Factor in the working environment an Example by

Factor in the working environment This essay will present the argument that stress is a real factor in the working environment. This fact will be supported with peer reviewed journals and will be given due consideration under the theme of in what capacity stress is caused in a work environment and in what way can the environment be altered in order to generate less stress among the workers. Need essay sample on "Factor in the working environment" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The nature of stress in the work place focuses on a persons reaction to a specific event; in the restaurant business this event could be a myriad of factors: wrong food order, unpleasant customer experience, or lack of respect from fellow workers or employer. When an employee is faced with these variables during they course of a work day, tension mounts, and stress becomes higher, as Kello states, When we perceive an event as a challenge or potential threat, a physical and psychological response is triggered by the autonomic nervous system. Whether the stressor is external (an oncoming car swerves into our lane) or internal (an anxiety-arousing thought), its onset abrupt (a sudden emergency) or gradual (a long-term unresolved problem), this automatic reaction is essentially the same (Kello 2006; 21). Time management is a way in which a person can set a diurnal schedule and keep their events and dates in order, and accomplished in a timely fashion. The daily schedule of any person who has multiple responsibilities is very tight. Choices of scheduling can be dominated by scholastics, family, personal time, and career responsibilities. With a limited number of hours in each week, a person must make due how one can. This paper will bring in my personal opinion about this subject and will also address how people can have a salubrious work and life schedule. Without premeditation and a set schedule that should be adhered to every day procrastination can be the daunting factor in a time frame reference. Once the framework of a schedule is procured it must be adhered to not only every day but also every week. Thus a personal daily schedule can be obtained and followed, and a diurnal routine can be established. Time enough for everyday tasks must be included in such a routine. A personal schedule must be similar each day so that a routine can become habit. Such a routine should consist of personal hygiene in the morning and before going to bed, regular meals and the entire days obligations which can include exercise, school, work or family events, not to forget personal time, and time for reflection. A persons heart rate and blood pressure increase in such situations and their breathing becomes increasingly short and shallow; the muscles tense and a person begins to sweat; this is a stress attack which is initiated with the fight or flight instinct in humans. Kello also mentions the general adaptation syndrome or GAS. If this system stays active for too long of a time or becomes active more each day then an employee may begin to suffer from chronic hypertension, cardiovascular disease, gastro-intestinal disorder (such as ulcers) and migraine headaches (Kello 2006; 21). Without relief from these stressors medical problems will begin or increase and thus stress is accumulative. One maxim that holds true today is that a person should leave their home life at home and their work problems at their job (Kello 2006; 21). However, stressors all act in the same way despite whether or not an employee does not choose to share their problems. Due to procrastination being such a difficult thing to overcome, managing time wisely doesnt only allow for work to be accomplished but also sets aside time for rumination, family, and this in turn lowers a persons stress rate because they wont feel as though they are spreading their selves thin and can rest at the end of the day because that days tasks were accomplished. People would rather spend their time away from work or academics leisurely and time management allows them to do this, as Torres (2005) states in In Good Time, To get any system to succeed, you'll have to make an effort--whether it's organizing your incoming e-mails and voice mails or clearing out your inbox into to-do files. All that takes undivided attention, notes Clark. He suggests using a bulk of time in the beginning of your day (say from 9:15 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.) to organize and plan your schedule. Let everyone in your office know you're unavailable during that time. "After a while, when [people] see you're re ally efficient, they'll start respecting that [unavailable time window]." Everyone probably would like to spend less time at work; especially jobs which require overtime and work at home projects. Although in such jobs a person is rewarded monetarily, they are also compromising their personal time. Unrealistic job goals such as working eighty hours in one week doesnt bode well for personal venues and family time. Thus a set scheduled time allowable for after hours work would greatly benefit a person. The goal in managing time is not only to permit for work but also to know when too much work is being done, as Torres states, Divide your list into action items by order of importance and the time it'll take to complete each task, says Clark. If you look at something in your e-mail inbox, ask yourself, "Can I complete this task in two minutes?" If so, do it, because it will take you longer than two minutes to file it. If not, take that time to file it and put it on your calendar. Kello suggests in his article that stress, however misfortunate its side effects may be also contributes to the overall performance of a worker. Kello gives the analogy of a team playing sports and how the team does not do well if a player is too hyped up or even if the player is too laid back. A person will perform better if they are achieving an adrenaline flow that contributes to them being aroused in their work environment, The goal of stress management is to have an optimal level of arousal, often labeled "eustress." The right amount of positive stress is essential if we're to focus, work safe, and do our best. This is in contrast to "distress" - the negative, harmful, excessive level of stress. We need enough arousal and activation to be engaged, mindful, fully in the game, performing at our safest and best. Balance, as usual, is the key (Kello 2006; 21). Mental duress is in exact correlation with the physiology of the worker (Davolt 2006; 1). It begs the question then what must be done in the working environment especially those filled with more stress than other such as restaurants what can be accomplished in order to propagate a salubrious work structure. One such existing example of less stress in the work place may be found in Salt Lake City, Utah where ARUP laboratories received the first award for clinical research done with regards to workers psyches with the American Psychological Association. This working environment provides its employees with, a free on-site primary care clinic, a wellness and fitness center and a meditation room. A healthy curriculum of free classes for employees includes such stress- busters as yoga, tai chi and strength training (Davolt 2006; 1). Another clear avenue by which a more salubrious and less stress filled work place may be considered is through communication. Through proper communication respect will also be included in the working environment and it is with these two variables that stress heightens; when someone gives instructions to another employee and someone the object of the conversation is lost in translation a plethora of stress comes from such a misunderstanding. This is especially true in the restaurant business. When a waiter/waitress orders a meal for the customer this transaction relies solely upon proper communication between the customer and the waiter/waitress and the waiter/waitress and the cook. If there is any type of misinterpretation within this diagram of tertiary communication then the order is wrong and the whole line of communication falls prey to angst, frustration and stress. Having healthy relationships with fellow employees and with the boss is one way in which stress can be relieved in the work place, Often, respect is manifested in egalitarian ways. Some companies abolish job titles to alleviate on-the-job class struggles. Another might rotate its premium "rock-star" parking spaces among employees high and low. At Carl Freeman Associates, a Washington, D.C., real estate developer, the bosses and the bossed break bread together four times a week in a 30-year-old company tradition known as lunch together (Davolt 2006; 1). Thus, the connection between mental health and the well being of employees is established. As an example of the correlation between a salubrious working environment and work production ARUPs annual turnover rose 14% which subsequently placed it in the lower rung of quartile for stressful lab industry (Davolt 2006; 1). Communication skills are further emphasized in regards to relieving stress in order to better the company through Devaolts statement, Milwaukee-based communications firm Versant, an APA winner in the small-business category, has seen fees charged per employee rise 31% since 2001, when the company consciously set out to build a sterling workplace culture (Davolt 2006; 1). It is within the capacity of the work place or the employer to set up a structured system by which the employee may do their job more easily. Chief among distractions for employees that add to stress is concern over childcare, eldercare, health care costs and other money related worries (Davolt 2006; 1), so, it rests with the employer to set up a program to help alleviate such stresses, You need to provide employees with resources they need to manage their daily living problems and save them a lot of grief and keep them functional, says Joe Roche, executive director of INOVA EAP in Virginia (Davolt 2006; 1). Different people may have different reactions to stress but the physiological change that occurs in the body due to stress in the work place is proven through studies. Headaches, back pains, and other irritants are all products of stress. It is through the continual support of the employer that employees may become less stressed. In the area of communication and even in something as small as respect stress factors may be lessened in the work place. The more a person is educated about their job the less stress there will be (Kello 2006; 21). Another way in which stress may be lessened is through a healthy and helpful relationship with co-workers, Build rapport with supervisors and co-workers by organizing a once a week lunchtime volunteer program. Lead a food or clothing collection for needy employees or families outside your company (Kello 2006; 21). In this way and in the above stated ways stress in the working environment does not have to lead to headaches, irritation in the bowel, or other unpleasant effects. If a person has just the right balance of stress, that is enough to be motivated but not enough to cause health problems, then the work place will be one filled with salubrious natured peopled. Work Cited Collie, Dale. Construction Distribution. Fort Atkinson: Apr/May. 2006. Vol. 8 Issue 5. p. 22-25. Davolt, Steve. Employee Benefit News. Washington: Jul 1, 2006. p. 1 Dominguez, Linda R. (1999). Putting an End to Putting Off. HR Magazine. Kello, John. Is Stress Friend or Foe? ISHN. Troy. October 2006. Vol. 40, Issue 10; p21-23.

Research Process Part One

Research Process Part One Free Online Research Papers Introduction/Purpose of the Research There has always been question of whether employees of a company are paid on an equal pay scale regardless of their gender. The problems that are going to be researched will be broken into two parts. These problems will be: gender and years of education. After watching President Obama talk about the economy and the lack of so many Americans without work, it became clear that it is important to understand and evaluate how wages affect multiple companies and the employees that are employed with these companies. This research will be important to show why it is increasingly difficult to be able to afford living day to day for some employees and others find it easier to live. Problem Definition The questions that are going to be answered are the following: What is the difference between the pay of men vs. women and how the education variable affects his or her pay? Research Hypothesis The next step following the purpose of the research and problem definition is the research hypothesis. Researchers must consider and decide on the possible outcomes for the agreed research topic. Researchers must be aware of the many stages of the project such as ethical considerations, data collection, analysis and completion. The success of a project may depend on his or her ability to plan the activities, combined with some luck, judgment and determination (Serrant-Green, 2008). The researchers must identify the different variables to be consider, how these variables are going to be measure and define the measurement scale for each variable. Prior to the development of the hypothesis a conceptual model known as the theoretical framework on how the several factors already identified as important for the research work together making logical sense must be accomplished. Some of the factors to be considered are the prior documentation on the problem area, management’s beliefs, published research, boundaries and constraints of the particular situation to mention some. One of the main concepts to keep in mind is the problem variable which by definition is anything that can take different or varying values on the research problem. The importance of identifying the appropriate variables and their relationships nature and direction are evident for developing the correct hypothesis which in turn will be subsequently test the hypothesis, with an end result identifying possible proven solution to our problem. Hypothesis development is nothing more than testing whether the relationships theorized hold true or not. Testing the variables scientifically allows the researcher to obtain reliable information. The formulation of testable statements is known as hypothesis development. â€Å"A hypothesis can test the relationships or differences of the research problem i.e. employees who are healthy will take less sick leave† (Sekaran, 2003). Using this model for our specific research, men make more money than women and the gap gets wider as years of education add up. Another manner to test the hypothesis is the directional or non-directional manner i.e. the greater the stress in the job the less job satisfaction for employees. Using this hypothesis mode for our research problem; payroll goes up as more men joined the organization and last payroll increases as the number of years with the organization go up. The null and alternate hypothesis method is a proposition that states exactly the lack of relationship between two variables. The mean of the population correlation or that the difference in the mean of two groups in the population is equal to zero. In our research problem the null and alternate hypothesis method means that there is no difference between the population and the sample selected for the research. This model of hypothesis does not apply to our particular problem. One more possible hypothesis method to consider on our research is the negative case analysis. According to this model the researchers look for data that will prove the opposite of the hypothesis is true. In our research situation it will show that men do not make more money than women and pay does not go up as the number of years of education increase. 1) Explain three possible outcomes that can result from the research In sum, three possible outcomes of the research hypothesis could be that men make more money than women due to the higher number of men in the workforce. Second, employees pay increases with years of education as employees gain efficiency skills. A factor all researchers must acknowledge as he or she proceed according to Gommesson is to â€Å"recognize that interpretive elements are influential and present in all types of research and see them as an asset rather than a cross to bear† (2003). 2) Define Operational Definitions a) Identify the Variables â€Å"A variable is anything that can take on differing or varying values,† (Sekaran, 2003). Gender, and years of education will be the variables being compared to determine the difference in pay between men and women. The years of education will be the variable used to determine if there is a steady progression in compensation in relation to years of education. b) Define Level of Measurement â€Å"A scale is a tool or mechanism by which individuals are distinguished as to how they differ from one another on the variables of interest to our study,† (Sekaran, 2003). There are four basic types of scales: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. In this study we will be applying the nominal scale and ordinal scale. The nominal scale allows the researcher assign code numbers to certain categories or groups. For example male and female can be assigned code numbers 1 and 2 which have no value other than to create two different categories. The other scale that will be used in this study is the ordinal scale. This scale allows the researcher to rank the categories in a meaningful way. For example: years of service, age, and education are categories that can be ranked from smallest to highest or highest to smallest. c) Define the Measurement Scale Nominal data lends themselves to dichotomous or category scales and ordinal data to any one of the ranking scales: paired comparison, forced choice, or comparative scales. The dichotomous scale is used to retrieve a Yes or No answer and the category scale uses multiple items to retrieve a single answer. The paired comparison scale is used when respondents are asked to choose between two objects at a time. The forced choice scale enables the respondents to rank objects to establish importance or preference. The comparative scale creates a point of reference to assess the respondents’ attitude toward the objects under study. Remaining steps in the research project In the weeks ahead we will need to make sure that the instrument we develop measures the data accurately. The reliability of measures will need to be without error to insure a consistent measurement of all variables. And finally we will need to apply certain validity tests so we can be reasonably certain that we are measuring our hypothesis. a. Descriptive Statistics In an ongoing effort by the team trying to determine if the difference in the wages from our sample population of men and women is affected by various levels of education. In our investigation, the team will hope to convince the audience of the hypothesis chosen by the team through introducing our statement regarding the research issue, performing the five step hypothesis testing procedure on the data, explain the nonparametric test the team chose to analyze the data and why the team chose this particular test. The team will then interpret the results of the test; explain the differences that were observed from the teams week three paper. The team has included the raw data tables and result of this weeks test in Appendix A-D. The key is using the right data at the beginning to make the difference in how the test results will turn out. Data The data chosen by the team used in this research paper is the same as what was used for the previous two sample hypothesis running test called Wages and Wage Earners Data Set. To help the team determine the significance between wages earned by men and women of different educational levels, the team needed to convert the data from the tabular format as seen in Appendix A, to a layout of merged data that would assist the team in setting up the nonparametric test as shown in Appendix B. Because the test chosen uses the sum of the rank and the sample size to compare the independent data groups, the team had to format the data into a worksheet of sum ranks as seen in Appendix C. Finally, it was considered necessary of the team to setup the data to be able to run the nonparametric test that the team chose for this paper. Formulate the Hypothesis For this week’s research paper, the team chose to use the population median as part of our hypothesis statement. The reason for this is that the type of nonparametric test selected by the team deals with rank instead of a precise statistical assessment. The research question remain the same as it did last week; is there a significant difference in wages earned for a position if the amount of years spent in school and the sexual characteristics change? Looking at the median of the data in the five different groups in our study it still consistently shows a recognizable distinction. The only way to determine if the group medians are the same in our original study is by running the nonparametric test chosen by the team, which is the Kruskal-Wallis test. Perform the Hypothesis Test In doing our research, the team remembers the importance of performing the five-step hypothesis test on the data. In doing so, the team can be assured that our test is not biased and the results will overwhelmingly state our stance for the hypothesis. Stating the hypothesis that H0: all c population medians are the same and H1: not all the population medians are the same will lead us to our next step of choosing a significant level. Because we used the  µ = .05 in the previous One Factor ANOVA test, we will use the same in this test to ensure that no partiality in our research. The next step in the hypothesis test is to state the decision rule, which was determined by using the degree of freedom for the columns of our five different groups. The team used the tabular data from table 1 in the Appendix of this paper and Appendix E of Doane and Seward to determine that ÃŽ ½ = c − 1 = 5 – 1 = 4, and at  µ = .05 which results in the team rejecting H0 if the Doane and Sewar d Chi-square Appendix E value was higher than 9.488 (2007). After that, the team had to calculate the test statistic by using the Appendix B worksheet rank sum sample size and rank sum from each group. The following formula gives the results of that worksheet Our team then made our decision that because the test statistic of 18.51 is far greater then that of the Chi-square value at v = 4,  µ = .05 in Appendix E, we must reject the null hypothesis that all c populations are the same. These results can be viewed in Appendix D, where at the significance level of .05, it shows the Chi-square of 25.75, which is still far above the level for the team to reject the null hypothesis that all c population medians are the same. The team continues the research by giving details to the nonparametric test we used and why we opted to use it. Explain Kruskal-Wallis Test The use of the nonparametric test teaches all researchers to use smaller sample, normality is not a requirement, and can be used for ordinal (ranked) data. The reason for our team choosing the Kruskal-Wallis test is that; one, the corresponding test to the One Factor ANOVA test that we ran in the previous research paper of week three; two of the team members were able to compare independent samples from the five different groups even though the sample sizes were not the same, but did include the minimum of five observations; three the Kruskal-Wallis test does not require normality within the populations; and finally when the outliers, or unequal grouped variance, the Kruskal-Wallis test performs as well as the One Factor ANOVA test. To help the team understand the findings of this week’s research, the results of the Kruskal-Wallis test will be interpreted and compared against the results of last weeks test to help explain any differences. Interpret Results By looking at the median of the data in the five different groups in our study we still show a recognizable distinction. The only way to determine whether the group medians are the same or not in our study is by running the test chosen by the team, which is the Kruskal-Wallis test. These details to the nonparametric test we used and we show the reason we opted to use it. In our previous Week 3 testing and findings using the ANOVA test we concluded that we would accept our alternate hypothesis of not all the means are equal, which states that education and gender are factors in the differences of the wages between men and women. The findings in these two studies using the ANOVA test and the Kruskal-Wallis test have demonstrated that educated men and women and years of education is directly related to their salaries. Descriptive statistics Female Wages Count 47 Mean 24,451.51 sample variance 154,893,232.30 sample standard deviation 12,445.61 Minimum 9879 Maximum 83443 Range 73564 Skewness 2.48 Kurtosis 10.08 coefficient of variation (CV) 50.90% 1st quartile 16,373.00 Median 21,716.00 3rd quartile 31,503.00 interquartile range 15,130.00 Mode #N/A low extremes 0 low outliers 0 high outliers 0 high extremes 1 suggested interval width 5000 Descriptive statistics Male Wage Count 53 Mean 36,492.92 sample variance 340,313,003.72 sample standard deviation 18,447.57 Minimum 10997 Maximum 83601 Range 72604 Skewness 0.83 Kurtosis 0.15 coefficient of variation (CV) 50.55% 1st quartile 22,485.00 Median 32,138.00 3rd quartile 49,898.00 interquartile range 27,413.00 Mode #N/A low extremes 0 low outliers 0 high outliers 0 high extremes 0 suggested interval width 10000 Descriptive statistics Female Years of Education Count 47 Mean 12.49 Sample variance 4.30 Sample standard deviation 2.07 Minimum 8 Maximum 17 Range 9 Skewness 0.22 Kurtosis 0.80 coefficient of variation (CV) 16.60% 1st quartile 12.00 Median 12.00 3rd quartile 13.00 interquartile range 1.00 Mode 12.00 low extremes 3 low outliers 1 high outliers 5 high extremes 2 suggested interval width 1 Descriptive statistics Male Years of Education Count 53 Mean 12.94 Sample variance 10.94 Sample standard deviation 3.31 minimum 4 maximum 18 Range 14 skewness -0.54 kurtosis 0.41 coefficient of variation (CV) 25.55% 1st quartile 12.00 Median 12.00 3rd quartile 16.00 interquartile range 4.00 Mode 12.00 low extremes 0 low outliers 2 high outliers 0 high extremes 0 suggested interval width 2 FYE Avg. Wage MYE Avg. Wage 8 20888 4 19981 9 19306 5 46646 11 14617 6 19388 12 22159 7 26795 13 25648 8 29736 14 26536 9 66738 16 29354 10 31013 17 58701 11 23287 12 29180 13 25670 14 31066 15 56853 16 42385 17 83601 18 50997 Conclusion This paper discussed scientific ways to answer the question of whether employees are paid equally regardless of gender and years of education. From the above chart a female with eight years of education earns an average of 20,888 while the male counterpart with the same years of education earns 29,736. Our research shows male wages are higher than female wages with the same years of education. In addition the male wages increase at a higher rate than female wages as the years of education increase. Our research showed the hypothesis in reference to males earning more than females with the same years of education is correct but more research is recommended. Another comment that needs mentioning is the gap between male and female wages is getting smaller as years go by. After watching President Obama talk about the economy and the lack of so many Americans without work, it became clear that it is important to understand and evaluate how wages affect employees in reference to gender an d years of education. References Doane, D (2007). Applied Statistics in Business and Economics. Burr Ridge, IL: McGraw-Hill. INDUSTRIAL MARKETING, 18(6/7), 482-492. Retrieved February 4, 2008, from University of Phoenix database. Sekaran, U. (2003). Research methods for business: a skill building approach. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved February 4, 2008, from University of Phoenix, GEN480- Interdisciplinary Capstone Course. Serrant-Green, Laura. Managing research is vital for project success. (Editorial). . Nurse Researcher. 15.3 (March 2008): 3(1). General OneFile. Gale. Apollo Library. 9 Feb. 2009 . Research Papers on Research Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseStandardized TestingAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaThe Project Managment Office SystemEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThree Concepts of PsychodynamicGenetic Engineering

Database Information Systems Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Database Information Systems Management - Essay Example It is good practice during this phase of development to endure that the IS progressed to endure the desired benefits and it is bad practice to progress with the development if these desired benefits have not been realized.1 Fortunately in our project the benefits of the stakeholders had been define and benefits realized. These are important aspects of application development because they determine actions of business and IT management. An example of bad practice in developing such a system is to neglect to define who owns the IS Development. This means the individuals who are or will be responsible for all of the factors encompassing the development of the IS. These individuals include the sponsor, the IT project manager and the users. In retrospect of our project, there was some ambiguity in dedicating ownership of the IS Development. However, after defining the stakeholders the ownership and benefits objectives became clear. This is why it is good practice to set forth who owns the IS Development before progressing. It is bad practice not to define the stakeholder's role and intended benefits. e IS. A stakeholder is an individual who has an interest in the IS development and the future outcomes it. Our project the intended outcome was that SM is then able to view this Data in information format through computer-generated reports. In analysis of the outcome of the project I found that our current IS was inaccurate and did not go into much depth at all to benefit the end user Senior Management, due to lack of quality and quantity input by students. I also found that the IS itself had great potential, if the recommendations suggested were put in place. This is a good example why it is bad practice not to clearly define the benefits to all of the users, including the end users. In order to avoid these kind of mistakes and bad practices when developing an IS it is important to think of the development as a process. It is good practice to break the stakeholders down into context when developing the IS. The process includes technology, task, people and the structure or culture. These are all related to one another and it is good practice to think of stakeholder in the context of each of these steps being dependant upon each other. The technology that will be involved in the change is relative to the task to be performed. These components of the system or process depend on the stakeholders in the activity and Organisation and the structure and culture of the Organisation is important to all of the previous steps. It s bad practice to leave out any of these components and not to recognize that one has to do with the other. If any of these steps are overlooked important benefits to the stakeholders will be neglected and it will result in a faulted IS. It is good practice to think ahead and include everyone and everything you can. As the development progresses these factors can be cut down or omitted. These good practices for approaches to use when discovering stakeholders could be implemented in an IS for Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The approach that should be used would base its primary concern on patient satisfaction. An approach to

Managerial Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Managerial Accounting - Essay Example Anything in which a firm excels than its competitors is considered as its competitive advantage. Michael Porter has mentioned three main strategies in order to gain the market share by acquiring competitive advantage. They include: Cost Leadership Differentiation Focus Differentiation Cost Leadership Parts Limited is that company which doesn’t earn through number of units sold, but it maximizes its profits through the price of units. Parts Limited charges higher prices to its customer which means that they sell their products on relatively premium prices. When it comes to cost differentiation, this strategy is an option for Parts Limited. There is a possibility that the company start focusing on generating revenue not through premium prices but through number of units sold. ... In my opinion, this strategy is currently availed by Parts Limited because it is selling its unique products and charging premium prices for them. These products are perceived as unique and important in the eyes of the customers and the firm utilizing this strategy, usually is aware of the needs and unique demands of its customers. Focus Differentiation This strategy usually consists of two variants. In focus strategy a firm can either go for: a) Focus differentiation in its own target market b) Cost focus to seek cost advantage within its target market In this regard, usually targeted customers have unusual needs or the delivery of production system. Cost focus assist in acquiring cost advantage of a particular segment whereas focus differentiation fulfills the special and unique needs of the customers. As far as Parts Limited is concerned, this type of strategy cannot be applicable for a company dealing in machines industry. The reason is hardly customers are concerned about using unique and high priced parts for their machines. In fact, the emphasis is basically on sustainable and good quality products. This type of strategy mostly applies in the apparel & garment industry, cellular industry, electronics industry (including personal computers, T.Vs etc.), cosmetic industry etc. Implications of Porter’s Generic Strategy In the above section, a brief analysis has been done of each of the three porter’s strategy. Coming to back to Parts Limited and before analyzing which strategy can prove to be productive for Parts Limited; all the three strategies need to be analyzed in respect of Parts Limited. a) Product Differentiation Parts Limited has been utilizing product differentiation strategy. It

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) - Essay Example The second research paper titled ‘Corporate social responsibility brand leadership: a multiple case study’ has been directed towards using existing research and studies that provide frameworks for the analysis of CSR as a tool for brand leadership strategy. The existing literature is supported by a qualitative study of five UK based firms that have a significant market share, successful brand strategies and a very active CSR. The paper is organized in two parts where each part is dedicated to one research paper. The analysis is organized as presenting the research strategy, methods, findings, assumptions, and overall quality of the research paper. The analysis also makes suggestions for improvement after the analysis. The main argument of this research paper is to critically analyze the two research papers based on qualitative studies and suggest drawbacks that could be improvised for a more comprehensive study. The paper uses Grunig’s situational theory of publics for the purpose of analysis of cases presented within the paper (Byrd, 2009). The framework within the theory helps in creating a single case study with three different aspects of analysis. The research is conducted by way of exhaustive interviews conducted with the senior counselors of each of the two American companies that are under analysis. The primary document analysis is focused completely on the communication of the progress reports presented to the global compact unit on a semiannual basis by each participating member. The secondary analysis is conducted by way of materials and documents produced by the agencies which also include speeches, articles and presentations for the purpose of business publication. The key research question is to find out the dynamics that were responsible for company realization that such coalition was for the benefit of the organization. The second

School Building Planning And Construction Physical Education Essay

School Building Planning And Construction Physical Education Essay School buildings are an integral part in the formal education of the student. They are to be designed and constructed in such a way that will enhance the potential of each student and boost the learning process. There are many considerations when designing and building a school. Some of these include: Accessibility Schools buildings must be designed in such a way that will provide equal access to all. It must also be designed to be flexible to increase the probability of being able to provide equal access throughout the life-cycle of the facilities. Aesthetics Focusing on the physical appearance of the school must not be neglected. The school building must be attractive and pleasing to the eye, with a similar context of the neighborhood, in order to develop a sense of ownership and pride among the members of the community, most especially to the teachers/staff and students of the school. In addition, there should be a clear balance between the exterior features of the school and the neighborhood, reflecting the values of the community, while the interior features should develop the learning process. Cost-effectiveness Being cost-effective does not mean that the quality of the school building will be compromised, rather, being cost-effective means that the school should use facilities that can save money over time by balancing the design and constructions costs with the costs of maintaining and operating the facility. Functionality The school must be able to give a high quality formal education to its students as it has promised by creating a learning environment that will enhance and speedup the learning process. Productivity A productive school must be able to provide the students and teachers a comfortable, safe and healthy environment in order to achieve maximum potential. Security A safe and secure school building has always been and is still the most important goal of project managers, engineers and architects. A safe and secure school building must have a fire protection system, must consider the safety and health of its occupants and visitors, must be able to resist natural hazards, and must be able to effectively secure the assets of the school (material assets and human assets occupants and visitors). Sustainability With all the talk on global warming and climate change, the concern for the environment has grown tremendously. Considering that every activity has a direct and indirect impact on the environment, school building construction and operations are not exempt from impacting the environment as it uses raw materials and water and energy resources, and in turn, produces solid and liquid waste and gas emissions. A sustainable school must optimize site potential, energy use and operational and maintenance practices, use environment-friendly products and materials, conserve water and enhance environmental quality within the school building. Community-Centered As a community-centered school, it must be able to serve the community as a whole. Considering all the elements of a school building stated above, this paper will provide a comprehensive planning and design of a school. The school designed and planned in this paper will cater secondary students, which will generally include grades 9 to 12. The total number of students will be approximately 250 to 300 students. Essential Spaces Needed The following are the different spaces that will constitute the school building. Each of it will be discussed in the following section. The Administration Unit The administration unit is particularly important in any type of school as it provides a specific hub for its staff, as well as an area for interaction between the staff, students and parents. The schools administration unit will be located at the main entrance of the school, which is directly accessible to the public and may be accessed after school hours and on weekends. The administration unit will include private offices for the schools principal and assistant principal and open offices for its clerks, a lobby with a visitors waiting area, a small conference room for meetings and small conferences and a faculty room for teachers. The lobby will have writing and seating surfaces used for completing forms and notes. The faculty room will have enough space for administrative activities such as photocopying, assembling and fastening documents needed for their classes. The administration unit will also have spaces for storage of their office supplies, equipments (i.e. computers, print ers, scanners, copiers, telephones, etc.), LAN central location, and mail boxes. This unit will also provide adult restrooms for the employees and its visitors. Lounge for Faculty and Staff This space will be especially designed for the teachers and staff of the school for relaxation, small informal meetings with other teachers and staff, and dining. The lounge will be located near the administration unit. Health Services Unit Located next to the administration unit, the health services unit will provide health services to the students and employees of the school. It should be noted that information taken from the health services unit are private and confidential, and so, the students health records and information will be properly stored and will only be disclosed to appropriate people such as the schools administrators, their teachers and counselors and healthcare aides. The health services unit will include a cot room, an examination area for visiting doctors and other healthcare professionals, a nurses desk, a ten-foot long eye examination lane, a first aid space, patients waiting area and a private storage for medical supplies, equipments and medications. Counseling and Attendance Unit The counseling and attendance unit will serve as an area for guidance and counseling programs and a service center for students arranging their enrolment and transfers, as well as an area for the maintenance of students attendance records and files. Sometimes joined together with the administration unit and located next to the main entrance, the counseling area where counselors administer psychological examinations, discuss exam results and problems with the students and their parents, and keep records and files of each student. This unit will include private offices for the counselors with a working space, guest seating and computer workstation, interview and testing areas, and a waiting area for guests. General Classrooms Probably the central element of any school, the classrooms will be designed for approximately 25 to 30 students per class. There will be a total of ten classrooms in this school with approximately 960 square feet each. The classrooms will be laid out in linear form accessed by internal corridors. They will be situated somewhere that is easily accessible to other essential areas critical for their studies such as the library or media center, PE facilities, administration and health services unit, cafeteria and restrooms. Science Classrooms Science classrooms, which are critical for learning practical applications of scientific theories, will be designed with approximately 1,300 square feet. Situated away from the other rooms, the science classrooms will have ample working spaces for fixed learning stations to perform their laboratory experiments and for lectures. The classroom will have a separate preparation room, which may be directly accessed from the science classroom. This separate preparation room will serve as a space for preparing and storing of supplies and equipments Physical Education Facilities/Gymnasium Physical education, intended to develop the physical and social skills of the students, need a gymnasium for its activities (i.e. individual/team sports, body mechanics, rhythmic lessons, health, safety and first aid sessions). The gymnasium will be approximately 7,500 square feet and will include sports areas, team rooms, showers and lockers. Other essential spaces will be for the lobby, ticket booth, press area, snack bar and laundry areas. The gymnasium will also have private offices for P.E. teachers and team coaches, usually in parallel sight to locker rooms, and public toilets, separate from the shower and locker areas. Situated adjacent to play fields, the gymnasium may be directly accessed by the public for community usage and after school hours. It will have a distinct entrance/exit gates for absolute control of events and will be fully secured from other areas of the school to avoid intrusion of other school spaces during weekend and evening events. Library and Media Center The school library and media center, designed to cater the augmentation of the instructional needs of the students, will be located at the heart of the academic spaces of the school, easily accessed by the students from their classrooms and by the public for community use and after school hours. Similar to the gymnasium, the library and media center will be properly secured from other areas of the school to avoid intrusion of other school spaces during weekend and evening events. This area will be designed to be visually appealing and pleasing to the students to encourage the development of positive attitudes towards researching, reading, studying and learning. This area will include computer stations for student usage (i.e. research/report writing), spaces for multimedia presentations, private office space for librarian and open workrooms for its staff. The library and media center will be fully equipped with technological equipments such as electrical outlets, data network connecti ons, open and closed circuit televisions, and phone extensions. Because the library and media center contains state-of-the-art media facilities and technology, as well as special collections of books and journals, the library and media center will be properly secured with visual supervision from the circulation desk to student work areas, stack space and study spaces and book-theft detection system located at exit points. Special book collections and media and technological equipments will also have a proper secure storage space, wherein students must ask for assistance from staff when they intend to use such books and equipments. Food Services Unit The food services unit will include the kitchen, cafeteria, lunch center and outdoor eating spaces. The kitchen is situated wherein it is directly accessible to the cafeteria and service and delivery vehicles, but is separated from the academic areas of the school. The kitchen will have a food preparation area, a serving area, an office, a changing area, locker rooms and restrooms for the staff, janitor/custodian room (for food services unit only) and storage rooms (walk-in freezer/refrigerator). The kitchen will have serving windows, stainless steel sinks and work surfaces, stainless steel counter tops for its serving areas, a dish shelf, an exhaust air system and a wet chemical fire extinguishing system. The cafeteria will be located where it is directly accessible from the kitchen and to the lunch shelter and restrooms. There will be sufficient space for the waiting line in the cafeteria, with specific orientations in providing a smooth traffic flow. There will be covered sun and rain protection at the waiting line, food serving area and to the lunch shelter. Expecting to have plenty of trash from the cafeteria, there will be sufficient trash and recycling containers throughout the cafeteria and with an adjacent storage room for cleaning supplies. The lunch shelter, while easily accessible to the cafeteria, will also be easily accessible to outdoor eating spaces. It will be designed in such a way that it can provide shelter from sun and rain, but with an open and airy atmosphere. The lunch shelter will have at least two drinking fountains within the vicinity. Lastly, the outdoor eating spaces, which will supplement the schools cafeteria and lunch shelter, will have tables and chairs and some benches. It will be designed in such a way that there is minimal heat reflection and glare, perhaps offering some shade to protect the students from the sun. Restrooms There will be separate restrooms for students and employees of the school. Restrooms for students will be located within 200 feet of all classrooms, while restrooms for the employees will be located near their workstations, also within 200 feet or less. Aside from this, restrooms will also be found in the different areas of the school to cater the occupants of the schools different units mentioned such as the administrative unit, health services unit, library and media center, gymnasium, cafeteria, eating spaces, etc. Drinking Fountains Similar to restrooms, drinking fountains will also be located in the different areas of the school to cater the occupants of the schools different units and other public areas where students will gather together. They may be placed next to the student restroom entries and eating spaces and inside and outside the gymnasium and other P.E. facilities. The drinking fountains will not be made of stainless steel, especially those that are subjected to direct sunlight, to avoid heat upsurge inside the unit. Lockers There will be two types of lockers: books lockers and P.E. lockers. Each student will have one book locker, located in locker recesses in covered walks or in corridors. P.E. lockers will be separately provided for male and female students and P.E. teachers. The lockers will be extremely visible for easy supervision. They will have built-in combination locks, with a master-key for emergency purposes. Public Payphones There will be public payphones located within the schools vicinity in an accessible route in compliance with the accessibility requirements. Other Considerations Aside from the essential spaces provided, there are other considerations in the planning of the school building that will be discussed in this section in order to achieve maximum learning processes. Comfort (Acoustic/Thermal and Visual Comfort) To enhance the learning processes of the students, their comfort will be given priority. The noise levels of the school will be kept at minimum. These include noises from outside the school (i.e. noise from vehicles, aircrafts, etc.), corridors (i.e. conversations and foot traffic), other classrooms, mechanical equipments, and even noise from inside the classrooms. The school will also take note on the thermal comfort of the students and the teachers as it significantly affects their performances. The school will have independent controls in all classrooms to oversee and easily manage the temperature to facilitate the changes in activities, occupancy levels and personal preferences. Visual comfort will also be given consideration in designing the school. With students occupied with a lot of visual tasks in school (i.e. reading and writing), the school will provide a balance combination of natural and artificial lighting systems. The school will also use pastel colors for the walls. Daylighting Modern schools use as much natural daylight as possible, since it provides the best quality source of light for visual tasks. Daylight enhances the appearance and color of the objects, while at the same time research has shown that the proper use of daylight also enhances the performance of the students. Furthermore, the use of daylight as a light source in the school also gives the school much cost-savings from electrical lighting. The school will optimize the use of daylighting, by using daylight in the classrooms and some offices within building, while at the same time, avoiding heat gain, heat loss and glare from the sun. Safety and Security The school will be safe and secured at all times by having a controlled access to the school premises. A secure fence will be built to control access to school grounds. Entrance and exit points will be limited and provided with security guards, with visual surveillance. High-risk spaces will be protected by high security locks. The design of the school will be in such a way that is easily surveyed minimizing spaces hidden from sight, proper lighting outside the school to assist easy surveillance during nighttime and key public areas such as parking areas, drop-off points and entrance/exit points are easily visible from inside the building. Building Materials As part of the sustainability aim of the school, the materials used for construction will be significantly considered. The school will use materials that are durable, but at the same time non-toxic, highly recyclable and made more on recycled materials. HVAC System The HVAC system, which includes the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system of the school, is very important in providing a comfortable and healthy environment for the students, teachers, administrators and visitors. The schools HVAC system will utilize a highly efficient equipment, appropriately sized for the demands of the school and comprise controls that will enhance the performance of the HVAC system. Building Envelope The building envelope, which includes the roofs, windows, floors and walls of the school building, is critical in improve energy efficiency. The school will use an energy efficient building envelope that will put together and optimize the levels of insulation, shading, thermal mass, glazing and air leakage control through the use of shading devices, light colored surfaces and high performance glazing. Flexibility and Adaptability Accepting that nothing is constant except change, the school will be designed in order to cater flexibility and adaptability. The school will use flexible stations for equipment, easily movable and transferred to another area in case of modifications of the area. The different units within the school will be designed to give way to changes in furniture layouts and functions. Resources Used: LA Unified School District. (2010, January). School Design Guide. Retrieved March 25, 2010, from http://www.laschools.org/employee/design/fs-design-guide/download/2010/LAUSD_School_Design_Guide_2010_Version.pdf?version_id=84218872 National Institute of Building Sciences. (2010). Retrieved March 25, 2010, from Whole Building Design Guide: http://www.wbdg.org/ New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation. (2007, May 15). 21st Century Schools Design Manual. Retrieved March 25, 2010, from http://www.njsda.gov/Business/Doc_Form/PDFsForms/DM.pdf

Directing Romeo and Juliet Essay -- GCSE Romeo and Juliet

Directing Romeo and Juliet In this assignment I will be directing act 3 scene one lines 35-136 of the tragic play Romeo and Juliet I intend to use lighting, music, tone, and facial expression to affect the audiences emotions. Introduction ============ In this assignment I will be directing act 3 scene one lines 35-136 of the tragic play Romeo and Juliet I intend to use lighting, music, tone, and facial expression to affect the audiences emotions. I have chosen to use theatre rather than film, because although film is more versatile with special effects etc, I think it is more dramatic when the action is happening directly in front of the audience. Shakespeare Assignment: Romeo and Juliet I would set the scene using a background of a typical Verona street without any indication of the time the play is set. I would continue this theme throughout the play, in the style of the clothes and inside buildings etc. I think this would be better than having the actors and scenery in a stereotypical Shakespearean style for example; having the actors in tights and breeches because it would be more original so would create more dramatic impact. I would keep the clothes and buildings simple and minimalistic so that they are easy to make and wouldn't distract the audience's attention from the story, acting, and language, which should be good enough to captivate the audience. I would dress the actors in colours that reflect the characters personalities and the mood they are in. Romeo would be all in white to represent purity; this would also remind the audience of his recent marriage to Juliet, illustrating the dramatic irony of this scene. In contrast to Romeo, Tybalt should be dressed in red and black, reflecting his "fiery" personality. In this scene Romeo should appear innocent and Tybalt nasty and evil. Benvolio, being irrelevant for the duration of the scene would wear beige or grey to give the impression of neutrality. Mercutio would be wearing bright colours, but still looking sophisticated because of his relation to the prince. He would have to stand out from the rest of the characters on stage because he is often the centre of attention. I would begin the scene with bright lighting, to make it seem like a "hot" day as previously described by Benvolio (act3/scene/1line2). As the mood intensifies t... ...ience anticipate the events that they know are destined to happen. With the entrance of Tybalt, the anger Romeo feels and the tension in the audience should reach its peak, as Tybalt rushes in angrily wielding his sword looking "furious" and "fiery". Romeo should now address Tybalt coldly, and draws his sword quickly, to show that he is now determined to kill Tybalt and avenge the death of his friend. I would have Romeo and Tybalt in the centre of the stage, with a strong spotlight following them as they fight, casting shadows, which would greatly enhance the anger and sadness the characters feel. Tybalt should be killed quickly, with none of the confusion in Mercutios death, to reinforce Romeos determination. When Tybalt is down, Romeo should kneel on the floor, his clothes now covered with both Mercutios and Tybalts blood. In his despair, he ignores Benvolio, who warns him about "the Citizens" and the scene ends with him alone in the bright spotlight, when he cries "oh I am Fortunes fool", directed at the audience, rather than Benvolio, once again echoing the theme of fate, as in the prologue and the visions both Romeo and Juliet have before this scene