Monday, January 27, 2020

The Principle of Fidelity | Comparison to Socrates

The Principle of Fidelity | Comparison to Socrates While some try to escape prison when they are imprisoned for a crime, Socrates argued for his imprisonment. Socrates provides Crito with three reasons for staying in prison, Principle of Filial Piety, Principle of Fidelity and Non-Malificence argument. For the purpose of my argument, I will show how the Principle of Fidelity and Principle of Filial Piety are flawed arguments. In this paper I will outline arguments mentioned in Taking Rights Seriously by Ronald Dworkin in order to show why Socrates should escape from prison. For the Principle of Fidelity, Socrates provides two premises and a conclusion. In his first premise he argues that because he remained in the city of Athens and did not challenge its laws, it constitutes an agreement to abide by its laws (Rodde 23 Jan. 2013). In his second premise he states that as citizens, we ought to abide by our agreements (Rodde 23 Jan. 2013). Thus, if he escapes from prison, he will break the law, therefore, he should not escape from prison (Rodde 23 Jan. 2013). However, I argue that the Fidelity Principle argument is not a fair one on the basis that it assumes that regardless of the laws of a country, if you live in the society you must abide by the societys laws, thus agreeing to the laws as being just laws. Furthermore, the government is appointed and chosen by the majority rule and regulates its laws for its citizens. When there is a relationship built between the state and its citizens, an automatic agreement occurs. While the citizens have a duty to the state, the state also has one to its citizens of treating them justly under the law. Socrates strongest argument is the Principle of Fidelity as he argues that we must keep our promises (Plato 29-30). Nonetheless, Socrates admits that he was put in jail on wrong terms (Plato 29-30). The wrong imprisonment automatically voids the agreement that Socrates has with the state. Because the state broke faith with Socrates by unjustly accusing and sentencing him, why then is it okay for Socrates to break faith with them? Dworkin argues, in practice, the government will have the last word on what an individuals rights areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but that does not mean that the governments view is necessarily the correct view (Dworkin 34). In this phrase , Dworkin argues that there is a difference between moral rights and legal rights and that although we are in an agreement with a government, our own individual rights should not be ignored. By Socrates keeping his end of the promise to the government, he assumes that the government ought to be moral and that the government acts for its citizens: he who has experience of the manner in which we order justice and administer the state, and still remains, has entered into an implied contract that he will do as we commend him, and who he disobeys us is, as we maintain, thrice wrong (Plato 30). Here Socrates outlines the rules outlined by the state to its citizens and he argues how citizens must abide by those rules, however, if the state is an unjust state, should one still abide by its rules? Dworkin beautifully shows how an act such as Socrates based on the Fidelity Principle ignores ones moral rights as he argues that an individual who believes that the governments view is always the right view must believe that men and women have only such moral rights as government chooses to grand which means that they have no moral rights at all (Dworkin 34). Here Dworkin explains that by ignoring our moral rights and allowing the state to assign moral rights, we have no rights at all. Therefore, as citizens have obligations that they must meet to its government, the government has obligations that they must fulfill. The state broke the obligations that they had to Socrates by imprisoning and executing him on false accusations, this also showing that the law was flawed and unjust. However, we should not ignore Socrates argument that even though the state broke fidelity with the law that does not mean that he should break faith with the law. While in conversation with Crito, Socrates explains that he is a man of his word (Plato 29), however, he fails to mention that he is binding himself to an unjust law. This further questioning the legitimacy of the Principle of Fidelity as it seems to strongly support some claims while ignoring others. Socrates second argument is the Principle of Filial Piety. Socrates first premise for the argument is that the relationship between a state and a citizen is similar to the relationship between a parent and a child (Plato 29-30). The second premise states that a child ought to obey his/her parents; therefore, a citizen ought to obey the state (Rodde 23 Jan. 2013). However, the Filial Piety is a flawed principle because it is an argument from analogy. Analogies always fail because two features can never be exactly identical. Yet, Socrates assumes that parents orders are always the right orders. Socrates disregards the concept of error and poses the concept of perfectibility on a role that never can be perfect. The notion of perfectibility becomes more problematic when Socrates compares the relationship of a citizen and its state to a child and its parent: in disobeying us he is disobeying his parentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦we are the authors of his education (Plato 30). Here Socrates explains t hat the control the state has over his life is similar to the control that parents have over their children. However, by giving the state this sort of power he denies his own rights as a citizen. Dworkin argues that, a man has a moral right to speak his mind in a non-provocative way on matters of political concern and that is an important right that the state must go to great pains to protect (Dworkin 36), this is not the case for Socrates. Socrates exercised his rights as a citizen and was punished, however, according to Dworkins thought the state made a mistake when imprisoning him for speaking his mind. In addition, there is an assumption that the parent (state) has hierarchical power; therefore the child (citizen) is below the law (state). If this were the case, then why did Socrates speak against the state (his parents)? The Filial Piety argument becomes problematic as Socrates contradicts his own actions of speaking against politicians. Socrates argues that he has to obey the law unconditionally because the law has parental rights over him (Plato 30); therefore, he is a slave to the state. Socrates argues that he is a free man to leave if he chooses to (Plato 30-31), but how can he argue that he is a free man if the state who, according to him, have parental roles over him, have subjected him against the law? When can these rights be restricted? According to Dworkin, rights can only be restricted if: values protected by original right are not at stake in this case, if marginal cases are permitted and granting right affects competing rights and if marginal cases are permitted and produces costs to society are beyond cost of granting right (Rodde 28 Jan. 2013). With Dworkins idea in mind, I believe that Socrates has imprisoned himself more than the actual government because he appoints the government as his parents through his own analogies. To conclude, I believe that Socrates should escape from prison because the Principle of Fidelity assumes that a law is always just. While on a moralistic view we may argue that Socrates should not escape from prison based on this argument because he has to show the importance of maintaining his promise, instead by not escaping he ignores the law. For example, laws are created to maintain an orderly society in which punishments are involved, creating a dichotomy between right versus wrong. By only considering the idea of keeping ones promise in his argument, Socrates opens the way for people who have been illegally convicted to ignore the entire law system which is created in order to distinguish between right and wrong, and simply do as the state says to due to a natural binding between the person and the state. He ignores the manipulations of the state and ones desires to live. Also, Socrates argues for the Principle of Filial Piety as an important argument. However, the argument is created on an analogy which cannot sustain itself because Socrates compares his relationship to the state as a parent child relationship, but fails to question the way the state sees the relationship with its citizens. Lastly, Dworkins idea of immoral rights versus legal rights and his limitations of when rights can be restricted highlights how although some actions may be immoral, they are not illegal (Dworkin 35), therefore Socrates should escape from jail. [Word Count: 1474]

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Reflection by Christina Aguilera & Song Birds of Pain by Garry Kilworth

The Songbirds of Pain by Garry Kilworth and Reflection by Christina Aguilera shares the same theme of â€Å"finding one’s self (identity)†, the subject of both the selection and the song has been expected to act in ways which are opposite or afar from their true personalities. The Songbirds of Pain is about a woman who has her identity created for her, while Reflection is about a girl who was hiding who she was in order to reach the expectations of the people surrounding her. I have related some of the song’s stanzas to the event or occurrences that happened to Anita in the Songbirds of Pain.In the song Reflection on the first 4 lines â€Å"Look at me, you may think you see who I really am, but you’ll never know me. † I have related these lines in Songbirds of Pain because Anita (the protagonist) has had her identity created for her by Philip. Philip, Anita’s lover, has molded her to be someone who he wants to be with. He did not really know Anita from who she really is because (1) Anita was young when he met her and she has not found herself yet, and (2) he chooses to see what he wants to see and not what things really are.Anita did not complain about this, she did not mind that her opinions were just barrowed from Philip but then she had come to realize that one day Philip would leave her, and she would not have anything, except her beauty. But beauty fades away with youth, and she is growing older so she have decided to have an operation that will make her more beautiful and that will make her beauty last longer. In the third stanza â€Å"I am now, in a world where I have to hide my heart and what I believe in. But somehow I will show the world what's inside my heart and be loved for who I am†.Anita has this identity where she cannot show what she really feels and thinks. I think that Anita wanted an operation not just because she wanted everlasting beauty but because she wanted to finally show who she really is, I think she want to know what will happen if things in her life happened differently. Like what if, before Philip found her, she has already found herself? I think that she wants to use this opportunity to find out if Philip would still love her or if things would be the same as it was. In the sixth stanza â€Å"There's a heart that must be free to fly that burns with a need to know the reason why†.I think that when Anita was at Algarez, Brazil for her operation she felt free, because for the first time she has finally made a decision for herself. Even though she had second thoughts about the operation she still pushed it through, because I think that Anita felt that she needs to do this for herself and for her own good, and I think that she is testing herself if she could make the right choices for herself or choices that will make her feel satisfied and happy. In the last stanza â€Å"Why must we all conceal what we think and how we feel? Must there be a secret me I'm forced to hide?I won't pretend that I'm someone else for all time. When will my reflection show who I am inside? When will my reflection show who I am inside? † In the end Anita found herself, her world and she used pain (due to the operations) to get there. Secretly she loved that world, because she was herself, she did not have to act in ways that other people (Philip) expects her to be. She hid her love for pain, I do not think that she was proud of it, but she was able to fake just enough to go back to London. Philip was waiting for Anita at the Airport; he was waiting for Anita to arrive.When Anita saw Philip she felt how much she loves him, and what pain she will experience if she loses him. Pain, Anita has learned to love pain, and Anita was leaving Philip for the pain that it will cost her. She will be in pain, but at the same time she would be herself, forever. She would be in the world of Anita where â€Å"She was the sun, the moon, the stars, the Earth. She was voi d, she was matter, she was light. † She is going to be the center of her own universe. Anita has been a naive girl from the start of the selection but her character evolved after a series of occurrences that have been life changing for her.She managed to found herself even though it took her a long time. Like in the song Reflection, the subject was able to justify that she wants to be seen and to break free from the status quo that is holding her. The moral of this is; you should show who you really are and do not think that it’s too late because as the saying goes â€Å"it’s better late than never†. And do not expect that the path would not be rocky because it is always hard to get something that is worthwhile. We just have to be patient.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Reflective Paper Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organization in the business and industrial setting is like a very interesting organism worthy of effort and time for study. The behavior of people and the environments with which they are in constant interaction is a ceaseless source for curiosity and fascinating research. This is so especially during this particular century when technology sparks the many changes that take place. This generation is in the epoch of organizational reform and innovation. The time is marked with rapid changes in the demography of workforce, changing corporate culture, and changing institutions. In the light of the rapid shift in today’s organizations, the skills required of managers, beginners in the profession and even aspiring students in the discipline, rest on the foundation of knowledge on the whole gamut of organizational development. Corporate America is not without its complications. When the company â€Å"succeeds,† there is with it (the success) a corresponding notion of responsibilities and liabilities. Organizations thrive today because of the policies and guidelines they have managed to fixed firmly in their set-up and translated into their day to day affairs. Big businesses have the competitive edge over others – i.e., over small entrepreneurs, because they have arrived at their positions in the market place by securing certain parameters in the many facets that comprise their organizations. This is especially true on government laws and regulations (McKenna, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is imperative that organizations in industry and business compete with the changing times. To fail to do so may spell substantial loss in both the financial and human capitals; two major components necessary in an organization. Being competitive in today’s business jargon is not as simple as it sounds; it involves a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the whole gamut of organizational behavior and the complex changes that are dynamic in nature (Mangelsdorff, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This paper attempts to express in prà ©cis the various facets of the nature of organization with specific intentions to elaborate on the student researcher’s understanding, insights and learnings regarding how quality management and control systems relate with human motivation. It takes into consideration the importance of how all these concepts are of significance in one’s individual relationships as well as their relevance of the person’s (especially the student researcher’s) professional plans and actual work situations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizational change though oftentimes unpredictable and incomprehensible to many, still goes through a cycle; the nature of which makes it possible for concerned people to study with the hopes and intentions of ultimately, implementing revisions or remodeling. These serve to enhance and improve systems and discover excellent procedures of handling things or procedures and people (Mangelsdorff, 2007). Problem Statements   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To be specific, the following questions are addressed in this paper: Define what is meant by â€Å"strategic planning.† Distinguish this from long-range planning and other forms of planning. Planning can lead to organizational change. What do the text writers feel are the issues that face the managerwho plans to bring about organizational change? How should a planner go about the process of identifying strengths, weaknesses, and distinctive competencies in an organization? What is the impact of the findings on planning? Discuss the relationship between mission statements, planned change, and unplanned change. Use Discussion – Define what is meant by â€Å"strategic planning.† Distinguish this from long-range planning and other forms of planning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bruffee, author of Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge (1993), explains the need for a more efficient, economical and equitable management of the people in the industry or organization has never been as pronounced as it is today. This need has never been brought about by factors which inevitably affect not only the established structures and ways of doing things within the personnel area but also by the more meaningful and substantial task of managing the organization’s most important asset – the human capital. Among these factors are: stiffer competition in business; rapid changes in technological, competitive and economic environments; the explosion of technical and managerial knowledge; spiraling wage and benefits cost and so many others. These factors have no doubt been responsible for the emergence of the personnel function as a vital area in the implementation of corporate strategy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Demick and Miller (1993) places in context first what an organization is like and settles how it can affect behavior in general and when that is established, proceeded to explain leadership and management in this context. In organizational behavior which is basic to the management of human resource, it points to the inquiry and application of learning about how people, individuals, and groups perform, operate, and work in organizations. It accomplishes this by means of adopting a system approach. Explicitly, it infers people-organization affairs in terms of the entire person, group totality, complete organization, and total social structure. Its intention is to put up enhance relations by attaining human goals, organizational purposes, and social goals. In such a milieu, the goals to effect change are influenced by several significant factors which are crucial to the overall results. Hence, there are expected leadership behaviors that maintain momentum during the change process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Effective strategic planning is a process of analyzing an organization’s assets and its needs under changing conditions and developing the activities necessary to satisfy these needs. It is essentially a two-step process. The emphasis is on techniques or systems to be applied. The forecasting of needs allows determining of priorities and allocating of resources to where they can do the most good. Analysis of needs leads to program planning. The planning approach defines human resource needs in relation to the organization’s overall needs and defines a strategy to satisfy them. In this way, individual development, training programs, recruitment, compensation and other activities become integral part of a dynamic process. There are different types of planning aside from strategic type of plan. These include the alignment type, the goal-based type, the self-organizing type, and the scenario-based type (McNamara, 2006). The goal-based type of planning is involved with tailoring the process of improving and enhancing the system of operation of an organization with the focus on the organizations’ goals which may be further specialized according to each of that organization’s departments. The alignment type bases its planning strictly on the organization’s mission and tailors all activities according to that specific aspect of organizational flow. In particular, the scenario type of planning, however, makes use of the critical areas of the organization’s set-up which nay be experiencing problems and issues that may emanate from the external environment such as changing laws and problems outside the firm or establishment which may affect the life, continuity and effective productivity of the organization.   Lastly, self-organizing type of planning is centered on the organization’s core of values and that any or all of the various problems or issues encountered have to be evaluated according to the values of great importance to the members of the organization (McNamara, 2006). -Planning can lead to organizational change. What do the text writers feel are the issues that face the manager who plans to bring about organizational change?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizational behavior is actually a complex and dynamic mechanism. It includes the application and integration of theoretical perspectives from the social and behavioral sciences to shed light on how and why individuals behave in a variety of ways in organizations. Included in the study are the ways the individuals carry out their tasks, the structure, design and operation of human persons in simple and complex organizational set-ups (Mangelsdorff, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This is accomplished utilizing the systems approach or systems model. The latter is meant as interpreting people and organizational relationships in reference to the whole individual, â€Å"whole group, whole organization, and whole social system† (Knoster et al., 2000). The objective is developing improved and enhanced relationships by attaining individual aims, organizational goals and social aspirations (Mangelsdorff, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Specifically, any student who pursues the study of the concepts involved in the matter will examine how individuals work in groups; acquire insights into human strengths and interpersonal relationships. Intertwined in the study is to delve into theories or principles of motivation of personnel, effective leadership with the goal of formulating a sound thinking and values of management and leadership. Moreover, organizational behavior investigates scientific data and utilizes a variety of research traditions to further understand how individuals work and function efficiently in diverse forms of structures (Shortell et al., 2000)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The concepts that are pursued in organizational behavior include the following: the evolution and organizational and management theories; the rich historical background of management, organizational theories and the development of management thought, are adequately covered in this particular aspect (Robbins,1997).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Organizational behavior, when scrutinized closely, thus far covers a lot of topics. It embraces the understanding of structure, design of the organization itself. It also includes the study of the work design, policies and practices of the human resource, job design, and decision making as an organization. Furthermore, it also examines the organizational culture, its dynamics where change is aimed to be implemented (Revans, 1982) – How should a planner go about the process of identifying strengths, weaknesses, and distinctive competencies in an organization? What is the impact of the findings on planning?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Working relationships are a central portion of a person’s life.   Motivation and dedication to any endeavor (e.g. work) and the pleasure from it are collective concerns of the organization and the individual. There are definite factors that generate satisfaction, the so-called â€Å"motivator† factors according to Herzberg. These factors push the worker to the highest levels of accomplishment possible. They are an inherent part of the work itself and consist of the nature of the work, the person’s sense of achievement, level of responsibility, and individual development and improvement. These motivator needs can only be rewarded by stimulating, challenging, and absorbing work. Consequently, the goal of motivation should be to enhance individual growth and advancement, develop sense of accomplishment and liability, and provide recognition (Franken, 1994).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychology recognizes different perspectives of motivation. One of these viewpoints pertains to the idea of â€Å"motivational inducements,† otherwise known as incentives. Incentives are referenced from either the vantage point of internal, or that of external motivation. An inducement coming from within the individual is called intrinsic or internal motivation. It is, according to Morris and Maisto, about the â€Å". . . desire to perform a behavior that originates within the individual.† An inducement coming from outside the individual is called external or extrinsic motivation. It is the aspiration to do or achieve a goal in order to acquire a type of incentives or escape or steer clear of punishment (Morris and Maisto, 1999, p.316). People are often induced by the presence of external incentives to perform expected tasks or avoid incurring punishment. For motivation experts, however, a person developing the internal type of motivation will reap more lasting and beneficial effects compared with external motivation (Morris and Maisto, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For instance, in taking care of a medical surgical unit and handling newly hired nurses with a few years of experience only, myriads of problems are not remote possibilities. From issues of tardiness during call of duty, in irresponsibility in dispensing of medicines and relational clashes, to grave misconduct within the workplace such as sexual harassment between employees, these are all stark realities that are potential complex problems. Initiating the Herzberg idea can probably be useful. I will groom first the few expert nurses and those who will be directly supervising others that they practice and execute specific agenda for increasing motivation, one of which is Management by Objectives (MBO). It entails having faith in involving the employees in goal-setting and in decision-making. MBO works by integrating goal-setting into individual participation in decision-making in order to establish individual work goals to which the employee feels reasonably committed. At the motivational level, it is theorized that resistance to change is decreased if individuals participate in decisions regarding change and that individuals accept and are more committed to decisions in which they have participated in making. To further encourage and increase involvement, the hospital provides suggestion boxes and hold monthly contests where they give monetary rewards for the best three suggestions. These give the employee a sense of achievement and responsibility for its success. For this workplace in particular, the employees receive incentives in the form of Ladder promotion, general salary increase annually plus performance rating salary increases, CBA – employees can expect a minimum of 15% increase in salary annually within three years; and welfare benefits which include group insurances, medical insurance, accident benefits among others (Baron, 1983). A set-up like this goes to such great lengths at least to assure that it does something for sustaining employees’ morale and motivation. -Discuss the relationship between mission statements, planned change, and unplanned change. Use illustrations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The elements of organizational behavior lean upon management’s plan and philosophy, vision and objectives. Basing on this foundation springs the organizational culture where the formal and informal types of organization and the social environment are best understood (Knoster et al., 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Every person in direct supervision of employees or workers knows the intricacies of leadership and management of people under his/her care. Whenever possible, it is to the best interest of the organization and employer in general that the workers perform their respective jobs efficiently and on a continuous or consistent manner. This is the aspiration of every owner of a company or those delegated to deliver their/his/her goals. However, this will only work so long as the individuals in their various places or positions know and understand what they want and where they want to go in the context of the overall goals of their organization. Intertwined in this idea is the fact that individuals are motivated to work not only for them but that the vision and mission, goals of the corporate world where they belong must be their own also. Ownership as a motivational factor is critical for the survival and sustainability of both the individual worker and the organization as a whole. Studies reveal that how an organization runs depends upon every human person within the workplace functioning as he/she should be in order that productivity is achieved. This is actually a cyclical picture; both the organization or employer level and the rank and file levels must understand the team and group dynamics that must work to achieve their own objectives. However this seemed to be easy to understand, the applications of which are complex involving multiple disciplines (Mangelsdorff, 2007). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The problem of employee motivation is critical in all kinds of organizations today and is responsible for the shoddy products we buy and the careless service we receive. It was thought that all that was necessary to produce high motivation in workers was to pay them more; this idea may no longer be valid for a large portion of the work force (Adams, 1965). Modern workers demand jobs that satisfy their inner needs for fulfillment, expression, and self-actualization. Traditional values involved loyalty to the company and a strong drive for money, status, promotion and security. The new breed of workers focuses on self-fulfillment and self-actualization and demands jobs that are challenging and that allow participation in decision-making (McClelland, 1976). They have little loyalty to the organization and less concern with money, status and security.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Psychologists have proposed several theories of motivation. The need for achievement by McClelland posits the existence to be the best in whatever they undertake. Studies show that good executives are higher in Ach than poor ones. High in ability and take calculated risks and set moderate achievement goals. These individuals constantly need feedback on their progress (Halonen & Santrock, 1996).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   These theories deal with content of motivation, with internal needs that arouse and guide behavior. Process theories of motivation focus on the psychological processes involved in making decisions and choices about work. This is illustrated in the goal-setting theory, which argues that employee motivation is defined by our intention to achieve a particular goal; and equity theory, which deals with our perceived ratio or outcome to input and how equitably that ratio compares with those co-workers (Halonen & Santrock, 1996).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The workplace today considers any of the perspectives mentioned in this paper. However, what are more reflective at many organizations are their strategies in enhancing the life of the average worker. The understanding of the needs or drives that motivate people is therefore critical in the choice of what â€Å"motivator variables† that the management may employ to encourage their people to do or sustain an excellent job or an efficient performance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mentoring and its application is very much the vogue today in corporate America. It is a strategy employed by companies or institutions to enhance professionalism and the increased transfer of learning and building of skills from the more adept and/or experienced to the junior or neophyte employee. It is also a way of improved retention rate within a company. Reference: Baron, R. 1983. Behavior in Organizations: Understanding and Managing the Human Side of Work, Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Bruffee, Kenneth A. Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1993. Demick, J. and Miller, P., Development in the Workplace, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, New Jersey, 1993. Druckman, Daniel, Jerome E. Singer, and Harold Van Cott (Editors) (1997). Enhancing Organizational Performance. National Academy Press: Washington, D.C. (optional) Franken, R.E. 1994, Human Motivation (Belmont, CA, Wadsworth). Halonen, JS and JW Santrock, 1996. Psychology: Contexts of Behavior, Dubuque, IA: Brown    and Benchmark, p.810. Knoster, T., Villa, R., & Thousand, J. (2000). A  framework for thinking about systems change. In R. Villa & J. Thousand (Eds.), Restructuring for caring and effective education: Piecing the puzzle together (pp. 93-128). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Landy, F.J. 1985. Psychology of Work behavior. 3rd Ed. Dorsey Press. Mangelsdorff, David A.2001. â€Å"Organizational Behavior and Theory. Accessed August 19, 2008 McClelland, D. C., & Burnham, D. H. 1976. Power is the great motivator. Harvard Business Review, 54(2), 100-110. McKenna, Eugene, 2000. Business Psychology and Organizational Behavior: A Student’s Handbook. 3rd Ed. Psychology press: Taylor and Francis Group. McNamara, Carter. 2006. â€Å"Basic Overview of Various Strategic planning models.† Retrieved August 19, 2008. http://www.managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/models.htm Morris, Charles G., Maisto, Albert A., 1999. Understanding Psychology.4th ed., Prentice Hall: New Jersey, pp.315-316. Revans, R. W. 1982. The Origin and Growth of Action Learning. Hunt, England: Chatwell-Bratt, Bickley Robbins, Stephen P. 1997. Organizational Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, Applications, Eighth Edition, Prentice Hall. Shortell, Stephen M. and Arnold D. Kaluzny. 2000. Health Care Management: Organization Design and Behavior, Fourth Edition, Delmar Publishers Inc. Revans, R. W. 1982. The Origin and Growth of Action Learning. Hunt, England: Chatwell-Bratt, Bickley Robbins, Stephen P. 1997. Organizational Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, Applications, Eighth Edition, Prentice Hall.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Comparing The Endicotts And Dettwylers Ethnographies

1. Compare and contrast the Endicotts’ and Dettwyler’s ethnographies. What are the objectives? How they reflect on the goals of anthropology? What are the shortcomings of each? The Headman Was a Woman (collaboratively written by both Kirk M. Endicott and Karen L. Endicott) and Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa (written by Katherine A. Dettwyler) both have anthropological focuses on the cultures and practices of various tribes from different countries, however, their accounts and approaches in their situations differ greatly from one another. The former studies the ways of life of a certain people, while the later targets the health issues of another. In The Headman Was a Woman, the Endicotts focus on the Batek society of Malaysia, aiming to understand the basis of their culture and how it differs from ours. The central focal point of their study was how the Batek dealt with gender and gender roles in relation to their everyday lives in the tribe. The Endicotts found that the Malaysian society was an egalitarian one when it came to handling gender, meaning all genders were treated equally. Neither gender was seen as superior nor inferior to the other, rather they were equal to each other and each played to their strong suits in the community. Katherine A. Dettwyler’s Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa focuses specifically on the health issues of tribes in West Africa (e.g., Mali), rather than how their gender roles differ from our own

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Entrepreneurial Skills and the Entrepreneurial Instinct

Sir Alan Sugar famously once said regarding entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial skills â€Å"The entrepreneurial instinct is in you. You cant learn it, you cant buy it, and you cant put it in a bottle. Its just there and it comes out† (Mail online, 2010). Surprisingly enough this is a view not shared by everyone. Whilst it cannot be denied that entrepreneurs are all ultimately unique in some way empirical evidence suggests that they all do share some common characteristics and skills, some of which can be taught (Colette, et al., 2005). This essay attempts to define those characteristics and skills that enable entrepreneurs to realise the business potential in their ideas. In addition it explores the difficulties entrepreneurs may come up†¦show more content†¦Whilst Vipin, et al., (2004) argues that in addition successful entrepreneurs need the ability to communicate the vision and build a relationship of mutual commitment between the entrepreneur and a group of foll owers in pursuit of a collective goal. A common misconception is the secret of being a successful entrepreneur is to come up with a truly original idea (Barrow et al., 2005). Even with the right skills, characteristics and a truly great idea, entrepreneurs face many external business environmental influences and potential difficulties along the way to having a successful business venture. Many new business ventures fail despite adequate resources, excellent ideas, good business opportunities and charismatic entrepreneurs. One common cause is the underlying business model driving the venture. (Morris et, al., 2005). A ventures business model and the practical business skills of the entrepreneur required to develop it are key to the ventures success. At a basic level the business model defines the ventures revenue sources, pricing structures and expected sales (Stewart and Zhao, 2000). At an operational level the focus is on internal processes and including production delivery methods, administrative processes, resource fl ows and logistical streams (Morris et. al., 2005). A Lack of market awareness and marketing knowledge can pose particular problems. Entrepreneurs who create a venture withShow MoreRelatedDisruptive Innovation1303 Words   |  6 PagesBalancing Sustaining and Disruptive Innovation Dean Robb, Ph.D. A renewable entrepreneurial enterprise must juggle, balance and integrate two phenomena, each requiring radically different values, mindsets, leadership and management approaches. 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Critically Discuss Essay1823 Words   |  8 Pagespeople who conceptualize new ideas and take risks to transform ideas into entrepreneurial opportunities so to accomplish extraordinary achievements (Hatten, 1997; HoHolt, 1992). Conspicuously, this startling ability of exploiting and innovating ideas into feasible opportunities (Piperopoulos, 2011) differentiates entrepreneurs from ordinary people. But in concrete, what fundamental factors account for these entrepreneurial traits? A Brief introduction to parameters accounting for entrepreneurs’Read MoreAre Entrepreneurs Born or Not?2062 Words   |  9 Pagesanalysed, but specific attention will be given to the argument on whether or not entrepreneurs are born or trained. According to Reynolds et al. (2000) entrepreneurs are people who have both the will (in other words, desire or motivation) and the skill (the ability) to project their ideas or schemes into the future, and, by backing their judgement with innovative action and persistence, turn those ideas into reality. (Reynolds et al., 2000, pg. 105) At times entrepreneurs can be defined as anyoneRead MoreThe Roxanne Quimby Case Analysis1064 Words   |  5 PagesAlmost anyone can become an entrepreneur, although there is no one definitive profile. An entrepreneur can be a man or woman of any age or background. Some people are born with a natural entrepreneurial instinct, but entrepreneurship can be learnt, although it requires an apprenticeship to acquire differ in education and experience. 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The three topics discussed in this paper are: 1. Who becomes an entrepreneur? What are their skills sets or Psychological make-up? 2. What is an entrepreneur? 3. How do entrepreneurs run and grow their businesses? After research on all these topics we determined that anyone can become an entrepreneur, entrepreneurship has many different definitionsRead MoreThe Success Of A Business Owner999 Words   |  4 Pagesopportunity to apply their entrepreneurial capabilities to come up with solutions and satisfy a person s problems or needs. Another great example are social media entrepreneurs who utilize skill, drive, and determination, to reach people and resources to solve social and economic problems to better humanity .Think like Aerosmith, and give it away. Give of yourself freely and generously. As an entrepreneur it is your sole responsibility to share your talents, knowledge and skills with the world. BelieveRead MoreEconomic Development in India7323 Words   |  30 PagesOF INDIVIDUAL ENTERPRISE (AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT) Anil K. Lal* and Ronald W. Clement** The Indian economy provides a revealing contrast between how individuals react under a government-controlled environment and how they respond to a market-based environment. Evidence suggests that recent market reforms that encouraged individual enterprise have led to higher economic growth in that country. India can generate additional economic growth by fostering entrepreneurial activity within its bordersRead MoreThe Case Study of Zandinger!2411 Words   |  10 PagesSweet House. It seems that he possesses the capital to start the manufacturing of this board game himself but he is reluctant due to many obstacles thrown at him by big manufacturers and the market dynamics. First of all, I sense a lack of entrepreneurial instinct in Geoff. 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Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Excessive Sales Promotion and Brand Equity - 5059 Words

A marketing report: Does excessive sales promotion result in dilution of brand equity? Group 4 Amandeep Singh Gandhi Chetna Kirtan Acharya Murthy BBTGS Ravish Malik Sirish CP Vivek Singh Contents What is sales promotion? Why is it required? Decisions involved in sales promotion Types of sales promotion Sales promotion to be used at different stages of the product lifecycle Direct and interactive marketing A special case: Intrusive sales promotion Conclusion What is Sales Promotion? Sales promotion is an incentive given to the consumer to buy the company’s products or services. Although some sales promotions can be continuous (frequent flier miles), most of such programs are short-term. They are usually used to cash in†¦show more content†¦For example, providing details about the various travel packages available by travel sites like MakeMyTrip.com or TravelGuru.com through email to the people is nothing but sales promotions. The additional information about various mutual funds, various insurance policies given by the companies through any form of media can be considered as a sales promotion. This is where the companies need to draw a line. As the article says, the company needs to inform the customer to the intangible benefits of buying a certain policy, not just the monetary savings he will make by using the policy. Stimulating Demand - Apart from building initial product awareness, another important use of sales promotion is to build demand by convincing customers to make a purchase. Special promotions, especially those that lower the cost to the customer can be employed to stimulate sales. Sales promotion can be used as a tool to help consumer in making a choice between two similar commodities. For example if there are no points of difference for two commodities, then sales promotion helps consumer to make choice between the two commodities. 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Monday, December 9, 2019

Spare parts Essay Example For Students

Spare parts Essay We have ah billion Hong Kong dollars worth of spare parts on our shelves. Managing these spare parts effectively is instrumental in ensuring the efficient operations of our airline. This presents a significant challenge to the engineering department. Robert Taylor, manager of inventory operations, Cathy Pacific A profitable and financially sound commercial airline, Cathy Pacific Airways Limited had every reason to be proud. It was voted Airline of the Year in the orals largest passenger poll, conducted by Ashtray Research in 2005, and named Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine in 2006. 2 However, there an operational pain that continued to bother Cathy Pacific. In March 2007, Robert Taylor, manager of inventory operations, and Paul Bar-well, manager of procurement of aircraft components and maintenance, were requested to head up a task force to optimism the supply chain management of spare parts operations at Cathy Pacific. Aviation spare parts constituted a significant expense in Cathy Pacifisms financial statements. From the balance sheet respective, as of December 2005, the total inventory value of all aviation spare parts amounted to over IIS$350 million. Dead and inactive stock accounted for 3% per annum and avgas an issue to manage with care due to obsolescence and unpredictable demand patterns. Supply chain management for aviation spare parts was complex because Of the need to ensure timely service availability of a huge variety of stock and to comply with stringent quality and regulatory requirements. Company interview on 25 July 2007. For details, see Cathy Pacifisms website: http://paw. . Catholicity. Com. Karen Lee and Jonathan Pelvis prepared this case under the supervision of Benjamin Yen for class discussion. This case is not intended to show effective or ineffective handling to decision or business processes. C 2009 by The Asia Case Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, No part fifths publication may he reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (including the the permission of The University of Hong Kong. Ref. 09/ICC Aviation Spare Parts Supply Chain Management Optimization at Cathy Pacific Airways Limited 9/ICC A bolt for a desk chair costs a dollar. The same bolt for a chair on an airplane would cost 30 dollars. It is that magnitude of difference. Everything for an aircraft is massively expensive. Paul Barbell, manager of procurement, Cathy Pacific The challenge for the management team was to explore alternatives for optimizing spare parts supply chain management and instigate process improvement. The Aviation Spare parts Industry Managing spare parts in the aviation industry had always been a challenge for airline operators because the aviation supply chain was unusually complicated. The aviation industry avgas regulated by international and local authorities such as the LOS Federal Aviation Administration (PAPA), the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASE) and the Civil Aviation Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Mechanics certified by the PAPA were required to check all non-deferrable repairs before a planes departure and verify that all regulations were met. In addition, the had the authority to ground a plane airline operators did not complete the deferrable repairs Within the stipulated timeshare. 4 All suppliers Of airplane spare parts were squired to possess special legal certifications and formal protocols, which were stipulations that indicated assumption of responsibility in case of an accident. Turnaround time for repairs was critical, as highlighted by measurable and non. Measurable costs. In addition to standard passenger compensation for flight delays such as hotel accommodation, it cost ISSUE per minute to keep an aircraft on the runway-5 Moreover, there existed a risk that customers might be upset or even shift to other airlines if delays caused them to lose their connecting flights. Therefore the cost to aircraft delays was a key decision making element in engineering, Aviation spare parts themselves were also expensive and complex. To illustrate, the average cost to an engine was LIST$12 million and comprised thousands components and assemblies ranging from nuts and bolts to ten thousands. In addition to manufacturing expenses, the high costs were attributed to regulatory and testing requirements of spare parts for reliability. The variability of airplane spare parts, coupled with the sporadic nature of demand for aircraft maintenance repair parts, made spare parts demand forecasting more difficult, necessitating increased manpower. Buyers Market The carrying costs for aviation spare parts inventory were relatively expensive. Future demands for spare parts were made based on maintenance information, scheduled maintenance plans and past usage patterns such as flying hours or parts demand. However, the usage pattern Of Spare parts remained highly unpredictable because of the high level of demand variability. It was reported that 30% Of the inventory Of a traditional airline was active, another 30% was slow-moving but necessary to have on hand and the remaining 40% was dead stock. 6 It was estimated that the airline industry spent over CASSIS billion per ear on spare parts, of which 10% came from airlines and overhaul agencies pre- owned stocks. 7 The value of spare engines for major airlines was estimated at over US$11 billion and the 3 SHCOON, M. ND Pat-Cornell, E. (2000) Delays and Safety in Airline Maintenance, Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 67 (3), up. 301-309. Company interview on AS July 2007. Harrington, L, (2007) From Just in Case to Just in Time, Air Transport World, 44 up. 77-80. 7 Doug, B. (2000) Spares Apart, Aerospace International, 27 (6), up. 14-17. 4 09/ICC overall value of spare parts stored by the airline industry had increased from IIS$45 billion in 1995 to US$C billion in 2002, of which was owned by airline operators. Aircraft components were complex, high-level modules consisting of dozens or hundreds of parts. The life span of a component could exceed two decades, during which it might be repaired or overhauled more than a dozen times. These issues, combined with aviation authority requirements such as certification and traceability and issues of reliability and safety, increased the cost of obtaining and keeping aviation spare parts. Since the majority tooth inventory value in the aviation supply chain was tied up in spare components, hey represented the primary target for inventory value reduction. Suppliers Market Similar to any other industry, price and quality were two major determining factors for airline operators in evaluating their spare parts suppliers. As a result of tight aviation regulations, airline operators, as customers, were constrained in supplier selection Moreover, there were situations that were dominated by a single supplier, as with parts solely supplied by an original equipment manufacturer (MEMO)_ Memos were companies who were original manufacturers of a component for a product that might be resold by another company. The limited choice and high concentration of Memos limited airline operators negotiation power. Unlike consumable products, the criticality of the engine and the long usable life Of an aircraft had contributed to Strong resistance among airline operators to switch engine spare parts suppliers. Moreover, there was limited room to negotiate after an aircraft was purchased; the purchaser was now dependent on the Memos products. Because Of tight regulations and dependence on Memos, seeking alternative suppliers was a challenge for Cathy Pacific 10 The suppliers market was concentrated in a handful of aerospace conglomerates, including Goodrich Corporation and Honeywell Aerospace. This was very much unlike the car industry, in which Volvo could choose from a number of suppliers to purchase a new engine for a new car. Joint purchasing activities amongst airline alliances to influence procurement processes were also likely to be opposed for anti-trust reasons. Joint purchasing activities pursued by airline alliances were deemed as similar actions undertaken by a conglomerate trying to influence the supply market. Strict regulations were in place, in countries like Australia, to govern the extent of joint purchasing activities allowed, II High School Journalism: Breaking The Barriers EssayCritical components were parts that were essential to operating an aircraft safely and effectively, They could make the difference between a safe landing and a mid;r catastrophe. These parts were usually very expensive and complex. An example of a critical component the USES million Electronic Engine Controller 17. Nan-critical components encompassed all parts of the plane that were not essential to the effective and safe operation of an airplane. There was a diverse range of Nan-critical components, from in-flight entertainment systems to nuts and bolts. Expendables and consumables qualified as non-critical components in the majority of cases. Nevertheless, there were instances where these types of parts were considered critical components, such as a dowel required to keep a table part in operational form. The critical and non-critical dimension could be applied to all five classes of materials . 18 Current Practices in Aviation Spare Parts Supply Chain Management The spare parts supply chain operations at Cathy Pacific flowed from procurement and inventory management to repair management and logistics management. Cathy Pacifisms internal supply chain strategy had been driven by ensuring quality and service to the aircraft operation in the most cost efficient manner. Procurement The supply chain of spare parts at Cathy Pacific was a very complex, large-scale operation with thousands of suppliers and distributors. Aviation spare parts were handled and directly purchased by Cathy Pacific. The purchasing activities were transaction-orientated, from sourcing and storage to consumption and repurchase. Cathy Pacifisms procurement process could be triggered by normal replenishment, initial provisioning or special provisioning . In line with the nature of the business, Cathy Pacific had to ensure that adequate airworthy spare parts were available at all times. In addition to purchasing activities, the procurement process involved Cathy Pacifisms cross-functional names in selecting, monitoring, evaluating and managing relationships with part providers to ensure operational effectiveness Key performance indicators were set as quantifiable objective measures to assess the quality and the performance of the parts. Some of these measures included average and variance Of lead time, quality levels and component performance. The airline industry had very few choices for critical parts component suppliers. Moreover, the sensitive nature Of these critical parts limited Cathy Pacifies ability to switch suppliers because of the significant costs associated With switching. There was a greater level flexibility for non-critical spare parts, with over 200 consumables and expendables suppliers. This, however, had, consumed much Of Cathy Pacifisms resources in managing supplier relationships. An electronic engine controller is used to monitor and control the operation of the engine Cathy Pacific (1 May 2006) Engineering Procedure Manual Inventory Operations Volume AAA, Company presentations, Aviation Spare parts Supply Chain Management Inventory Management Inventory management for Cathy Pacific is determining the right quantity of spare parts and material at the right time and at the right place to meet anticipated and unanticipated demands to maintain aircraft operations at the desired service level at the optimal costs Engineering Procedure Manual, Cathy Pacific Monitoring of stock turnover, which was an indicator of the efficiency of stock management, was thus an integral component Of Cathy Pacifisms inventory management process. Timely stock replenishments were needed once reorder points were reached. An extensive system, Ultramarine, was in place for management of components replacements and newly acquired spare parts [see Exhibit 6 and 7). Cathy Pacific also needed to minimize inventory holding costs. In theory, an exhaustive inventory was needed to reach a service level that could satisfy all the possible demand of its aircraft, Because this was financially and operationally infeasible, Cathy Pacific had to operate in the most economically responsible way and strike a balance between the most effective inventory levels to hold on to relative to the corresponding service level. To guard against the risk and cost of prolonged downtime, Cathy Pacific normally built in a buffer stock and, as a result, additional cost was incurred to engineering operation in general. Despite Cathy Pacifisms efforts to manage their spare parts inventory in an optimal manner, they still encountered circumstances where a certain part was needed and no stock Vass available. Coping with such a situation was referred to as shortage management. Shortage management avgas a process of sourcing parts that, for one reason or another, were unavailable to meet the expected demands. 19 When Cathy Pacific required a spare part immediately and none avgas readily available, they explored several options to meet the urgent need: ; Aircraft-on- ground (AGO) orders were employed in situations where a Cathy Pacific plane as grounded and could not take Off Without a certain part. When an AGO order was placed, the part would be shipped via same-day express delivery. ; Cathy Pacific could retrieve the necessary spare part by borrowing it from another airline. ; Pool loans were another way Cathy Pacific was able to manage part shortages. By signing a contract with the International Airline Technical Pool, Cathy Pacific was granted access to a network of over 100 airlines with which they could share spare parts when in need without incurring a surcharge. ; Cathy could also borrow a part from one of its other aircraft. Repair On average, Cathy Pacific managed over 80,000 repair orders per year, or over 7,000 repair orders per month. 0 After determining whether tautly parts were repairable or not, Cathy Pacific had to determine whether their existing repairers had both the required capability as well as necessary capacity to repair the full range of components installed on its aircraft. To this end, Cathy Pacific compiled a database of over 300 of the worlds major airplane spare part repair shops. Repair shops were selected based on the types of spare parts the shop specialized in, quality, price and service level. In 2000, Cathy Pacific collaborated with 13 other airlines to develop Arrogance, a system designed to facilitate the sharing and exchange of information, such as repairer sourcing, 19 Company interview on IS December 2006. Company interview on 15 December 2006. Between the participating airlines . Intimation such as the types of spare parts availability and suppliers lists was available through the Arrogance program, Cathy Pacific forecasted future demand for components on projected fleet utilization and an individual components life cycle, However, his only represented part of the picture as the method lacked the ability to forecast demand arising from unscheduled removals, which counted for nearly of all removals. Logistics Management Given that appropriate quality and quantity of inventory was available and that the inventory was processed and repaired accordingly, effective supply chain management was dependent on effective logistics management. Logistics management in this context was the practice Of minimizing the duration and number of processes required to transport spare parts from one place to another. Cathy Pacifies logistics management arm was responsible for managing the shipment of ordered inventory from warehouse to airplane as well as to and from the repair centers. In order to reduce lead times, Cathy Pacific usually shipped parts individually between repair houses and Cathy Pacific hubs. However, in order to minimize costs, Cathy Pacific consolidated shipments of spare parts that were less sensitive to lead times. In Australia, for example, a fixed import tax was charged on every shipment. Cathy Pacific would therefore weigh the time and costs associated with allowing several spare parts to be accumulated for the purpose of consolidating them into one shipment. Cathy pacific outsourced to third-party logistics companies to transport their unserviceable parts to various repair houses across the globe.