Importance of Line or Staff Departments and Methods of Effecting Change Essay

Which type of department (line or staff) is most important to an organization? Why? Could an organization function without either of them? Why or why not? In every organization, authority is divided in order to make sure the firm is successful. This division ensures that no one department is responsible for everything. As an organization grows, there must be two departments that are given the authority to make decisions to benefit the firm. These are the Line department and the Staff department. While both have management authority, there are certain differences. Line departments â€Å"headed by a line manager, are the departments established to meet the objectives of the business and directly influence the success (profitability) of a business.† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 7) These managers are on the frontline, responsible for producing goods, marketing and distribution. â€Å"Line managers who head such departments exercise line authority† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 7) Staff departments â€Å"headed by a staff manager, provide assistance to the line departments and to each other.† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 7) These managers are there for support, giving advice, service and assistance. Examples of staff departments may include: the I.T. department, legal or Human recourses. While not directly contributing to the firm’s objectives, they are there to lend a helping hand. In my experience, it is the line department that is most important to the success and profitability of the company. While it may be agued that without the staff department one couldn’t market and sell the goods and services produced by the line department. But it is ultimately it is the line department that generates the revenue to sustain the company and there fore is most important. Granted that one cannot function without the other, and it is that synergy that ensures longevity and further success of the organization. Discuss three (3) different methods of effecting change. Why are most organizations and individuals resistant to change? What can managers do to facilitate change? Use practical examples from your experience or knowledge,  and describe your experience in implementing change. Effecting change in one’s environment can be a daunting task. Many individuals are reluctant to change and react differently when it occurs. â€Å"Most will accept the need to learn new skills and update their knowledge, but most resent efforts to change their attitudes† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 8) To solve this problem Kurt Lewin developed a three-step approach that consists of three phases, unfreezing, change, and refreezing. In the first step unfreezing, mangers must identify and discover the source or cause of the deficient behavior. â€Å"They confront the individual with the behavior and the problem it causes; they then begin to convince the him or her to change by suggesting methods and offering incentives.† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 8) This step is the foundation to helping the insubordinate employee open up an discuss why this deficient behavior is occurring. Often time this causes the employee to become emotional and upset. The second step change, the employee discomfort increases. This will cause the employee to question their reasons for their conduct, it is then that the manager has the chance to provide a role model to foster the preferred behavior. â€Å"As the individual adopts that behavior, performance will improve; but the manager must support and reinforce that behavior if it is to last.† (Plunkett, Alan, Attner, 2013, Ch 8) In the third step refreezing, new desired behaviors should be rewarded. Frequent praise at first is important for the continuation of preferred behaviors. Also, if any incentive was promised, then it must be honored. Failure to do so will cause a reversion to old deficient behavior and the manager would have to start again. In my experience, cold calling is a requirement to draw up business. Earlier last year, sales were down. An increase in production was needed to boost our P&L, so management enforced mandatory call nights. Each employee was given a list of clients to set appointments. Many of the veteran  employees saw this as a waste of time, and although they attended, did little or no work. Management sat with each of these employees individually to figure out what the cause of the issue was. Management created a reward system in which the employee with the most booked appointments gets a free lunch the next day and the employee with the most booked business from these appointments gets to take off the next two Mondays. This incentive had everyone dialing clients consistently and business increased dramatically. To reinforce these behaviors, a scoreboard was put up and the leading 5 employees numbers were updated weekly. Giving a competitive twist to this approach really helped motivation for pr oduction, especially in sales. References Plunkett, R. W., Allen, S. G., & Attner, F. R. (2013). Ch 7 Organizing Principles, Ch 8 Organizational Design, Culture and Change . Management: meeting and exceeding customer expectations (10th ed., ). : Mason, OH :. Footnotes 1[Add footnotes, if any, on their own page following references. For APA formatting requirements, it’s easy to just type your own footnote references and notes. To format a footnote reference, select the number and then, on the Home tab, in the Styles gallery, click Footnote Reference. The body of a footnote, such as this example, uses the Normal text style. (Note: If you delete this sample footnote, don’t forget to delete its in-text reference as well. That’s at the end of the sample Heading 2 paragraph on the first page of body content in this template.)

Journal Article Critique of ‘an Empirical Analysis of Trends in Psychology’ Essay

I.Research Question or Problem The journal article question is clearly stated. The question asks whether the behaviourist, the psychoanalytic, the cognitive, or the neuroscientific perspective is most intellectually significant and most prominent in psychology today (Robins, Goling, & Craik, 1999, p. 117). II. Introduction The introduction presents differing contentions regarding which school of psychology is most prominent. Five references have been cited in the introduction. It is believed by some that the cognitive perspective reigns over psychoanalysis and behaviourism (Baars, 1986; Gardner, 1985; Hunt, 1993; Sperry, 1988, as cited in Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 117). An opposing conviction, however, states that this belief is merely a representation of cognitive psychologists’ opinion of their own field rather than an accurate statement based on facts (Friman, Allen, Kerwin, & Larzelere, 1993, p. 662, as cited in Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 117). Furthermore, it is argued that the belief in a â€Å"cognitive perspective revolution† is simply a method for scientists to justify their practice (Leahey, 1991, p.362, as cited in Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 117). Other theories have indicated, without empirical evidence however, that behaviourism continues to flourish despite the loss of â€Å"mentor B.F Skinner† (Salzinger, 1994, p. 816; p. 461, as cited in Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 117). Lastly, it is contented by some that the neuroscientific perspective continues to prosper (Churchland, 1998, as cited in Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 117), and that the entire field of psychology will eventually become a subfield of neuroscience (Bechtel, 1988, as cited in Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 117). III.Methods The authors employed three indexes to conduct their study; the subject-matter index of psychology’s Flagship publications, the subject-matter index of psychology dissertations and the citation index of Flagship publications. For the psychology’s Flagship publications, authors selected several word stems in a database called psychINFO, including: psychoanal#, cognit#, neurosci#, reinforce#, and conditioning#. At that time, they calculated the percentage of articles published in the Flagship publications between 1950 to 1997 and charted their findings over time (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 118). For the psychology dissertations, authors once again employed psychINFO, this time, to analyze the topics presented in doctoral dissertations between 1967 to 1994. Then, they calculated the percentage of dissertations for each of the four psychological perspectives (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 119). Finally, for the citation index of Flagship publications, authors su rveyed trends regarding the number of citations found concerning each perspective in the Flagship publications. Then, they selected the top four journals in each perspective using a rating system operated by prominent neuroscientists (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 119). Applying these findings, authors calculated the â€Å"total number of times per year the flagship publications cited articles published in each sub-disciplinary journal† (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p. 119). IV. Results The results undoubtedly provided answers to the question/hypothesis. The findings indicated that articles regarding the cognitive perspective appeared most frequently in all three indexes, followed by the behavioural perspective. Articles regarding the psychoanalytic and neuroscientific perspective, however, were essentially non-existent throughout the studied period. Authors provided graphs and tables in order to demonstrate their findings over time for each index (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p.121-126). V.Discussion/Conclusions Due to their compelling findings, the authors were able to construct several conclusions. Firstly, psychoanalytic journals, dissertations, and flagship articles have not been in the spotlight of mainstream psychology for the past several decades (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p.123, 124). Secondly, with the focus currently on cognitive psychology, behavioural psychology has and continues to subside in scientific psychology (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p.124). Moreover, the authors’ state that one reason cognitive psychology is transcending behavioural psychology is due to the immeasurable role of computers in modern society. For example, thanks to computers, considerable changes have taken place in regards to scientists’ understanding of memory, information processing, etc (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p.124). Lastly, mainstream psychology does not yet recognize neuropsychology; however, there is an obvious increase in popularity that is underway. Authors recom mend further research to explore the growing prominence of neuropsychology (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p.125). VI.References Authors used a clear and consistent citation format, and each of the references was properly cited within the article. The authors used a variety of sources ranging from the 1930’s to the year prior to the study. The older references were used to demonstrate variations of theories over time. VII.Personal Reaction I consider this article to be rather thought-provoking. From the beginning, I agreed with the theorists who believed that cognitive psychology was the leading school of psychology. Although this article was written fourteen years ago, I believe it continues to be true today. I was not aware of the serious decline of the behavioural perspective; however, after reading about the impact computers have had on science and scientists, it became clear (Robins, Gosling, & Craik, 1999, p.124). One limitation that I feel could have affected the results was the manner in which they selected the top four journals. I wonder if the results would have varied had different journals been chosen. In my opinion, the sample size of four journals seems somewhat confining to the research. Even so, this was a very interesting article. I would be rather intrigued to read a current study of the same topic and see if the results are equivalent.

Anita Roddick The Body Shop Commerce Essay

Anita Roddick The Body Shop Commerce Essay Moore and Buttner defined female entrepreneurs as those who use their knowledge and resources to develop or create new business opportunities, who are actively involved in managing their businesses, and own at least 50 percent of the business have been in operation for longer than a year†. In this 21st century, women had a dramatically changing over the year and year. Women breakthrough from the traditional position that as an internal housewife to a working woman in several fields. Nowadays, more and more women try to get rid of work as an office woman and get fixed salary every month but they are tries to set up and develop their own business. Since women’s level of education has increasing compare to 20 century, they create their own business based on their high knowledge, skills and interest in several field. There Women not only successful in business field but also other field including political, medical, economic, cosmetic, IT technology, oil and gas, software, food and beverage and so on. This is because there is more support for women entrepreneurs than ever before. However, women entrepreneur are facing constraints and there are solutions for them to improve themselves. Successful Woman Entrepreneurs There are a lot of successful women entrepreneurs who start their business by themselves. They have their own strategies and uniqueness of their products and also management skills that enable their business went for globally. Anita Roddick- The Body Shop anita roddick.jpg body shop.jpg Anita Roddick the founder of The Body Shop. She was born in England in 1942 and married with Gordon Roddick in year 1970 and had 4 children. Anita Roddick started her business in year 1976 where her shop allocated at a back street in Brighton, England. Without much of financing, she only able decorated her shop with green garden lattice to cover the ugly unpainted walls. Anita Roddick got her inspire of her products is when she travel to around the world. Sh e saw local women of Tahiti use cocoa butter to plastering their body and women in Morocco washing hair in mud. After that, Anita Roddick tried to make her own products by using all natural raw materials from fruits and vegetables at home and sales her products in her first shop. She had packaging her products in very simple packaging and inexpensive price for all natural cosmetics and herbal creams and shampoos. She only sold 15 different cosmetic products in her first shop. The first strategy that used by Anita Roddick is differentiate her products with other cosmetic products where her products is all made from natural raw materials such as from fruits and vegetables. This is because of her awareness of most women fear of use artificial chemicals cosmetic products to put on their skin and hair. She had got natural raw materials most from Africa and these natural raw materials made her products unique compared to others. Through this, she built her product brand name which The Bod y Shop sales all natural cosmetic products. The second strategy used by Anita Roddick is CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). According to ISO Strategic Advisory Group defined CSR as â€Å"is taken to mean a balanced approach for organizations to address economic, social and environmental issues in a way that aims to benefit people, communities and society†. Anita Roddick used CSR strategies as a way to make advertising indirectly to community. She joined Fair Trade Community where she got her natural raw materials from Africa and paid them in a fair price to help them have extra fund to build their facilities such as school and others. Furthermore, she also prevents to use animals tested for her products. Moreover, she join society communities to raise the concern about environmental friendly, protect animals and against animal testing and defend for human rights. Through CSR, she had successful to build good reputation for her shop.

Competition is Better than Cooperation In the Relations Between Essay

Competition is Better than Cooperation In the Relations Between Criminal Justice Agencies - Essay Example Intervention in regard to criminal justice system refers to the process of preventing or reducing the incidence of crime, as well as acts that minimize the potential adverse consequences of convicted offenders in the society (Gough, 2010, p. 22). Similarly, supervision in the criminal justice system is defined as the process of overseeing the tasks and behaviours of the convicted offenders within the correction component of the criminal justice with the view of ensuring that the imposed sanctions yield the desired outcomes. Supervision in the criminal justice system has also been defined as the process of regulating and controlling behaviours of the convicted through restrictions or rules with the aim of ensuring that at the end they can become responsible persons who can easily re-integrate into the society without posing any serious public safety threats (Church, 1985, 456). Over the years, there has been raging debate on whether competition is better than cooperation in relations between criminal justice agencies. The persistent question has been which between competition and cooperation facilitates effective achievement of objectives of the criminal justice agencies, and ultimately those of the criminal justice system. This paper will seek to address this question by focusing on the intervention and supervision stages of the criminal justice process. It will show that indeed competition is better than cooperation in the relations between criminal justice agencies. Customarily, the criminal justice system has not been operating as a coordinated whole. Instead, criminal justice agencies have heavily been emphasizing on their core legislative independence and functions, as well as on their operational imperatives. This arrangement has been informed by a wide range of factors. The first factor is that the criminal justice agencies have differing goals, functions, purpose, and roles and as such no single agency handles the case throughout the entire system. Seco ndly, the system is defendant focused, case and incident-based, an arrangement that makes the agencies to operate separately in order not to deviate from this arrangement (Gough, 2010, p. 25). Thirdly, a range of procedural and legal constraints keep information that had been obtained before out of the court consideration. As such, information held by a particular criminal justice agency about an incident, victim, or defendant is progressively filtered as it moves through various agencies of the system. The other factor that has contributed to the criminal justice system not to work as a coordinated whole is the power dynamic within the criminal justice agencies hierarchy and their widely diverse professional culture (Gebo, et al, 2006, p. 425). The criminal justice system has been witnessing myriad of challenges especially in regard to law enforcement and corrections. In particular, the rise of the rate of crimes such as burglary cases and rape and overcrowding in the correctional facilities has been some of the main challenges facing the criminal just

Media Criticism Paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media Criticism - Term Paper Example This order attempts to outline why Dr. Phil show serves as the best show for the audience. Dr. Phil invites the victims of various life challenges on the stage before the audience and they get a chance to describe their challenges. The session is couple with videos or recordings of the activities that may have led to the problem for the victim. In many cases, the challenges involve unusual behaviours that people develop as a result of engaging in some activities or conflicts between parents, children or lovers. The program is considered to be the best because Dr. Phil engages the victim to get to the root cause of the problem. It is also captivating because it involves different issues that affect members of the society and thus many people can relate to the problems being solved and also gain solutions to their problems (McGraw 45). I love Dr. Phil show because I get to realise many challenges that people face in their life. For instance, issues of dating a person who is addicted to certain drugs or behaviours are common in Dr. Phil show. In a certain show a lady and her boyfriend were introduced before the audience where her boyfriend had forced her to engage in different types of drugs including the hard drugs. Her parents were so disappointed that she would not listen to them anymore due to her obsession with her boyfriend. When she was introduced on Dr. Phil, she admitted that her relationship with her boyfriend had completely changed her behaviour but she was not will to quit the relationship. Although she promised to change after receiving advice from Dr. Phil, the lesson was critical especially to young people that lovers can change one’s life and behaviour completely. Dr. Phil show is thus essential to almost all members of the societies since different people have different life challenges that they can connect with in the show. Dr. Phil show attracts a lot of audience

Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity Essay

Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity - Essay Example allows for a constructive relationship between Psychology and Christian Theology, and its peaceful co-existence in the living the life God has meant us flawed humans to live. The interaction of Psychology and Theology is inevitable because of their mutual interest in understanding human nature and healing its brokenness. There have been times when their principles complemented each other, and other times when there were animosities. Integration reflects God’s desire to reconcile humanity and the larger created realm to Him (p. 81). Thinking Christians can raise metaphysical questions that harmonize with their faith, that supports and strengthens it instead of undermining it when they are introduced to well-considered and clearly articulated world and life-views. Such questioning has implications for an integrative paradigm. The book discusses various models in describing the relationships of Psychology and Christianity, ranging from the extreme Enemies paradigm which polarizes the â€Å"Secular Combatants† (psychology) and the â€Å"Christian Combatants† (Christianity), and proposes fierce loyalty to one discipline while rejecting the other. Other models like the Spies, Colonialists and Neutral Parties have tendencies to vacillate between the two disciplines. The fully integrative paradigm is the Allies. It sees the value of both camps of Christianity and Psychology, that taken together will give a fuller and more accurate picture of the truth. It is a truth that God has revealed in both the bible and in practical life. It is such a credible truth because it comes from the One who reigns supreme over both disciplines. It proposes that in seeking truth, we must study both books of God’s word (the bible, Christianity) and God’s work (the world, people, Psychology). Comprehensive study of both books will allow mutual interaction of principles which may bring us to understand that all truths is God’s truth. In the event that there are

Economics Discussion for online class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economics Discussion for online class - Essay Example There are numerous players in the deals business line, and all players are required to engage in ethical, healthy, and fair competition. When Groupon started its operations in the year 2008, many of its rival firms were already operational and had undertaken ad business for several years. Search engine ad companies like Google and Facebook were already running operational and successful business lines. Groupon has integrated creative and innovative business strategies to rise above many competitors in ad business. Its rapid growth can be seen to harm, fight, or gobble rivals in the industry, but its competition parameters are economically provided for. The company engages other firms in intense competition, an aspect that normative provides for. For this reason, the outstanding performance of Groupon is based on its operational strategies, as opposed to exploiting its rivals. Although business sustainability is a critical factor in Groupon’s business, copycats of its business model are readily present (Marin, 2011). Therefore, Groupon’s business model is consistent with normative principles of

E-cigaretee Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-cigaretee - Research Paper Example The smoking cessation industry is led by the USA in terms of the market size, which is the followed by UK, Germany and then Russia. However, almost in all the developed countries and even in many other countries globally, the smoke cessation industry has been growing rapidly. While the most known method for helping in smoking cessation traditionally has been nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), new methods products are now rising, which targets the smoking cessation industry (Wikinvest, n.p.). The market is segmented into two broad categories of the cessation therapy consumer segment and the smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment. The therapy market segment consumer segment constitutes the consumers who are seeking the services of medical professionals to assist them in the cessation of their smoking habits, with such consumers having access to 17 different smoking cessation therapies, but one of the therapies, the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), remains the most predominant therapy that many smokers are seeking (Wikinvest, n.p.). The smoking cessation products/pills consumers segment comprises of the consumer segment that is purchasing the products manufactured by the smoking cessation industry, such as the smoking cessation pills, which are widely applied towards helping the smokers quit their habits. The use of the smoking cessation pills is highly adopted in the UK markets, with the product generating  £720m in revenue in the year 2011 alone (Steele, n.p.). The smoking cessation industry is relatively small in size, considering that it is an industry that is relatively new in the market, and its products are yet to be known very well. However, the industry is poised to grow in the near future to a substantial market. While the current market share of the smoking cessation industry is estimated at between 3 and 4% of the overall, the growth rate of the industry is

Organizational Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Ethics - Research Paper Example The argument is based on the idea that some auto insurance companies refuse to pay for the vehicle damages by looking for loopholes that would invalidate the cover the customers insured their vehicles against. ISAA is one of the leading auto insurance companies in the United States (ISAA, 2014). The organization has been able to develop and maintain competitive advantage on the grounds that it has developed mechanisms of adhering to its ethical codes for a long time. This has made customers develop trust in its operations. External social pressure has been found to play a critical role in shaping the ethical conduct of many organizations (Ferrell, 2012). For instance, ISAA has been on the lookout not to mess up with the social issues affecting its customers and the public in general. Societal expectations on the way organizations conduct their businesses have been under scrutiny in the last few decades because of the increase in the social responsibility concepts that members of the society expect from every organization. In fact, organizations that practice little or no social responsibility has been eliminated in the markets and replaced by those organizations that prioritize on the same. In regard to ISAA, the organization has developed a social ethics guide to ensure that it complies with the societal expectations. For instance, ISAA has devised a program for environmental sustainability (ISAA, 2014). This makes people to have good relationship with the organization. Ferrell, J. (2012) argued that such a move puts organizations ahead as far as competition is concerned. Employees are considered as the primary assets of any organization. For the organization to thrive in a highly competitive market, it is indispensable to have workforce that have good code of conduct. This is important because their services especially when conducting business with customers greatly determine the kind of picture that they paste on the

Recruiting and Selecting Employees Who Look Good and Sound Right Essay Example for Free

Recruiting and Selecting Employees Who Look Good and Sound Right Essay Present day business industry is highly dependent on the general success of the people within organizations who are commonly referred to as the human resource. Important to note is that the human resource prospect is defined under two categories within any given organization; firstly there is the employees of an organization themselves and secondly the people in management who are responsible for promoting the values of the organization through ensuring that human aspects within an organization are satisfactorily taken care of (Fernandez-Araoz, Groysberg and Nohria 2009 ). With regards to the aforementioned details, the human resource department is usually tasked with the responsibility of bringing in new employees whose skills sets suit an organization’s mandate and values in general through a rigorous recruitment and selection process. During the recruitment and selection process of prospecting employees, companies usually set out on a hunting mission for the crà ¨me de la crà ¨me who are available in the job search market. How an individual who is in pursuit of a job opportunity dresses and carries themselves in an interview and further their conversational skills greatly determine whether or not an organization will hire them; this is what is described as looking good and sounding right in this paper. How an employee is dressed decimates into how they think and interrelate with customers in an organization thereby offering quality services and creating a conducive business environment in return. The underlying chapters of this paper will be keen on reflecting on the prospects and influences of dressing smart and sounding right with an inference on analysis and compilations from multiple academic literatures on the same topic while at the same time illustrating the influences of looking good and sounding right through the lens or organizational examples. Having a human resource that thinks right and has an exquisite recruitment strategy in place is what defines organization’s competitive edge in the current market; it is every organization’s dream that its employee’s appearance influences how the customers relate to the company on a broader perspective thus promoting their brand in the long run (Warhurst 2012). The prospect of looking good and sounding right within organizations Human resource practitioners will agree to the fact that a great deal of time goes into activities and processes related to recruiting and selecting new staff for a particular position in an organization. Many at times the long durations tied to recruitment are connected to the ideal of companies to not only want to source for staff who are knowledgeable about what their companies deal in but also look the part of any given brand and are easily approachable by customers. Staff selection during a recruitment process of an organization is one of the most vital decisions that the organizations have to undertake to ensure that their normal operations are running smoothly (Taylor 2008). Businesses have to know what they are clearly looking for in an employee before signing them up, not only how red-hot the skills of an individual seeking employment look will determine the long-term success of an organization and recruitment of the correct person but also the most important aspect is how t hey look and how they carry themselves while conversing with customers in an actual business setting (Quast 2012). It is critical that organizations have systems and a recruitment process in place which is capable of accessing how the applicants of a particular job opening portray these traits before their full time absorption by any organization. Take the case of Richer Sounds an electrical retail chain store with over 53 stores across the nation: it has in place a three stage recruitment process for new staff seeking any job opportunities within the company. The first stage of recruitment involves placement of advertisements at the stores windows and also through the company website where people who are interested are requested to e-mail a CV to the company. The former kind of advertisement mainly targets people who pay attention to their brand and customers who are regular visitors to the shop thus are knowledgeable about the products (Fisher 2014). On the other hand, the latter advertisement is aimed to attend to a greater pool of applicants irrespective of their familiarity with Richer Sound s products. Considering the advertisement strategies imposed at this point, it is evident that a great pool of applicants will be willing to be signed; the most integral part of this initial stage is demonstrated through a store manager’s initial interview who is keen on sorting the applicants to remain with those who look the part through analysis of their dress code and personality. Operations director John Clayton suggests that, â€Å"Richer sounds hires on the basis of personality then later train for skills (Martin and Whiting 2010).† These instance posters a scenario where people get accessed on the basis of how they look even before a company takes a look and considers an individual’s qualifications. Second in line of the recruitment strategy is a paid trial day for an applicant which in some circumstances stretches beyond the one day period. Here, the applicant is accessed on whether or not they are consistent in their dressing and how they sound when conversing with customers. Upon completion of the trial stage, other members of a particular store are asked on their opinion of what they think about a new recruit and whether they embody the company’s aspect of looking good and sounding right (Nickson and Dutton 2005). Last in queue of the recruitment process is stage three where an applicant’s qualifications are now accessed to see how suitable they are for the job after considering that the individual’s personality is suitable for Richer Sounds. From the Richer Sounds case, it is evident that the way companies approach their recruitment processes over the years has greatly revolved and now companies are keen on how an individual looks and how their conversa tions sound before customers. Irrespective of the costs of recruitment, companies are willing to dig deep into their financial coffers so that they can get the right group of employees; Williamson argues that, â€Å"it is arguably more expensive hiring wrong people in an organization as opposed to the cost of having a stringent recruitment strategy in place that is time consuming (McMillan 2014).† Richer Sounds is just one among the many companies that are currently inclined towards accessing applicants for job openings on the grounds of how they look and opulence they execute through their conversations with customers. On a broader perspective, how an individual looks has a great influence on the operations of people within different organizations; important in the process of advocating for employees who look good is an employer who serves up to their word of promoting smart dressing for the workplace by leading as the actual ambassador of what their brand should be defined as. Looking good while pursuing a job opportunity has positive impacts and a higher probability one is going to achieve the job, people will ascribe good qualities on the prospect of your perceived appearance thus want to always associate their company with an individual who looks good. A Macquarie University research carried out in both the United Kingdom and United States suggests that looking good improves the chances of one scoring a job opportunity and also is responsible for boosting one’s career once they are employed in different organizations (Arkin 2007). The research further suggested that employees who look go od and sound right are usually rated highly by their employers and the probability of them losing their jobs is usually minimal. In essence, looking good attracts a myriad of premium rewards for both the person and organization at large whereas those who are unattractive and have a poor personality in most situations lose out on several job opportunities (Boxall 2008). Moreover, having in place a clearly defined staff is the key component that ensures customers to a particular organization have a clearly defined experience that warrants their coming back for the same services once again and consequently creates a solid positive internal culture of an organization. It is ideal that organizations have a culture that existing employees are well versed with so that when the recruitment process for new staff is commenced, it is one that runs smoothly. New recruits to any given organization should find in place, a culture where staff are usually well dressed and converse excellently with customers thereby prompting an easier transitioning process for new staff into the operations of an organization. Efficiently articulating a particular dress code for existing staff is key in determining and sourcing for new recruits who will promote the same culture and easily get acclimatized with the practices of any given organization which in return will yield posit ive results for the same company (Churchard 2010). Indeed, some positions within an organization do require employees with a particular set of skills usually defined as experience and qualifications for a specific job but setting out a hunt on this basis is the first step that organizations usually make during their recruitment process; companies should attend to the recruitment process with a different perception where the individual’s character is assessed for they are buying into the person’s character and not their qualifications. Possessing both this attributes is a plus for any prospecting employee and is a sure combined package to score one a job (Faccini and C 2010). Arguably, the perception of looking good and sounding right in a respectable number of business circles usually refers to an individual’s physical appearance, a definition that has triggered a trend of the working class turning to the gym as a means of staying fit. The service sector for instance has rampantly changed over the years where unlike the previous years where service providers never met their customers currently employees are always in constant contact with their customer; a fact that influences the need for staff to dress the part and portray their organization in positive light (Emott 2007). How affluent and efficient an employee’s speech is determines the placement of any given company as a brand to all its customers which is greatly dependent on the employees. The enforcement and prescription for employees to embody both the aspects of looking and sounding good is referred to as aesthetic labour and this characteristics play an integral point of how new e mployees to any organization relate with customers. Companies have learnt that before their recruitment process, that for the success of any business to be achieved, recruitment of workers should be expressively based on labour aesthetics of any individual before they are taken in. Finding and incorporating the right people with this kind of characteristics is a daunting task for many organizations and the only means of recruiting an individual with the right skill set involves having in place a well structured selection system during the recruitment process (Hofstede 1997). However, the daunting recruitment process does not stop at this point, it is equivocally difficult to select out a specific candidate who suits the needed requirements for your organization. Fast forward to the case of Nestle Group of companies which has a human resource policy that the company abides by whenever any recruitment is being carried out in their group of companies across the world (Kaplan 1992). Their recruitment processes is respectful of the varied legislation practices of different countries but above all the recruitment strategy is underpinned under the mantra of looking good and sounding right as a means of selecting new recruits into various positions of their wide range of companies across the globe. Underpinned in the promotion of its human resource policy, is the responsibility for employees of the organization to be capable of satisfying the needs of its customers (Hutchinson 2003). The human resource department is tasked with the requisite responsibility of proposing individuals that suit the aforementioned requirements. Furthermore, the Nestle Group has in place a mentorship programme that offers guidance to new recruits into the organization so that the company’s mission statement can be achieved in the simplest ways possible after assessment of recruits on the basis of how they look and sound good before the customers (Letmathe 2008). This partnership and mentorship programme between existing staff and new incoming staff is an efficient means that has been in use for a very long period of time for people recruitment and their management in general. The recruitment cases of both Nestle Group and Richer Sounds demonstrates that companies are currently turning to the looking good and sounding good trait in applicants as a means of selecting who is suitable for any given position within their organizations (Paton 2008 ). This trend has been fuelled by the fact that there exists a broader pool of unemployed individuals with right qualifications but they cannot secure for themselves any jobs; looking good and sounding right is the ideal means used to disqualify this wide pool of applicants. Looking good and sounding right has become the ideal filtering tool for companies when they are sourcing and on a search for new employees through a well structured recruitment process. Irrespective of the fact that recruitment of new staff by the human resource department is a difficult task, clearly defining what the human resource management is looking for in a customer then crafting a description of the same as a recruitment step is usually in strumental in attracting the right cadre of individuals any given company is keen on hiring despite the fact that there are many people out there looking for jobs. Looking out for these two qualities in individuals is the first step towards narrowing down the wide numbers of applicants for any given job so that any company’s job opening can remain with only potential clients that can meet the values of the company while at the same time promoting the mission statement of the same company. Categorical in the recruitment process and requirements for applicants is the prospect of an applicant having passion for whatever job they are trying to achieve, their commitment to any given company, their general problem-solving skills and lastly any relevant experience they have in the field being advertised (Ritzer 1985). Clearly outlining what as an organization you need in an applicant is instrumental in helping organizations know how attentive applicants are to detail as opposed to only looking at their resume which offers little or rather basic information about an individual. Before conceptualizing and kick-starting any particular recruitment and selection process, an organization must first attune its strategy to be relatively inclined to the values of the organization and is fully supportive of the organization’s culture. Pre-employment testing like the case of Richer Sounds is an ideal way in determining whether or not a company is making a wise decision by investing into an individual with the set capabilities of looking good and sounding right so that an organization can fully accrue its set goals (Gilmore 2000). The people recruitment strategy is a determining factor on whether a company is going to succeed or fail and also influential on how employees develop during their stay in a particular organization thus there general motivation that in return bears fruit through excellent service delivery to customers. New recruits embodying the prospect of looking good and sounding right is highly dependent on how the company itself is culturally inclined towards the promotion these two traits. References Arkin, Anderson. Street Smart . People Management , 2007: 28-29. Boxall, . Purcell. Strategy and Human Resource Management. London : Houndsmills: Palgrave McMillan , 2008. Churchard, Christopher. Power brokers. People Management , 2010: 38-40. Emott, Drucker. CSR Laid Bare . Harper Business , 2007: 14-32. Faccini, R., and Hackworth C. Changes in output, employment and wages during recesrecessions in the UK . Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin, 2010: 43-50. Fernandez-Araoz, Claudio, Boris Groysberg, and Nitin Nohria. The Definitive Guide to Recruiting . Harvard Business Review , 2009 : 14-21. Fisher, Annie. How to spot the right cultural fit in a job interview. August 8, 2014. http://fortune.com/2014/08/08/job-interview-cultural-fit/ (accessed January 16, 2015). Gilmore, Stewart. The McDonaldization of Society: New Century Edition. London : Pine Forge Press, 2000. Hofstede, George. Cultures and Organisations: Software of the Mind. London : McGraw Hill , 1997. Hutchinson, Purcell. HR roles and responsibilities: the 2010 IRS survey. IRS Employment Review , 2003: 14-17. Kaplan, Norton. The balanced scorecard. Harvard Business Review , 1992: 71-79. Letmathe, P. Brabeck. The Nestle HR Policy Report . Policy Report , New York : Ndestlesy Inc. , 2008. Martin, Malcolm, and Fiona Whiting. Human Resource Practice . In Recruitment and Selection , by Tricia Jackson, 109-157. London : CIPD , 2010. McMillan, Andrew. Recruitment at Richer Sounds . London : Cambridge University Press , 2014. Nickson, Dennis, and Eli Dutton. The importance of attitude and appearance in the service encounter in retail and hospitality. Managing Service Quality, 2005: 195-204. Paton, Oliver. Gen Up: How the Four Generations Work Together,. Joint Survery Report , London : CIPD , 2008 . Quast, Lisa. Companies Are Using Social Media In The Hiring Process. May 21, 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/05/21/recruiting-reinvented-how-companies-are-using-social-media-in-the-hiring-process/ (accessed January 17, 2015). Ritzer, Solomon. Packaging the service provider. Service Industries Journal, 1985: 65-72. Taylor, Kate. Recruiting and Hiring Top-Quality Employees. August 23, 2008. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/76182 (accessed January 16, 2015). Warhurst, Chris. Employee Screening nad Selection . References for Business , 2012: 134-152. Source document

Glacial Trimlines and Nunataks in Assynt Region of Scotland

Glacial Trimlines and Nunataks in Assynt Region of Scotland Title To what extent are glacial trimlines and nunataks present in the Assynt region of North West Scotland and how does this affect features above and below the boundary? or To what extent is a glacial trimline present in the Assynt region of North West Scotland and how does it affect features above and below the proposed boundary? Abstract The Assynt region of North West Scotland, north of the town of Ullapool, is located on The Moine Thrust belt, which stretches from Lock Eriboll on the north coast to the Isle of Skye, approximately 120 miles south. This marks the point where the old Moine schist rock, around 1,000Ma, thrust over younger rocks, creating an unconformity between the Moine schist and the Durness limestone, which was metamorphosed and altered below the thrust, from 500Ma. The area is rich in Quaternary geology, providing evidence of direct ice action and periglacial features not directly linked to ice flow. These Quaternary features are split by a theoretical thermal boundary called a glacial trimline, supposedly representing the highest vertical extent of the glacier, with periglacial features lying above the boundary and ice flow erosional features below. These features will be studied in order to provide evidence for the trimline, with the measurement of rock hardness around the area providing the best information. Background Geology The oldest rocks present, gneisses of the Lewisian complex, of Archaean age, have undergone three major periods of deformation, the first of these being the Badcallian event, where dominant foliation was produced, followed by the second period of deformation called the Inverian event. The Scourie dykes, a suite of dykes, intruded the Lewisian complex before being deformed during the third period of deformation, named the Laxfordian event, dated around 1.7Ga. The Lewisian complex can be divided into the Rhiconich, Assynt, Gruinard and Southern Terranes. The boundary between the Assynt and Gruinard terranes lies along the Canisp Shear Zone. Both hold different tectonic histories, but were combined by the Palaeoproterozoic, around 2.4Ga, evident from the intrusion of the Scourie Dykes. (Trewin, N.H, 2003) The Archaean Lewisian rocks are then unconformably overlain by the Torridon group of red sandstones and conglomerates, deposited in fluiviatile and lacustrine environments, dated approximately between 1.2Ga to 1Ga in the Proterzoic. These red sandstones were introduced by rivers and buried under old hills and mountains. The Torridon sandstones, tilted, eroded and overlaid the previous Stoer group around 1Ga. (http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/~oesis/nws/nws-geolhist.html) After a subsequent period of uplift and non-deposition, the region was transgressed and marine Cambrian quartz arenites unconfomormably overlaid the Torridon and Lewisian groups. These quartz arenites differ from the Torridon sandstones, particularly in their white colour and via the presence of vertical burrows from ichnogenera Skolithos and Monocraterion, highlighting the early Cambrian as the upper age bound. (K.M. Goodenough et al, 2009) The Fucoid Member, a thin detailed unit of brown weathered siltstones, overlies the quartzites. (Trewin, N.H, 2003) This in turn is followed by the Salterella Grit member, a very thin layer of quartzites, which overlies the fucoid member, all of which are dated as early Cambrian in age. Comformably overlying the clastic unites is the Durness group of carbonates, the youngest sediments in the region, which range in age from early Cambrian to early Ordovician, around 542-475 Ma. (Trewin, N.H, 2003) Abundant thrusting is present throughout the Assynt region from late Ordoivician to early Silurian times with widespread deformation having occurred. Four thurst sheets are present, the lowest of which, the Moine sheet, containing units allocated to the Moine Supergroup, settled upon the Lewisian complex, deposited around 900Ma. (Krabbendam, M. and Leslie, A. G, 2010) The sediments within the Moine supergroup are predominanty shallow marine arkosic sandstones. Major movement along the Moine thurst occurred around 440-430 Ma, recorded via Rb-Sr dating of mylonites, also showing the fine grained platy rock mylonite formation along the thrust. (Freeman, S,R et al, 1998) Quaternary Geology of the area Over the last 2 million years, the landscape of North West Scotland has been dramatically altered by climate change, believed to fit the ‘Milankovitch’ timescale. Fluctuations of temperature, from periods of warmth to periods of cold and ice have specifically transformed upland areas. The weight of the ice caused the country to be lowered, coupled with lower sea levels due to the capture of water in the ice, before abrupt climate change forced melting of the glaciers and ice sheets. This triggered the release of vast amounts of water, depositing sands and gravels offshore and in river valleys. (Lowe, J. J. and Walker, M. J. C, 1997) Alongside this, sea levels dramatically rose due to the massive increase in water, forming beaches above the sea level, left today as raised beaches. (http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/geology/scotland/ice.asp) The movement of the ice due to gravity under its own weight and its fluid nature caused destruction in its path. Due to its destructive nature, evidence is removed, making timing, extent and individual impacts difficult to record. During the past 30,000 years, there have been three major periods of glaciation, with interglacial periods interspersed, where there was no ice during summer months except in some areas of high latitude and altitude. Shorter periods between glacials are termed interstadials, when warm temperatures present and stadials, where temperatures are relatively cool. Two of these glacial periods had a profound effect on the Assynt region. The first and oldest of these glacial periods, named the Late Glacial Maximum, is dated approximately between 29,000-22,000 years ago. An ice sheet of over 800m in thickness was present, leaving only a small number of nunataks visible. Nunataks are exposed peaks or ridges above the ice sheet, often rocky in nature. The youngest glacial event is the Loch Lomond Stadial, around 13,000 to 11,000 years ago, named after the Loch itself, which formed as a result of glacial movement due to the removal of rocks, dug out by the ice. (http://www.scottishgeology.com/geo/regional-geology/midland-valley/south-end-of-loch-lomond). It left moraines, nunataks and outwash terraces in many valleys and some small moraines in corries, with the moraines helping to chart the ice margin retreat. The period was ended due to a rapid increase in climatic temperature, subsequently starting the Holocene. Glacial features are present around the Assynt region which help to chart ice flow direction. These include striations, grooves, crescent gauges and friction cracks to name a few, each of these mostly on a small scale and therefore easily recordable. They are found most commonly on the Cambrian quartzite and the pipe rock; however, small numbers have been mapped on Torridon sandstone. Striations are formed by abrasion of loose rocks and pebbles at the base of a glacier, forming scratches in the rock, the direction of the scratch indicating the directional flow of the ice. At times however, they can be confusing due to different glaciers at later dates cross cutting the previously formed striations from a different direction. The striations have to be subsequently studied in detail to determine which period of ice movement came first. Gauges, in the form of crescent moon shapes, form when boulders within an ice sheet or glacier are pressed against the bedrock. These boulders rotate sl ightly as the ice sheet or glacier moves, dragging them simultaneously with the rotation, causing crescent shaped indents in the bedrock. Gauges are useful for determining flow direction, as the flow of ice often points in the same direction as the gauge. Gauges can often be easily confused with friction cracks if they have been altered by weathering; however, gauges are normally greater in size. Friction cracks are formed due to an increase in friction between the ice sheet and bedrock below it, with boulders and pebbles bouncing off the bedrock, meaning pressure is not continuous. In terms of ice flow direction, they point in the opposite way to the gauges. Moraines, another feature of glacial movement, are accumulations of deposited till. Different moraines are formed in different areas passed by the glacier. Terminal moraines form at the terminus, or end of the furthest point reached by the ice, whereas lateral moraines form at each side of the glacier and medial moraines are formed at the intersection between two glaciers. The deposition of the till can happen in three different areas of the glacier, with subglacial at the bottom of the glacier, marginal deposition on the margins of the ice, and supraglacial sitting on the surface of the ice sheet. Fluvial action can subsequently rework the deposited till and moraines, mutating their characteristics and morphology. Till fabrics can also be studied in order to provide evidence of glaciation. Tills are deposited at different areas of the ice flow, with the position of these and the orientation of the clasts helping to map the direction of ice flow in the area. Periglacial landforms are also present in the region, categorized as areas that form adjacent to glacial terrain or in areas of close similarity and that hypothetically form above the proposed trimline, where freeze thaw weathering often occurs. Patterned ground features are some of the most common structures found, including stripes, nets, circles, polygons and steps, each formed either by sorting or non-sorting of sediment. Nets and stripes are the two most common of these features found in the Assynt region. Nets are found between polygons and circles, with small scale earth hummocks with a core of mineral soil being a common unsorted net. Stripes form on steep slopes, with sorted stripes comprising of alternate stripes of fine and coarse material and are particularly prominent under conditions of permafrost. (Washburn, A.L, 1979) It is believed that both are formed by repeated freeze thaw weathering on sloped ground. Blockfields are one of these features, predominantly found on m ountain plateaus in unglaciated areas, helping to provide evidence of the trimline. They form as a result of freeze thaw weathering, where rocks are shattered in situ and jointed, both vertically and horizontally. They are often made up of shattered quartzite. Solifluction is another feature of periglacial weathering, involving the mass wasting from freeze thaw cycles. Silty and sandy soils are common in solifluction, with the process forming lobes, terraces, stripes and hummocks. Aim Trimlines The aim of the project is to discover the existence of a glacial trimline, which marks the highest point of the most recent glacier or ice sheet. However, it is apparent that in some areas, unmodified periglacial terrain survived glacial maxima under cold based ice and in these scenarios, the trimline represents a thermal boundary between cold based ice and warm based ice. (Elias, S.A, 2006). Other hypothesis include a timeline cut by glacial readvance during ice-sheet downwastage, or the trimline forming during initial ice-sheet downwastage under periglacial conditions. ((Goudie, A.S, 2003) The sharpness of this boundary relied upon the effectiveness and intensity of glacial erosion, the degree of frost weathering after its formation and the downslope mass movement during and after deglaciation. (Goudie, A.S, 2003) Schmidt hammer measurements, detailing hardness, the roughness of the rocks present around the proposed boundary and measurements of differential relief are amongst some of the ways in which these hypotheses have been tested. Studies in other areas, such as the Gap of Dunloe, Ireland, using these measuring techniques, have shown that periglacial trimlines mark the upper limit of a body of ice. (Rae, A.C, Harrison, S et al, 2004). Similar results are expected to be seen in the Assynt region. What we need For the project to be successful and for our research to be undertaken, a number of items will be necessary. Field maps will be vital in order to navigate to proposed sites, whilst also allowing outcrops and features to be marked. These maps will range in scale from large maps of the whole area, at a 1:10000 scale to small more precise maps for more detailed study and navigation. To study our hypothesis of glacial trimlines, Schmidt hammers will be needed in order to measure the hardness of the rocks, where the rocks should be softer above the boundary. A GPS system will also be necessary, equipped with an altitude reader, allowing site positioning to be recorded precisely, for revisits for further study. The size of certain facies and outcrops will need to be measured accurately, so a long tape measure will be needed. A compass clinometer will be necessary for measuring strike and dip of glacial features such as striations and to ascertain the direction that certain features face, a llowing ice flow direction to be understood. A geological hammer would also be a useful addition to the study, allowing segments of rocks unaltered by moss and weather conditions to be studied. Coupled with this will be a hand lens and grainsize charts, allowing the rocks to be studied in precise detail. Due to the nature of our study, in regards to finding the thermal trimline boundary, a large number of mountain peaks will have to be scaled, so warm and weatherproof clothes will be needed according to weather conditions. The Schmidt hammer, GPS, compass clinometer and tape measure will be borrowed from the university geology department, where the maps needed will also be highlighted and printed. Methodologies To test the hypothesis of the existence of a glacial trimline, Schmidt hammer measurements will have to be taken around the peaks of mountains. The Schmidt hammer is a portable instrument, which measures the distance of rebound when pressed against the outcrop using a spring. This measures the hardness of the rocks, allowing a difference to be seen in the rocks above and below the boundary. The rocks above at or above the boundary should be softer as they have been affected by periglacial weathering. (Rae, A.C, Harrison, S et al, 2004) A number of readings, between 20 and 30, will be taken over a transect of an outcrop, allowing an average to be recorded. This method will be repeated at a number of different outcrops on a number of different mountain peaks, eventually showing the parameters of the trimline. The Schmidt hammer data will later be recorded in graphs and tables, noting where the hardness of the rocks changed dramatically. Ice flow features will be present in large quantities below the trimline. These include striations, grooves, crescent gauges and friction cracks. A range of these measurements, approximately 20-30 will be taken of each feature over a number of outcrops in order to gain an average and to ascertain from the results an ice flow direction. These will be measured using rulers to ascertain the size of the feature, whilst a compass clinometer will be used to measure their strike and dip and the overall distance it faces. These features can be drawn onto rose diagrams, clearly and concisely showing the flow direction of the ice. Till fabric analysis, in the form of a sedimentary sequence and log, will be performed in a systematic fashion, rather than being determined by natural geology and morphology like the methods highlighted above. This will be done over a chosen exposure, where it will be carefully logged by choosing clasts one by one on a transect across the exposure, measuring their dip direction and roundness, before noting their rock type. This will be repeated at a number of different heights, before converting the figures recorded during the day into a sedimentary sequence and stereonet diagrams. References Andrews, J.T. Techniques of Till Fabric Analysis. Technical Bulleting No. 6, British Geomorphological Research Group, pp 43, 1971 Ballantyne, C.K Harris, C, The Periglaciation of Great Britain, Cambridge University press, 1995 Bradwell, T Krabbendam, K, Lateral plucking as a mechanism for elongate erosional glacial bedforms: explaining megagrooves in Britain and Canada, British Geologic society, 2011 Elias, S.A, Encyclopedia of Quaternary Science, Elsevier Science Ltd, 2006 Fabel, D, Ballantyne, C.K Xu, S, Trimlines, blockfields, mountain-top erratics and the vertical dimensions of the last British Ice sheet in NW Scotland, Quaternary Science reviews, Vol 55, pp 91-102, 2012 FREEMAN, S. R., BUTLER, R. W. H., CLIFF, R. A. and REX, D. C. ‘Direct dating of mylonite evolution: a multi-disciplinary geochronological study from the Moine Thrust Zone, NW Scotland’,Journal of the Geological Society, 155(5), pp. 745–758, (1998) Goudie, A, The encyclopaedia of geomorphology, Routledge, 2003 Harris jr, S.E, Friction cracks and the direction of glacial movement, The Journal of Geology, vol 51, no. 4, 1943 Krabbendam, M. and Leslie, A. G. ‘Lateral variations and linkages in thrust geometry: the Traligill Transverse Zone, Assynt Culmination, Moine Thrust Belt, NW Scotland’,Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 335(1), pp. 335–357, 2010 K.M. Goodenough et al, Digital surface models and the landscape: Interaction between Bedrock and Glacial geology in the Ullapool area, British Geological Society, 2009 Lawson, T.J, Former ice movement in Assynt, Sutherland, as shown by the distribution of glacial erratics, Scottish Journal of Geology 26, 1990 Lawson, T.J, Glacial striae and former ice movement: the evidence from Assynt, Sutherland, Scottish Journal of Geology 32, 1996 Lowe, J. J. and Walker, M. J. C.Reconstructing Quaternary environments. 2nd edn. United Kingdom: Prentice-Hall, 1997 Mendum, J.R et al, Lewisian, Torridonian and Moine Rocks of Scotland, GCR Volume No. 34, 2009 McCarroll, D., Ballantyne, C. K., Nesie, A. Dahl, S.-O. 1995. Nunataks of the last ice sheet in northwest Scotland. Boreas, 24:305–323. Stoker, M. Bradwell, T. 2005 The Minch palaeo-ice stream, NW sector of the British-Irish Ice Sheet. Journal of the Geological Society, 162 (3). 425-428. Trewin, N. H.The Geology of Scotland. 4th edn. United Kingdom: Geological Society Publishing House. 2003 University of Birmingham field guide – Assynt field course Washburn, A.L, Geocryology, Edward Arnold, London, pp 122-156, 1979 http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/10ag.html http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/~oesis/nws/nws-geolhist.html http://www.discoverassynt.co.uk/landscape-geology.php http://www.see.leeds.ac.uk/structure/assyntgeology/extra_info/about_us/project_details.htm http://www.scottishgeology.com/geo/regional-geology/midland-valley/south-end-of-loch-lomond/ http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/geology/scotland/ice.asp http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/geology/scotland.pdf

The Future of the Human Genome Project Essay -- Science Genetics Biolo

The Future of the Human Genome Project Can you imagine knowing your own genetic code? Going into the doctor for a routine physical and leaving with the knowledge of your genetic downfalls so that you may prevent disease and cancers. This may seem unbelievable but it is likely to be implemented in the near future. Since the start of the human genome project, the medical community has been anxiously awaiting its completion because the applications it has to this field are obviously enormous. However, we still have much to learn about genetic variability and the information we gain can be used to prevent, repair, and eradicate illness. About fifteen years ago at a conference near Salt Lake City, the Department of Energy brought up a question that would change the face of science, more specifically molecular genetics. They questioned why there was no DNA research on the way mutations are detected and they decided to change that. Thus, the Human Genome Project was born. Actually there was a lot more planning to do before the work began, ranging from the technical aspects to developing a separate commission dealing with the ethical issues. Eight years after officially starting the project, the public is in awe of what has been accomplished. The projected goal is to have an accurate, complete sequence of human DNA by the year 2003, two years sooner than previously expected (Collins, 1998). The reason for the project is on schedule is that innovative techniques are being applied in DNA sequencing that are more cost effective as well as more efficient. The discovery of new techniques, as well as developing extensive genetic and physical maps have been the primary goals of the project. A detailed genetic map will enable scienti... ...ring in our lives. The question is, "Are we ready for them?" References 1- Human Genome Project Information. Obtained 10/8/98: http://www.ornl.gov/TechResources/Human_Genome/home.html. 2- About the Human Genome Project. Obtained 10/08/98: http://www.nhgri.nih.gov/Policy_and_public_affairs/Communications/Publications/Maps_to_medicine/about.html. 3- Collins, Francis S., et al. "New Goals for the U.S Human Genome Project: 1998-2003." Science. 23 Oct. 1998: 682-689. 4- Suzuki, David, and Peter Kundtson. Genethics: the clash between the new genetics and human values. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1990. 5- Peters, Ted. Playing God? Genetic Determinism and Human Freedom. New York, NY: Routledge, 1997. 6- Fickett, James W., et al. The Human Genome Project: Deciphering the Blueprint of Heredity. Mill Valley, CA: University Science Books, 1994.

Cicero Essay -- History

Cicero Born Marcus Tullius Cicero in Arpinum (Italy) in 106 BC, he became a writer, statesman, orator and philosopher. He loved politics and he wrote only when he could not participate in government. He had a motto which he constantly strived for: to always be the best and over top the rest. Cicero had a high political career in Rome for that time as winning elections were almost always exclusively controlled by a group of wealthy aristocratic families. Cicero’s family was not one of them. Lacking this advantage there were essentially only two career options open to him; a military career, he was no soldier and hated war, or a career in law. He prepared for this by studying jurisprudence, rhetoric and philosophy. Then he began taking part in legal cases could lead to a career in law and did lead to political success. He proved to be excellent orator and lawyer and a shrewd politician. He was elected to each of the principal Roman offices on his first try at the earliest legal age and was now a member of the Roman senate but could only offer advice. Advice that would almost always be followed. But the Roman government was not a democracy but more of an oligarchy with only a few men wielding all economic and political power. During his term as consul in 63BC he was responsible for exposing the conspiracy of Catiline. Catiline was a plan to take over the Roman state by force. Cicero had the five conspirators put to death without trial. He became proud of this as...

Personal Narrative- Soccer State Championship Essay -- Personal Narrat

Personal Narrative- Soccer State Championship On February 28, 2005, I experienced one of the most exciting events that anyone could ever experience – winning a State Championship. The day my soccer team made history is a day I’ll never forget. However it is not just that day we won the title, but the whole experience of the preceding season that got us there. From start to finish, my team’s 2004-2005 season taught me that the platitude is true. You can do anything you set your mind to. From before day one, all our minds were set. This was the year to win a State Championship. I can’t exactly explain it, but right from the start I knew we were going to do it. I was never so sure about anything in my life and I never doubted it once. Yet it was a silent confidence, which I kept to myself. Though each of us was confident about winning state, we had much to work through before we made it there. The first few weeks of practice were full of bad attitudes and laziness. As a sophomore, I, along with the other underclassman, kept my mouth shut and put effort into practices. It was t...

Principles of Marketing (MRKT 310) Study Guide Essay

Overview Welcome to the Student Study Guide for Spring 2010. This document will assist you study throughout the semester and as you prepare for the common final exam required for all sections of MRKT 310. Your faculty member has been instrumental in the design of this test. Continue to seek his or her help understanding the material as the semester progresses. Many of the text concepts are not included in the final exam and your faculty member through written assignments, case studies, conferences, or other methods will assess your understanding of them. UMUC requires all proctored final exams in the School of Undergraduate Studies be closed book. Therefore, no notes or other study aids will be allowed in the testing center. This is a comprehensive final exam covering the entire course. All policies and procedures required by UMUC and the testing center apply. For those of you taking the paper and pencil version of the final exam, there are two versions (Version A and Version B) each consisting of an eight-page Test Instrument and a six-page Answer Sheet (pages 9 through 14). You may find it useful to detach the Answer Sheet from the Test Instrument to allow you easier access to both documents. Write your name and section number (e.g., 6980, 6981, 6982, etc.) on the Answer Sheet. You may write on the test instrument, but only responses on the Answer Sheet will be graded. For those of you taking the online version of the final exam, all instructions will be noted on your computer screen. The online final exam is identical to the paper-and-pencil version except for the question order. We strongly encourage you to sign up for the online version if it is available at your testing site. Please be warned that this is not an easy test and you should be prepared to spend the entire three-hour time allotment at your proctored testing center. Most of your time should be spent on the short and long essays. Do not dwell on the definitions and the multiple-choice sections. You will either know them or you won’t, depending on your preparation, and you will waste valuable time you will need for the essays. You should be receiving this common student study guide at the beginning of the semester. Print it out and keep it close at hand. Be sure to review it carefully and ask your faculty member any clarifying questions on either test format or content prior to the first day of finals week. Once finals week has begun, your faculty member will not be able to answer any questions regarding the final exam. When you finish your exam, return BOTH the Test Instrument and your completed Answer Sheet to your proctor. Answer Sheets returned without the Test Instrument will not be graded. Part I – Definitions (25 percent) You will need to know the definitions for 25 marketing terms. You will read the definition and select the correct answer from the Word Bank. Then, print the number of the correct term on your answer sheet. Following is the exact Word Bank as it will appear on your final exam. WORD BANK All correct terms for the above 25 statements can be found on this list. 1. Brand 2. value proposition 3. sales promotion 4. maturity 5. motive 6. economic environment 7. microenvironment 8. direct marketing 9. consumer perceived value 10. lifestyle 11. marketing mix 12. market segmentation 13. consumer market 14. Marketing information system 15. product mix 16. value delivery network 17. SWOT analysis 18. intensive distribution 19. price elasticity 20. positioning 21. commercialization 22. Product life cycle 23. product 24. target market 25. culture 1. Brand – is a name, sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific product, service, or business. 2. Value proposition – is an analysis and quantified review of the benefits, costs and value that an organization can deliver to customers and other constituent groups within and outside of the organization. 3. Sales promotion is one of the four aspects of promotional mix. (The other three parts of the promotional mix are advertising, personal selling, and publicity/public relations.) Media and non-media marketing communication are employed for a pre-determined, limited time to increase consumer demand, stimulate market demand or improve product availability. 4. Maturity 5. Motive – An emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action. 6. Economic environment – Economics is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. 7. The micro-environment consists of stakeholder groups that a firm has regular dealings with. The way these relationships develop can affect the costs, quality and overall success of a business. Suppliers, distributors, customers and competition. 8. Direct marketing – is a form of advertising that reaches its audience without using traditional formal channels of advertising, such as TV, newspapers or radio. Businesses communicate straight to the consumer with advertising techniques such as fliers, catalogue distribution, promotional letters, and street advertising. 9. Consumer perceived value – The value of a product is the mental estimation a consumer makes of it. Formally it may be conceptualized as the relationship between the consumer’s perceived benefits in relation to the perceived costs of receiving these benefits. It is often expressed as the equation: Value = Benefits / Cost 10. Lifestyle – A manner of living that reflects the person’s values and attitudes. 11. Marketing mix – Product, price, place and promotion. Packaging, People, Public Voice, Pamper, Politics and Physical Evidence. 12. Market segmentation – Market segmentation is a strategy that involves dividing a larger market into subsets of consumers who have common needs and applications for the goods and services offered in the market. These subgroups of consumers can be identified by a number of different demographics, depending on the purposes behind identifying the groups. Marketing campaigns are often designed and implemented based on this type of customer segmentation. 13. Consumer market – A defined group of consumers. Buyers and potential buyers of goods and services for personal and household use 14. Marketing information system – Set of procedures and practices employed in analyzing and assessing marketing information, gathered continuously from sources inside and outside of a firm. Timely marketing information provides basis for decisions such as product development or improvement, pricing, packaging, distribution, media selection, and promotion. See also market information system. 15. Product mix – Range of associated products which yield larger sales revenue when marketed together than if they are marketed individually or in isolation of others. 16. Value delivery network – A Value Delivery is a company’s supply chain and how it partners with specific suppliers and distributors in the process of producing goods and delivering them to market. It involves using competitive advantages external to the firm (suppliers, distributors, customers). 17. SWOT analysis – A scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). Such an analysis of the strategic environment is referred to as a SWOT analysis. 18. Intensive distribution – Marketing strategy under which a firm sells through as many outlets as possible, so that the consumers encounter the product virtually everywhere they go: supermarkets, drug stores, gas stations, etc. Soft drinks are generally made available through intensive distribution. 19. Price elasticity – Is an elasticity used in economics to show the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good or service to a change in its price. 20. Positioning – In marketing, positioning has come to mean the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. 21. Commercialization – is the process or cycle of introducing a new product into the market. 22. Product life cycle – A new product progresses through a sequence of stages from introduction to growth, maturity, and decline. This sequence is known as the product life cycle and is associated with changes in the marketing situation, thus impacting the marketing strategy and the marketing mix. 23. Product – An item that ideally satisfies a market’s want or need. 24. Target market – Involves breaking a market into segments and then concentrating your marketing efforts on one or a few key segments. 25. Culture – Represents the behavior, beliefs and, in many cases, the way we act learned by interacting or observing other members of society. In this way, much of what we do is shared behavior, passed along from one member of society to another. Part II – Multiple Choice (20 percent) There are 20 multiple-choice questions from which you can select a, b, c, or d responses. Be careful as most multiple-choice questions will have at least two choices that look feasible. Select the one that is the most on point. The multiple-choice questions are both definitional and application types. Select the correct letter of your choice and write it on the Answer Sheet in the appropriately numbered box. The following list comprises those concepts from the text, which you can expect to be assessed via the final exam. They are presented in order of the course objectives. Course Objective 1 – understand how marketing strategy creates a positive relationship between a firm and its customers. (Chapter 1) 1. Relationships between needs, wants, demands – is the process by which companies determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development.[1] It is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers in return. Marketing is used to identify the customer, to keep the customer, and to satisfy the customer. With the customer as the focus of its activities, it can be concluded that marketing management is one of the major components of business management. The evolution of marketing was caused due to mature markets and overcapacities in the last 2-3 centuries. Companies then shifted the focus from production to the customer in order to stay profitable. The term marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions.[2] It proposes that in order to satisfy its organizational objectives, an organization should anticipate the needs and wants of consumers and satisfy these more effectively than competitors. 2. Marketing management orientations – An organization with a market orientation focuses its efforts on 1) continuously collecting information about customers’ needs and competitors’ capabilities, 2) sharing this information across departments, and 3) using the information to create customer value. 3. The market orientation simply defines an organization that understands the importance of customer needs, makes an effort to provide products of high value to its customers, and markets its products and services in a coordinated holistic program across all departments. In what we call the â€Å"Marketing Concept,† the company embraces a philosophy that the â€Å"Customer is King.† The Marketing Concept is an attitude. It’s a philosophy that is driven down throughout the organization from the very top of the management structure. The Marketing Concept communicates that â€Å"the customer is king.† Everything that the company does focuses on the customer. Via the Marketing Concept, a company makes every effort to best understand the wants and needs of its target market and to create want-satisfying goods that best fulfill the needs of that target market and to do this better than the competition. The term  marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions.[2] It proposes that in order to satisfy its organizational objectives, an organization should anticipate the needs and wants of consumers and satisfy these more effectively than competitors. 4. Partner relationship management – is a business strategy for improving communication between companies and their channel partners. 5. Importance and process of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) – is a company-wide business strategy designed to reduce costs and increase profitability by solidifying customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. True CRM brings together information from all data sources within an organization (and where appropriate, from outside the organization) to give one, holistic view of each customer in real time. This allows customer facing employees in such areas as sales, customer support, and marketing to make quick yet informed decisions on everything from cross-selling and upselling opportunities to target marketing strategies to competitive positioning tactics. Course Objective 2 – Appreciate the importance of ethics and social responsibility in marketing. (Chapter 20) Differences between consumerism and environmentalism – is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods or services in ever greater amounts. environmentalism – is a broad philosophy and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the state of the environment. 1. Sustainable marketing principles 2. Role of ethics and corporate responsibility Course Objective 3 – Understand the role of marketing within an organization and how marketing relates to and drive customer-focused company strategy. (Chapter 2) 1. Marketing’s role in company wide strategic planning 2. Difference between value chain and value delivery network 3. Contents of a marketing plan and general idea of what is included in each section 4. Consumer (or customer-driven) oriented marketing strategy Course Objective 4 – Describe the impact of external and internal environments on marketing strategy. (Chapters 3, 18) 1. Major actors in a company’s microenvironment 2. Major forces in a company’s macroenvironment 3. Competitive positions Course Objective 5 – Demonstrate ability to analyze, synthesize and integrate key marketing concept of market research, consumer behavior, segmentation, targeting and positioning on practical situations. (Chapters 4, 5, 7) 1. Difference between a marketing information system and marketing intelligence 2. Psychological factors affecting a person’s buying choices 3. Marketing targeting strategies Course Objective 6 – Define and apply the marketing processes underlying product, price, place, and promotion decisions. (Chapters 8, 9, 10, 12, 14) 1. Product and service classifications 2. Three levels of products 3. Branding strategies 4. Customer equity 5. Characteristics of services product life cycle strategies 6. Role of profits in delivering customer value 7. Setting prices based on customer perceptions of value 8. Differences between direct and indirect marketing channels Part III – Short Essay Responses (25 percent) There are six short essay response questions; but you need to complete ONLY FIVE. All of the short essay questions are looking for something specific and may involve a listing of steps or stages in a marketing process. It will be difficult for you to answer these questions unless you know the material. You do not have to use the exact terminology, but you do have to demonstrate you know the steps or stages for maximum credit. Your essay responses need to be recorded on the Answer Sheet in the space provided (approximately l/3 page), but if you need additional room you may use the backside of the Answer Sheet. Be sure to mark the continued question number clearly. Leave the essay question you are skipping blank. Each short essay response is worth 5 points. Chapter (one question per chapter) Marketing concept to be tested 2 Elements in a company’s microenvironment and why each group is important to create value 20 Be prepared to name a company you believe practices enlightened marketing and defend your selection 8 Importance and selection of the four brand strategy decisions. 8 Characteristics of services 9 Marketing strategies for each stage of the product life cycle 11 Pricing strategies for new products There are three long essay questions that will require you to merge multiple marketing concepts and apply them to a specific scenario. You ONLY NEED TO ADDRESS TWO OF THE THREE LONG ESSAYS. The more specifics you can demonstrate the more credit you can earn. You may want to outline your response on the backside of the Test Instrument prior to writing your response on the Answer Sheet so you can organize your thoughts and in the sequence you want them presented to your faculty member for grading. Each long essay question is worth 15 points. The long essay questions will cover the following marketing topics: 1. Integrated Marketing Communications – Be prepared to recommend an IMC strategy including a marketing communications mix and rationale for a new consumer product 2. Customer Relationship Management – Be prepared to outline a CRM strategy for a small business, including recommendations for specific CRM tools to capture customer value for that company’s most valued customers. 3. Segmentation, targeting and positioning – Be prepared to outline the characteristics of at least three distinct market segments for a national chain referring to the criteria for effective segments. Be prepared to defend your choices. From all your marketing faculty members — good luck on this exam and the remainder of your academic career.

Interviewing Elderly Person

Jheanell Thompson March 28, 2009 LEH301/0792 Black Image Midterm Research Observation Midterm Observation On March 18th, 2009 at Lehman College the college hosted an Educational College Summit for staff, incoming college students and current college students. The topic was based on â€Å"Increase in the Number of New York City High School Graduates Enrolling at CUNY Colleges,† which shows the rising of Blacks and Hispanic High School students from New York City Public Schools that are enrolling into CUNY four year senior and community colleges. More students enrolling from the public schools into CUNY colleges is the proof of the education reforms that are working and preparing students better for higher education opportunities,† mayor Bloomberg had quoted in his speech at the school summit. The summit was educational the reason why is because College Summit inundates these workshop students with resources, such as writing coaches, mentors and trained counselors, in orde r to instill in them the belief that they indeed are ‘college material,’ while providing them with the information and knowledge to enroll in college.College Summit's is to increase the college enrollment rate of low-income students. With high schools, colleges, employers, community leaders and the public sector, College Summit is to work to ensure that every student who can make it in college makes it to college. A growing number of schools, teachers and counselors now have the tools through professional development training provided by College Summit on how to best support the needs of students through the college application process.Educators are also using College Summit's curriculum to break down the application process into more ease. Schools, too, now have the kind of data and support they need to make college access for all students a priority. For preparation of high school student I believe students do succeed at completing their education, progressing into hi gher education can appear to be succeeded with obstacles that cannot be overcome. Yet, we have low income families that should be determine in receiving a college education when the student desires to progress through school.Low income students can be assisted with financial aid from state and federal entities that will allow them to afford higher education. Also, if students that comes from families that have previously attended college, are more likely too easily for students entering college. So, since one of the goals of high schools in the public education system is to prepare students for life following high school, it appears that part of that preparation should be for the student to understand the processes associated with entering higher education.One thing that the mayor speaks on was High School students are now receiving their high school diploma and entering college at the same time. Today High School students are graduating on time is on the rise, because right now it is harder for dropout students to get jobs than for students with high school diplomas. Nowadays, students are required to have good skills in order to get good paying jobs. The only way they can get those skills is by staying in school and getting a diploma to prove they have acquired the skills they need for the job.To me I feel that High School Students should not be permitted to drop out of school because it will be harder for them to get good paying jobs. In our nation’s largest communities today our students of color, primarily African American and Latino are now finishing high school. I guess they now realizing that without a High School diploma can get no one anywhere in life, especially in today’s hard economy we are facing.The point is to reach out to students and point them to the right direction by funding mentoring programs, support groups and etc. I for example, I enjoy being a college student more than being a high school student. In the time that I have been in college, I have seen that more freedom is allowed to students in college than in high school. Such choices as the note taking, the environment, or class selection are a few examples of how college is less restrictive than high school.Because of the educational freedom and having more control over my education, I find being a college student more enjoyable than being a high school student. Schooling is a very important aspect in our lives and we must go through many steps to higher education; the most important steps in society today, are high school and college. Although high school and college aim for the same goal, college is the responsible factor. Since, I had to learn on my very own, since my first year of college as a freshman till now as a senior in college.

Managing Technology Essay

Q1. a. Explain briefly about Managing technology. Answer – Managing technology involves concepts like new venture, innovation, and research and R&D infrastructure. We can say that technology is the useful tool which controls the environment and also acts as an instrument which converts the natural resources in to useful goods. This is the main factor which affects the growth of an organization. & that’s why managing technology is essential for any organization. Some issues related to the Managing technologies described below * Technology and long-term cycles: There are some economists who argue that technology affects growth and recession in the world economy. The infrastructure is useful for maturation of the technologies. When the downturn starts to come up again then organizations has to invest the capital equipment that is based on the new technologies. * Technology and comparative advantage: At the national level, the firms will have more value when it has both the comparative advantage and also the technological lead. All the other companies from the world look for your organization. There are some of the emerging technologies that have to be dealt when you are discussing about managing technology. The emerging technologies are the new technologies that are sometime considered critical for humanity’s future. b. Explain any two alternatives for acquiring new technologies. We are presently living in the competitive world. The organizations have to use the advanced technologies to remain in competitive market of today, for long. The technology managers have less time, fewer resources and more problems for the implementation of the technology. There are many alternatives for acquiring the internal and external technologies. Some of these mentioned are the best * Develop technology in-house: This involves development of the technology within the house. In this, the company has to make an estimate of the financial costs that are associated with the Research and Development (R&D) and the cost of the opportunities that are associated with R&D. This also assesses the suitability of the employees for the new project * Enter into joint ventures: We know that many of the companies share the costs of the new technology; in the same way, the benefits are also shared. The membership of the research gets more attraction when the risks are high and the costs are heavy. There will be existence of very good relationship between the key supplier and the major customer. Q2. a. Explain in brief about the six phases in technology forecasting process. Answer- According to our working definitions, the main function of the technology is â€Å"to lead the decision making process towards profitable solutions with minimum uncertainties† Six phases of technology forecasting are * Identification of needs: After identifying the expected outputs and the objectives of the future, a thorough analysis is done in order to make sure the relevance of technology forecasting. * Prepare project: In this phase, the forecasting activities that are planned and resources are allocated. The roles of each human resource are carefully prepared and explained.. * Define objectives: This phase once again goes through the objectives that are defined in the first and second phases. This phase decides the dimensions of the forecast. * Perform analysis and develop Technology Forecast (TF): This is the central part of the present research. In this phase, we start with defining the boundaries of the technological system that has to be forecasted. * Validate results: in these steps forecasting process is to validate results. This includes the customer satisfaction with the results of TF. * Application of TF: The last phase in the technological forecast is the application of TF ·. This depends mainly on the needs and the formulated objectives. b. What are the benefits of technology absorption? The benefits that we get from technology absorption exercises, as evidenced by Government and industry experiences are * Repeated collaborations for the same product/ process are avoided. * Acquisition of further technologies becomes selective. * Ability is developed to unpackaged the technology * Savings can be affected in foreign exchange due to use of indigenous alternatives. * Effective utilization is made of available indigenous research expertise and facilities to achieve the desired results * Know-why and technology up gradation capabilities are built-up * Technically competent groups of scientists and engineers trained in technology absorption get matured and strengthened * The base for technological self-reliance is enhanced. We gain the benefits of technology diffusion, ranging from R&D services to the larger sales. * Industry should attempt to obtain best available technology closest to international trends and provide R&D at the stage of project planning. * Speedy indigenization of raw materials and components * Efforts for unpack aging and indigenization of tailor-made equipment in the acquired technology * Enhancing exports of products based on absorbed and upgraded technology. * use of national and international research facilities and expertise * Involving users, suppliers of components and materials, research organizations in undertaking absorption exercises. Q3. Explain in brief about the innovation management. Answer- We can define ‘innovation management’ as the systematic processes that help the organizations in developing new and improved products, services and business processes. This involves the use of creative ideas of an organization employee that brings new innovations to the market place, quickly and efficiently. In business, innovation should not be only limited to the big ground breaking ideas, creative workshops and product based companies. Innovation is often small, incremental changes to products, services and processes. The innovation involves all the managers from different departments. This needs to be planned and managed as a core business covering all parts of a business. This needs to be integrated at the strategic and operational levels. The activities of the innovation need to be driven by the strategy and current business imperatives. The successful innovation culture consists of all the aspects of a business, and these aspects have to be managed effectively and efficiently like any other core business. Innovation can be built into business, at three levels. The three levels are the annual business planning process, quarterly innovation and day-to-day activities. Innovation is managed through some sort of platform or application. There are two types of innovation tools that are, an electronic suggestion scheme, and a management system controlling the innovation process. The management of the innovation system needs to be given to the senior management to control the overall system of innovation. The best practices and tools are applied consistently and appropriately across the organization. Any platform should encourage for the learning activity as a core feature. Installing the innovation culture in any of the company has leaders and teams with ability and commitment. In order to create culture of continuous innovation, the organization requires leadership and commitment from the senior management team. The management team also sees that some staff members in the organization are rewarded for the innovative ideas they put in. The senior management needs to encourage the innovative ideas from the staff. Q4. Explain the implementation of new technology. Answer- Sound planning is essential for the success of any technology’s implementation. The failures that are likely to arise during the implementation process may be due to the poor planning or inadequate resources. Valuing the conflicts will facilitate the organization to keep away from these problems, and for the management, to anticipate the likely trouble spots and ease it accordingly. There are a number of less-substantial activities, which are critical and people those are involved must: 1.Have an understanding of the organization predominantly, in terms of its traditions and principles are essential. 2.The underlying principle of any new system implementation should be able to provide all the better services to all concerned through it. 3. This information has to be conversed to all concerned parties.4.A complete review of every business processes and, where required, academic practice, and developing and introducing new policies before tuning the system to meet the decided requirements should be undertaken. 5. The complete approval of the difficulty and flexibility of the system should be determined. 6. The inbuilt dangers of customization of any software should be understood. 7. A thorough system test procedures should be conducted, while accepting the likely need for software malfunction and improvements. 8. The training and development to be conducted for the internal staff should be planned in advance.9.The users must be trained, to use the system. Planning and implementation: A thorough plan with efficient management is necessary for success, and to work against the fear of high costs, extended time, losing key persons and common disappointment with the result Considerations for implementation  · Be aggressive: An important consideration when implementing a new technology is to be aggressive to set up a strong competitive edge  · Be cautious: If the new chosen technology provides revenue to your business, then it is necessary to be careful while making any major modifications in the new technology.  · Be quick: It is important for you to be quick enough to implement the small changes to your chosen technology and to supervise their impact.  · Be slow: If major changes affect your business, it is vital to make the implementation changes slowly.  · Be safe: During the implementation of a new technology, the better time to address the potential security needs is at the time of design and development. It is better to employ a security expert who will take care of the privacy of the organization. Q5. Briefly describe technological development options and strategies Answer- A country’s technology development strategy is determined by identifying the technological needs with potential technological developments in the world and a thorough assessment of available and emerging technologies. Then, the country determines a strategy to import technologies which can be produced locally. Now, there is a universal realization that unless a concerted attempt is made to build local technological capabilities for absorbing imported technologies, any attempt to develop indigenous technologies encounters enormous difficulties. Even with regard to imported technology, it is essential for a country to be able to select, digest, adapt and improve it for local consumption. All of these efforts justify greater priority and allocation of resources to R&D. A requirement for efficient utilization of R&D resources is the development of technological infrastructure within the country, including institution building, manpower development, and provision of support facilities and creation of a modern environment Whether or not an organization would generate or develop its own technology and with what intensity it would follow, the efforts in this respect would depend upon technology strategy it has planned or adopted. Though the term strategy is commonly used as an antonym of tactics it actually implies long-term, purposeful and interconnected efforts. Technology Strategy† may accordingly be defined as a strategy to deal with the technology and related issues at macro and micro levels, with respect to set objectives. Let us have a quick overview of types of technology strategies Macro-level strategy- At macro level, each country outlines and adopts a technology strategy to achieve its political, economic and social objectives and translates the same into action through appropriate policies and mechanisms. Micro-level strategy-The extraordinary range and potential uses of contemporary technology have important consequences for industrial and commercial firms. The industrial and organizational disorder produced by technological change, and increased international competitive pressures provide threats and opportunities for firms. An effective strategic approach to technology allows firms to cope better with these changes, and reduces the threats and insecurities facing them and their employees. The basic role of technology strategy in business planning is to help ask the questions like: what business the corporation plans to be in and how it should be positioned? Effective planning identifies the present decisions required to create desirable and competitive corporate futures. In particular, technology strategy must anticipate the transient impact of technological innovation on the future competencies of the corporation. Q6. Explain Technology Development Answer- Though, broadly speaking, the D · of R&D covers Technology Development the latter has much wider implication. Process- The various stages of technology development process or life cycle is starting from the generation of ideas in the R&D department. We may observe that this process is tedious and requires top management commitment and support from outside. Risk factor is large and the success rate depends upon the quality of inputs provided to the R&D department. Technology Development Approaches The approaches of technology development- * In-house R&D: Technology development activities are generally carried out through setting up of separate in-house R&D units within the business, managed and headed by a well-qualified and experienced chief, directly reporting to the top management. However, this unit has close interactions with other departments within the company and there could even be exchange of personnel among different departments. * Co-operative R&D: A group of companies in a particular industrial sector promotes an R&D centre as a society or a non-profit making company. The R&D is funded by the participating companies and the government. This R&D centre undertakes R&D as per the requirements of the companies in their larger interest, and sets up expertise and facilities of common nature and which are usually expensive. * Contract research: A company may contract components of technology development to suitable R&D organizations, academic institutions, or consultants or experts. The in-house R&D unit may coordinate the progress of the activities, to develop the desired technologies. This approach usually requires considerable internal technological and managerial capabilities coupled with strong Science and Technology (S&T) information base. * R&D collaboration: A company may collaborate with another company in areas of common interest, if costs of development are high. Such inter-firm collaborative R&D efforts are becoming common in developed countries mainly due to high costs and shorter technology life cycles. It is found in areas such as micro-electronics, materials, and information technologies. * Research societies: Large corporations or industrial houses may set up independent research societies, in addition to their in-house R&D units. Such societies may undertake R&D activities mostly relating to the broad interests of the promoting companies in line with the national interests. Research companies: Large firms of technology innovative industrialists may support research companies, specifically for conducting research and development of technologies for others on commercial basis. The development costs and reasonable profits are recovered from the sale and transfer of technologies.