An Controversial Issue Of Drinking Water Crisis - 923 Words

Clean water crisis One of the most controversial issues today relates drinking water. It could be defined as drinkable water or potable water which is safe enough for drinking and food preparation (Charitywater.org, 2016). Many people argue that some countries are meeting rising problems of not having enough drinking water. For example in Africa, a lot of people suffer and die daily from various diseases because they have unclear, dirty, contaminated water. This essay partly agrees with this statement and will illustrate this issue in term of how important the water is, the causes of getting less clear drinking water, two technological solutions which is waters desalination and groundwater wells and how to apply these solutions to Chad in Africa. Widely, clear water has been getting less because of many reasons. The most two effect causes are the increase of people number and the pollution of rivers (Eschooltoday.com, 2016). This is because, the world wants more drinking water for the huge people and it is not like the past when there were a few people and at less 1 liter for one person a day. For example in China and India, it is difficult for Chinese and Indians governments to give enough drinking water for the people, so water is so expensive there. Furthermore, the rivers was one of the sources for having good drinking water, but farmers and some companies had contaminated the river until the they have been damaged completelyShow MoreRelatedFracking Outline Essay707 Words   |  3 Pageseye, people here about fracking a lot. But is it really a â€Å"QUOTE AGAIN†, or something completely different entirely? Thesis: Hydraulic fracturing is not â€Å"the energy solution to the future† (Johnson). 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Forecasting Effects of Cultural Changes Free Essays

Within today’s increasingly globally-infused corporate workplaces, conventional wisdom holds that demographic and/or cultural diversity contribute positively to enhanced performance by groups, teams, or other divisions of a trans-global corporate entity, thus ultimately enhancing, by association, company products and/or services and the company itself, at home and abroad. As corporate giant Nokia’s website states, for example (2005), of its own global workforce: â€Å"Respect for individual qualities, as well as a willingness to work together in a constructive, positive, even enjoyable, way [,] are all essential for high-quality results. † Much related research suggests, however, that while diverse employee skills and abilities in and of themselves may enhance group or team performance, demographic diversity (e. We will write a custom essay sample on Forecasting Effects of Cultural Changes or any similar topic only for you Order Now g. differences among workforce members, in terms of language; cultural; referential; or social background), may detract from it (Knight, Pearce, Smith, Olian , Sims , Smith Flood, 1999; Jackson, 2003; Hamilton, Nickerson, Jackson, Owan, May 2004). I will examine factors that, based on research and anecdotal evidence combined, may inflect corporate workforce compatibility or success, exploring both positive and the negative potential effects of demographic and cultural diversity on global and other workplace behavior and performance. In a telephone interview conducted by this researcher, on October 6, 2005, with a friend who is a human resources assistant manager at Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST) based in San Jose, California, a recently-merged company created by the Hitachi-IBM HDD (Hard Disk Drive) company merger of January 2003, â€Å"[A lack of] enough good and clear intercultural communications is still contributing a lot, I would say, to lower than expected employee morale† (Sindai). However, despite the inevitable difficulties, misunderstandings, and other company challenges it inevitably brings, globalization is here to stay. According to Alden, for example, in an article on UPS’s expansion, â€Å"Over the past 40 years the number of multinational corporations in the world’s fourteen richest countries has gone from 7,000 to 24,000. (6-7). Moreover, as Alden observes, while many companies have marketed internationally for years, more and more companies are looking to enter the arena of global competition. However, according to Wilbur (2005), in terms of global workplace (or any team or group) performance or behavior, in and of itself, mere diversity of a workforce, or group, team, or other entity within that workforce, is non-conclusive. HP [High Performance] teams are built with . . . complementary skills. . . . a Blend and balance of social styles . . . technical skills, problem solving skills, and political savvy. . . . They treat differences with respect realizing the survival value in versatility, . . . develop mutual accountability that builds respect, commitment. High performance teams blow away barriers and boundaries. Typical demographic and/or cultural diversity increasingly found within global conglomerates or other entities like Worldwide Telecommunications, Inc. nd others, may contribute to or detract greatly from performance, depending on specific aspects of diversity; management communications, actions, and philosophies, and various other factors. Optimal workplace performance itself, on the part of any group or team, whatever its internal composition, generally springs from commitment, shared values, and pursuit of a common goal (Knight, Pearce, Smith, Olian , Sims , Smith Flood, 1999; Jackson, 2003; Wilbur, 2005). Demographic characteristics and/or cultural diversity may contribute to or detract from high-performance teams, but these characteristics alone will not determine performance. They may, however, influence it, in combination with other factors, such as shared or common goals; shared values; group commitment and support, and group synergy (Jackson, 2003; Wilbur, 2005). As Sindai (telephone interview, October 7, 2005), of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST) also stated: After the merger almost three years ago [of IBM’s and Hitachi’s Hard Disk Drive HDD) entities in January 2003] about our making more videos and doing more training sessions to keep enhancing diversity training. Our office wanted to do more, not just [what we had done] up to the merger, and everyone agreed it was needed. But little by little it got moved to the back burner. I think there’s been a feeling, or a hope at least, that it would all work itself out in time. But it Sindai added that, after IBM and Hitachi’s respective hard drive divisions (HDD’s) merged in 2003, various clashes, miscommunications, and misunderstandings of two distinct types of cultures emerges. One was the inevitable initial clash between IBM (an American company) versus Hitachi (a Japanese company) corporate cultures. Another, which proved to be more chronic, was based on demographic, social, cultural and other miscommunications and misunderstandings, sometimes although not always based on language incompatibilities, among workers from the United States; Japan; Pakistan; China; India; Sri Lanka; Singapore; India; Mexico; Bulgaria; and (as Sindai put it) â€Å"at least ten or twelve other places. † Results of a more formal study, on effects of diversity on group management performance, seem to confirm Sindai’s anecdotal observations. Knight, Pearce, Smith, Olian, Sims , Smith Flood (1999) concluded that: â€Å"Diversity in ability enhances the team productivity if there is significant mutual learning and collaboration within the team, while demographic diversity is likely to harm productivity by making learning and peer pressure less effective and increasing team-member turnover. † Hamilton, Nickerson, Jackson, Owan (May 2004) found, in a similar study, that: Data from 76 high-technology firms in the United States and Ireland were used to examine three alternative models. The results showed that while demographic diversity alone did have effects on strategic consensus the overall fit of the model was not strong. Adding two intervening group process variables, interpersonal conflict and agreement-seeking . . . greatly improved the overall relationship with strategic consensus. For the most part, TMT [Total Management Team] diversity had negative effects on strategic consensus. Jackson (2003) further concluded that: Informational (education and function) diversity was negatively related to group efficiency when social category diversity (sex and age) was high, but not when it was low; consequences . . . for team conflict were best understood by taking into account interactive effects for specific dimensions of diversity. (p. 803) An interesting and arguably related example, from the world of professional football, and one that starkly and vividly exemplifies workplace diversity training gone awry (i. e. the San Francisco 49’ers controversial diversity training tape that was leaked to the press (Ryan, Sunday June 5, 2005)) painfully illustrates how management attitudes anywhere, with any diverse group of people in any occupation, especially vis-a-vis other groups of people, strongly inflect â€Å"accepted† or perceived â€Å"normal† workplace attitudes about diversity (be they positive or negative), potentially polarizing, not unifying, workplace group members. As Ryan states, in analyzing this incident: . . . the video, which the team was required to watch, was particularly insulting o deeply religious players. Imagine if a corporation made it mandatory for employees to watch a training video that featured soft-core lesbian porn and a racist depiction of a bumbling, bucktoothed Chinese man. . . because the employees happen to be football players, people seem willing to dismiss it as This incident effectively lampooned diversity training and workplace diversity itself, within an extremely high-profile professional, organization, and geographical location (one that possesses enormous cultural diversity among its residents and sports fan â€Å"customers†) instead of promoting it. The incident also likely reinforced pre-existing stereotypes of many sports and related industry professionals: as boorish, intolerant, ignorant, or racist. Admittedly, the San Francisco 49ers football team and its management are non-equivalent, structurally, functionally, or in terms of goals or purpose, to Worldwide Telecommunications; Nokia, HGST, or any other large global corporate entity. Nevertheless, the implied lesson, for corporations and managers, contained within this incident is clear (at least to this author): company and group attitudes about diversity and its desirability and value to (and within) an organization, come from the top and migrate downward. Further, positive attitudes about workplace diversity and about diversity in general (which affect workplace attitudes and behaviors, consciously or unconsciously) must be practiced; reinforced; repeated, and encouraged, in order for workers to embrace and maintain them. One other fact that emerges from research combined with interviewee observation of effects of diversity on group performance, and reality combined, is that genuine appreciation for demographic and/or cultural diversity is most powerful and lasting when it grows from within a diverse group itself, rather than being imposed from the outside. Jackson (2003) further explains that â€Å"most [diversity] studies assumed that diversity influences affective reactions and social processes within teams and organizations. Social processes in turn were assumed to provide the explanations for the effects of diversity on team and/or organizational performance† (p. 803). Moreover, according to Jackson: Decades of research on similarity and attraction indicate that people tend to dislike dissimilar others, all else being equal. By extension, it has been argued that diversity is likely to have negative consequences for affective reactions such as cohesion, satisfaction, and commitment . . . Several early studies showing that diversity was associated with higher turnover rates seemed to support that conclusion. Recent research on team and organizational diversity: SWOT analysis and implications. ) Demographic and/or cultural diversity within transnational corporate workplaces may or may not enhance company performance, depending on the group; its members; its management and other influences; and its implicitly shared (or not shared) values, goals, motivations, and work and other philosophies. Diversity of skill and ability is more likely to enhance group performance than is cultural diversity (Knight, Pearce, Smith, Olian, Sims , Smith Flood, 1999; Jackson, 2003; Hamilton, Nickerson, Jackson, Owan, May 2004). Winning performance, though, is determined not so much by cultural and/or demographic diversity as by complementary skills; synergy; shared values and goals, and commitment. For optimal transnational workplace performance, demographic and/or cultural diversity must clearly be accompanied, in order to be effective, by personal and heartfelt cohesion among group or team members. In forecasting cultural changes, at World Telecommunications, Inc. and at other, similar entities, then, that particular conclusion, arrived at by researchers; managers, and others, alike, might well be kept closely in mind. How to cite Forecasting Effects of Cultural Changes, Essay examples

Dell vs Hp Essay Example

Dell vs Hp Essay Both Dell and HP are two strong players in PC industry which refers to an industry where companies produces PCs (desktops and notebooks), handheld devices (smart phones and tablets), and workstations. However, with growing global expansion, Dell and HP’s performance differs. Dell, once the world’s largest PC maker in 2001, has continually lost its market share to HP and Acer since 2007 (Guglielmo 2009). The cause is rooted in two differences of these companies: company diversifications and core competences.Therefore, how firms can continually survive in the PC business is more of an issue for Dell than for HP. Nevertheless, survival is not enough. Mainly because of the fast declining average selling prices (ASP) annually, both Dell and HP’s PC business face pressures from thinner profit margins (Menn 2010) Therefore, to win the battle, finding a new growth opportunity should be in the center of Dell and HP’s future strategy. Hence, this essay first present s the background of these two companies. It then looks at how PC business can survive by analyzing the causes of Dell and HP’s different performances in PC business.Thirdly, it briefly evaluates four options as a future growth engine. 2. Background 3. 1. Motivations Motivation| Dell| HP| Pre 1970sMarket and Resource Seeking| Not born yet| Provide growth1959: Establish the first foreign marketing organization and manufacturing plant in Europe, but did not focus on PC business | 1980s-2000sCompetitivePositioning| Capture global scale1990: Expansion to EMEA: Europe, the Middle East and Africa 1993: Entries into APJ: Asia Pacific and Japan| Match Dell’s scale in PC2002: Merger with Compad Computer Corp. 1990s-2000sWorldwide Learning| Recruit skills, expertise2007: Decide to refocus on innovation and set up more Ramp;D centers. 2009: 7 design centers | Leverage global intelligence1990s: HP Labs opens in Japan and Israel2010: 23 HP Labs operate in 7 countries| TABLE 1 Motiva tions Comparison Historically, HP started its global business earlier than Dell, but the focus was not on PCs until 2000. In contrast, Dell, focusing on PCs, quickly expanded its business globally since 1990 (Dell 2011). Therefore, to match Dell’s scale, HP merged with Compad in 2002 (HP 2011).In terms of worldwide learning, HP began to leverage global expertise much earlier while Dell did not realized the importance of worldwide learning until 2007 (Dell 2007). 3. 2. Means Means| Dell| HP| Pre-requisites| One competenceLow cost business model| A portfolio of Ramp;D competencesMeasurement, computing and communications, summarized as HP=MC2| Process| Born Global1990: Greenfield factories| Buy Global2002: Acquiring a global PC company, Compad| TABLE 2 Means Comparison Apart from motivations, companies need to possess specific competences to succeed in foreign markets (Bartlett and Beamish 2011).Dell’s innovative direct sales and build-to-order model, which eliminates mid dlemen, gave it a unique low cost advantage. Since this advantage was embedded internally, Dell started its expansion by Greenfield rather than cooperate with local companies. On the contrary, HP had a portfolio of Ramp;D competences rather than one (Prahalad and Hamel 1994). Instead of â€Å"Born Global†, HP’s PC business can be regarded as â€Å"Buy Global† since it expanded its global PC business by buying up global companies. 3. 3. Evolving Mentality | Evolving Mentality|Dell| Pre 2007Global perspective | Transnational Perspective| HP| Pre 2002:Multinational perspective | | TABLE 3 Mentality Comparisons HP once had a multinational mentality, as evidenced by its decentralized organization structure and culture (Accenture 1998). In contrast, Dell once had a more global mentality because in the early years, Dell did not adjust its direct models and products that much from country to country (Hill and Jones 2007). However, both companies have shown a trend movin g towards a transnational mentality in recent years.For example, Dell claimed its Shanghai Ramp;D center would focus on local and regional customers’ needs (Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China 2010) and it also introduced retail sales model in 2007 (Dell 2007), while HP reorganized its units to centralized divisions and laid off redundant workers in 2002 (McShane and Glinow 2002). 3. Survive the PC Business 4. 4. The Battle Although both companies have diversified into other industries, PC industry is still their most important source of revenue. For years, these two giants are battling for lead in PC market.When measured by market share, HP has taken place of Dell as No. 1 seller in PC market since 2007 (FIGURE 1). When measured by revenue, HP also wins over Dell for almost five years (FIGURE 2). Also, Acer grew rapidly in market share partly because of its merger with Gateway in 2007 (Einhorn 2007), and almost matched Dell in 2009. FIGURE 1 Global PC Market Share (HP 2006-2010; Dell 2006-2010; Acer 2006-2010) FIGURE 2 Revenue from PC Sales (HP 2006-2010; Dell 2006-2010) 4. 5. Issues PC industry is characterized by fast declining ASP year over year.Together with the increasing component costs from 2009, both Dell and HP are facing squeezing profit margins (HP 2010; Dell 2010). In the first quarter of 2011, HP’s gross margin for its Personal System Group (PSG) is as low as 6. 4% (Epstein 2011). Similarly, Dell’s gross margin of PCs is often 3 to 5% (Wang 2010). This indicates that if both companies want to keep their PC business profitable, they have to further lower their costs and/or boost increasing demands every year. However, Dell faces a more severe problem than HP for three reasons. First, Dell shows its inability in creating demands.Since 2006, Dell started losing market share to other competitors such as Acer, while HP continued to win customers during the same period (FIGURE 1). Second, although PC busin ess is both Dell and HP’s core business, Dell’s revenue has a much greater reliance on PC sales, accounting for more than 50% of its total revenue (FIGURE 3). This makes Dell more vulnerable than HP to falloff in demand. Third, Dell shows little progress in cost control (FIGURE 4). Its past success in 1990s was based on its low cost business processes, which is already quite superior.Therefore, limited room was left to Dell to further reduce costs. Moreover, after its entries into emerging markets, costs even grew higher with the introduction of retail sales to its old model. FIGURE 3 PC Sales as a Percentage of Total Revenue (HP 2006-2010; Dell 2006-2010) 4. 6. Sustainable Global Success? The primary reason for Dell’s non-sustainable success is its specialization in PC combined with its emphasis on the old success model, which prevented Dell from reaching any of the following goals or a combination of them at a high level: global efficiency, flexibility and wor ldwide learning.In other words, Dell’s past success was largely based on supply chain efficiency, but with limited help of global efficiency which defines the firm’s ability to cut costs by global integration and to increase value of outputs through local responsiveness (Bartlett and Beamish 2011). In contrast, since 2002, HP was trying all three means: economies of scale, economies of scope and national differences to achieve those goals. That is, HP quickly established competences in global efficiency, flexibility and worldwide innovation and closing efficiency gap with Dell (FIGURE 4).Although in 2007 Dell began to shift from the old business model, its only core competence as a low cost leader was eroded. Also, such shift did not give Dell a new competitive advantage. Therefore, this fundamental difference has led to today’s enlarging gap between Dell and HP’s performance. In this regard, HP’s leadership in PC business will prove more sustainab le than that of Dell. FIGURE 4 Inventory Days (HP 2006-2010; Dell 2006-2010) 4. 7. 1. Global Efficiency With a quick global expansion, Dell’s direct sale and build to order model limited its ability to leverage global efficiency through economies of scale.For example, when it entered the emerging markets such as India, Dell once intended to increase economies of scale by centralizing the assembly activities in its factory in Malaysia which serves all markets across Asia Pacific (Fortune 2011). However, unlike customers in US, customers from emerging markets prefer retail sales to direct sales. Such preference made Dell’s products not as competitive as those of its competitors, and thus sales volume was seriously affected with only 7% market share, while HP had 20. % market share in 2006 in India (Singh 2007; Corcoran 2006). Because Dell built to orders, low sales volume led to low production volume. Therefore, Dell had difficulty in reaching high economies of scale by expanding its direct sales into emerging markets while centralizing the production. Moreover, such business model incurred long delivery time and high transportation costs, which could be borne only by Dell. In contrast, for HP, since it used intermediaries, a large part of the transportation costs were shared by intermediaries.Thus, in terms of markets where customers prefer retail sales, direct model and centralized production activity are almost mutually exclusive. That is, Dell could either stick with its direct sales model but build a local factory to reduce the high transportation costs and delivery time, or centralize production in its Malaysia factory but turn to a retail sales model to ensure that production volumes are enough to generate economies of scale. Indeed, Dell chose the former, though it also used retail sellers later on.Additionally, other means such as economies of scope also did not work well for Dell, because of Dell’s specialization in PCs. Unlike HP who sells a mix of products, Dell relied too much on PC business. Therefore, it seems not possible for Dell to share physical assets, external relationships and learning across many different products. However, HP has done well in this regard (TABLE 4). By comparing HP with companies who best developed scope economies, HP is getting close to them (TABLE 4). Economies of Scope| HP| Benchmarks|Shared Global brand name| HP * Value: 26867 million USD, ranking 11th , 2010 * Growth Rate: 12% * Product Variety: full range of printers, scanners, cameras, PCs, smartphones as well as a variety of IT services| Coca Cola * Value: 70452 million USD, ranking 1st , 2010 * Growth Rate: 2% * Product Variety: More than 500 different products| Shared external relationships| HP * Common distribution channels are maintained so that if any master data related to one distribution channel can be viewed and used by other distribution channels. Matsushita * It markets its diverse product mix through the same distribution channel. Matsushita, as a follower, surpassed Philip partly because of its high global efficiency. Philips operated in a more decentralized way. | Shared Ramp;D Capabilities| HP * It plans to develop a Web Operating System (WebOS) in 2011. WebOS will then be installed in all HP’s products: Printers, Computers and Smart phones. | Apple * IOS, an advanced operating system, is shared by all Apple’s products: Ipods, Ipads, Iphones and Mac computers. | TABLE 4 The Extent to Which HP Achieves Scope Economies Interbrand 2010; Bartlett and Beamish 2011) Indeed, HP’s supply chain efficiency is still lower than that of Dell (FIGURE 4), partly because it sells a range of products through distributors. Demand visibility is reduced and thus it makes sale forecast more difficult for HP than for Dell. However, HP achieved and is more able to achieve higher global efficiency, which partly defines a successful global company (TABLE 5). Moreover, even Dell introduce d retail sales model in 2007, it has already lost the battle because retail sales model eroded Dell’s only core competence of low costs.Costs were not just from growing supply chain costs but mostly from increasing marketing budgets. Means| Dell | HP | Economies of Scale| * Moderate scale economies| * Great scale economies since 2002 | Economies of Scope| * Limited diversification leads to limited scope economies| * Effectively achieve scope economies| National Differences| * Almost fully use of factor cost differences | * Almost fully use of factor cost differences| Table 5 Global Efficiency Comparison 4. 7. 2. Flexibility and ResponsivenessIn terms of the input side, HP had more flexibility than Dell in balancing the operations in three regions: EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Asia), Americas (US, Canada and Latin America) and APJ (Asia Pacific and Japan). Because growth rates in these regions are various, companies who have relatively equal presence in these regions can bett er ward off the external risks and take advantage of national differences (Bartlett and Beamish 2011). Prior to 200, Dell focused more on mature markets, mainly the Americas markets (FIGURE 5). However, at the same time, HP has already presented in most emerging markets mainly in EMEA and APJ (FIGURE 6).One reason that Dell had to rely on the revenue from mature markets is that its direct sales model works well for those customers. However, since 2007 Dell has increasingly used third party resellers to increase flexibility, it claimed to shift the focus to emerging markets. Hence, HP and Dell could ultimately reach parity in terms of supply side flexibility. FIGURE 5 Dell: Revenue by Region (Dell 2006) FIGURE 6 HP: Revenue by Region (HP 2006) When it comes to the output side, Dell’s direct sales model should have given it advantages in sensing and responding to changing customer needs.However, it did not. Specifically, Dell failed to foresee the changing trend towards persona lized notebooks in non-commercial markets. It was not until 2008 did Dell start to focus on product design (Dell 2008). By contrast, as early as 2006, HP has already launched a range of personalized design notebooks targeting a mass consumer (Krazit 2006). The cause was partly due to Dell’s organizational structure. Before 2007, Dell adopted an area division, and both commercial and non-commercial customers were not clearly divided within one area division (Dell 2006).However, these two groups of customers’ preferences became more and more differed. If Dell changed product strategies, both groups might be affected. Therefore, even if Dell had sensed the change in then non-commercial market, it could not respond effectively to the changes On the contrary, although HP benefited limitedly from direct contact with customers, a capable manager and a clear division of commercial and consumer clients within PSG, had given HP more flexibility in sensing and responding to marke t changes. Todd Bradley, the former CEO of Palm joined HP, as the vice president of PSG in 2005.He predicted that the future trends would go to personalized PCs, and HP should emphasize heavily on marketing (Lal and Ross 2009). Thus, in terms of timing, HP gained an advantage in marketing in the consumer client markets earlier than Dell. 4. 7. 3. Worldwide Learning When flexibility and global efficiency reach parity, achieving worldwide learning may be a solution to survive in the PC industry. TBD 4. Win Globally 5. 7. 4. New growth opportunities comparisons 5. 7. 5. IT Services? 5. 7. 6. Integration 5. 7. 7. A Evolving Global Role

Adoption of Lean Six Sigma in Lenovos Supply Chain

Adoption of Lean Six Sigma in Lenovos Supply Chain Introduction Lenovo Group Limited is a large Chinese multinational corporation that specialises in computer technology. It manufactures and distributes various electronic products in the global market. According to the study conducted by Zhijun (2013, p. 92), Lenovo was ranked the world’s leading vendor of personal computers in terms of unit sales.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Adoption of Lean Six Sigma in Lenovo’s Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company currently has active offices in over 60 countries around the world. Its products circulate in over 160 countries according to the report by the Global Reporting Initiative (2011, p. 88). Currently, the management of this firm has been working on ways of improving its supply chain management strategies. This has been done through the decentralisation of processing plants and management centres from Beijing in China to various locatio ns around the world. The decision to decentralise production plants and management centres was influenced by the desire to shorten the distance between the manufacturing plants and the market. The management of this firm realized the need to end-to-end supply chain visibility as a way of improving efficiency in its product delivery method. Lean Six Sigma may be very useful to this firm in its efforts to achieve this sustainability. Not only will this tool help the firm improve the quality of its products, but also help in reducing the cost of production (Kamauff 2010, p. 56). In this study, the researcher will focus on determining how Lenovo can use Lean Six Sigma to achieve sustainability in its supply chain management. The first part of this report will be the introduction; the second part will be the analysis, while the last section will be a conclusion of the findings of the study. In this study, Lean Six Sigma refers to a quality management tool that seeks to streamline the pro cesses in order to achieve near perfect products (Brockett Rezaee 2012, p. 77). The study will determine how adoption of this tool will help enhance sustainability of Lenovo’s supply chain. Analysis Lenovos Supply Chain The management of Lenovo has been keen on streamlining its supply chain to not only eliminate costs but also improve the quality of the products they deliver to their customers. The firm has employed a number of strategies in its supply chain.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, in this study, the focus will be on End-To-End Supply Chain Visibility Strategy that was employed in 2013 using E2open software to enable the management to monitor all the activities in its supply chain (Qiao Conyers 2014, p. 59). According to this scholar, Lenovo had previously been using various strategies to manage its supply chain. However, David Gillon, wh o is the current Executive Director of Lenovo’s Global Supply Chain, realized that besides having superior tools and equipments to improve supply chain at this firm, it was necessary to have a new system at the firm that will make it possible for the management to track down all the activities within the supply chain in real time. This was necessary so that the management can detect any problems within the supply chain as soon as they occur. As Lan and Unhelka (2013, p. 74) say, End-To-End Supply Chain Visibility strategy has become popular in the recent past because it gives a firm control over the activities taking place within its supply chain. End-To-End Supply Chain Visibility was meant to support a strategy employed by this firm the previous year that eliminated all the intermediaries when accessing most of the raw materials. The firm developed a new strategy that emphasised on dealing directly with the producers of the raw materials other than brokers. In order to use this strategy, the management of Lenovo had to employ the use of E2open software that not only helped in monitoring the activities within the supply chain, but also integrated the communication system within the firm. This made it possible for all the stakeholders responsible for various activities to know when there is a problem within the supply chain so that they can know the best course of action. For instance, the production manager at Lenovo’s plant in Beijing will know when there is a problem in the supply of a given raw material. With this knowledge coming as soon as this fact becomes a reality, the production manager is able to re-strategize its production activities to avoid serious negative consequences that may arise because of the unavailability of the needed materials. According to the report by Qiao and Conyers (2014, p. 78), the management of Lenovo has been able to reduce losses within its supply chain that is always associated with lack of information and co ordination between various departments because of this new technology-based strategy. According to Qiao and Conyers (2014, p. 81).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Adoption of Lean Six Sigma in Lenovo’s Supply Chain specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lenovo’s top management committed HK$ 6.35 billion to help expand the Beijing’s 200,000-square feet production facility in early 2014 to help sustain its increased production due to improvement of its supply chain. This is a clear indication that this new approach to managing its supply chain has been a success. Need for Sustainability and Factors Involved In Achieving It According to Wisner, Tan and Leong (2011, p. 67), the issue of sustainability has gained relevance as firms struggle to secure their future in the turbulent market. In order to understand steps that have been taken to promote sustainability at Lenovo, it will be necessary to analyze v arious stages of supply chain where sustainability is necessary. Sourcing is one of the most sensitive areas of management in the supply chain. As Shah (2009, p. 23) observes, a firm needs to ensure that there is a reliable source of raw materials to ensure that the production process is not interrupted due to shortage of inputs. According to Aras and Crowther, (2009, p. 280), the management of Lenovo has formed strategic partnerships with its suppliers, especially those who supply sensitive products such as rare earth metals through long-term contracts. These long-term contracts bind these suppliers to this firm and reduce chances that the suppliers can suddenly stop their business transactions with this firm. The management has also been keen on fostering a close relationship with these suppliers. As Taylor (2003, p. 56) observes, in most of the cases they are considered integral part of this firm. These steps were taken to ensure that the suppliers remain loyal to this firm. It r ealised that it needed to do this in order to protect its sources of raw materials. Manufacturing is another sensitive process in the supply chain management. In the current competitive market, it is very critical to have sustainable manufacturing strategies that can help a firm secure its future in the market (Timans et al. 2013, p. 340). The management has embraced technology in its manufacturing processes as one of the main steps towards achieving efficiency in its supply chain. As mentioned above, the firm is putting up a 200,000-square meter production complex in Beijing that has state-of-the-art machines to help in running its production processes. The society has become so sensitive about environmental conservation. If this firm fails to embrace environmental-friendly manufacturing strategies, it may have a bleak future due to the regulations that are expected in the near future. Similarly, the issue about packaging will need to be re-evaluated. Many firms are now considering using bio-degradable materials to package their products in order to protect the environment.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lenovo will need to take a similar path in order to remain relevant in the market that has become very dynamic. The distribution centre management that has been embraced by Lenovo is in line with the changing environmental factors (Liu 2009, p. 574). Devolving the management and setting up various offices across the global market is needed so that this firm can act locally based on the prevailing market forces in different regions around the world. According to Mahadevan (2009, p. 37), waste management is a factor that firms can no longer ignore, especially at the production plant. Lenovo will need to find proper ways of managing wastes according to the international standards given that it is operating in the global market. This will mean recycling its wastes or finding better waste disposal methods for the products that cannot be recycled. Another sensitive issue is the emissions control. According to Gorman (2011, p. 570), many countries around the world are reducing the limit of emissions of greenhouse gases per given time. With these new developments, Lenovo will need to find a way of reducing its emission rates despite its increasing levels of output in order to remain sustainable. Tools and Techniques Associated With Lean Six Sigma Lean Six Sigma is one of the management tools that many firms are using to improve their operations and enhance sustainability. At this stage, it will be important to critically analyse what can be achieved through Lean Six Sigma and to determine how it applies to Lenovo. According to Tompkins and Harmelink (2004, p. 45), Lean Six Sigma refers to â€Å"A methodology that relies on a collaborative team effort to improve performance by systematically removing waste.† The term lean in production context means maximum elimination of wastes and unnecessary processes. The current environmental forces may require Lenovo to employ lean manufacturing in order to improve quality and eliminate wastes as much as possible. The foll owing are some of the tools and techniques associated with Lean Six Sigma at Lenovo. According to Bolstorff and Rosenbaum (2012, p. 56), when using Lean Six Sigma there are eight kinds of waste that must be eliminated in order to manage the costs of production, and each requires different tools and techniques. The first kind of waste is the problem of defects. The study by Qiao and Conyers (2014, p. 112) reveals that Lenovo has embraced the use of modern technologies as means of reducing defects at its production plants. These defective products always have very little value because they cannot be sold and some cannot be recycled (Sarkar 2005, p. 427). The management of Lenovo emphasises on the zero of Globalisation of Chinese Enterprises, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 38. no. 4, pp. 573-577. Mahadevan, B 2009, Operations Management: Theory and Practice, licensees of Pearson Education, New Delhi. Panneerselvam, R 2012, Production and Operations Management, Cengage, New York. Qiao, G Conyers, Y 2014, The Lenovo Way: Managing a Diverse Global Company for Optimal Performance: Managing a Diverse Global Company for Optimal Performance, McGraw Hill Professional, New York. Reverte, C 2009, Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure Ratings by Spanish Listed Firms, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 88. no. 2, pp. 351-366. Sarkar, D 2005, Lessons in Six Sigma–72 Must-Know Truths for Managers ,Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 40. no. 3, pp. 425-429. Shah, J 2009, Supply chain management: Text and cases, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River. Spulbe, D 2012, Global Competitive Strategy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Taylor, D 2003, Supply chains: A managers guide, Pearson Professional Education, Harlow. Timans, W, Antony, J, Ahaus, K Solingen R 2013, Implementation of Lean Six Sigma in small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in the Netherlands, The Journal of the Operational Research Society, vol. 6 3. no. 3, pp. 339-353. Tompkins, J Harmelink, D 2004, The supply chain handbook, Raleigh Press, New York. Wieriks, R 2013, The landscape of sustainability assurance: Towards further shaping the assurance approach, Erasmus Universiteit, Rotterdam. Wisner, J, Tan, K Leong, G 2011, Principles of supply chain management: A balanced approach, South-Western, Mason. Zhijun, L 2013, The Lenovo Affair: The Growth of Chinas Computer Giant and Its Takeover of IBM-PC, Cengage, New York.

Gerald Ford Family Tree - Ancestry and Genealogy

Gerald Ford Family Tree - Ancestry and Genealogy President Gerald Rudolph Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. on 14 July 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Leslie Lynch King and Dorothy Ayer Gardner, separated shortly after the birth of their son and were divorced in Omaha, Nebraska on 19 December 1913. In 1917, Dorothy married Gerald R. Ford in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Fords began calling Leslie by the name Gerald Rudolff Ford, Jr., although his name wasnt legally changed until December 3, 1935 (he also changed the spelling of his middle name). Gerald Ford Jr. grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his younger half-brothers, Thomas, Richard and James. Gerald Ford Jr. was a star lineman for the University of Michigan Wolverines football team, playing center for national championship teams in 1932 and 1933. After he graduated from Michigan in 1935 with a B.A. degree, he turned down several offers to play professional football, instead opting for an assistant coachs position while studying law at Yale University. Gerald Ford eventually became a member of Congress, Vice President, and the only President not elected to the office. He is also the longest living ex-president in American history, dying at age 93 on 26 December 2006. Tips for Reading This Family Tree First Generation: 1. Leslie Lynch King Jr. (aka Gerald R. Ford, Jr.) was born on 14 July 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska and died on 26 December 2006 at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. Gerald Ford, Jr. married Elizabeth Betty Anne Bloomer Warren on 15 October 1948 at Grace Episcopal Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan. They had several children: Michael Gerald Ford, born 14 March 1950; John Jack Gardner Ford, born 16 March 1952; Steven Meigs Ford, born 19 May 1956; and Susan Elizabeth Ford, born 6 July 1957.   Second Generation (Parents): 2. Leslie Lynch KING (Gerald Ford Jr.s father) was born on 25 July 1884 in Chadron, Dawes County, Nebraska. He married twice - first to President Fords mother, and later in 1919 to Margaret Atwood in Reno, Nevada. Leslie L. King, Sr. died on 18 February 1941 in Tucson, Arizona and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, California. 3. Dorothy Ayer GARDNER was born on 27 February 1892 in Harvard, McHenry County, Illinois. After her divorce from Leslie King, she married Gerald R. Ford (b. 9 December 1889), son of George R. Ford and Zana F. Pixley, on 1 February 1917 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Dorothy Gardner Ford died 17 September 1967 in Grand Rapids, and is buried with her second husband in Woodlawn Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Leslie Lynch KING and Dorothy Ayer GARDNER were married on 7 September 1912 at Christ Church, Harvard, McHenry County, Illinois and had the following children: 1 i. Leslie Lynch KING, Jr.Third Generation (Grandparents):4. Charles Henry KING was born on 12 March 1853 in Perry Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. He died on 27 February 1930 in Los Angeles, California and is buried with his wife in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, California.5. Martha Alice Porter was born 17 November 1854 in Indiana and died on 14 July 1930 in Glendale, Los Angeles Co., California. She is buried with her husband in Forest Lawn Cemetery of that county.Charles Henry KING and Martha Alicia PORTER were married after 2 June 1882 in Cook County, Illinois and had the following children:i. Gertrude M. KING was born abt. 1881 in Illinois (married Robert H. Knittle)ii. Charles B. KING was born abt. September 1882 in Chadron, Dawes Co., Nebraska2. iii. Leslie Lynch KINGiv. Savilla KING was born abt. September 1885 in Chadron, Dawes Co., Nebraska (married Edward Pettis)v. Marietta H. KING was born abt. July 1895 in Chadron, Dawes Co., Nebraska (married Giles Vernon Kel logg)6. Levi Addison GARDNER was born on 24 April 1861 at Solon Mills, McHenry County, Illinois. He died on 9 May 1916 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.7. Adele Augusta Ayer was born on 2 July 1867 in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio and died on 10 August 1938 in Los Angeles, California.Levi Addison GARDNER and Adele Augusta AYER were married on 23 October 1884 in Harvard, McHenry County, Illinois and had the following children:3. i. Dorothy Ayer GARDNERii Tannisse Ayer GARDNER was born 4 March 1887 in Harvard, Illinois. She married Clarence Haskins James on 5 September 1908 in Harvard, Illinois and died on 14 April 1942.

Introduction to Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Introduction to Business - Essay Example Firstly it is the case that there is a strong public debt burden in the United States which can be attributed to the inability of the government to reign in its spending. Building on this point it is the case that according to the U.S. Treasury department approximately 23% and 21% of U.S. treasury securities are held by the central banks of China and Japan respectively. The solution to this problem would be for American voters to press their politicians to practice fiscal discipline. A second major problem facing the American economy which has negatively affects the economy recently is the American trade deficit which according to the CIA World Factbook (2010) reached a record $840 billion in 2008, in simple terms more is coming in than is going out. While many people would take a mercantilist viewpoint and argue that people should â€Å"Buy American† a simple solution would be for American manufacturers to simply look at what foreign products are filling this consumer gap domestically and look to find new ways to better serve their domestic customers. As a last major problem affecting the Ameican economy would be the sub prime mortgage market and credit default swaps that have helped fuel the economic downturn from 2007-2010. In terms of how credit default swaps work, they act as a type of insurance policy that backs investments and the way that they have arguable exacerbated the financial crisis is that the instruments help encourage investment in riskier investments. As far as sub prime mortgages are concerned it is the case that house prices growing every year it made sense for lenders to support buyers whose credit history was questionable (Owing to the fact that the buyers would see favorable returns in their housing prices). However when the bubble burst and the lenders sought their compensation from buyers it was the case that many people defaulted. The obvious solution for this circumstance would be for stricter regulation on

How Personal Can Ethics Get Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

How Personal Can Ethics Get - Essay Example 953). Two very different individuals may carry with them two entirely different perspectives of the world. These perspectives possess a viable potential to influence the individuals’ preferences concerning a variety of considerations in the organizational workplace. One area of an organization which is undoubtedly influenced by personal differences and (related differing preferences) is ethics. S.J. Reynolds (2006) finds that â€Å"individual differences can interact with issue characteristics to shape moral awareness† (qtd. Trevino, Weaver, & Reynolds, 2006, p. 954). As such, two different people may perceive an ethical dilemma differently. For example, one person may perceive the existence of nepotism in the workplace as a coincidence in which an employer’s relatives happened to be best suited for a job. Another person may perceive the existence of nepotism in the workplace as a breach of ethics in which fair hiring principles are abandoned in favor of personal interest. Whereas the former may derive their opinion from a personal experience in which a family business proved fruitful, another may harbor grievances concerning high levels of unemployment effecting his or her family, community, or self. The former maintains an ethical preference for directly helping one’s friends and family, while the latter maintains an ethical preference for indirectly helping one’s friends and family by maintaining fair and equal hiring practices. An organization containing both hypothetical individuals is subsequently shaped and form by the shifting dynamic of their conflicting ideals. Discuss how organizational policies and procedures can impact ethics. The ethical preferences of members of an organization are shaped by individuals’ predisposed positions on varying issues as well as externally imposed policy and procedure. As such, an organization’s policies and procedures can impact criterion for ethical dilemmas as well as e thical results substantially. Wotruba, Chonko, and Lo (2001) identify three primary functions executed by codes of ethics in an organization. First, codes of ethics can demonstrate a concern for ethics by the organization. In this manner, an organization may elect to create a code of ethics in an attempt to convey a general awareness and reverence for ethical observation and conduct in the workplace. For example, a company might create a code of ethics which is read and understood by its newly hired employees during their training in an effort to effectively communicate that the company is aware of ethics and embraces ethics as a high priority in the workplace. Second, codes of ethics can â€Å"transmit ethical values of the organization to its members† (Wotruba, Chonko, and Lo, 2001, p. 59). This function is substantially more specific than the former function, which seeks to convey a simple, general awareness of ethics as an existent priority within the workplace. Instead, ethical values transmitted to members of an organization by the organization are designed to create a better understanding of what an organization is and what values it holds most dear. For example, a service-oriented organization might include â€Å"putting the customer first† as an ethical priority in the w