child named Matthew. The family split time between London and Italy and traveled around the world in 1925 and 1926 (Aldous Huxley-Biography). In 1955 Maria died of cancer, and a year later Huxley married Italian violinist and psychotherapist Laura Achera (Brooke 199).

Team Assignment

Dry. Michael Ordain, a professor of chemistry. After sensing the commercial application of several of his patented Polymer processes, Dry. Ordain started Ordain Plastics, Inc. , which initially focused on research and development. In 1992, Dry. Ordain acquired venture capital and purchased a manufacturing facility. Ordain Manufacturing Inc. Has since grown into a global organization that specializes in the manufacturing of molded plastic products. With revenues in excess of $1 billion,Ordain employs 550 people and has projected annual earnings of $46 million. The organization operates three separate manufacturing facilities in Albany GA, Pontiac MI, and a Joint venture In Hangout, China providing products to the Department of Defense, automotive parts manufacturers, beverage makers, bottlers, appliance manufacturers, and aircraft manufacturers (Apollo Group Inc. 2013). Although the company's headquarters Is in San Jose, California. Ordain Manufacturing Account Models Ordain Manufactu ring accounting modules consist of the following components: 1 . General Ledger 2. 3. 5. 8. 10. 2.System) Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable Order Entry Procurement sales and Purchasing History Invoicing and Shipping Payroll Financial Reporting EDI* (Electronic Data Interchange) Bar code Reading* DEEDS (Executive Decision Support tofu *San Jose Only (Apollo Group Inc. 2013). The accounting systems used by Ordain are different at each of the company's facilities. The San Jose facility uses an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integrated system for manufacturing, distribution and financial management specifically engineered for plastic and plastic parts manufacturing (Apollo Group Inc. 2013). The software is Windows integrated.ERP is a well-known system and many successful organizations use ERP solutions. Ordain could benefit by deploying ERP software across the enterprise. The Michigan facility uses a vendor developed software application. Software vendors support software through lifestyle management and stop supporting software and applications as new products are developed and released. The vendor who provided Radian's software went out of business, and support is nonexistent. The system is a VIM Operating system with VACANCY workstations. Finding another vendor to support the systems would be official, if not impossible.The Georgia site has also purchased a vendor developed software and application. This server is running a UNIX operating system with Windows client workstations. With this disparity between facilities, the accounting systems are not running as smooth as Ordain desires. Ordain would like to have a seamless environment for the accounting system users. Hardcore's and conversion-intensive data files are used to transfer data between sites. If a hardcopy of data is provided, the employee at the receiving site often must re-enter the data into his or her system.Many accounting functions are taking considerably longer to complete than they shoul d. The audits are expensive and time-consuming to run. Remaining compliant with new government required reporting is difficult. This situation is unacceptable to the organization and a better solution is required immediately. Ordain Manufacturing inventory is crucial to its manufacturing processes and budgeting projections. Accounting software shows the current stock in the warehouse and identifies the materials that need to be reordered.Inventory consists of raw materials, finished materials, tools, parts, supplies, and fixtures. Ordain Manufacturing needs to keep accurate accountability of its inventory in order to run efficiently. Ordain manufacturing would benefit by using an inventory software module to see a real-time picture of what inventory is currently in the warehouse and on the manufacturing floors, and what portion of raw material has been processed into finished products. This can help with accuracy when projecting man-hour requirements, order fulfillment, and shipping quotas.The company can also use inventory software to track the volume of supplies needed to produce products and maintain the equipment. Another important accounting software module for Ordain Manufacturing is the Job cost module. Job cost software evaluates specific materials and processes to determine the cost associated with the production off product, such as a plastic bottle. The Job cost software can help determine if any of the associated activities need to be evaluated for efficiency or if any of the materials can be used more efficiently in the process.Any improvements to efficiency will help increase pronto For example, Petrochemical is an ingredient that comes from oil used to create plastic. If the price of oil rises so will the cost to create plastic and sell a product made of plastic, such as a plastic bottle. Ordain Manufacturing produces many types of plastics, so the Job cost software is extremely beneficial in confronting changes in a turbulent economy affecting the price of oil used to create plastics.Ordain Manufacturing is a cutting-edge research and development company, which has expanded considerably since its initial startup in the early ass. The company has added new manufacturing and production facilities and has expanded its operation worldwide. The previous technologies and practices in use at the geographically separated locations have remained intact and are vastly different across the company. Ordain Manufacturing will benefit by integrating the finance and accounting subsystems into one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (fig. L).This solution allows Ordain manufacturing facilities and departments to interact together in one communicating information system. Systems Connected to the Accounting System Ordain Manufacturing has a very inadequate accounting software system. The company's locations are Georgia, Michigan, California, and a venture in the People's Republic of China. Radian's facilities need to be connected to a central financial accounting system. The systems currently in place are desperate and inconsistent and include a manual input system that was once updated at the San Jose Corporate facility.This is not an inefficient way to track of any aspect of the accounting operation. Ordain Manufacturing needs an updated financial accounting system that can produce data and reports in a standardized format across all facilities. The reports that are generated throughout the Ordain Manufacturing are; accounts payable, accounts receivable, and inventory. Other accounting aspect that must be centralized are payroll, purchase orders and invoicing, vendor information, products, sales, and shipping and receiving.Ordain Manufacturing must accurately maintain its general ledger using Internet access, so that all of the information from the separate facilities is processed and stored at the San Jose headquarters facility. This will ensure that all accounting information is up to date and will provide managers the ability to make better business decisions. Other accounting information such as employee timeshares, payroll, payouts, vacations and sick leave should be revised to a consistent format across the facilities.Each of Ordain Manufacturing facility accounts receivable and accounts payable must be connected to the central location, so that reports are accurate about payout and revenue owed to the company. Accounts receivables and accounts payable are main accounts for revenue in and out of Ordain Manufacturing corporate office. Connecting this system to the main system would help prevent potential trade cases . All areas to Ordain Manufacturing inventory added to the new system establish inventory control, such as ordering, stocking, reordering, replacement, and waste materials.This will maintain information about the availability of stock, what needs reordering during off-peak and peak season and what the expectations of customers and vendors are to receive of delivery. Thi s cut down on inadequate of over stocking, purchasing of unused and unnecessary products, and delivery establishes a more efficient response time for customers. Analysis of Radian's Balance Sheet and Income Statement (Keith) An assessment of Ordain Manufacturing lance sheet provides evidence of consistency for several years with a steady increase of profitability over the last two.Ordain has added company assets and resources by acquiring additional geographically separate production sites, thus driving up the long term debt estimated over nine million dollars up from approximately a million dollars during the previous year. Through this costly expansion, Ordain was still able to retain a comfortable profit margin with an increase of approximately 11 percent in total stockholders' equity from $29,946,992 in 2010 to over $33,447,982 in 2011.This, in itself, makes Ordain very attractive to future stockholders and potential investors. Ordain Manufacturing common stock remains steady fr om last year at $29,055,488; however, produced an almost five hundred percent increase in retained earnings. The retained earnings or retained surplus provides the ability for Ordain Manufacturing to reinvest these gains back into the company for reallocated funds or to lower the long-term debt from the recent expansions at the acquired production sites and international location.These earnings are critical in maintaining the company's founder, Dry. Ordain, vision to remain the industry leader in research and development. Research and development will be tremendously aided by purchasing new, innovated machinery, high-end information systems and funds for increased research and development. Ordain maintains a considerable amount of tangible assets for liquidation; to include accounts receivable, on-hand cash, inventories, and possessions that are readily available if needed.During the review of the income statement, Ordain Manufacturing, successfully increased sales from 2010 to 2011 by 15%, while he direct costs of goods sustain a 17% increase. Total operating expenses remained constant, yet the company prospered significantly by a 40% profit before interest and taxes. This is very valuable information to capture company earnings and relay the information to investors. Radian's income statement not only captures the profits gained versus loss ratios, but also it offers insight into the management of the organization.Management at Ordain is currently maximizing use of its resources and capitalizing on the goods sold while retaining the ability to plan ahead toward he company's goal of maintained its lead in its industry. Radian's income statement illustrates a high rate of return for the business sales and garners a positive outlook of how Ordain is investing and reinvesting the funds directly under management's control. Radian's income statement provided a positive report on the specific dates and times, while the balance sheet captured data tort a particular moment in time.Ordain has a diversified customer base, and provides high quality plastic products to several private sector customers including automotive parts manufacturers, beverage makers, bottlers, appliance manufacturers, and aircraft manufacturers, and to the Government sector, providing military specification reduces to the department of defense (Apollo Group Inc. 2013). The analysis conducted on Radian's accounting system revealed that the company has a very desperate, and mostly unsupported accounting systems.Each facility is handling accounting data using different systems and software. Data that is sent back to the headquarters facility is not formatted consistently or recorded using the same media. Ordain Manufacturing San Jose location uses an effective Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution and it is highly suggested that this system be replicated to he other facilities, or that another ERP solution be examined and considered to take the place of the current syst em, as well as to be deployed to the other facilities.Ordain Manufacturing would benefit by adding new accounting modules such as inventory, Job cost, and systems manager modules to increase efficiency and provide accurate information for the management to base its decisions on. The new modules would also help decrease the company's dependence on borrowed be d t. Ordain Manufacturing balance sheet and income statement show that the company is in a stable position. As illustrated in the graph (Fig. 2), Radian's current ratio has increased over the last two years after dropping in 2009. (Apollo Group Inc. , 2013) (Apollo Group Inc. 2013) In order to continue expansion and increase profitability, Ordain Manufacturing must enhance its operations with efficiency and strategy. A zero-based budget and a performance-based budget would change the direction of the company preventing it from becoming a high risk to lenders, and allowing the company to enjoy profits consistently each year. Orda in Manufacturing values its customers, so it must take tepees to ensure financial reports are accurate, and up to date, providing clear and concise evidence that the company is generating the revenue to be successful. Team Assignment Dry. Michael Ordain, a professor of chemistry. After sensing the commercial application of several of his patented Polymer processes, Dry. Ordain started Ordain Plastics, Inc. , which initially focused on research and development. In 1992, Dry. Ordain acquired venture capital and purchased a manufacturing facility. Ordain Manufacturing Inc. Has since grown into a global organization that specializes in the manufacturing of molded plastic products. With revenues in excess of $1 billion,Ordain employs 550 people and has projected annual earnings of $46 million. The organization operates three separate manufacturing facilities in Albany GA, Pontiac MI, and a Joint venture In Hangout, China providing products to the Department of Defense, automotive parts manufacturers, beverage makers, bottlers, appliance manufacturers, and aircraft manufacturers (Apollo Group Inc. 2013). Although the company's headquarters Is in San Jose, California. Ordain Manufacturing Account Models Ordain Manufactu ring accounting modules consist of the following components: 1 . General Ledger 2. 3. 5. 8. 10. 2.System) Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable Order Entry Procurement sales and Purchasing History Invoicing and Shipping Payroll Financial Reporting EDI* (Electronic Data Interchange) Bar code Reading* DEEDS (Executive Decision Support tofu *San Jose Only (Apollo Group Inc. 2013). The accounting systems used by Ordain are different at each of the company's facilities. The San Jose facility uses an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integrated system for manufacturing, distribution and financial management specifically engineered for plastic and plastic parts manufacturing (Apollo Group Inc. 2013). The software is Windows integrated.ERP is a well-known system and many successful organizations use ERP solutions. Ordain could benefit by deploying ERP software across the enterprise. The Michigan facility uses a vendor developed software application. Software vendors support software through lifestyle management and stop supporting software and applications as new products are developed and released. The vendor who provided Radian's software went out of business, and support is nonexistent. The system is a VIM Operating system with VACANCY workstations. Finding another vendor to support the systems would be official, if not impossible.The Georgia site has also purchased a vendor developed software and application. This server is running a UNIX operating system with Windows client workstations. With this disparity between facilities, the accounting systems are not running as smooth as Ordain desires. Ordain would like to have a seamless environment for the accounting system users. Hardcore's and conversion-intensive data files are used to transfer data between sites. If a hardcopy of data is provided, the employee at the receiving site often must re-enter the data into his or her system.Many accounting functions are taking considerably longer to complete than they shoul d. The audits are expensive and time-consuming to run. Remaining compliant with new government required reporting is difficult. This situation is unacceptable to the organization and a better solution is required immediately. Ordain Manufacturing inventory is crucial to its manufacturing processes and budgeting projections. Accounting software shows the current stock in the warehouse and identifies the materials that need to be reordered.Inventory consists of raw materials, finished materials, tools, parts, supplies, and fixtures. Ordain Manufacturing needs to keep accurate accountability of its inventory in order to run efficiently. Ordain manufacturing would benefit by using an inventory software module to see a real-time picture of what inventory is currently in the warehouse and on the manufacturing floors, and what portion of raw material has been processed into finished products. This can help with accuracy when projecting man-hour requirements, order fulfillment, and shipping quotas.The company can also use inventory software to track the volume of supplies needed to produce products and maintain the equipment. Another important accounting software module for Ordain Manufacturing is the Job cost module. Job cost software evaluates specific materials and processes to determine the cost associated with the production off product, such as a plastic bottle. The Job cost software can help determine if any of the associated activities need to be evaluated for efficiency or if any of the materials can be used more efficiently in the process.Any improvements to efficiency will help increase pronto For example, Petrochemical is an ingredient that comes from oil used to create plastic. If the price of oil rises so will the cost to create plastic and sell a product made of plastic, such as a plastic bottle. Ordain Manufacturing produces many types of plastics, so the Job cost software is extremely beneficial in confronting changes in a turbulent economy affecting the price of oil used to create plastics.Ordain Manufacturing is a cutting-edge research and development company, which has expanded considerably since its initial startup in the early ass. The company has added new manufacturing and production facilities and has expanded its operation worldwide. The previous technologies and practices in use at the geographically separated locations have remained intact and are vastly different across the company. Ordain Manufacturing will benefit by integrating the finance and accounting subsystems into one Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system (fig. L).This solution allows Ordain manufacturing facilities and departments to interact together in one communicating information system. Systems Connected to the Accounting System Ordain Manufacturing has a very inadequate accounting software system. The company's locations are Georgia, Michigan, California, and a venture in the People's Republic of China. Radian's facilities need to be connected to a central financial accounting system. The systems currently in place are desperate and inconsistent and include a manual input system that was once updated at the San Jose Corporate facility.This is not an inefficient way to track of any aspect of the accounting operation. Ordain Manufacturing needs an updated financial accounting system that can produce data and reports in a standardized format across all facilities. The reports that are generated throughout the Ordain Manufacturing are; accounts payable, accounts receivable, and inventory. Other accounting aspect that must be centralized are payroll, purchase orders and invoicing, vendor information, products, sales, and shipping and receiving.Ordain Manufacturing must accurately maintain its general ledger using Internet access, so that all of the information from the separate facilities is processed and stored at the San Jose headquarters facility. This will ensure that all accounting information is up to date and will provide managers the ability to make better business decisions. Other accounting information such as employee timeshares, payroll, payouts, vacations and sick leave should be revised to a consistent format across the facilities.Each of Ordain Manufacturing facility accounts receivable and accounts payable must be connected to the central location, so that reports are accurate about payout and revenue owed to the company. Accounts receivables and accounts payable are main accounts for revenue in and out of Ordain Manufacturing corporate office. Connecting this system to the main system would help prevent potential trade cases . All areas to Ordain Manufacturing inventory added to the new system establish inventory control, such as ordering, stocking, reordering, replacement, and waste materials.This will maintain information about the availability of stock, what needs reordering during off-peak and peak season and what the expectations of customers and vendors are to receive of delivery. Thi s cut down on inadequate of over stocking, purchasing of unused and unnecessary products, and delivery establishes a more efficient response time for customers. Analysis of Radian's Balance Sheet and Income Statement (Keith) An assessment of Ordain Manufacturing lance sheet provides evidence of consistency for several years with a steady increase of profitability over the last two.Ordain has added company assets and resources by acquiring additional geographically separate production sites, thus driving up the long term debt estimated over nine million dollars up from approximately a million dollars during the previous year. Through this costly expansion, Ordain was still able to retain a comfortable profit margin with an increase of approximately 11 percent in total stockholders' equity from $29,946,992 in 2010 to over $33,447,982 in 2011.This, in itself, makes Ordain very attractive to future stockholders and potential investors. Ordain Manufacturing common stock remains steady fr om last year at $29,055,488; however, produced an almost five hundred percent increase in retained earnings. The retained earnings or retained surplus provides the ability for Ordain Manufacturing to reinvest these gains back into the company for reallocated funds or to lower the long-term debt from the recent expansions at the acquired production sites and international location.These earnings are critical in maintaining the company's founder, Dry. Ordain, vision to remain the industry leader in research and development. Research and development will be tremendously aided by purchasing new, innovated machinery, high-end information systems and funds for increased research and development. Ordain maintains a considerable amount of tangible assets for liquidation; to include accounts receivable, on-hand cash, inventories, and possessions that are readily available if needed.During the review of the income statement, Ordain Manufacturing, successfully increased sales from 2010 to 2011 by 15%, while he direct costs of goods sustain a 17% increase. Total operating expenses remained constant, yet the company prospered significantly by a 40% profit before interest and taxes. This is very valuable information to capture company earnings and relay the information to investors. Radian's income statement not only captures the profits gained versus loss ratios, but also it offers insight into the management of the organization.Management at Ordain is currently maximizing use of its resources and capitalizing on the goods sold while retaining the ability to plan ahead toward he company's goal of maintained its lead in its industry. Radian's income statement illustrates a high rate of return for the business sales and garners a positive outlook of how Ordain is investing and reinvesting the funds directly under management's control. Radian's income statement provided a positive report on the specific dates and times, while the balance sheet captured data tort a particular moment in time.Ordain has a diversified customer base, and provides high quality plastic products to several private sector customers including automotive parts manufacturers, beverage makers, bottlers, appliance manufacturers, and aircraft manufacturers, and to the Government sector, providing military specification reduces to the department of defense (Apollo Group Inc. 2013). The analysis conducted on Radian's accounting system revealed that the company has a very desperate, and mostly unsupported accounting systems.Each facility is handling accounting data using different systems and software. Data that is sent back to the headquarters facility is not formatted consistently or recorded using the same media. Ordain Manufacturing San Jose location uses an effective Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution and it is highly suggested that this system be replicated to he other facilities, or that another ERP solution be examined and considered to take the place of the current syst em, as well as to be deployed to the other facilities.Ordain Manufacturing would benefit by adding new accounting modules such as inventory, Job cost, and systems manager modules to increase efficiency and provide accurate information for the management to base its decisions on. The new modules would also help decrease the company's dependence on borrowed be d t. Ordain Manufacturing balance sheet and income statement show that the company is in a stable position. As illustrated in the graph (Fig. 2), Radian's current ratio has increased over the last two years after dropping in 2009. (Apollo Group Inc. , 2013) (Apollo Group Inc. 2013) In order to continue expansion and increase profitability, Ordain Manufacturing must enhance its operations with efficiency and strategy. A zero-based budget and a performance-based budget would change the direction of the company preventing it from becoming a high risk to lenders, and allowing the company to enjoy profits consistently each year. Orda in Manufacturing values its customers, so it must take tepees to ensure financial reports are accurate, and up to date, providing clear and concise evidence that the company is generating the revenue to be successful.