Business: It’s Nature and Environment Essay

Offering a unique look at interior design, Materials and Components of Interior Architecture, Seventh Edition fully covers the nonstructural materials available to interior designers. With an eye on the environment, it provides a firm understanding of the products, properties, and uses of all materials, from floors, walls and ceilings to installation, and recycling. Going beyond paint and carpet, it explores over 27 different floorings and devotes separate chapters to kitchens and baths. Filled with  the latest information provided directly from the suppliers, it helps readers think knowledgably and creatively about the â€Å"nuts and bolts† of interior design—both in terms of structure and style. With an eye on the environment, it provides a firm understanding of the products, properties, and uses of all materials, covering everything from floors, walls and ceiling to installation, and recycling. Progressing from the ground up—literally—it looks beyond the more decorative aspects of design to study the properties and uses of both finishing materials in the design field and structural materials in the architectural field. For interior designers and specifiers. Book Description The fourth edition of STRATEGIC LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT is an excellent balance of theory and practical application and continues to include state-of-the-art logistics information and technology. This is one of the few books to have a view of logistics from a marketing perspective. In  addition, it integrates the areas of logistics, marketing, finance, accounting, technology and manufacturing. Extensive coverage of customer satisfaction, global issues, and accounting/finance issues are incorporated throughout the text as well as in separate chapters. Examples of â€Å"real world† illustrations of concepts are also included in each chapter. This book has been extensively revised and updated in the areas of technology, global coverage, and transportation. From the Author A number of important topics not covered in many other logistics texts, or covered only superficially, are given significant treatment in this book, including: supply chain management, measuring and selling the value of logistics, order processing and management information systems; e-commerce and the Internet; reverse logistics and packaging; financial control of logistics performance; logistics organizations; and global logistics. Our goal in covering these topics in addition to the traditional activities is to provide readers with a grasp of the total picture of logistics within the context of supply chain management processes. There are a number of worthwhile improvements in the fourth edition. We have included many more references and examples from general business and other literature because of the impact of logistics on a variety of business processes. This edition covers the academic and trade literature in the area of logistics extensively, and includes the most up-to-date information and examples. Readers will notice the significant number of citations from the year 2000. We have retained those elements that are â€Å"timeless† and those that made the previous editions successful. About the Author James R. Stock  is Professor of Marketing and Logistics at the College of Business Administration, University of South Florida. Dr. Stock held previous faculty appointments at Michigan State University, University of Oklahoma, and the University of Notre Dame. From 1986 to 1988 he held the position of Distinguished Visiting Professor of Logistics Management, School of Systems and Logistics, at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson  Air Force Base. Dr. Stock is the author or co-author of over 90 publications including books, monographs, articles, and proceedings papers. He is author of Development and Implementation of Reverse Logistics Programs and Reverse Logistics; co-author of Distribution Consultants: A Managerial Guide to Their Identification, Selection, and Use; and co-author of Fundamentals of Logistics Management. He currently serves as editor of the International journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management. He received the Armitage Medal (1988) f! rom the SOLE—The International Society of Logistics in recognition of his scholarly contributions to the discipline. His areas of expertise include reverse logistics, supply chain management, and the marketing-logistics interface. He has lectured on various logistics topics throughout Europe and Africa. Dr. Stock holds BS and MBA degrees from the University of Miami (Florida) and the Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Douglas M. Lambert  is the the Raymond E. Mason Professor of Transportation and Logistics and Director of The Global Supply Chain Forum, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University. He is also the Prime F. Osborn III Eminent Scholar Chair in Transportation, Professor of Marketing and Logistics, and Director of The International Center for Competitive Excellence at the College of Business Administrati on, University of North Florida. From 1983 to 1985 he was PepsiCo Professor of Marketing at Michigan State University. Dr. Lambert has served as a faculty member for over 500 executive development programs in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australasia and he has given more than 100 presentations to professional associations around the world. He is the author of The Development of an Inventory Costing Methodology, The Distribution Channels Decision, The Product Abandonment Decision and co-author of Management in Marketing Channels, Fundamentals of Logistics Management, Str! ategic Logistics Management, and Supply Chain Directions for a New North America. He has authored or co-authored more than 150 publications. In 1986 Dr. Lambert received the Council of Logistics Management’s Distinguished Service Award, â€Å"the highest honor that can be bestowed on an individual for achievement in the physical distribution/logistics industry,† for his contributions to logistics management and has also received CLM’s Founders Award (1997) and Doctoral  Research Grant (1975). He holds an honors BA and MBA from the University of Western Ontario and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. Dr. Lambert is co-editor of The International Journal of Logistics Management.

Corporal of Marines Essay

Corporal of Marines BY Jkid43 What It Means To Be a Corporal of Marines A Corporal of United States Marine Corps had duty and responsibility that they carry out and sever on a day to day base. A Corporal is the lowest as a Noncommissioned Officer in the Marines Corps. A Corporal helps establish good order and discipline for their Marines. Corporals are held accounted for their and their Marines action. As Corporal of Marines they lead their Marines with firmness, fairness, and dignity. Corporals should have confidence, communicate, and good decision making. Corporal makes timely decision not only in combat, but in garrison oo. A Corporal is responsible for their self, along for their Marines. As Corporals their actions and decisions reflects the mission and welfare of their Marines. As NCO, Corporals must accept the responsible of their leadership roles. Corporals as leaders must understand his roles and Marines. For Corporal they must know their Marines comparability, weakness, and effeteness. Corporal is also responsible for their Marines actions. As NCO, Corporals hold accountable for the action their Marines do good or bad. Corporals serve as mentors for theirs Marines and should know their Marines. Which allow Corporal to make decisions base on their Marines abilities. Corporals also are responsible for the well-being and welfare of their Marines. Corporals should insure that their Marine is taken care on and off duty. To ensure if a Marine have an issue that they take the necessary action to ensure marine problem is resolve. Corporals needs to ensure that their Marines have necessary things need for accomplish the mission that their tasks with. Corporals are also responsible for the development and mentors for their Marines. Corporals should ensure that their Marines are challenged and motivated to the best of ability. A Corporal duty as a NCO is to enforce the rules and regulations on a daily base in the Uniform Code of Military Justice UCMJ. Corporals must understand, follows, and enforce the IJCMJ for their Marines. Corporal have a wide range of Jobs among the very wide range of thing Marines do, but their essential duty is to supervise their work and maintain discipline for their Marines. Corporal must ensure that they understand any tasks giving to them. Corporal should also ensure that they have the necessary plan and executing to accomplish the mission. Corporal should get feedback from their senior leader for guides and development to ensure they can leads the Marines better. Corporal’s duty is to ensure that their Marine is properly trained for any type of mission given to them. When training the Marines, Corporals should ensure that the Marines have their proper equipment, food, water and mind- set when training. Corporals must understand the safety and well-being of their Marine. Ensure that their Marine is healthy mentality, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Corporal duty is also establish good communicates with their Marines. Corporals need to ensure that their marine understand and can accomplish any tasks give to them and supervise to the standard set by the Corporals. The Corporal superiors. This includes the health of each Marine, supply requirements and any other need to ensure the Marines are prepared for any situation. Overall Corporals have a lot of responsible and duties that they must carry out. That core values honor, courage and commitment is emplaced in their Marine, and along themselves. Corporals are to set the example for their Marines emulate. Corporals are to hold themselves to a high stand also.

Knowledge and Organizational Learning Essay

The emerging importance of social media was not one that has taken the corporate world by surprise. By empowering people with the sensibility that their voice matters and can make a difference, social media technologies have altered forever how people communicate and the way companies conduct their business. The success of Web 2. 0 lies primarily in the network effects which creates a sense of community. With the implementation of effective social media strategies, many global brands have won the hearts of their customers simply through staying connected and relevant. As such, this essay will explore how social media when managed strategically in an organisation, can be used to improve its ability to share knowledge across space and time, support innovation, aid problem solving and build social capital. Some case studies of organisations excelling through their social media platform will be discussed and evaluated. It must be noted however, that social media in all of its glory can act as a double edged sword when it is not used appropriately. Improving knowledge sharing Knowledge could be defined as ‘actionable information’ that allows one to make a more informed decision and provide an effective input to conversations and innovation at organisation levels (Jashapara, 2011). It enables one to act more effectively and aid in the ability to better predict future outcomes. A major challenge in organisations today is fostering a knowledge sharing culture. Whereby explicit knowledge is somewhat easy to codify and stored, the sharing of tacit knowledge remains rather equivocal. Through communities of practice which connects people through shared mutual interest and expertise in a specific discipline, organisations are now able to foster the kind of knowledge sharing culture they aspire (Burk, 1999). These social and professional networks create a virtual platform for employees to share relevant experiences and best practices, as well as identify knowledge gaps in their learning. As the ‘bite-size’ information is now readily accessible, learning and knowledge sharing becomes more convenient and easily assimilated. Yammer, an enterprise social networking tool is used by over 200,000 companies and more than 80% of Fortune 500 companies for internal communications and knowledge sharing (Customer Success). Launched in 2008, it drew inspiration from Facebook and Twitter where it features social networking as well as mircroblogging with a secure and private network. Designed for company collaboration, file sharing and exchange of knowledge and information with other users within their organisation or pre-designated groups, Yammer has successfully removed geographical barriers and creates immense knowledge sharing opportunities. It is imperative to note that there are two internal cultural forces that impacts learning and effectiveness in organisations (Jashapara, 2011). In an organisation culture with strong forces of cooperation, it is an ideological organisation where employees are more inclined to share knowledge and expertise. Conversely, if the forces of competition are dominant, it may create silos mentality whereby there is unwillingness to share knowledge in order to gain a competitive advantage (Holst & Fields, 2010). Despite having the various technologies in place for knowledge sharing, there must be interpersonal trust between employees in order to facilitate the exchange of knowledge (Lucas, 2005). Affect-based trust which is built on mutual care and concern between employees is a predominant factor as to one’s willingness to share tacit organisation knowledge. It is found that individuals who were friends were more inclined to share personal and tacit knowledge with one another (Epsein, 2000). The tacit knowledge transfer is characterized by interpersonal relationship as well as long-standing working relationship which will motivate an individual to act in ways that benefit the other (Smedlund, 2008). Hence, with trust and a culture to share, the silo mentality of an organisation will be diminished and they will reap the benefits of knowledge sharing. Supporting innovation Innovation is the ongoing process of discovering new products for the customers or improving work process and efficiencies (Jashapara, 2011). It is no longer a question whether an organisation should pursue innovation but rather, it is a prerequisite for achieving a competitive advantage and success in many industries today. Innovation spurs motivation and efficiency within an organisation and though effective innovation management, it can increase market share through existing markets and capture new markets as well (Potecea & Cebuc, 2010). Customer experience will be enhanced with improved product quality and with wide range of choices made available to them. Innovation prevails in organisations with flexible and adaptive structure, a culture of trust and knowledge sharing and led by a committed management team who are motivated to promote organisation learning (Dasgupta & Gupta, 2009). Through the use of effective social media strategies, an organisation now has more platforms share ideas, gather feedback and innovate on product offerings and customer experience. One prime example is Starbucks’ own version of a social network portal, ‘My Starbucks Idea’ where it is an avenue for customer to share their own Starbucks related ideas (My Starbucks Idea). Inaugurated in 2008, it leverages on desire for engagement and interaction in social network by giving users the ability to share and vote for ideas and check on the outcomes of their suggestions. Through this platform, Starbucks is able to hear directly from their customers and act upon the ideas thereby cultivating and creating great consumer value and community. My Starbucks Idea’ is complemented with Starbucks Blog, ‘Ideas in Action’ which features contributions by various Starbucks employees who shares on the implementation of the ideas given by users through the ‘My Starbucks Idea’ site (Ideas In Action). Ultimately, through the use of social media, Starbucks is clearly prioritising their communication with customers and this creates an e ven greater sense of loyalty to know that their ideas are valued and implemented. It gives customers the empowerment to be involved in part of the decision making process and the ability to shape the future of Starbucks. Aid problem solving The emergence of problem-finding and problem-solving approach highlights the importance of identifying problems to solve, seizing opportunities and overcoming the challenges in organisations (Nickerson, Yen, & Mahoney, 2012). Through the multiple channels of social media, organisations can now connect with customers and hear first hand of their experiences and address problems instantaneously. A good example of an organisation leveraging on social media to aid problem solving is Best Buy, the world’s largest consumer electronics retailer (About Best Buy). Through the years, they have provided customers with exceptional choice, unbiased advice and trusted support for their technology needs. Galvanised by the influence and power of social media, Best Buy created a feed on Twitter called Twelpforce to provide solutions for customers (Dunn, 2010). Those who are having technical problems are able to post it on Twelpforce and a team of Best Buy associates or other Twitter users can post solutions or suggestions. By monitoring the feeds, Best Buy’s management are able to hear unbiased customers’ feedback on their products and assist them in real time. Twelpforce also presents the opportunity for new sales as individual choices are largely influenced and made on the recommendations and advocacy of others (Cunningham, 2012). Electronic word of mouth is especially powerful as the people in an individual’s social network are usually deemed as a trustworthy source of information (Curran, O’Brien, & O’Hara, 2011). Through Twitter and other social media platforms, Best Buy demonstrates their commitment to rejuvenate and refine their customer experience, and at the same time, drives value and innovation to create a more positive and connecting world. Building Social Capital Social capital refers to the active connections and network of relationships between people: the trust, mutual understanding and shared values which binds them together and facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit (Cohen & Prusak, 2002). It is the glue that promotes knowledge exchange and innovation hence, an essential strategy for organisations to gain competitive advantage in the markets which they operate. However, the development of social capital does not relegate the importance of investing in human capital in organisations (Cummingham, 2002). Huppi and Seemann (2001) phrased it appropriately that â€Å"human capital resides in the people; social capital resides in the relationships among them†. Using social media, organisations can connect with each other more readily and establish a network of community and relationships without any geographical boundaries. This is exemplified by Accenture, a global consulting and technology services and outsourcing company with circa 259,000 employees (About Accenture). They have created a Knowledge Exchange that is integrated with thousands of communities of practice which enables geographically and spatially dispersed employees to share ideas and collaborate more effectively. Residing on a Microsoft SharePoint platform, it features a wide social network with â€Å"people profiles† with biographies, photos and resumes as well as individual’s interests and skill sets. The Exchange also contains blogs, wikis, market insights and e-learning where sharing ideas and knowledge is evident and encouraged. Through The Exchange, company research revealed positively that there was a 42 percent increase in employees’ engagement and collaboration activities. Top collaborators are recognised with â€Å"celebrating performance points† and rewarded with badges that appear on their people profiles (Zielinski, 2012). Risks of Social Media With the many positive benefits of using social media in organisations, there are inherent risks involved when it is not managed effectively. One risk organisations face on social media platforms is the sharing of information. While it is a good medium for employees to share knowledge and ideas, it could be misused when confidential information and intellectual property are leaked. Most employees are aware of the implications of responding unthinkingly to emails however, the same degree of care and forethought are not always applied to social media sites. Thus, there is a danger that an individual may divulge confidential information mindlessly without realising that it is cast in stone and stored online indefinitely (Everett, 2010). While the decision to post videos, photos, thoughts and experiences on social networking site is entirely personal and â€Å"private†, a single act can spark a fire and create far reaching unimaginable consequences for an individual as well as organisations. A passing comment could end up being misinterpreted and a thoughtless prank filmed could easily go viral online affecting the reputation and profits of a company. An infamous example is the Domino’s Pizza debacle in 2009 whereby two Domino’s employees posted unappetizing videos on YouTube. The gross act of tampering with food damaged the company’s reputation severely and cut into nationwide profits. The only saving grace in this debacle is the company CEO, Patrick Doyle who posted another video in response and gave a well-worded apology and took full responsibility. Apart from the risks involving employee’s improper use of social media, social media presents an opportunity for disgruntled customers and competitors to assail a company’s reputation and start a public relations crisis. Instead of a traditional complaint email viewed only internally, unhappiness about a particular product or service standards can be viewed by potentially everyone in the world through social media. This is aggravated by the sharing functions on social media sites like Facebook whereby one may share another person’s unpleasant experience with their ocial contacts even though it may not have affected him. ‘United Breaks Guitars’, a YouTube video created by Dave Carroll in July 2009 is an example of how a customer can use social media to voice his unhappiness. In the song he blamed United Airlines for breaking the neck of his $3,500 guitar, caused by careless baggage handling and unreasonable policies. As the claim did not occur within the standard 24-hour time frame, it was deemed ineligible. 50,000 views were generated just within 1 day and it grew to 8 million by March 2010. It currently has more than 12 million views with popular shows like ‘The Checkout’ on ABC featuring it. Even though United Airlines did finally offered a $3,000 compensation for the damage made to his guitar, the damage done to the reputation and public relations of United Airlines is estimated to have cost them $180,000 within four days of the song been published. Another risk associated with social media is malware and account security. With most of the time spent on social networking sites, it makes their users ideal malware targets. Typical attacks take advantage on the trust relationships between users and their social contacts and try to trick users into giving up sensitive information which can be exploited for financial gain (Everett, 2010). By clicking on links sent by trusted friends, one might be susceptible to malware infection from drive-by downloads which steals information and might give attacker total access and control of the computer. This is especially disastrous for organisation whereby confidential information and trade secrets may be infringed. By not engaging in social media could be a risk in itself for organisations as nowadays most brands and companies are being discussed online. It is essential for an organisation to have a voice in these conversations, monitor and react timely to negative comments. With the risks involved, an organisation should develop a sound corporate policy on the usage of social media and educate employees of the role they play. The IT department needs to regularly update it security protection and firewall to mitigate any malware attacks or unsecure networks. Conclusion Social media presents a wonderful opportunity for organisations to leverage and share knowledge with each other despite geographical boundaries. With effective management, it promotes social capital where trust relationships can be built and creates a platform of engagement and collaboration. Social media platforms enable organisations to listen to the voices of customers and innovate and act upon the ideas given. By doing so, they gain customers’ loyalty and trust which is important to their success. Lastly, social media allows employees and customer to share their problems and receive suggestions and solutions by other users in real time. However, it is imperative to note that not all is good with social media as it can have disastrous impact on a company if it is not managed effectively. Social media does have a powerful amplifying effect. But just like any technology, it can be used for good or evil.

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

English - Essay Example Chris on the other hand left behind his luxurious life so he can achieve what he really wants to achieve, what his heart wants and work towards that goal. Maya who dealt with the racism around her alone, was separated from her brother and was forced to live a life where she was tortured for being black which was not even her fault, still she was able to live a life where her own self was her priority irrespective of what people think about her. Courage made a very difficult journey of Lalu, later on known as Polly Bemis a dignified path for her. In the novel â€Å"Thousand Pieces of Gold† in 1853 Lalu started her life in Nathoy China, however she ended up becoming Polly Bemis living in Grangeville, Idaho in 1933. She was very dear to her father who used to call her â€Å"thousand pieces of gold† as she was very precious for him. During a bad patch Lalu was sold to a bandit and in return her father received two bags of soya bean. Lalu who was thousand pieces of gold for her father was actually sold for just two bags of soybean. Difficult phase of her life started where she was forces into sexual slavery. She was a slave of trader and later a Chinese saloonkeeper kept her as well in Gold Rush country. Lalu never lost her hope and even during extremely crucial and hard times was bravely protected her dignity and self respect which was important for her. She lived a life of a homesteader after she was won by a man in a poker game. Her spirits very always high and nothing in the world, no difficulty was able to affect her spirits. The importance of valuing ones self gives person courage to even cross hardships of the life with a smile on the face. In the novel when Lalu was sold, the scene depicts the story in a beautiful manner, "He reached out, hesitated, and then looked up at Lalu, his eyes pleading for understanding. She twisted her face away -- Behind her, she heard him snatch the bag and scoop up the spilled seed. 'Two bags,' her father begged. ' She's worth two bags of seed† (McCunn, 67). Novice to Master   is a story of Soko Morinaga who lived a life full of courage and self determination from 1925 till 1995. After completing his high school, he got into the practice of Zen. Zuigan Goto started training him to become a monk at monastery at Daitokuji from 1949 till 1963. Sesso Ota Roshi gave him the Dharma transmission seal. He also in the book says, â€Å"He led a very difficult life, Narrow experience of knowledge generated misconceptions for him however with a smile on his face, extremely high level of patience and spirit he led a life with sleep deprivation, without food, eating without any sound, strict behavior of his masters and a very difficult lifestyle. Morinaga says, "The purpose of practice is not to increase knowledge but to scrape the scales off the eyes, to pull the plugs out of the ears. Through practice one comes to see reality. And although it is said that 'no medicine can cure fully,' whatever pr ompts me to realize 'I was a fool' is, in fact, just such a medicine." In his sermons he talks about mental states, how no favorability and adversity is made and projected by the state of mind. He says, "In people or things, there is no such thing as trash" (Morinaga, 96). â€Å"Into the wild† is a story that reveals journey of a man who is from a well known family, Christopher Johnson Mc Candless. He decided to leave everything he had behind, from $25000 savings which he donated , his car which was very