Reflection on Cebu Pacific’s Issue Free Essays

Due to Cebu Pacific’s runway accident last June 2, 2013 on Davao City, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) says that all flight attendants must have their licenses effective on the second day of July. This news stunned many people especially the ones who are in the Tourism Field particularly the Airline Industry. The story, until this day was a hot issue in our classroom discussions. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflection on Cebu Pacific’s Issue or any similar topic only for you Order Now As a college student whose dream is to be a flight attendant some time after my graduation, I felt happy hearing this news. When I read the article about the runway accident, I somewhat felt the grief of the passengers of the particular flight. As a human being our safety need is really on the top level. Hearing the Ateneo students share their experience inside the plane, I was really in shock about the recklessness of the crews. Cebu Pacific is one of our country’s major airlines and when I took my On-the-Job training last summer, it was the airline competing with the nation’s flag carrier in terms of the number of bookings. It is a shame, in my opinion, in the airlines name to hear that the crews they are very proud of are not properly. I also believe that this happening is the company’s responsibility for they must all the time ensure that their crews are well trained so that no accident like this will happen. To think that many people not only Filipinos trust their services and the passengers also trust their lives to them, how can they just do nothing and be insensitive to the their needs? In situations like this, I remember one of my professors saying that the passenger must always be the first than yourself. Being a flight attendant is one of my major dreams and seeing one whenever I go to the airport is like giving me inspiration to achieve this dream. But this accident made me think of the statement my group mate in research said. She said, why is that many people who is working in our industry did not take BS Tourism Management as their course but still had their way inside the industry? I am just happy that CAAP did something about this situation for my fear is that many people will not trust our airline companies anymore. Training the crews is really an important activity especially not all of them have backgrounds to the industry. It is also a great thing to not make the other dreamers of being a flight attendant stop their dreams and shift to another profession. By this way we can still promote ourselves and of course make people trust us again. I am just hoping no such accident will again happen for it is really bad thinking that the industry that I chose is somewhat dangerous. Traveling is very fun and I hope that all people will experience it if the authorities will just put their focus on things like this. Tourism industry is something that is not only about profession but serving people with love and with great passion. How to cite Reflection on Cebu Pacific’s Issue, Papers

Expansion Of A Chinese Company Into Chile †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Expansion Of A Chinese Company Into Chile? Answer: Introducation China Hongqiao Group is a leading Chinese multinational national enterprise (MNE) manufacturing aluminium products and forming corporate strategies to enter Chile. Chile has strong trade relationships with various countries in the world which have positive implications on the companies that enter its markets. The country has strong international trade relationship with the major markets in the world like the United of America, Europe and Asia. Considering this fact it can be commented that China Hongqiao Group, the leading aluminum manufacturing Chinese company would benefit from its expansion into Chile (Limited 2017). The first implication of China Hongqiao Group entering Chile is that the company would be able to exploit the mineral reserves of the country. As indicated in the PESTEL analysis, Chile is endowed with several mineral resources like copper, iron ore, manganese, silver, gold and nitrates (Appendix). The country is the largest producer and exporter of copper in the world (Forbes.com. 2017). Thus, entering Chile would allow China Hongqiao to exploit its mineral resources. The company is primarily an aluminium alloy, aluminium alloy ingots and aluminium alloy products manufacturer. The company can import aluminium into the country since it does not have reserves of aluminium. Then it can exploit the copper resources available in Chile to manufacture products like bearings made from the alloy of the two metals. The PESTEL analysis also shows that the Chile is technologically very advanced (Yadav and Pavlou 2014). This means that China Hongqiao Group can manufacture metallic products using advanced methods at cheap prices and larger quantity. This implies that entering Chile would enable China Hongqiao Group to diversify its product line, enter new alloy markets in Chile and earn high revenue (Guercini and Runfola 2014). It can inferred from the partnering with Chilean companies would serve as an appropriate market entry strategy for China Hongqiao Group to enter Chilean economy. However, the Chilean laws place certain restrictions on investment mines by foreign companies to promote its domestic mining companies. This implies that on one hand entry of foreign markets gives multinational corporations access to new resources while on the other hand it exposes them to restrictions imposed by governments on foreign companies (Castao Labajo and Xiao 2015). The second implication of China Hongqiao Groups entry into the Chilean market is access to new profitable business partnerships. The country of Chile does not have aluminium reserve but has the largest reserve of copper. It must be noted that the two metals combine into alloy which finds use in manufacture of various products like aircrafts, naval underwater architecture and engine components (Strauss 2016). This high commercial utility of aluminium and copper implies that the company can enter into Chilean firms to provide them with aluminium. Aluminium is not found in Chile which implies that it limits the manufacturing companies in the country from manufacturing aluminium products. China Hongqiao Group can enter into partnership as the fit market entry strategy with these companies to provide them with aluminium and get copper in return (Grant 2016). Business contracts of these types will enable both the Chinese firm and the Chilean manufacturing companies to boost each others pro duction. However, on entering Chile China Hongqiao Group would face challenges from aluminium companies which already have strong presence in the country. This would imply China Hongqiao Group to form strategies to counteract competition from these already existing aluminium manufacturers. Thus it can be inferred that entering Chilean market has both negative and positive implications. It will result in new profitable partnerships on one hand and expose China Hongqiao Group to competition from already existing aluminium manufacturers (Hohenthal, Johanson and Johanson 2014). China Hongqiao Group can enter the Chilean market and use it as a base to expand in the emerging South American market. As indicated by the external environmental analysis of Chile, China Hongqiao Group can make use of the bilateral trade agreements between Chile and its trading partner nations to expand its business with the USA and the EU. Chile also has strong strategic trade relationship with the other South American countries like Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil. The country is a member of Mercosur, the trade bloc formed by South American countries to allow free trade amongst them. This implies that entering Chilean market and occupying high position in it would allow China Hongqiao to expand into the other South American countries more easily (Krush Sohi and Saini 2015). Thus, entering Chilean market would provide opportunities to the Chinese company to expand in the emerging markets of South America and earn enormous revenue. The formal institutions like government policies, unions, innovation centres and international organisations have strong implication on the choice of foreign market entry strategy and impact the corporate strategies of the multinational enterprises like China Hongqiao Group. The first implication of the formal institutions on the market entry strategy of MNEs is that the former lays the policies for the later to follow while expanding into foreign markets like Chile. The government of Chile encourage free trade, open market policies, zero tariffs, solid business policies and low corruption (Fuentelsaz et al. 2015). The governments between countries often form trade agreements which encourage commerce and exchange of resources. For example, the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Chile allow free movements of goods and services between the two countries. The international conventions like the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD ) facilitate flow of foreign direct investment into emerging markets like Chile (Export.gov. 2017). The implication of the laws and policies laid down by the formal institutions like governments are that the companies have to frame their corporate strategies following these laws. The second implication of the formal institutions on the market entry strategies of the MNEs is that they encourage innovation. The research laboratories allow the business organisations carry out open innovations. These open innovations allow the organisations to collaborate with the overseas laboratories and share resources and knowledge which make the innovation even more effective (Rodrguez-Molina et al. 2014). This implies that the business organisations are able to bring about more innovative products suited to the new markets to meet the specific needs of the customers in that market. China Hongqiao Group can collaborate with the metal research laboratories in Chile to conduct study on new uses of aluminium copper alloys. This will help it to introduce new innovation products from aluminium copper alloy to serve new needs of the customers (Yadav and Pavlou 2014). This introduction of new products enable to firm to gain a new loyal base of customers and generate high revenue. T his implies that formal institutions like research laboratories help the firms to bring about innovations in their products and gain competitive advantage in the market. The third implication of formal institutions on the MNEs and their strategies is that the former provides financial support to the latter. The formal institutions like banks provide multiple facilities to the multinational companies like China Hongqiao Group (Diebold and Y?lmaz 2014). The banks provide the multinational companies with loans and other financial support to achieve business expansion and growth (Gennaioli, Martin and Rossi 2014). The banks and other financial institutions manage the investment portfolio of the multinational companies and help them to earn high rate of returns by investing in the foreign securities. The banks facilitate currency exchange to the multinational companies which allow them to carry on international trade in the foreign countries using multiple currencies and earn high profits (Madura 2014). This implies that the formal institutions like banks provide loans, allows investment in foreign securities and facilitate multicurrency transactions to f acilitate the multinational companies to expand and grow in the foreign market. This in turn implies that formal institutions like banks provide financial support to the international companies like China Hongqiao Group which account for their high competitive advantage in the market (Flannery 2016). The informal institutions like cultures and norms prevalent in a certain market have very strong implications on the consumption patterns of customers and in turn impact the revenue generations of the multinational companies. The cultural perceptions and beliefs of the consumers of a market affect their purchase patterns, consumption habits and their demand for goods (Holmes Jr et al. 2013). This in turn effects the sale of goods of multinational companies like China Hongqiao Group. It must be noted that there are great differences about perception of values and behaviour between the eastern countries like China and western countries like Chile (Du and Boateng 2015). For example, both Chile and China have very high power index but differ in individualism index. Chile encourages individual projection of emotions and gives importance to personal achievements. China on the other hand encourages collectivists view and does not encourage show of personal achievements (Hu et al. 2014). Chi na Hongqiao Group have to take into these differences while entering the Chilean market. This implies it must promote its goods to attract Chilean customer by incorporating Chilean customs in its promotional strategies. This in turn implies that by promoting goods and upholding Chilean customers, the company will be able to attract huge customer base and generate high profits by offering goods to them (Evanschitzky et al. 2014). It can be summed up that entering foreign markets have both positive and negative implications on the multinational companies. The multinational companies gain to access to the resources of foreign countries by entering its market. Again on the other hand it exposes them to stiff competition from the already existing business firms. Both the situations necessitate the multinational companies to form corporate strategies to deal with them. Formal institutions like governments, laboratories and financial institutions have strong impacts on the foreign expansion strategies. The government makes laws while the financial institutions provide financial support to these MNEs. The innovation laboratories assist them in carrying out open innovations. The informal institutions too have very strong implications on the strategies of the MNEs. The difference in culture and customers impact the consumption patterns of the consumers. These as result impact the sale of products of companies and thei r revenue generation. All these informal institutions too have very strong implications on the MNEs and their business. References: Aisen, A. and Veiga, F.J., 2013. How does political instability affect economic growth?.European Journal of Political Economy,29, pp.151-167. Arizta, T., Kleine, D., Maria das Graas, S.L., Agloni, N., Afonso, R. and Bartholo, R., 2014. Ethical consumption in Brazil and Chile: Institutional contexts and development trajectories.Journal of Cleaner Production,63, pp.84-92. Castao Labajo, V. and Xiao, J., 2015. Market Entry, Strategy and Business Development in Mobile Health (mHealth) Industry. Diebold, F.X. and Y?lmaz, K., 2014. On the network topology of variance decompositions: Measuring the connectedness of financial firms.Journal of Econometrics,182(1), pp.119-134. Du, M. and Boateng, A., 2015. State ownership, institutional effects and value creation in cross-border mergers acquisitions by Chinese firms.International Business Review,24(3), pp.430-442. Edraki, M., Baumgartl, T., Manlapig, E., Bradshaw, D., Franks, D.M. and Moran, C.J., 2014. Designing mine tailings for better environmental, social and economic outcomes: a review of alternative approaches.Journal of cleaner production,84, pp.411-420. Evanschitzky, H., Emrich, O., Sangtani, V., Ackfeldt, A.L., Reynolds, K.E. and Arnold, M.J., 2014. Hedonic shopping motivations in collectivistic and individualistic consumer cultures.International Journal of Research in Marketing,31(3), pp.335-338. Export.gov. 2017. Chile - Market Overview | export.gov. [online] Available at: https://www.export.gov/article?id=Chile-Market-Overview [Accessed 10 Aug. 2017]. Flannery, M.J., 2016. Stabilizing large financial institutions with contingent capital certificates.Quarterly Journal of Finance,6(02), p.1650006. Forbes.com. 2017. Forbes Welcome. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/companies/china-hongqiao-group/ [Accessed 10 Aug. 2017]. Fuentelsaz, L., Gonzlez, C., Macas, J.P. and Montero, J., 2015. How different formal institutions affect opportunity and necessity entrepreneurship.BRQ Business Research Quarterly,18(4), pp.246-258. Gennaioli, N., Martin, A. and Rossi, S., 2014. Sovereign default, domestic banks, and financial institutions.The Journal of Finance,69(2), pp.819-866. Grant, R.M., 2016.Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley Sons. Guercini, S. and Runfola, A., 2014. Retail stores openings as a market entry strategy for SMEs. Empirical evidence in the Italian fashion industry.ADVANCES IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT. Towards Systemic Approach, p.138. Hohenthal, J., Johanson, J. and Johanson, M., 2014. Network knowledge and business-relationship value in the foreign market.International Business Review,23(1), pp.4-19. Holmes Jr, R.M., Miller, T., Hitt, M.A. and Salmador, M.P., 2013. The interrelationships among informal institutions, formal institutions, and inward foreign direct investment.Journal of Management,39(2), pp.531-566. Hu, Q., Schaufeli, W., Taris, T.W., Hessen, D.J., Hakanen, J., Salanova, M. and Shimazu, A., 2014. " East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet" Work engagement and workaholism across Eastern and Western cultures.Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences,1(1), pp.6-24. Inglehart, R., 2015.The silent revolution: Changing values and political styles among Western publics. Princeton University Press. Krush, M.T., Sohi, R.S. and Saini, A., 2015. Dispersion of marketing capabilities: impact on marketings influence and business unit outcomes.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science,43(1), pp.32-51. Limited, C. 2017. China Hongqiao Group Limited: Private Company Information - Bloomberg. [online] Bloomberg.com. Available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=118522514 [Accessed 10 Aug. 2017]. Madura, J., 2014.Financial markets and institutions. Nelson Education. Rodrguez-Molina, J., Martnez-Nez, M., Martnez, J.F. and Prez-Aguiar, W., 2014. Business models in the smart grid: challenges, opportunities and proposals for prosumer profitability.Energies,7(9), pp.6142-6171. Strauss, J., 2016.E-marketing. Routledge. the Guardian. 2017. Mining and logging companies 'leaving all of Chile without water'. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/apr/24/mining-logging-chile-without-water [Accessed 13 Aug. 2017]. Yadav, M.S. and Pavlou, P.A., 2014. Marketing in computer-mediated environments: Research synthesis and new directions.Journal of Marketing,78(1), pp.20-40.

Identity and Personal Attachments

The formation of a person’s identify is shaped by various forces. Much attention is usually paid to his/her socio-economic environment. In particular, one can focus on the ethnic background of an individual, neighborhood, or class. However, it is important to speak about the role of attachments such as family or friends.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Identity and Personal Attachments specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To a great extent, they play the role of mentors or trusted advisors whose opinion or values are respected by a person. Moreover, they eventually make independent choices which are based on their conceptions of ethics or rationality. These are the main aspects that can be identified. These questions have been examined in various works of literature and academic studies. The role of personal attachment to other people is illustrated in the short story The Lesson by Toni Bambara. The author thr ows light on the experiences of a black girl named Sylvia who lives in a poor neighborhood. The writer shows how the values and attitudes of a child can be shaped by various people who can play the role of mentors. At first, one can speak about Miss Moore’s attempts to educate children by teaching them mathematical skills (Bambara 46). She wants to make sure that children are willing to learn. To a great extent, she attempts to play the role of a mentor. However, Sylvia is more attached to the opinions and values of her best friend called Sugar. Sylvia is more likely to emulate the behavior of her friend. Only at the end of the story, it occurs to the protagonist that Miss Moore might have been right, and she attempts to think and act independently. In his short story Eveline, James Joyce also speaks about a woman who recollects the past events of her life. In particular, she thinks about the forces that prompt her to leave her family. In this case, much attention should be p aid to the behavior of the protagonist’s father who often resorted to violence. The narrator says that he relied on â€Å"blackthorn stick† to teach children (Joyce unpaged). His behavior is the main reason why Eveline does not feel any attachment to him. He failed to become a role model or a mentor for her family. This is one of the main points that can be made. A very similar situation is described by Theodore Roethke in his poem My Papa’s Waltz. This author speaks about the child who is extremely disappointed with his father, especially his alcoholism (Roethke unpaged). These are some of the main aspects that should be considered. On the whole, one can say that literary works can throw light on the way in which the values of a person are shaped. The development of identity is closely examined by many scholars. For instance, Arielle Deutsch et al. examine the factors that can increase the risk of delinquency. The authors argue that the failure of parents to be come role models for children lead to their affiliation with deviant peers (Deutsch et al. 71). One can say that some teenagers can become the mentors of their coevals.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The main problem is that this situation often leads to the deviant behavior of a child and his/her rejection of many values such as education or compliance with the law. This is one of the main risks that should be considered. This is why researchers focus on the practices of parents (Robinson et al. 73). On the whole, educators and psychologists pay close attention the formation of a child’s identity. They argue that children are more likely to be engaged in crime, if they observe it on a regular basis (Milner 119). Nevertheless, researchers also admit the role played by the so-called agents of socialization or people who shape the values of a person. Among these agents, on e can distinguish parents, teachers, and peers (Berns 48). To a great extent, they can shape a child’s perception of the world and his/her treatment of other people. For instance, teenagers, who interact with deviant peers, may perceive drug abuse as something normal. Nevertheless, it is critical to remember that a person’s ethical choices are critical for his/her development. This issue is explored in the literary sources analyzed in this paper. They show that an individual can take decisions that do not coincide with the values of his/her parents or peers. This is one of the issues that should not be overlooked. Judging from my own experience, I can say that my parents and teachers were the main mentors in my life. They affected many of my values and priorities. To a great extent, I was able to resist the influence of peer pressure. Nevertheless, their influence became much weaker when I reached the age of adolescence. On the whole, this analysis suggests that a pers on’s attachments and his/her social environment are critical for his/her development. Various literary and academic sources indicate that an individual’s values and priorities are formed through the interaction with parents, teachers, or peers. However, the characters discussed in this paper suggest that these people can take independent decisions. Works Cited Bambara, Toni. â€Å"The Lesson.† In Stitches: A Patchwork of Feminist Humor and  Satire. Ed.Gloria Kaufman. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991. 44-49. Print. Berns, Roberta. Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support, 9th  ed.: Socialization and Support, New York: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Identity and Personal Attachments specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Deutsch, Arielle, Lisa Crockett, Jennifer Wollf, and Stephen Russell. â€Å"Parent and Peer Pathways to Adolescent Delinquency: Variations by Ethnicity and Neighborhood Context.† Journal of Youth and Adolescence 41. 1 (2012): 1078-1094. Print. Joyce, James. Eveline. The Literature Network, n. d. Web. http://www.online-literature.com/james_joyce/959/ Milner, Richard. Culture, Curriculum, and Identity in Education, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print. Robinson, Lara, Neil Boris, Sherryl Heller, Janet Ryce, Charles Zeanah. â€Å"The Good Enough Home? Home Environment and Outcomes of Young Maltreated Children.† Child Youth Care Forum, 41.3 (2012): 73-78. Print. Roethke, Thomas. My Papa’s Waltz. PoemHunter. 3 Jan. 2003. Web.. https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/my-papa-s-waltz/. This essay on Identity and Personal Attachments was written and submitted by user Geraldine Flynn to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Twelve Signs of the Japanese Zodiac (Juunishi)

The Twelve Signs of the Japanese Zodiac (Juunishi) The Japanese zodiac (Juunishi) is divided into 12 blocks with each block containing a group of years. The years in each block are 12 years apart from the previous or following year (in that block only). Each block is given a name of an animal based on the ancient Chinese concept that all time shifts are based on these twelve units. In Japan, the adoption of the twelve-year cycle, with a different animal representing each block, is fairly common. Those individuals born during a particular year were said to inherit some of the personalities of that years animal. Have a look below to see what year and animal you are. Rat (nezumi) Born 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948, 1936, 1924, 1912. People born in the year of the Rat are charming, honest, ambitious, and have a tremendous capacity for pursuing a course to its end. They will work hard for their goals. They are easily angered but maintain an outward show of control. Ox (ushi) Born 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, 1937, 1925, 1913. People born in the year of the Ox are patient, mentally alert and when required to speak are skillful. They have a gift for inspiring confidence in others. This allows them to achieve a great deal of success. Tiger (tora) Born 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938, 1926, 1914. People born in the year of the Tiger are sensitive, stubborn, short-tempered, courageous, selfish and slightly mean ... yet they are deep thinkers and are capable of great sympathy for those they are close to and love. Rabbit (usagi) Born 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, 1939, 1927, 1915. People born in the year of the Rabbit are the most fortunate. They are smooth talkers, talented, ambitious, virtuous and reserved. They have exceedingly fine taste and regarded with admiration and trust. Dragon (tatsu) Born 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, 1940, 1928, 1916. People born in the year of the Dragon are healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered and stubborn. However, they are honest, sensitive, brave and can inspire trust in most anyone. They are the most peculiar of the 12 signs of the Zodiac cycle. Snake (hebi) Born 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, 1941, 1929, 1917. People born in the year of the Snake are deep thinkers, speak very little and possess tremendous wisdom. They are fortunate in money matters and will always be able to obtain it. They are determined in what they do and hate to fail. Horse (uma) Born 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942, 1930, 1918, 1906. People born in the year of the Horse are skillful in paying compliments and talk too much. They are skillful with money and handle finances well. They are quick thinkers, wise and talented. Horse people anger easily and are very impatient. Sheep (hitsuji) Born 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967, 1955, 1943, 1931, 1919, 1907. People born in the year of the Sheep are elegant, highly accomplished in the arts, passionate about nature. At first glance, they seem to be better off than the people born in other years. They are deeply religious and passionate in whatever they do and believe in. Monkey (saru) Born 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956, 1944, 1932, 1920, 1908. People born in the year of the Monkey are the erratic geniuses of the Zodiac cycle. They are clever and skillful in grand-scale operations and are smart when making financial deals. They are inventive, original and are able to solve the most difficult problems with ease. Rooster (tori) Born 2005, 1981, 1969, 1957, 1945, 1933, 1921, 1909. People born in the year of the Rooster are deep thinkers and are always busy and devoted to their work. They always want to do more than they are able, and if they undertake a task beyond their abilities, they are disappointed. Rooster people have a habit of speaking out directly whenever they have something on their minds. Dog (inu) Born 2006, 1982, 1970, 1958, 1946, 1934, 1922, 1910. People born in the year of the Dog have all the fine qualities of human nature. They have a sense of duty and loyalty, they are extremely honest and always do their best in their relationship with other people. Dog people inspire confidence in others and know how to keep secrets. Boar (inoshishi) Born 2007, 1983, 1971, 1959, 1947, 1935, 1923, 1911. People born in the year of the Boar are brave. They have tremendous inner strength which no one can overcome. They display great honesty. They are short-tempered, yet hate to quarrel or have arguments. They are affectionate and kind to their loved ones.

A look into the perspective of Operation Management in the context of Essay

A look into the perspective of Operation Management in the context of a Bank Call Centre - Essay Example Thus, the relationships and observations are considered to be independent of the theories used to explain them and can hence be studied, manipulated at will, and controlled as needed by the researcher. Another major characteristic of rationalist research is the goal of determining the distributions of a set of pre-specified variables in the population or verifying a set of pre-specified relationships. The main focal pint is to primarily considering the rationalist methods of modeling by equations, laboratory experiments, and statistical survey analysis in making comparisons to case research. Note that the division here does not parallel a frequently-used one of dividing operations management research between so-called 'theoretical' a misnomer, since all these paradigms can be theoretical and 'empirical' methods. Typical equation-modeling research would include variants of the economic order quantity formulation as well as production-inventory system simulations. Statistical survey research is currently being used in quality management, supply chain, and technology management investigations, among many others. Rationalist research methods also have their draw-b... First, obtaining valid empirical generalizations depends to a large extent on the use of sampling procedures that are rigorous, representative of a well-specified population, and provides a source of information concerning the constructs to be measured. Yet, despite the importance of employing rigorous sampling criteria for generalizability of the findings, the great majority of quantitative studies based on sampling appear to use samples of convenience or opportunity. A call center is a service network in which agents provide telephone-based services. Customers that seek these services are delayed in tele-queues. The attempt summarizes an analysis of a unique operation management record of call center operations. The data comprise a complete operational history of a small banking call center such as UTI, call by call, over a full year. Telephone call centers allow groups of agents to serve customers remotely, via the telephone. They have become a primary contact point between customers and their service providers and, as such, play an increasingly significant role in more developed economies. For example, it is estimated that call centers handle more than 78% of all business interactions and that they employ more than 2.5 million people. While call centers are technology-intensive operations, often 70% or more of their operating costs are devoted to human resources, and to minimize costs their managers carefully track and seek to maximize agent utilization. Well-run call centers adhere to a sharply-defined balance between agent efficiency and service quality, and to do so, they use queuing-theoretic models. The UTI center provides several types of services: information for current and prospective customers,

What are the motivations for migrationTo what extent has it become a Coursework

What are the motivations for migrationTo what extent has it become a social and economic issue - Coursework Example Migration simply refers to moving from one’s permanent residence or locality to some other area or region for permanent or long-term basis in order to lead a settled life in the new region and for establishing one’s socioeconomic activities as well. Hence, migration is viewed to be permanent change in residence. Migration involves the detachment from the organisation of activities at one place and the movement of the total round of activities to another. The contemporary age is vehemently declared as the age of technological revolution that has introduced rapid alterations in all aspects of everyday human life. These technological changes have also turned travelling very fast, swift and easier one; as a result, people proceed to pole-apart countries and states of the world in the pursuit of obtaining higher education, medical treatment, and business and job prospects. Since advanced and prosperous countries contain all these facilities to a great extent, these areas ser ve as dreamland for the inhabitants of backward zones of the globe. Consequently, an overwhelming proportion of the migration is generally made from the third world to the advanced countries including the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. History of Migration: Although it is a reality beyond suspicion that migration has witnessed significant boost during the contemporary era because of scientific advancements and inventions, yet it cannot not be viewed as the product of modern age. On the contrary, human history is replete with countless examples of people’s individual and collective moving from one place to the other on permanent foundations. The Prophets also migrated from their native land to some other in order to avoid their persecution at the hands of infidels. The Latin Americans and American islanders proceeded to North America for their financial uplift. The Armenian Christians also migrated from Turkey to the eastern European states before and during WWI to evade t he Turkish cruelties. In addition, the Jews also left their homes and workplaces in the Nazi Germany as they had been being persecuted under Adolf Hitler. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs migrated from one part of former united India to the other to join their community at the eve of the partition of India held in August 1947. Partition of India put the lives of conflicting sects at stake, and Hindus and Muslims flew to newly established states of India and Pakistan respectively, during the course of which hundreds of them lost their lives, while girls and women were raped and molested.† (1999, p.651) Major Reasons behind getting migrated: Religious reasons: It has aptly been observed that the individuals belonging to all parts and regions of the globe at large have got involved into migration; several reasons have played their role in forcing humans to leave their permanent dwelling for good. Religious factors play dominant role in the migration process. Thus, it was actually religious belief that forced the holy personalities including Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Mary, Jesus, Muhammad (peace be upon them all) to leave their native lands forever and settle down to some peaceful and more favourable place. In addition, saints, pious men and even followers of some specific faith had migrated from their homes in order to save their life, honour and assets. Ethno-Racial Factors: Race and ethnicity of the people is also among the major factors behind migration. Several states of the USA display least tolerance for the black, white and other races, which force the people move to some place where their racial group is in majority. Colonial era also displays the examples of migration, when the Jews migrated from Russia during nineteenth and twentieth centuries from Europe to America and Asia. The Africans got involved into forced and involuntary migration during the Europeans’ scramble for Africa. The White Anglo Saxon Population (WASP) vehemently discourages the

Business Process Management Experience Business Essay

Business Process Management Experience Business Essay A study published by Gartner (Gartner: Michael James Melenovsky / Jim Sinur / Janelle B. Hill / David W. McCoy, Business Process Management: Preparing for the Process-Managed Organization, 2005) defines Business Process Management (BPM) as follows: BPM is a management practice that provides for governance of a businesss process environment toward the goal of improving agility and operational performance. BPM is a structured approach employing methods, policies, metrics, management practices and software tools to manage and continuously optimize an organizations activities and processes. My learning experience on business process management started in the early years of my career when I worked as programmer and subsequently a project manager with a local software house (See CV Aug 1981 Aug 1994). I spent many years working in the development, implementation and management of an insurance package for a number of insurance agencies in Malta. Working closely with insurance personnel to understand their pain areas and their business requirements gave me a very good knowledge and insight on the insurance business, and helped me develop my interpersonal and communication skills. Analysing their working practices, identifying areas of improvements and making recommendations for automation developed my analytical skills. This experience was further reinforced when I attended a one-year study course with examination (See CV Training 1985 to 1986) for the attainment of an analysis and design diploma and a graduate membership with the Institution of Analysts and Programmers. Good formal training on internationally-renowned systems analysis and design methodologies, held in the nineties (E.g. SSADM, DSDM, BPR), further strengthened my skills and knowledge in process modelling and business analysis. This also taught me how to intelligently select a variety of techniques and approaches to be used in tackling different kinds of situations. I consider this training as a turning-point in my career because, through it, I discovered a profound interest in structured methodologies, which I continued developing over the years and still at it after thirty years. The in-depth knowledge in structured methodologies acquired in the previous years also turned me into a highly structured individual with good organisational skills who can organise himself and others. In 2005, as Information Systems Strategist at Air Malta, I proposed the setting up of a business process improvement function within my sphere of responsibilities. This recommendation was accepted. Over the next two years I worked on two assignments, namely, the reorganisation of the Airlines Commercial Division, and the Tour Operator Contract Management business process (See AOL1 Project Management Pg 2). A few months ago, in my role as Head of IT at APS Bank, I made recommendations to set up a new BPM unit in order to initiate a number of change programmes that would focus on improving the Banks working practices and introduce further automation. The recommendations were accepted and a change programme set in motion. In this AOL, I will demonstrate the use of my skills and knowledge in the creation of a business process management function at APS Bank and my experiences on the first change projects. Learning Trail My knowledge on business process management has developed over the years throughout a mix of implicit and explicit learning, formal training and on-the-job working experiences. The following is a diagram depicting my learning trail in business process management: Diagram 1: BPM Learning Trail Skills and Activities The following is a table highlighting the skills and relevant activities covered in this AOL: Skills Activities Gaining Organisational Adoption Establish Banks BPM readiness Research best practices Gain buy-in for adoption of new idea Setting up a Business Process Management Competency Centre Establish the organisation structure and services to be offered Select a methodology and toolset Establish a programme of works Deliver a BPM programme Execute a pilot project Execute the first project Promote first achievements and good results Formation of a BPM Competency Centre at APS Bank Gaining Organisational Adoption: APS Bank is relatively small in size and client base when compared to other local banks, but has a niche market and a rich banking history spanning over a hundred years of successful operation. My direct involvement in the preparation of the Banks IT strategy and its business strategy (See AOL 2 IT Strategy Definition), gave me a fairly good insight in its business model and working practices. When I looked at the evolution of the Bank over the past hundred years; its transformation into a commercial bank a few years ago; its fast growth rate; and the findings of a situational analysis; it became apparent that this fast change and constant evolution created operational silos and inefficient working practices. To me, these factors clearly indicated that the Bank needed urgent re-engineering to streamline and standardise its business processes; to realign the organisation structure; and to introduce automation to support this change. It was the perfect site for the adoption of Business Process Management (BPM). As Head of IT I firmly believed that reengineering a business process prior to automating it would be extremely beneficial, because the resultant computer-system would represent a streamlined and efficient process legacy working practices, duplication and redundant steps would be eliminated before embarking on systems development. I decided to research and explore the best possible approach to use in order to build up business process management capabilities within the IT Division. I was concerned about the Banks readiness to accept this culture change. I was aware that introducing and practicing BPM would bring about significant changes and possibly resistance to change. Having researched the subject, I discovered Gartners Enterprise Personality Profile (EPP) method to assess the Banks readiness for this change (Gartner: Elise Olding, Bill Rosser, Getting Started with BPM, Part 1: Assessing Readiness, Pg 3, 2007). On evaluation, I concluded that the Bank could be classified as a Cultural Moderate, whose definition by Gartner is: Cultural moderates operate in a more stable but sometimes disjointed fashion; they tend to seek parity with other enterprises. I could relate to this definition, because of the Banks: (i) operational silos; (ii) conservative outlook and low risk appetite; and (iii) tendency to follow market leaders and rarely venture forward into becoming innovators. The Gartner study also recommended that Moderates are more likely to respond to projec ts that will offer competitive advantage such as improved customer service. I used the results of this assessment to mould my next steps in obtaining organisational adoption. Subsequently, I also used this new knowledge whilst preparing the annual programme of works. The experiences and skills I had acquired in my previous jobs with MITTS Ltd when I set up a Rapid Application Development Unit (See CV Jan 1996 Aug 2000); an Information Management Unit; and an Enterprise Architecture Unit (See CV Sep 2001 Aug 2004); were extremely helpful. The aggregation of positive and negative experiences encountered during these assignments gave me a proved and tested approach to use in the creation of this new unit. My next step was to research approaches used in similar situations by my peers in the industry. I used Gartner research material and found tons of information on the subject. It was comforting to see that my approach was pretty close to the mark. I collected all the information I required and prepared a PowerPoint presentation that provided the rationale behind my recommendation to set up this new function. I then started my usual lobbying grand tour of influential people within the Bank. The first difficult milestone was to convince the CEO, who is a very thorough person whose focus on efficiency, discipline and achieving business results are high on his agenda. I therefore focused my presentation on the current situation and the added value that the new unit would bring. The CEO was interested in this new concept and instructed me to bring it up for discussion at the Executive Management Committee. I used the same presentation at the Executive Management Committee, but the results were different. Some heads felt that BPM was an invasive and meddling exercise in their methods of working they had difficulties accepting external parties telling them whats wrong and how to do things. Other heads questioned the need for any improvements to the current business processes. Others were concerned at their required level of involvement during a BPM project. In short, I realised that I had made a mistake I had rushed into this without having carried out the appropriate level of lobbying with the individual heads before meeting them collectively in a group I had not used my experience and intrinsic learning I had previously acquired. In the following weeks I had to make some corrections and therefore changed tact. In other meetings that followed, I emphasised on some key areas to try and convince the heads that this was good for the company, because: (i) the BPM Unit is to be considered as a consultant that provides re-engineering services to the Head and his division it is not an internal audit; (ii) the Head and his division will rarely ever have the time and opportunity to dedicate weeks of effort to reassess their working practices the BPM unit can do that for them; (iii) every decision or proposed change will be carried out with the division the BPM unit are only facilitators; and (iv) any move to change has to be fully authorised by the Head of the division. This painful but important exercise, that should have been carried out previously, was relatively successful the Executive Management Committee cautiously bought into the concept. My recommendation to set up the new BPM Unit was adopted by the Bank and placed as one of my targets in the new Business Plan. It was now important to tread carefully in the first one or two BPM projects in order to ensure full buy-in. Setting up a BPM Competency Centre: Two years previously, I had set up a unit within the IT Division (i.e. Client Services Unit), to act as a buffer between IT and its internal business clients. This unit is staffed by ex-business personnel who understood the Banks working practices; could speak the same language as their business clients; and who could therefore show empathy towards their business colleagues. Reviewing, understanding and proposing changes to working practices required a good doze of knowledge on banking. I therefore found it suitable and logical to set up the new BPM function under the umbrella of the above mentioned Unit. The objective was to ensure that BPM personnel inherit the mindset of customer care and relationship building. I did not want to start big, so I recruited two bank personnel who had a good mix of banking knowledge, as well as, a good IT know-how. The next step was to research, select and establish a methodology and a toolset that would eventually be used to deliver BPM projects. I consider the use and knowledge of methodologies to be one of my core competencies. In the nineties, I attended a number of good training study courses in methods, such as Systems Development and Design Methodologies (SSADM) and the Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM now known as Agile) (See Relevant Training Courses below). I have also acquired solid hands-on experience in the use of these methods, especially during the period 1990 to 1994, when I worked on large projects in the insurance and oil industries (See CV Jan 1990 Aug 1994). Therefore, establishing and documenting an initial approach to be used for BPM projects was not a difficult task to complete. In 1995, in my new job at MITTS Ltd (See CV Sep 1994 Aug 2000), I was given the opportunity to set up a rapid application development unit for the Government of Malta, whose raison dà ªtre was to deliver small computer-based solutions in a phased and rapid manner. This experience was an extremely positive learning experience because it taught me to: (i) understand the importance of setting a vision, which gave the team a shared and common direction to get there; (ii) understand the importance of heavily involving your personnel during the birth of a new unit I found that this approach instilled a feeling of pride, bonding, comradeship and ownership; and (iii) understand group development, whereby teams go through four phases of maturity as stated by Bruce Tuckman (Tuckman, Bruce (1965), Developmental sequence in small groups, Psychological Bulletin 63 (6): 382-99), namely the forming-storming-norming-performing. I therefore set out to use the above learning experience to create the new BPM function. I engaged the new recruits in the design of the BPM method, techniques and toolset through interactive workshops and proof-of-concept projects. At each step of the way we met, compared notes and discussed areas of improvement. We moved into a natural cycle of continuous improvement, whereby each step of the way was constantly being challenged and refined on the basis of each others experiences. This method proved successful, because the personnel were motivated and fully engaged. Deliver a BPM programme: As already mentioned above (See Gaining organisational adoption), the Executive Management Committee cautiously bought into the new concept of a BPM function. Some Heads were not yet convinced of its benefits and some others were sceptical of the whole concept. I was given the chance to prove that this was the right thing to do. I therefore embarked on an exercise to establish a programme of works for the next twelve months. During the business planning exercise, that takes place each year, I invited my colleagues in the executive management committee to propose pain areas which they felt needed attention and assistance to sort out. I kept in mind the Enterprise Personality Profile assessment I had carried out earlier (See Gaining organizational adoption section above), whereby I had concluded that a corporate moderator would likely à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ respond to projects that will offer competitive advantage such as improved customer service (Gartner: Elise Old ing, Bill Rosser, Getting Started with BPM, Part 1: Assessing Readiness, Pg 3, 2007). Surely enough, the heads proposed four areas that would focus on customer touch-points (e.g. customer on-boarding and the call centre) a very positive turning point and a show of trust. We now had a programme of works and some willing sponsors. Before embarking on the first official project, we decided to initiate a pilot project with the aim to: (i) Test the selected approach and toolset; and (ii) Increase the level of skills and knowledge of the newly set BPM unit personnel on-the-job training. We selected the IT service desk business process that included incident management, change management, service level management and service request management. We piloted the full BPM lifecycle and again used regular meetings to identify areas of improvement at each step of the way. This exercise helped us to fine tune the selected approach and gain enough confidence to proceed with the first official BPM project. During the first project we tried to apply all the skills and knowledge we learnt during the proof-of-concept projects we had previously undertaken. At this point, the approach, techniques and tools were already well refined. We made it a point to use a totally participative and consultative approach across each step of the way. We prepared a detailed project brief and plan and ensured the full involvement of key business personnel selected by the project sponsor (head). The plan and expected outcomes were authorised by the project board. The project proceeded well and the initial outcome was very encouraging. We had passed the first difficult test. Relevant Training Courses Period Training Course Training Institute 2011 Business Process Management Gartner Ireland Limited, UK 1999 Dynamic Systems Development Method Practitioners Course (DSDM) DSDM Consortium 1997 Dynamic Systems Development Method Practitioners Course (DSDM) ITP Limited 1996 Business Process Re-Engineering Parity Training Limited, UK 1992 Systems Analysis Design Methodology (SSADM V4) BIS Applied Systems Limited 1990 Systems Analysis Design Methodology (SSADM V3) BIS Applied Systems Limited 1985 1986 Analysis Design graduate membership after having attended a formal course study and examination approved by the Institute Institution of Analysts Programmers, UK Evidence