Logistics and Transportation as A Service Category within a Category Research Paper

Logistics and Transportation as A Service Category within a Category Management Program - Research Paper Example The intention of this study is Nexen. It is Canada based energy generation company having a dedicated workforce of about 3800 employees. In addition to this the company also has a strong and visionary management that helps in catapulting the organization to levels of excellence. The company was incepted in the year 1971 in which the Occidental crude oil company merged its subsidiary of energy and gas to create a conglomerate. The company is also engaged in the exploration of oil and gas and also owns gas fields across Canada. The future strategies of the company include investing in exploration in Mexican gulf, West Africa and North Sea. It also includes exploration of oil sands and unconventional gas fields across the nation.The company has a considerable and commendable supply chain management strategy under which the company focuses on using technology to reduce the cost of inventory. The logistics and supply chain aspects of the organization include management of the movement of goods from the source to the final destination. Transportation and its efficient management can help generate a lot of competitive advantage for the organization. The aspect of supply chain management is very closely linked to the aspect of warehouse maintenance, transportation as well as management of materials over distances. Use of global category management would help in generating not only cost advantage but would also help generate sustainable and long term competitive advantage for the organization. ... The logistics and supply chain aspects of the organization include management of the movement of goods from the source to the final destination. Transportation and its efficient management can help generate a lot of competitive advantage for the organization. The aspect of supply chain management is very closely linked to the aspect of warehouse maintenance, transportation as well as management of materials over distances. The present study would try to analyse the aspect of global category management in the supply chain strategies of the company that would help generate greater efficiency for the organization. Use of global category management would help in generating not only cost advantage but would also help generate sustainable and long term competitive advantage for the organization. Concept of Category Management Category Management program objectives are found to bear strong linkages with the product portfolio of a manufacturing or marketing sector company. In this regard, Ch iplunkar (2011) observes that the product portfolio of a company operating in manufacturing or retail segment is mostly decided by product managers. Product managers managing that category are responsible for getting the right amount and quality of raw materials for the production of such items. The responsibility for arranging the production of the product is shared eventually by the product managers with other departments like administrative and manufacturing units. Further the product manager also coordinates with the sales and marketing team for getting the product rightly sold in the market to help achieve business profits. The category management concept earns further depth in regards to

The Scar that the World Will Never Forget Essay

The Scar that the World Will Never Forget - Essay Example † 1 David Sedivy also asked the same way, â€Å"How does the son of an Austrian factory worker come to European power and become responsible for the deaths of as many as 35 million people?† 2 Another mind boggling question is how can Hitler, an Austrian born, become a leader followed blindly by millions of German and Aryan raced- soldiers? The magnitude of the annihilation and the atrocities committed by Hitler’s regime are definitely mind boggling. "Holocaust" is a word of Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by fire." 3  What is important at this point is to share and retell this saga over and over again to all generations for them to learn insights that will guide, strengthen behaviors and enable people to think within the moral framework of a human being. In short, the question here is whether this event deserves to have a moral imperative. The succeeding discussion would support the stance that the Holocaust education, in particular, deserves to be given a moral imperative. The Saga of Gerswin Kunze during the Holocaust. Present day 21st century setting†¦ as I was doing my daily inspection of every room in our house until I reached that special room which contains our memorabilia. It houses priceless heirloom items and family bloodline photos capturing fond memories of our great family celebrations until I stopped to pause on one frame that brings back memories of being a survivor of the World War II Holocaust. Suddenly, I felt again that strange shivers and goose pimples in my arms. The deja vu feeling crept into my body which was a mixed feeling of fear, sadness and joy. It reminded me of a dark past which I really do not want to reminisce again. But people whom we loved and witnessed how they perished in the merciless executions of the Nazis kept telling us that whoever outlives this saga should tell the world about these nightmares so that this would never happen again. Suddenly flashes of events came back to my memory. This is my story. 1929 – The Germany’s Economic Depression. I am Gerzwin Kunze, from Poland born to a Jewish family in a small called Krzepicea. I was 14 years old then and still studying. My father was a businessman. One day, I did not understand what was going on. I saw my father joining angry crowds marching on the streets holding banners and shouting to air their complaints. There was one time when my father brought me along to walk on the streets with him. He brought me with him just to get a feel of what was going on. There were lots of people shouting, orations delivered. He asked me to hold tight, keep close and instructed me what to do if ever I get separated from him. Learning that I was with my father on the streets, my mother rushed to find us and immediately brought me back home for fear that any untoward incident may happen during the rally. When the right time came, I learned that Germany lost World War I and as a consequence now experienced economic downturn. â⠂¬Å"On October 29, 1929 marked the collapse of stock U.S. market triggering a worldwide economic depression.† 4 â€Å" Germany’s economy was then highly dependent on foreign trade so it was imperative that it was inevitable for it to experience economic downfall which adversely affected people’s livelihood.† 5 Its effects sparked spontaneous protests: â€Å"As production levels fell, German workers were laid off. Along with this, banks failed throughout Germany.

Southwest airlines Comparative Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Southwest airlines Comparative Analysis - Essay Example s the customers choose increasing demand, the company also receives less complaints compared to other airlines and this has made it to become a market leader in the airline industry. There are however other factors that has led to the success of South west airlines and they include the organization structure, organization culture and leadership, the following is an analysis of the company’s structure, culture and leadership compared to its competitors. Organization structures include the flat structures, tall structures, hierarchical structure, centralized and decentralized structures and each structure adopted has advantages and disadvantage associated. The company is organized in a hierarchical structure whereby top workers include the CEO and executive vice presidents. (Hoffer, 29) The advantage of this structure is that authority and a responsibility are clearly defined. Clearly defined roles help in reducing conflicts in an organization and also help in improving productivity and specialization. The other advantage associated with the hierarchical structure is that promotion paths are clearly defined. This means that workers are well motivated to achieve higher positions in the organization, promotion is based on performance and therefore top managers are well aware of the operations and activities in their division. High productivity is achieved where worker are motivated to improve performance which in turn leads to high profitability. (McCartney, 2007) Managers are specialized in the hierarchical structure, managers are promoted from non managerial positions in the organization and also from the same division they work and therefore they specialize in the same position and this ensures efficiency in the company. The other advantage of this structure realized by the Southwest airline is that workers are more loyal to their divisions; the company is divided in several divisions and these department help in improving productivity of workers through

To be themselves Essay Example for Free

To be themselves Essay In society today, most people can be themselves. Most do not feel the need to hide who they truly are anymore while some still can only â€Å"half express [themselves]† because they are embarrassed of the â€Å"idea which each of [them] represents† (186). I feel as if there is still too little emphasis on self-reliance and individualism in America today, because some are still ashamed of themselves and rely on others too much. As the years pass, fewer people discriminate, but there are still many that still do, causing others to â€Å"half express [themselves]† (186). Gays and lesbians are afraid to come out of the closet because they were told that it wasn’t right to be anything but straight. Society made them feel ashamed of themselves. They might give off hints and their friends might be able to tell, but they would never actually come out. If individualism was stressed more, gays or lesbians would no longer need to hide who they truly are. Even worse, proposition 8 restricts the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples only. They would be accepted, but as of now, they are not because there is not enough emphasis on individualism. â€Å"No kernel of nourishing corn† will just appear out of thin air; only â€Å"through [their] toil bestowed† will something of that sort happen (185). People can’t expect to receive something when they didn’t work for it. For example, homeless people depend on other people’s sympathy and donations to survive. Rather than getting off their butts and finding a job, they sit around waiting for help to come to them. If self-reliance was strained some more, maybe we’d have less homeless people standing in corners begging for money in the world. They’d be out looking for jobs, but in the meantime, there are homeless shelters and soup kitchens to help them, until they can get back on their feet because there is not enough emphasis on self-reliance. If Emerson were still alive today, he would be disappointed, but he would feel as if he got most of his message through. Even though some are still a little uncomfortable with whom they are and too dependent on others, most people aren’t afraid to show off their individuality or depend on themselves. In society today, there is not enough emphasis on self-reliance and individualism because people still depend on others for help and are afraid to show their true colors. If life was based on Emerson’s ideas, the world would be full of hardworking citizens and discrimination would not exist.

James Dyson: Theories of Decision Making

James Dyson: Theories of Decision Making James Dyson is a UK-based engineer and founder of Dyson Appliances Ltd he is identified as the inventor of the first bag less vacuum cleaner. In 2012 his sales were over  £1billion and he has a sales presence within 45 countries worldwide. DAL had emerged as the market leader in the vacuum cleaner market in the UK as well as the USA. This paper will critically identify the key theories used by Dyson in his decision making process, strategic preferences will also be analysed within the development of the Dyson range of products. Theoretical models will be used to understand Dysons analytical decisions and the strategic choices that have been used within the development of the Dyson product range. Economic decisions will be evaluated to try and gauge the long term affect upon the stakeholders within the business. Background James Dyson started his career at the Royal College of Art in London where he studied furniture and interior design. In 1974 after spending four years with Roturk Marine Engineering as a designer he started his own business and made his first invention. The Ballbarrow which was an update on the wheelbarrow and used a plastic ball for easier manoeuvrability instead of the conventional wheel was his first invention, almost all of Dysons inventions and ideas are because of personal frustration with the current product available on the market. Ballbarrow was launched in 1975 and was priced at three times more than the conventional wheelbarrow; the product which sold surprisingly well was sold on to a major manufacturer four years after its concept to enable Dyson to finance his future inventions. In 1978 Dyson realised his vacuum cleaner was continuously losing suction power; he noticed how dust was quickly clogging the pores of the bag which was leading to a block in the airflow. He then made the decision to resolve this problem, after five years and over 5000 prototypes he launched the first cyclonic bag less vacuum cleaner. Dyson offered his invention to all of the most important manufacturers but none would invest in a bag less vacuum cleaner because of the potential loss of sales on the  £500 million bag industry. Despite initial financial obstacles in 1993 Dyson launched his new design of cyclone bag less vacuum cleaner the Dyson DC01which was seen as being a vast improvement over the conventional vacuum cleaner, other major manufacturers who had earlier rejected the cyclone idea have since copied Dysons concept to ensure their stake within the vacuum market remains intact. Business Strategy Corporate Culture Marketing professionals have different views on brand building, there are different models that all agree on what makes up a brand, the most obvious factors include awareness, quality and association (Boyle 2003, 79-93). Dysons achievement emphasises the need for the creation of a strong brand and is certainly one way for a business to accomplish and retain competitive advantage. A strong branding will lead to a brand equity which is a uniqueness that sets it apart from similar products (Tuominen 2007, 65-100).When uniqueness and value are delivered within a product range this can enable a business to maintain a higher price over its competitors products. Max Conze CEO of Dyson believes their competitive advantage is because of recruitment of the brightest graduates, expansion into various other markets and concentration on engineering development, our lifeblood is inventing that is where we invest the majority of our money and that DAL are more than a vacuum company we are a technology company. A new innovation needs to be given the right look; key decisions for Dyson are its attributes, brand characteristics and value for money innovative products will not be a success unless the benefits are greatly visible at the point of purchase. Dysons products original had the iconic yellow colour that makes them look childishly simple. Some have a roller ball and the transparent plastic holding cells that conceal the dirt that is removed. This has the aim of easier move ability and also shows the dirt that has been suctioned from your living space. Dyson has denied using branding saying Were only as good as our latest product, and I dont believe in brand at all. The comments from Dyson seem questionable considering his own unique style of vacuum cleaner and the millions of pounds that have been spent on TV commercials and advertising. Dysons mission statement is Take everyday products that dont work well, and make them work better. All the evidence points to a very clever marketing campaigner being as innovative as the products he sells. The products are easily identifiable by its brand name and are a continuing source of dominance and differentiation within the vacuum market. Strategic Planning In saturated product markets the development of a unique strategic product can give you a sustainable economic advantage within the market. A small number of businesses have managed to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage; Apple and Sky are two of the leading companies that can make claim to have been highly successful within their area of expertise and justifiable deserve the praise and accolade they have within it. Dyson plays down his decision making skills with reference to his vacuum cleaner commented we were in the right place at the right time and with the right product. But the reality is for it to happen there has to be a clear vision of where the company is going and where the market opportunity exists. Key features of sustainable competitive advantage include charging a premium for its services even low cost suppliers out price other low cost suppliers. Leading the market by innovation will get new ideas quicker to market also having control of market channels and buying power helps an organisation to adopt a new competitive price structure. Dyson and his colleagues have continued to develop new innovations to maintain their competitive advantage, creation of vacuum cleaners with higher suction through an entirely new cyclone system and a robot cleaner are amongst the latest inventions to be marketed. Not all of Dysons products have become a market leader in 2000; he launched the worlds first two-drummed washing machine, the Contra rotator. Dyson and his engineers constantly re-evaluate different products and they found with the traditional washing machine that the fabric is not flexed enough and washing by hand gave better results than a single drum machine. Dysons two drummed washing machine took four years and  £25 million to develop the machine it came with a revolutionary built-in jack and trolley. In 2005 the Contra rotator was withdrawn from the market, Dyson stated It wasnt a failure and it was a great washing machine but it was too cheap and we didnt make money from it. Schools of Strategy Henry Mintzbergs Ten Schools of strategic management are interlinked; the intention of this chapter is to mostly concentrate on three of the schools which the author feels that Dyson most uses within his ideology and approach to strategic management. The Entrepreneurial School: This strategy process has a single person in charge normally the CEO and is built on a strategic vision. Supporters of the entrepreneur school believe that managerial success is a personalized leader ship which is based on strategic vision; this will also be evident in the starting up and building of an organisation and in the case of breaking up of an organisation. The Entrepreneurial School Of Knowledge Main components within the entrepreneur school include a strategy making which is preceded by rigorous search of opportunities. Power is central to the leader and is characterised by large leaps in the wake of uncertainty and that growth will always be the main aim of the organisation. The basic principles of the school are that strategy exists as a perspective in the leaders mind and the formulation process is conscious only to a certain extent. The leader Dyson will promote a vision which he watches closely and this power will allow him to make changes or amendments within the organisation based on intuition and experience. The criticism of this school of thought is that it is centred on an individual leader and there formulation of a strategy, if employees lose faith within their leader due to a poor economic decision or strategy this can lead to a demand for a change of leadership within the organisation. The Design School: The design school looks to find a match for internal capabilities and external possibilities; it seeks to gain importance within the analysis of internal and external situations. Internal relates to strengths and weaknesses and external covers the opportunity of a threat to an organisation. SWOT is the analysis that is used which covers managerial values and social responsibility and can also play a role in the formulation of a strategy. Design School Model-Mintzbergs The main principles of a design school include a planned process of conscious thought with a leader who takes the responsibility regarding control and consciousness of an enterprise. The models within the strategy should be simple and informal; the process will be complete only when the strategy is explicit and formulates a perspective. Implementation will only commence when the best one has been chosen. Criticism against this thought school include a lack of clarity within an organisation relating to their strengths and weaknesses and the time frame of when to formulate the strategy. There are also assumptions that data will be aggregated and sent to a higher level not showing potential losses and the environment will always remain stable within the future. The Learning School: The learning school has a view that strategies emerge when organizations can learn as much from failures as they do from success. Learning organisations assume that managers and workers close to design, manufacturing and distribution know more about their activities than their superiors and that the transfer of knowledge from one part to the other ensures that relevant knowledge reaches the desired place. Learning School Knowledge Network The main principles of the learning school can be complex and the nature of the organisations environment makes implementation and formulation identical to a large extent. The leader for e.g. Dyson will pay close attention over time to what works and what does not work and this structure will be incorporated into their overall plan of action. Criticisms of the school can include a threat of weak decisions and a largely passive approach to strategy. The seven remaining schools are planning, positioning, cognitive, power, cultural, configuration and environmental school all the schools are interlinked and can at different levels have a relevance to the James Dyson organisation. The author for e.g. feels that the environmental school has a much smaller link to the Dyson organisation than many of the other strategies available has this school is set to be reactive based on external environment. Most of the other schools just make reference to the environment but this school believes that the environment is ultimately the crucial key concept within this model. But protagonists of the environment school include Mintzbergs and Freeman and the basic models include the four groups of contingency view stability complexity, market diversity and hostility (Thompson 2004, 1082 1094). Strategic choice for Stakeholders Stakeholders are individuals who are affected or have an effect on the actions of an organisation. Stakeholder method focuses on the needs of its main stakeholders which include the owners, employees, customers and the local community. In contrast to this the shareholders method focuses on dividend to shareholders, which means the business objectives would be to increase profit. Dyson made a controversial decision in 2002 when he moved his manufacturing to Malaysia to be closer to his suppliers and to reduce his production cost. This move from Wiltshire to Malaysia was the cause of 800 job losses which would affect both employees who would have been made redundant and the local community. The Unions reacted furiously to the job losses general secretary of Amicus, the engineering union Derek Simpson Dyson has no commitment to his workforce and is a desperately bad example to the rest of the sector. and: This latest export of jobs by Dyson is confirmation that his motive is making even greater profit at the expense of UK manufacturing and his loyal workforce. Tony Blair told MPs he was deeply disappointed at the Malaysian transfer. Dyson commented in 2005 on his controversial decision to move production to Malaysia that record profits and his vacuum cleaners becoming the number one best seller worldwide as justified his decision to move production in 2002 away from the UK. After the move Dysons manufacturing costs have dropped significantly and as a result his profits have increased. Dyson said that the company may not exist at all today if it werent for the move. This decision would initially seem to point to a focus on shareholder dividends but this is unlikely to be the case as Dyson owns 100 percent of the shares and does not need to worry about his return to shareholders. Conclusion James Dyson has been a controversial figure within the business world but with an estimated worth of  £350m and a product presence in over 45 countries worldwide he has led Dyson Appliances Ltd (DAL) to be the leader in the vacuum cleaner market. He as over the last 30 years proven that risk-embracing entrepreneurship often run the most innovative companies and that his strategic sometimes controversial approach has at least for James Dyson been a great success. He has received a knighthood for his services to business in 2007 and has created the James Dyson Foundation in 2002 to support design and increase engineering education for future engineers. Sources Used www.inventors.co.uk/p/Sir-James-Dyson.htm 2012:1www.bbc news.co.uk-Dyson: Business whirlwind 2012:1-2www.guardian.co.uk/technologyinterview 2011:1www.forbes.com-sir-dyson-doesnt-believe-in-brands-why-has-he-spent-millions-building-one/2012:1www.quickmba.com/strategy/generic 2010:1www.guardian.co.uk/contrarotator/james-dyson 2012:1www.telegraph.co.uk/finance-production-moves-to-Malaysia 2012:1www.the guardian.com reinventing Britain 2011:1

Essay on Voltaires Candide - Optimism in Candide :: Candide essays

Optimism in Candide Voltaire's Candide uses anti-heroism as an object of mockery against the philosophers of the Enlightenment. Candide, the hero of the novel travels around the world where he encounters many difficulties. During his travels, he sticks to the teaching of his tutor, Doctor Pangloss, believing that "everything is for the best" (3). Voltaire points out the illogicality of this doctrine, "if Columbus had not caught, on an American island, this sickness which attacks the source of generation [...] we should have neither chocolate or cochineal" (8). The sheer stupidity of these illogical conclusions points out Voltaire's problem with most optimists: the illogical degree to which they would carry their doctrine. Voltaire would argue that noses were not designed for spectacles, but rather spectacles were designed for preexisting noses. Pangloss's interpretation of cause and effect is so ignorant as to be comical. While Candide tells an interesting story, it is more important as a satire. Howeve r, this does not prove Voltaire is a pessimist. Â   During the age of Enlightenment, the philosophes believed that reason could be used to explain everything. The philosophes believed that people could make the world a better place to live in. Voltaire is against such optimism. Ian Bell Says "The 'optimist' argument then, was complex and sophisticated, but like all ironists Voltaire chose to simplify it to the extent that it seemed complacent and absurd, and he went on to cast doubt on our chances of ever securing 'eternal happiness'"(1-2). According to Voltaire true happiness can only be experienced in an unreal world. The multitudes of disasters that Candide endures after leaving Eldorado culminate in his eventual abandonment of optimism. Candide loses four of his sheep laden with priceless jewels due to natural causes, and then sees his two remaining sheep stolen, and the local magistrate indifferent to the theft. "Certainly, [says Candide,] if everything goes well, it is in Eldorado and not in the rest of the world" (42). Candide goes a step further, "Oh Pangloss, cried Candide, you have no notion of these abominations! I'm through, I must give up your optimism after all. What's optimism? said Cacambo. Alas, said Candide, it is a mania for saying things are well when one is in hell" (40). Candide's enthusiastic view of life is contrasted with, and challenged by suffering that he endures throughout the book. Hence, Voltaire uses the book to satirize the foolishness of optimism.

To Censor Science or Not to Censor Science :: Analysis, Donohue

The Censoring of science may seem like it is restricting scientist’s ability to share their knowledge with one another, but censorship is protecting the United States citizens. In the article, â€Å"Censoring Science Won’t Make Us Any Safer† the author Donohue (2011) said, â€Å"Citizens are entitled to know when their milk, their water, their bridges their hospitals lack security precautions† (p. 398). The author believed that United States citizens have a right to know when they are in danger. To refute this argument, would be to say that, if the government does not have some sort of regulation set up to inhibit the sharing of biological secrets, our nations security will still be at risk. Donahue believed that censoring science has put the United States at the same risk as not censoring. Donahue (2011) stated â€Å"the effort to suppress scientific information reflects a dangerously outdated attitude† (p. 396). Donahue supported this claim by explaining several cases in science where sharing information from microbiological studies have helped science move forward. One such study was done by scientists in Australia. The study was finding a disease that would kill rodents. The scientists found a disease similar to smallpox that was called mousepox. With the research that they discovered and published the researchers from St. Louis University found a defense against such a disease. Donahue (2011) declared â€Å"This result would undoubtedly not have been achieved, or at least not as quickly, without the attention drawn by the ASM article† (p. 397). Most scientists want to be able to share their data. Scientists are autonomous by nature. Begelman (1968) refuted an argument made by I. L. Horowitz, who was a scientist that believed that the government was in â€Å"gross violations of the autonomous nature of science† (p.70). Begelman believed conversely, that there is a system of checks and balances in the government regulation system, and that this system is in place to protect citizens. The autonomous nature of science is not being dispelled just because there are a few government regulations on publishing scientific information. National security should always be considered when publishing information that could potentially be used against the United States. Scientists need to be aware of this potential threat and practice self-censorship. In the journal, â€Å"A Tale of Two Studies†, Segelid (2007) said â€Å"We recognize that on occasion an editor may conclude that the potential harm of publication outweighs the potential societal benefits.