Viruses Essays (362 words) - Virology, Biology, Microbiology, Virus

Viruses Viruses share some characteristics with cells; however lack the qualities of living organisms. Viruses are simple structured organisms; they only have four structures that make them. They aren't considered to be living organisms due to several reasons such as reproduction and energy powered. They are often mistaken to be cells, however they are smaller and replicate inside of cells. Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and are capable to infect all types of living organisms. Viruses have four structures; the lipid envelope, capsid, genetic material, and the protein coat. The Lipid envelope is derived from the host cell membrane and play roles in viral infection and virus attachment to cells. The next component of the structure is the capsid; it is made from proteins, and is encoded by the viral genome which incases the nucleic acid of the virus. The third structure of a virus is the genetic material which is made of DNA or RNA, never both; it carries the genetic information which helps determine the composition of the organism. The last structure of a virus is the protein coat which helps attach the virus to a cell. Viruses aren't capable of reproducing outside of a cell therefore they don't meet the criteria of life and aren't to be considered living. Viruses are small infectious agents that are only able to replicate inside the living cells. They don't have their own biological "machinery" to replicate and doesn't multiply through cellular division. They also don't contain a metabolism therefore don't run on energy like living organisms. They just float around until they find a healthy cell to attach to and infect. They also can't regulate its temperature itself. Although viruses have a basic structure they are capable of infecting all types of living organisms and can cause serious damage. There is a blurred line between living and non-living although there are many good quality factors which make it non-living. Without a host viruses wouldn't be able to duplicate and infect organisms. Viruses are always mistaken for cells but never for bacteria, because they are much smaller and require a living host to survive unlike bacteria.

Internal Trade Essays

Internal Trade Essays Internal Trade Essay Internal Trade Essay :: Internal Trade:: Meaning Trade : Trade refers to the process of buying and selling of goods and services with the objective of earning profit. Internal Trade : Buying and selling of goods and services within the geographical boundaries of a country is called internal trade. In other words trade takes place between the people of the same country then it is termed as internal trade. Features of Internal Trade 1. Buying and selling of goods and services takes place within a country 2. Payments are made and received in the home currency only. 3. There is no or less legal formalities are required. 4. Local modes of transport can be used for transfer of goods. 5. No custom duty or import duty is levied on such trade. Internal trade can be classified into two broad categories. 1. Wholesale trade 2. Retail trade 1. Wholesale TradeBuying and selling of goods and services in large quantities for the purpose of resale or intermediate use is referred to as wholesale trade. Wholesalers acts as an important link between manufacturers and retailers. They purchase in bulk and sell in small lots to retailers.Features of Wholesalers 1. Wholesaler acts as a link between manufacturers and retailer. 2. Wholesaler deals with large quantities of goods. 3. Wholesaler is specialized in few or one line of product. 4. Wholesaler purchases goods in bulk quantities and sells in small quantities to retailers. 5. Wholesaler usually maintains large stock of goods for steady supply. 6. Wholesalers also sometime perform promotional activities to push sells. 7. Profit margin of wholesalers is generally low. 8. They also extend credit facility to retailers. Services of Wholesaler to Manufacturers 1. Economy of Scales: Wholesalers enable manufacturers to undertake large scale production as they purchase goods in large quantities from them. 2. Risk Sharing: Wholesaler deals in goods

Apple Incorporation. Overview of the Company and its Major Operations Research Paper

Apple Incorporation. Overview of the Company and its Major Operations - Research Paper Example The influence of Steve Jobs in the company and the development of â€Å"i† series products etc are explained in detail in this article. Kim R (2010) Apple Passes Microsoft As Top Tech Company, Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/26/BUDJ1DL0IU.DTL This article provides details about the achievements of Apple company in the recent past. It compares Apple’s performances against the performances of the competitors. Moreover it provides more details about Apple’s strengths and business strategies which helped it to become the number one technological company in the world. Krazit, T (2008). Apple's Mac Strength Could Keep Tech Industry on a Rol. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9926068-37.html This article mainly focusses on Apple’s financial performances in the recent past. It says that apple is one among the few American companies which escaped from the recent recession. It analyses the performances of appleà ¢â‚¬â„¢s different business units individually to get more comprehensive picture about apple’s performances as a whole. Apple and Environment (2011), Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/environment/ This article is taken from Apple’s own website. It says many things about the commitments of Apple in maintaining sustainable business practices. It says that apple has better knowledge about the environmental impacts caused by their activities and they are taking every possible step to reduce environmental problems as much as possible. Steve Jobs Issues Statement on Apple’s Environmental Commitments (2007), Retrieved from http://www.texasenvironment.org/pr_story.cfm?IID=342 This article analyses the reliability of Apple’s claims as an environmentally friendly company with the help of some statistical analysis. It compares Apple’s environmental protection activities against similar activities of other companies. Overview of the company and its major ope rations and challenges it faces â€Å"Apple was founded in Cupertino, California on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne to sell the Apple I personal computer kit† (Apple Inc. History, 2008). It is currently the second largest company in the world in market capitalization and also the most valuable technological company in the world (Kim 2010). Apple faced many challenges in the past mainly because of the stiff competition from Microsoft. However, they were able to bounce back with the introduction of its â€Å"i† series produces such as iMac, iPhone, iPad, iPod iTune etc at the begging of the twenty first century. Apple is the number technological company in the world now and consumers all over the world rates apple products above its competitor’s products. Krazit (2008) has pointed out that the Wall Street is expecting Apple to report â€Å"earnings per share of $1.07 on revenue of $6.9 billion in 2008†. In his opinion â€Å"App le is a company which is under-promising and over-delivering† (Krazit, 2008).   Its founder and charismatic leader Steve Jobs passed away recently and many people have the belief that the loss of Steve may affect Apple immensely in future. It should be noted that Apple was one the verge of closing down during the latter part of twentieth century when Steve stayed away from the company for a while. A suitable replacement for Steve is the major challenge facing by Apple at present. Analysis of Apple’s efforts to improve/promote environmental sustainability   Apple follows sustainable business practices which helped them to become one of the topmost companies in the world. Apple has comprehensive knowledge about the environmental impacts caused by their activities. According to Apple’s claims Apple products are â€Å"

Western Site Visit and Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Western Site Visit and Paper - Essay Example My visit to this mosque was on a Friday. I prepared myself and arrived at about 11.00 a.m. Since I was new, I sorted to get some directions on what is required of me while in the mosque. So I went straight to the offices and I was welcomed warmly by the occupants who were in the office. Mr. Abdul, who introduced himself as a teacher for weekend Islam classes took the pleasure to show me around the mosque and to teach me the basic about Islam. Below is the conversation that followed between me and Mr. Abdul. Abdul: I am very pleased to have you here today. First and foremost, I will start with the basic things that you need to know about this religion. Islam is built on five pillars. The first one is Shahadah, where a believer expresses his commitment and acceptance of Islam. The shahadah is "There is no God but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." Abdul: And Prophet Muhammad is his Messenger. And you also go by the next pillars. The second pillar is prayer, commonly known as Salah in Islam. In prayer, a person communicates directly with God. A person is supposed to pray five times in a day and the prayers must be conducted while you are facing Mecca. Abdul: Because is the holiest city in Islam and also God instructed the Prophet Muhammad to pray while facing Qibla which is in Mecca. All Muslims in the world prays while facing Qibla. The third pillar is Zakat which means alms-giving or offering Muslims give to the needy. The fourth pillar is to fast during the holy month of  Ramadan, known as Sawm in Islam. The fifth pillar is visiting Mecca for pilgrimage. In Islam it is called Hajj. Abdul: Okay, the mosque or Masjid is the prayer house. It is a holy place and before entering, one must remove his or her shoes, clean him or herself with water. This act of cleaning is called tawadhah. The mosque is divided into two parts from

Peppercorn Dining Entering and Contracting Assignment

Peppercorn Dining Entering and Contracting - Assignment Example Drew affirmed his objective, which was to augment productivity, as well as to improve self-esteem amongst the employees (Cumming & Worley, 2009). Additionally, Erica had earlier worked at Peppercorn eating dinner, so she by now have affiliations with the workers, know the organization language, as well as have a number of insights concerning cause of several of its predicaments. For that reason, the Square one consultants saved a lot of time in making out the organization’s mores, informal applications, as well as power sources. However, the consultants for a short time elucidated their services, along with the manner in which they would primarily begin with an initial surveillance of operations, collecting some data prior to giving management feedback. The official contracting process needed the consultants to suggest a purpose, expenditure estimate, along with a project schedule. The contract enclosed the partners’ payment and the periods and dates the partners would be toiling on the project, however, failed to point out how they would gather the data, evaluate the data, anticipated timeline of concluding the project, as well as how the feedback would be communicated to management, along with the human resources. Data Collection Value of the information collected, is an important element of the organization development process. The main methods of gathering data utilized within Peppercorn eating dinner were chiefly interviews, along with observations. Interview is the mainly widely utilized technique for gathering data in organization development. It allows the consultant to inquire from the employees by asking direct queries, to gain personal views and sentiment concerning the Peppercorn, and looking at any new-fangled issues that come out during the meeting. Interviews are constructive for untangling multifaceted topics since the interviewer has the aptitude to probe profoundly into a reaction presented by an individual being interviewed. Int erviews also generate a higher answer rate (Pasmore, Woodman & Shani, 2010). However, the main disadvantage of interview dialogues is the quantity of time needed to conduct, as well as analyze them. In addition, the Interviewer might be prejudiced and pose closed ended questions. This will make it hard when collecting the data as it will not be extensive and expounded as required by interviews. The observation method was utilized because it offers direct right to use the societal phenomena under deliberation. It has the capacity to take assorted forms, from unofficial, as well as unstructured approaches via tightly controlled, standardized courses of action and can give way to associated various kinds of data, in cooperation qualitative, as well as quantitative. Observation can efficiently complement supplementary approaches in this case interviews and thus improve the evidence quality presented to the examiner. Data Analysis After the data has been gathered, it will be scrutinized, edited, coded, as well as evaluated. This will be attained by linking the data that will be gathered to the evaluation objectives. Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel software will be employed to sort the data gathered from observation, as well as interview in order to make out patterns, along with instituting relationships. Data gathered from the interview and observation will initially be illustrated within a table to make sure that rates of recurrence of the answers, along with data from observation has the capacity to be accounted for (Rothwell et al., 2009). Afterward, the Microsoft Excel s

Evaluating the ISO 9001

Evaluating the ISO 9001 THE IMPACT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF ISO 9000 ON BUSINESS PERFORMANCE Abstract This research work is intended to evaluate the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System Standard, by going into its historical perspective, its dimensions in meeting quality management objectives and effectiveness in its operation internationally. The standard is generic in nature and can be applied to any kind or organisation in manufacture/production, services or a combination of these. It is founded on eight quality management principles that are respectively, customer focus, leadership, involvement of people, process approach, systems approach to management, continual improvement, factual approach to decision making and mutually beneficial supplier relationships. Application of these principles can lead an organisation to maintain sustainable business performance in a highly competitive business environment, benefiting the organisation, customers and other stakeholders. Implementation of the quality management system as per ISO 9001:2008 entails the following steps: * Nominating a leader for implementing the project * Formulating Quality Policy and Objectives * Providing appropriate training for all employees * Conducting gap analysis of the organisations system vis-à  -vis the Requirements in the standard * Filling the identified gaps through introduction of new procedures and new records. * Preparing Quality manual and documentation required at different levels. * Conducting internal audits and management reviews * Arranging Third Party Audit if certification is intended. There are differing opinions about the outcome of operational benefits of implementation of the system. Generally, benefits accrue to the organisation if the management is committed and do all what are necessary to involve managers and employees. There is a criticism that many organisations implement quality management systems out of external compulsions such as stipulation from customers or regulatory authorities. It is possible that internal commitment in such cases will be low. If that is the case, the benefits of implementation may be marginal. The ISO standards are voluntary and are internationally popular. These are followed in 175 countries in the world. The number of certifications on ISO 9001 is steadily growing. Organisations desirous of satisfying customers and achieving continual improvements should implement the system. Design/ methodology This research work aims to scan only published information on the subject of ISO 9001: 2008 standards. This will include the historical perspective of quality management, development of the international standards, the management principles built into the standards, implementation of ISO 9001: 2008 in an organisation and its effect on business performance besides the international acceptance of the ISO standard. There are books exclusively dealing with quality management, and the subject is covered in general in other management books such as operations management. The historical perspectives are expected to be obtained from these books as well as from the website of the International Organization for Standardization. There are popular Journals that are devoted on specialised subjects such as the International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Quality management etc. These journals contain a number of research papers relating to implementation of ISO 9000 and the findings of scholars on organisational performance. It is expected that the secondary data will adequately support the research objectives. Findings ISO 9001: 2008 is the latest version of the international standard on quality management. Quality management standards initially released in 1987 and its subsequent revision in 1994 were focused on quality assurance without particular focus on customers. Revision made in 2000 and revision in 2008 focuses on customers and includes relevant TQM principles. There are organisations implementing ISO 9001 out of earnestness for continual improvements and there are others implementing it for obtaining certification status to â€Å"signal† customers or for meeting regulatory requirements. The study concludes that those who implement the standards with an internal will, fully involving managers and employees will be benefited and those who implement out external pressures or other extraneous reasons, gain only marginally. The ISO 9001 standards are popular worldwide and the number of certifications is growing steadily. Originality value The researcher does not claim any new findings, as the study has been based on information already in public domain. The publication will have its own value due to its exclusive assemblage of ideas. This will be interesting for readers who want to get a composite exposure to ISO 9001: 2000 standards as this publication provides many ideas in one place. Key words Business performance, Customer focus, Customer satisfaction, Continual improvement ISO 9000, ISO 9001, ISO 9005, Product realization, Quality management, Quality Manual, Quality Policy, Quality objectives, Resource Management, Systems approach. Introduction It is the post World-War II business scenario that led organisations to recognise the cost of bad quality, and initiate the movement for improving quality of products and services to compete with international players. Across-the-border business, forced those who enjoyed a protected domestic market to either do or die. Consequently, companies started recognising the importance of adopting TQM for improved overall performance. The first ISO 9000 Quality Management System Standard was introduced by the International Organization for Standardization in 1987. It is understood that this was a modified version of the then existed British standard BS 5750.The first set of standards released in 1987 for Certification, comprises ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003. These were revised in 1994. The latter two standards were discontinued when updated in 2000 and in 2008, retaining only ISO 9001 with provisions for exclusions to suit those categories of organisations covered by the earlier standards of ISO 9002 and 9003. It has been mentioned in management books that there are two approaches to building a system. These are â€Å"building a system out of parts (the analytic approach)† and â€Å"building parts for a system (the holistic approach).† Hanna Mark D. and Rocky Newman W. in their book on operations management, 1 state that firms implementing TQM should take advantage of both the approaches. The authors narrate the experience of Ford Motor Company during the late 1970s to early 1980s about its decision to make own Transmission systems by â€Å"cloning† the Mazda Transmission plant 1 Hanna Mark, D Newman, Rocky,W., 2001. Operations Management (p.185) to partly substitute the system outsourced to Mazda. The Ford-built Transmission systems were found to cost much higher in meeting warranty related obligations. In other words the quality costs of Ford-made systems turned out to be higher. It is explained that the American employees defined a quality part as â€Å"one that was built to specifications.† The authors report that, when Ford employees were asked as to where the specifications came from, â€Å"employees pointed to the process engineers.† The process engineers stated that these came from the product engineers. The product engineers believed that making a specification more precise would raise quality, but at a higher manufacturing cost and therefore they wrote specifications compromising between acceptability and cost. Fords engineers later found that though Mazdas parts were four times likely to deviate from specifications, â€Å"there was much less variability form part to part.† The holistic thinking of the Mazda workers appeared to be the primary reason for superior performance. ISO 9001: 2008 quality management systems 2 is intended enable organisations to deliver quality products or services while continually improving and enhancing customer satisfaction. The standard is structured to adopt the â€Å"Process approach,† and is based on eight principles described in the publication that stands updated as ISO 9000 (2005) 3. These are well understood TQM principles. This research intends to go analytically into the eight principles mentioned above and to study its contributions to the management system. 2 ISO 9001:2008, Quality management systems- Requirements 3 ISO 9000:2005, Quality management systems- Fundamentals and vocabulary Research Objectives This research work has been planned to study: (1) Principles behind the Requirements in the standard ISO 9001: 2008 (2) Implementation of ISO 9001: 2008 in organisations. (3) Attitudes of business establishments towards implementation of ISO 9001: 2008 and its outcome on business performance (4) Attitude of countries towards ISO 9000. Research Design/ Methodology This assignment has been planned to rely on secondary data on various aspects of Quality Management and related information contained in publications. This will include books, Journals, publications of the International Organization for Standardization including information available on its website and secondary data on the subject displayed by others for commercial purposes on the Web. Literature Review There are books exclusively dealing with Quality Management. There are other books that cover limited but relevant aspects on quality such as contained in general books on management. It is expected that these books will provide adequate information. Several publications such as standards and supporting publications are available from the International Organization for Standardization. The subject of Quality Management and ISO 9000 are also covered in popular journals and it is intended to scan such journals. More sources will be identified during progressive stages of research. The initial sources identified for this research are listed below: BOOKS (1) ISO 9000: The Year 2000 and Beyond.3rd ed. (2000) by Perry L. Johnson This book covers the history of Quality movement and all aspects relating to the ISO standard in terms of requirements with explanatory notes, details of implementation, Third Party certification and benefits of operation of the system. (2) Encyclopaedia of Total Quality Management by Joel E. Ross (1995) This publication is very comprehensive, covering all aspects of Quality Management such as TQM, ISO 9000 and popular systems, tools and techniques that are applied currently. (3) Operations Management by Mark, D. Hanna Rocky W. Newman (2001) Chapter 5 in this book covers Total Quality Management and chapter 6 covers Quality Improvement Tools. Chapter 5 deals with TQM in general and gives details about ISO 9000, Quality Awards etc. (4) ISO 9001: 2000 Quality Management System Design by Jay Schlickman (2003) This book exhaustively covers all aspects of Quality Management and ISO 9001: 2000 in particular. (5) Total Quality 3rd ed. by Vincent K. Omachonu Joel E. Ross (2004) This book is devoted to Quality and it covers relevant aspects including ISO 9000. (6) ISO 9000 (2005): Quality Management Systems- Fundamentals and Vocabulary This publication explains the concepts employed in ISO 9000. This will support the analysis part of this research as this forms the basis for the ISO 9001: 2008 standard. (7) ISO 9001: 2008: Quality Management Systems- Requirements The requirements of the standard for implementation of the system are covered in this standard. This is a very important publication for this research. JOURNALS Journal articles appeared in relating to the subject have been identified for this research. Information contained in these articles to the extent these support the research will be used. The identified Journals are given below:  · The Quality Management Journal * Journal of Operations Management, * International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management * Quantitative Finance and Accounting * Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management.  · Benchmarking. Research Findings:General Principles of quality management Edward W. Deming, an American statistician was recognised as a guru on the subject of quality management, starting from his role in the Japanese industry in the latters pursuit for quality improvement in the 1950s. Demings model known as PDSA or PDCA is the basis for todays quality management, although many experts have improvised these into other models. Source: Schmoker Michael J., Wilson Richard B. p.17 There are four steps in PDSA. These are respectively Plan, Do, Study and Act.4 Developing a plan for a making product or for providing a service based on available data or information is the first step. The second step is to â€Å"Do† in the way it was planned. The third step is to â€Å"Study† (or check) the result to find whether the product or 4 Schmoker Michael J., Wilson Richard B., 1993. Total Quality Education: Profiles of Schools that Demonstrate the Power of Demings Management Principles. p.17 service achieved the planned attributes. The fourth stage provides for finding out the causes of deviations (if taken place) from planned results to modify the plan for subsequent cycles. J.M. Juran, another American quality expert, proposed the Financial and Quality Triologies which cover â€Å"planning, control and improvement.† The Financial Triology while said to succeed in some cases has its own limitations.5 Quality experts generally agreed that they need to address more organizational segments in the system, particularly customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management Total Quality Management (TQM) is an accepted approach to improve quality and achieve customer satisfaction. Deming, in his book â€Å"Out of the Crisis,† 6 had set out 14 points for the US industry to practise to regain lost competitiveness. When Deming brought up these points, he was criticized for â€Å"putting forward a set of goals without providing any tools for managers to use to reach those goals.† 7 Nevertheless most of these principles have been adopted later. A functional model of a quality management system taken from Schlickman Jay 8 is given in 2. 5 Gupta Praveen, 2004. Six Sigma Business Scorecard: Ensuring Performance for Profit. p.5. 6 Deming W. Edward, 2000.Out of the Crisis. pp.23, 24 7 Cohen Phil. â€Å"n.d.† Demings 14 points. [online] 8 Schlickman Jay .2003.ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System Design.p.4. General findings about the standard Scope and application of ISO 9001:2008 The standard can be applied to all types of organisations irrespective of type, size or nature of the product, as the requirements in the standard are generic in nature. An organisation has the freedom to implement the requirements in the standard â€Å"for internal and external benefits.† It is also open to the organisation to decide on whether or not they seek certification. 9 The Process approach adopted in ISO 9001:2008. There are numerous processes and sub-processes in an organisation operated by functional and cross functional groups. In order to â€Å"do it right the first time† and â€Å"do 9 ISO Survey of Certifications (The). (2007) p.5. [Internet] the right things right,† processes should be managed effectively.10 Process management becomes effective, if processes are clearly defined and the right resources and controls are applied. Arbitrariness can creep into any process if process activities are not clearly defined. The publication of ISO 9000: 2005 gives a model of the process approach by considering the requirements in the standard as comprising four processes within the organisation, each process receiving input from an internal customer (within the organisation) or external customer. 3 gives the model of the process-based quality management system envisaged in the standard. 10 OR [Omachonu Vincent K., Ross Joel E.], 2004.Principles of Total Quality. p.225 While there are several processes and sub-processes in an organisation, the above model represents the requirements in the standard grouped into four processes. These are respectively management responsibility, resource management, product realisation and measurement, analysis and improvement. Principles forming the basis of the standard ISO 9000: 2005 lists out eight principles that have been incorporated in the standard. These are serially studied and analysed in the following sections: (1) Customer focus ISO 9000: 2005 (Cl.0.2. p.ii) states that organisations should â€Å"understand current and future customer needs† and â€Å"strive to exceed customer expectations.† Hill Charles W.L. and Jones Gareth R 11 observes that â€Å"a company must give customers what they want, when they want it and at a price they are willing to pay- so long as the companys long term profitability is not compromised in the process.† The authors mentioned this to highlight the importance of achieving superior responsiveness from customers. According to OR (11 Ibid.p.142), motivating the whole company to focus on the customer should be the first step. The means for this are â€Å"demonstrating leadership, shaping employee attitudes and using mechanisms for bringing customers to the company.† It is said that customer satisfaction is the result of a three part system that comprises (1) company processes, (2) company employees and (3) consistency of product or service to customer expectations (11 Ibid. p.208).The effectiveness of the system is a function of how well these three factors are integrated.† 11 Hill Charles W.L., Jones Gareth R.( 2004) Strategic Management. An Integrated Approach.p.142. (2) Leadership Defining Leadership is not as simple as it may appear to a common man. Northhouse Peter G., in his book 12 cites Stogdill (1974) to convey that â€Å"there are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are people who have tried to define it.† The meaning in this case is to be understood in the context of the kinds of leadership required in organisations that require management and motivating skills to bring up cultural changes. Drummond Graeme., and Ensor John, 13observes that the â€Å"role of the leader is to get the best out of people and deal with the unexpected,† and â€Å"this is achieved by creating an environment where actions can take place.† The authors cite Adair (1984) to identify the following leadership needs: 1. Task needs- aiming to complete the project 2. Group needs- developing team spirit and morale 3. Individual needs- harmonising the above with the needs of the individual. The leader will â€Å"emphasize† task, group or individual needs depending on circumstances for accomplishing the objective. The above is diagrammatically presented 4. 12 Northhouse Peter G., 2003. Leadership: Theory and Practice 3rd ed. 13 Drummond Graeme, Ensor John, 2001. Strategic Marketing: Planning and Control.2nd ed.p.252 (3) Involvement of people. Involving personnel who are closest to the processes in decision making activities can bring better results, because it is they who are in the better know of things happening in their work environment and better placed to bring ideas for solving problems or for making improvements in processes or products. Improvements may be in the form of reduction in cycle time, reduction in cost, increase in throughput or in the form of decreasing the variations within the processes. HR policies in the company should be oriented to optimally improve employee involvement. As a basic step the wants and needs of employees have to be recognised. These can be achieved by motivating and appropriately empowering them to take their own decisions. Involvement can be improved by better communication with the workforce on customer requirements, communication of companys policies and objectives, providing training to update and improve job knowledge etc. (4) Process approach A process transforms inputs to outputs (ISO 9005: 2005.p.7). For the process to achieve the desired results, appropriate resources and controls are necessary. A holistic approach is required to get optimum results in terms of quality and cost, which means that the entire resources of functional teams should work with the common defined objective, without individual functions applying their own norms. The example of Ford Motor Company given in the introductory part of this research paper reveals the reported failure of the company to adopt a holistic approach. The process approach requires clearly defined roles of employees with a defined agenda and clear understanding of organisational policies and customer requirements. (5) Systems approach to management An organisation creates value for its customers. The contributions to value addition come from different functional groups. Value creation or addition also takes place in the entire supply chain. Therefore the organisation will be able to add value by facilitating the links in the supply chain as well. OR (10.Ibid.p.163) gives the example of Wal-Mart deriving advantage from the entire supply chain by using a â€Å"sophisticated computer-based information system that improved the output of many other activities such as distribution, purchasing and warehousing.† The systems approach uses benchmarking and data analysis to improve quality of products and services through various means. (6) Continual improvement Any organisation will require continual improvement for sustaining business in a highly competitive environment. Therefore this has to be a permanent objective. It calls for aligning activities of the organisation with organisational plan and making employees aware of the plans, providing training for them to realize that it is everybodys business. Benchmarking performance indices and communicating these to all and motivating them to achieve the set goals leads to continual improvements. (7) Factual approach to decision making A system generates data and this data requires to be transformed into useful information. This is possible through systematic analysis of these data. Effective decisions can be made by use of analysed data. Data and information should be maintained in a readily retrievable form to take correct decisions. (8) Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relationships An organisation and its suppliers are interdependent. If the relationship is maintained on a continuing basis the potential available with the suppliers can be fully exploited. Product improvement can take place from the initiatives of either side. Implementation of ISO 90012008 in Organisations The method of implementation of the system in an organisation venturing for the first time will involve the following steps as paraphrased from a document retrieved from Internet. 14 The proposal is to be considered a new project and resources have to be identified and earmarked for implementation. First a senior member of the management has to be placed as â€Å"Management Representative,† with responsibilities as described in clause 5.5.2 of the standard, that include developing implementing and maintaining the system. A steering committee comprising members from different functions should be constituted to work as a team for implementation of the project. The Management Representative is to be formally trained to take up the responsibilities. Other members and employees in general will require awareness training. This shall be arranged. The organisation has to formulate its Quality Policy as per requirements given in section 5.3 of the standard and measurable objectives originating from the policy have also to be identified as given in clause 5.4.1. The documentation requirements as given section 4.2 in the standard include: * A Quality Manual addressing all the requirements in the standard. * Procedures stated as essential in the standard besides procedures considered necessary by the organisation. * Records to evidence effective operation of the standard. The documentation hierarchy and guidance on preparation is available in ISO 10013. 15 Section 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 in the ISO 9001:2008 standard defines the controls prescribed for documents and records. Documents provide information for performing work and records evidence the performance of work. Section 8.2.2 of the standard prescribes Internal Quality Audits. Trained personnel are required for this. Nominating Auditor candidates and training them also forms part of the implementation project. Auditors can derive guidance form ISO 19011.16 Once the documents and records are in place, internal audits shall be performed according to a plan. Audit findings call for corrective and/or preventive actions as per requirements in clauses 8.5.2 and 8.5.3 of the ISO 9001standard. After one or two internal audits followed by Management Reviews complying with requirements in section 5.6 in the standard, the organisation will be able to present itself for Third Party audit and obtain accredited certificates. 15 ISO 10013:2001. Guidelines for quality management system documentation 16 ISO 19011:2002. Guidelines for quality and/or environmental management systems auditing Attitudes of business establishments towards implementation of ISO 90001: 2008 and its outcome on business performance. A research study by Costa Micaela Martà ­nez, et al., in the Quality Management Journal, 17 had observed that the 2000 version of ISO 9001 became closer to TQM (The statement would as well apply to the 2008 version). The researchers concluded that, merely implementing the new standard will not improve performance unless firms â€Å"adopt the changes seriously and do not merely try to add new lines to their Quality Manual.† This raises a general question whether all those who implement the ISO 9000 systems do it with all seriousness.† An article appeared in Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, 18 concludes that: â€Å"many companies seek an ISO 9000 certificate because their clients expect or their competitors are registering for one.† Nevertheless, by obtaining registration (certification), the management, â€Å"signals its commitment to quality.† The survey by the authors revealed that shareholders of large firms have benefited, while it is not so in the case of small firms. Terziovski, et al., 19 on their study of certified and non-certified Australian and New Zealand firms observed that: â€Å"ISO certification does not significantly impact performance measures like operating performance, customer satisfaction, employee relations and business performance.† They conclude that benefits of the certification will accrue as recognition of the 17 Costa Micaela Martà ­nez, Lorente à ngel Rafael Martà ­nez (2007)ISO 9000:2000: The Key to Quality? An Exploratory Study. 18 Ferreira Eurico J.,et al.(January 2008) Long-run performance following quality management certification. 19 Terziovski M., Samson D., Dow D., 1997. The business value of quality management systems certification: evidence from Australia and New Zealand certified firm to organisations prescribing ISO certification as a minimum requirement for acceptance as viable suppliers. Another finding was reported by Quaze HA, et al, 20 is that implementation of ISO 9000 brings benefits â€Å"such as improvement of product and service quality, efficiency and productivity, customer confidence, and competitive advantage. This view is not shared by another researcher Dalgleish who reports that ISO 9000 certification brings hindrance than help. It is pointed out that the â€Å"certificate leads to a ‘pass/fail mentality, the ISO 9000 certificate hinders quality and efficiency- the very things it is supposed to encourage.† One study by Jang Woan-Yuh, Lin Ching-I.21 in its literature review reveals that organisations that pursue ISO 9000 certification willingly are more likely to report improved organisational performance than those that only obtain certification under customer pressure. The study concludes that external motivation for implementing ISO 9000 does not guarantee positive results. It is the approach of managers and employees that determine the success. The findings of Dick Gavin P.M. et al 22 also points to the same conclusion that: â€Å"although there is some evidence to indicate that quality management system certification has some causal influence on business performance, there is also evidence for the existence of a substantial mechanism whereby better performing firms self-select to adopt certification.† 20 Quaze HA, Hong CW, Meng CT, 2002. Impact of ISO 9000 Certiï ¬ cation on Quality Management Practices: a comparative study. P.53-67 21 Jang Woan-Yuh, Lin Ching-I (2008) Successful ISO 9000 implementation in Taiwan:How can we achieve it, and what does it mean? 22 Dick Gavin P.M., et al (2008) Shedding light on causation between ISO 9001 and improved business performance. Attitude of countries towards ISO 9000. A concise overview highlighting the benefits of implementing ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 given in the ISO website 23 indicates that over a million organisations have implemented these standards in 175 countries all over the world. The ISO Survey 2007 (9. Ibid) gives the statistics of ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications issued from 2000 to 2007. The charts provided in Appendix 1 gives the country wise data of certifications. The data does not lend itself for an objective analysis as the these do not reveal any analytical relativity with the size of the country or the size of its industrial base. It is therefore difficult to analyse these data. It is however seen that the annual growth of certification has been declining from the early years of certification. It is understandable that the growth rate will be higher when a system is newly introduced and the growth stabilises after the initial growth to a lower level. The survey however reveals that it is popular in all the countries in the wor ld. Limitations of the study The study has only scanned accessible secondary data and no attempt was made to verify published research findings through primary data collection. However, the study has relied on multiple sources and therefore should be credible. As such, the study may also be considered balanced in as much as differing opinions have been reported. Conclusions The eight quality management principles that formed the basis of ISO 9001:2008 standards are well conceived and these take the standard to a TQM level. Organisations implementing the standard with the objectives of fully realizing the potentials can expect overall benefits and continual improvements in quality of products, services and customer satisfaction. Organisations implementing the system half heartedly are unlikely to realize the quality related potentials. ISO 9001: 2008 can be implemented by any organisation irrespective of size or type, including servic

Democracy and Political Obligation Essay -- What is Politics?

The public life of political servants is characterized by other duties and obligations than private life. Conflicts can even arise between a person's public and private duties. The central point of this paper is to examine whether this difference of duties can be regarded as an effect of different forms of obligation. Can we speak of a particular form of political obligation in the same way in which Kant distinguishes between ethical and legal obligation, the former pertaining to intentions and the latter to external aspects of the action? Could political obligation be distinguished from both of them, for example by its relation towards ends? The first section develops the thesis that if there is such a thing as political necessity, it must be some kind of moral obligation. The second section focuses on the question of whether political obligation can be conceived of as different from legal and ethical obligation, the only two forms of moral obligation that Kant distinguishes. The la st section is about a differentiated conception of political obligation and virtue, in democracies, for political leaders, for citizens, and for public servants. All modern societies in some way accept the distinction between legal and ethical obligation. The former constitutes an exterior sphere of norms and rules, including duties which citizens can be compelled to perform by the threat of punishment or other legal consequences, the latter concerns the interior sphere of a person's conscience and private intentions. Making this distinction can be seen as the explicit acknowledgement of what Agnes Heller has called 'the first structural change in morals': the evolution of a separate subjective sphere of morality within the public ethical life. (1) ... ...cal action: the problem of dirty hands, in : Philosophy and Public Affairs, 1973, pp. 160-180; Thomas Nagel, Mortal questions, Cambridge 1979, pp. 53-90; Bernard Williams, Moral Luck. Philosophical Papers 1973-1980, Cambridge 1981, pp. 54-70. (3) Kai Nielsen, There is no dilemma of dirty hands, in: South African Journal of Philosophy, 15-1 (1996), pp. 1-7. (4) Thomas Nagel, Mortal questions, p. 89. (5) See e.g. R.M. Hare, Political Obligation, in: Ted Honderich (ed.), Social Ends and Political Means, London 1976, pp. 1-12. (6) I. Kant, Die Metaphysik der Sitten, Akademie-Ausgabe, Berlin 1902, Bd VI, p. 232. (7) Cf. Peter Schneider, Recht und Macht, Gedanken zum modernen Verfassungsstaat, Mainz 1970, p. 224. (8) Cf. Bernard Williams, Consequentialism and Integrity, in: Samuel Scheffler (ed.), Consequentialism and its Critics, Oxford 1988, pp. 20-50.

Reflection on Chronicles of a Death Foretold

Reflection The cultural and historical context of Marquez life played an important role in his novel Chronicles of a Death Foretold. In the 16th century, Spain colonized many parts of South America and replaced the native religion with Catholicism. While the indigenous cultural practices celebrated openness about sexuality the orthodox Catholic ideals of chastity and purity that penetrated into the local tradition during colonization.The archaic perception of honour was founded on the grounds of the Catholic ideals and it promoted gender inequality and organized crime cultures promoted violence. Marquez offers a critique of the religious system when he describes the arrival of the Bishop who is representative of the power of the Church. In preparation of the Bishop’s arrival the town prepared many cocks which are rather a physical offering to the Church rather than a spiritual offering.The state’s inability to act upon the Vicario’s brother’s action is a M arquez’s critique of the decadence of the Old Christian value system. Father Amador does not condemn the Vicario brothers for their actions but instead he says that they are forgiven on the bases of acting to avenge their sister’s honour. The mayor is also unable to take action and he simply takes away their knives. We also explored the influence of Marquez’s life on his style of writing.The influence of Marquez’s grandmother on his style of â€Å"realism† was also explored. Marquez’s grandmother’s way of telling unlikely stories as if they were facts influenced his style in Chronicles of a Death Foretold. The murder of Santiago Nasar remains a complete mystery until the end of the novel and the episodes that unfold in the story seem extremely unlikely however; the death was accepted by the reader because of factual tone in which it was told. Word Count: 298 Dissociating the allusion elements from their referents

Cosi Dramatic Elements Analysis Essay

La Boit Theatre’s showcase of Cosi written by Louis Nowra and directed by David Berthold is an emotional play, talking of Love and fidelity. Self’s perception of other people; whether or not love is a strong enough reason to trust one another. Two excerpts centred on different themes will be analysed. This analysis will bring to light certain dramatic elements and viewpoints of time, body and space that Berthold has used to enhance the dramatic meaning of this production. Cosi is set in Melbourne during the early 1970s. The play is about a young university student, Lewis (Benjamin Schostakowski) who is asked to direct a play for a mental asylum. Lewis becomes more involved in the play than he expected when he begins to build relationships with the patients. He is burdened by the strong opinions and expectations his peers have on love and fidelity. Louis Nowra includes dramatic techniques such as setting, humour, meta-theatre and symbolism to engross the audience into th e world of Cosi while conveying certain themes. Two of many contrasting themes within Cosi are love and fidelity. According to Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte, the matter of fidelity is described to be a social standard that is never met. The notion of fidelity is touched upon regularly throughout ‘Cosi’. In particular, Act Two, Scene One, Lucy arrives at the institution to pick up Lewis, coincidently while Lewis has left the room. Lucy notices his script and begins to read it, finding it absurd that a man would ‘ruin [himself], for a worthless woman’, Lucy throws the script on the chair in disgust. This physical gesture re-establishes her viewpoint on the treatment of women. Lewis enters the room surprised to see Lucy there. At this point the actors are positioned centred stage away from any prop, this spatial relationship and clear view line draws the audiences focus to them. Moreover, Berthold has only allowed for Lucy and Lewis to be present on stage at this time. This choice of positioning creates an unembellished set, once again directing all attention to them. Lewis has let his newly established relationships with the patients influence his decision to not go with Lucy. As Lewis tells Lucy that he will be staying there and continuing with the production his replies become more to the point. Lewis’ unexpected firm tone contests Lucy’s strong, deep and  borderline intimidating line delivery. This combined with their close proximity creates a rise in dramatic tension of relationship. As Lewis starts to question Lucy about nick, pointing out that she’s ‘seeing a lot of someone [she doesn’t] like’ he notices a change in her stance. The focus is directed towards Lucy as she changes her posture, putting her hands on her hips and avoiding eye contact. This change in body language suggests that Lucy is hiding something. Lewis and Lucy both pause and look at each other. This contrast in vocal level assists the audience to suspect a rise in dramatic tension. Given the previous example, Berthold was able to produce a scene of true suspense and tension through the use of different viewpoints and vocal delivery. The contrasting theme shown throughout Cosi is the theme of Love. For example, Act One, Scene Three, the musical is at risk of being shut down because Doug had set fire to the toilets. Justin, the man who organised for Lewis to be there was about to cancel the musical. As the dramatic tension begins to build, Justin threatens Doug saying that he’ll send him back to the closed ward. Cherry interrupts Justin, yelling that the fire was her fault. The director through use of Viewpoints has allowed Cherry to have a kinaesthetic response with her line. This is achieved by her child-like gesture of raising her hand as she spoke. With the given circumstances it was made clear that the fire was not Cherry’s fault. Love is the reason she lied. Her time with Lewis would no longer exist if the musical were cancelled. The relationships these characters have established with each other have affected the way they’ve made their decisions. For Example, Cherry has shown her love for Lewis by sharing her food with him and sending him love letters. This profound affection for Lewis caused her to take the blame for the fire. If Justin believed it was Doug he would’ve shut down the musical, meaning that Cherry wouldn’t be able to see Lewis again. Shortly after, Henry goes to speak up pointing out that Cherry is lying. Roy realises the delicacy of the situation, leading him to hit Henry, shutting him up. This is shown through Roy’s facial expressions and physical gestures. At this point Justin, Lewis, Doug and Cherry are all positioned Stage Left creating a circle-like formation. Berthold has placed them like this to direct the audiences’ concentration to one place rather than scatter the energy through the entire set. By manipulating the use of vocal delivery and positioning Berthold has been able to highlight the important aspects of  this scene. The evidence previously given supports the fact that David Berthold has indeed created a thought provoking theatrical piece. Love and Fidelity are two contrasting themes shown throughout Cosi. The struggle and fight to hold onto the notion of fidelity is contrasted with their perception of love. These two distinct themes are why Cosi is seen as such an emotional and relevant play. Thus in summary, through Berthold’s manipulation of certain dramatic elements and viewpoints the delivery and message of Louis Nowra’s Cosi was more than exceptional.

102 Using Sources and Ethos Professor Ramos Blog

102 Using Sources and Ethos MLA Style Quick Write Why do we use sources? Critical Thinking and Research Identify important problems. Explore relevant issues. Evaluate available evidence. Consider the implications of the decisions. Critical thinking is NOT collecting information to support established conclusion. Survey, considering as many perspectives as possible. Analyze, identifying and then separating out the parts of the problem. Evaluate, judging the merit of various ideas, claims, and evidence. Why Use Sources? To understand an issue See what has come before To find the facts To inform and persuade your audience You need to understand that research is connected with ethos, an appeal that establishes credibility with readers. MLA Style Here is a good explanation of  citations in MLA. Basic MLA format: Author(s). â€Å"Article Title.†Ã‚  Source, vol. #, no. #, season year, pp. xx-xx.  Database,  URL. Example: Kong, Les. â€Å"Business Sources for Education Majors.†Ã‚  Education Graduate Students Journal, vol. 75, no. 4, 2014, pp. 12-19.  JSTOR,  jstor.org/stable/52506788. MLA Style We will be going over the 8th edition MLA citation Style. You can look under our  resources page  for MLA or APA guides. There are three things to consider for each style guide you use: Page Formatting In-Text Citations /References Page Krikorian, Mark. â€Å"Two Immigration Priorities.†Ã‚  National Review, Dec, 2016, pp. 18-20, SIRS Issues Researcher,  www.sks.sirs.com. This article goes into detail on some of the other less talked about factors of the changes in how we deal with illegal immigrants under our new president and his policies. The author is the director of the Center for Immigration Studies so I assume he is a credible expert in immigration. I will use this source to get more specific in my critique of the border wall proposal. Krikorian, Mark. â€Å"Two Immigration Priorities.†Ã‚  National Review, Dec, 2016, pp. 18-20, SIRS Issues Researcher,  www.sks.sirs.com. This article goes into detail on some of the other less talked about factors of the changes in how we deal with illegal immigrants under our new president and his policies. The author is the director of the Center for Immigration Studies so I assume he is a credible expert in immigration. I will use this source to get more specific in my critique of the border wall proposal. Ethos Ethos is about values. In rhetoric we connect ethos to  character, credibility, and trustworthiness.  At their core, these concepts have to do with values. We tend to believe and trust those individuals who exemplify the values we cherish, who live the sort of life that we would want to live.  Ethos Handout from University of Maryland Ethos is inferred, NOT possessed. Five strategies for persuading through character. Personal info Sources Identification with Audience Point of View Balanced Presentation 5 Ways to Persuade with Character (Ethos) | How to Craft an Argument Audience Audience is quite possibly the most important thing to consider when writing an argument. You need to appeal to them, understand their problems, values, and beliefs, in order to convince them of your point of view. Who your audience is should influence  how  you present your argument. Who your audience is should influence  how  you present yourself. Determine what is important to your audience. What do they really care about? What do they value? Finding Material Finding Quality Information Online (251) Finding Articles Using Library Databases (254) Locating Books (255) Interviewing Peers and Local Authorities (256) Evaluating Your Sources Remember the Acronym CRAAP C current R relevant A author A accurate P purpose Ask yourself: Am I choosing sources that represent a range of ideas, not simply ones that support my opinion? Taking Notes Checklist for Evaluating Print Sources (262) Checklist for Evaluating Electronic Sources (263) Plagiarizing, Paraphrasing, and Common Knowledge Checklist for Avoiding Plagiarism (267) Compiling an Annotated Bibliography Summary of Source, 2-4 sentences How you are using it in your report, 1-3 sentences Reliability of source, 1-3 sentences Writing the Paper Organizing Your Notes The First Draft Later Drafts Organization Choosing a Tentative Title The Final Draft Quoting From Sources Incorporating your reading into Your Thinking: The Art and Science of Synthesis The Use and Abuse of Quotation How to Quote Documentation Use MLA or APA style Note on Footnotes (and End notes) MLA Format: Citations within the Text MLA Format: The List of Checklist for Critical Papers Using Sources (306) Rhetorical Analysis Notes Make sure to describe the text you are analyzing to your audience. Explain what you see and how you see it. Don’t just refer to the image, paint a picture with words. Clearly describe the methods of persuasion being used. If they are using a celebrity, make sure to highlight that and the corresponding appeal being used. A  Checklist for Analyzing Images (Especially Advertisements)  on page 145 of our textbook is very thorough and helpful for analyzing visual images. Page 181 has a  checklists for analyzing a text. Use these as guidelines to begin your analysis. Page 191 has a  checklist for writing your analysis  of an argument. Very helpful for the early stages of drafting.

Green Washing Labels in Hotels Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Green Washing Labels in Hotels - Research Paper Example With the disguise behind greenwashing on the rise, it remains difficult to tell which hotels are sincerely green. This is why governments have established bodies to play the role of designing certification programs to determine the green-worthiness of companies. Therefore, potential clients should not give in to empty green jargons but seek to see the accreditation offered to the hotel or company concerned. Beyond accreditation, knowledgeable customers can still reach judgments by making personal observations on the general operations of a hotel. Despite the greedy benefits achieved off greenwashing, a few hotels have been exemplary in their commitment to eco-friendliness. Behind it all, such eco-committed hotels are the ones that hold the upper hand in earning customer loyalty. Green Washing or green sheen is a green marketing or green PR strategy used deceptively to promote products, policies, or aims of the organization as environmentally-friendly (Pierre, 2012). Proofs of greenwashing in an organization or a company are in spending. Organizations and companies that use greenwashing use more time and money advertising their concern for the environment than time spent on environmentally sound practices (Tresidder & Hirst, 2012). There are different efforts aimed at greenwashing. A company or an organization can change the label; a name of a product to suggest natural environment on a product that is environmentally harmful (Middleton & Clarke, 2001). A product may have toxic chemical but as a company or an organization use multimillion-dollar advertising to give it an environmentally-friendly image (Mulvaney, 2011). This paper tries to argue that greenwashing is a tool used by hotels to attract more customers. It discusses the history of the green washing concept and gives the origin of the term greenwashing.  Ã‚  

Properties of gases( pressure, volume, temperature by Boyle's Law) Research Paper

Properties of gases( pressure, volume, temperature by Boyle's Law) - Research Paper Example During the preliminary studies, Boyle systematically compressed air in a sealed glass tube with the mercury trapped in the side, (Stephen 146). He then varied the amount of mercury trapped in the tube and made observation on the pressure changes inside the column. He named the U-tube glass as manometer. Below is a diagram representing a simplified manometer. The setup shows a syringe with a completely sealed tip in a vertical position. The syringe is supported by a pre-drilled block as shown. The thin wire is used to let out the excess air trapped in the syringe when setting up the experiment. The wire is, however, removed just before the experiment begins. The block on top of the syringe serves as a shelf for the 1-kilogram bricks used to vary the pressure on the plunger. This experiment holds the finding by Robert Boyle that when the temperature of a gas is held constant; the pressure of the gas is inversely proportional to its volume. The relationship shows that when the volume increases, the pressure must decrease and vice versa is also