A Natural Application Of Logistics Business Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1631 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Logistics Essay Type Analytical essay Did you like this example? We human have many questions to answer, all can be answered by the nature but as we go in deep inside in the web of the nature. Again a question arises how to see and understand its nuances? Only we have to search a right magnifying glass to see through it. Here I like to put a magnifying glass on ant colony. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Natural Application Of Logistics Business Essay" essay for you Create order I know all of you thinking back in your mind how ants could teach lessons in logistics? That is absurd how that invisible, intangible and minute asset could leave such indelible marks on a companys bottom line? But in an economy that relies more on ideas, individuals and change rather than on traditional bureaucracy, companies achieve and maintain competitive advantage over others. Swarm intelligence Many Scientist are working on ants, butterfly, bee, cooken to nuances of amazing efficiency of social insects. Companies like Hewlett-packard , southwest Airline , Unilever are working on this new way of thinking about business. Eric Bonabeau is the founder and Chief Scientist of Boston-based Icosystem Corporation, one of the worlds leading experts in complex systems and distributed adaptive problem solving , co-writer of the book Swarm Intelligence, readily admits that he was not the first to see how his work studying social insect colonies could be applied to the management of complex corporations. When I was first approached to draw parallels between business and insect behavior, I was very skeptical, Bonabeau recalls. Then I realized that human behavior is highly constrained in a human organization [just like in an ant colony] and because of that, it might be possible to model human behavior with the same tools that I use to model social insect colonies. Such behavior, sw arm intelligence is a successful illustration of self-organization on a large scale. The traits that enable a colony of ants to find food manage colony and set up supply chains, can help companies to find efficient solutions to complex problems. The colony can quickly adapt to a changing environment; it can perform its necessary tasks even when one or more individual ant fails; and it needs relatively little supervision or top-down control. Bonabeau employs rigorous mathematical models that enhance these traits of flexibility, robustness and self -organization to help a company hone its competitive edge. Traits of social insect has helped several companies including Unilever , McGrawHill and Capital one to develop more efficient ways to schedule factory equipment, divide task among workers , organize people and even plot strategy Foraging For solution -These Ant-forging Algorithms is a natural application of Logistics. Researchers from Hewlett-packards laboratories in Bristol , England have developed a computer program based on ant-foraging principles that routes calls efficiently. In the program, hordes of Software agents roam through the telecom network and leave bits of information (digital information) to reinforce path through uncongested area. Phone calls then follow the trails left by the ant like agents. Southwest Airlines used the principles of swarm intelligence to streamline its cargo operations, save more than $10 million a year. Some of the airlines discoveries about itself at first seemed counter-intuitive. For example, Southwest discovered that it can be beneficial to leave cargo on a plane, even if it was initially headed in the wrong direction. If the airline wanted to send a package from Boston to Chicago, it might be more efficient to leave it on a plane heading for Atlanta and then Chicago rather than wait for a direct flight or transfer it mid-route. This finding slashed freight transfer rates by as much as 80 percent at the busiest cargo hubs and reduced the workload for people who move cargo, allowing Southwest to cut back on its storage facilities and minimize wage costs. Furthermore, the resulting flexibility meant that the airline could still make money even if the planes werent fully loaded, which opened up significant opportunities to generate new business. Variations on the ant-foraging algorithm also helped Unilever, the multinational consumer goods company; develop decision-making software for its production facilities that was faster and more automatic than traditional efficiency methods. At one complex-liquid manufacturing plant, the chemical mixers, storage tanks and packaging lines each have different rates of operation, different abilities to be connected to other equipment, different capacities, different changeover times for switching from one product to another and different maintenance schedules, all occurring in a dynamic environment in which machinery can break down without warning and cust omer demand is increasingly volatile. Bonabeau examined how ants surmount unexpected obstacles in their relentless quest to find food and bring it back to the nest, and produced software that copes easily with changing conditions. Insights gleaned from swarm intelligence also helped Capital One, the giant financial-services company; replace its rigid command-and-control management style with a more flexible approach better suited to a fast-growing business. Like a medium-size ant colony whose territory is invaded by a larger competitor, Capital One constantly searches out and targets new market opportunities. To encourage employees to look for opportunities outside their immediate departments, Capital One revamped its employee-evaluation system to reward people who actively search for such food sources. The extent to which this behavior supports the business strategy was implicit in a comment in the companys annual report soon after it adopted the precepts of swarm intelligence: Many of our business opportunities are short-lived. We have to move fast to exploit them and move on when they fade. Scanning the Periphery One of the important things we can learn from the Ant is scanning the Periphery. Ant builds their empire but never leave their eyes on the Periphery, they can deduce the incoming thread and opportunity in advance, it makes them easy to warn there counterpart in the colony. In most of the survey 9 out 10 corporate accept 3 out of 5 big threads which it faces, they dont have any information (warning) about it in advance. When thread came to smack them they are empty hands. With the ant behavior our modern Business house can learn how to have eye not only on target but also on periphery so they have proper and valid information that what other player are doing and use it for their benefits Networking knowledge When you look at how organizations really work, says Bonabeau, who has written about swarm intelligence in the Harvard Business Review, the Journal of Business Innovation and in a book he co-authored, Swarm Intelligence: From Natural to Artificial Systems (Oxford University Press, 1999), the hierarchical chart is very rarely the structure that people use to get their jobs done. Karen Stephenson couldnt agree more. A professor at Harvards School of Design and Imperial Colleges School of Management at the University of London as well as a software entrepreneur for NetForm International, Stephenson studies the informal pathways by which knowledge is communicated throughout an organization. Why is that important? Think of it this way: If the official organizational chart shows the rules of a company, the human network shows the ropeswhat really makes things work and gets things done. Each person in that web represents a node, but not all nodes have the same nature. Some are what Stephenson calls hubs, people who become a gathering and sharing point for critical information. Some are pulsetakers, who carefully cultivate relationships that allow them to monitor the ongoing health and direction of the organization. And some are gatekeepers, information bottlenecks who control the flow of contact to a particular part of the organization. These nodes and networks house and transmit tacit knowledge, the vitally important information that gives a company its competitive edge. Furthermore, Stephenson has identified at least six different types of networks, each of which represents a core layer of knowledge, ranging from how the company works to how innovation is sparked and nurtured to how it is disseminated throughout the company and becomes part of its modus operandi. Like the bodys circulation system, nervous system and skele-to-muscular system, all of these networks combine to sustain the health of an organization. Conversely, if theres a problem with one, t hen the health of the entire organization is affected. By performing the equivalent of an MRI on an organization, Stephenson helped Amgen, the worlds largest biotechnology company, reduce the rate of attrition among its research scientists, IBM re-engineer itself, Steelcase design a new furniture consultation service and J.P. Morgan smooth its merger with Chase Manhattan. The most relevant aspect of her work has to do with the lifeblood of companies today: innovation. At the root of all bureaucracies, she says, is an innovation that didnt get harvested in time. At the other end of the spectrum, is an innovation that went too far, which sometimes results in fraud. And in the middle is a network that nurtures innovation appropriately so that it benefits the organization. There is an optimal balance between social networks and organizational hierarchy, Stephenson says, and there are correlations between these networks that show when an organization is ready for a change. If yo ure knowledgeable about this, you can leverage your human capital appropriately. Grasping intangible assets One of the confounding aspects of tacit knowledge networks is that they can be mapped and their results measured on a companys bottom line, yet they cant be physically grasped. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan spoke to this issue last year when he talked about how the weight of the economy had declined. What he meant was that the economy is no longer being measured in locomotives and factories; instead, it is measured in ideas and people. Evaluating the ramifications of such intangible assets is what Jonathan Low and Pamela Cohen Kalafut of Cap Gemini Ernst Youngs Center for Business Innovation have been puzzling over for the past five years and wrote about in their recent book, Invisible Advantage: How Intangibles Are Driving Business Performance. Submitted by Abhishek Gupta Abhijat Singh Dhawal

Affordable Care Act ( Aca ) - 1399 Words

As you know my situation is messy here in Texas. As a single, young male I do not qualify for Medicaid and with the ACA expansion more people are qualifying for Medicaid depending on their state. Sadly, that is not the case for me. I live in the state of Texas which is one of nearly 20 states yet to expand its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and is home to the largest number of uninsured Americans of any state in the country. I do not meet the Medicaid requirements in Texas, available only to people with disabilities who have incomes below 75 percent of the federal poverty level; pregnant women with incomes less than 200 percent of poverty; and parents with incomes less than 19 percent of poverty. I will continue to be uninsured and as a freelance construction worker I should have coverage in case of a mishap at work. Therefore, I strongly support the idea of adding a public option to the U.S healthcare system for individuals like myself that do not qualify for Medicaid and do not have the financial means to buy health insurance on the private market. Public option is a government run plan that promotes competition in the health insurance market to lower prices. Even Obama agrees that Congress should revisit a public plan to compete alongside private insurers in areas of the country where competition is limited. Adding a public plan in such areas would strengthen the marketplace approach, giving consumers more affordable options while also creatingShow MoreRelatedThe Affordable Care Act ( Aca )956 Words   |  4 PagesAbsract++++++++++++++++++++++++++= The Affordable Care Act (ACA) (also known as â€Å"Obamacare†) is an historic piece of legislation that has had massive effect on healthcare in the United States. 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In contrast, the liberals supported the ACA and â€Å"pride themselves on the factRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act ( Aca ) Essay1428 Words   |  6 PagesThe Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as ObamaCare, is a United States law that was signed by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 and upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012. This Act was set to reform both healthcare and health insuranc e industries in the United States. It aims to lower cost on coverage, add new benefits, and a few new taxes. Increasing the quality, availability, and affordability of private and public health insurance are very important roles of the ACA. While tryingRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act ( Aca )1349 Words   |  6 PagesIn 2010 the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was signed into act to help reform healthcare in the United States. Before and after the act was effective, many people were concerned with how it would affect our country as a whole and on an individual basis. 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For a variety of reasons, this will change how the front-line health care personnel provide care. Nurses will expand his or her scope and territory of care. Front line providers will change to include more advanced practice nurses because of the national shortage of primary care providers (Department Of Health And Human Services, 2014). No longer will they just practice in brick and mortar hospitalsRead MoreThe Affordable Care Act ( Aca ) Essay1089 Words   |  5 PagesSince the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or ‘Obamacare’ in 2010 and its implementation in 2014,there has been a steady decline in the uninsured population of the United States of America. The number of Americans with health insurance, has reached a historic peak. 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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) experienced many challenges, debates, and objections until the Supreme Court rendered a final decision on individual mandate healthcare insurance to uphold the health care law on June 28, 2012. The mandate healthcare insurance for workers by employers’ obligation through a regulated marketplace of health maintenance organizations

Impacts of Human Capital Investment on Employee

Questions: 1. A detail statement of the problem that you would like to investigate.2. Research aim, objectives and research questions: What are the potential research objectives and questions that can address the problem?3. Justification and potential output of the research project: Why is your chosen project important both theoretically and practically? What are the potential outputs and outcomes of your research? 4. Conceptual framework: An analysis of the literature relevant to the research topic that will give you the conceptual basis for conducting this research.5. Methodology: Based on the conceptual framework, research aim(s) and objectives, you need to provide a detail description of the data collection methods and tools, data sources and the methods/tools that you will use to analyse the data. 6. Organisation of the study, project budget and schedule: Write the names of the chapters/sections of your research report, and briefly discuss what you will write in those chapters/sections followed by a brief description of budget for conducting this study and project schedule i.e., Gantt Chart. Answers: Introduction The paradigm shift of production has been greatly influenced by the rapid growth of technological innovation in the IT sector. Most investments highly depend on services offered by the staff to accomplish tasks at hand. Therefore it is paramount that staff members get motivation to allow them offer the best services as far as production is concerned. Staff enrichment is defined by the level of output in terms of the end products. Companies are going viral in replenishing their key asset, human capital (Brigham Ehrhardt, 2013). Basically, employee training improves their performance at workplace and personal level. Researchers reveal that training increases performance up to 2.5% (Tacchella et al., 2013). Consequently, highly skilled employees link their experiences to human investment plan via training that enables them to reap maximum knowledge and skills applicable in the IT sector. Although technical training leads to employee performance, embracing focused curricular approach wo uld yield maximum results in the output level. Human capital investments fuel future growth in the global economy. The global economy is defined by the need to nurture the human capital for competitive advantages. This is specifically applicable to information technology systems where productivity is highly dependent on employee skills translating into huge gross profits. The knowledge based theory of firms substantiates this need by highlighting major characteristics of training such as improvement in service delivery, product development and design, expertise competence, and improved human relations amongst others (Webb, Perry Fennelly, 2015). Consequently, IT industry has reported a positive growth of 6.5% annually due to improvement in human capital investments that translate into significant importance of theory and practice through training. 1. Problem statement Human capita refers to the human resources of an organization of an organization. They are the employees, labours, managers and others. Human resources are considered as the most important resource of organization as the success of that organization totally depends on the performance of them. Human capital investment means the process of developing the employees of an organization by giving them necessary training and educations related to their work. This type of training and education helps to develop the skills of the employees. Human capital investment is very mc necessary in case of the information industry technology as this industry demands the most educated and skilled employees in the area of information technology (Kwon Rupp, 2013). There are three variables exist. They are human capital, organizational performance and the effect of employee satisfaction between human capital and organizational performance. There is a deep link exists among these three variables as three of them are dependent on each other. Human capital is the most important element in the success of any organization. A company will be a successful one if the employees of that organization are efficient and highly skilled. On the other hand, the satisfaction of the employees is a crucial factor to establish a link between human capital and the organizational performance. Proper motivation drives the employees to contribute their best in the success of the organization (Ployhart et al., 2014). As per Jalil et al. (2015), there are some problems associated to these three variables. The investment in the human capital is a crucial factor. There is a strong need of identifying the areas where training and education is needed. On the other hand, the human resources of an organization need to be properly motivated to increase the profitability of the organization. These are the problem areas regarding the three variables. There should be proper strategies to address these problems (Martin, McNally Kay, 2013). 2.Research Objective/ Questions The major aim of this research is to: identify effective ways of human capital investment with reference to Australian IT Services Industry, to determine the extent to which collaborative software contribute to employees performance, to assess the effects of training on employee output level, and to assess how motivation contributes to productivity lines of organizations. Specifically, the study will seek to answer the following questions: RQ 1.To what extent does collaborative software contribute to employees performance? RQ 2.What is the effect of training on employee output level? RQ3. How does motivation contribute to productivity lines in organizations? 3. Justification of The Project Organizational growth is highly influenced by the level of technology embraced. Innovation is a major component within various business environments used for economic growth and developmental agendas. This paper therefore shall boost Business Corporation amongst shareholders, clients; the management and take into account the needs and concerns of other interested parties (Kehoe Wright, 2013). The project shall henceforth solve issues related to poor customer relations, low profit margins, low productivity, low commitment levels, time wastage, and additional expenses. Workers performance shall also be harkened thus maintaining high standards of production hence effective corporate image for the company (Organizational Conduits). The outcomes of the study will in particular be useful to organizations in that, organizations will be knowledgeable in terms of IT services provision. Basing on the findings, the management will offer support to human resource department to ensure an inclusi ve environment is created for efficient drive and task accomplishment at workstations maintaining organizations statuesque. The employees will have ease time of accomplishing their tasks by giving their best in terms of quality of service. Significantly, motivation and performance will hike due to mutual understanding amongst the parties involved (Martin, McNally Kay, 2013). By a means of extension, healthy relations within workplace will be cemented between the management and junior staff hence high productivity. The human resource professionals shall use the project to substantiate the roles of HR professionals in proper management of human resources. Impartial environment shall be created in the long run. Profoundly, other researchers shall obtain knowledge and guidelines of tackling challenges with regards to technological advancements. They shall analyze past cases dealt with by other researchers to solve the problem and come up with alternative ways of handling the issue. Potential Output of The Research Project The study will provide a rationale on capital management strategies. Purposively, speculated outcomes are that the management shall employ the best techniques of enriching the staff by identifying their needs while on duty and identify any hardships experienced during delivery. Equally, suppliers and customers shall be vetted to measure their level of satisfaction with regards to the services and products of the company. Production processes, and logistics will be brought on board for evaluation. Additionally, factors such as contradicting needs and expectations, workplace pressure, different goals, personality differences, and conflicting roles shall be centred upon to measure the intent of workers satisfaction (Ployhart et al., 2014). Further, the effects of the outcome to the market environment shall be established to help businesses in fighting economic crises. Strategically, it is expected that workers performance level will be boosted through training, effective communication, and motivation. The objectives of the study as well as questions shall guide the research process on the requirements of the tools to use for effective outcomes. Basically, data collection and findings will offer answers to the stated questions addressing each partisan to the type of information system and technology used by firms (Campbell, Coff, Kryscynski, 2012). In doing so, the problem shall be solved peacefully leaving each party satisfied since their concerns shall form the core guide to research process. Significantly, the output shall serve the economy and business world by defining technology, identifying the level of job satisfaction, and evaluate the impacts of human capital investments on performance (Index, 2016). 4. Conceptual Framework And Research Hypothesis The type of technology embraced determines the procedures used by organizations to meet the needs and concerns of the market domain. For instance, organizations policies are described by the level of technology used in terms of work schedules, staff mobilization, services rendered to clients, and waiting time. There are a number of ways to approach human capital investment to improve employee performance (Ployhart et al., 2014). These range from; training, installing customer management software and enterprise resource planning software, and motivation. Fundamentally, the elements outlined support the problem statement outlined above as well as substantiating the stated objectives and research questions. Using collaborative software to manage the company will yield a positive outcome in supporting decision making process. The software could be used to send instructions to multiple users such as the information from the management to other staff members informing them of business activities via cell phones (Kwon Rupp, 2013). The software should be user friendly and generate other functions such as client database, electronic documentation, among other duties. The disruptive economic theory of innovation fits into the company in question due to the nature of services provided. Application of this theory will widen the market scope of the company and allow it engage into diversification of its services and products as well. Further, market research on current trends of technology will improve the level of output and help the company in attaining new clients and equally retain its old clients (Bapna et al., 2013). In a way, the approach will displace competitors' established markets giving the company an extended network to operate. Figure 1: Conceptual framework, source (author, 2016) Proposed methods for improving performance are training, motivation, and using collaborative software for staff performance. The stated disciplines are also methods used by organizations to enhance human capital investment. Collaborative software system will ease operations within and beyond the market dynamics. These may range from customer relations software and enterprise resource planning software. The customer relations software will allow the IT department to rate its output level against selected milestones (Khan Khan, 2014). Such may include email correspondences, and event reports. The software will equally allow smooth data entry for example contact lists for affiliated members of the company. The software creates a good platform for obtaining customers feedback through testimonials, brand usage, and quality of services in terms of respond to inquiries (Joshi et al., 2013). The enterprise planning software is a management tool for storage, collection, management, and interpreting data from other links of the business enterprise (Index, 2016). Competitively, such a software program will lead to efficiency since it allows planning on production costs, market organization, checking payments, and enhance sales within the operational business zone. Additionally, the software shall allow an aggregate view of major business processes on a daily basis such as handling cash transactions, orders, and payrolls. Data sharing across all legal specs shall be necessitated by a single command click from an IT technician (Jiang et al., 2012). Alternatively, performance shall be realised by motivation; a process by which individuals satisfy their contentment via fulfilling their personal goals. In simple terms, it is why people engage into something and the incentive for the action chosen. Motivation as a human capital investment strategy demands moving people into the intended direction. HR professionals therefore maximize on collaborative style to boost employee job motivation levels. Collaborative elements range from salary increment, appraisals, free medical cover, and good workstations to allowances amongst others (Shaw, Park Kim, 2013). The stated strategies are objects of increasing job satisfaction that leads to increased morale for workers hence best quality of products and services are witnessed. The motivation theory recognizes motivation as a key element of improving the quality of workplace and ability to manage conflicts. For instance, companies that invest in motivation achieve high rate of staff retention and maintain their corporate aims if not increasing. McGregors Y theory, the Herzbergs Motivator-Hygiene theory, and self-efficacy however do not specify any standards of motivational behaviour. Therefore it can be argued that motivation is a subjective and emotional issue and is subject to change basing on the personality and environment (Brigham Ehrhardt, 2013). Training of staff on the use of technology is an important development initiative since it enables them to be informed on the current market trends as far as performance is concerned. Basically, training ensures that the staffs meet the needs of the organization and other parties of interest. Substantially, training will amount to growth and changing for the better staff development allows all members of an organization to obtain relevant skills with respect to organizational culture and practices (Santarelli Tran, 2013). Professionalism and expertise is equally achieved. For the sake of an IT firm, training would include conferences, workshops, institutional courses, and study circles. Institutional courses shall be non-academic and purely by observation. Study circles would use professionals with common technological interests. Research hypotheses H (1) Null hypothesis: there is no relationship between human capital investment and employee performance. H (2) Alternative hypothesis: there is a direct relationship between human capital investment and employee performance. 5.Resaerch Methodology Research design: a descriptive research design shall be embraced to help the researcher in addressing the outlined objectives. The design supports observation, and description of major variables spelled out with regards to conflicts. Qualitative methods of data collection shall be focused upon to qualify the characteristics exhibited by the target population. Specifically, descriptive research design will enable the researcher to familiarize with behaviour, attitudes, and personalities of the selected sample group. Target population: Population is a group of individuals who portray characteristics of interest to the researcher as well as significant to the study. The target population of the study therefore shall include junior staff members, managers, and a few clients. The sample number of target population taken in this study is 400. Sampling Design: Stratified random sampling technique shall apply in the research. The target population shall be split into segments randomly. Random picking of individuals from a list of names of the target population will be done. Such a technique will give equal chances of representation and participating into the project. Sampling size: a sample is a section of the population singled out by the researcher for analysis. Using a section of the population helps the researcher to study the entire characteristics relevant to the study in depth. Therefore the researcher shall select a few elements from the target area and implement the findings to the entire population as shown in the table below. Table 3.1: Sample size Population category Target population Sample size Percentages % Managers 100 50 25 Employees 200 100 50 Customers 100 50 25 Totals 400 200 100 Source: Author, 2016 Data collection instruments: Primary data shall be collected using questionnaires and interview schedules. These instruments are discussed below. Interviews: One on one interview between the correspondents and the researcher shall be used to enable the researcher to obtain data. Face to face interaction will equally help the researcher develop a good rapport with the interviewee (Campbell, Coff, Kryscynski, 2012). Significantly, the researcher will have pleasure to observe the correspondents and single out selected characteristics fitting the study. Questionnaires: To substantiate the objectives of the study, semi structures questionnaires shall be adopted. Qualitative and quantitative measures shall be evaluated using open ended questions. The questionnaires will allow respondents freedom to express themselves and capture information that may seem to be left out by the interviewer. Data analysis procedures: Consistence in question structures will be checked. Interviewees shall equally be guided on how to fill the questionnaires before the actual exercise. The quantitative techniques of data analysis shall be embraced in this study as there are various facts and figures are taken into account and then analyzed. 6. Organisation of The Study The organisation of the study is as follows: Chapter One will be the Research Proposal as outlined in this assignment. Chapter Two will describe the case study of human capital investment in-depth. Chapter Three will include the details of methodology literature review, data series and surveys (data collection methods), observing key indicators human capital investment,analysis methods. Chapter Four will report the Findings and Analysis of the proposed research. Chapter Five will summarize the important findings and discuss their implications on motivation. Gantt Chart The following table shows the timeline for the project completion. Task Start day End day Duration (Days) Project proposal 30/9/2016 30/10/2016 30 Data analysis 25/3/2017 25/4/2017 30 Final report submission 30/4/2017 21/5/2017 21 Milestones and Delivarables 30/9/20161/11/201622/01/201725/03/201730/04/2017 Project proposal 930 30 Literature review 111 80 Data collection 1/22 60 Data analysis 3/25 30 Final report submission 4/30 21 The budget The budget for the project amounts to $ 5,000 broken down as follows. Particulars Estimates ($) Literature review 1000 Data collection 2300 Researchers expenses 500 Data analysis 1200 Total 5000 Literature review shall attract expenses such as books and other sources that give information with regards to conflict resolution. Data collection attracts costs of printing questionnaires and interview forms. Additionally, according to Index (2016), the researcher may incur some expenses such as meals, and travelling costs. Finally, since data shall be analysed qualitatively and quantitatively, the researcher may be required to acquire a computer to feed in data and draw charts, and figures (Bapna et al., 2013). The report will be written on the findings hence printing and binding charges. Referene Bapna, R., Langer, N., Mehra, A., Gopal, R., Gupta, A. (2013). Human capital investments and employee performance: an analysis of IT services industry.Management Science,59(3), 641-658. Brigham, E. F., Ehrhardt, M. C. (2013).Financial management: Theory practice. Cengage Learning. Campbell, B. A., Coff, R., Kryscynski, D. (2012). Rethinking sustained competitive advantage from human capital.Academy of Management Review,37(3), 376-395. Index. (2016). Investment: A History. doi:10.7312/ream16952-015 Issues and Recommendations, Human resource Management, vol.39 no. 4 Jalil, M. H., Othman, M. Y., Dakir, J., Sham, F. M., Yaacob, M., Yunos, N., ... Adabi, F. (2015). Elements of human capital development according to Hasan Al-Banna.Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology,2015, 133-140. Jiang, K., Lepak, D. P., Han, K., Hong, Y., Kim, A., Winkler, A. L. (2012). Clarifying the construct of human resource systems: Relating human resource management to employee performance.Human Resource Management Review,22(2), 73-85. Joshi, M., Cahill, D., Sidhu, J., Kansal, M. (2013). Intellectual capital and financial performance: an evaluation of the Australian financial sector.Journal of intellectual capital,14(2), 264-285 Kehoe, R. R., Wright, P. M. (2013). The impact of high-performance human resource practices on employees attitudes and behaviors.Journal of management,39(2), 366-391. Khan, M. E., Khan, F. (2014). Importance of Software Testing in Software Development Life Cycle.International Journal of Computer Science Issues (IJCSI),11(2), 120. Kwon, K., Rupp, D. E. (2013). High?performer turnover and firm performance: The moderating role of human capital investment and firm reputation.Journal of Organizational Behavior,34(1), 129-150. Martin, B. C., McNally, J. J., Kay, M. J. (2013). Examining the formation of human capital in entrepreneurship: A meta-analysis of entrepreneurship education outcomes.Journal of Business Venturing,28(2), 211-224. Organizational Conduits: Communication Strategies for Effective Instructional Leadership. (n.d.). The Instructional Leadership Toolbox: A Handbook for Improving Practice, 57-78. doi:10.4135/97814522 Pawlak Z, 1998. An inquiry into anatomy of conflicts. 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Woolworths Limited Segmentation - Targeting And Positioning Free Sample

Question: Discuss about theSegmentation,Targeting and Positioning of Woolworths Limited. Answer: Evaluation of Marketability of Woolworths Limited: Woolworths Limited has been engaged in retailing activities in relation to providing groceries, home products, day to day necessities coupled with offering clothing line and fashion accessories. The company controls majority of Australias retailing market owing to heightened degree of market exposure. The variability in its product prices results towards the company succeeding to cater to the demand to a large number of market segments. The company has focused towards maintaining its market share through potentially aligning itself with authenticity and freshness in its products. Segmentation Pertaining to Woolworths: Segmentation relates to dividing total markets onto several different sections based upon multiple criteria comprising of demographical features, socio economic features and product characteristics amongst others (Kotler et al. 2015). Each segment comprises of consumers with similar quantum of product or service preferences coupled with similar consumption pattern of the product in question. The different segments that relates to the demographical features of consumers comprises of the age of the consumers, the gender that the consumer belongs with, the average education levels of the consumers. Gender play a significant role towards the inception and development of large number of retailing services and products owing to the fact a particular product is designed to cater to a particular gender. The clothing and homecare product has been differentially manufactured based upon the deviations in the preference levels of its consumers belonging to different genders. Segregation of retailing products based upon the age levels is a significant policy for mitigation of overstocking or inventory obsolescence. The infants with age group below 5 are provided with large sets of infant food products, this is followed by consumers with 6-17 years of age and finally is concluded with catering to the requirements of consumers who are above 55 years of age. Further, the segmentation in relation to the income levels of consumers has in turn facilitated the different sets of initiatives in the procurements of products from the producers or manufacturers. This is resultant from the fact that the purchasing power of prospective clients tends to dictate the growth rate of a particular product. Moreover, for a particular product line the real demand for a product can be evaluated through the actual income levels of the clients. Targeting: Targeting comprises of identification of a market segment by a firm and thereby catering to that particular segment in order to accomplish its objectives of revenue generation (Kumar and Zia 2016). Woolworths primary target has been the household segment of the retail market, this is reflected by the high quantum of sales that has taken place in terms of sales of groceries followed by home products. Moreover, the company has introduced large sets of women wear and fashion accessories aiming towards targeting the young female consumers. Further, the market share in the retailing industry in Australia has been largely dominated by Woolworths, this can be attributed from the fact that Woolworths commands over three fourths of the Australian retail market (Woolworths Online. 2016). Positioning: Positioning encompasses translating the preferences of the consumers and facilitating a distinct place in a particular market segment amongst the current sets of products catering to the particular segment (Kumar and Zia 2016). Positioning entails steps that facilitate retention of brand image onto the psyche of consumers through different sets of brand positioning initiatives. Woolworths tends to focus towards alienating itself from its competitors through promotional activities that reiterates the companys slogan of providing the fresh foods to its consumers (YouTube, 2016). The company has initiated its marketing campaigns in a manner that emphasizes upon streamlining deliverance of its products directly from farmers onto the store shelves. Moreover, Woolworths has correlated the purchase of its products with supporting Australian farmers thereby creating a highly positive perception of its products. The introduction of loyalty schemes in the form of Everyday Reward through issuance of shopping cards has been undertaken in order to improve the overall shopping experience for its consumers and thereby differentiate itself amongst other retail providers. The company has been promoting reliability and platform providing one stop solution to numerous household needs. Further, the advent of online shopping has been capitalized by the company with increasing levels of exposure to both current and prospective clients (Gordon 2012). The changing preference levels of clients can be evaluated in a streamlined manner. This is owing to the assimilation and synthesis of clients behavioral analytics and on site activities by the visitors on the company website (Hanssens et al. 2014). Woolworths limited can benefit highly from implementation of Big Data analytics along with installation of artificial intelligence programs in order to facilitate better overview of customers behavioral patterns and thereby frame better informed marketing strategies. References: Gordon, R., 2012. Re-thinking and re-tooling the social marketing mix.Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ),20(2), pp.122-126. Hanssens, D.M., Pauwels, K.H., Srinivasan, S., Vanhuele, M. and Yildirim, G., 2014. Consumer attitude metrics for guiding marketing mix decisions.Marketing Science,33(4), pp.534-550. Kotler, P., Burton, S., Deans, K., Brown, L. and Armstrong, G., 2015.Marketing. Pearson Higher Education AU. Kumar, N.S. and Zia, M., 2016. A Three Dimensional Vertical Differentiation Model: Implications for Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning.Targeting and Positioning (April 3, 2016). Woolworths Online. (2016). Woolworths Supermarket - Buy Groceries Online. [online] Available at: https://www.woolworths.com.au/ [Accessed 16 Oct. 2016]. YouTube. (2016). Woolworths: The Fresh Food People. HD. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8uvoEsLFo0 [Accessed 16 Oct. 2016].

Animal Experimentation Essays - Animal Welfare, Animal Testing

Animal Experimentation Essays - Animal Welfare, Animal Testing Animal Experimentation Use medicines that were tested on animals, or die? With the discovery of new medicines physicians, based on their research,we can predict the possible outcome or effect the medicine may possibly have. However, success is not guaranteed. Experiments must be done, but on whom? There is only a limited amount of reliable testers that scientist may use to conduct their experiments. Two of the most reliable testers include humans and animals. For many centuries scientists have experimented on animals, and it is still being done in order to maintain a healthier human population (Dixon). New medicines are being discovered throughout the year, and billions of lives are also beings saved thanks to the development of medicines discovered. Animals have helped our society grow and prosper. If it were not for them, the sick would not regain their health. Although many people do not agree with experimentation on animals, we should continue to test on animals in order to find a cure for diseases. From a baby to an adult, animal testing is used in everyday products (to the Pampers babies wear, to the Johnson and Johnson babies are washed with). In fact, there are an estimated 30 million animals used in experiments for our everyday products (?Update: Animal Testing?). According to Issues According to Thomas Dixon, the ?reduction of human suffering is our first priority and the prevention of animal suffering or death is secondary to that (although still important)? . Although animal testing is a good investment to our future, many people think of it as cruel and unusual punishment and are determined to put a stop to it. People like Thomas Dixon argue animals ?have the rights to be treated as beings of value in themselves, not as the means to human ends?. While some despise the idea of testing on animals, others urge animal experimentation to continue if it is the means to greater ends to human suffering. According to Cosmetics International, ?Certain [industries] have announced that they have stopped all animal testing, while others claim to be doing very little? (French say no). Not only are national cosmetic industries putting a stop to animal testing, but many animal right groups are also. Protesters claim that animal testing is a vile way to advance knowledge (?Animal Testing?). They also say that ?humans should treat animals with respect? (Update: Animal Testing). Even though people strongly disagree that animals are needed to be tested for the benefit of mankind, it is unavoidable. Despite the fact that some industries have put a stop to it to test their products, many scientists will still co ntinue to test on animals if the results will create a healthier life for all humans in the near future. Even though protesters argue that animals are not the only available option for testing, scientists disagree. According to most scientists, there is not a wide variety of substitutions to animal testing (?Update: Animal Testing?). Until there is an alternative to a possible tester, animals are our only option. Many people agree that the use of animals is lamentable but inevitable. There is a vast majority of societies that still continue to eat and wear animal products, including milk, eggs, meat, leather shoes, and belts (?Animal Testing?). Many of these individuals may not consider giving up these everyday products even if it means saving animals? lives, so why should there be a stop to animal testing if there is a

The Meaning and Impact of Linda Nochlins Feminist Art Criticism

The Meaning and Impact of Linda Nochlin's Feminist Art Criticism Linda Nochlin was a renowned art critic, historian, writer, and researcher. Through her writing and academic work, Nochlin became an icon of the feminist art movement and history. Her best known essay is titled Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?, in which she examines the societal reasons that prevented women from gaining recognition in the art world. Key Takeaways Nochlins essay Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? was published in 1971 in ARTnews, a visual arts magazine.Written from an academic perspective, the essay became a pioneering manifesto for the feminist art movement and feminist art history.Through her academic work and her writing, Nochlin was instrumental in changing the language that surrounds the way we speak of artistic development, paving the way for many of those outside the norm, not just women, to find success as artists. Personal Life Linda Nochlin was born in 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, were she grew up an only child in a wealthy Jewish family. She inherited a love of the arts from her mother and was immersed in New York’s rich cultural landscape from a young age. A volume of Nochlins writing in which her famous essay appears.   Courtesy burlington.co.uk Nochlin attended Vassar College, then a single-sex college for women, where she minored in art history. She pursued a Master’s in English literature at Columbia University before completing doctoral work in art history at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University while also teaching as a professor of art history at Vassar (where she would teach until 1979). While Nochlin is most famous for her role in feminist art history, she also made a name for herself as a scholar with wide academic interests, writing books on subjects as diverse as realism and impressionism, as well as several volumes of her essays originally published in various publications, including ARTnews and Art in America. Nochlin died in 2017 at the age of 86. At the time of her death she was a Lila Acheson Wallace professor of art history emerita at NYU. â€Å"Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?† Nochlin’s most famous text is the 1971 essay, originally published in ARTnews, titled â€Å"Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?,† in which she investigated the institutional roadblocks which have prevented women from ascending to the top ranks of art throughout history. The essay is argued from an intellectual and historical angle, rather than a feminist one, though Nochlin did secure her reputation as a feminist art historian after the publishing of this essay. In her writing, she insisted that the investigation into the inequity in the art world would only serve the arts as a whole: perhaps an interest in why women artists have been systematically excluded from the art historical canon will prompt a thorough investigation into the contexts of all artists, resulting in a more authentic, factual, and intellectually rigorous assessment of art history in general. Characteristic of Nochlin as a writer, the essay methodically lays out an argument to answer the titular question. She begins by insisting on the importance of her essay, in order to assert an â€Å"adequate and accurate view of history†. She then launches into the question at hand. Many feminist art historians, she argues, will try to answer her question by insisting it is predicated on false claims. Indeed, there have been great women artists, they just have produced in obscurity and have never made it into the history books. While Nochlin agrees that there is not nearly enough scholarship on many of these women, the possible existence of female artists that have reached the mythical status of â€Å"genius,† simply would state that the â€Å"status quo is fine,† and that the structural changes that feminists are fighting for have already been achieved. This, Nochlin says, is untrue, and she spends the rest of her essay outlining why. â€Å"The fault lies not in our stars, our hormones, our menstrual cycles, or our empty internal spaces, but in our institutions and our education,† she writes. Women were not permitted to attend live drawing sessions from a nude model (though women were permitted to model nude, an assertion of her place as object and not as self possessed maker), which was an essential chapter of an artist’s education in the 19th century. If not permitted to paint the nude, the few women painters that existed were forced to resort to subjects that were lower in the hierarchy of value assigned to different genres of art at the time, that is, they were relegated to painting still lives and landscapes. Add to this an art historical narrative that values the rise of innate genius and the insistence that wherever genius resides it will make itself known. This type of art historical myth making finds its origins in the biographies of such revered artists as Giotto and Andrea Mantegna, who were â€Å"discovered† tending flocks of livestock in the rural landscape, as close to the â€Å"middle of nowhere† as can be. The perpetuation of the artistic genius is detrimental to the success of female artists in two significant ways. First, it is a justification that, indeed, there are no great female artists because, as is implicitly stated in the genius narrative, greatness makes itself known regardless of circumstance. If a woman possessed genius, her talent would best all adverse conditions in her life (poverty, social duties, and children included) to make her â€Å"great.† Second, if we do accept the ex nihilo genius story, we are not inclined to study art as it exists in context, and therefore are more prone to ignoring important influences (and therefore, more inclined to discount the other intellectual forces surrounding an artist, which may include female artists and artists of color). Of course, there are many life circumstances that make the road to becoming an artist more straightforward. Among them is the custom that an artist profession is passed from father to son, making the choice to be an artist a tradition rather than a break from it, as it would be for women artists. (Indeed, a majority of the most famous pre-20th century women artists were the daughters of artists, though they are, of course, notable exceptions.)   Regarding these institutional and social circumstances as the situation that artistically-inclined women are up against, it is no wonder that more of them have not ascended to the heights of their male contemporaries. Reception Nochlin’s essay was widely acclaimed, as it provided the foundations on which to build alternative understandings of art history. It certainly provided the scaffolding on which other seminal essays such as Nochlin’s colleague Griselda Pollock’s â€Å"Modernity and the Spaces of Femininity† (1988), in which she argues that many women painters did not ascend to the same heights of some other Modernist painters because they were denied access to the spaces best suited to the Modernist project (that is, spaces like Manet’s Folies Bergà ¨re or Monet’s docks, both places from which single women would be discouraged). Artist Deborah Kass believes that Nochlins pioneering work made women’s and queer studies possible (ARTnews.com) as we know them today. Her words have resonated with generations of art historians and have even been emblazoned on T-shirts produced by upscale French fashion label Dior. Though there is still a great disparity between the representation of male versus female artists (and still a greater one between women of color and white female artists), Nochlin was instrumental in changing the language that surrounds the way we speak of artistic development, paving the way for many of those outside the norm, not just women, to find success as artists. Sources (2017). ‘A True Pioneer’: Friends and Colleagues Remember Linda Nochlin. ArtNews.com. [online] Available at: artnews.com/2017/11/02/a-true-pioneer-friends-and-colleagues-remember-linda-nochlin/#dk.Smith, R. (2017). Linda Nochlin, 86, Groundbreaking Feminist Art Historian, Is Dead. The New York Times. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/01/obituaries/linda-nochlin-groundbreaking-feminist-art-historian-is-dead-at-86.htmNochlin, L. (1973). â€Å"Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?†Ã‚  Art and Sexual Politics, Collier Books, pp. 1–39.

Management of Personal financial services. China case study Essay

Management of Personal financial services. China case study - Essay Example Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in financial services has become utmost important because of the present challenging marketing environment. Presently, the company differentiate themselves by delivering exquisite customer experience and offer product, which are unique, tailor-made for delivering customer satisfaction. By delivering highly innovative financial products for core banking, insurance and wealth management, the company would be able to develop meaningful relationship with its customers. Often termed as relationship marketing in China, it is also focuses on customer retention. CRM also helps in laying emphasis on the product features, which highlights the product benefits that are meaningful and necessary for the customers. The Chinese investment banking companies rely on the strength of the financial services that help the banks to make tailor-made financial products for customized customer requirements. Although, CRM is relatively a new concept, it entails the diffe rent marketing approaches involved in obtaining the refined customer information search, which helps the management to attract potential customers (Besson, 2000). The CRM activities in the financial institutions involve the incorporation of electronic business activities, relationship and customer management activities, and integration of customer centric strategy with the back office or front office executives (Carson, 2005). The main crux of CRM activities involves building of long term and healthy relationships to retain customers in the competitive financial environment. 1.2.1 Customer Relationship Management in Chinese Financial Institutions The long term relationship building process with the Chinese customers has not only become an enduring strategy for relationship building, but it has also augmented for customer loyalty and retention. It was observed in Chinese banking that due to the financial implications there was a strong correlation between customer loyalty and profitability of the bank. The deregulation and emergence of new banking technology in the financial services industry have also