A Tale of Three Researchers Essay Example

A Tale of Three Researchers Essay Example A Tale of Three Researchers Essay A Tale of Three Researchers Essay sponsored by from his book Lead with a Story: A Guide to because we conducted a pricing study Fountainhead Brand Consulting, 2012 Crafting Business Narratives that Captivate, 18 months ago. We know exactly how Convince, and Inspire (AMACOM, 2012). much we need to reduce our price. Getting the Most out of Google Analytics, sponsored by Tableau Software, 2012 All rights reserved. He may be reached at Weve never done it because we couldnt [emailprotected] com. do that and afford the increase to our 81

Paying for Private School in Tough Times

Paying for Private School in Tough Times We all know that private school is expensive, and its not uncommon for parents to sometimes have trouble paying private school tuition. Dr. Wendy Weiner, Principal of Conservatory Prep Senior High in Davie, Florida answers some of the questions parents have and explains their options. 1. The major breadwinner in the family has been laid off. The family has one child in tenth grade at private school. They cannot afford to pay the next four months of tuition. What do you suggest they do? This is a phenomenon we are seeing more and more. Individuals with high paying jobs being laid off. First, go through your finances and determine your budget and what you can realistically afford for the next four months. Even if it is $200 per month, rather than $1,500. The economic situation, although may seem bleak, can turn around quickly and you may be wanting to place your child back at the school. Speak with the administration regarding your financial situation. Be up front and honest. Is there a service you can provide to the school for the next four months? Schools dont want to lose their students midway through the year, especially good students. 2. If parents have savings for college, should they use these funds to pay for private school tuition? I am asked this question regularly. What is most important is if your child is thriving in a particular school during the teen years, both academically and socially, dont move. I cant emphasize this enough. The high school years are very difficult and to find an environment where your child excels is very important. I have seen students placed in a large high school, feel very lost and not involved in activities and earn poor grades. The parents dont want to move him to a private school, because the money is being saved for college. However, if the child continues to earn low grades and does not develop extra-curricula interests, paying for college wont be a problem. Granting acceptance will be. The reality is that there are more scholarships available for colleges than for private high schools. Even with the turbulent economy, there are many options including scholarships and very low-interest loans for college. 3. Arent parents obliged by contract to pay tuition and other expenses? Yes. Parents sign a contract that they agree to pay tuition for the year. The schools count on this money to meet their expenses. The school is put in a very bad predicament when teachers are hired, leases are signed for buildings, etc. and then students do not fulfill their contracts. If you are not sure if you will be able to fulfill your contract, speak with the school about your concerns. Sometimes schools may put in provisions in the contract for special circumstances. 4. Cant parents go back to the school and renegotiate their financial aid package for the current year? Definitely. Schools are businesses and need students to survive. Often you can re-negotiate a new payment plan or financial aid package. The institution would rather receive some money to cover basic costs than ​to  receive nothing. However, there are some students who drain the system with their needs. Be realistic with your expectations and your childs needs. 5. What advice can you offer parents who are looking at private school for the coming year? With all of the negative, there is a positive side. Private schools have been forced to up their game. Faculty who were not of the highest standards have been let go and programs which are of low quality have been cut from the budget. Schools know that parents have choices and are competing for each child. The schools have had to re-evaluate their own programs, curriculum and expectations. Those schools which are not able to offer a high standard of education will be closing, while those which are strong will flourish. Parents will find a higher quality of school at a fair price than they have known in the past. With budget cuts in the public schools, academic standards and expectations have been lowered, therefore making it difficult to obtain a publicly funded quality education.    Updated by Stacy Jagodowski

Social Entrepreneurism Module RQ1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Social Entrepreneurism Module RQ1 - Coursework Example Success means they must have the backing of willing donors. In light of this, it is crucial for any leader in social enterprises to have certain characteristics. This paper will examine some of the characteristics, and how they may assist them to stay at the top of the business chain. One vital character trait that a leader in the social enterprise must have is optimism. In the face of adversity, it is only right to have a leader who is optimistic of the outcome of certain scenarios, no matter how difficult the tasks or challenges may be. The hope that they will come out on top may work as encouragement to all those under that leader. It is true what social entrepreneurs believe about society that not everyone benefits from its success. It is their place in society to change this for the betterment of everyone. Their diverse views on how business ventures should relate to the environment is different from what for-profit enterprises believe. This makes them more versatile and diverse (Elkington & Hartigan, 2008). Another character trait is their futuristic nature. Social entrepreneurs always strive to find a lasting solution, beyond short term answers. This makes them decisive and dependent as individuals working under them find it easier to approach their leader with problems that require immediate attention. Last but not least, they are confident. They are not afraid to take chances in this highly competitive market, even if they have little resources. Social entrepreneurs have a small number of donors, which does not work to their advantage. This is unlike their competitors who rely on funding from philanthropic and charitable organizations to fund their businesses (Dees, Emerson & Economy, 2002). It may be risky for them but, they have to do this for the sake of society. In conclusion, leadership traits can be learnt from the existing business conditions. Some have the ability to grow, evolve, and change with changes in the

Communication observations from in class movie, THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE Assignment

Communication observations from in class movie, THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE (2009) - Assignment Example was like going to the same journey the actors went through where their sincere search to understand other people’s outlook in life brought them to their own realization. There was a somewhat strong connection between the audience and the actors portraying the role. However, this could be considered indirect communication since there was no personal interaction between the two elements. Second, it was the connection pattern between the two brothers to the people they met along their journey. It was true in its essence that a person should put himself to someone else’s shoe to truly understand the condition of others. What gave the main characters the most powerful realization they had at the end of the story was their personal â€Å"experience† living with the people who had less in terms of material possession yet abundant with reasons to be happy and grateful with life. This was more interpersonal in approach. Finally, it was the intrapersonal communication pattern. The most compelling message of the movie was the question the audience would end up asking themselves. Therefore, one could only find genuine happiness and satisfaction by searching within. What was good about the people others tend to see as less fortunate was that tend to be more grateful and they treasured the greatest blessing given to them despite material lack- ‘life†, itself. Inner joy and peace is that every individual could find within is also the greatest reason for anyone to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of life. It only needs to take a few minutes to ask ourselves and reflect on

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - Research Paper Example Experts reveal that the urge to repeat certain things result from the need to alleviate the stressful thoughts. The prevalence of the disorder is on the rise according to recent reports. The recent report conducted by the National Institute for Mental Health revealed that approximately 3% of Americans have OCD disorder (Rachman and de Silva, 2009). The report also indicated that the disorder affect people from all races, ethnic groups, and sexes in almost equal measure. The researchers also discovered that the disorder affects male at an early age than female. According to the National Institute for Mental Health report, the OCD disorder affects boys between the age of 6 and 15 years, while girls, the disorder tends to manifest mostly between the age of 20 and 30 years. Individuals with OCD tend to show certain behaviors that a rational person considers abnormal. The most common symptom of the disorder, according to National Alliance of Mental Illness (2012), is that, individuals suffering from OCD tend to double-check things excessively and repeatedly. For instance, an individual with OCD may end up double checking switches, locks and other electrical appliances 20 times before feeling satisfied that everything is in order. They do this due in an attempt to alleviate the compulsive stressful thoughts. Secondly, individuals with OCD tend to feel over obsessed with certain things. Because of over obsession, people suffering from OCD normally appear fearful and concerned about everything that happens around them. For example, such people may demonstrate fear and concern of thieves breaking into their houses as noted by Rachman and de Silva (2009). This makes them appear restless and pre-occupied by unreasonable thoughts. Individuals with OCD tend to be extra cautious in whatever they do for fear of harming themselves or others around them. Hyman and Pedrick (2011) also noted that such people focus much on morals and

Phases of Child Development

Phases of Child Development Joanne Boyden Children are individual and unique; however most will follow a similar pattern of development with some variation in reaching of milestones. Child development can be divided into five different, but very much interlinking areas. Physical development looks at how children develop physically. This can be split into fine motor skills such as drawing, writing, gross motor skills such as kicking a ball and locomotive skills i.e. walking, running. Between the ages of 0-3 years is a period of rapid physical development. Newborns are governed by reflexes until by the age of three, children are moving, crawling walking and have the fine motor skill to manipulate toys and feed themselves. Between the ages 3-7 years movements are more coordinated, confidence is growing and fine motor skills are more refined e.g. cutting, writing, drawing. Gross motor skills such as running, kicking a ball are more confidently achieved. Between the ages of 7-12 years children often take part in hobbies and interests and this enhances their skills e.g. dance. Fine motor skills are controlled for drawing, playing instruments and sewing. These are influenced by environment and opportunity. Girls at this age can start to show signs of puber ty and therefore care should be shown for example when getting change for PE. 12-16 years is a time when children are growing in both height and strength. Cognitive development looks as how a child develops intellectually, it covers the basic principles of how children think and learn. This is dependent upon the experiences and opportunities that the child is given from an early age. Between the ages 0-3 children look at the world around them enjoy repetitive activities with the prediction of outcome. Children start from the beginnings of object manipulation to imaginative play and jigsaw completion. 3-7 years children are becoming more skilled at number and writing and learn how to read. 7-11 years children start to develop their own ideas and show preference. They enjoy simple puzzles and problem solving. 12-16 years children have very specific ideas and preference. They need support to feel good about themselves and that they belong. Communication Development focuses on the way children communicate and covers things such as speech, non verbal communications, reading, and writing. Early experience is vital to the development of communication. Between the ages 0-3 years stimulation is of great importance. Children go from crying to communicate to smiles, babbling and towards the end of 2/3 using words and simple sentences. 3-7 years children ask lots of questions and can talk about past and futures tense with more confidence. By about the age of five communication becomes key to friendship development and children enjoy telling jokes. 7-12 years children are fluent speakers and can think about and discuss ideas in more abstract ways. Social and emotional development looks at how children develop relationships both with others and themselves. Children need confidence to become independent of adults. Between 0-3 years children form very strong attachments to their primary carer. 3-7 years children play together but need strong guidance and boundaries. 7—12 years is often thought of as ‘the calm before the storm’ and children tend to be quite settled and have strong groups of friends. 12-16 years is an age where confidence and esteem is most fragile. Children bodies are changing and peer pressure is paramount. Children need to be supported and guided in a loving and sensitive way. Good positive role models are key at this age when peer pressure is at its highest. Moral Development encompasses the decisions made by children and is linked to social and emotional development. The environment a child is in strongly effects how they develop socially and morally. Between the ages of two and three children begin to understand the word No and need constant support to guide them in the right direction. 3-5 years children can follow simple rules and need good consistent boundaries to follow. Praise and reinforcement of behaviour is key. Between 5-7 years children enjoy games with rules. For example a child may start to enjoy football as they can follow rules and kick the ball showing the link between physical and moral development as well and having the social skills to communicate. 7-9 years children enjoy being given some responsibility. At school this may take the form for example of paint monitor. By the ages of 9-11 children begin to become a lot more aware of the feelings of others around them until their teens when children should have a very go od understanding of what is right and wrong and also how their behaviours and actions affect other people. Many theorists have attempted to explain how children develop in particular how they develop cognitively. One of the most influential is that of Albert Bandura and the Social Learning theory. His theory is based upon the assumption that children learn through modelling the behaviour of others. This covers both positive and negative behaviour. For example if a child sees their parents fighting they will take on this aggressive behaviour thus impacting on their social and emotional development. Jean Piaget suggested that children develop cognitively by going through a series of set stages. This implies that all children go through the same processes at the same age and develop at the same rate. Piaget states that learning is based upon experience. Len Vygotsky extended this to state that adults must support and scaffold a child’s learning experience and devised the theory of Zone of proximal development. A child who is not provided with this scaffold and support will not reach their full potential developmentally. Another very influential theory is that of BF Skinner and Positive reinforcment. This theory states that children will repeat behaviour that is rewarded and cease behaviour that is ignored. This can be seen in schools with the likes of sticker rewards. Many factors both personal and external can influence a child development. Personal factors are those which occur through nature or a person’s genetics and include pregnancy and birth problems, health issues and disabilities. For example a child may be born with a specific genetic disability such as Down’s syndrome. â€Å"Downs syndrome is a genetic condition caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21 in the body’s cells† Around one in every 1000 babies born in the UK will have Down’s syndrome. www.downs-syndrome.org.uk . Down’s syndrome affects all areas of development including physical, social and cognitive. Children’s development can be effected during their time in the womb, for example if the mother smokes or drinks. One of the big problems is that of Foetal Alcohol syndrome (FAS) â€Å"foetal Alcohol syndrome is the leading known cause of intellectual disability† www.drinkaware.co.uk Children with FAS are born with many distinctive features for example small and narrow eyes a smooth area between the nose and the lips as well as hearing and ear problems, weakened immune system and a variety of other issues. Thus a child with FAS may suffer both physically and cognitively. â€Å"The WHO quotes a 2005 US study which estimates that one in every 1000 children are born with FAS† www.drinkaware.co.uk. Similar to FAS is Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder which is thought to affect one in every 100 babies. Rather like autistic spectrum this is an umbrella term to cover babies who are born with some of the symptoms of FAS and symptoms vary from child to child. Another condition that effects a Childs development is Coeliac Disease. â€Å"Coleiac Disease is a lifelong autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten†. www.coeliac.org.uk Symptoms include failure to thrive, diarrhoea muscle wasting, mood and emotional distress. A child suffering from Colieac Disease may need time off school and may have to miss out on a variety of school experiences such as PE dependent upon the severity thus impacting on their physical and social and emotional development. â€Å"Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder that occurs when protein call haemoglobin is defective† www.childrenshospital.org. Children suffering may need to dress up warmly and avoid extremes in temperatures. They may need to stay in at playtime and dinner thus missing out in social experience and may have to be given other activities during PE again effecting their physical and social development. As with many of the disorders the child may miss school due to illness. â€Å"Turners Syndrome (TS) is a medical disorder that affects about one in every 2500 girls.† www.kidshealth.org They are usually short in height although this can be treated with hormones, TS effects the girls sexually development and if untreated they would not go through the changes associated with puberty. This would have a detrimental effect on the child both physically and socially and emotionally as they compare their self to others. They can also suffer learning difficulties with maths and activities such as map reading and visual organisation. Another health concern is glue ear. Glue ear effects a child’s hearing and therefore if untreated can have a significant effect on a child’s speech and language development. Approx 1 in 5 children up to the age of two will suffer from some degree of glue ear www.nhs.uk and this is a significant time developmentally for speech and language acquisition. There are also many external factors that can effect a child’s development. For example a child’s financial situation will effect where they live, their diet etc. They may not be given the same opportunities for play though clubs etc and as mentioned before this support their physical, social and moral development. Diet is key to development. A poor diet has been linked to problems such as ADHD. Lack of vitamins and minerals has been linked to many disorders for example lack of iron can lead to anaemia which would leave the child tired and lethargic and even short of breath. Lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy which was thought to be unheard of in developed countries. However it is becoming more prevalent with a diet lacking fresh fruit and vegetables. All has an impact on the child’s physical development. A big influence on many areas of a child’s development is stress. Stress will hold a child back in all areas. In today’s society a child is under many stressful situations one of the big ones being parental divorce and separation. One area that is coming to light more that effects a child development is that of a child becoming a child carer. It is estimated that in 2011, 175000 children under the age of 18 will be classed as a child carer. www.banardos.com Looking after someone at a young age will affect many areas of development including social as the child has less time to build friendships. The choices a child makes themselves can affect their development. Children are under great peer pressure to conform and this may push them into negative habits such as alcohol and drugs. The role models around the child have a significant impact both positively and negatively. There are many reasons why children’s development may not follow the expected pattern. Social influences may effect a child’s development. As mentioned earlier life experiences such as divorce and parental difficulties can cause significant stress to the child which then impacts their development. The family set up can be stressful for example if the child is a carer. Often parents are poor in areas and this can result in the child being poor. If a parent struggles to read they will struggle to support their child’s literacy skills thus impacting on their communication development. The kind of experiences given at home can impact significantly on development. Parents may not play and converse with their child in a supportive way. They may not attend clubs/ social situations outside the home. The area a child is brought up in can influence their development. The influences around them may be poor. If a child is brought up in a home surrounded by drugs and alcohol, they may chose to do this also. Life experience is critical to many areas of development in p articular cognitive. If a child is not given valuable positive experiences their development may be delayed. Physical problems can effect development as mentioned above, for example glue ear can affect speech and language, tuners syndrome can effect physical development. A child needs to have their very basic needs met for example food, warmth safety before they can begin to develop appropriately. Culture plays an important part in a child’s development. For example parents in western cultures are advised to lay children on their backs to prevent SIDS. However this can sometimes delay their crawling and rolling over. In some cultures for example among travellers gender plays an important role as an education is not seen as important for females as they are encouraged to become home makers. Children who move to new counties can suffer from a delay in development due to their language barrier; however they do tend to catch up with appropriate support. If delays are suspected early intervention is key to the child’s well being and planning for the future. Without intervention a child can become frustrated and have significantly reduced self esteem and confidence. Children have a health check at around two years to review their development. This reviews how a child is developing physical skills as well as communication and cogntive skills. Any areas for concern can be highlighted. For example a child may need speech and language support at this stage. The earlier an intervention is made the more chance that child has of reaching their full developmental potential. Early years settings are crucial at highlighting any areas for concern and putting support into place as needed. Looking at the example of Turners syndrome if support is not put in place be it emotional and medical the child may suffer severe lack of confidence in their physical appearance. A child with speech and language issues that is not supported very early will miss out on those vital early years of acquisition and may never catch up. Interventions and support take the form of many types dependent upon the type of delay and severity of the delay. References: Burnham Louise, (2008), The Teaching Assistants Handbook, Essex, Heinemann. Beith Kate (2008), Children’s care learning and Development, Essex, Heinemann. www.downs-syndrome.org.uk www.drinkaware.co.uk www.childrenshospital.org. www.kidshealth.org www.nhs.uk www.banardos.com www.wellatschool.org www.coeliac.org.uk

The Life and Theories of Charles Darwin Essay -- Biography Biographies

The Life and Theories of Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin was the fifth child of Robert Waring Darwin and Susannah Wedgewood. He was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England where his father practiced medicine. He attended Shrewsbury Grammar School which was a well-kn own secondary school which concentrated on teaching classic languages. Even as a boy Darwin loved science and his enthusiasm for chemical studies earned him the name "Gas" from his friends. The headmaster at Shrewsbury, Dr. Samuel Butler noted, "Here's a boy, plays around with his gases and the rest of his rubbish and works at nothing useful." He was also an avid collector. Anything he could get his hands on- shells, eggs, minerals and coins interested him. Darwin was expected to follow his father and become a doctor and in 1825, at the age of sixteen, his father removed him from Shrewsbury and entered him in the University of Edenburgh to study medicine. He found all of his classes except chemistry dull. After two years at Edenburg, he quit school and went to live with his Uncle Josiah Wedgewood. After he abandoned medicine, his father urged him to attend Cambridge University to study to be a clergyman. At Cambridge he met John Steven Henslow who helped him regain his interest in nature. It was Henslow who was influential in getting Darwin the position of naturalist on the boat The Beagle. In April of 1831, he graduated from the University. In the fall following his graduation, the government decided to send the H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, to complete an unfinished survey of Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego to help map out the shores of Chile and Peru. Th e voyage w... ...rstand or explain whatever I observed and group a ll facts under some general laws..." On April 19, 1882 Darwin died of a heart attack. The family wanted Darwin to be buried in his home, the village of Downe. However, Parliament requested that he be buried in Westminster Abbey, a cemetery for Britain's kings and queens and intellectual giants. This was an indication of how far Darwin had come towards universal acceptance and respectability. Darwin's coffin lies next to Issac Newton which is only fitting because Darwin has been called "The Newton of Biology." Darwin was modest of his monumental achievements to the very end and said of himself shortly before his death,"With such moderate abilities as I possess, it is truly surprising that I should have influenced to a considerable extent the belief of scientific men on some important points."

Ba Main Transformation Process

Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to discuss the main theories, models, frameworks and issues in the area of operations management, using British Airways as a working model, throughout the report. It was prepares for a coursework assignment as part of a Operations Management Module Academic journals and books from the area of operations management were used to illustrate the main points in the report to give evidence and back up the information provided. Key findings of this report show how quality impacts on the development of the operations strategy in British Airways and how the key elements of design contribute hugely in operations. The importance and role of supply chain was discussed and three quality control methods; Quality Sampling, Total Quality Management and ISO 9000 were evaluated to how they could improve the performance of British Airways. Conclusions were drawn and it was found that operations management, based on the points discussed is a major factor to an organisations success. Contents Page Page Number 1. Introduction4 2. BA’s Main Transformation Process 5 & 6 3. Quality & Operations Strategy 7, 8 & 9 4. Design in Operations 10 4. 1Concept Generation10 2. Concept Screening10 4. 3Preliminary Design 10 & 11 4. 4Evaluation and Improvement11 4. 5Prototyping and final design 11 & 12 5. The Role of Supply Chain 13 1. Quality13 2. Speed14 3. Dependability14 4. Flexibility15 5. Cost15 6. Quality Control Methods16 1. Quality Sampling17 2. Total Quality Management 17 & 18 3. ISO 900018 7. Conclusions19 8. References 20 & 21 1. Introduction This report has been issued by University as part of this Operations Management module, in which a company will be selected and used as a working model throughout the report. The chosen company that will be used in relation to operations management is British Airways (hereafter BA). The various elements of operations management will be researched and applied to BA’s main transformation process. This will be done using academic articles and books in the area of operations management to illustrate the main points. The report will begin with an overview of BA’s main transformation process indicating key inputs and outputs and then investigate how quality might impact upon the development of the operation strategy. Next it will review the key elements of design and how this impacts on the operation. Finally the role of supply chain in BA’s operation will be discussed and three different quality control methods will be evaluated to show how these might improve the performance in operations. Conclusions will be drawn and any overriding management issues identified. . BA’s Main Transformation Process The transformation process is a â€Å"model that describes operations in terms of their input resources, transforming processes and outputs of goods or services† (Slack et al, 2008, Page 8) BA use their aircrafts and staff which allows passengers and freight to travel from one destination to another thus, making this BA’s main transformation process. The operations fu nction of a business is the arrangement of the resources which are allocated to the production and delivery of an organisations goods and services. Three roles that are important for an operations function are the implementer, supporter and driver of the business strategy. In this example the operations functions follows the inputs of the transformation process. BA’s main transformation process inputs are the 238 aircraft in service, 32 million passengers, and 760,000 tonnes of cargo that it carried in 2009/10 along with the pilots and cabin crew. These are the transforming resources which allow the operation to take place and results in the service being provided. This uses the transformed resources which can be split into two types; facilities such as the buildings and equipment, and staff who are all the people involved in the operation in some way. (ba. com) â€Å"The main activities of British Airways Plc and its subsidiary undertakings are the operation of international and domestic scheduled air services for the carriage of passengers, freight and mail and the provision of ancillary services† As BA is one of the worlds largest airlines operating internationally, the transformation process can be complicated with many units or departments interconnecting and contributing to the overall operation. Some of the operations with in BA include British Airways World Cargo carrying freight, mail and courier traffic. (ba. com) They key outputs of BA’s transformation process are the millions of transported passengers to over 300 worldwide destinations and the cargo including dangerous goods and live animals. The outputs are services and therefore intangible. 3. Quality & Operations Strategy Operations strategies plan how the function will achieve future goals which are aligned with the companies overall strategy. This can be done by understanding current capabilities and limitations, exploiting current capabilities in quality and process innovation. The basic role of operations is to implement strategy. â€Å"Operations strategy concerns the pattern of strategic decisions and actions which set the role, objectives and activities of the operation† (Slack et al, 2007, Page 63) Operations are the resources that create products and services. There are four perspectives on operations strategy; top down, market requirements, bottom up and operations resources perspective. BA states â€Å"Meeting the rising expectations of our customers’ remains central to our strategy of transforming British Airways into the world’s leading global premium airline† This includes investment in their staff, aeroplanes and facilities in order to provide a premium quality service to their customers. (ba. com) â€Å"Quality is consistent conformance to customers’ expectations† (Slack et al, 2007, Page 539) Relating this to the above strategy of BA the quality of the service would be the friendly and helpful cabin crew, the flight leaving on time, clean aircraft and baggage arriving at the same time and destination as the passenger. Punctuality ensures other operational processes run smoothly and remains a key factor in whether customers would recommend British airways to other travellers† (ba. com). Therefore if BA produces a quality service to all of its customers, it is likely that they will get more business through recommendation s and giving them an advantage over other airlines. As the quality of service that BA provides is paramount to the customer and can be a deciding factor on repeat business, this will have to be incorporated to the overall operations strategy of the organisation for it to be a success. In BA’s 2009/10 annual report and accounts their strategy and objectives include meeting customer needs and improving margins through new revenue streams. Total Quality Management can have an influential impact on this as quality can reduce costs and increase dependability. â€Å"Lowered total quality expenditures, increased level of quality and reallocation of quality resources to prevention and away from appraisal and defect/failure correction activities† (SAM Advanced Management Journal, 1990, Page 25). This supports the above strategy of BA. TQM enables the developing of strategic thinking due to its inter-disciplinary nature† (Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 2004, Page 264) Overall in respect to BA this means that there has to be quality control in place for the overall strategy to be successful. When developing the operations strategy, taking quality into consideration there may be a higher cost initially, however, referring to the research a bove costs may be reduced overall due to less errors and more emphasis being placed on prevention tactics. 4. Design in Operations There are five stages of service design which will be looked at individually in relation to BA; 4. 1Concept Generation If BA were to introduce a new destination to the existing range that they already offer if they decide to follow the market requirement perspective which is â€Å"what the market position requires operations to do† (Slack et al, 2001, Page 65). A lot of people would have to be involved from management at the top down to the customers. Market research would be a good idea to get ideas and suggestions from the customers for the proposed new estination. â€Å"Operations strategy involves translating marketing requirements into operations decisions† (Slack et al, 2007, Page 63) 2. Concept Screening This stage involves the ides going through feasibility, acceptability and vulnerability evaluation. Questions such as are the resources such as aircrafts and staff available, will it be accepted and what may go wrong with it and will it all be answered and evalua ted. At this stage the ideas will progressively get fewer as each one is evaluated until there is only one possibility left. . Preliminary Design Preliminary design is the identifying of component products and services in the package, which in this case is the new flight destination in BA and the process of this will also be defined at this stage. The components of the new flight destination may be the aircraft, cabin crew, pilot, information leaflets and arrangement of new flight path and times. BA is part of a mass service process type in which there are many customers transactions therefore there is limited contact time and not much room for customisation. For example BA cannot put on a special journey for a single person as there are a range of pre-planned journeys for passengers to choose between. 4. Evaluation and Improvement Design evaluation and improvement is used to see if the preliminary design can be improves and this can be done using various techniques including quality function deployment, value engineering and taguchi methods. Looking at Quality Function Deployment (QFD), which is a technique used to ensure that the eventual design of BA’s service actually meets the needs of the customers. For example the new flight destination would have to be where the customers want to go and figure how this can be achieved. 5. Prototyping and final design The final stage of design is to turn the design into a prototype. For the new flight destination this may be running the flight on a trial basis to get reactions and feedback from the BA customers. Through the design process the five performance objectives; quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost will be considered. For example it can be decided if the quality of service will be the same as a regular flight or if it is going to be increased and marketed as a premium flight. Will the flight be dependable and be on a regular basis and will the cost be in relation to the service as mentioned above and if the customers will be willing to pay more. This would be classed as a product layout within BA which â€Å"involves locating the transforming resources entirely for the convenience of the transformed resources† (Slack et al, 2007, page 193). The transforming resources being the people, for example in BA as they can move through the airport in a predetermined route to enable them to get to the aircraft. 5. 0The role of Supply Chain A supply chain can be described as â€Å"A linkage or strand of operations that provides goods and services through to end customers; within a supply network several supply chains will cross through an individual operation† (Slack et al, 2007, page 402) All supply chain management has a common objective to satisfy the end customer and in the case of BA this will be the people travelling on the flight or BA’s World Cargo. As mentioned in the design process the five performance objectives; quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost will have to achieve appropriate levels in the supply chain. These can be looked at individually in relation to BA: 1. Quality For a flight many onboard services are required including the equipment food and drink. By the time the meal reaches the customer on the flight it has gone through many operations in the supply chain. It is important that at each stage there are minimal errors as this multiplies by the time it reaches the customer. Each stage then needs to take responsibility for its own and their supplier’s performance. This can in turn, ensure that the supply chain can achieve a high level of customer satisfaction at the end and therefore increase the chance of returning custom. 2. Speed In relation to BA, speed can mean the time it takes a customer to be served from the time they request the item to when it arrives. For example, receiving a drink in-flight. A fast response may be achieved by ensuring there is enough resources and stock, such as flight attendants and beverages within the supply chain. If there is a large amount of stock then the customers demand will be fulfilled. In order for this to be successful, the products received from further up the supply chain, such as from the manufacturers need to have fast throughput time. Achieving this allows the customer demands to be met if there is stock readily available. 3. Dependability This means that BA has to have to correct stock in the right place at the right time. The airline needs to have the correct number or supplies or more on board at the time of a flight take off to ensure the demands of the customers are met. For example â€Å"If the individual operations in a chain do not deliver as promised on time, there will be a tendency for customers to over order, or order early, in order to provide some kind of insurance against late delivery† (Slack et al, 2007, page 404) A way that BA can control their â€Å"items of low value, fairly consistent usage and short lead time† (Tersine, 1982, page 432) such as beverages is the two bin re-ordering system. This is an effective way of controlling stock levels as it can easily be seen when the re-order point is reached. 4. Flexibility Flexibility is the supply chains ability to manage changes and disturbances. If BA’s stock levels are managed this should allow flexibility so the end customer’s needs are met and done so in a responsive manner. For BA to be flexible all operations in the supply chain must also be flexible. 5. Cost At each operational stage of the supply chain costs are incurred in order to produce the final product or service. A way of reducing costs is through JIT. Just-in-time is a Japanese management philosophy which tries to eliminate waste and always improve productivity. JIT has many roles to play in an organisation as â€Å"Continuous improvement processes are associated with JIT including product quality, process efficiency, information systems and operating value-added activities more effectively while eliminating non-value-added activities† (Wild, 2002, page 61) BA may also incur costs whilst finding the right suppliers or trying to find one supplier of there required costs to cut the cost of their transactions and come to a mutually beneficial agreement for both parties. 6. Quality Control Methods Measures for quality characteristics within BA can include functionality which is how well the service does the job, for example taking people to their required destination safely. Appearance is another which relates to the decor and cleanliness of aircraft, lounges and crew. Reliability, consistency of the flight service and keeping to the allocated times is another characteristic which is important to the service that BA provides. Durability ensures that the service provided is up to date and relevant to the customers needs. Recovery is the ease with which problems can be resolved and contact between airline staff and customers. These characteristics can be measured as variables and attributes. For quality control methods to take place operations must identify how the quality characteristics can be measured and a standard to which it can be checked against. As much of BA’s quality comes down to service it can be difficult to perceive as this has no quantified measure. Quality control uses statistics, process analysis and quality standards, these attempts are to solve the root cause of any quality problems. Quality means â€Å"doing things right, first time, every time† (Slack et al, 2010, Page 505) and in turn this will have a positive effect on revenues costs and customer satisfaction. The techniques of controlling quality that will be looked at in relation to BA are; quality sampling, total quality management and ISO 9000. 1. Quality Sampling This can be done by handing out surveys towards the end of the flight to receive customer feedback. The results can then be used to determine whether or not the quality characteristics mentioned above are up to the correct standards as expected by the customers and what BA wants to achieve. This will not be 100% checking as not every person will take the time to fill this out; however it can give a good indication of BA’s performance. The results of this can then be used to find areas that need to be approved for example the courtesy of the crew or areas that are positive such are the decor and cleanliness of the aircraft. Overall if action is taken this should help to improve the performance of BA. 2. Total Quality Management Total Quality Management, (TQM) means meeting the needs and expectations of customers. This includes all costs associated with quality which are prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure costs. Prevention costs are used to save failures and errors occurring. This can be the training and development of personnel and designing and improving of services and aircrafts to reduce any quality problems. Appraisal costs that could be incurred with BA are the setting of sampling plans as mentioned above and also conducting customer surveys. Internal failure costs, dealt from within the BA may include lost time due to errors. For example if problems occur and a flight is delayed or unable to take off. If a strategy is in place this could prevent this error from happening. Finally external failure costs which are errors going out of the operation to the customer. An example can be an annoyed customer who take up the time of staff at a check in desk. The main aim of TQM is that the processes and products will be continually improved. 3. ISO 9000 Without any quality control methods there is little or no basis to measure and monitor quality performance. Certification to the ISO 9000 standard demonstrates if an organisations quality of service and products are acceptable. This may improve the performance of BA as it gives assurance to customers that the service has to be at a certain standard so therefore there could be an increase of custom. However this could prove costly to train staff and conducing audits. 7. Conclusions The main findings from this report were the effects of quality on the development of the operations strategy and how design also impacts on this within BA. It was shown how quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost form the basis to all the decisions that are made in the area of operations management. It was found that meeting the rising expectations of BA’s customers was paramount and quality control remained central in this. It was suggested that BA could us a survey to receive feedback to work on and improve if appropriate. This could increase the standard of quality of service within the organisation. The five stages of design in operations; concept generation, concept screening, preliminary design, evaluation and improvement and prototyping and final design were identified and evaluated. The role of supply chain was discussed against the five performance objectives; quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and cost will have to achieve appropriate levels in the supply chain. Quality and its importance were shown how it can improve the performance of BA. In final conclusion it as found that operations management, based on the points discussed is a major factor to an organisations success. 8. References LEONARD, D and MCADAM, R. , 2004. Total quality management in strategy and operations: dynamic grounded models, Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management. online]. 15(3). Pp. 254-266. Available from: http://www. emeraldinsight. com/journals. htm? issn=1741-038X&volume=15&issue=3&articleid=851034&show=html www. emeraldinsight. com [Accessed 12th December 2010] www. ba. com [Accessed throughout December 2010] SLACK, N. , CHAMBERS, S. and JOHNSTON, R. , 2007. Operations Management. 5th ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited GILMORE, H. L. , 1990. Continuous Incrementa l Improvement: An Operations Strategy for Higher Quality, Lower Costs, and Global Competitiveness. SAM Advanced Management Journal. online]. 55(1). Pp. 21. Available from: http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/detail? vid=10&hid=112&sid=a64d86a6-2b59-4820-89e8-685e3526e9e7%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=4601151 [Accessed 13th December 2010] SLACK, N. , CHAMBERS, S. and JOHNSTONE, R. , 2001. Operations Management. 3rd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited WILD, T. , 2002. Best Practice in Inventory Management. 2nd ed. Oxford: Elsevier Science Ltd TERSINE, R J. , 1982. Principles of Inventory and Materials Management. nd ed. New York, NY: Elsevier Science Publishing Co. , Inc TANNINEN, K. , PUUMALAINEN, K. and SANDSTROM, J. M. , 2010. the power of TQM: analysis of its effects on profitability, productivity and customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence. [online] 21(2) Pp. 171-184. Available from: http://web. ebscohost. com/ehost/detai l? vid=7&hid=105&sid=15499fbe-0026-4e12-b2c1-b55559c94134%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=47760259 [Accessed 16th December 2010]

Ringers Solution Recipe

Ringers Solution Recipe Ringers solution is a special salt solution made up to be isotonic to physiological pH. It is named for Sydney Ringer, who determined that the liquid around a frogs heart must contain a set proportion of salts if the heart is to remain to beat (1882 -1885). There are different recipes for Ringers solution, depending on its intended purpose and the organism. Ringers solution is an aqueous solution of sodium, potassium and calcium salts. Lactated Ringers solution (LR, LRS or RL) is a special Ringers solution that contains lactate and is isotonic to human blood. Here are some recipes for Ringers solution. Ringers Solution pH 7.3-7.4 7.2 g sodium chloride - NaCl0.37 g potassium chloride - KCl0.17 g calcium chloride - CaCl2 Dissolve the reagents into the reagent-grade water.Add water to bring the final volume to 1 L.Adjust the pH to 7.3-7.4.Filter the solution through a 0.22-ÃŽ ¼m filter.Autoclave Ringers solution prior to use. Emergency Veterinary Ringers Solution This solution is intended for rehydration of small mammals, to be administered orally or subcutaneously via a syringe. This particular recipe is one that can be prepared using common chemicals and household equipment. Reagent-grade chemicals and an autoclave would be preferable if you have access to those, but this gives you an idea of an alternate method of preparing a sterile solution: 9.0 g sodium chloride - NaCl (154.00 mM): non-iodized table salt0.4 g potassium chloride - KCl (5.64 mM): Morton or NOW salt substitute0.2 - 0.3 g calcium chloride - CaCl2 (2.16 mM): calcium chloride powder1.3 g dextrose (11.10 mM): granular dextrose0.2 g sodium bicarbonate - NaHCO3 (2.38 mM): baking soda  (*add last) Mix together the sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride and dextrose solutions or salts.If salts were used, dissolve them in about 800 ml of distilled or reverse osmosis water (not tap water or spring water or water to which minerals have been added).Mix in the baking soda. The baking soda is added last so that the calcium chloride will dissolve/not precipitate out of solution.Dilute the solution to make 1 L of Ringers solution.Seal the solution in small canning jars and cook it at least 20 minutes in a pressurized steam canner.The sterile solution is good for 2-3 years unopened or up to 1 week refrigerated, once opened. Reference:   Biological Bulletin Compendia,  Cold Spring Harbor Protocols

The Roman Festival of Floralia

The Roman Festival of Floralia Although the ancient Roman holiday of Floralia began in April, the Roman month of the love goddess Venus, it was really an ancient May Day celebration. Flora, the Roman goddess in whose honor the festival was held, was a goddess of flowers, which generally begin to bloom in the spring. The holiday for Flora (as officially determined by Julius Caesar when he fixed the Roman calendar) ran from April 28 to May 3. Festival Games Romans celebrated Floralia with the set of games and theatrical presentations known as the Ludi Florales. Classical scholar Lily Ross Taylor notes that the Ludi Floralia, Apollinares, Ceriales, and Megalenses all had days of ludi scaenici (literally, scenic games, including plays) followed by a final day devoted to circus games. Financing Roman Ludi (Games) Roman public games (ludi) were financed by minor public magistrates known as aediles. The curule aediles produced the Ludi Florales. The position of curule aedile was originally (365 B.C.) limited to patricians, but was later opened up to plebeians. The ludi could be very expensive for the aediles, who used the games as a socially accepted way of winning the affection and votes of the people. In this way, the aediles hoped to ensure victory in future elections for higher office after they had finished their year as aediles. Cicero mentions that as aedile in 69 B.C., he was responsible for the Floralia (Orationes Verrinae ii, 5, 36-7). Floralia History The Floralia festival began in Rome in 240 or 238 B.C., when the temple to Flora was dedicated, to please the goddess Flora into protecting the blossoms. The Floralia fell out of favor and was discontinued until 173 B.C., when the Senate, concerned with wind, hail, and other damage to the flowers, ordered Floras celebration reinstated as the Ludi Florales. Floralia and Prostitutes The Ludi Florales included theatrical entertainment, including mimes, naked actresses, and prostitutes. In the Renaissance, some writers thought that Flora had been a human prostitute who was turned into a goddess, possibly because of the licentiousness of the Ludi Florales or because, according to David Lupher, Flora was a common name for prostitutes in ancient Rome. Floralia Symbolism and May Day The celebration in honor of Flora included floral wreaths worn in the hair much like modern participants in May Day celebrations. After the theatrical performances, the celebration continued in the Circus Maximus, where animals were set free and beans scattered to ensure fertility. Sources The Opportunities for Dramatic Performances in the Time of Plautus and Terence, by Lily Ross Taylor. Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 68, (1937), pp. 284-304.Ciceros Aedileship, by Lily Ross Taylor. The American Journal of Philology, Vol. 60, No. 2 (1939), pp. 194-202.Floralia, Florales Ludi Festival ... - University of Chicago. penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Floralia.html.

Problems of Reverse Logistics in Electronic Commerce Essay

Problems of Reverse Logistics in Electronic Commerce - Essay Example Reverse logistics is the removal of returned or unused products and redistributing of these products in order to attain maximum profit. It can also be referred to all the "activities associated with a product/service after the point of sale" (Reverse Logistics Association, n.p, 2008). According to an estimate almost one-half of almost 1% of total United States GDP is due to logistics costs (Reverse Logistics Executive Council, n.p, 2008). Hence we can see that reverse logistics is an important part of any business. An efficient reverse logistics can lead to more profitability and hence a better competitive position. Reverse logistics is quite different from forward logistics. Forecasting forward logistics is easier than forecasting reverse logistics. In forward logistics the packaging, pricing and routings are clear and uniform whereas in reverse logistics the packaging might be damaged, uneven pricing and undetectable routings can lead to increased costs and hence reduced profits (Pablo Soto & Lourenco, 5 & 6, 2003). As more and more companies are now selling online, businesses now have to focus on their reverse logistics in order to maintain profits and satisfy customers. This increase in e-commerce or business on the internet has lead to more returned goods. However, most of the time the managers are trying to move the products out of the warehouse and lesser energy is consumed in developing proper reverse logistics (Porolec, 68 & 69, 2000). There can be several different reasons for product return such as: unsatisfied customer, installation or usage problems, warranty claims, faulty order processing, retail overstock, end of product lifecycle or product replacement, manufacture recall programs etc. A proper study of reverse logistics can help in dealing with all the above problems and even help in reducing them (Schatteman, 267-270, n.d). Some e-retailers have calculated that almost 50% of their products sold are returned. Even though the advent of internet and e-commerce has certainly made life easier, however without proper reverse logistics the online businesses instead of making money incur huge losses. Some products sold online have a higher rate of return than the other products. For e.g. electronic products have almost 80% rate of return. Hence we can see that different companies have different reverse logistics. (Graeml et al, 1-9, 2001) Companies providing services like ISPs, Jobs and E-mail accounts have lower rate of return and even if some of their products do come under the term 'reverse logistics', they will not incur much loss. However, if we look at companies selling apparel, electronics, shoes, jewelry and other similar items, we can notice a higher rate of return. Such companies usually suffer more in terms of reverse logistics. With more companies coming into e-commerce, companies now need to redesign their entire reverse logistics, in order to have a competitive edge (Graeml et al, 1-9, 2001). There are several problems associated with reverse logistics. Forecasting reverse logistics is more difficult than forecasting forward logistics. A company can never know which product will come back

Assume that you have been newly Appointed as a Services Marketing Essay

Assume that you have been newly Appointed as a Services Marketing Consultant - Essay Example Thus, the fast food restaurant is found to abstain from beef and use mutton while producing and selling non-vegetarian products like hamburgers in India. Such working on continuous innovation helps the company fit into the tastes and likings of the consumers of different regions. Place In terms of location, the fast food restaurant focuses on enhancing its market share pertaining to a particular region through the opening up of large number of outlets in different parts. Thus it has been able to open up numerous restaurants around the globe which in turn help the company to gain on its profits and market revenues. Price In regards to the price mix it is found that McDonald’s works continuously in revising its pricing strategies based on the social, competitive and business environment of a particular region. ... The company, in relation to advertisement activities, works in engaging celebrities to enhance its brand image through visual and print advertisements. Similarly, the company invests largely in active sponsorships of different sporting events ranging from Olympics to other international sporting agendas. People In regards to employing people, the company largely focuses on gaining the advantage of skilled labour sets from the local communities while closely following the legislations pertaining to employability of people in the region. Further, the company also works in developing the skill sets of the employees to fit to local tastes by working on the development of adequate training programs. Process Though McDonald’s works on a global plane in meeting the fast food requirements of people belonging to different regions, yet it renders the main focus on meeting the aspirations of the local consumers. Thus, the organisation has worked in developing standardised rules that woul d help the company largely control the actions of the suppliers and other such stakeholders in meeting the quality needs of the local people. Physical Evidence The fast food restaurant working on an international plane closely focuses on providing a clean space wherein the customers can relish and enjoy the ready-to-eat products by sitting with their friends and families. Moreover, the company works towards providing the customers a large variety of food products that are produced in a quick fashion while focusing to sustain the quality of the produces as well (Vignali, 2001, p.99-110). This discussion thus reflects on the aspects that how McDonald’s works on gaining the advantage of aligning the seven service marketing mixes to help enhance on the parameters of consumer and