Monday, September 30, 2019

Types of Bill of Lading

Types of Bill Of  Lading There are two types of Bill of Lading (B/L) on the basis of Receipt of cargo:- 1. Shipped on Board B/L: Cargo is on board the vessel, It confirms the buyer that cargo is actually shipped. 2. Received for Shipment B/L:   Shipping Company confirms having received the goods for shipment by the vessel mentioned therein. When the goods later loaded on the vessel, a supplementary clause may be inserted in B/L, if it’s not already negotiated: â€Å"Actual shipped on Board† – On (Date) and is signed by Shipping agent or Shipping Company Type of Bill of Lading on the Basis of Trade Parties Involved 1.House Bill of Lading: Issued by Freight Forwarder or Agent having MTO License from DGFT, Ministry of Shipping. 2. Master Bill of Lading: Issued by Shipping or Agent having MTO (Ministry of Transportation) License from DGFT (Director General of Foreign Trade), Ministry of Shipping. Types of Bill of Lading on the basis of Voyage 1. Direct B/L: It co vers transportation on one and same vessel from POL to POD i. e. , shipment on vessels offering direct calls from port to port. 2. Through B/L: It covers transportation with transshipment, Inland transportation involved at origin port or destination or at both the sides.Throughput B/L usually show â€Å"transshipment at carriers’ expense but at consignee’s risk† Types of bills of lading on the basis of beneficiaries: – 1. Bill of Lading â€Å"To Order†: B/L is drawn on order of the shipper, the consignee or bank can be endorsed in favor of another person who may be the final receiver or an intermediate beneficiary. Commonly used in commercial transaction 2. Bill of Lading â€Å"To Bearer†: Bearer of bill of lading can obtain delivery of goods. There is no endorsement of bank or Consignee is required on the same. Types of Bill of Lading on the basis of reservation by the carrier 1.Clean Bill of Lading: If there is no clause or comment by the carrier in the bill of lading than it shall be considered as clear B/L. 2. Clause Bill of Lading: If any clause or comment mentioned than it would be clause bill of Lading. For e. g. , â€Å"Dented Drums† Other Types of Bill of Lading * Inland bill of lading * Ocean bill of lading * Air waybill An inland bill of lading is a document that establishes an agreement between a shipper and a transportation company for the transportation of goods. It is used to lay out the terms for transporting items overland to the exporter’s international transportation company.An ocean bill of lading is a document that provides terms between an exporter and international carrier for the shipment of goods to a foreign location overseas. An air waybill is a bill of lading that establishes terms of flights for the transportation of goods both domestically and internationally. This document also serves as a receipt for the shipper, proving the carrier’s acceptance of the shipperâ€℠¢s goods and agreement to carry those goods to a specific airport. Essentially, an air waybill is a type of through bill of lading.This is because air waybills may cover both international and domestic transportation of goods. By contrast, ocean shipments require both inland and ocean bills of lading. Inland bills of lading are necessary for the domestic transportation of goods and ocean bills of lading are necessary for the international  carriage  of goods. Therefore, through bills of lading may not be used for ocean shipments. Inland and ocean bills of lading may be negotiable or non-negotiable. If the bill of lading is non-negotiable, the transportation carrier is required to provide delivery only to the consignee named in the document.If the bill of lading is negotiable, the person with ownership of the bill of lading has the right of ownership of the goods and the right to re-route the shipment. Air cargo Air cargo shipment is most common and practical way of receiving you r orders on time and cost saving. If your orders volume is 100 kilos plus then air cargo is the best. Receive your order starting from one week to 10 days. Air cargo will deliver the order in specified airport so that the customer or their handling agent should collect it. Shipments by Air CouriersShipment using courier services are the best for relatively smaller orders and samples as they deliver the orders in 4 to 6 days at your doorstep. Nepal Mithila Women Handicraft uses most Reliable couriers like  Ã‚  DHL/ARAMEX/FEDEX/TNT/UPS or SYKNET because they are easier to work with due to their fast and home delivery. These courier companies have expensive rates for the smaller packets but if the orders are more than 25 kilos, the approximate shipping would be US$ 8 to $14 per kilo (depending on the volume and the destination).These courier companies will act as your custom agent to release the goods and delivers the packets at your home. The courier companies does not charge you fo r their own services at the custom BUT if there is custom duties applies on the orders, then thy will reimburse the money from the customer later at the orders delivery time. Labels: Each article will be fixed with label showing made in  Nepal, material composition, washing instructions, size etc. as appropriate. We follow buyers' instruction in case of bulk consignment. Documentations:We prepare the following documentation work from the company and authorized sectors of  Nepal's government for the customs purpose AIR WAYBILL, GSP OR FORM A, INVOICE, PACKING LIST, CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN and other essential documentations to release the shipment from the customs Terms: Air Freight FSC- Fuel surcharge, applicable only at certain times Interline- One airline to another ULD  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Unit load device, an airline container SCR- Specific commodity rate GCR- General commodity rate MAWB- Master air waybill, freight forwarder to freight forwarder air waybill HAWB- House air waybill, shi pper to consignee air waybillIATA- Governing body for international air transportation Ground Freight B-train- 2-20ft. trailers being pulled by one tractor LTL- Less than a truckload FTL  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Full truckload CWT  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Per hundred pounds PUP- 20ft. trailer T/L  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Trailer Load Dimensional Freight- Subject to 10# per cubic ft. Calculations: Calculate Kilograms to Pounds kgs x 2. 2= pounds (#) Calculate Pounds to Kilograms Pounds ? 2. 2= kgs Dimensional weight L†xW†xH† ? 366= kgs L†xW†xH† ? 166= pounds Six Steps to Dealing with Customer Complaints At some point, everyone in business has to deal with an upset customer.The challenge is to handle the situation in a way that leaves the customer thinking you operate a great company. If you’re lucky, you can even encourage him or her to serve as a passionate advocate for your brand. When it comes down to it, many customers don't even bother to complain. They simply leave and buy from your competitors. Research suggests that up to 80 percent of customers who leave were, in fact, â€Å"satisfied† with the original company. Obviously, customer satisfaction is not enough. Businesses nowadays need to positively delight customers if they want to earn their loyalty.It may seem counter-intuitive, but a business owner’s ability to effectively deal with customer complaints provides a great opportunity to turn dissatisfied customers into active promoters of the business. Here are some customer-oriented tips I’ve learned while working in the business coaching business:1. Listen carefully to what the customer has to say, and let them finish. Don't get defensive. The customer is not attacking you personally; he or she has a problem and is upset. Repeat back what you are hearing to show that you have listened. 2. Ask questions in a caring and concerned manner.The more information you can get from the customer, the better you will understand his or her perspective. I’ve learned it’s easier to ask questions than to jump to conclusions. 3. Put yourself in their shoes. As a business owner, your goal is to solve the problem, not argue. The customer needs to feel like you’re on his or her side and that you empathize with the situation. 4. Apologize without blaming. When a customer senses that you are sincerely sorry, it usually diffuses the situation. Don't blame another person or department. Just say, â€Å"I'm sorry about that. †5. Ask the customer, â€Å"What would be an acceptable solution to you? Whether or not the customer knows what a good solution would be, I’ve found it’s best to propose one or more solutions to alleviate his or her pain. Become a partner with the customer in solving the problem. 6. Solve the problem, or find someone who can solve it— quickly! Research indicates that customers prefer the person they are speaking with to instantly solve their problem. When comp laints are moved up the chain of command, they become more expensive to handle and only add to the customer's frustration. There is no getting around customer complaints, regardless of your industry.However, by employing these steps and taking the time to review the issue with the customer, you can turn challenges into something constructive. | 10 Tips for dealing with customer complaints Dealing with customer complaints effectively can improve customer retention and help your company gain a reputation for providing good service. Our panel of experts shares their top tips to ensure complaints don’t turn into disasters. 1. Acknowledge their anger and apologise Whilst you are listening to them, make a note (mentally or written down) of the main points of their grievance.Once they are finished, thank them for their comments, acknowledge their anger and apologise. 2. Reassure the customer Use the notes you made whilst listening to demonstrate that you have a secure grasp on the p roblem by giving them a precis of what they have just told you. Mirror some of their (less colourful! ) language, keep your tone measured and calm and ask a closed question at the end to check you have a full understanding. By now, the customer should at least be ready to let you help them. Assure them that is exactly what you’re going to do and explain he realistic options you have available to you. If the customer wants something that simply is not possible, apologise, give reasons why this is not an available option and then tell them what you can do for them. 3. Act Finally, once you have explained what you are going to do to resolve the customer’s problem, do it. Follow it through and ensure that what you promised is delivered. Hopefully, by this point, you will have a happy customer who will return to your company, not to mention a happy agent whose days are a little less stressful! 4. Make it easy to speak to a live agentCommunicate the ease and accessibility of reaching live agents in channels of the customer’s choosing, and prepare and empower your employees to provide first-contact resolution. Most customers who say it is hard to deal with a company said it was because their issue was not resolved the first time they contacted them for service. Self-service certainly has its time and place, but when issues are complex or frustrating, customers want (and demand) access to live agents. In fact, preference for live web chat has grown in the last year. 5. Aggressively promote the fact that you want feedbackYou want to know when you get it wrong. And, make it easy for customers to contact you and get immediate access to empowered and empathetic agents. If customers can’t find a convenient way to give feedback, they may just defect to another company without saying a word. 6. Use proactive communication Let the customer know about an issue first and connect them to an agent. Almost all customers say it is appropriate for a compa ny they do business with to proactively contact them. However, companies must be sensitive to the reasons and channels they employ, as the vast majority of customers are not open to anything and everything.You only get one chance, so don’t burn the bridge by not providing the best agent and technology-based experiences your customers want and expect. 7. Empathize with the customer The first thing you need to think about when dealing with complaints is how you would feel if you were the one making the complaint. Empathy and understanding are paramount to giving good customer service whether it is in sales, customer service or customer complaints departments. Allow the customer to vent their feelings and then remind them that you are here to help them and will do everything in your power to resolve the issue.This gives them the feeling that you see them as more than just a number on a system and can act to calm the customer down especially if it is a difficult or challenging si tuation. The fact that you are offering to help them goes a long way to calming them down initially and if you can minimise passing them from department to department this will also help them to remain calm and listen to any options you put forward. Base the discussions with the customer on facts, don’t let emotion drive the conversation. Ian Jensen, Team Manager, RESPONSE  (www. response-uk. co. uk) 8.Make sure you act on social media Social media is becoming the vehicle of choice for customers, frustrated by poor customer service. But these complaints can be amplified very loudly – particularly on Twitter. Start by listening to the social media channels. Once you understand what is being said it is time to intervene. This can also be by social media – particularly to try and find out a customer’s phone number – but would probably be better if it is by a proactive follow up call. If this is done in a timely fashion it can go a long way to diffus e any frustration the customer is feeling. 9.A complaint is an opportunity for the business to learn and grow As a business, every complaint should be treated as serious and the customer with a small ‘expression of dissatisfaction’ should be given the same courtesy as someone whose complaint is huge. Remember to be a ‘goodwill’ company. Be thankful that your customer is voicing their problem, but realise that they may still use your competition the next time they need your product or service. You may not gain their future loyalty, but use the situation they bring up to minimise it happening again. 10. Act on the new knowledge you haveOne of the most important factors in complaint handling is to demonstrate that the company has acknowledged the complaint for the future. Don’t stop at telling them that feedback such as theirs helps you to grow as a company – make it feel real by telling them how you will be raising this issue with the customer s ervices manager so that (where possible) this is 1) resolved 2) not repeated with other customers. Finally, after the complaint has been dealt with and is coming to a close, advise them that you hope that this recent situation hasn’t adversely affected their long term relationship with you as a company.Reiterate that you hope the compensation you are offering may go some way to restoring their faith in the company / product or service. Listen  carefully to the customer. Know and understand the complaint  of the customer and never interrupt him or her. Remember that they want to be heard and let the customer release any emotional irritation before saying anything. This could make the customer feel that you are listening and acknowledging the feelings carefully. Empathize with the customer. Repeat the complaint and confirm to signify that you got it correctly.Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention for  better customer service  of the company. Apol ogize. Reasonable and unreasonable  complaints  are valued by the customer that needs proper attention or  customer service. Apologize for the inconvenience that complain may have affected the customer. Explain the reasons or the company’s side politely. No matter how angry the customer is, try to remain calm and patient while you address the complain properly. Have a clear  answer  and give data if necessary to support your explanation. Take responsibility for action.Let the customer feel that the complain will be taken into action. Explain what action you will take to correct the problem. Commit to give feedback as soon as possible preferably with a given date to assure the customer that the complain will be handled immediately. End the conversation by asking the customer for other things that you may be of service aside from the complain. 5 GOLDEN RULES If you are in a business, you will eventually have to interact with disgruntled customers and the way you handl e the issue is the way you are going to be known in the market.Make no mistake here – a disgruntled client will always create a large damaging ripple for your image. Carry on like this and very soon you will be known as the company with the worst customer service. You cannot afford this or you will lose business sooner than later. Hence, you need to learn how to handle a complaint effectively. Here are the rules for handling  customer complaints  that will promote your business better than any advertisement: Respond instantly  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ when a customer complains, respond instantly.The more they wait, the more they get frustrated and hence, would be more inclined to be unreasonable. Do not wait for their irritation to escalate to anger. Respond to their complaint message immediately. Believe that customer’s complaint is genuine  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ one of the worst steps of counteraction a company can give is implying that the customer is dishonest or unrealistic. Tell the client that you believe their complaint is genuine and you are trying your best to see what can be done to help. Apologize for the pain they feel not for the mistake  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ the mistake is not always yours.However, the complaining individual is genuinely aggrieved. Apologize to the customer for the pain they have experienced. Saying sorry for their (customer’s) discomfort is not the same as saying sorry for a mistake that your company has done. However, when you say sorry genuinely, the customer is more often than not already pacified and ready to listen to you with an open mind. Do your best  to meet their expectations  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ one of the most important rules for  handling customer complaints  is showing that you are doing your best to help.You will find that the majority of people are reasonable in their expectations. Just knowing that you are making all the effort to help them will often open the door to negotiations on how to resolve the problem towards mutua l benefit. If it is your mistake, overcompensate  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ there will be instances when the customer is right. The service/ product/ experience/ was bad. If you are guilty of any such thing, the rules for handling  customer complaints  say that you acknowledge, apologize and immediately over compensate the aggrieved client.In this way, you are eliminating a  disgruntled customer  and appointing a free goodwill ambassador for your brand; for this customer will not stop praising you after that. CASE STUDY ANSWERS Divide the answer into 5 parts: 1. Define the Problem Describe the problem in the workplace. What is involved in making it a problem? 2. Analyze the Problem Tell about how you collected information for analyzing data: the process you utilized for extracting maximum information from the facts. 3. Generate possible SolutionsExplain the factors you took for making a decision: how did you get to the root cause of the problem? How did you identify the likely causes of pr oblem? How did you generate a number of possible solutions? 4. Select the best Solution(s) and course of actions Describe the actions you took: why did you choose these actions? What were the results you expected to achieve? Describe how you organized ideas into process flow and common theme and the way you monitor result. Don’t forget the risk management factors. 5. Lesson learned What did you get? What was going right? What do you learn from that experience?

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Portable Languages & Component Reusability

Java is a programming language that uses object-oriented codes along with reusing code components. This paper will briefly describe how Java achieves these two important features, and why the features are desirable in modern software engineering. Object-Oriented: Java achieves object-oriented programming language by using classes and objects to organize the data. Also, many of the object-oriented programming concepts are implemented in Java. Some concepts are: class, object, inheritance, encapsulation, and polymorphism. Java allows component reusability through the inheritance concept. This means that all the public codes inside the parent class can be re-used inside the child class (Gaddis, 2011). Desirable: These features are desirable in modern programing or software engineering because of the reusability the coding can go through. One code can be used in several places or parts of a code can be re-write to fit into a different part of a program that is needed. Conclusion: Java is necessary for applications to run over the internet from a web server, and applets that run in a web browser. It is formed of different components that can be used over and over to form a software program. Engineers desire Java because of its usability through the inheritance concept.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Career sales force Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Career sales force - Essay Example Disadvantages The individual agent has to pay his/her own business expenses as they are working temporary for that concerned organization and they are actually hired by some other organization. Possibility of data leakage as more than one organization is being catered. They could be working for more than one company, which mean distribution of resources. Some agents may have favorites, which may affect the work. Independent sales force is expensive as they are working on a project basis. 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of commission-only compensation versus salary-only compensation The advantage of using commission only compensation is that the company does not have to pay the general employee benefits or fringe benefit but has to pay certain percent on the sale of each product and the disadvantage is that their initial cost is too high as rest of the overhead costs are not covered by the organization. The advantage of using salary only compensation is that they are not highly paid but get all the employee benefits and are paid a fixed amount of monthly salary. The disadvantage is that the company has to pay all the business expenses. 3. What problems do you see with JPF's sales force strategy and structure decisions For career sales force it takes too long to hire and train, and bringing them up to the necessary productivity levels and one of every seven or eight recruits actually succeeds in the insurance business. Independent agents were too costly. There were also some IMOs that were "recruiting only", that is, they recruited agents but did not provide any of the administrative support for the agents. Need for more SVP's to maintain the targets. One SVP is catering all the products and all types of customers at the... The levels of career sales forces succeeding in insurance business was low. This information was derived from the scenario given. The reason for less success rates was that the career sales force may have skills to do the tasks but not an expert at it. The advantage of using commission only compensation is that the company does not have to pay the general employee benefits or fringe benefit but has to pay certain percent on the sale of each product and the disadvantage is that their initial cost is too high as rest of the overhead costs are not covered by the organization. The advantage of using salary only compensation is that they are not highly paid but get all the employee benefits and are paid a fixed amount of monthly salary. The disadvantage is that the company has to pay all the business expenses. For career sales force it takes too long to hire and train, and bringing them up to the necessary productivity levels and one of every seven or eight recruits actually succeeds in the insurance business. Jefferson Pilot Corporation has been using territorial sales force as their means of expanding rapidly.

Friday, September 27, 2019

The Strategic Position of Apple Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Strategic Position of Apple - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the major objective of the Apple Company has been to add a new phase of technology to the era. Apple is ranked as third in terms of producing mobile phones in a global context. The company also sells various sorts of third-party compatible products that include iPad, iPod and iPhone comprising accessories and software via retail outlets or online stores. The company thereafter sells its products to the customers as well as big or small business houses. The company has been identified to generate annual revenue of about US$ 182 billion. Moreover, the company supplies applications through App Store, iBooks Store, and iTunes Store among others. In order to enlarge and expand the business capacity, the company continued to invent as well as deliver new products with innovative specifications. Recently, Apple has launched a new handset i.e. Apple iPhone 6 or 6+ in the market with different innovative features. Apple iPhone 6 is power efficien t with HD quality display. The company provides a high quality of electronic products with efficiency. The phone undertakes certain features such as fast and unmatched wireless technology and superior quality of Wi-Fi. It gets connected to every network widely. All these factors enabled in fast accessing of iPhone 6. Apple’s strategy to enlarge its business goal is unmatched. The company develops as well as enhances its designs in relation to hardware and operating systems, application of software to add new and exclusive electronic items and accessories among others. Moreover, the factors provided the customers to utilize the products with an ease. The applications, as well as the advanced techniques present in the smartphone of the company, are identified as safe in terms of utility. This criterion attracts the customers towards the iPhones that the company has launched.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Management Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Management Concepts - Essay Example The employees trust and believe the visions of the leader and are very motivated. This organization is rapidly expanding organization, which is becoming increasingly popular among its customers. With an extensive marketing plan the organization can surely become the most popular place for rock climbing activities in Swansea. Dynamic rock is an organization established in the year 2004, with the aim of developing the indoor climbing center in the city of Swansea, United Kingdom. The company provides for the much-needed centre for the climbers from all over the country. This organization aims at providing the rock climbers with a friendly and accessible centre to pursue their passions. This organization is categorized under the Rock industries, with a small group of well-integrated staff members. (Dynamic rock, 2010) This dynamic organization has various opportunities and faces tough market competition. Under this paper we would try and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the organization, we would provide a competitor analysis so as to understand the scope of the organization in the near future. Applying the theories of strategic planning and leadership styles we would analyze how the organization can strengthen its long-term position. The report would have been more effective if the method of primary research among the customers would have been adopted. The customers’ views on the products and services offered by the organization would have been very accurate and would have provided an effective marketing strategy for the organization. The paper aims at the strategic analysis of the organization Dynamic Rocks. SWOT analysis would be applied to for the detailed understanding of the structure of the organization. The theories of Porter’s five forces and Ansoff’s analysis would be applied for the analysis of the rock industry and the company’s position

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Book Bunker Social Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Book Bunker Social Networking - Essay Example The books that will be made available will be in categorical order ranging from fiction, non-fiction, hobbies, collections and classics among others. Besides, Book Bunker apart from providing a huge assortment of books will also entail provision for wide range of music collections. Being a start-up company, its prime goal is to attain a greater proportion of local market share. The provisions being included within this business set up include low price, differentiated services and a friendly comfortable environment. With these considerations, the key objective of this report is to outline a set of ideas along with strategies in order to create a social networking program for Book Bunker. In order to endure success and survival in the midst of competitive market scenario, it is necessary for a company to strategize its marketing and advertising plans or programs for increasing the customer base. Correspondingly, Book Bunker plans to endure a relaxed ‘reading room’ like ambience through its provided dà ©cor for the readers which can be a key differentiator for its sustained success. Furthermore, the company’s management also plans to provide an application for smartphones with the inclusion of fun activities and games for the children in order to attract them. In fact, it has been ascertained that planning involves provision of electronic books to the audiences. In the similar context, in order to increase the visibility option of the customers, the company plans to apply media bites on local news and billboards among others. These depict few strategies being undertaken by the company in order to stand in the midst of its competitors. In terms of setting target market, Book Bunker focuses to attract the entire book loving demographic segment comprised within geographical area being operated. However, the key focus will be on consumers desiring to purchase books/music at discount prices Furthermore, school children can be given priority by

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Dematologic Disease or Condition Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dematologic Disease or Condition Report - Essay Example It is irregular in shape, and lacks raised wheals or pustular abscesses. No ecchymoses, petechiae, any other sign of epidermal or subdermal injury or damage are present near the hyperpigmented area (Calonje, 2009). There are several acneform papular lesions near the center of the patch (Rivers & Wiseman, 2010). No evidence of ulcers of any type is seen. Testing: Patient was sent for surgical biopsy, with the incision to be made at the center of the hyperpigmented area. Biopsy results are negative for malignancy and infection. The biopsy showed smooth muscle bundles within the dermis and an excess of melanocytes in the affected area, confirming diagnosis of Beckers nevus. (Rivers & Wiseman, 2010). Treatment/Plan: Prognosis is good, as the area appears to be a benign lesion. Patient has been warned to expect hypertrichosis on the area, and referred to a laser hair removal center. Neither dermabrasion nor cryosurgery is indicated, as the pigmentation is within the dermal layers and cannot be removed in this manner. The condition is non-infectious, so treatment with antibiotics, antifungals, or parasiticides is unneccessary (Book, Glass, & Laude, 1997). Keratolytics will be similarly unhelpful at treating the pigmentation, despite sun exposure being a possible correlating factor (Tymen et al., 1981). Further treatment is not necessary except on cosmetic grounds; however, if desired by the patient, laser treatment can reduce the excess pigmentation (Rivers & Wiseman, 2010). Patient has been told to return for further examination if the lesion shows major changes, excepting mild erythema resulting from laser treatments or

Monday, September 23, 2019

Relevance of Core Competency for the Attainment of Competitive Essay

Relevance of Core Competency for the Attainment of Competitive Advantage - Essay Example The exponential increase in competition compels the organizations to implement effective strategies with the aid of strategic analysis to survive in the market. Olson and Bolton (2002) stated that the attainment of competitive advantage and development of core competencies have become two of the main goals of business owners in the prevailing times. 2. Overview of Competitive Advantage and Core Competency The domain of competitive advantage has been studied by numerous researchers over the years. Michael Porter is one of the prominent researchers in the study of strategic management and strategic analysis; he stated that competitive advantage is defined as the strategies implemented by an organization to compete in the market while combating the external forces in the environment. The possession of competitive advantage enables the company to have an edge over the prevailing services and products in the market. One of the most vital contributions of Porter (1998) has been the accumul ation of strategies to attain competitive advantage in the form of â€Å"Wheel of Competitive Advantage†: Figure 1: Wheel of Competitive Strategy (Porter, 1998) It can be seen from the above figure that the attainment of competitive advantage is spread across all the departments and functions of an organization while being influenced by the goals and objectives of the organization. Dividend Tree (2009) stated that core competencies bear great relevance for any organization since they facilitate survival in competitive markets. Brown (2002) defined core competencies in a simple manner and stated that core competencies are those tangible and intangible resources of a company that enable a company to compete in the market in the presence of competitors. Core competencies become sources of great revenues and value for the customers. Gardelliano (2002) stated that core competencies may be an outcome of the following factors: Related Knowledge: Knowledge is an important intangible asset for any organization, for example, customer buying behaviors, sales forecasting on the basis of past and current sales records etc. Set of Skills: Set of skills includes the abilities to perform business operations, for example implementation of business plans, level of expertise possessed by the employees etc. Attributes: Attributes are related to the qualitative aspects of the business operations that might include the quality of the service, customer relations etc. The amalgamation of these aspects results in the production of core competencies for organizations and makes their service and products unique as compared to the competitors in the market. 3. Process of Development of Core Competency Organizational identity is a relevant asset since it has an effect on the competitive advantage of any organization. Glowa (2001) explained that the identity of an organization is an accumulation of the unique aspects, organizational performance and core values that it can introduce in its services and products. Jeyavelu (2006) stated that if organizational identity is directed towards the achievement of unique business goals and operations of the company then it can contribute towards the attainment of competitive advantage. However, Voss, Cable and Voss (2006) pointed out that these factors cannot bear much relevance if organizational identity is not supported by the top management of the organizati

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Jeremy Bentham Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Jeremy Bentham - Essay Example The main basis behind this theory is that an act can be considered to be good or bad depending on the amount of people it is able to help against the number of people who may be inconvenienced so to speak by that same act. In short it can be said that the theory tends to focus on the greater good capacity of an act when determining whether the subject matter is to be considered good or detrimental towards the society (Bykvist, 2009). This is clearly seen in Jeremy Bentham’s claim that it is actually the largest happiness from the biggest number of people that can be considered to be the measure of right and wrong. To put it simply, whether an act is good or not is determined upon the maximization of that utility in question. Something can be considered to be good or bad based on whether it brings more good or bad as an end result. This theory can be said to be both supported and contradicted by a number of nursing and healthcare practices. This can be explained by the diversity of the healthcare sector which means that hardly any two cases are exactly the same thus there are times when the theory may apply to healthcare practices while at other times it does not (Bykvist, 2009). A good example of a healthcare practice that supports this theory is the action of quarantining an individual with a contagious disease. Though such a move may be considered reclusive and even impersonal as the person is kept away from family and friends or any other support system to help them get through such hard times, it is for the greater good that it is done as allowing them contact with others may prove deadly to those who remain uninfected. A practice that may not fit into the greater good system would be the elimination of a ground zero subject who is putting other people at risk as the code of ethics does not support murder under any circumstance. In this instance the greater good is not enough to justify such an act. Two sections of the ANA Code of Ethics

Saturday, September 21, 2019

African American and Haitian Heritage Essay Example for Free

African American and Haitian Heritage Essay There are many different beliefs and values with the African American Culture compared to the Haitian Culture relating to child bearing and pregnancy. Both of the cultures have history of having large families in the rural areas, which was viewed as a necessary necessity because of the economic pressures each culture went though. The African American choice of birth control was oral contraceptives compared to the Haitians who used a variety of contraception methods such as the â€Å"birth control pill, female sterilization, injections, and condoms† Kemp (2012) states. The Haitians are mostly Catholic which makes them unwillingly to engage in conversations about pregnancy, and their fertility practices. Compared to African Americans who willingly to speak to older family members about their behavior during their pregnancy, or will help guide them with many of the practices and beliefs of a pregnant women. The African Americans view and belief on abortion is that many oppose abortion because of their â€Å"religious or moral beliefs†, and others oppose abortion because of moral, cultural, or â€Å"Afrocentric beliefs† WHO (2011) states. These beliefs will cause a delay in decision which makes abortions unsafe, compared to the Haitian Culture who does not talk about abortion openly, it is considered a women’s issue. Pregnancy is not considered a disease, or a â€Å"health problem, many Haitian women seek no prenatal care†, work fulltime until delivery, and celebrate their pregnancy as a time of joy. Haitian women also â€Å"do not eat spices†, but are encouraged to eat vegetables, and red fruits to increase the fetus blood Kemp (2012) claims. Compared to the African American women who seek prenatal care early in their pregnancy, also they respond to being pregnant as any other women in an ethnic group. Furthermore each one of the cultures has views, and beliefs that they follow during their pregnancy. The â€Å"Haitian women historically would walk, squat, or sit†, during labor, practice natural childbirth, but since migrating most Haitian women have adopted other practices. The fathers do not participate in delivery, but other female families members offer support Kemp (2012) states. The African American women have many beliefs or myths they believe in during their pregnancy. â€Å"Pica is the eating of a nonnutritive substance† such as soap, needles, dirt, and etc., this practice will help ease pain during delivery, and reduce nausea Galanti (2012) states. Furthermore African American women believe in many beliefs because it will cause harm to them and the unborn baby, during delivery they believe it is ok to be vocal. In addition during delivery African American women will have granny midwives deliver their unborn baby, and others will arrive at the Hospital in advanced labor to reduce the time spent there. Emotional support is provided by other women especially their mother, because men believe it is a private issue between women. The Haitian women believe that postpartum is a crucial period of childbearing, immediately after birth they will dress warmly to become more healthy, and clean. After delivery Haitian women believe that their â€Å"bones are open which makes them stay in bed 2-3 days postpartum† Galanti (2012) states so the bones can close. Another postpartum practice is the â€Å"three baths†, the first three days the mother will bathe in hot boiled water that will have leaves, bought or picked from the field. Then for the next three days the mother will bathe in water and leaves warmed by the sun. At the end of the third week the mother takes the third bath which is cold, Haitian women also avoid white foods during this period. Compared to the â€Å"African American women during postpartum period family support is needed to care for them six to eight weeks† after delivery Galanti (2012) states. Babies were not named until after they were known to survive, and the placenta has a spirit of its own which has to be buried after birth to avoid having a connection to the baby. Increased â€Å"vaginal bleeding is a sign of a sickness†, and tea is believed to have healing powers Kemp (2012) states. References Galanti, G. (2012) â€Å"Cultural Diversity in Health Care† African American. Retrieved on January 27, 2013 from www.ggalanti.org Kemp, C. (2012) â€Å"Haitians† Retrieved on January 27, 2013 from www.baylor.edu World Health Organization (2011) World Global Cultures† Retrieved on January 27, 2013 from www.who.org

Friday, September 20, 2019

Identify The Needs And Expectation Of Individual Stakeholder Management Essay

Identify The Needs And Expectation Of Individual Stakeholder Management Essay Organizations change constantly, a projects stakeholder set will change as stakeholder change roles within the organization, move into different roles or leave the organization to take up roles in other organizations. For whatever reason, the ability of individual stakeholder to influence the project may increase or decrease. Most project management methodologies define ways to identify project stakeholder, and then base their entire communications strategies on this initial, and only, identification. Many projects fail because stakeholders do not continue to support the vision or objectives of the project. In many cases this is because the team does not recognize changes in the relative power or position of key stakeholder and fails to make appropriate adjustments in their stakeholder management activities. This study reported upon in this paper is focused on support for project managers in building and maintaining relationships with project stakeholder. This is accomplished through using a practical methodology that allows the project team to identify and priorities the projects stakeholder and then stakeholders needs of the project to develop an appropriate relationship management strategy. The underlying assumption for this research is the stakeholder management is extremely difficult, the project manager and his/her project team members must identify, engage and sustain relationships with a diverse set of groups and individuals (including themselves) who can impact the project in many ways. STAKEHOLDER According to Freemans (1984: pg.25 and pg 26) stakeholder view of the firm instrumentally defines a stakeholder as Any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the firms objectives and he suggested that there is a need for integrated approaches for dealing with multiple stakeholder on multiple issues While Freeman framed and demarcated stakeholder as elements of corporate strategic planning. Stakeholders are persons or group who are directly or indirectly affected by a project, as well as those who may have interest in a project and/or the ability to influence its outcome, either positively, or negatively. Stakeholders may include locally affected communities or individuals and their formal and informal representatives, national or local government authorities, politicians, religious leaders, civil society organizations and groups with special interests, the academic community, or other business. The stake that each of these different individuals or groups has in project or investment will vary, for example, there may be people directly affected by the potential environmental or social impacts of a project. Others may be resident in another country altogether, but wish to communicate their concerns or suggestions to the project company. Then there are those who might have great influence over the project, such as government regulators, political or religious leaders, and others active in the local community. There are also stakeholders who, because of their knowledge or stature, can contribute positively, for example, by acting as an honest broker in mediation relationships. TYPES OF STAKEHOLDER Stakeholder is classified as being either internal or external to the firm. They are either part of the business itself, or are influenced by it. There are many groups who are stakeholders inside and outside of a firm who have an interest in its operation, and obviously its survival. The diagram below shows the different stakeholders. Internal stakeholders: are (ones from within an organization) individual, group or business with a vested interest (a stake) in the success of an organization is considered to be a stakeholder. A stakeholder will generally be someone who is concerned with an organization delivering intended results and meeting its financial objectives External stakeholders: are (outside organization) individuals, group or business with a vested interest (a stake) in the success of an organization is considered to be a stakeholder. A stakeholder will generally be someone who is concerned with an organization delivering intended results and meeting its financial objectives. From the table below, Internal stakeholders may have different objectives and level of risk. Stakeholder Objective Risk Shareholders (may be companies not people) Dividend income Small, if investment is part of the portfolio of shares owned. Directors executive Income and power Higher, but may have many directorships, and savings. Directors non-executive Many, depending why they are there. Gives some income. May well be small, smaller than that of executive directors. Managers Income Higher than Directors but lower than that of workers. Workers Continuation of job. Earnings to pay the cost of living High. No job = no income. Jobs may be hard to get. THE IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders are those groups, individuals, and parties that are directly affected by the practices of an organization and therefore have a stake in the organizations performance. Some of the common stakeholders in an organization are customers, employees, investors, suppliers, local communities, etc. one of the importance of stakeholders is that a stakeholder can provide feedback to a companys performance. The critical importance of stakeholder engagement and alignment of their goals and vision has been well established (Cooke-Davies 2000, Christensen and Walker 2003). By providing more project manager with a methodology and a tool to better visualize stakeholder potential impact, it is possible to ensure a greater set of potential responses of project manager to the environment they need to operate in (Cooke-Davies 2000, p 211) Stakeholder engagement is a formal process of relationship management through which companies, industries or project engage with a set of stakeholder in an effort to align their mutual interest, to reduce risk and to advance the organizations economic advantage. Manila Water Company Organizational Point of view: (e.g.) From its inception in 1997, Manila Water Company in the Philippians has sought to have a proactive and open relationship with its stakeholders, including customers, local NGOs and government. Good stakeholder relationship are viewed as being fundamental to the core business of the company, which is to provide clean, safe water and sewage services to approximately half of manilas population. When Manila Water acquired the east concession from the government operator, it launched a walk the line program in which all company staff from managers to district level representatives visit their customers, including residents of informal settlements, to consult with them on the delivery of these essential services to their community. As a result of this engagement and other initiatives, Manila Water has significantly improved its service delivery. Between 2004 and 2006, the percentage of household having a 24-hour water supply jumped from 26% to 95%. At t he same time, water losses from the system were reduced from 63% to 35.5%. From 325,000 households served at start of 2004, there were more than 1,000,000 in 2006, including over 848,000 urban poor. The companys proactive stakeholder engagement strategy has also led to a number of partnerships that have benefited local communities, including housing reconstruction for habitat for humanity and micro-financing to start small business through the bank of Philippine islands. Manila Water has established engagement plans for key NGO stakeholders, the media, and investors that include quarterly dialogues and visits to the companys sustainable development and community projects. HOW TO ENGAGE AND MANAGE STAKEHOLDER STRATEGY Stakeholder engagement can improve long-term viability and benefits significantly by improving decision-making, understanding and accountability (Hughes and Demetrius, 2006, p.95) Due to the size and scale of our company, as well as the nature of our business, ConocoPhillips stakeholders have unique and evolving expectations. We proactively engage with them to learn their expectations of us, and then incorporate what we learn into our business plans and actions. This process fosters an environment of trust and mutual respect. Through work with industry associations, participation in multi-sector forums, and dialogue with socially responsible investors, were gaining diverse and valuable perspectives as we continuously improve our sustainable development programs and initiatives. ConocoPhillips stakeholder engagement activities are an integral part of the sustainable development commitments. The major businesses have engagement strategies which vary according to the nature of the local community. In dispersed communities, it identifies key stakeholders and engages with them face-to-face to ensure that the activities are understood and that could consider the feedback. In regions where there are opportunities to bring local stakeholders together, they work with multi-stakeholder groups in a similar way. Proactively identify and seek out key stakeholders early in the business endeavour.à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ Include these key stakeholders in the design and implementation of the engagement process. Listen in order to understand stakeholders interests, concerns and culture. Communicate openly. Seek solutions that create mutually beneficial business and engagement approaches that also build long-term value for both the company and our stakeholders. Follow through on our commitments and stand accountable for the results, both internally and externally. We engage with stakeholders in variety of ways, for example: Customers: by carrying out a regular customer satisfaction surveys and review feedback from a range of third party surveys. Also to give customers the opportunity to provide feedback directly to stores and via customer service helps line. Employees: by having an open and honest corporate culture, and carrying out regular employee satisfaction surveys. Suppliers: by having a regular communication with its suppliers Communities and NGOs: by engaging with a wide range of local, national and international associations, organizations and NGOs, and local and national government, the municipalities of the communities they serve. Shareholder: by participating in various road shows for socially responsible investment (RSI), at which multinational investors are present. Stakeholders have important and sometimes different priorities. As an organization, there is a need to identify the key stakeholder that is relevant to the business organization activities. And these are the customers, employees, suppliers, communities, NGOs, and shareholders. Many stakeholder engagement activities currently occur at operating level; there is always a plan to aim at an increase activities at group level and also to discuss the progress of the business and implement a future strategy. Benefits of stakeholder engagement Stakeholder benefits Company benefits Reputation Reputation Innovation employee motivation and competence project outputs competitive advantage/innovation access to resources risk management social capital (networks, local knowledge) social capital (networks, local knowledge) Competitive advantage/innovation Several companies supported the view that stakeholder engagement can help create a competitive advantage (Porter and Kramer, 2002; Harting et al, 2006). One respondent noted that weve gone 100% Fair-trade on our bananas and have committed to do the same with tea big strategic changes like that take a lot of planning and create real points of difference that are difficult to copy (Sainsburys). Engaging stakeholders has also been seen as a way of inspiring business innovation: were a big business but we dont have all the answers its good to listen to other people and develop new solutions Marks Spencer DESCRIBE THE ROLES 0F THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS BY ANALYSISNG DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES Commonly cited techniques for informing deliberation through stakeholder involvement Public hearings: Regulated, formal arrangements for times and places at which members of the general public and other types of stakeholders can give evidence or question public authorities about decisions under consideration. Deliberative polling: Like opinion polling, but collects views after persons have been introduced to the issue and have thought about it. Meant to give an indication of what people would think if they had the time and information to consider the issue (instead of reacting cold). Includes a feedback session, sometimes with a high media profile (e.g. broadcast by television along with documentary inserts) Focus groups: Small groups of invited or recruited persons discuss a theme or proposal; provides insight on their reactions, values, concerns and perspectives, and an indication of how group dynamics influence opinions. Citizen advisory groups: Small groups of persons who represent various interests or expertise (e.g. community leaders) meet on a regular or ad hoc basis to discuss concerns and provide informed input. Consultative groups: Forums that call together key representatives of civil society (NGOs and CSOs), economic and political spheres, to make policy recommendations and to improve the ongoing dialogue between these actors Nominal group process: A structured group interaction technique designed to generate a prioritized list of high-quality ideas within two hours or less. It is particularly helpful for setting goals, defining obstacles, and gathering creative responses to a particular question. Multi-actor policy workshops: Small groups mixing key stakeholders and technical experts, aimed at collecting a range of viewpoints on what are the important question raised by the dialogue issue. These may allow an innovative view of the problem to emerge, along with new approaches to its solution. It is not necessary or practical to engage with all stakeholder groups with the same level of intensity all of the time. Being clear on whom you are engaging with and why will save both time and money. This requires prioritizing your stakeholders and, depending on who they are and what their interests are, figuring out the most appropriate ways to engage. Stakeholder analysis will assist in this prioritization by assessing the significance of the project to each stakeholder group from their perspective, and vice versa. It is important to keep in mind that the project is dynamic and that both stakeholders and their interests might change over time. For example, some stakeholders will be more affected by a particular stage of a project. You may now have a long list of people and organizations that are affected by your project. Some of these may have the power either to block or advance it. Some may be interested in what you are doing, others may not care. You can map out your stakeholders on a Power/Interest Grid as shown in Figure 1, and classify them by their power over and interest in project. Power/Interest Grid for Stakeholder Prioritisation For example, your boss is likely to have high power and influence over your projects and high interest. Your family may have high interest, but are unlikely to have power over it. The position on the grid shows you the actions you have to take with the stakeholder: High power, high interest: these are the stakeholders you must fully engage with, and make the greatest efforts to satisfy. High power, less interest: put enough work in with these stakeholders to keep them satisfied, but not so much that they become bored with your message. Low power, high interest: keep these stakeholders adequately informed, and talk to them to ensure that no major issues are arising. These stakeholders can often be very helpful with the detail of your project. Low power, less interest: monitor these stakeholders but do not bore them with excessive communication. Internal stakeholders: Directors: may be executive or non-executive ones. They are appointed by the shareholders to look after their interest. Shareholders: are the owners of plcs (public limited companies) or private limited companies. Managers: will include the executive directors. When they are running the company they are managers. Essentially managers are the [people within a firm responsible for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals and monitoring their work. Worker: These are all the non-managerial/supervisory people that work in a firm. External stakeholder Central government: firms supply the central government with a large part of its income. They can influence their decisions, though, especially if they are large and powerful. Locality: firms create employment and income for the community. Employees spend in shops etc. creating more jobs. There is a multiplying effect from this income. They may cause pollution and other problems causing potential conflict of interest. Pressure groups: this may b e stakeholders if they are affected directly or indirectly by the actions of a firm. Local communities, for instance, may form a pressure group to prevent a firm from expanding its premises or even setting up in the first place. Customers: customers have an obvious interest in the survival and efficiency of the firm. They want the product at the best price and quality possible. Suppliers: suppliers have an obvious interest in the survival and efficiency of the firm. They want the product to sell so they get the orders from materials etc. Competitors: competitors have an interest in the survival of the firm. Its failure may help them (more market share available), but so may their survival. (Monopoly markets are not as good as they seem. New technology firm need competitors to help with the marketing and market development.) Local government: films are part of the locality so interface with the government. They supply income (business tax) and need services. (Planning, health, fire, police) Also, Secondary stakeholders may play key roles in managing conflict by: Information gathering and analysis providing technical support, obtaining or advising on information, participating in the search for views on possible solutions, or increasing the acceptability of various outcomes; Advocacy working alongside weaker parties to build a transparent process, or helping the wider political arena to work towards greater equity; Intermediating acting as mediators between other conflicting groups; Monitoring and enforcement ensuring compliance with agreements by helping to enforce any that are broken. Secondary stakeholders can be effectively involved without including them directly in formal negotiations. For example, they can take part in focus group meetings, advisory or working groups, surveys or interviews, and community meetings. USE RACI ANALYSIS TO CLEARIFY STAKEHOLDER MAPPING AND TECHNIQUE: by Value Based Management.net Last updated Apr 17th, 2012 RACI Analysis: The RACI model is a relatively straightforward tool that can be used for identifying roles and responsibilities during an organizational change process. After all, transformation processes do not process themselves; people have to do something to make the process happen. Therefore it is useful to describe what should be done by whom to make a transformation process happen. Instead of the term RACI, sometimes also the terms RASCI or RASIC are used. RASCI is an abbreviation for: R= Responsible owns the problem or project A= to whom R is Accountable who must sign off (approve) on work before it is effective S = can be Supportive can provide resources or can play a supporting role in implementation C= to be consulted has information and/or capability necessary to complete the work I= to be Informed must be notified of results, but need not to be consulted The techniques is typically supported by an RACI chart (see figure) which helps to dearly discuss, agree and communicate the roles and responsibilities. Typical steps in a RACL process: Identify all the processes / activities involved. Identify all of the roles. Identify who has the RASCI for each process. Every process should preferably have one and only one R as a general principle. Resolve overlaps. Resolve gaps. Responsibility matrix that helps to clarify the who-does-what on the virtual team.   While working with a team recently I realized that RACI is often confused with a similar tool called a stakeholder analysis.   Whats a stakeholder?   In the case of telework, a stakeholder is any individual, group or organization that can have a significant impact on or can be significantly impacted by the telework initiative.   A stakeholder analysis is a process to align the political aspects of the organization  to the needs and goals of telework.   The success of a telework program can be influenced by many factors.   As many studies have pointed out, some of the biggest hurdles in telework are management resistance, organizational culture, and communication.   A stakeholder analysis can help overcome these barriers by forcing the implementation team to identify all the potential parties and individuals that can positively or negatively influence the initiative and then develop strategies to align those stakeholders. Creating a stakeholder analysis is simple.   Heres how to do it step by step: First, identify the individuals or groups that qualify as stakeholders (you can list them in the first column).   Next, identify whether they are resistant, supportive, or neutral in regards to the telework implementation.   I have colored coded mine (red, green, yellow) to make it stand out more.   Some teams like to use a scale of 1 5 to add in categories of very resistant to very supportive. In this step you will identify the issues or reasons that explain the stakeholders position.   If they are resistant, why are they resistant? Once the team labels the stakeholders position, they can use the same scale described in Step 2 to list where they need the stakeholder to be.   This step will help you prioritize where to focus some of your communication and change management efforts.   For example, you may have stakeholders that are neutral to the initiative but they are not vital stakeholders and as long as they are not resistant, then there is no need to focus on them.   Lastly, for the stakeholders the team needs to align, the team can identify the specific strategies to employ to get them onboard.   Additional columns can be added to assign specific team members to the strategies and due dates. So whats the difference between the stakeholder analysis and a RACI?   Both are living documents and can be used to help increase intra-organization communication.   However, the RACI is typically used to determine who-does-what while the stakeholder analysis helps get various people or organizations onboard with the initiative.   Like the RACI, there are may variations to the stakeholder analysis.   Some practitioners like to add an additional column to help prioritize stakeholders, such as level of impact the stakeholder might have.   Other matrices can be get more elaborate by adding additional columns for identifying root causes to certain issues or specifics of the communication plan (i.e. frequency, medium, etc.).   My advice is to keep it simple.   The intent, not the table, is what is important.   Successful telework implementations depend on managing a number of stakeholders.   Getting them aligned at the onset and keeping them onboard is key and can be done with a little forethought. Analysis for each stakeholder: Are there too many Rs:  Does one stakeholder have too much of the project assigned to them? No empty cells:  Does the stakeholder need to be involved in so many of the activities? Can Responsible be changed to Consulted, or Consulted changed to Informed? I.e., are there too many cooks in this kitchen to keep things moving? (And if so, what does that say about the culture within which this project is being managed?) Buy-in:  Does each stakeholder totally agree with the role that they are specified to play in this version of the model? When such agreement is achieved, that should be included in the projects charter and documentation. Analysis for each PLC step or deliverable: No Rs:  Who is doing the work in this step and getting things done? Whose role is it to take the initiative? Too many Rs:  Is this another sign of too many cooks in this kitchen to keep things moving? No As:  Who is Accountable? There must be one A for every step of the PLC. One stakeholder must be Accountable for the thing happening the buck stops with this person. More than one A:  Is there confusion on decision rights? Stakeholders with accountability have the final say on how the work should be done and how conflicts are resolved. Multiple As invite slow and contentious decision-making. Every box filled in:  Do all the stakeholders really need to be involved? Are there justifiable benefits in involving all the stakeholders, or is this just covering all the bases? A lot of Cs:  Do all the stakeholders need to be routinely Consulted, or can they be kept Informed and raise exceptional circumstances if they feel they need to be Consulted? Too many Cs in the loop really slows down the project. Are all true stakeholders included in this model:  Sometimes this is more of a challenge to ensure, as its an error of omission. This is often best addressed by a steering committee or management team.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Education History :: essays research papers fc

What factors in society ended sectarianism in schools, and made them secular? Probably no single movement so greatly affected colonial America as the Protestant Reformation. Most of the Europeans who came to America were Protestants, but there were many denominations. Lutherans from Germany and Scandinavia settled in the middle colonies along with Puritans and Presbyterians. The Reformation was centered upon efforts to capture the minds of men, therefore great emphasis was placed on the written word. Obviously schools were needed to promote the growth of each denomination. Luther’s doctrines made it necessary for boys and girls to learn to read the Scriptures. While the schools that the colonists established in the 17th century in the New England, southern and middle colonies differed from one another, each reflected a concept of schooling that had been left behind in Europe. Most poor children learned through apprenticeship and had no formal schooling at all. Those who did go to elementary school were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion. Learning consisted of memorizing, which was stimulated by whipping. The first "basic textbook", the New England Primer, was America’s own contribution to education(Pulliam, Van Patten 86). Used from 1609 until the beginning of the 19th century, its purpose was to teach both religion and reading. The child learning the letter a, for example, also learned that "In Adam’s fall, We sinned all." As in Europe, then, schools in the colonies were strongly influenced by religion. This was particularly true of schools in the New England area, which had been settled by Puritans and other English religious dissenters. The school in colonial New England was not a pleasant place either, physically or psychologically. Great emphasis was placed on the shortness of life and the torments of hell. Like the Protestants of the Reformation, who established vernacular elementary schools in Germany in the 16th century, the Puritans sought to make education universal. They took the first steps toward government-supported universal education in the colonies. In 1647, Puritan Massachusetts passed a law requiring that every child be taught to read. [It being the chief object of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the scriptures,†¦it is therefore ordered, that every township†¦after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty householders,†¦shall†¦appoint one within their town to teach all children as shall resort him to read and write. It is further ordered, that where any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families†¦they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university. Education History :: essays research papers fc What factors in society ended sectarianism in schools, and made them secular? Probably no single movement so greatly affected colonial America as the Protestant Reformation. Most of the Europeans who came to America were Protestants, but there were many denominations. Lutherans from Germany and Scandinavia settled in the middle colonies along with Puritans and Presbyterians. The Reformation was centered upon efforts to capture the minds of men, therefore great emphasis was placed on the written word. Obviously schools were needed to promote the growth of each denomination. Luther’s doctrines made it necessary for boys and girls to learn to read the Scriptures. While the schools that the colonists established in the 17th century in the New England, southern and middle colonies differed from one another, each reflected a concept of schooling that had been left behind in Europe. Most poor children learned through apprenticeship and had no formal schooling at all. Those who did go to elementary school were taught reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion. Learning consisted of memorizing, which was stimulated by whipping. The first "basic textbook", the New England Primer, was America’s own contribution to education(Pulliam, Van Patten 86). Used from 1609 until the beginning of the 19th century, its purpose was to teach both religion and reading. The child learning the letter a, for example, also learned that "In Adam’s fall, We sinned all." As in Europe, then, schools in the colonies were strongly influenced by religion. This was particularly true of schools in the New England area, which had been settled by Puritans and other English religious dissenters. The school in colonial New England was not a pleasant place either, physically or psychologically. Great emphasis was placed on the shortness of life and the torments of hell. Like the Protestants of the Reformation, who established vernacular elementary schools in Germany in the 16th century, the Puritans sought to make education universal. They took the first steps toward government-supported universal education in the colonies. In 1647, Puritan Massachusetts passed a law requiring that every child be taught to read. [It being the chief object of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the scriptures,†¦it is therefore ordered, that every township†¦after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty householders,†¦shall†¦appoint one within their town to teach all children as shall resort him to read and write. It is further ordered, that where any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families†¦they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Electronic Medical Records and Charting Essay -- Medical Technology

Electronic Medical Records and Charting Today’s healthcare is changing, and more hospitals are commencing to go paperless using computers for both medical records and charting. Computers are widely accepted, in personal and professional settings. It is an essential requirement for computer literacy. Numerous advances in technology during the past decade require that nurses not only be knowledgeable in nursing skills but also to become educated in computer technology. While electronic medical records (EMR’s) and charting can be an effective time management tool, some questions have been asked on how exactly this will impact the role and process of nursing, and the ultimate effects on patient safety and confidentiality. In order to investigate these topics, I will be addressing the individual aspects of EMR’s that nurse’s use every day, how they affect collaborative care, and the impact they have on the nursing role. In the Emergency Department at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital (GLWACH) manual paper charting is still used for charting most of the patient care that is per-formed; the exception would be any laboratory studies needed and any kind of radiology proce-dures that must be done. These orders are then put into the computer system, most often by the nurses. I had an opportunity to observe both positive and negative indications during my 72 hour preceptorship at the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. Some of the positive of having EMR’s and electronic charting are that: they are pass code protected, allow access to in-formation quickly, legibility and organization aspects, efficiency of time, and allow for easy transfer of data which minimizes errors. If a patient comes in by ambulance, and is un... ... Informatics & the EMR on ADVANCE for Nurses. ADVANCE for Nurses. Retrieved April 16, 2012, from http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Regional-Content/Articles/Nursing-Informatics-EMR.aspx Dykes, P., Cashen, M., Foster, M., Gallagher, J., Kennedy, M., MacCallum, R., et al. (2006). Serveying Acute Care Providers in the U.S. to Explore the Impact of HIT on the Role of Nurses and Interdisciplinary Communication in Acute Care Settings. Journal of Healthcare Information Management , 36-44. Retrieved April 16, 2012, from http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=678742 Yee, T., Needleman, J., Pearson, M., Parkerton, P., & Wolstein, J. (2012). The Influence of Inte-grated Electronic Me... [Comput Inform Nurs. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved April 16, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22411414 Electronic Medical Records and Charting Essay -- Medical Technology Electronic Medical Records and Charting Today’s healthcare is changing, and more hospitals are commencing to go paperless using computers for both medical records and charting. Computers are widely accepted, in personal and professional settings. It is an essential requirement for computer literacy. Numerous advances in technology during the past decade require that nurses not only be knowledgeable in nursing skills but also to become educated in computer technology. While electronic medical records (EMR’s) and charting can be an effective time management tool, some questions have been asked on how exactly this will impact the role and process of nursing, and the ultimate effects on patient safety and confidentiality. In order to investigate these topics, I will be addressing the individual aspects of EMR’s that nurse’s use every day, how they affect collaborative care, and the impact they have on the nursing role. In the Emergency Department at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital (GLWACH) manual paper charting is still used for charting most of the patient care that is per-formed; the exception would be any laboratory studies needed and any kind of radiology proce-dures that must be done. These orders are then put into the computer system, most often by the nurses. I had an opportunity to observe both positive and negative indications during my 72 hour preceptorship at the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital. Some of the positive of having EMR’s and electronic charting are that: they are pass code protected, allow access to in-formation quickly, legibility and organization aspects, efficiency of time, and allow for easy transfer of data which minimizes errors. If a patient comes in by ambulance, and is un... ... Informatics & the EMR on ADVANCE for Nurses. ADVANCE for Nurses. Retrieved April 16, 2012, from http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Regional-Content/Articles/Nursing-Informatics-EMR.aspx Dykes, P., Cashen, M., Foster, M., Gallagher, J., Kennedy, M., MacCallum, R., et al. (2006). Serveying Acute Care Providers in the U.S. to Explore the Impact of HIT on the Role of Nurses and Interdisciplinary Communication in Acute Care Settings. Journal of Healthcare Information Management , 36-44. Retrieved April 16, 2012, from http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=678742 Yee, T., Needleman, J., Pearson, M., Parkerton, P., & Wolstein, J. (2012). The Influence of Inte-grated Electronic Me... [Comput Inform Nurs. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved April 16, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22411414

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Would Principles of Scientific Management

Scientific Management as proposed by F. W. Taylor is a method based on a time and motion technique which have actually been divided into steps which helps in determining how fast a particular job can be performed and to the identification and elimination of all practices which leads to the wastages of time. The basic ingredients of time and motion technique begin with a stop watch as an input while the output consisting of an instruction sheet containing exact sequence of operations necessary for the work with exact time the same has to be completed (Klaw, 1979). The management theory suggests for every man in an organization is like one of a train of gear wheels (Haber, 1964:24) and it is these workers who are responsible for the production of a part of the complete product. The development process has to be subdivided into various sections with each section responsible for a part of the whole product rather than the whole product and at the same time various automation techniques are being introduced so that workers can be assigned to single task while external supervisors were meant for the purpose of control. (Miller, 2002). Now we take up the case of Timbuk2. The company headed by Rob Honeycutt followed the way through which Toyota used to produce cars after implementing the use of Toyota Sewing System. The procedure gets unfolded with the product development process has been subdivided into various phases with output of each phase being the input of next phase. A particular operator has the responsibility of a portion of the complete product and once he or she finishes its job, the output is being moved on to the next operator who performs the next operation. Hence in principle this product development process of bags for bike messenger services in Timbuk2 represents a very ideal case for possible implementation of Scientific Management Principle. Since the management policy targets starts with the grass root level with workers doing repetitive jobs. In Timbak2 similar policies are being followed. The company has been very active in obtaining new technology and modifying production techniques. Now looking into what Scientific Management suggest the states that a worker in a repetitive job is more interested in just achieving the minimum required target. He is not at all concerned with the term productivity and growth of the firm and is more of less involves itself just to the domain he or she is actually. To get over these problems, Taylor proposed many concepts of which some were accepted at the time of proposal only like the case of Ford while others were appreciated later. But still there are a large number of managers or trade unionists who is actually not a believer of Taylor’s Theory. Their point of contention is that it is rarely or better to say not at possible to have identical economic interest for both management and workers. There is mistrust between workers and managers. Managers are more interested in improving efficiency and overall performance of the firm and consider this as their own responsibility while the worker views every attempt of training and improvement of technology or modernization process as a tactics by the management to reduce work force and extract more work by the reduced number. Workers’ concerns are not baseless. Taylor’s method has automation as the culminating point. By automation, we mean more and more work is to be done by machines and company’s reliance on workforce will considerably get reduced. This will again undermine the interest of the employees and the point from where Taylor’s theory of total prosperity starts, gets lost. Taylor had suggested for regular training of employees to improve productivity. He also made a point that a worker should be given rest breaks to get over fatigue (Taylor, 1911). This will help to get more output with long er duration of inventory utilization. His idea of training and work arrangement has the motive that a worker should be made to think that more work will result more output and finally more payment. But despite having so much novelties and goodness and loads of appreciation from great people like Henry Ford, from the beginning itself the theory was under fire and its applicability has always been a matter of discussion. The theory which was actually meant for improving efficiency and production later faltered and the same became reason of absenteeism and lack of commitment among workers. Moving on to employee’s contribution in improving the and The company has been able to successfully maintain a very harmonic relationship with According to Backer, in his paper of 1998, implementation of scientific management gave immediate result with drastic fall in the over all cost of production with more and more product being produced at a much lower price thereby causing great change in the way it was consumed by the masses. But it was on the part of management to implement this concept fully. They lacked in this regard thereby causing unrest among workers causing emergence of trade unionism which Taylor used to hate and workers started going to strikes. Their causes were genuine because despite having 33% increases in overall production, workers were not given a considerable portion of the additional profit the companies made. The management started comparing their work force with machines and hence the era of low wages despite high performance started. This causes some of the great strikes in American history with one being suffered by US Steel Industry (Baker, 1998). Again it was Taylor’s Principles which received the blame both from the management as well as labor unions. Later the same principles were accepted by labor unions and were widely respected once better deciphered as beneficial for organized work force because of its clause of maximum prosperity and regular training to meet different production and efficiency targets (Backer, 1998). So finally Taylorism changed the relationship between the management and the workers. But still it was not considered as the perfect concept. Unorganized and unskilled had to face much of the heat caused by its implementation. They had to go with least of wages. This started making effect on organized sector. The skilled labor can now easily be replaced by easily trainable but unorganized and cheap workforce. And again the method and its goal were criticized in every quarter (Baker, 1998). Solution given by Taylor through his principles will always be called as a solution with a motive of complete removal of all supposed problems but had to face its share of failures. Spender in a very recent paper made a very good explanation on Taylor’s Solution, its successes and its failures (2006). He stated that new model factory based system of mass production of things through machines with the help of unskilled labor who are no more than operator of those machines was developed by engineers not by capitalists. These engineers analyzed the whole production process while taking the smallest detail into account. They applied time and motion techniques widely promoted by F. W. Taylor and made steep change in overall efficiency of the whole production process. Though the main motive was to produce more, earn more and give more to the workers but things got awry and because of different goals of management and that of workers, the most critical factor of human resource and social responsibility got subordinated (Rose, 1975:32). The workers were technically compared with machines and were more in an ox-cart cart situation. The engineers on the basis of Taylor’s method gave prominence to science for research and developed and inventory management so that complete and full fledged prosperity can be achieved. But the workers were just not ready to accept the so called independent stand of those engineers. Their past experience were good enough to believe that these engineers are proxy agents of the owners and the concept they are applying are nothing but an attempt to maximize the profit of the capitalists and in return the laborers will be awarded with something very meager . Though Taylor repeatedly stated that what ever change is going to happen will be done with nine-tenth in the management while only a very small change is going to b subjected among workers section, but his contention was hardly viewed by Unionist with enough faith. In his principles, Taylor made a deep explanation of the role of foreman. He used to be most important figure very much equivalent to that of king with power stretching beyond workplace to places outside the factory (Taylor, 1911:51). Top management was very much reliant on these foremen to organize production and was more or less focused on external issues like market share and overall profitability. The addition of new technology and automation restricted the overall status of that of foremen and this was widely appreciated. But with this, Taylor inadvertently provided owners with new means to defeat labor’s interests. The Scientific Management caused shifting planning from execution. The workers or craftsman had no longer authorized to take any decision and were reduced to the position from where they can only execute rather taking any part in decision making. This again made a felling that the labor are no more than a machine which are only supposed to work and must not utter a single word since all these principles have been implemented after looking into all aspects of their welfare. But what actually they would get was obscure (Spender, 2006). All this started giving rise to many labor problems which were strong enough to make changes both at the factory level as well as national politics. On giving deep thought it was concluded that the reason were not just the economic backwardness the laborers were facing but also an impression that they will be left behind in this extra fast economic and technological growth. Again looking with the eyes of Taylor, his principles were not intended to be either labor centric or management centric. His actual wish was to develop a completely new system which would open a new era of adjustment and common objectives for both the parties. But the return of implementing Scientific Management would vary and will get diminished when the firm will take the route of total control through the use of technology but the same will give desirable result in case of un availability of the same (Edwards, 1970:20). The main reason behind the difference was the wide difference between different industries (Chandler, 1977). The role of foreman got different definition in different industries. Factories with the purpose of mass production were now with foremen with lesser control while the opposite was seen in metallurgical trade (Nelson, 1975:36). The ideology of resolving the conflict between owners and workers by changing the whole concept of work and ownership took a backseat. His method was acclaimed and well adopted and very few implemented or incorporated it as a whole. And the management who was supposed to be the intelligent part of the system and were considered as the one to enforce Taylor’s principle, failed in proper application of the concept. And another way of creating harmony among workers and the administration got lost. And the reason remained the same i.e. working class and the management cannot have the same objective. Link – Belt case is a very good example where Taylor’s concept received applause for sorting out the problems between the management and the workers (Nelson, 1992:130). The firm was controlled by some of the ardent supporters of Taylor and his principles of scientific management. The company grew from being a Chicago enterprise manufacturing detachable link-chain for agricultural equipments to an important player in elevating and conveying machinery market (Nelson, 1992:131). The Principles of Scientific Management was implemented for the first time in the Philadelphia Plant of Link – Belt. It was later adopted in its Chicago Plant. But its implementation also exposed the weaknesses of this principle. The principle was actually implemented during period of recession. The economy was going downswing. So the implementation process was completed without any hassle. But the same workforce, who was nothing more than a silent spectator during the period of recession, started demanding when the firm was under pressure of maintaining its position in the recovered and competitive market. When deeply examined, in the period 1900 to 1940, it was found that the Link – Belt management actually never made any decision which were fully in accordance with the Taylor’s principle (Nelson, 1992:130). The solution they found involved espionage and then finding the weak link and causing defection in the opposite camp. All these techniques had been denounced by Taylor in his Principle of Scientific management. Actually Link – Belt management never ever tried to achieve industrial peace but insisted on techniques which showed their own lack of faith on this very Principle. And finally the company which was actually showcased as excellent example of Scientific Management could not find a suitable point in the Taylor’s Principle to tackle rising labour related issues. And thus with the whole purpose of achieving industrial harmony got lost (Nelson, 1992:151). Â  

Monday, September 16, 2019

Applying Resource Based View to Strategic Human Resource Essay

What is Resource Based View in Strategic Management? Almost all business management courses have a module that includes study of  strategic management. Our homework helps experts have expertise in the field of strategic management. There are different perspectives and approaches to field of strategic management. This blog post would discuss in detail what resource based view of strategic management is. This perspective stresses and based on the perspective that resources of the company whether tangible or intangible like brand name, assets, cash, customer loyalty, research and development capabilities are an important and main aspect while forming or pursuing a unique strategic position for a company. This concept of strategic management rather than being driven by the environment is internally resource driven and in this perspective of strategic management the organization is viewed as a collection of capabilities and competences. Organizations leverage new actives from its existing core competencies. According to Barney (1991) analysis of the impact of a firm’s environment on its competitive position is based on two assumptions. First, firms within an industry or a strategic group are identical in terms of strategic relevant sources they control and the strategies they pursue and second, these models assume that should resources heterogeneity develop in an industry or group will be very short lived because the resources that firms use to implement their strategies are highly mobile i. e. they can be bought or sold in factor markets (Barney, 1991). Resource based view assumes that companies within an industry or group may be heterogeneous with respect to the strategic resources they control and these are not perfectly mobile, thus heterogeneity can be long lasting (Barney, 1991). Simply, it is suggested that firm resources may be heterogeneous and immobile. According to Daft (1983), â€Å"firm resources include all assets, capabilities, organisational processes, firm attributes, information, knowledge, etc. controlled by a firm that enable the firm to conceive of and implement strategies that improve its efficiency and effectiveness†. According to Barney (1991), firm resources that hold the potential for sustained competitive advantage must have four attributes which are valuable, rare, In-imitable, and non-substitutable. So in resource based view of the firm, strategy of the firm is basically dependent on firms’ resources. This view again as the market based view is focus on some important aspects but at the same time ignores some other basic aspects of strategy formulation for a company. So resource based view of the firm is also not a balanced view. We hope that this blog post is useful for the students and practitioners of the field ofstrategic management. Please email us toinfo@assignmenthelpexperts. com  if you need any  strategic management  helpregarding the module of strategic management. The Resource Based View (RBV), argued by some to be at the foundation of modern HRM,[13]  focusses on the internal resources of the organisation and how they contribute to competitive advantage. The uniqueness of these resources is preferred to homogeneity and HRM has a central role in developing human resources that are valuable, rare, difficult to copy or substitute and that are effectively organized. Overall, the theory of HRM argues that the goal of human resource management is to help an organization to meet strategic goals by attracting, and maintaining employees and also to manage them effectively. The key word here perhaps is â€Å"fit†, i. e. a HRM approach seeks to ensure a fit between the management of an organization’s employees, and the overall strategic direction of the company (Miller, 1989). The resource-based view to strategic human resource management (SHRM) focuses on the costly to copy attributes of the firm as the fundamental drivers of performance and competitive advantage (Cooner 1991). Linking to the understanding of the resource based view of the firm; Barney (1991) described competitive advantage as â€Å"when a firm is implementing a value creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors†. The task is to maintain this competitive advantage in such a way that competitors’ efforts to replicate that advantage are frustrated and eventually cease. The resource-based view focuses on the promotion of sustained competitive advantage through the development of the human capital rather than merely aligning human resources to current strategic goals (Torrington et al 2002). This essay will show various ways on how the resource-based view of SHRM in organisations can contribute to enhanced organisational performance. Human resources can provide competitive advantage for the business, as long as they are unique and can not be copied or substituted for by competing organisations, competitive success not coming from simply making choices in the present, but from building up distinctive capabilities over significant periods of time (Boxall 1996).

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Dr. Watson to reveal Essay

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle shows Sherlock Holmes as a highly intelligent individual. We are shown Holmes’ intelligence from his good friend Dr. Watson. We learn that Holmes is very methodical in his deductive ways; this is shown in â€Å"The Speckled Band†, as Watson describes the movements of Sherlock Holmes, and how he â€Å"sits in his usual way†. This tells us the type of character that Holmes is; Holmes uses the power of deduction in a clinical way. This is shown as Sherlock Holmes tells Helen Stoner how she arrived to his house. Holmes explains how the mud on the left side of her jacket could only be from the dogcart she used, â€Å"there is no vehicle save a dogcart which throws up mud in that way, and then only when you sit on the left-hand side of the driver†. In â€Å"The Speckled Band† we also see the type of character Holmes is, we learn that Holmes’ intelligence is greater than any of the common man, but we also see Holmes’ strength as Dr. Roylott, the step-father of Helen Stoner, bends an iron poker out of shape. As Dr. Roylott leaves, Holmes bends the poker back into shape. In this passage we also see how Holmes tells Watson how he is compared to the official police force, â€Å"Fancy having the insolence to confound me with the official detective force! † This shows us how highly Holmes thinks of himself. Later in the novel we see the medical genius of Holmes, as he shows Watson how two little bite marks are left on the corpse, and how the victim must have been poisoned. This tells us that Holmes is very observant and self-explanatory in his investigations, with the aid of his friend Dr. Watson. Holmes observations and knowledge are also shown in â€Å"The Five Orange Pips†, this is shown as Holmes explains how his late guest joins them, â€Å"You have come up from the south-west, I see. † â€Å"Yes from Horsham. † â€Å"That clay and chalk mixture which I see upon your toe-caps is quite distinctive. † this tells us how Holmes knowledge and observation of the places he has visited. Also in this passage we see that Holmes is known around the country as he has helped many other people, † I have heard of you, Mr. Holmes. I heard from Major Prendergast how you saved him in the Tankerville Club Scandal† We also learn that Holmes has been defeated in his quest for justice. â€Å"I have been beaten four times- three times by men and once by a woman. † This shows the character of Holmes, accepting that these people have beaten him. In â€Å"The Five Orange Pips† we see how excited by this case and how it is â€Å"One of the most remarkable to which I have listened. † This also tells us that Holmes intelligence has still not heard of such deaths and murders. This shows his character, as he still wants to solve cases, in which he doesn’t know what is going to happen. We also see that Holmes gives advice to the man who has asked for help; Holmes tells him that he should act upon the situation. However when the man told the police, they laughed. Then Holmes cries â€Å"Incredible imbecility! † this shows how Holmes believes that the police are ignorant, like in â€Å"The Speckled Band†. We also learn about the type of skills and intelligence that Holmes picked up, this is shown to us by Dr. Watson, â€Å"Botany variable, geology profound as regards the mud stains from any region within 50 miles of town, chemistry eccentric, autonomy unsystematic, sensational literature and crime records unique, violin player, boxer, swordsman, lawyer, and self-poisoner by cocaine and tobacco. Those, I think, were the main points of my analysis. † This tells us the amount of studying and how intelligent Holmes is.