Team Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Team Development - Essay Example The study of group behavior and team development has evolved from various disciplines originating among social scientists to organizational management. Contemporary studies of group behavior recognized the need to understand the relationships between group members and different factors affecting their development as a participating and performing team. There are studies which support the concept that groups influence work behavior. According to Heathfield (2010), a team is defined as â€Å"any group of people organized to work together interdependently and cooperatively to meet the needs of their customers by accomplishing a purpose and goals† (par. 1). Groups have to be planned not only in their formation but more so in their development for them to be productive and efficient. Each team undergoes varies stages of development depending on their size and objectives. The extent of cohesiveness that a team develops influences the level of performance of a group. High performing teams are influenced by factors such as mission, roles, leadership, communication, decision-making, systems/procedures, climate, rewards, and competence. It is learning how these teams evolve from a basic structure composed of individuals to a complex, performing team that makes theoretical applications of group development worthwhile. Being considered at the number 1 retail discount store in the US today makes Walmart the employer every employee seeks to be a part of. The Jobs and Employment News (JEN) site presented a career development study at Walmart which avers that â€Å"while many other companies look at training as an occasional issue, Walmart considers training as part of their regular work environment† (JEN, 2010, par. 4). The various training programs lined up for Walmart associates are as follows: new associate orientation, cashier simulated training (CST), summer internship program, manager in training (MIT), fresh food academy of classes, engagement

International Biz Management 4 questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Biz Management 4 questions - Essay Example The analysis of benefits and costs of moving the plant from US to Mexico are detailed below: Strategic Implications of Moving the Plant There can be a number of different reasons behind a company’s thought to move its operation, either completely or partly, to another country. As Plenert (2002) stated, out of various reasons for a company to relocate its operation, advantages of labor cost and total costs are the major drives for US companies to take wise decisions regarding relocations (p. 378). Moving to another country is strategically important as it helps a company gains more competitive advantages, build stronger brand worldwide etc. Benefits of labor cost and total costs are more evident in cases where companies decide to move from a developed country to a developing or under-developed country. Almost all major Multinationals have shown their place in China due to the availability of cheap labor that ensures increased productivity, greater accuracy and more effectivenes s in business operation. Relocating the plant from US to Mexico is not only driven by labor or total cost factor. ... und 50 % of Mexico’s total manufacturing assets are controlled by large Multinationals, mainly in border zones, making these border zones main cities of the country (Hamnett, 1999, p. 261). Moving company’s plant to Mexico thus helps the company gain greater advantages of labor and total cost, greater efficiency and increased productivity. But, if the company doesn’t decide to move, it may not be able to gain greater competitive advantages and ensuring the efficiency in its operation. Social Responsibility of the business in Mexico Social responsibility is perhaps one of the most important buzzwords of today’s business world. No matter whether the business stays in home or goes global, social responsibility is an extremely important factor that determines how good the business is and how far it can be successful. A business should never be a profit-only oriented business, but rather, it must seek to align its values, visions and strategies with needs, view s and perceptions of its various stakeholders, including employees, customers, government and wider social interests (Mallin, 2009, p. 1) When the company plans to move its plant from US to Mexico, it is highly important that its management must consider corporate social responsibility. An extensive market research may be required to recognize the tastes, specific requirements and interests of customers that it targets. As Kotler and Lee (2005) noted, social responsibility is a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary business practices and contributions of business practices (p. 3). The proposed manufacturing plant to be established in Mexico and its operational activities should be able to add values to the community well-being. Business activities that are mandated by law or are

Pilchard Impact and Requirement Essay Example for Free

Pilchard Impact and Requirement Essay Pilchard or sardines are groups of small fishes which belong to the herring family. They are caught almost throughout the year especially in the night. Pilchards are rich in minerals and they are usually consumed in different ways. They are also referred to as low-value pelagic species. Pilchard and Tuna The introduction of tuna farming had a major impact on pilchard hunting simply because it was found to be a major source of food for the tuna. This resulted in an increase emphasis on pilchard research and farming. Pilchards are mostly used to feed carnivorous fishes such as tuna, trout and salmon. Pilchard farming requires marine scalefish fishers, not targeted for recreational purposes, provides feeds for predator species such as salmon, and tuna, fishing methods (use of small mesh and fishing done by night), and pilchard farming done in temperate waters. Pilchard farming is of great economic importance. About 20 pounds of pilchard is required to produce a pound of tuna, indicating a resource-intensive form of producing tuna and depleting the stock of small fishes. This will ultimately disrupt the aquatic ecosystem in that it will not only affect the fishes alone but marine mammals and seabirds directly or indirectly. Some documentation about the introduction of viral infection into the aquatic ecosystem has been documented. Several factors such as ecological integrity, social justice and status of the pilchard population must be maintained. Pilchard and Dolphins Dolphin swim license is indirectly related to pilchard in that pilchard is not farm for ecological purpose, and dolphin only feeds on them as an opportunistic predator. Dolphin feeding on pilchard will cause a major and drastic decrease in their population and subsequently leading to enormous financial loss. Conclusion Considering the immediate need for tuna fishes and the relationship between the fish and pilchard, the tuna license should be granted while licensing dolphin swim should not be allowed because of it the negative impact on the aquatic ecosystem, and associated financial loss. References Lopez, D. (2005). â€Å"Interaction between bottlenose dolphins and fish farms: could there be an economic impact†. Retrieved May 23, 2009 from http://www. thebdri. com/resources/downloads/ICES2005X10. pdf PIRSA Fisheries, (2009). â€Å"Sardine (Pilchard) fishery†. Commercial fishing Retrieved May 23, 2009 from http://www. pir. sa. gov. au/fisheries/commercial_fishing/sardine_pilchard_fishery Primary industries and resources, (2009). â€Å"Ecological assessment of the south Australian pilchard fishery†. South Australian fisheries management series. Retrieved May 22, 2009 from http://www. pir. sa. gov. au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/12858/sa_pilchard_submission. pdf Stuart, N. (2001). â€Å"Tuna farmers face fresh challenges†. Landline Retrieved May 23, 2009 from http://www. abc. net. au/landline/stories/s363097. htm

The Impact Of The Industrial Revolution Sociology Essay

The Impact Of The Industrial Revolution Sociology Essay The Industrial Revolution was conceived in Britain during the 1700s and soon after spread to other parts of Europe and to North America in the early 1800s. The industrial revolution had immense effects creating an unprecedented amount of change as well has having great implications on modern society. Where the once meticulous art of making goods and items by hand was the norm, this was quickly replaced with engine manufacturing allowing goods to be produced in large quantities and bringing about the development of factory organization. The emergence of the nuclear family as well as work force diversifications, are all but some of the implications of the industrial revolution. This paper will discuss the impact that the industrial revolution has had on our society by looking at various ways in which our society has been shaped and formed by the long-lasting effects of the industrial revolution which has served as a key to the origins of modern western society. As Harold Perkin observe d, The Industrial Revolution was no mere sequence of changes in industrial techniques and production, but a social revolution with social causes as well as profound social effects (Society for the Study of Labour History,1986:63). Todays large and urbanized cities are a reflection of the mass-migration that took place during the industrial revolution in which people needed to leave their families and communities in order to join the workforce moving from rural areas to urban areas This was further encouraged by government incentives which also led to the centralization of wealth. A dramatic change was therefore seen in the social structure of society. Prior to the industrial revolution Evans observed that life would be lived within limited geographical boundaries, survival itself dependent on the success or failure of the harvest, and the organization of everyday existence dictated by natural light and the seasons (Evans, 2006:46). Moreover, the industrial revolution was unconditionally helpful to the development of the world from the 1800s all the way to the present day. Mass-production led to an abundance of goods. The textile industry improved due to faster manufacturing processes such as coal and steam pow er and other new machinery that led to an increase in the production of woven fabrics as well as an increase in the production of raw materials such as cotton, which led to the availability of inexpensive and affordable clothing (Beniger, 1986). The expansion of factories meant that a larger workforce was needed in order to meet industry demands. Employment opportunities were suddenly vast, permitting some of the less privileged classes in society to have a chance of being recruited and earn a living. For instance, women became increasingly members of the workforce. Mary Wollstonecraft had demanded that women be given the same education as men and the same opportunities for earning a living. That wish was to be granted, less by any agreed social policy than by the transformation of the social organization of industry and what we call it the industrial revolution (Evans, 2006:51). This made it even more possible due to the developments in medicine and in particular antiseptics which allowed women to survive an otherwise excruciating child labour Medical science gave to women the increased likelihood of surviving (Evans, 2006:68). Child birth was thereafter no longer regarded as an obstacle to a womans aspirations in being par t of the workforce. The developments made in the field of medicine also lowered prices, making essential medication accessible to the lower and middle classes of society. This coupled with the need to increase the workforce in order to meet the industrys demands led to women having a much stronger presence in the workforce. Although under-paid, this may have been the first step in the long battle for gender equality. Although inequality is still to a certain extent evident today, women have a nevertheless strong and influential role in todays society. Furthermore, corporations expanded creating a division between those who worked for the companies and those who managed it and owned the factories.   The rise of these large companies is what really advanced the wage labor-based capitalist system which created markets where buyers and sellers of goods and services agreed on a price. Then came the businesses that follow their own self by challenging for the consumers money. Each business tried to do better by producing goods or services that are better and less costly than those of its competitors (Evans, 2006). Today the existence of competition laws around the world and particularly within the EU as set out by the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU is essential and necessary to promote healthy competition between companies so as to provide consumers with various products and choices at competitive prices as well as preventing and deterring companies from abusing or colluding with its competitors (Bellamy and child, 2008). The rap id increase of corporations and capitalism quickly led to world trade and changes in transportation and communication such as the shipping of goods by sea and advanced and more liable modes of communication. The success and growth of the industrial revolution rested on the capability to transport goods and materials over long distances. Therefore, the use of traditional carriers such as horse carriages quickly proved ineffective and costly (Stern, David I; Kander, Astrid, 2012:128). Consequently, such modes of transport became practically redundant calling for the need to invent and create faster and more efficient means of transport. This spurred about new modes of transport seen to this day such as waterways, roads and railroads. Suddenly, there was a massive rise in the scale of road transport (Wrigley, 2010:31). The industrial revolution used electricity to power machines, the improvement of electricity established light and sources for the people and communications improved as a result of electricity. The telephone and telegraph were invented and were the principal communicational strategies that were for community use. With the growth of technology, radio waves were revealed. Curre ntly, messages could be sent over long distances in almost no time. The industrial revolution did not only encourage invention but it also introduced improvements in social and government strategies. For instance, in England citizens were given a voice in government, by having an elected British Parliament. Furthermore, the government implemented laws and regulations to protect employees as well as illegalizing child labour. This led to the organization of labour and trade unions, and subsequently to the development of the concept of socialism. Socialists such as Robert Owen, became outspoken and wanted to construct a better life for all people by improving working conditions and fighting against the employment of children under eleven years of age. The socialistic campaigning of Robert Owens contributed to the decrease in work related crime and improvement in working conditions which reduced the levels of disease and hence improved peoples lives (Owen, 1817). The effects of the industrial revolution are therefore immense and long-lasting which have shaped our modern society and improved our lives in many ways. However, along with the many improvements of the industrial revolution, the side-effects of industrialization are also evident today. With energy playing a vital role in powering the industrial revolution the end-result has been the inevitable consequence of pollution bringing about the start and conception of global warming due to carbon emissions, which is more evident today than ever. Prior to the industrial revolution the earths atmosphere had a balanced amount of carbon dioxide compared to today. However, in todays growing economy the burning of fossil fuels for the provision of energy has been deemed necessary, making a change to the atmosphere inevitable. Global warming is increasingly becoming a global issue with its effects becoming more visible today than it was fifty years ago. This is seen in the increase of natural disa sters and extreme weather conditions all stemming from climate change induced by global warming. Due to the need for mass-production coupled with the increase in population, agricultural methods have been transformed with the introduction of pesticides, insecticides and other chemicals posing potential threats to health and well-being. New agriculture methods also increased soil degeneration as well as destroying animal habitats to make room for more agricultural land (Orgcle Think Quest, 1999). However, the most prolific evidence of the Industrial Revolutions impact on the modern world is seen in the global growth in population during the twentieth century. The world population would take on exponential proportions, growing to six billion people just before the start of the twenty- first century which is a four hundred percent population increase in a single century. It has been two hundred and fifty years since the start of the industrial revolution and the world has seen the popu lation increase by six billion people (Ecology, 2011). This population growth has led to poverty, increased levels of air pollution, limited housing due to densely populated areas and limited food supplies. One can easily recognize the negative aspects of the revolution but if we view the revolution as a whole we will see that the positive aspects entirely outweigh the negative aspects. The industrial revolution brought about low-priced goods, an improvement in transportation, medical science, and communication, thus it can be seen that the industrial revolution has been a huge force in improving standards of living for working class. It provided an enormous number of jobs and gave an opportunity for women to work. Moreover, it has led to several significant changes in government bringing about the rise of communism, socialism, labour unions and government regulations. Sacrifices were made which led to technological developments, which in return shaped happiness, life openings and a complete and definite improvement of life. The industrial revolution formed modern society to what is today. As Rousseau accurately observed, Civilization spoils people (Rousseau, 1770)

How do You Determine Asking Price when You Sell a Website? :: Sell Websites Buy Web Sites

How do You Determine Asking Price when You Sell a Website? Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com When you have finally made the difficult decision to sell your website the first thing that needs to be established is the asking price. Setting the asking price is not an arbitrarily process. If a website is priced well below where it should be, two things will most likely happen: First, you will not sell the business for the profit you should and you and or your co-owners/shareholders have been poorly served at best. And second, you might find that you will have more trouble selling it than if priced appropriately higher. If your website is priced too low, it will appear to most buyers that the deal must be too good to be true. And we all know what we have been told about that. So beware, low pricing may actually scare away otherwise interested buyers. Of course, it goes without saying that if the website is priced too high then there will be little or no interest on the part of serious buyers. An irrational asking price is not going to help you achieve your goal of finding a buyer for your website. Now that we have discussed the importance of pricing and what not to do, let me next say there is no exact science for coming up with an exact asking price. We must deal with a strange mix of art and science. The best asking price is that which will attract the greatest number of potential buyers. In our effort to determine this optimal price, we must resort to guidelines and â€Å"rules of thumb.† One of the most popular â€Å"rules of thumb† being used today is the Cash-flow or Revenue Multiple Method. Essentially you multiply your annual pre-tax earnings by some multiple of x and you have your price range. When a website has little or no earnings, then a similar method is applied on the revenue number. Both buyers and sellers widely use this method because of the relative consistency and measurability. Also for buyers, they can easily determine their ROI (return on investment) as the multiple can be viewed as some number of years. For instance, XYC.com has annual net profits of $500,000 and they will use the range of for a low-end of two times (or â€Å"2 X† as you will often hear) and an upper range of six times.

Telecommunication Essay -- Technology Computer Networks Essays

Telecommunication 1. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Computer and telephone networks inflict a gigantic impact on today's society. From letting you call John in Calgary to letting you make a withdraw at your friendly ATM machine they control the flow of information. But today's complicated and expensive networks did not start out big and complicated but rather as a wire and two terminals back in 1844. From these simple networks to the communication giants of today we will look at the evolution of the network and the basis on which it functions. 2. The Beginnings 2.1. Dot Dot Dot Dash Dash Dash Dot Dot Dot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The network is defined as a system of lines or structures that cross. In telecommunications this is a connection of peripherals together so that they can exchange information. The first such exchange of information was on May 24, 1844 when Samuel Morse sent the famous message "What hath God wrought" from the US Capitol in Washington D.C. across a 37 mile wire to Baltimore using the telegraph. The telegraph is basically an electromagnet connected to a battery via a switch. When the switch is down the current flows from the battery through the key, down the wire, and into the sounder at the other end of the line. By itself the telegraph could express only two states, on or off. This limitation was eliminated by the fact that it was the duration of the connection that determined the dot and dash from each other being short and long respectively. From these combinations of dots and dashes the Morse code was formed. The code included all the letters of the English alphabet, all the numbers and several punctuation marks. A variation to the telegraph was a receiving module that Morse had invented. The module consisted of a mechanically operated pencil and a roll of paper. When a message was received the pencil would draw the corresponding dashes and dots on the paper to be deciphered later. Many inventors including Alexander Bell and Thomas Edison sought to revolutionize the telegraph. Edison devised a deciphering machine. This machine when receiving Morse code would print letters corresponding to the Morse code on a roll of paper hence eliminating the need for decoding the code. 2.2. Mr. Watson, Come Here!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first successful telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. He along with Elisha Gray fought against t... ... they use different addressing protocols, only routers may be used. During these times MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks) are in use and development today. These use routers that are connected preferably via a fiber optic cable, to create one large network. 5.2. Pluto Calling Earth!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any networks larger than 1000m typically rely on telephone digital lines for data transfer. These networks are called Circuit Switched Digital Networks . Circuit Switched Digital Networks utilize a switching matrix at the central office of a telephone company that connects local calls to long distance services. The Telephone companies now offer dial up circuits with signaling rates of 56, 64, and 384 kilobits per second as well as 1.544 megabits per second. Another type of LAN to LAN connections are packet switching networks. These are services that a network router calls up on a digital line. They consist of a group of packet switches that are connected via intraswitch trunks (usually fiber optic) that relay addressed packets of information between them. Once the packet reaches the destination packet switch, it sends it via another digital connection to the receiving router. Telecommunication Essay -- Technology Computer Networks Essays Telecommunication 1. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Computer and telephone networks inflict a gigantic impact on today's society. From letting you call John in Calgary to letting you make a withdraw at your friendly ATM machine they control the flow of information. But today's complicated and expensive networks did not start out big and complicated but rather as a wire and two terminals back in 1844. From these simple networks to the communication giants of today we will look at the evolution of the network and the basis on which it functions. 2. The Beginnings 2.1. Dot Dot Dot Dash Dash Dash Dot Dot Dot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The network is defined as a system of lines or structures that cross. In telecommunications this is a connection of peripherals together so that they can exchange information. The first such exchange of information was on May 24, 1844 when Samuel Morse sent the famous message "What hath God wrought" from the US Capitol in Washington D.C. across a 37 mile wire to Baltimore using the telegraph. The telegraph is basically an electromagnet connected to a battery via a switch. When the switch is down the current flows from the battery through the key, down the wire, and into the sounder at the other end of the line. By itself the telegraph could express only two states, on or off. This limitation was eliminated by the fact that it was the duration of the connection that determined the dot and dash from each other being short and long respectively. From these combinations of dots and dashes the Morse code was formed. The code included all the letters of the English alphabet, all the numbers and several punctuation marks. A variation to the telegraph was a receiving module that Morse had invented. The module consisted of a mechanically operated pencil and a roll of paper. When a message was received the pencil would draw the corresponding dashes and dots on the paper to be deciphered later. Many inventors including Alexander Bell and Thomas Edison sought to revolutionize the telegraph. Edison devised a deciphering machine. This machine when receiving Morse code would print letters corresponding to the Morse code on a roll of paper hence eliminating the need for decoding the code. 2.2. Mr. Watson, Come Here!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first successful telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell. He along with Elisha Gray fought against t... ... they use different addressing protocols, only routers may be used. During these times MANs (Metropolitan Area Networks) are in use and development today. These use routers that are connected preferably via a fiber optic cable, to create one large network. 5.2. Pluto Calling Earth!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Any networks larger than 1000m typically rely on telephone digital lines for data transfer. These networks are called Circuit Switched Digital Networks . Circuit Switched Digital Networks utilize a switching matrix at the central office of a telephone company that connects local calls to long distance services. The Telephone companies now offer dial up circuits with signaling rates of 56, 64, and 384 kilobits per second as well as 1.544 megabits per second. Another type of LAN to LAN connections are packet switching networks. These are services that a network router calls up on a digital line. They consist of a group of packet switches that are connected via intraswitch trunks (usually fiber optic) that relay addressed packets of information between them. Once the packet reaches the destination packet switch, it sends it via another digital connection to the receiving router.

Al Capone and the Prohibition

In the United States, the Prohibition marked the time when the production and sake of alcohol was banned.   This ban was the result of the perception that alcohol was a moral and social threat.   The Prohibition sought to decrease crimes and other unlawful acts.Unfortunately, the end result was the opposite of the objective.   Crimes increased, as people clamored for illegal alcohol.   The situation also caused the domination of gangsters, which provided the banned commodity.   Among all gangsters who played a role in the Prohibition, Al Capone was the most influential.   This research paper aims to discuss Al Capone and his effect on the Prohibition.The Prohibition was also known as the Noble Experiment (Kerr 564; McWilliams).   The period spanned 13 years, from 1920 to 1933 (Kerr 564; McWilliams; Poholek).   During this time, the  Ã‚   â€Å"manufacture, transportation and sale† of alcoholic beverages were banned (Clark 1; â€Å"Prohibition†; Kerr 56 4; Poholek).   The term â€Å"prohibition† was used to identify the moments in history when the alcoholic ban was in effect (Clark 1).In 19th century America, especially 1820s, citizens of the United States were consuming an average of seven gallons of alcohol per person every year (Clark 1).   This statistic had begun to bother political and religious figures alike.   They believed that alcoholic beverages were threatening society's institutions, especially the family and the community (Clark 1; Kerr 564).   Alcohol was considered as the â€Å"devil's advocate,† the cause of poverty, crime and death (Poholek).As a result, the Anti-Saloon League of America (ASL) was formed; this group brought the alcohol question in the political arena (Clark 1).   By 1916, U.S. Congress was dominated by dry members who were backed by ASL.   Supporters of the Prohibition were called â€Å"dry,† while opponents were referred to as â€Å"wets† (Clark 1; Kerr 564 ).   In 1917, the 18th Amendment was proposed; the amendment was about the prohibition of alcohol (Clark 2; â€Å"Prohibition†).   Two years later, the Volstead Act was passed to enforce the amendment (Clark 2; Poholek).   The Prohibition officially began on January 16, 1920 (Clark 2; Poholek).On the contrary, the Prohibition was characterized by the very elements it sought to avoid.   In the words of Mark Thorton: â€Å"Prohibition did not achieve its goals.   Instead, it added to the problems it was intended to solve† (qtd. in Poholek).   The deprivation of alcohol in American society exacerbated the social problems.   Despite the ban, the consumption of alcohol was at an all time high (McWilliams).   The period was also characterized by utmost disregard for law and an increase in crime rates (Clark 2).   The Prohibition failed in its endeavor, and in the process, made matters worse.The Prohibition actually paved the way for gangsters to gain power and authority.   Since alcohol was made illegal, the gangs found the situation as an opportunity to conduct business and earn money by providing the contraband (â€Å"Prohibition†; Poholek).   Because of the banning of alcohol, the public had to get their supply from gangsters; this made gangsters very rich, as bootlegging liquor proved to be a lucrative endeavor (Poholek).   Among all the bootlegger gangsters, Al Capone was the most famous and influential (Poholek).Alphonsus Capone was born on January 17, 1899 (Chicago Historical Society [CHS] 1).   He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.   At a young age, he was already part of gangs.   He dropped out of school at an early age and worked several menial jobs.   Near Capone's home stood the headquarters of Johnny Torrio, a gangster and future mentor of Capone (Bardsley 4).   While working his multiple jobs, Capone also did favors for Torrio.   In the process, the young Capone earned not only money, but also Torrio's trust.   In 1909, Torrio left New York for Chicago (Bardsley 4).   For a while, Capone and Torrio's paths did not cross.Back in New York, Capone worked for another gangster, this time it was Frankie Yale (CHS 1).   However, in Chicago, Torrio had made himself an influential underground boss (Allen 5).   With the Prohibition in full effect, Torrio saw the potential of an illegal alcohol industry.   He recognized how profitable the venture would be with the Chicago market.   However, he had to consider the competition, such as the rival gangs.   He had to find the right man to deal with his competitors (Allen 5).