EMS Recommendations Essay Example for Free

EMS Recommendations Essay In a profit-driven market, executive decisions are based on capital gain instead of long-term sustainability of the planet. Too many pollutions have killed the sea life in the oceans, the streams, the ground soil, the ozone, and all of these practices have poisoned the planet. Business leaders need to change their philosophy of sustainment through capital gain to sustainment through environmental sustainability and be a socially responsible company to stay competitive in todays market Riordan Manufacturing Inc. is a part of the Fortune 1000 enterprises and exceeds ISO 9000 standards giving them the ability to stay a competitor within the plastic manufacturing industry. Currently, Riordan employs 550 employees throughout their four plants in Michigan, California, Georgia and one in China making them a global company. Riordan supports key customers in the automotive parts industry and aircraft manufacturers fields and can customize their product to meet their customers needs. They emphasize six sigma because they understand the importance of asset utilization and the elimination of waste that slows operations. Top leadership requested internal audits on all four operations to identify the top three area needing sustainability process implementation. The first area of concern is the current process of disposing of waste from excess materials. The second area of concern is the label maker omitting high level of hazardous gases into the air. The third area identified is the internal audit is the wasted energy throughout the company. Looking into future sustainability efforts, Riordan Manufacturing will continue to identify ways to improve their long-term sustainability efforts by conducting business with environmental sustainability their determining factor to ensure their continued success. Introduction This assignment is the continuation of the EMS recommendations from week four. This assignment will address any anticipated barriers during the implantation phase, what implementation strategies used to put plan into action. The last step in the EMS process is determining what systematic  monitoring of sustainability methods used to monitor the progress and address issues not identified under the anticipated barriers phase. Anticipated barriers Implementing new technologies and practices will be difficult to achieve without some resistance. Creating a sustainable and energy efficient environment will difficult to streamline effectively without the support of the employees, as well as the shareholders. Reducing energy consumption may be the most difficult of the anticipated barriers. Utilizing more energy materials is necessary, but relying on employees to turn of tools, lights, and machinery between uses, will be a constant pursuit. (Shyi-Min Lu, Yih-Shiaw Huang, Jhy-Ming Lu, 2008) Other sustainable and environmental changes, such as the management of waste disposal and clean air efforts, may present some difficulty; however, installing proper ventilation systems, enforcing the use of chemical spillage traps, reusing chemicals when possible will improve the effort greatly. Reducing materials during the manufacturing process is another barrier that may be difficult to overcome. Enforcing new practices regarding the use of materials and monitoring the usage will be necessary (Acien, Molina, Fernandez, Magan, 2012). Implementation Strategies A strategic implementation is a process that puts plans and strategies into action to reach certain goals. The strategic plan is usually a written document that clearly lays out the plans for the business to their reach goals or objectives. The implementation is what makes the companys plans happen. A successful implementation plan will have a very visible leader; this leader can be anyone such as the Unit manager, SVP, VP, CFO, or even the CEO. It is their job to communicate the vision, excitement and behaviors necessary for the achievement. It is vital that the implementation have a strategic map, and this map will identify: finances, market, work environment, operations, sustainability, people and partners. The most common mistake in strategic implementation is not developing ownership of the process, lack of communication, and a plan that involves too much, and no way of tracking its progress are the common pitfalls. According to Wharton University Of Pennsylvania† (2014), the five best implementation  strategies are: Strategy Implementation Model: Equip your organization to adapt to execution success and change by developing a model of appropriate structures, objectives, controls, integration mechanisms, and incentives for implementing your strategy. Strategic Change: Understand the stages of implementation, forces for and against change, and ways to overcome resistance to change, and develop structures and tactics to implement change. Human Resources and Strategy Implementation: Integrate HR policies and talent management with strategy implementation needs. Strategy and Structure: Understand how strategy affects structure and how the choice of structure affects efficiency and effectiveness and the achievement of execution-related goals. Incentives and Controls: Discuss ways to motivate and control performance, including methods to achieve effective coordination. Systematic Monitoring of Sustainability Methods Necessary methods Team B recommends for monitoring Riordan sustainability include; a biannual check and post on the company website of financial data related to the sustainability plan. The purpose of this step will be to provide transparency among employees and the community so that any progress or lack of will be relayed company-wide. One month following the posting of these results, two representatives from each factory location, comprising the Riordan EMS committee, will attend an evaluation meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to evaluate the financial and environmental data compiled. The EMS committee will draft a report of real progress made and make suggestions to improve areas that are not performing well. Progress will be measured by financial results and compiled data from decreasing production waste during manufacturing. A final evaluation will examine air quality, and toxicity samples taken at each location, to ensure that improved ventilation and spillage reduction systems are improving the environment. If the system is found not performing to expectations; the committee will investigate why and recommend ways to improve these areas. Conclusion In conclusion, the areas covered in this assignment are the anticipated barriers, allowing team leaders to stay ahead of the game. The second step is identifying implementation strategies to put the plan on paper into action. The last step is assigning a systematic monitoring and improvement  methods to ensure follow through of the sustainability process improvement. References Shyi-Min Lu, , Yih-Shiaw Huang, Jhy-Ming Lu,. (2008, July). Planning an energy-conserving policy for Taiwan based on international examples of success. Energy Policy, 30(7), 2685–2693. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/science/article/pii/S0301421508001560Acien, F., Fernandez, J.M., Magan, J.J., Molina, E., (2012, February). Production cost of a real microalgae production plant and strategies to reduce it. Biotechnology Advances, 30(6), 1344–1353. Retrieved from http://av4kc7fg4g.search.serialssolutions.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.comWharton University of Pennsylvania. (2014). Retrieved from http://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/for-individuals/all-programs/making-strategy-work-leading-effective-execution Fogelberg, K. (2010). Monitoring of Water and Sanitation Sustainability. International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development (IJSESD), 3(1), 73-86. doi:10.4018/jsesd.2010070106

Civil Engineering: Reflective Journal

Civil Engineering: Reflective Journal Civil Engineering Technical:  Learning Journal Stage 1: Understanding Me My first degree was in Civil Engineering. I choose the field of civil engineering because I wanted to explore and study the inner details of the structure, also my academic strengths was mathematics and I enjoyed doing civil engineering as the most of the subjects was dealt with calculation and structural concepts. I like studying at the university because of the professors were very cooperative. They give me understanding that how the difficult technical data can be easily understood which really helped me a lot when I start doing my job after the degree. I gain confidence in my university time as I always feel it difficult before my degree to be confident in myself. However, after building structural concepts in Civil engineering I wanted also to learn management skills in depth, as designing the building and running the project effectively at the site are two different fields so to cope with it I decided to take up an MSc. Construction course at Birmingham City University. While C ivil Engineering has been very effective at equipping me with the technical skills of the trade, I find it both useful and practical to be able to acquire the soft skills of management to become a good manager. I feel that in taking up this course, my career horizon would be broadened since I will not be limited only to the Engineering profession. The management component of the course would help me apply it cross functionally. It shall then open new career avenues for me as a professional. Moreover, learning questionnaire results suggests that I am pragmatist type of person according to it I can solve problem in a realistic way which suits the present conditions rather then obeying fixed theories, ideas or rules. Also my MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) results suggest that I am an INTJ (Introverted Intuition with Extraverted thinking). Stage 2: Learning from Practice Technical Knowledge The first situation which I want to share on the importance of technical knowledge was when I was assigned a new member of staff who was then tasked to handle a fairly important project even if he was new. The organisation I was working was one of the leading construction company of middle east and my role in the office was an assistant project manager. To train the new staff was quite difficult because I had to ensure that his learning curve was quite fast. If not, his project time line would be adversely affected. To be able to ably lead him, I realised that project management skills are a requisite. This necessarily meant being very familiar with the specifications of the project and be able to translate these requirements into a concrete work plan. Moreover, it is also important to be able to have the basic technical knowledge required with working within one’s industry. When the leader does not have such requisite technical knowledge, it becomes a basis for a sense of ine quity among those that he leads. For example, the staff say, ‘How come he was designated to be leader of the group, when I feel that I am even better than him? In this particular case, I felt that I exercised good project management skills since we were able to accomplish what we had set out to reach during the beginning of my assignment as interim superior. However, I was of course limited by my experience. For instance, in this particular case the project that my member of staff has been assigned with was something I was already familiar with, and so I did not have a hard time handling a similar project. In the highly technical aspects of a project, I am honest enough to approach someone who is knowledgeable in that aspect, and ask questions. I am most willing to enter into a buddy up or mentoring relationship with a senior or guru in technical areas, and for this particular situation I also seek help from one of my colleague who was working with me. I took advice from him o n particular matters and issues where I felt that I cannot dealt with it properly (Knowledge boundaries) and convey the information I gained from my colleague to the new staff who was under my supervision to enhance his skills. Organisational Knowledge In the middle of last year, my superior had to take an emergency leave for a substantially long period of time. This necessitated someone taking on the role in the interim. As a direct consequence of this appointment, I had to manage 3 staff who were formerly my equals. This introduced complexity in the way my colleagues and I related to each other. One factor which aggravated the situation was the fact that my superior did not have the time to endorse the role properly because of the flurry with which he had to leave. Although according to company procedures and rules the person who is leaving his post has to give proper understanding about the procedures of the company and the responsibilities he was dealing with to the new coming employee. At first, I felt overwhelmed with my new role, because this meant more responsibility. Moreover, I was very conscious of how my colleagues would react to my appointment. Two of the three staff who then became my staff for two months were happy w ith the arrangement; however one member of staff had very serious motivational issues that were directly brought about by my being appointed to the new post. This man had longer tenure and thus more experience in the company compared to me; a culture of entitlement which has pervaded in the company for a long time has created a strong expectation in him of being the next in line, in terms of leadership of the team. Quite obviously, I had a tough time influencing him to follow my lead to be able to accomplish the tasks in the workplan set for the month. The feelings of anxiety, ambiguity, and pressure all built up within the team. These were clearly attested to by the behaviour of the problematic staff. He had frequent absences, did not respond appropriately when called upon, and did not follow instructions as expected. It was a nightmare! What complicated the matter more was the fact that we belonged to different cultures. This colleague was from a collectivist culture (India), and this introduced peculiarities in the way he reacted to the whole situation. I had to be able comprehend why he reacted the way he did and be able to address issues from its roots. I felt that there was shortcoming in terms of clarifying the organisation that my superior has envisioned while he was absent. Given the circumstances that we were in at that time, there was little time for him to endorse the role formally and to orient my staff about my new role and what the expectations were from their end. Role ambiguity then resulted from the newly established organisation, causing conflict between me as an informal superior and the problematic employee who had aspirations of being promoted. Much had to be done from my end to be able to establish a sense of equity among the members of the team mainly through a thorough discussion of roles, tasks and expectations. First, I had to orient them about the situation, saying that this set-up was in fact only for the interim, until such time that my boss came back to lead our team again. Rapport building also had to be done so that even as the organisational structure was not formal in itself, I would have enough influen ce on them to enable me to deliver the set goals. Next, I had to call frequent meetings to be able to set clear goals. In carrying out the planning process, I ensured that each one’s objectives were specific, measurable, attainable and realistic. I also took the chance to be able to clarify the processes and procedures that we ought to follow during the 3 months that we were tasked to work together. The conflicts that I have encountered are mainly caused by personality clashes –differences in opinions and ideas that have complicated the set-up at the outset. Relationships The third situation which focuses on relationships is one in which I had to deal with the older staff who had aspirations of being promoted (same illustration as that of Organisational Knowledge). At that time, I was assigned as a team lead for 3 months, which caused conflict between the two us. Apart from the fact that he was older in terms of both age and tenure, I have also noticed that we were very different in terms of personality and this all the more aggravated the way we dealt with each other. The primary reasons for conflict were differences in the perceptions among the parties involved in the situation. For instance, I have an INTJ (Introverted Intuition with Extraverted thinking) profile, which precludes me from being expressive of my feelings and emotions. My staff turned out to be very vocal and confrontational about how they felt about the situation, and I felt it took a lot of effort on my end to be able to reach an equilibrium within the team. One of my weaknesses is not being too open to feedback and constructive criticism, which also did not help in establishing rapport with my staff. There was much that needed to be delivered during that period, by the team, and it did not help that my staff did not have the motivation to deliver these because of psychological and emotional hurdles. I tried my best to motivate them by matching tasks with people very prudently, considering both their strengths and weaknesses. I accorded them autonomy in doing things, and was only there on a consultative role, rather than dictating what they should do on a day-to-day basis. When I was asked by my boss to act as a team lead for 3 months with this difficult staff in tow, I had to make sure that I gave him and the rest of my team members effective feedback without sounding too bossy or authoritative. This was important since improving work performance and providing feedback about it should be a routine part of the performance management process. Feedback should be based on observed and/or verifiable work-related behaviours, actions, statements, and results. This type of feedback is called behavioural feedback. Effective feedback helps the employee sustain good performance, to develop new skills and to improve performance when necessary. I also ensured that each member of my team knew what I expected from him or her in terms of goals. Goals or objectives are statements of intent to achieve specific business results. I ensured that they were measurable, controllable and were directly related to such results. I realised that in setting goals or objectives, they should be specific and significant, measurable, achievable, results-oriented, time-bound, engaging, and reviewed. Apart from this, I ensured that my team should be given constant feedback to know how well they are doing their tasks. Feedback giving also increases the effectiveness of goal setting, feedback should be provided to the employee on his progress in reaching his goal. My feedback can include verbally telling my staff how he is doing, placing a chart on a wall, or displaying a certain color of light in work pace will result in goal attainment and a different color of light when the pace is too slow to reach the goal. I also learned that feedback increases performance best when it is positive and informational rather than negative and controlling. Situation outside of organizational perspective In my role as a family member, there was a time when conflict arose because of lack of role clarification. In our households, we have various roles to play which may be equally important: parent, son, father, and so on. We also have tasks to deliver to be able to sufficiently perform these roles. In one instance, my sibling and I had conflict because it was not clear who would prepare a particular family activity. Both of us were busy with our respective professions/careers and nobody seemed to have the time to prepare this social activity. They expected that I will handle all the arrangements of the activity myself as I am elder in my brother and sisters. Although I was not good in arranging and managing the big party functions at home. The matter come to critical point when at the time of the party function no formal or informal arrangements have been made for the coming guests and this create embarrassment in the family and i was made responsible for this situation. In the end, we were able to resolve the conflict by thoroughly communicating about the activity, specifying who would do what and by when. I realised through this experience the criticality of effective communication, not only within the sphere of the enterprise, but even within the realm of personal relationships. Assigning job responsibilities among participants before the time of any event is important and necessary. Wider learning and New Narrative Technical development. I have realised that one source of power and authority is the level of technical knowledge that one has. To be able to develop a stronger business sense, achievement orientation, and technical competence as well, I would like to have a mentoring relationship with a guru, or at least someone who is more senior than me who works in a field I am interested in pursuing. I want to learn both technical and soft competencies through this mentoring relationship. It would also be useful to attend seminars or workshops that focus on business acumen and strategy since these are among my weaknesses. I am also interested in pursuing classes that may sharpen my interpersonal relationship skills so that I may leverage more on my social networks and see things from a long term view. Areas which I need to develop. In the end, the situation which I have discussed above in technical, organizational knowledge and relationships has been very helpful in making me realise what I need to improve in myself. I realised that first and foremost, I must be able to understand myself to be able to better relate with others. In fact, because of the experience I got during my job, I have volunteered to take the MBTI just to provide better insight on how my personality affects the way I relate to others. Based on my personal assessment and feedback from others, my strengths as a leader (at least during the time I took on the post of my boss) include leading by example and being a strategic thinker. However, I have several areas for improvement which I may further develop, including being more imaginative and creative; being mature and developing a clear and convincing vision for the future; creating a performing organisation and team and being a team player myself; extracting val ue from social networks; pursuing goals long term; positive framing of events and people; recognizing opportunities for absorbing uncertainty; learning from all over the world; and seeing and preserving the whole venture in a long-term prospective. I am also very good at probing attested to my high score in being an investigator. However, a weakness may be not being too open to feedback and constructive criticism. Moreover, my MBTI results suggest that I am an INTJ. This suggests that I am insightful, conceptual and creative; rational, detached and objectively critical; am likely to have a clear vision of future possibilities; apt to enjoy complex challenges; am likely to value knowledge and competence; apply high standards to themselves and others; independent; trust their own judgments and perceptions more than those of others; and usually seen by others as private, reserved and hard to know. While I may be able to work more effectively with those who have the same profile, I must be able to adapt to those who have a different preference. To make this possible, I should be able to exercise situational leadership – that is, being able to assess both the needs of my staff and the circumstances to be able to manage or lead him more effectively. Many of the areas that I need to develop are not necessarily technical but have much to do with people Finally, after experiencing this situation, I have a more staunch desire to develop my leadership potential in the upcoming years. Everything that I will do or say as a leader will be greater than before in importance beyond all reason. Having the aim to develop and achieve objectives has geared me for success. I have enough motivation to exert all my best efforts to realise my capabilities and be able to use them in harnessing my skills. Aiming to be a leader entails a lot of effort; I should be responsible with my actions and be sympathetic with others. I should be prepared with radical changes in behaviours and become a critical thinker towards management affairs and issues. All people have their own abilities to lead, but not all are given the opportunity to lead, so, given the chance to lead I will definitely grab the chance of proving my capabilities in leading people and making a difference in future. After this experience, my belief that effective leaders are not born with the talent of knowing how to lead has been reinforced. To a certain extent, they absorb knowledge, they gain experience, they listen to and see the world around and beyond their organisation. They are also competent of providing the qualities of leadership required for particular conditions. There are various types of effective leaders and they are the transformational leader, the pragmatic leader and the charismatic leader; however these unique qualities can be mixed altogether in one person in different times and ways . I have learned that leaders can truly become transformational when they boost awareness of what is good, right, beautiful and important; when they facilitate to raise the needs of the followers in terms of self-actualisation and achievement; when they cultivate high moral maturity in followers; and when they push followers to go further than their self-interests for the benefit of their organisation, society or group. Embracing the theory of transformational leadership and having the objective of developing my leadership skills, I would like to see myself as a transformational leader, who can so meday rebuild and organisation without having to enforce personality but instead appeal to people, influence them and be able to gain their respect and trust ,As a leader, I would like to develop my ability to portray a clear vision, to see a realisable goal for the team’s action and efforts of accomplishing unified goals. I would like to be someone who will trust people, who will provide their needed resources and someone who will encourage them to go forward. I know I can lead, since everyone can learn how to lead by realizing the capability of each person to respond to the call of leadership and be able to make a difference. Having the will to learn, anyone can take the challenge of leadership to another level, because leadership can be practised in all aspects of life; it is a an aptitude that I can learn to broaden my perception, set goals and have a holistic understanding of human behaviour and act in full force to be able to get to where I want to be. Because of the serious time constraints which I have experienced, I realised that I should strive to live the time management principles that are taught by Stephen Covey to seriously develop my leadership potential. According to the third habit, a manager must be able to â€Å"put first things first† . In my line of work, I have to learn how to prioritize tasks based on sense of urgency and importance. Many times during that period, there were so many things, people and situations that easily distracted me from the task that I have at hand. I have observed this among the staff that I supervised. The phone ringing, emails, unnecessary breaks, among others. I am striving to make efficient use of my time by reducing if not totally avoiding activities that do are both not urgent and not important. These are activities that fall under Stephen Covey’s 4th quadrant. I also wish to emphasise those tasks which are important and yet are not urgent. In being able to constantly pri oritise these tasks, I will not have to cram or be up in a flurry all the time. Sometimes, these activities start out as not urgent, and yet because of procrastination, they eventually turn out to be urgent. This discipline of constant work (and not cramming) is important in effective time management. I should also be able to allot sufficient time for other facets of my life, including social, spiritual, and emotional facets, which are as equally important as my work or professional life Organizational structural development I have realized that organizational structure change and development needs to be effectively and constantly managed to ensure the team shall be able to deliver the results expected. I feel that it is very important for a successful leader to know how to motivate his employees. Why was the transition to my leadership difficult? The difficulty actually lies in intangible factors, particularly spelling out our team’s culture. I now learn that there is both a visible and an invisible organisation. The former focuses on the easily observable components of the organisation, including its tools, processes, roles, and other components within the formal parameters of the group. Underneath these tangibles are the more influential facets which make up our culture, namely, our customers, values, beliefs, taboos, stereotypes, traditions, language, and behaviours. In effect, when transitioning into this new set-up of leadership, I had to understand all these intangibles. If this is not done , then the leadership change would have ostensibly failed because only the formal structures have been moved for the change, but not those which are practically more important. I have seen how my staff have set goals and teams can influence work behaviour by influencing these goals. I encouraged participation in goal setting among my staff to increase commitment and acceptance of the new set-up. I also realised that individual goal setting was more effective than group goals because it is the impact of goals on intentions that is important. However, I also do realise that although participation in goal setting may increase satisfaction, it does not always lead to higher performance. As much as possible, I would strive to involve my staff in decisions that affect them and ensure that their targets are challenging enough to keep them motivated. Due to fact that the problematic employee had a different culture, I also learned that the way in which the social environment is interpreted is strongly influenced by the cultural background of the perceiver. This implies that the attributes that are seen as characteristic or prototypical for leaders may also strongly vary in different cultures. I had to exert influence and exercise leadership with prudent consideration of the culture of the staff. Finally, knowledge on the peculiarities of motivating employees from across cultures is critical if I am to espouse a multi-cultural work setting, And I will motivate people in future by keeping a deep look at their needs, for example some people get motivated if their salary is increased and some people like that their job responsibilities increase. I want to develop further my ability to create a strong sense of equity among my employees or staff in future. Through this experience, I realised that people choose the behaviour they believe will maximize their payoff. It states that people look at various actions and choose the one they believe is most likely to lead to the rewards they want the most. I learned that anticipation of rewards is important as well as the perceived contingency between the behaviours desired by the organisation and the desired rewards I also learned that since different people desire different rewards, I must, as superior, try to match rewards with what my staff want. On my end as an interim superior, it is important that I have a knowledge of the rewards that appeal to them so that I may match these with their attainment of objectives, and in future I will try to be more socialise among my employees so that I better know about their need and demands. References Bass, B. (1990). Bass Stogdills handbook of leadership: theory, research and managerial applications. New York: The Free Press. Covey, S. (2000). The 7 habits of highly effective people. Running Press Publishers. Hartog, D. N., House, R.. J., Hanges, P. J., et al. (1999). Culture specific and cross-culturally generalisable implicit leadership theories: Are attributes of charismatic/ transformational leadership universally endorsed? Leadership Quarterly, 10(2), 219-256. Hofstede, G. (1983). Dimension of national cultures in fifty countries and three regions. In Deregowski, J.B., Dziurawiec, S, Annis, R.C. (eds.). Explications in Cross-Cultural Psychology. Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets and Zeitlinger. House, R. J. (1995). Leadership in the 21st century: A speculative inquiry. In Howard, A. (ed.) The changing nature of work. San Francisco Jossey-Bass. Tichy, N. M., Devanna, M. A. (1990). The transformational leader (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley. Yukl, G., Van Fleet, D. D. (1992). Theory and research on leadership in organizations. In Dunette, M. Hough, L. M. (Eds.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 147-197). (2nd ed., Vol. 3). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting.

Johnny Rocket’s invades Belgium :: essays research papers

Johnny Rocket’s invades Belgium! Restaurants continue to play a significant role in the Belgian franchise market, and their presence is increasing rapidly, with the fast food franchising market growing at an annual rate of approximately 12%. American fast-food franchising concepts, such as standardized restaurant chains that offer a limited but popular range of dishes served in packaging for on-the-spot consumption has been widely adopted. We plan to bring Johnny Rocket’s to Belgium with a twist of catering to business people, by catering lunches. Every Johnny Rockets restaurant boasts great-tasting food from a menu of All-American favorites including juicy hamburgers, hand-dipped shakes and malts and freshly-baked apple pie. Guests also enjoy an All-American diner look and feel, servers who know the secret behind getting ketchup out of the bottle, tabletop jukeboxes that belt out tunes for a nickel and authentic dà ©cor. Johnny Rockets is the place where every Guest can enjoy All-American favorites served with a smile! OUR GUEST PROMISE: †¢ Say "hello" and "goodbye" to everyone passing through our doors. †¢ Serve the freshest, highest quality simple All-American fare. †¢ Cheerfully serve guests promptly in a sparkling clean store. †¢ Always dance on the half hour, twirl straws and serve ketchup with a smile. †¢ Handle guest needs right here and now. The hamburger market is the strongest of all franchised food chains. In this market, McDonald’s, the second largest hamburger chain, hopes to expand from its current 64 restaurants to well over 100 in the next two to four years. Pizza Hut controls twenty percent of the pizza restaurant market. Chi Chi’s and Dominos are also present in the Belgian market, but they have experienced much difficulty in successfully penetrating it due to the high cost of labor in Belgium. Belgium has one of the highest percentages of inbound franchises as a proportion of franchise systems in the European Union, which helps contribute to the strong competition present in the fast-food sector. The market leader is the GIB group, Belgium's largest retailer, which are the owner and franchiser of the Quick Hamburger Restaurant chain, Lunch Garden and Crock’In Sandwich restaurants. The Quick chain, with one hundred-five outlets, is the sales leader in the hamburger market. GIB originally owned the Pizza Hut master franchise. It is now owned and operated by the Tricon group of Belgium. The decision to enter into a direct foreign investment was made on the basis that Johnny Rockets wanted to maintain controlling interest over operations, avoid transport costs and trade restrictions.

Reunification in Homers Odyssey :: Homer Odyssey Essays

Reunification in Homer's Odyssey In Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey, the main theme is the reunification of the family, as Odysseus struggles to return home and rejoin his wife and son. Throughout the Odyssey, we are shown examples of families: good ones that prosper and bad ones that do not. As Telemakhos struggles to become a man and Odysseus struggles homeward, the concept of healthy family life is stressed. At the end, when all conflicts are resolved and Odysseus is reunited with wife and son, the lesson that a united family can overcome any obstacles is shown and is one that today's families should heed. As the Odyssey begins, we see a family in disarray. Odysseus' whereabouts are unknown. Penelope has spent four years keeping the suitors at bay and spent 20 years crying for Odysseus. And Telemakhos has grown up confused and unsure of himself, without a real father figure. Simultaneously, as a result, we see a kingdom also in disarray. Ithaca has no king, hence no "father" figure. And the sons of the kingdom, hence the suitors, have no guidance and act in an egregious manner. They eat and drink all day, slowly depleting Odysseus' cattle and wine stock. They gamble and constantly harass Penelope and Telemakhos. As Telemakhos, who is ignorant of how real family life should be, travels in search of his father, he learns about family life. In Pylos, he meets Nestor, who asks his son, Peisistratus, to accompany him. This is important because it is the first time Telemakhos has a real friend. In Sparta, he meets King Menelaos and Helen, who are in the midst of the celebration of a double wedding. Here he is shown what a real family should be. Menelaos and Helen have had their troubles. But since they were reunited after the Trojan War, their lives together have been happy and their relationship is loving, honest, and healthy. By the same token, their kingdom thrives, because of this healthy family relationship. Menelaos' brother, Agamemnon, does not have a healthy family relationship. His family is held up to everyone as what a family should not be. It is ironic that the marriages of two brothers, Agamemnon and Menelaos, to two sisters, Helen and Clytemnestra, should be such exact opposite in their outcome. During his absence during the Trojan War, Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, took a lover, Aigisthos. Upon Agamemnon's return, Clytemnestra kills him and his slave-mistress, Cassandra.

Schedules of Reinforcement Essay -- Behavior Management

The schedule of reinforcement has many variables, as well as many ways behavior is reinforced. In order to completely create reinforcement schedule the person must understand the behavior that they wish to change. In my case, the behavior that I wish to change is eating habits. In this paper, I will explore the different schedules of reinforcement and how each would work towards changing my behavior, as well as cause weight loss. My eating habits are very easy to explain, I eat when I am hungry which is not very often. This causes my body to store whatever nutrients I do take in, as well as any fat. This way of eating, in addition to medications I have and am taking make it extremely hard to lose any weight. The first reinforcement schedule to explore is continuous interval reinforcement. The way this is done is by strengthening the behavior by rewards each time it occurs (Feldman, 2011). As Skinner hypothesized the rapid depletion of rewards, in Skinner’s case food pellets, can and should be taken for granted (Morgan, 2010). In my case, a continuous reinforcement of eating healthily would not be ideal because the reinforcement desired is weight loss. With continuously losing weight comes many health problems, especially if the drop is brisk. Another problem with continuously strengthening that behavior is the rewards themselves begin to mean little. The next reinforcement schedule the Skinner developed is the partial reinforcement schedule, meaning behavior is strengthened with a reward only part of the time (Feldman, 2011). The partial schedule of reinforcement is further divided into four different categories, the fixed ratio, variable ratio, fixed interval, and variable interval. The fixed ratio schedule is where after... ...fore I have taken the steps outlined in this essay and made a change in my behavior by joining Weight Watchers. The final plus to weight loss is being able to fit into a wedding dress. At the current time, I am unable to fit into the dress I want, as they do not make a size big enough to fit all of me. By following the fixed ratio and variable interval schedules of reinforcement I will be able to lose the weight in order to stay healthy and fit into my dress. Works Cited Feldman, R. (2011). Operant Conditioning. In Essentials of Understanding Psychology (9th, pp. 179-182). New York, New York: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. Freedman, D. H. (2011). How to fix the obesity crisis. (Cover story). Scientific American, 304(2), 40-47. Morgan, D. L. (2010). SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT AT 50: A RETROSPECTIVE APPRECIATION. Psychological Record, 60(1), 151-172.

The Human Eye

The eye is a rather small part of the body that makes up seventy percent of the humans total sensory ability. That is why we chose to describe the eye. Each part of the eye works together as a whole. Within and outside of the eye there are many working parts functioning around the clock.. The cornea is a very important part of the eye, but you can hardly see it because it's made of clear tissue. Like glass, the cornea gives your eye a window in which to view the world. The a cornea is a transparent tissue covering the front of the eye. The cornea covers both the pupil and he iris eye, and it is partially responsible to focus light. The cornea is part of the external structure of the eyeball. The external layer of the eyeball is formed by the cornea, and the sclera. The cornea is a dome-shaped structure. The cornea does not have any blood vessels that is why it appears clear. The cornea does have nerves. The cornea is the first and most powerful lens in the eye's optical system. The cornea is the first part of the eye to focus. When a ray of light hits the eye, the cornea is the first structure the light encounters. Then the light rays travel through your eye through a hole called the pupil. As light rays from an object enter your eye, they are bent inward by the cornea and lens. Light rays are focused through the transparent cornea and lens. Light rays focused by the cornea and lens produce an image on the retina that is upside down. The cornea is made up of five layers: the epithelium, Bowman’s layer, the stroma, Descement’s membrane, and the endothelium. The cornea obtains oxygen through absorption from the tear film layer, and from the aqueous humor. The tears that flow over the cornea help to keep it nourished and moist. {draw:frame} The anterior chamber lies between the iris and the back surface of the cornea. There are three chambers of fluid in the eye. The anterior chamber, which is between the cornea and iris. The posterior chamber, which is between the iris and lens. And, the vitreous chamber, which is between the lens and the retina. The fluid filled substance is called the aqueous humor. It is a clear fluid that fills the anterior chamber and the posterior chamber of the anterior cavity of the eye. The aqueous humor bathes the lens and gives nourishment to the lens. The aqueous humor is produced by the ciliary body. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} The colored part of the eye is called the iris. It controls light levels inside the eye similar to the hole on a camera. The round opening in the center of the iris is called the pupil). The iris is embedded with tiny muscles that dilate (widen) and constrict (narrow) the pupil size. The sphincter muscle lies around the very edge of the pupil. In bright light, the sphincter contracts, causing the pupil to constrict. The dilator muscle runs radically through the iris, like spokes on a wheel. This muscle dilates the eye in dim lighting. The iris is flat and divides the front of the eye (anterior chamber) from the back of the eye (posterior chamber). Its color comes from microscopic pigment cells called melanin. The color, texture, and patterns of each person's iris are as unique as a fingerprint. The pupil is the black circle in the center of the iris. But, the pupil is really a clear opening. The pupil appears black because the light which the pupil allows to enter the eye is absorbed on the retina and does not exit the eye. Light enters the eye through the cornea; it then travels through the opening called the pupil. Light then enters the eye's lens. The pupil changes size in order to adapt to the quantity of light rays that reach it. The pupils constrict in response to increased light, this makes your pupils smaller. When the pupils are smaller, it allows in as little light as possible. The pupil dilates in response to decreased light, this makes your pupils larger. When the pupils are larger, it allows in as much light as possible. The pupil size is determined by a reflex action that allows less light into the eye during bright conditions, so the person is not dazzled. The pupil size is determined by a reflex action that allows more light into the eye during dim conditions; this will make vision possible for the person. To see how this works, use a small flashlight to see how your eyes or a friend's eyes respond to the changes in brightness. The pupils will get smaller when the light shines near them and they'll open wider when the light is gone. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} * Dilated* Pupil * Constricted* Pupil The lens is part of the internal structure of the eyeball. The lens is transparent. The lens is the flexible curved part of the eye that sits behind the iris and in front of the vitreous humor. The lens of the eye is made of mostly water and protein. Light which passes through the pupil opening, will nter the lens. The lens focuses light rays on the back of the eye. The lens' purpose is to focus images onto the retina. It works like the lens of a camera that records the picture. The lens turns the images upside down. Then the picture is transmitted by the optic nerve to the brain. In young people, the lens changes shape to adjust for close or distance vision. The lens changes shape when looking at objects at different distances to keep the images in focus. The lens changes its shape by bending. The adjustment of the lens of the eye is similar to the focusing of a camera. This adjustment of the lens is known as accommodation. As we become older adults, the lens gradually hardens, and it becomes harder for the lens to accommodate. {draw:frame} {draw:frame} The Ciliary Body and the Ciliary Muscle, separates the Aqueous Humor, the fluid and, the Anterior Chamber. The vitreous humor is located in the posterior chamber of the eye. The posterior chamber is a space behind the iris and it is in front of the retina. This space behind the lens is filled with a jellylike substance called the vitreous humor. The vitreous humor helps to shape the eyeball. As we age and get to be older adults, the vitreous humor changes from a gel to a liquid like fluid and it gradually shrinks and separates from the retina. {draw:frame} The retina is the innermost layer of the eye. The retina is made up of two parts: an optical part in the fundus of the eye that is sensitive to light, and a nonsensitive pigmented part that lines the ciliary body and iris. The light-sensitive neurons are arranged in three layers; the first layer is made up of rods and cones and the other two transmit impulses from the rods and cones to the optic nerve. The rods are sensitive to dim light of a variety of wavelengths, and the cones are sensitive to bright light of more restricted wavelengths and are responsible for color vision. Visual acuity is greatest in the central part of the retina. {draw:line} {draw:frame} {draw:frame} The retina is a stack of several neuronal layers. Light is concentrated from the eye and passes across these layers (from left to right) to hit the photoreceptors (right layer). This causes a chemical transformation of light to nerve impulse to the bipolar and horizontal cells (middle yellow layer). The signal is then transmitted to the amacrine and ganglion cells. This pattern of spikes determines the raw input from the eyes to the brain. The optic disc is a whitish spot on the retina. The optic disc is called the blind spot. The optic disc is the spot on the retina that the optic nerves come from. The optic disc marks the point where nerve fibers leave the eye. The optic disc lacks light sensitive cells. There are no sensory cells here that are why it creates a blind spot. The macula lutea is an irregular yellowish spot near the center of the retina. The macula lutea lies slightly below the optic disc. The macula lutea is part of the retina and it is the most light sensitive. The size of the macula lutea is 7mm or about ? inch. The macula lutea is responsible for our reading vision. It is this part of the retina that makes our vision 20/20. If you do not have a macula lutea, you would not be able to see. Cranial Nerve II, or more familiarly known as the optic nerve, is the nerve that controls the sense of vision. Without this the human race could not see, it acts as a passageway of the object you see, to be transferred as a nervous impulse to the brain. The part of the brain the nervous impulses are sent to is the visual cortex, this is a section of the brain where all of the information is processed. The optic nerve is formed out of axons. An axon is the long processes of retinal cells at the back of the eye. These join together to form the nerve, which exits the eyeball at a point called the optic disc. The optic nerve fibers, originate in the retina, then enter the optic nerve which again passes through the eye socket. This then heads to the optic canal, the opening in the skull which receptors pass from the eye to the brain. The optic nerve fibers the join together to form the optic charisma, this trade in fibers allows for binocular vision, they continue until it makes contact with the lateral geniculate. The optic nerve radiates back to the visual where the image is processed. To sum this up the optic nerve carries information to the brain from the eye. This concludes the internal mechanism of the eye. Next is a discussion of the external anatomy of the eye and component's surrounding it. There are three layers of the eyeball. The external layer of the eyeball is formed by the sclera, and the cornea. The sclera is the white part of the eye. The sclera is continuous with the cornea. The sclera is the outermost layer, and the sclera is the thickest layer of the eyeball. The sclera has the important job of covering most of the eyeball. The conjunctiva is a mucus membrane which covers the sclera that you can see through and lines the eyelids as the palpebral conjunctiva, and reflects or folds back over the anterior of the eyeball, as the ocular, or in some cases this can be called the bulbar conjunctiva. The bulbar conjunctiva only covers the white of the eye not the cornea. The ocular conjunctiva is very thin, blood vessels are visible beneath it, when irritated the eye becomes â€Å"bloodshot. † When the eyelids are shut a slit like space appears between the covered eyeballs and eyelids. When you are wearing contacts, the contact lies in the conjunctivial sac, this is where most eye medications are placed also. The conjunctiva's main job is to protect the eye from anything that may penetrate the eye. Certain eye problems that may relate to the conjunctiva include the inflammation of the conjunctiva which is called conjunctivitis_. _Pinkeye which is probably the most familiar to people living in America. Pinkeye consist of a bacteria or virus that is, in most cases , on your hands and you do not wash them then it is spread around the eye. All infections in this area are contagious. The sclera is also a supportive and protective layer of the eye. The sclera forms a tough shell that helps protect the inner structures of the eyeball. There are three pairs of muscles attached to the sclera. These muscles are named extra-ocular muscles. {draw:frame} There are six extra-ocular muscles on each eye. Each muscle has a different form of movement or function in the eye. The Lateral Rectus is the muscle that moves the eye outward. The Inferior Rectus muscle is the muscle that pulls the eyeball towards the ground. The Inferior Oblique muscle raises the eye, and pivots the eyeball outwards. The Superior Oblique muscle pulls the downwards and outwards, while abducting the eye. The tendon-like Trochlea, acts like a pulley which the superior oblique muscle passes through. The Superior Rectus muscle pulls the eye upwards and inwards. The Palpebrae Superioris muscle pulls the upper eyelid upwards. The Medial Rectus muscle moves the eyes inward horizontally. The Tendinous Ring is a band of rough, fiber-filled tissue, that holds the eye muscles in place. The second layer of the eye is called the uvea. The uvea contains many blood vessels and pigmented cells. The uvea is divided into three main sections: the choroid, the ciliary body and the iris. The choroid extends from where the optic nerve meets the eye-ball to the front of the eye, where it forms both the ciliary body and the iris. The third layer is the retina. The Lacrimal glands are located above each eye. The Lacrimal gland lies underneath the upper eyelid. The Lacrimal gland has the important job to produce tears. The Lacrimal gland continually produces tears that are distributed over the surface of the eyes. The tears drain through the Lacrimal canals into the Lacrimal sac and into the nose from the Lacrimal duct. The tears are constantly being made in the Lacrimal glands and through the action of blinking the tears drain. Every time the eyelid blinks, it causes tears to flow from the Lacrimal glands. The tears keep the cornea moist and provide oxygen to the cornea. The tear production increases when you cry or if the eye is irritated by foreign particles. The Lacrimal gland also produces other protective fluids onto the surface of the eye. draw:frame} Cranial Nerve III, the oculomotor nerve controls the eye muscles, or two-thirds of them anyway. This Nerve Mainly carries the motor fibers to the eye muscles, this controls the movement of the eye and where the eye's position is located. The oculomotor contains fibers from the nervous system which constrict the pupil and also alter the lenses' shape. The oculomotor nerve originates midbrain, is part of the brainstem and leaves the cranial cavity through the eye socket into the superior orbital fissure. From the superior orbital fissure, this is split into two parts, the superior and inferior divisions. Problems associated with the oculomotor nerve, are damage to the nerve, in which case all but two of the eye muscles will be paralyzed, occasionally when this happens the eyelid will drop. Also the eye will not move sideways. Cranial Nerve IV, the trochlear nerve, only supplies one muscle for movement to the eye. This nerve transmits both the motor information of the eye and the sensory information of the eye. The nerve originates about midbrain, around the brainstem and finally ends up through the center of the eye socket into the superior orbital fissure. The trochlear nerve controls the muscle that moves the eye up and down. Cranial Nerve VI, is the abducent nerve, this leads to the lateral rectus muscle in the eye. The abducent nerve contains both motor fibers and sensory fibers. The fibers of the abducent nerve originate in a part of the brainstem called the Pons. The nerve arrives at the eye socket then passes through the superior orbital fissure. This moves the eye out to the side. The eye is a important and fascinating organ. It is made up of many different kinds of tissues. Each has a very important and individualized function. It's many parts work together to form the phenomenon of sight. This allows us to perceive the world.

Manchester Product

Manchester Products: A Brand Transition Challenge Recommendation: Here are two companies namely Manchester Products and Paul Logan Furniture Division, both offer furniture in different sectors. Indeed, Manchester Products has been known for office furniture while Paul Logan Furniture Division is selling high-Â ­? end fashionable home furniture. Manchester should co-Â ­? brand the Paul Logan Furniture Division line by using a strategy that makes Manchester an endorser brand (Aaker D. , 2004). In this way the existing product line could now be called Manchester Paul Logan Furniture Division and after two years, Manchester should introduce a new household furniture brand. Problem statement: The problem that Manchester faces is that of transitioning from one customer segment, which is the office furniture segment to another segment which is the segment of household customers. If we have a look at the exhibit 4, the table highlights clearly the strengths of Paul Logan Furniture Division which are different than the Manchester Products. While the core product is the same, the marketing, branding and distribution techniques will differ. The choice of these strategies and the alternates present problems to the company. As ar as the next issues regarding the different distribution strategies of both the brands are concerned, Manchester follows a push strategy where it manufactures the furniture and sells it online, through retailers, specialty stores as well as through the direct sales force. As far as Paul Logan Furniture Division is concerned, it too follows a push strategy as it designs its pro ducts and manufactures them, without addressing specific consumer requirements. Assumptions: The future for Manchester, as a household and an office retailer brand will need to keep in mind that the Paul Logan Furniture Division name annot be used after three years. Another assumption is that furniture chain stores concerns will be satisfied, as Manchester will be able to provide them with products with the endorsed Paul Logan Furniture Division name. This will enable them to have a comfort level developed with Manchester so that once two years have lapsed and the new Manchester brand is introduced, these stores will be willing to carry them, based on a good relationship (Aaker D. A. , 2004). Discussion and analysis: The solution that needs to be undertaken in order to resolve the challenge of brand transition, considering that the company an only use the brand name for three years and the fact that it cannot use it to brand new products indicates that adoption of the Paul Logan Fur niture Division brand name is not a sustainable strategy. Therefore, the suggestion given by Lisa regarding delaying the name change is not feasible and would only serve to confuse consumers (Davis, 2000). The suggestion where Gary recommends that all products should be rebranded to Manchester immediately ignores the core reason for the acquisition of Paul Logan Furniture Division. The acquisition was carried out to help Manchester enter the household furniture market nd if the name is not used then the acquisition would, in essence, waste the power of the Paul Logan Furniture Division brand in the consumer market. In so far as the last recommendation is concerned, the gradual change in one or two categories will help in registering the fact that Manchester has the same quality products as Paul Logan Furniture Division, and will help to leverage the acquired brand name better. However, this will be against the core principles as stated by Al and Laura Ries as an immutable law of bra nding (Ries & Ries, 1998). The law of singularity states that the brand should stand for ne particular image in the mind of the consumer. In as far as the case goes, it has been stated that Manchester has an image of a conservative furniture brand that is mainly ‘corporate’ in its approach, using conservative and elegant designs. Paul Logan Furniture Division has a completely different positioning, and is meant to be a contemporary outstanding furniture brand that is preferred by consumers who are trend setters in way. This target market serves to be a completely different brand persona which is bold and trendy as compared to Manchester’s persona which is serious and elegant. Therefore, none of hese strategies would have worked in the market place, and there was a need for a more comprehensive, and focused strategy that could harness the positive goodwill generated by Paul Logan Furniture Division so that Manchester cold sustain the advantage in the longer run, e ven after the three years had passed. That is the reason why the fourth strategy of endorsing the Paul Logan Furniture Division brand had to be considered. The marketing communications campaign that is used will need to focus on this endorsement, so that the brand name becomes so entrenched in the consumer’s mind, that even when three years nd and Manchester is relived of the right to use the Paul Logan Furniture Division name, Paul Logan Furniture Division is subconsciously perceived as a Manchester brand (Davis, 2000). As far as pull and push strategies are concerned, the company in case of the Paul Logan Furniture Division brand line should continue to follow a push strategy, with promotional offers and designs that can enhance sales as well as market recognition. However as far as the office furniture division is concerned, the company should also introduce a pull strategy whereby orders are taken from corporate buyers and are customized ccordingly. Implementation: The pr oposed recommendations have two phases. The first is endorsed product lines while the second is a new product line at the end of two years. In the first scenario the action plan would entail as an immediate step, a board and then a company-Â ­? wide meeting where all employees are brought onto the same page with reference to the strategy proposed of endorsing the brand. The employees need to be reminded that they are brand ambassadors. As far as the sales force is concerned, Paul Logan Furniture Division sales team will have to be instructed to consciously endeavour and call Paul Logan Furniture Division as Manchester Paul Logan Furniture Division in all verbal, written and online communications. The sales force will have to be briefed and trained in following the company policy. Moreover, some sales people will be permanently placed at larger retail stores to help answer and queries regarding the corporate endorsed brand. Secondly, retailers and distributors will be brought on board, and all their concerns and issues should be answered proactively. Ad and communications campaigns also need to be worked on focusing on Manchester Paul Logan Furniture Division. Once the endorsement trategy ceases to exist, the company will have to have a contingency plan in catering to the situation Moreover as new products cannot bear the Paul Logan Furniture Division name, the company will have to come up with a new brand of household furniture, after two years of using the Paul Logan Furniture Division name. The implementation procedures in this case will include promot ional strategies for retailers and wholesalers who will be encouraged to push the product more than the competitor’s products. Implementation is the key to executing a successful brand strategy and these measures will aid in just that.