Response Phase 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response Phase 2 - Essay Example am also pleased to see that you did not choose to have a one-size-fits-all contract in the transaction that you undertook but considered the best alternative in each case. This is a very insightful discussion, very well-researched and thought of. I learned a lot from it. Thanks. Your discussion has depth and substance by allowing me to absorb details on how to make the purchase a success. Your emphasis on the processes and factors which will ensure the smooth running and success of the scheduling tool is commendable. I like it that you made suggestions in some areas which will enable ADC to possible avoid mistakes and mitigate risk while operating the tool. However, let me suggest that you need to define your acronyms in order to be understood by the class. For example, instead of just saying FFP, you can elaborate by mentioning Firm Fixed Price. Also, you should add Guaranteed Maximum Shares Savings (GMSS) into your types of contracts. Having all of them for discussion will enable you to choose the best one.. ï Å  Your paper’s main strengths is its focus on two factors which allows ADC to make decisions according to the bases being risk minimization and time constraint. These factors are always present in real world situations and should really be taken into account when deciding about purchasing and installing tools for business operations. The process that you outlined in procuring the software is very logical. Yes, a company would have to search for vendors, products, and features available and a choice is made. The cost plus incentive contract that you choose is reasonable noting that the vendor and ADC shares the risk. However, I believe that you should also have outlined how it will work. Like how much costs should be shared and how much cost is fixed. With the company’s target of risk minimization, it should be prepared how to handle this situation. I suggest that instead of choosing a type of contract for the number of tasks, you could choose one

Organic is the solution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organic is the solution - Research Paper Example Over the years, consumer behavior has been observed that seeks low prices for food items as consumers spend more money frequently on food items as compared to any other product. This has created a huge demand for inorganic foods in the market. The purpose of this report is to provide useful information about the use and availability of organic food items. In this action research report, findings from a personal visit to Wal-Mart store are presented regarding availability and other factors affecting sale of organic foods. This would allow generalization of findings related to lower demand for organic foods and also, set out recommendations for boosting their consumption. A general understanding about organic foods is that they cost more than inorganic foods to purchase. There are several reasons for organic foods to be more expensive. These are not only related to the cost of production, but also to various factors, which indirectly affect production of organic foods. Limited availabi lity of land restricts supply, which causes rises in price. Low turnover per employee working on the farm results in higher costs of production. Limited supply has direct effect on the transportation and distribution costs (FAO). In the US, organic food producers are required to obtain a certificate from US Department of Agriculture, which is very expensive to attain. The pre-requisites of this certificate require producers to have new equipment and methods to ensure consumer safety and maintain the standards of quality (Canavari and Olson). This adds to the costs of producing organic foods. At Wal-Mart, the phenomenon of higher costs and pricing is observed. The data for different food items both organic and non-organic are compared and it is clear that for the same product the price of organically produced item is higher than that of non-organic foods. For example, at Wal-mart, Avocados-Hass (non-organic) is sold at a price of $0.99 per unit; whereas, the price of Avocados-Hass (o rganic) is $1.61 per unit. It has been noted that all food retailers including major supermarkets or corner shops display and sell inorganic foods with limited space provided for organic foods. The display of organic food items in the store plays an important role in attracting customers. Since, the consumer choice of organic items is limited therefore, it is important for retailers to invest in adjusting designs of their stores to display organic items clearly. All major retail markers have clearly designated areas for shelving organic items. Although, Wal-Mart has clearly placed signs for organic items, but genetically modified products are also shelved very near to organic food items, which often confuses consumers and they end buying products that are not organic. Moreover, there is a lack of marketing and advertisements of organic products in the store. In comparison, non-organic products and brands are displayed in visible areas of the store. There is a common agreement on the view that organic food items are beneficial for humans as they are free from industrial chemicals and preservatives, which increase the age of non-organic food items (Givens; Langley). However, there is a limitation to this as the shelf life of organic food items is short. Since, the supply of organic food items is slower as compared to the demand therefore it becomes difficult for stores to replenish their empty shelves. For retail stores, empty shelves are considered as their loss as unsatisfied customers shift to other retail

How Performance Results of CMMI-Based Process Improvement Relates to Essay

How Performance Results of CMMI-Based Process Improvement Relates to CMMI - Essay Example This paper provides a summary of the article Performance Results of CMMI-Based Process Improvement and its relationship with CMMI. Summary The goals and objectives, products and services of organizations are not uniform. Nor do organizations uniformly implement CMMI models to improve their business processes or the manner in which analyse the results obtained. Irrespective of these variances the CMM-based process improvement approach is proving to be effective. Evidence of this started with the earlier special report published by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). This article provides further empirical evidence taken from diverse sources of business activity that includes the telecommunications, financial, manufacturing and defence sectors. This article classifies performance categories into six broad areas, consisting of cost, schedule, productivity, quality, customer satisfaction, and return on investment and employing CMMI is to provide benefits in these areas. Usually org anizations choose a combination of these benefits or refinements in these benefits and the use of CMMI targets this. Through the comparison of the sum of results of quantitative performance across 35 organizations with regards to these benefits prior to the use of CMMI and subsequent this article justifies the use of CMMI towards improvement in performance results. The median improvement as a percentage with respect to cost, schedule, productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction was 34%, 50%, 61%, 48%, and 14% respectively, while in the case of returns on investment it was 40.1. According to the article through the use of CMMI organizations can achieve similar results, but there is the need for more quantitative studies to provide clarity on the circumstances that lead to these process improvements and the manner in which they can be sustained. Expanding on the demonstration of impact on performance by CMMI, this article provides greater detail on the changes that organizations report with regards to these six benefits. In the case of costs the changes include cost of final or intermediate products, costs of processes, and savings achieved model-based process improvement. In the case of schedule the improvements reported relate to schedule predictability and the reduced time required to complete the work. Improvements reported for productivity are essentially on the improvements on the amount of work that is completed over a given period of time. Reported improvements in quality relate to the reduction in the numbers of defects observed in finished or intermediary products. Improvements in customer satisfaction are based on customer satisfaction feedback received from surveys conducted. Improvements in ROI are reported in several ways that include benefit-to-cost ratios, net present value, internal rate of return, payback periods, and break even points. The article then goes onto the details of measures of process performance achieved in the case studies o f several organizations. The case studies include the organizations of 3H Technology, ABB, Hitachi Software Engineering, Motorola Global Software Group, Raytheon Network Centric Systems, North Texas, TrialStat Corporation, Tufts Health Plan, Warner Robins Air Logistic Center, The article concludes that organizations that have based their process improvement methods on CMMI models have demonstrated marked improvement in their performance, but more studies are required to understand the different reasons that contribute to this success and also generate more evidence to establish the benefits of CMMI models for process improvements and hence performance in organizations (Gibson, Goldensen & Kost, 2006). . This article relates to CMMI because it attempts to justify the use of CMMI models by organizations to

Client Brief on AngliCare Australia Research Paper

Client Brief on AngliCare Australia - Research Paper Example (AngliCare 2011). AngliCare is a social welfare organization in Western Australia that provides specialized services to all people ranging from children to the aged, some including family relationship services, foster care, adoption, employment services, community housing and development, etc. AngliCare’s Internal Environment: SWOT Analysis Strengths: The strengths of AngliCare lies in the services they provide, ranging from care for the aged, youth services, family relationship services, disability and carer services, disaster recovery, etc. also, their complete inclusion is a very strong point in their favor, meaning their non judgmental and non discriminatory acceptance of people from all walks of life. Their main motto is to care and they spread this message to all they come across. AngliCare’s organizational and services structures can also be mentioned as one of its strengths. They are comprehensive and well drafted. Weakness: AngliCare is facing issues in its asp ects, such as with some of its events, the volunteers and op shops. They need to work on resolving these to ensure they are not overshadowed by other social welfare agencies. Opportunities: AngliCare covers almost every person from every walk of life who might be facing problems. However, they do not have programs specific to women and children who have faced abuse. Designing programs for women and children in this dire state will be really helpful. Also, they can consider expanding their services to under-developed and developing countries that do not have such programs in place and require such help. India for instance, does not have social welfare programs for its unemployed or disabled. A program like this might come in handy to help these people get on their feet and help reduce other social stigmas like beggary. Threats: Being a social welfare agency, AngliCare doesn’t really face threats as such from competition. Social welfare is based in the theme of care and their o nly objective is to ensure the welfare of their people. Their threats will mainly come into the picture in terms of lack of resources and volunteers. Also, when people try to scam the agency in exchange for the resources they provide, it will create a problem for the agency. AngliCare’s External Environment: Stakeholders and Competitors In case of AngliCare, corporate partnerships provide the opportunity for companies to contribute to its work in the community.  Their programs provide physical, financial, emotional and spiritual assistance to help people in need to break the cycle of hardship. They have Corporate Care partners who assist in various ways such as sponsorship of events, workplace giving via payroll deductions for employees, encouraging people to volunteer at any of their locations and encouraging people to support them in kind, that is, via means of food, clothes and other such necessities. AngliCare, being a social welfare agency, does not really face competi tion as such from other social welfare agencies. All these agencies are non profit based and run for the benefit of people, local or otherwise. They do not judge or discriminate against the people they help out. All are equal in the eyes of god and these agencies. AngliCare’s Macro Environment: PESTEL Analysis Political Factors: AngliCare is facing political issues when it comes to its schools’ programs. More and more State, National and Overseas charities are

Cpk Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cpk - Term Paper Example By so doing, CPK will improve its margins since it will have streamlined the pizza menu alongside other critical issues. With the economy favoring the restaurant chains, CPK has options to weigh, which include selling itself. With such options at sight, the company’s directors have allowed the management to come up with strategic alternatives like changing the capital structure, merging, or acquiring other companies in the same industry. However, investors must be warned that such strategies are not a guarantee for good performance in future. Some few years ago, CPK suffered from low sales because most pizza consumers opted to cook at home. Having realized that, the company launched a call center where customers would call to make orders with free delivery. In addition, the company increased its wine varieties and the catering program. Since it owns most of the pizza restaurants in the US, CPK prefers to lease a huge proportion of its property in places where it is located. Su ch a strategy has assisted it avoid huge debts. As a premium pizza company in the US and around the world, CPK has to categorically select its best positions. Strategies, as discussed above, are an indicator that the company acknowledges the existing competition, changes in customer preferences, global issues, and environmental changes. Through such attributes, the company has adopted some strategies to accommodate customer preferences for instance launching a call centre, which makes it possible for customers to make orders instead of cooking at home. Some strategies are purely meant to help the company maximize profits. Managing a series of CPK restaurants can be a hectic task. For this reason, the management made a unique decision by leasing out some of the restaurants under its name to reduce costs attached to management and thus maximize on profits. Strategies are helpful to any organization. They

Hospitality Industry Essay Example for Free

Hospitality Industry Essay Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers and tourists. The word hospitality derives from the Latin hospes, which is formed from hostis, which originally meant to have power. In the West today hospitality is rarely a matter of protection and survival, and is more associated with etiquette and entertainment. However, it still involves showing respect for ones guests, providing for their needs, and treating them as equals. Cultures and subcultures vary in the extent to which one is expected to show hospitality to strangers, as opposed to personal friends or members of ones in-group. The hospitality service industry includes hotels, casinos, and resorts, which offer comfort and guidance to strangers, whether it be commercial (for monetary gain) or non-commercial (not for profit). The terms hospital, hospice, and hostel also derive from hospitality, and these institutions preserve more of the connotation of personal care. Hospitality ethics is a discipline that studies this usage of hospitality. The Pakhtun people of South-Central Asia, pre-dominant in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan and Afghanistan have a strong code of hospitality. They are a people characterized by their use of Pakhtunwali, an ancient set of ethics, the first principle of which is Milmastiya or Hospitality. The general area of Pakhtunistan is also nicknamed The Land of Hospitality. To the ancient Greeks, hospitality was a divine right. The host was expected to make sure the needs of his guests were seen to. The ancient Greek term xenia, or theoxenia when a god was involved, expressed this ritualized guest-friendship relation. In Greek society a persons ability to abide the laws to hospitality determined nobility and social standing. Celtic societies also valued the concept of hospitality, especially in terms of protection. A host who granted a persons request for refuge was expected not only to provide food and shelter to his/her guest, but to make sure they did not come to harm while under their care. [2] In India, hospitality is based on the principle Atithi Devo Bhava, meaning the guest is God. This principle is shown in a number of stories where a guest is literally a god who rewards the provider of hospitality. From this stems the Indian approach of graciousness towards guests at home, and in all social situations. Hospitality as a cultural norm or value is an established sociological phenomenon that people study and write papers about (see references, and Hospitality ethics). Some regions have become stereotyped as exhibiting a particular style of hospitality. Hospitality management is the academic study of the hospitality industry. A degree in Hospitality management is often conferred from either a university college dedicated to the studies of hospitality management or a business school with a department in hospitality management studies. Degrees in hospitality management may also be referred to as hotel management, hotel and tourism management, or hotel administration. Degrees conferred in this academic field include Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, and Doctor of Philosophy. Hospitality management studies provides a focus on management of hospitality operations including hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, amusement parks, destination marketing organizations, convention centers, country clubs, and related industries. The hospitality industry consists of land category of fields within the service industry that includes lodging, restaurants, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise line, and additional fields within the tourism industry. The hospitality industry is a several billion dollar industry that mostly depends on the availability of leisure time and disposable income. A hospitality unit such as a restaurant, hotel, or even an amusement park consists of multiple groups such as facility maintenance, direct operations (servers, housekeepers, porters, kitchen workers, bartenders, etc. , management, marketing, and human resources. The hospitality industry covers a wide range of organizations offering food service and accommodation. The industry is divided into sectors according to the skill-sets required for the work involved. Sectors include accommodation, food and beverage, meeting and events, gaming, entertainment and recreation, tourism services, and visitor information. Usage rate or its inverse vacancy rate is an important variable for the hospitality industry. Just as a factory owner ould wish a productive asset to be in use as much as possible (as opposed to having to pay fixed costs while the factory isnt producing), so do restaurants, hotels, and theme parks seek to maximize the number of customers they process in all sectors. This led to formation of services with the aim to increase usage rate provided by hotel consolidators. Information about required or offered products are brokered on business networks used by vendors as well as purchasers. In viewing various industries, barriers to entry by newcomers and competitive advantages between current players are very important. Among other things, hospitality industry players find advantage in old classics (location), initial and ongoing investment support (reflected in the material upkeep of facilities and the luxuries located therein), and particular themes adopted by the marketing arm of the organization in question (for example at theme restaurants). Very important is also the characteristics of the personnel working in direct contact with the customers. The authenticity, professionalism, and actual concern for the happiness and well-being of the customers that is communicated by successful organizations is a clear competitive advantage.

A Reflective Journal Entry

A Reflective Journal Entry In the majority educational situations, there is substantial energy expended as learners use critical-thinking skills to explore complex concepts central to their discipline. When learners systematically engage in significant thinking, they tend to expand insights not just into the concepts but in addition the learning process as well. Educators use various strategies in seeking the one best technique to engage learners actively in their learning. Abegglen, J. ONeill Conger, C. (1997) recognizes the significant contribution of critical reflection in the development of specialized knowledge and clinical expertise. Educators in education and nursing employ reflective learning journals to enhance creative and critical thinking among learners in the classroom (e.g., Allen Enz, 1986-1987; Hahnemann, 1986; Meyers, 1986; Meyers Jones, 1993; McCrindle Christensen, 1995) and in the practice setting (e.g., Alm, 1996; Sedlak, 1997). A few writers offer hold up for educators themselves to become inquiring teachers (e.g., Scho ¨n, 1987; Henderson, 1992) and other writers create models to enhance the teaching-learning process (e.g., McCaugherty, 1991; Hutchinson Allen, 1997; Riley-Doucet Wilson, 1997; Scanlon Chernomas, 1997; Wong et al., 1997; Kember et al., 1999). It is significant to note that this strategy of reflective learning journals promotes learners to turn out to be active learners. Definition: Although the frequent use of reflection and reflective learning journals in the literature, there is no consensus regarding how to define these terms. This lack of clarity creates tremendous difficulty in terms of operationalizing the ideas and in addition in comparing research findings Boychuk, (1999). Boyd and Fales (1983) define reflection as the process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, triggered by an experience, which creates and clarifies meaning in terms of self and which consequences in a transformed theoretical perspective (p. 100). This definition is widely used and appropriate to this research exploring the application of the Scanlon and Chernomas (1997) model. For purposes of this research, reflective learning journals refer to written documents that learners create as they think about different concepts, events, or interactions over a period of time for the purposes of gaining insights into self-awareness and learning. Regarding reflection as together compound and indefinable, Pierson (1998) suggests that reflection is a purposeful inter-subjective process that requires the employment of both calculative and contemplative thinking (p. 169). She expresses concern that calculative thinking (e.g., listing daily activities) instead of contemplative thinking (e.g., employing an interactive, conversational style of writing to expand self-awareness and understanding) may be more the norm in practice. Reflective thinking requires a trusting relationship if one is to write about individual thoughts, feelings, and experiences honestly; sufficient time to consider ideas significantly; active involvement; participation of self; and assurance. Assess, the root word of assessment, comes as of the Latin word assidere, which means to sit beside, to observe, talk by means of, and learn as of one another (Conrad, 1995). Traditionally, the word assessment has referred to the way teachers assign letter grades on tests and quizzes. Assessment has in addition been used as a way to discuss teaching effectiveness (Garfield, 1994). However, assessment is now taking on a new meaning. It should be a dynamic process that continuously yields information about learner progress toward the achievement of learning goals (Garfield, 1994). In order for assessment to be considered authentic, it must focus on whether or not learners can apply their learning to the suitable situations (Conrad, 1995). Methods used to measure learner learning range as of traditional standardized testing to a more organic, authentic approach to assessment. The current dispute in educational assessment stems as of the debate flanked by behaviourist and constructivist educators. Behaviourist theory originated as of the work of Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner and focuses on changes in behaviour that result as of stimulus-response associations made by the learner (Standridge, 2002). The learners are active respondents in the learning process and should be given the opportunity to demonstrate their learning through observable and measurable behaviours (Ormrod, 1999). Standardized testing is one of the most obvious ways to observe and measure changes in behaviour. Although they are easy to score and interpret, these tests imply that there is a separation flanked by knowledge and the learner (Worley, 2001). This method of assessment simply offers a way for assigning numerical scores to observa ble behaviours but does not reveal how the learner learned or how they will be able to use their learning to solve problems (Garfield, 1994). On the opposing side of the debate, constructivists argue that learners cannot continue to merely acquire knowledge and demonstrate it through observable and measurable changes in behaviour. Instead, learners must construct the meaning of knowledge as they learn it. Constructivist theory is based mainly on the work of Dewey, Piaget, and Vygotsky and stresses that learning involves an active process in which learners construct meaning by linking new ideas by means of their existing knowledge (Jones Brader-Araje, 2002). Knowledge does not exist outside of the learner. According to Kant, the mind offers the categories of knowing, while the real world offers the content. Knowledge is thus always a construction of the minds interaction by means of the world and cannot be reduced to one or the other (Elkind, 1998, p. 113) In reality, learners come to the classroom by means of a wide variety of prior experiences, knowledge and beliefs that may be cultivated to offer meaningful life-long le arning (Jones Brader-Araje, 2002). Therefore, alternative assessment methods such as recordings, checklists, diaries, portfolios, learner debriefings, peer conferences and reflective journal writing are necessary inside a constructivist classroom (Worley, 2001). Journal writing is the recording of daily events, personal reflections, questions about the environment, and reactions to experiences (Dyment OConnell, 2003). According to Chapman, it should reflect various types of writing as well as levels of complexity related to the task assigned in the prompt (Chapman, 1990). Instances of authentic writing in the journal include open-ended entries, where the learner constructs an entry using background knowledge, or short answer entries that demonstrate understanding of the content taught (Chapman, 1990). Journal writing can become one of the most significant components of the assessment process because it has the potential to promote critical thinking. It in addition reinforces the significance of writing across the curriculum by means of an emphasis on process rather than product, allows for personal expression, and serves as a record of thought. Journal writing helps learners understand how they learn and it gives a voice to those who are not good at expressing themselves orally. Finally, because reflective journal writing requires active participation, the learners take ownership of their learning Brookfield, (1998). According to Atkins, (1993), reflective journal writing serves four purposes for the learner and three for the teacher. The authors studied the journals, observation notes, conference notes and course-related projects of 34 learners in their first course of the teacher education graduate program at South-eastern University. For learners, journal writing serves as a permanent record of thoughts and experiences; establishes and maintains a relationship by means of the instructor; offers a safe outlet for frustrations and concerns; and aids internal dialogue. For the teacher, reflective journal writing serves as a window into learner thinking and learning; establishes and maintains a relationship by means of the learner; and serves as a dialogical tool. Finally, reflective journal writing offers an opportunity for both the teacher and the learner to assess learning. As Atkins, (1993) discovered in his research on more than 20 learners in his advanced mathematics course, reflective journal writing offers learners by means of the opportunity to express connections flanked by previous knowledge and new knowledge. Although one of his Iranian learners struggled by means of English vocabulary, he was able to describe a mathematic word problem in his own words by using connections to his culture Atkins, (1993). Reflective learning journals are recognized as a significant tool in promoting active learning among nursing learners. Essentially, nurse educators strive to encourage learners to think about past experiences, current situations, and expected outcomes of their actions so that they can explain what they do in the clinical setting and why. In other words, nurse educators seek to promote professional practice that is reflective rather than routine. The purposes in this paper are to discuss the application of two models of reflection to a set of reflective learning journals and to offer some recommendations for educators, researchers, and learners. Using a three stage model of reflection Alm, (1996), 52 nursing learners explored managerial concepts. The major findings indicated that learners may be categorized, according to Alm, (1996), as no reflectors (i.e., lack proof of purposeful appraisal), reflectors (i.e., demonstrate insight through analysis, discrimination, and evaluation), and critical reflectors (i.e., indicate a transformation as of initial viewpoint). The foundations for professional practice begin inside the educational system. Educators begin the process of assisting aspiring professionals to learn how to learn. Reflective learning journals have become a significant tool in nursing education to promote active learning among learners. Fundamentally, nurse educators strive to encourage learners to think about past experiences, current situations, and expected consequences of their actions so that they can explain what they do in various professional settings and why. Put another way, nurse educators seek to promote professional practice that is reflective rather than routine. The purposes of this paper are to discuss the application of two models of reflection to a set of reflective learning journals and to offer some recommendations for educators, researchers, and learners. The two models include the three stages of reflection Cavanagh, (1995) and the three levels of reflection Cavanagh, (1995). Conclusion: In conclusion, according to Conger, (1996), It is now widely accepted that successful professionals have to to reproduce upon their actions as mainly tasks they execute involve novel elements to which there are no described solutions (p. 18). The responsibility rests by means of educators to arrange professionals for reflective practice. Inherent in this accountability is the need to determine the extent to which learning actually occurs. Utilizing a model, as described in this presentation, offers strong evidence of learner learning. However, whereas the facilitation of learning stays by means of the educator, the final liability for learning resides by means of the learner. If we believe the words of Conger, (1996), we will all embrace the accountability plus joy of learning: Real knowledge gets to the heart of what it means to be individual. During learning we turn out to be able to do something we certainly not were able to do. Through learning we extend our capability to produce, to be part of the generative procedure of life. There is inside each of us a deep hunger for this kind of learning.