“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot is a...

â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† by T.S. Eliot is a widely studied and analyzed modernist poem. This poem is one that many high school students are subjected to, leading to an overall displeasure for â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.† However, those that revisit the poem are more inclined to enjoy and analyze the poem, finding an interest in the character of J. Alfred Prufrock. Charles C. Walcutt is one of the many individuals fueled to provide a deeper analysis of this text and in his contribution to the November edition of College English, an essay entitled â€Å"Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† he addresses his impression that the â€Å"Love Song† portion of â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† has been neglected and what†¦show more content†¦He is on the boarders of society and can never quite step inside. He realizes that he is not meant to be popular or the star of the show. Prufrock is content to be of any use, complaisant in his position. He states that he could almost even be considered a Fool. He is caught in a cyclical mental state, always hypersensitive to anything that draws his attention back to his aging body. He can hear the song of the mermaids calling out and knows that it is not him that they seek, for they have no reason to desire him. In the November 1957 edition of College English, a professional journal for college professors, Charles Child Walcutt offered an interesting approach to â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† published in the section of the journal entitled Round Table, an area for discussion and comment on live topics. In his discussion of the poem, titled â€Å"Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,† Walcutt addresses the neglect of the â€Å"love song† part of the poem title. According to Walcutt, the majority of analyses in regards to the â€Å"love song† portion of â€Å"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock† focus on Prufrock’s exclusive fixation on himself. Walcutt proposes that Prufrock is, in all actuality, planning to propose marriage to the woman with the shawl that he observes in the ninth stanza. Walcutt suggests that this is the question that Prufrock has been trying to gain the courage to ask, yet shies away from. On the day the reader is witnessing, he says that

Final Business Plan Free Essays

string(109) " Thus giving Swiff Electrons the operation to be very profitable once the right marketing approach is taken\." [pic] University of Technology Jamaica Entrepreneurial Skills Business Plan Business Idea: Spot Charge Group: B. Eng. 2M (ca) Date: April 11, 2007Group members Lecturer: Mr. We will write a custom essay sample on Final Business Plan or any similar topic only for you Order Now Clive GrossettDexroy Jones Dwayne McIntoch Mckay Kirkpatrick Binns Calford Ramsay Keon Hinds (3M art) Executive Summary ________________________________________ †¢ Introduction Swiff Electronics is a start-up cell phone accessory and electronic distribution company. Its strategy is to provide all cell phone users who have continuous dead battery while engaging in an important call or entertaining entertainment selection. It will capitalize on the intricate engineering design and manufactured product that is capable of recharge a cell phone. There are many untapped potential markets within this industry, as the desire for high-quality; stylish goods that are convenient, affordable, and easily sourced are in great demand. It is the firm’s intention to import products from the leaders of electronic, Teqtronics and introduce it to a target population within Jamaica’s Metropolitan or corporate area and to make Swiff Electronic a house hold name customer come to know and trust. To do this the company’s long-term goals are to achieve a 20% market share in the Jamaica’s build brand image and brand equity through marketing, achieve a sustainable 55% profit margin, and eventually produce our very own luxury product in addition to the initial, moderately-priced line. †¢ The company Swiff Electronic is a limited liability corporation in which the sourcing of the product offered â€Å"Spot Charge† is done internationally while the marketing and sales are focused in and around the corporate areas of Kingston Jamaica, for short term purposes. Ownership is divided among five principal individuals who are putting up the initial investment. These include: Dexroy Jone – Managing Director, Keon Hinds – head of Finance and administration, Calford Ramsay Head of Marketing and Human Resources, Dwayne McKay McIntoch Head of Product Development and Kirkpatrick Binns Head of Operations. The First outlet of Swiff Electronics will be located at 13 Duke Street, Down Town Kingston, Jamaica. The present location is approximately 700 square meters and should be large enough for the first three years of the company’s growth. The portable Chargers will be stored at the Duke Street location and will be dispatched to different location based on demand and agreement signed with our feature business partners. †¢ The product The initial product line will depict the full effect of the product that will be offered, inclusive of a range of different colors and possibility the opportunity to personalize. The company plans to release more models, which will be integrated as we aim to give customs a wide selection to choose from. The pricing strategy will be to initially undercut our main competitors by selling at a minimal profit, using a market penetration strategy. Then, pricing will be adjusted to be directly competitive with the other major competitors. The price per Spot Charge is expected to be unbelievably affordable. †¢ The market Entry into the telecommunication/electronics industry comes at a prosperous time. Over the past two years, the purchases of cell phone have increased vastly and the trend is expected to continue once the cell phone manufactures continues to introduce new features to their designs. This will only adversely widen our market as individual continues to seek charge â€Å"Where ever, when ever†. One of the most important recent trends is that cell phone users are willing to spend higher amounts on their phones because of the enhanced image appeal and reliability. Therefore, a company that can build a substantial brand image in this industry gains a significant competitive advantage. It is the aim of Swiff Electronics to capitalize on its high quality and reasonable price while pursuing the innovative styles necessary for brand building. †¢ Financial The company’s start up costs will be $ . Owners equity will be provide $ , $ will consist of short-term borrowing, and the rest will be long-term loans. The majority of the start-up costs will consist of rent, research and development, initial inventory, and a strong cash account. Mission Statement ____________________________________ Swiff Electronics mission is simple and straightforward: †¢ Purpose – Swiff Electronics exists to provide a faster, more reliable source of power for all mobile phone users. Swiff Electronics sells solutions results! †¢ Vision – By providing fast response, informed expertise, and consistently high quality solutions, Swiff Electronics aims to generate enough satisfied repeat customers to provide a stable retainer base. This will generates sufficient profit to provide a comfortable living for the owner. †¢ Mission – The short term objective is to start this company quickly and inexpensively, with minimum debt. The long term objective is to grow the company into a stable and profitable entity that the owner can easily and comfortably manage. Marketing Slogan – â€Å"Spot Charge where ever, when ever! † Keys to Success The keys to success for Swiff Electronics are: †¢ Marketing and Networking (getting the name out there). †¢ Responsiveness (being an on-call supplier paramedic with fast response time). †¢ Quality (getting the job done right the first time, offering 99. 9% or greater guarantee). †¢ Rel ationships (developing loyal repeat customers – retainers). Analysis of the business environment ____________________________________ Jamaica’s telecommunication sector is dominated by three major players, and a number of small entities that presently supply all the electronic accessories that Jamaican’s my need for there cell phone. It has been observed however that none of these companies provide the ease or accessibility of charging your phone â€Å"where you want, when you want†, Thus the reason why Swiff Electronics has been developed. Over the past five years, the rate of failure of industries in Jamaica has remains relatively steady, and the implementation of new businesses and organization has marginally increased. Swiff Electronics will be a new organization that is not yet established and has not yet developed its clientele. However the fact that the market for call phones keeps growing, as manufactures aim to convert a product that was once used only for communication, to a new revolutionized product that consist of attention grabbing entertainment. The need to keep the batteries of these fascinating gadgets charged â€Å"Where ever, when ever† has arisen, Thus giving Swiff Electrons the operation to be very profitable once the right marketing approach is taken. You read "Final Business Plan" in category "Papers" Presently there are trend that are been experienced in the industry which are classified as positive or negative depending on the effects these trend have on particular businesses. These trends include: †¢ Positive *implementation of additional features to the ordinary phones *Reducing the size of the gadgets *Reduction in pricing causing more individuals to be able to afford a phone †¢ Negative *modification of batteries to have longer life *Developing unique charging outlet that would be difficult to source Over the past year the population of the marketing community has been generally stable based on results obtained form the Statistical Institute of Jamaica. The attitude of the community toward the business has been favorable as the results were seen in a feasibility study that was done in and around the marketing community. Description of product ____________________________________ The Spot Charge, as its name implies is a miniature device, very handy portable charger which is operated on a single AA battery and is able to power up any cell phone batter in minutes. Pretty compacted and stylish, the Spot charge is like a tube and is small enough to be fitted anywhere. So be it anywhere in the world, you can charge up your phone battery anytime by just plugging one end of the Spot Charge adapter into the unit and the other into the cell your phone. Not only will it charge the battery, thanks to its design you can handle your cell phone while it is charging. There is a blue light at one end of the Spot charge that indicates when cell phones is being charge, and if the light goes out simply replace the battery. Spot Charge is ideal during power outages and when camping, hiking or sailing. It gives you the opportunity to make and receive calls as soon as you plug it in. This device is able to power up a cell phone for two hour of talk time or 40 hours of standby time on one AA battery (included). It â€Å"Trickle† charges an average cell phone in 1 ? hours, and comes with a charging adapter that is compatible with: Motorola (Motorola ROKR, Motorola RAZR) Audiovox Kyocera Samsung Nokia Sanyo Sony Ericsson LG cell phone – even Blackberry PDAs! Spot Charge 3† long x ? diameter and weigh less than 1 oz. Analysis of the competition ____________________________________ Based on preliminary investigation and survey of the market, there were no companies or organizations supplying the product that we are introducing to this market area, Therefore when it comes to identical portable chargers like the Spot Charger there are no real competitors. There are however products that provi des that same services as the Spot Charge. These products includes car charger, house hold chargers, which are provided by the following companies. Cable and Wireless ? Digicel ? Centennial Miphone ____________________________________________________________ ____________ ____________________________________________________________ _____________ Production selection Market share Product Quality Quality of service Amount of advertising and production Pricing Workforce turnover Workforce Financial condition Level of debt Equipment Production capacity ____________________________________________________________ _____________ Pricing Strategies ____________________________________ The pricing strategy that Swiff Electronics will be using is to initially undercut our main competitors by selling our product with a small profit of 3%, using a market penetration strategy. Then after getting a share in the market, pricing will be adjusted to be directly competitive with our other major competitors. Swiff Electronics will also maximize sale by spreading the name of the company and products offered by taking part I seasonal sales that will comprise: ? The use of coupons ? Bundle pricing This will be done to capture the attention of the public in the peak shopping seasons. For customers who purchase our product and require the product to be shipped to then, Swiff electronics will comply with these requests; however the total price of the product will now include the additional cost for shipping. Credit Policy Swiff electronics credit policy will not be the regular policies that we know exist in the business world. What we will be introducing is a policy called â€Å"cash on delivery†, what this therefore means is that we deliver the goods and our customers will pay us on the spot. Considering the kind of product we are introducing to the market and that we have no real competition there is no doubt that this policy will work. No other product in Jamaica can do what the spot charge does. This is certainly an advantage in the business that gives us the opportunity to do with our product whatever pleases. Competitive advantage There are no real competitors because Spot charge is new to the market but what we have are potential competitors. The advantages expected would be compared to businesses offering services that are not exactly like Swiff electronics. The quality, price, location and turnaround of the business will all be an advantage over potential competitors. The quality of the product is second to none and the price compares to that of the cost of items that would provide similar service (car charger, regular phone charger etc. ) but the advantage we have is that none of those items are portable and discrete as the spot charge. Market segmentation The market segmentation is divided into the leading target markets. The division reflects the differences in marketing strategy that will be used to target each different market. The â€Å"yuppies† who enjoy being the first on their block to have a new, â€Å"chic† and â€Å"hip† product. †¢ The â€Å"yuppies† who follow trends and buy products that everyone else has. †¢ Older adults who simply use and depend on their cell phone for business or pleasure. †¢ Average college students who seeks convenience while indulging in entertainment. â₠¬ ¢ Technologically advance senior citizens. †¢ The individual who engage in long distance trips who are plagued by dead battery. †¢ Market analysis Potential | | | |Customers |Expected growth |Approximate numbers | | |2% |10,000 | |New | | | |Yuppies | | | | |3% |20,000 | |Trend | | | |Yuppies | | | | |2% |10,000 | |Older | | | |Adults | | | | |5% |15,000 | |College | | | |Students | | | | |1% |2,000 | |Senior | | | |Citizen | | | | |3. % |5,000 | |Other | | | | |16. 5% |47,000 | |Total | | | Description of Location ____________________________________ Based on results gathered from a feasibility study that was done regarding or product â€Å"Spot Charge†. Majority of the individuals who would welcome Spot Charge a part of their daily routine resides outside the metropolitan area of down town Kingston. A decision was agreed on by all executive members to locate the first business outlet of Swiff Electronics, within close proximity of the heart of down town Kingston. This would give us an advantage to bring Spot Charge closer to those who have a higher level in interest in the product. A Survey of the down town area was also carried out, to find out in which area Swiff Electronics would be more profitable. The result of that survey led us to source a shop space that is located at 13 Duke Street. Duke Street is one of the most busiest streets, in the down town area that Is not only populated by commercial entities but also other small businesses that are doing exceptionally well, which is as a result of their location. With Swiff Electronics being a new kid on the block and the only Electronic/cell phone accessory dealer, we are expecting to welcome a number of curious shopper as well as individuals who are knowledgeable about our product and services. Promotional Plan ____________________________________ The ultimate promotional goal of Swiff electronics is to: †¢ To communication with the target group and create awareness and interest in the service Spot Charge has to offer. To increase the use of Spot Charge, hence eliminate the break in communication associated with dead cell phone batteries. †¢ To acquire an increase in revenue. †¢ To enhance name recognition There are many ways to market the service offered by the product Spot Charge, however, the strateg ies listed below represent a few cost-effective ways to accomplish the marketing objective. Communication Mix In communicating with the target group, we will use a combination of communication channels such as advertising, publicity, promotions and personal selling. Because people need to hear a message many times from a variety of sources, we will employ a combination of these with a variety of approaches. Advertising Strategy |Management Implementation |Funding | | |Tasks |Responsibility |Time Frame | | |Utilization of Monitors( big screen |Identify what monitors are available in areas | |Ongoing | | |TV) that are placed in prime areas |frequented by course coordinators |Promotions Committee | | | |eg Libraries, supermarkets and |Identify message content | | | | |universities and schools etc. | | | | | |Banner in campus cafes and other |investigate possibility with cafes to pay |Promotions Committee |April– June 2007 | | |strategic locations |what message (link with Free coffee promotion | | | | | |below) | | | | |Television ads. Radio advertisement |Develop appropriate ads emphasizing the |Promotions Committee |Ongoing | | | |benefits of owning a Spot Charge | | | | Publicity |Strategy |Management Implementation |Funding | | |Tasks |Responsibility |Time Frame | | |Donate time and funds to |Identify charitable organizations and investigate |Promotions Committee |July 2007 | | |charitable organization such as|possible ways of offering time and funding. | | | |Children homes and Juvenile | | | | | |Correctional centers | | | | | |Writing articles for the local |Produce article with relevant information on the |Promotions Committee |July 2007 | | |newspaper concerning grand |benefits of Spot Charge | | | | |entrance of Spot Charge | | | | | Promotions |Strategy |Management Implementation |Funding | | |Tasks |Responsibility |Time Frame | | |Presentation of promotional |Letter text printing/ Design brochures. |Promotions Committee |End of August 200 7 | | |product, letter, and brochures |Investigate associated cost. | | | | |at well developed companies, |Print brochures. | | | |Shopping centers and other | | | | | |frequently visited locations | | | | | |Incentive promotion with phone |Investigate how it will work and ways to verify |Promotions Committee |September 2007 | | |companies- get product at |eligibility | | | | |discounted price with the | | | | | |purchase of any phone. | | | | |Web site |web site of resources and information about Spot |Promotions Committee |September 2007 | | | |Charge and generic attributes | | | | |Video message on web or email |Investigate costs how to do this |Promotions Committee |September 2007 | | | |Identify a key message we wish to use it to | | | | | |deliver. | | | | Management and personnel Swiff Electronics is currently not hiring any employees. The decision has been made to postpone hiring until the company begins to succeed. After approximately one year, there employees will be adde d to the current five. |Organizational Structure | | Swiff Electronics is split functionality, In that each division of the company is managed by one of the co-owner of the group. |Management Team | | Dexroy Jones is the managing director, and founder of Swiff electronics. Jones was president of production at Swiss Army Watches before he decided to return to his native home land to start his own company. He graduated from the University of Technology Jamaica, and received an MBA at The Florida International University. Calford Ramsay: head of Marketing and Human Resources division. He has worked and co-owned Wright and Ramsay, an advertising agency, for fifteen years. Ramsay received a BA and MBA from University of Technology Jamaica â€Å"UTech†. Dwayne McKay McIntoch: Head of product development division. He was previously vice president of operations at Greentree Sports in Phoenix, AZ. He received his BA from Caribbean Maritime Institute Jamaica â€Å"CMI† and his MBA from UCLA. Keyon Hinds: Financial Controller and head of administration. He was previously financial controller of French Collection for United Kingdom †FCUK† for seven years. He has returned home to provide his knowledge and expertise in the building of Swiff Electronics. He received his BA at the University of Technology Jamaica and a MBA at Cambridge University. |Kirkpatrick Binns: Operation manager. Binns is the owner of Legendary Manufactures and has worked as operation manager for six years at Docks producers in | |Martha’s Vineyard. He has received a B. Sc. at the University of Technology Jamaica and a MBA at Texas AM University. | | | | |Management Team Gaps | | The following important gaps exist: †¢ The present team has little sales experience. †¢ There is no current in-house designer – this should be corrected within a year. †¢ There is no i nternational manager. †¢ Personnel The personnel plan calls for adding three employees by the end of the first year for a total of eight. After the second year, employment is expected to increase by another four. These new employees will go into production and sales. Swiff Electronics aims to provide the finest services to its employees. In fulfilling this aim the company provides benefits for all full time employees which include: ? Health plan ? Life insurance ? pension plan The company also observes all public calendar holidays. For public holidays, salary paid employees will receive a day off, and hourly paid employee will receive double pay for the hours worked on these days. All employees are also entitled to three sick days per month however only full time employees will receive pay for these periods. Vacation time is available for all employees having being with the company for a minimum of one year. The following give detail has to how the time is allotted: |NUMBER |VACATION | |OF YEARS |TIME (working days) | |1 |5 | |2 – 4 |14 | |4 and over |28 | For employees who may experience a death in the family they will be eligible for additional days off. For death within the immediate family, employees will receive 4 working days off (spouse, children, parent etc. , and 2 working days off for other members of the family (cousin, uncle, aunt etc. ). The company will also present a floral presentation to the team member who has experience such tragedy. Swiff Electronics hiring policies are governed by: ? Title VII of the Civil Rights Acts ? Age Discrimination Law ? The Americans with Disability Act ? The Family Leave Act As the company gives equal opportunity to all applicants irrespective of the colour of their skin, religious believe, age, nationality, disability and sexual orientation. Organizational Chart [pic] Work Schedule [pic] Work period April 9, 2007 – April 15 , 2007 Approved by_________________________ | |Names | |ITEM |QUANTITY NEEDED |PRICE FOR EACH |TOTAL PRICE | |Desk |5 |4080 |20400 | |Chairs |8 |3200 |25600 | |Shelving |9 |3700 |33300 | |Lounge chairs |3 |6900 |20700 | | | | | | |Total for furniture and fixtures |100000 | Machinery / Equipment | |Computers |3 |40000 |120000 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Total for machinery and equipment |120000 | |Checklist for start-up cost |Inventory | |57,866,000 | |Furniture and fixtures | |100,000 | |Machinery and equipment | |120,000 | |Prepaid expenses | | | |Insurance |150,000 | | |Grand opening advertising |70,000 | | |Legal fees |80,000 | | |Accounting fees | | | |Employees wages |300,000 | | |Other | | | |Total prepaid expenses | |600,000 | |deposits | | | |lease |120,000 | | |Utility | | | |Tax |994,500 | | |other |50,000 | | |Total deposits | |1,299,500 | |Building and renovation | | | |If purchased | | | |Sales price | | |Construction /renovation | | | |If le ased | | | |Leasehold improvements | | | |Total location cost | |0 | |Working capital | | | |Owners salary |500,000 | | |Employees salary | | | |Employee taxes | | | |Rent | | | |Advertising | | | |Utilities | | | |Supplies | | | |Telephone | | | |Legal/accounting fees | | | |Loan payment | | | |Repairs/maintenance | | | |Auto/travel expenses | | | |inventory | | | |miscellaneous | | | |Total working capital | |500,000 | |Total Start-up cost 60,350,500 | Financing 1. What are your total start-up costs? $ 60,350,500 2. How much will you invest from personal funds? $350,000 3. How much will you obtain in other equity? 0 4. How much will you borrow? $60,000,000 Bank loan$ 5,000,000 Borrowed for 5 years at 17% interest Finance companies $55,000,000 Borrowed for 7 years at 16. 45% Opening Day Balance Sheet Assets Current assets Cash (working capital)500,000 Supplies Prepaid expenses465,000 Inventory 57,866,000 Total current assets$ 58,831,000 Fixed assets Furniture/fixtures100,000 Machinery/equipment120,000 Renovations Total fixed assets 220,000 Total assets$ 59,051,000 Liabilities Current liabilities Long term debt 60,000,000 Total current liabilities Long term liabilities Total long term$ 60,000,000 Total liabilities$ 60,000,000 Equity Total liabilities and equity Projected Income Statement Sales |72,332,500 | |cost of goods sold | | |beginning inventory |0 | |+ purchases |57,866,000 | |+ freight |0 | |- ending inventory |0 | |= cost of goods sold |57,866,000 | | | | |Gross margin |14,466,500 | |Expenses | | |Employee wages |300,000 | |Legal |80,000 | |Advertising |95,000 | |Rent |120,000 | |Depreciation | | |Supplies | |Utili ties |5000 | |Telephone |3300 | |Interest | | |Repairs | | |Taxes |994,500 | |Insurance |150,000 | |Miscellaneous | | |Total expenses |1,747,800 | |Net profit |12,718,700 | |Less: income | -3,179,675 | |Less: self employed tax | -890,309 | |Net profit after tax |8,648,716 | |Jan |Feb | |Rent |120,000 | | |Telephone | |3,300 | |Legal | 80,000 | | |Insurance |150,000 | | |Total |350,000 |3,300 | Determine breakeven Contribution margin Projected sales for first year$ 198,738,715 Gross margin$ 173,598,000 Contribution margin =. 87 Break even Total fixed expense4,200,000 Contribution margin0. 87 Break even point BE= 4,200,000/0. 87 = $4,827,586. 21 Legalities ____________________________________ Swiff Electronics is a partnership or limited liability company. The decision to choose this organization form is as a result of legalities that surround our organization. Being a limited liability organization gives us the opportunity to pull together the needed funding as well as a profound and well grounding decision making team. Calfrod Ramsay the Marking manager is currently in discussion with the producers of our product, making agreement to be the main distributor of the Spot Charge within our marketing environment. With that agreement finalize no other company would have legal right to purchase or be a distributor for the manufacture of Spot Charge within this market. Insurance Requirements ____________________________________ In ensuring the safety of our employees and property is . Swiff Suppliers ____________________________________ Swiff Electronics source all its products from Teqtronics Manufacturing located in China. Although there are not the only suppliers, Teqtronics has proven to be more consistent in their business agreements and the quality of the product they offer. They are also the only producers of the brand and type of Spot Charge that we will be marketing. The credit terms offered by Teqtronics are unbeatable and they give us the opportunity to choose the quantity of products we would like to order based on the demand of our customers. Uncontrollable risks ____________________________________ There are a number of uncontrollable risks that plagues new businesses that are now on the list of Swiff Electronics. These risks include: ? Natural disasters – Hurricanes – Storms – Flood etc. ? Rate of inflation ? Changes in technology ? Changes in consumer tasks and life style ? New competition ? The continuous decrease in value of our dollar vs. our counterparts Conclusion ____________________________________ [pic] ———————– Managing Director Dexroy Jones Financial Controller/ Administration Keon Hinds Marketing and HR Manager Calford Ramsay Product Development Dwayne McKay McIntoch Marketing and sales TBA Operations manager Kirkpatrick Binns Administrative Assistant TBA Marketing and Sales TBA How to cite Final Business Plan, Papers

Corporate Social Responsibility Important â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: What Is Corporate Social Responsibility Important To Businesses Today? Answer: Introducation The above article is published in the International Journal of Management Reviews. The article talks about the role of corporate social responsibility in businesses today. The article conducts a literature review and describes how CSR activities of organisations help them to develop a corporate image and enhance and strengthen the relationship between the organisation and stakeholders (Du et al., 2010). The article suggests that to reap the benefits of CSR and maximise CSR returns, companies must communicate their CSR activities effectively. The article also provides a framework for effective CSR communication so as to maximise returns. The above article gives various examples of successful CSR communication and its benefits. The article provides an overview of the benefits of CSR for businesses and how they can maximise these benefits. The article focuses on the role of CSR in enhancing the stakeholder relationships for businesses in todays environment. The article can be used in explaining the benefits of CSR activities for businesses. The article will help in recommending organizations about maximizing CSR returns by building an effective stakeholder communication (Du et al., 2010). Moreover, the article is important in explaining the core functions of CSR that will help an organization in building a strong corporate image and reaps the benefits of conducting and communicating CSR activities. Carroll, A. Shabana, K., 2010. The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review of Concepts, Research and Practice. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1). The article has recently appeared in the International Journal of Management Review. The article attempts to describe a business case by using the concepts, practices and research in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The primary idea behind formulating a business case is to understand what organizations gain by engaging in CSR activities. It aims at describing the tangible benefits of CSR policies, activities and the reason why CSR has become a core function for organizations today (Carroll Shabana, 2010). The article also evaluates the ideas and arguments for and against responsibility of business towards society. The primary focus of the paper is to develop a business case for CSR activities, where the authors analyze the tangible benefits of CSR for the organizations in todays environment. The article conducts a literature review to analyze the changing environment in which organizations have greater responsibilities towards society and these responsibilities are beyond, profit-generation and maximizing financial accounting gains (Carroll Shabana, 2010). The article contributes to the field of CSR research and practice, by defining the real purpose of CSR activities in businesses today. The article is important because it will help in describing the reason why businesses must focus on conducting CSR activities. The article suggests that businesses must become responsible towards the society and must accelerate their CSR activities beyond the traditional ideas. The article opens doors for further research in revolutionizing CSR activities. Tilt, C., 2016. Corporate social responsibility research: the importance of context. International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 1(2). The article has recently been published in the International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility in the year 2016. The article emphasizes the importance of context in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) Research. Recently, reporting of CSR activities has gained much importance, and most research studies focus on the advantages of CSR and CSR reporting in developing and developed countries (Tilt, 2016). The article suggests that it is important to investigate the contextual factors which largely influence CSR reporting. The article argues that rather than relying on the CSR theories developed in West, CSR reporting in developing nations should be studies with respect to contextual factors. The article suggests that the developing nations have completely different political scenarios, cultural, social and legal influences than developed countries and hence, these factors interfere with the application of western theories (like stakeholder theory and accountability theory), which are most commonly used theories in explaining CSR reporting (Tilt, 2016). The primary focus of the article is on the influence of contextual factors in CSR reporting activities and policies (Tilt, 2016). The article argues that the contextual factors must be considered in CSR reporting in developing countries as the political, legal, cultural and social contexts in developing countries differ largely from that of developed countries. The article highlights an important and recent topic in CSR research and practice. CSR accounting has gained much importance in recent years in the field of CSR research, and the article contributes towards enhancing the CSR accounting in developing countries. The articles aims at improving the CSR research in developing nations and supports future research in the field of CSR in emerging economies. Momin, M. Parker, L., 2013. Motivations for corporate social responsibility reporting by MNC subsidiaries in an emerging country: The case of Bangladesh. The British Accounting Review, 45(3), pp.215-28. The article has recently appeared in the British Accounting Review Journal in the year 2013. The article discusses the CSR reporting in Multi National Companies (MNC) subsidiaries. Today, MNCs have established their subsidiaries in emerging countries. Most research in CSR field focuses on the CSR reporting in MNC organizations, however, the CSR reporting in MNC subsidiaries is sidelined (Momin Parker, 2013). The article focuses on the motivations that influence the CSR reporting in MNC subsidiaries by exploring the case in Bangladesh. The article conducts a literature review of the CSR reporting activities in MNCs, by using a case study method. The article suggests that internal legitimacy is the primary motivation in CSR reporting practices in MNC subsidiaries. The primary focus of the article is on finding the motivations for reporting in MNC subsidiaries. Since there is very less research in the field of CSR reporting in MNC subsidiaries and it is not known whether the CSR reporting practices are based on host country norms or parent country policies (Momin Parker, 2013). The study reveals that CSR reporting practices in MNC subsidiaries are limited and not fully explored and provides a framework for effective CSR reporting in MNC subsidiaries. The article largely contributes towards the current CSR research practice. The current CSR research practice focuses on the CSR initiatives and reporting activities in MNC subsidiaries in developing nations. The article opens doors for future research in CSR reporting research (Momin Parker, 2013). Asemah, E., Okpanachi, R. Edegoh, L., 2013. Business Advantages of Corporate Socila Responsibility: A Critical review. New Media and Mass Communication, 18, pp.45-56. The article has appeared in the Journal of New Media and Mass Communication recently. The article highlights the advantages of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The paper reviews the stakeholder theory and the CSR iron law (Asemah et al., 2013). The article conducts a critical review of previous research studies in the field of CSR research and suggests that, enhanced corporate image, attracts new customers, improves the relationships with the stakeholders and investors, fosters innovations and ethics, and also improves access to capital. By reviewing the business advantages of CSR, the article encourages organizations to continuously undertake and improve CSR activities. The primary focus of the article is on highlighting the important advantages of conducting CSR activities (Asemah et al., 2013). The article suggests that fulfilling the responsibility towards the community, environment, and society, business organizations will gain various benefits. s The article is important contribution towards current CSR research and encourages various organizations to actively engage in CSR activities. The article is an important contribution in the field of CSR research and supports future research in evaluating the benefits of CSR research and practices (Asemah et al., 2013). The article can be effectively used in describing the concepts and practices of CSR and also in evaluating the tangible benefits of CSR activities for business organizations in the current scenario. References Asemah, E., Okpanachi, R. Edegoh, L., 2013. Business Advantages of Corporate Socila Responsibility: A Critical review. New Media and Mass Communication, 18, pp.45-56. Carroll, A. Shabana, K., 2010. The Business Case for Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review of Concepts, Research and Practice. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1). Du, S., Bhattacharya, C. Sen, S., 2010. Maximizing Business Returns to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): The Role of CSR Communication. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(1). Fifka, M., 2011. Corporate Responsibility Reporting and its Determinants in Comparative Perspective a Review of the Empirical Literature and a Meta-analysis. usiness Strategy and the Environment, 22(1). Mishra, S. Suar, D., 2010. Does Corporate Social Responsibility Influence Firm Performance of Indian Companies? Journal of Business Ethics, 95(4), pp.571-601. Momin, M. Parker, L., 2013. Motivations for corporate social responsibility reporting by MNC subsidiaries in an emerging country: The case of Bangladesh. The British Accounting Review, 45(3), pp.215-28. Sharma, Y., 2013. Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Organizations. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 13(4), pp.1-8. Tilt, C., 2016. Corporate social responsibility research: the importance of context. International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, 1(2).

Toyota Product Development System free essay sample

Toyota’s LPDS starts with the customer who is represented by the Chief Engineer. Toyota uses the Chief Engineer’s concept paper as a guiding tool to align thinking on the planning process. They very efficiently use the Obeya (big room) to bring together the members of divergent teams and allows them to function as a unit. The teams are structured so that all of the voices that need to be heard, from the designers to the managers of the factory, who can provide input on the impact decisions will have on the workers and the final produce, are there. One of the advantages to Toyota’s process is that it allows them to retain valuable employees. Their system of â€Å"Creating a Leveled Product Development Process Flow† means that workers will not be overworked and will be able to focus their full attention on the project at hand. When the project is finished, they are provided with new challenges to help them grow. We will write a custom essay sample on Toyota Product Development System or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The process of innovation is woven into the fabric of the organization. Toyota supplements its processes with a culture that is finely aligned with the process. They have also developed a number of tools to serve the process such as the already mentioned Obeya, a system of checklists which until recently were kept in three ring binders, Hansei, teardowns, A3 reports which summarize problems and help to ensure alignment. All of the processes at Toyota are highly standardized, and their culture ensures that the standardization process continues. Toyota has a corporate structure that reinforces and perpetuates itself. Sakicki Toyoda learned the loom business from the ground up, and this instilled in him a belief that to be successful, one must understand all aspects of the business. He used this knowledge to build an empire and it his conviction that one must learn by doing that still guides the thinking of Toyota employees. Power is gained through merit with all engineers working their way up â€Å"through the ranks. † Unlike other automakers who hire the best and brightest out of college and immediately give them a great deal of responsibility, Toyota takes the best and brightest (discovered through a rigorous and highly selective process) and has them go through a mentoring system where they are judged at each phase of the training. It is a socialization process that produces an employee who is trained in Toyota standards and procedures. It takes many years for a newcomer to be given a large responsibility such as a Chief Engineer. Consequently, the Chief Engineer is imbued with respect, as the entire organization knows that person has obtained the rank through perseverance, hard work, accomplishment and a deep understanding of the â€Å"Toyota Way. † Toyota is fiercely loyal to its employees, retaining them even in times of economic downturn. Even employees who are not living up to Toyota’s exacting standards are retained, however, they are given jobs with no responsibility; a great humiliation in an environment that values achievement. This has given Toyota a reputation as an excellent employer, and jobs there are highly prized. One realizes when one takes a job at Toyota that you are a highly valued part of the family, and the success of the rest of the family rests directly with you. This surely makes new employees dig into their work with great zest and humility. By studying from the ground up, the workers are able to gain insight into the whole development process. They can see how their work literally fits into the larger structure. This harmony is further reinforced by their mantra of â€Å"Customer First. † When trade-offs are presented, the overruling concern is that of the designer, as the designer is the customer. For items that are not necessarily â€Å"Customer First† issues, Toyota has developed â€Å"trade-off curves† and decision matrices to standardize decision-making. PROCESS PRINCIPLES Anyone who has spent a long time at Toyota will have absorbed the Toyota Way. † The processes of the LPDS will be firmly engrained in minds of the employees. It is difficult to separate the â€Å"lean thinking† of Toyota employees from the LDPS. They reinforce each other. The process principles of LPDS are a manifestation of the lean thinking that is a part of Toyota’s culture. By defining the customer as the starting point of the entire LPDS process, Toyota is able to align the thinking of the entire organization. It also sets the goal of eliminating waste to greater serve the needs of the customer. Other companies have tried to adopt Toyota’s processes without success. This is due to the fact that the process is only one part of Toyota’s success, the other, and in some instances, more compelling part of the success, is Toyota’s ability to create a culture indoctrinated in that process. The culture subverts ego, and turns problems into learning opportunities. Toyota has developed the most effective â€Å"knowledge job shop† in the automotive industry. It beauty lies in its ability to bring together representatives of all facets of the production process in harmony. In thinking about Goldratt’s principle of identifying and bottlenecks, you can see that Toyota has developed a process to dramatically reduce the number of bottlenecks it will face. By using standardization of parts and platforms and bringing in the right representatives to the Obeya to discuss problems before they are built into the design, Toyota is able to smooth out the potential bottlenecks before they occur. There is a great deal of alignment between all members of the team, so one is not operating in a vacuum; trying to solve problems without seeing how your solution fits into the larger product. Toyota’s focus on a leveled product development process also helps to eliminate bottlenecks by keeping the batches of work at a manageable level, eliminating variability and keeps utilization levels constant. As mentioned before, standardization is extremely important in creating a successful innovation environment. Standardization creates a common language that fosters greater communication. It even promotes communication of best practices over time as the best practices are engrained in the process by being adopted a standards. It enhances the scheduling process by allowing anticipation in the schedule, which in turn leads to great synchronization of efforts. It allows platforms, technology and subsystems to be reused in different designs saving time and money. As a result of their standardization process, Toyota is often able to eliminate the expensive prototyping phase of vehicle development. This can be done because with so many â€Å"tried and true† components being used in consistent ways, prototyping would be redundant. Standardization is one the key element to Toyotas speed in developing new vehicles. PEOPLE PRINICPLES Toyota uses a matrix system rather than a skunk works operation to develop new vehicles, Toyota’s LPDS is fully integrated into Toyota’s structure. They assemble a cross functional team that has representatives from the full range of functions involve with design, manufacturing and sales. Unlike other cross functional teams, where there is some ambiguity as to who the employee serves, Toyota is able to get an extremely high level of productivity out of them. This is due to several factors. Toyota’s culture where employees have a high level of trust for one another and deep understanding of the process thanks to the leadership to the Chief Engineer. The Chief Engineer (CE) is the head of the development project. This position is given to a senior engineer with a proven track record as an outstanding engineer and as one who is successful in using the â€Å"Toyota Way. † Management chooses CEs based on their ability to handle challenges and then tasks them with developing a vehicle that satisfies an overarching strategic direction. The CE acts as the voice of the customer who is the main focus of the LPDS. As such, the CE articulates the overall concept for the vehicle in a concept paper. This concept paper is the guiding principle that aligns the entire team working on the project. The CE is not the direct supervisor of the engineers working on the program, however, the CE does have full responsibility for the design’s success from development through sales and the concept paper ensures accountability. Unlike the â€Å"heavyweight project managers† the CE is imbued with more authority. Even without direct supervisory responsibilities, the position of CE is highly revered within the Toyota organization and commands great respect. Many within the Toyota family strive to achieve the role of CE. In fact, it is the continual striving for excellence that has helped Toyota to develop and maintain a culture of continuous learning. When an employee starts at Toyota, they undergo a long mentoring and socialization process. The socialization process that Toyota employees go through instills them with the spirit of Kaizen, which says that there is always an opportunity to learn and that learning is ongoing. This is reinforced by Toyotas practices of Hansei (reflection). Toyota builds in time and encourages its workers to step back and reflect on the work that they are doing. Toyota’s culture that embraces problems, because problems combined with Hansei can lead to Kaizen. This gives them a huge advantage over American car companies were problems are not valued and people will often cover up problems that they are having in order to maintain their status. By not embracing their problems, the problems get compounded as they are often discovered too late. TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY The best thinking to be used in choosing supporting technology is to think about it in terms the broader framework of your company’s people and processes. Toyota uses this thinking very effectively. At Toyota, technologies do not stand alone. On the contrary, their product development systems are all seamlessly integrated into their V-Comm system. This enables information to be passed quickly and efficiently to all team members. Toyota also adheres to a belief that technology should support your processes and not drive it. Consistency of process is valued at Toyota more highly than keeping up with the latest advancement. They chose technology to solve specific problems and do not look for a one size fits all solution. Finally, Toyota makes sure that the technological solutions are the right size for the problem rather than constantly going for the biggest and best. While Toyota uses this principled approach to technology, their tools that support successful innovation and organizational learning are not technology driven. Along with the V-Comm system mentioned earlier One of the first tools that is used is the CE’s concept paper. This paper is used to align the thinking of the product development team. It provides enough guidance that it allows the team to work in harmony, but at the same time, it gives the team enough flexibility that they are able to be creative. They also use a simple device called the A3 report, which distills problems and solutions down to their essence. It is really the process of reducing a problem to one sheet of paper that helps to hone the thinking and promote learning. However, the A3 also facilitates increased communication. They also use teardown analysis performed by the engineers who are working on the project and have a system of checklists that provide guidelines for product design. One of the most effective tools in Toyota’s arsenal is their constant and codified post-mortem process of Hansei. The standardization of Toyota’s processes allows the learning from this reflection to be captured and implemented. THREE CONCEPTS In looking at Toyota, one might say that they are an ambidextrous organization. Or one could say that they are successful because they have achieved a strong balance between the red and green quadrants of the Competing Values Framework. Much like Dell computers, Toyota’s culture looks very red on the surface. The strict adherence to checklists and standardization seem to indicate a company that is focused on control. But like Dell, the rigorous structures that the put in place are actually innovative (green). And in fact, the reason that Toyota and Dell are able to be successfully innovative is that they have these supporting structures in place. It is an interesting dichotomy to be at once extremely controlled and very innovative. However, by balancing these two aspects of the corporate culture, Toyota has gained great success. Toyota has also developed strategies that help it to avoid the â€Å"enemies of innovation†. First they use standardization to speed the innovation process to avoid lengthy development times. Second, by using tools like the concept paper, the Obeya, Hansei and standardization they are able to coordinate their efforts to a high degree. Third, they have come to grips with the risks that they are willing to take and have a high degree of trust throughout the organization. Finally, the CE truly understands the customer and has done much anthropological work to foster that understanding. KEY TAKE-AWAYS There were three main take-aways I gained from reading â€Å"The Toyota Product Development System: 1. Creating a culture that is aligned with your strategic goals is the greatest goal a manager could achieve. The Toyota LPDS works because it is engrained in the culture of the organization. The great reward for an engineer is to become a CE and lead a team in producing something that will best serve the needs of the customer. In order to become a CE, you have to demonstrate that you can work effectively within the systems of Toyota. This gives one a great incentive to work within the structure of Toyotas system. 2. Do not let technology drive your process, let your process drive technology. I was amazed to learn that a company with such advanced capabilities in development used checklist bound in three-ring binders to ensure that its processes were followed. It seems that most people, including myself, feel that newer and faster technology will lead to productivity breakthroughs. We are usually disappointed with the results. Toyota shows us that the problem is that technology without a solid process to back it up seldom works. If one can find technology that will improve a successful process, then it has great potential to have that breakthrough quality we expect. Toyota did this with their V-Comm system, which made the information previously stored in three-ring binders more accessible. 3. Structure leads to greater innovation It always seem counter-intuitive to me that by being more structured, one could be more creative. Having been trained as an artist, I often bristled at structure and standardization as I felt it stifled creativity. But Toyota’s LPDS made me realize that structure is the platform that allows innovation to happen. I then began to realize that within jazz music, there is a great deal of standardization. Jazz musicians spend years studying chord progressions, scales and modes and learning the songs that make up the jazz repertoire. They also spend years listening to other players and absorbing many of their ideas. This provides a foundation for musicians to communicate. Many people often ask me how it is that a group of jazz musicians who have never met before can come together for the first time and create great music together. It is because of the standardization of the repertoire that they are able to do that. The musicians know and understand the structure of a song and the â€Å"rules† for performing. This provides them with a common language to communicate their ideas to each other. In my own business, I see increasing our standardization preventing us from constantly reinventing the wheel. It is the best ways to promote and capture organization learning. The great challenge will be to change the culture, which I have created, from one that is adverse to structure to one that embraces it.

How Things Appear Isnt Always how they are essays

How Things Appear Isnt Always how they are essays How things appear is not always how they really are. This is common when looking at how law enforcement officers and agencies operate. The public as well as Serpico had many preconceived ideas about how the department and fellow officers functioned. Unfortunately, for Serpico more and more of his conceptions are turning out to be false. While riding in the patrol car Serpico and his training officer heard a call over the radio about a rape. His partner was not planning on taking the call since it was between sectors, but Serpico insisted. He was not willing to stay in the room while a detective beat the rape suspect with a phone book evidently not approving of the abuse. And later he did not follow orders to wait for the investigating officer and insisted on arresting two other rape suspects. Serpico wants to pay for his meal and get what he wants rather than take what is free and seems disapproving of allowing the restaurant owner to double-park on delivery days. It is obvious that Serpico is out to be the good cop fighting crime, however he is not following the code that the other officers follow. Serpico wants to behave only how he was taught in the academy without becoming involved in some of the abuse of power and lackadaisical attitudes he has witnessed. As a society we want to believe that police officers will go above and beyond the call of duty to serve and protect us, but in actuality many police officers will not do this. As far as Serpico going against the ways that have been set before him, he is only setting himself up for trouble with the other officers. In fact, in todays cop world officers dont take kindly to rookies coming in trying to be super heroes and change the way things are. ...

Choose from description below Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choose from description below - Research Paper Example The author gives a good example of Europe during the Cold War when a huge percentage of the countries embraced the constriction of their soldiers (Yew-Kwang 374). However, the military draft was governed with a lot of controversies ranging from the costs incurred on the same which has forced a huge percentage of the countries to focus on volunteer efforts from other agencies so as to evade the costs (Yew-Kwang 375). Additionally, the weapons adopted in the war system are actually extremely sophisticated which has also contributed immensely to the elimination of conscription (Yew-Kwang 374). Despite the fact that the author argues, that the military draft may involve a lesser cost, it is arguable that the costs of paying this fee will be burdened on the taxpayers who have to overstretch their pockets to cater for that fund (Yew-Kwang 375). Sands’ article argues that the military draft may be useful for the protection of the humans, but the challenges that come alongside it are massive. The author gives an example of the Soviet bloc during the 2nd World War (Sands 33). The article also explains that adopting an all-conscript force is actually too expensive and does not save much cost for the taxpayers (Sands 33). Leaders of the present day era, as Sands argues, are ones that military forces and not military-conscript forces (34). Hummel explains that the military draft was applied in the case of USA during the Mexican war (30). The practices of the militia were by then varied from state to the other, some states spending about 2.5 % for the military draft (Hummel 40). Hummel takes a stand by saying that the difference portrayed in the USA militia drafts kept improving over the years, which led to efficient services from the militants (48). However, the author concludes by saying volunteer militia would be fit today, as opposed to provision of drafts as well as coercion to the militants (Hummel 69) Critique Yew-Kwang’s article may be termed as a vali d one for the study of the topic. It begins from the perspective of the author on what they would have done if they were to choose for or against the military draft. The author then gives an introduction that summarizes the paper. The next section focuses on the analysis of the work which is also explained in the form of graphical representation to explain the author’s perspective in details. The author also gives a simple model of calculation of the draft and its implications in a graphical representation with formulae to explain the graph (Yew-Kwang 379). From the conclusion of the article, it is evident that the author supports military draft in a way as he argues out to the economists that the draft may attract desirable costs. Sands’ article is in prose from and is seemingly one that contains explanations that may not actually be justified on the basis of the conclusions made. If the author had actually given raw data probably from the military personnel, the arti cle would have had a stronger implication on the reader or researcher in this field. Lastly Hummel’s work gives a historical account of what had been taking place throughout the world regarding the provision of military drafts as well as their effectiveness. With a detailed account of some of the wars fought during the time, the reader gets a clear glimpse of the exact picture of what ensued during the past and what needs to

Public health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 19

Public health - Essay Example organizations will improve considering the technological advancement, and if there the implementation of pay for performances and non-payment of â€Å"never’ events stipulations, which I suppose can greatly enhance and encourage high quality among the health care institutions. However, all these improvements, I believe will only be possible with the collaboration of healthcare institutions and all the stakeholders involved. Decreasing risk factors that are associated with contracting diseases and health choices among patients and the populations is very important. This is because some people are very ignorant of their health and thus in this case will be safe from contracting most of the diseases. In addition, this will be beneficial as majority of the families struggle to make ends meet and may not be in a position to seek proper medical attention. Thus, these initiatives of decreasing risk factors and increasing health choices would ensure or guarantee them safety from contracting diseases. Finally, considering that the responsible entities respond too late in cases of protection from diseases, these programs would be of great value in prevention of diseases among patients and general