Porsche Case Analysis

Problems Currently, Porsche faces several types of problems. In particular, many customers of this company have become much more price-sensitive since they were affected by the global economic recession that began in 2008. Additionally, it should be kept in mind that the maintenance of sports cars is very expensive. Therefore, even many well-to-do clients may be reluctant to use the car models developed by Porsche.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Porsche Case Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is one of the challenges that should not be disregarded. Secondly, the buyers are more willing to purchase fuel-efficient cars while the vehicles manufactured by Porsche consume higher amounts of gasoline. This issue is important because the governments of different states raise environmental performance standards that should be reached by automobile companies. These are the main issues that should be taken into account. Identification of alternatives and their evaluation The management of this company can take several steps. First of all, they can continue to position themselves as a manufacturer of luxury or prestige sports cars. This approach has been adopted by Porsche for a long time. In this way, they can retain the loyalty of clients who are committed to their products. Nevertheless, this strategy has limitations because the revenue of this organization can eventually diminish because it is not clear when the effects of global recession can be fully overcome. This is the main drawback that should not be disregarded. The second alternative is to develop a set of vehicles that may be purchased by people who represent various income levels. The main advantage of this strategy is that a company can attract a great number of potential clients. Furthermore, the profitability of this organization can increase. However, there are some weaknesses of this strategy. In particular, Porsche can lose its reputation of a produce that offers only high-quality vehicles. This is one of the pitfalls that should be avoided because it can endanger the long-term sustainability of the company. Proposed actions Under these circumstances, Porsche can take several steps. First of all, they need to increase the production of cross-over cars such as Cayenne since these models enjoy significant demand among prosperous clients. Secondly, they should launch the manufacturing of business class vehicles. Such an offering can appeal to various prosperous clients.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Finally, they should increase the fuel-efficiency of their models since it is critical for the competiveness of the organization. These are the main steps that should be taken. In this way, the company can better respond to current challenges which can be attributed to economic or poli tical environment as well as increased within the industry. The consequences of the propose actions The main advantage of the recommended strategy is that Porsche will be able to attract well-to-do clients who are not willing to purchase sports cars. In this way, a company can retain the reputation of a luxury brand and increase their customer base. This is one of the main issues that can be made. Moreover, the management of Porsche should remember that clients usually pay more attention to the environmental performance of vehicles. This is why they need to focus more on the fuel efficiency of their cars. Moreover, this strategy is critical for meeting the requirements set by the governments of various countries. These are the main aspects that should be taken into account. This case study on Porsche Case Analysis was written and submitted by user Felipe Nash to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A dream that was never fulfilled Essays - Allegory, Animal Farm

A dream that was never fulfilled Essays - Allegory, Animal Farm A dream that was never fulfilled By Benjamin the donkey Date: 12/4/2015 I used to live my life in the shadow of the Farm walls; I lived half of my life alone in that solitary, as I see things like a camera from all points of view but I never interfere up until the moment my best friend who worked so hard to build this farm was injured badly and he almost died and in that moment I opened my eyes and started to document what was happening in the Farm in the last couple of Years. I was a normal Animal who worked my hours in the farm during the day but in the night I interviewed Animals to see their points of view about their life under Napoleon leadership. My first interview was with boxer and it went as the following: Boxer what do you think about Napoleon? Hmmm Napoleon is a good leader but he always wastes our time in searching for Snowball, and his last act with the four Pigs was inappropriate and the Dogs are going brutal as it was the first time in my whole life seen an Animal kill an Animal! But I know one thing for sure which is too work harder than ever to finish building the windmill and retire. After the battle with Mr. Fredrick I went to Squealer and asked him few questions. Squealer may I speak with you? yes comrade. I would like to ask you few questions? Yes no problem. Who do you think should earn an medal for being the War hero? Of course our leader Napoleon as without his instructions and faith in us we will be dead by now and that being said I would like to leave as I have a very confidential meeting with the pigs. A few days passed until the pigeons came running with the news that Boxer has fallen as most of the animals rushed there and saw what happened after a few days I interviewed Boxer again and asked him what happened. - I thought that we need to finish the windmill as soon as possible and I worked so hard before retiring as my muscles have failed me but this time when I get better I am not going back to work for good. After this conversation between us the carriage came and it was written in the back horse slaughter and by the time I finished reading the carriage was long gone was Boxer trapped in it. Years and years have passed and the next thing we saw in the farm was astonishingly unexpected when the pigs came back from their secret training they were no ordinary pigs they were semi humans as they were standing on two legs and wearing coats. So I rushed over to Clover and had a little conversation with her s ince shes one of the animals who lived and survived after the rebellion. Clover lets go and check the commandments and what we found out left us in a shock for a while and the commandment was like ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS. After we saw that commandment and that Boxer hard work was all in vein and his goal to build a better place for animals was torn all apart I might not be as smart as the pigs but I know for sure that old major dream and vision was all in vein and his dream to create an equal place for all the animals was forgotten as I decided to forget too and get back to living in the shadows.

Family Cultural Values Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Family Cultural Values - Essay Example Filipino Americans have created a language that includes elements of English as well as Tagalog known as ‘Tag-lish’- and this is commonly used, particularly in the younger generation of Filipino-Americans. Filipino society places great emphasis on the practice of ‘kapwa’ or shared identity. This society emphasizes on the importance of developing strong relationships between all members of society. In traditional Filipino society, there were domains of interactions that marked all social as well as communal activities (Espiritu, 2007). The external domain was marked by civility, known as pakikitungo, pakikilahok- or participation in societal activities, pakikitungo – or mixing with others, and pakikisama, which literarily meant adjusting one’s perceptions in order to fit better in one’s society. All these stages were essential before one could be held in full trust- or pakiisa- by the society (Espiritu, 2007). The enduring values extolled by Filipino society could be said to be the result of years of having to share more than 7000 islands even though just 1000 are inhabitable. Religion also plays a central role in Filipino society. There are traditional animistic religions that are still practiced in some sections of the Philippines. Moreover, most Filipinos are Catholics. There are small minorities in Mindanao and Sulu that are Muslims, though (Espiritu, 2007). The central place of faith even among Filipino Americans is such that even matters of health are given interpretations based on issues of faith. The importance of prayer and faith as important aspects in securing healing from disease is a reality in Filipino-American society.... This essay stresses that In America, most Filipino Americans tend to combine aspects such as maintaining balance, exercising the body, and sustaining harmony to ensure that they remain disease free or fight off opportunistic infections. There is also an emphasis on maintaining social relationships with various important people in one’s life in order to keep the psychological man happy as well. The stress on the significance of maintaining balance within the body’s humors can be utilized as a cultural strength to improve the management of chronic illness as the patient can be educated on other aspects, discovered by modern medicine that could result in the body being unable to heal itself. This paper makes a conclusion that Filipino Americans also still observe traditional rules about the consumption of certain foods. Medical practitioners can use cultural norms on the best foods to consume when ill to stimulate their patients to play an active role in the process of their own treatment. In the case of terminally ill patients, it would be necessary to make use of the family members as nurses for the ill person. In most Asian American cultures, including the Filipino-American culture, decisions on how a sick member of the family is treated are made by the heads of families after a moment of consultation. Most families are more likely to feel comfortable with their terminally ill patient being looked after in their own homes.

Hum M3 man Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Hum M3 man - Essay Example A close analysis of Burn’s arguments on human emotions reveals that humans are in full control of their emotions. Values are the judgment of a person on what is important and what is not important in life. They are simply the standards of someone’s behavior. Unlike humans whose values are acquired from world experiences, animal values are passed from parent to offspring as animals tend to emulate what their parents do. Meanings of values are carried in most streams of emotions. Further, comparison between emotions and values reveal that emotions of different types are apprehension of values with distinctness. From self-assessment 3.4 I have a moderate cognitive empathy. This is an implication of moderate perspective taking. From self-assessment 3.5 I recorded a high emotional empathy. This is to mean that I am emotionally touched by what happens to other people. Self-assessment 2.2 portrays me as someone of high medium importance based on my values. My mood scale on self-assessment 4.4 reveals high positive energy. Generally the self-assessments portray me as someone energetic and believing so much in myself. However, I also get moved by the experiences of

The Evolution of Industrialization, from the Putting Out System to the Essay

The Evolution of Industrialization, from the Putting Out System to the Factory System - Essay Example Through this method of working, the owner of the industry would assign a particular contractor and make him chief. After hiring the chief contractor, the new contractor would in turn focus on the group and pick out several other junior contractors each with a particular task that they would later on combine to see to the completion of the project (Meyer, 2012). Through this method, the junior contractors and their team members were free to hold their meetings anywhere even if it meant leaving the site. This is why this system was referred to as â€Å"putting out† because the rich employers would just putting out commodities to the workers who worked in their homes and these would putting out to other junior workers. Through this system, the customer had a very large role to play as the chief contractor would not commence work without ensuring that he had everything he needed from the customer. It was the customer’s duty to purchase some of the important stuff for the contractor to engage his men and come up with a desirable product. The putting out system was very effective during the beginning of the industrial revolution. Through this putting out system, British soldiers got their firearms by contacting various contractors in the London area. These contractors would consequently seek people that new internal areas in the city where they would get firearms. Through this, every person in the chain got some commission. However, there are cases that the contractors sent showed greed and could even attempt escaping with the money. The soldiers were bright and they would eventually catch up to them. The cottage industry is another one that prevailed effectively during this period. This was a less complicated section of the industry in that the customers knew the exact residence of the spinners. With this information, they would go, leave details and then visit after several weeks or days depending on the

Impact of the National Health Services Direc

Impact of the National Health Services Direc Evaluate the Impact of the National Health Services Direct,  It’s Success Rate and the Changes it has  Made in UK Health Care Practices and Procedures Anne Cook Abstract NHS Direct was set up to as part of the NHS Modernization Plan launched in 1998; the objective of NHS Direct was to offer 24-hour medical information to the general public. This was done through the use of a telephone in service, a website on the Internet, interactive touch screen kiosks and interactive digital television. NHS Direct operates across the whole of England and its digital television and website are available across a wider area. Growth and change have been ongoing, with the introduction of providing services to other departments within the NHS framework and ongoing expansion. In the main, the general public is satisfied with NHS Direct services. They have formed partnerships with other NHS departments to reduce the workload in areas such as Accident and Emergency these initiatives have had a mixed success ratio. The Business Plan for 2006 onwards was focused on further expansion and growth of NHS Direct. However, on April 3rd, 2006, the Ministry of Health announced that the NHS overall had a budget deficit of 50 million pounds and made public that NHS Direct would be forced to reduce their workforce by one third. Overall NHS Direct had met their targets, all be it at a high cost due to the requirement for advanced technology to support and run the systems needed. The focus of NHS Direct Management will now be on restructuring and downsizing with a reduced workforce. The staff turnover has always been high at 30% and the staff morale in difficult times will be a problem that needs addressing in order to retain experienced staff. The overall conclusion is that the NHS as a whole will have to reconsider its ability to provide free medical to all based on current funding. The funding to NHS has increased over the last decade. Regardless of the increase in funding, the system was not monitored in a way that identified an growing deficit, now resulting in NHS Direct and other departments having to downsize, in this case not due to their own inefficiency but the overall financial crisis in the whole NHS system. By using change agents the process of going from being a growth division to one that is reducing needs to be well managed to focus on the positive contributions they can make to the health of the general public and by closing or redirecting the services that they are not handling competently and/or cost efficiently. 1. Table of Content Abstract 1. Table of Content 2. Introduction 3. Literature Review Brief Introduction to Change Management NHS DIRECT 4. Research Objectives 5. Research Methodology 6. Research Findings SWOT Analysis Table 1 – SWOT Analysis Force Field Analysis – NHS, Direct, April 2006 Table 2 – Force Field Analysis 2. Introduction The National Health Service (NHS) is the largest employer in the UK and has a diverse workforce with many different professional groups (Smith, 2000). The researcher believes that there is accelerating pace of change within the NHS, as they need to keep a step up and embrace further growth in the public sector. In recent journals there are many problems related to the NHS Direct, which the researcher feels an investigation should be undertaken to identify the problems. A political editor said; â€Å"The report doubted whether the target of 90 per cent of callers speaking to a nurse within five minutes would be met. It said NHS Direct was changing the target waiting time to 20 minutes† (Waugh, 2002). NHS Direct is the National Health Service’s 24-hour information, advice and guidance service available by telephone, the Internet, interactive touch screen kiosks and interactive digital television. NHS Direct operates across the whole of England and its digital television and website are available across a wider area. NHS Direct is a Special Health Authority and employs approximately 4000 staff and handles around 600,000 telephone calls and one million visits to the website each month. The NHS Direct website gives patients the same information as their doctors, in clear and jargon-free language, which helps them to make informed choices about their healthcare. At the time the HNS Direct website was set up the then Health Minister, Rose Winterton, stated ‘We are working to provide a modern, flexible NHS that fits around patients needs and meets their expectations. We know that patients would like more information to support them in making decisions about their healthcare. This is an important step in providing patients with the resources they need to make informed choices’ The NHS is implementing a 10 year modernization program – the NHS Modernization Board is advising the Secretary of State on implementing the plan. Due to the vast nature of the NHS, this study will specifically look at NHS Direct and analyze the changes that have occurred, and the affect on stakeholders, both within the NHS and their external customers. 3. Literature Review Brief Introduction to Change Management Over the last 20 years the impact of change has been greater than ever before, as the pace of change is now so fast that, for organizations to sustain business growth and operate successfully they must be able to adapt with the frequent changes in markets and competition. Therefore businesses must respond very quickly if they are to survive. Clarke, (1994) Today, change is not the exception but a steady ongoing process that organisation strive on to keep a crucial part of competitive edge. [1]Burns (2000, p148) states: â€Å"What worked in the past will not work in the future, and organizations, like society at large, will have to change in unprecedented ways if they are to survive.† Managing change is a broad area to concentrate on, as change affects organizations in general and people in many different ways. The NHS has made changes to their provision of health care, which gave rise to the NHS Direct in the first place; however, the current financial crisis shows that initiatives in health care to date have not been adequate or appropriate. The one area that has not changed is the demand and scope of the services to be provided – they are providing medical for all, regardless of the persons ability to pay. Certain members of the public have opted for private health care insurance but this is not the norm. In addition, the population is aging and increasingly more seniors need long tern, high care that puts pressure on available resources. â€Å"It is easy to change the things that nobody cares about. It becomes difficult when you start to change the things that people do care about—or when they start to care about the things that you are changing.† [2](Lorenzi and Riley 1994) The NHS is important to the vast majority of the population; it is considered a right to have medical care available to all, regardless of their financial contributions. Most people do not carry private health care insurance. The Ministry of Health has repeatedly changed the NHS to maintain this service, with differing levels of success in recent years. The current situation shows serious financial deficits, a shortage of qualified staff and dissatisfaction with the service. We live at a time when organizations are continually changing and success is now determined by how well the changes are implemented and whether the desired gains can be achieved. (Collins, 1998) The rate of change is increasing in almost all organizations. The pressure is intense as the world focuses the time and attention on understanding the forces driving the changing environment and expands or applies the information systems needed to support the changed environment. The phrase change management in reference to the comments of [3]Peter Drucker is as to ‘whether one can manage change at all or merely lead or facilitate its occurrence within an organisation’. Change management is the process by which an organisation gets to its future state, however creating change starts with creating a vision and then empowering individuals to act as change agents to attain that vision. In todays rapidly changing, competitive environment, the ability to change efficiently, can distinguish the winners from the losers. Many health-related organizations find themselves unable to adapt due to the independence of technologic change. NHS Direct has been in a period of change due to their growth since inception. In 1998, the change was positive, bringing on and implementing new technology, growing call centres and providing an expanding service to the general public as well as reducing the workload in some other sectors within the NHS. However, this additional service within the NHS has involved high costs for technological infrastructure, software and implementation, as well as on going maintenance and extended the service without huge reductions to the demands on other sectors of health care. NHS DIRECT Purpose of the NHS Direct The NHS is a 24-hour health help line that handles around 100,000 calls every week across its 22 sites. Since the launch of the first wave of NHS Direct sites in March 1998, the service has expanded to cover the whole of England. In addition, it has developed a range of multi-channel services, including NHS Direct Online, Information Points using touch screen kiosks, NHS Direct in Vision (new digital TV pilot projects) and the Self-Help Guide (formerly the NHS Direct Healthcare Guide). NHS Direct has also expanded, working with frontline staff and managers to devise new with out-of-hours services to succeed in their aims and objectives providing consistent access to high quality, integrated care. Ref [4]http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ – a new gateway to healthcare The NHS Plan – A Plan for Investment, a Plan for Reform, July 2000 4. Research Objectives Introduction of the NHS direct has made a big departure to the existing practice and presents a major challenge in the management of change in the public sector. The aim of this report is to analyze the role of the NHS Direct through the use of the Internet and the impact on the Medical services. The following areas will be evaluated: Investigate the purpose of NHS Direct. Research the NHS Direct history and its operations. Identify the NHS Direct objectives and the success to date Investigate the Impact on all stakeholders, including Medical Services and the general public Evaluate the role of NHS Direct Website in helping NHS Direct meet its objectives. The challenges the change has imposed on NHS Managers and the affect on their change management approach 5. Research Methodology A literary review will be undertaken to study the NHS Direct and the elements listed in the research objectives. A range of sources will be utilised including e-journals and journals, newspapers, books and the Internet. The success of the change management will be measured by the success of NHS Direct and its ability to meet predefined goals and objectives, referred to as Key Performance Indicators. The KPIs include the changes being introduced and new services that have grown since inception of the service. The NHS Direct website will be evaluated as to how user friendly it is, what content it provides, and its acceptability from the user community. 6. Research Findings Investigate the purpose of NHS Direct. NHS Direct is a response to the desire for increased patient empowerment. It is also recognition that the NHS is a complex, multi-layered system that can be confusing for the non-health professional. NHS Direct enables people to make decisions about their own or their family’s health by providing expert advice and up to the minute information. The service can also act as a 24-hour signpost, directing people to the most appropriate level of care. NHS Direct was launched in 1998, initially at three pilot sites, to provide â€Å"easier and faster advice and information for people about health, illness and the NHS so they are better able to care for themselves and their families†. The success of NHS Direct in achieving this aim rests largely on the premise that it should be accessible to all sectors of the population regardless of race, age, gender, preferred language choice, income, sensory impairment, disability, social positioning or cultural background/preference. Ref NHS Direct website, a new gateway to healthcare http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ Objectives of NHS Direct Specific objectives set for the service included: To provide for the public a confidential, reliable and consistent source of professional advice on healthcare 24 hours a day so that they can manage many of their problems at home or know where to turn to for appropriate care. To provide simple and speedy access to a comprehensive and up to date range of health and health related information. To improve quality, increase cost-effectiveness and reduce unnecessary demand on other NHS services by providing more appropriate response to the needs of the public. To allow professionals to develop their role in enabling patients to be partners in self-care, and help them focus on those patients for whom their skills are most needed. The Ministry of Health’s mission to modernize the NHS is not confined to hospitals. The roll-out of NHS Direct, a nurse-led telephone help line, and the introduction of walk-in primary care centres indicate that the same philosophy is being applied to GP services. The common theme in these initiatives is the desire to improve access and convenience within the NHS, a theme that is emerging as the defining element of New Labours approach to health policy. The modernization of the NHS, which included the introduction of NHS Direct was a major change designed to streamline the interface between the general public and the NHS. As the NHS Direct service grew, it came under criticized for severing the personal link between patients and their GP. Some patients preferred the face-to-face interaction with their doctor when a health problem arose, even though the situation did not require medical procedure or physical intervention and was competently handled by a call to NHS Direct. Ref Coulson –Thomas, C and Coe, T (1991), The Flat organisation. British Institute of Management: London. They stated that Change is an ever-present feature of organizational life, though many would argue that the pace and magnitude of change have increased significantly in recent years. The Institute of Management, formerly the British Institute of Management, which regularly carries out surveys of its members, has certainly found this to be true. In 1991, the institute reported that 90 per cent of organizations in its survey were becoming ‘slimmer and flatter’. Such change will bring resistance – there are 4 bases for resistance to change, identified as follows by Leigh, A (1988) Effective Change. IPM Cultural – When change seems at odds with accepted values and norms: â€Å"the way we do things around here†. Social – When change threatens to disrupt relationships or break up valued groups. Organizational – When change affects formal, hierarchical status and threatens the individual’s power and influence. Psychological – When change is seen to be counter to the individual’s vested interest, when loss outweighs gain. NHS Direct could have created resistance in all the above areas. Cultural – for many senior citizens, for example, prefer to talk face to face with their medical personnel and those less computer literate people would not be inclined to use the web site as a source of information. There is a trust relationship between many doctors and patients who have worked together on the individual’s health needs for many years. Social – NHS Direct has been criticized for severing the ties between doctor and patient and recommending patient care options that differ to those ‘normally’ followed by the patient under his/her GP. Organizational – an article on the BBC, 30 August 2001 ref http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1516701.stm shows a concern regarding the changes to the organizational structure. ‘NHS Direct blamed for rise in 999 calls’ ‘There has been a 30% rise in 999 calls since last year. The introduction of the NHS Direct help line has been blamed for a leap in the number of 999 calls made to an ambulance service. The Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust is failing to meet government-set response targets of answering 75% of life-threatening calls within eight minutes. The trust says its efforts are being hampered by a 30% rise in call-outs since NHS Direct was made available to islanders. NHS Direct denies it is advising people to call out ambulances without good reason. ‘ The facts are denied by the manager of NHS Direct, he believes the increase in calls were correctly recommended by NHS Direct and that hey are being used as a scapegoat for the inability of the ambulance services to meet their target for responding to calls. The Times on line, quotes the NHS chief, Dec 08, 2005, in the article titled, ‘Turbulence is the Price of a Better Service’ â€Å"When you are introducing change you will inevitably have some degree of turbulence,† Psychological – The Emergency Medical Journal, C J Morrell, et al wrote a report entitled ‘The Impact of NHS Direct on Other Services; The Characteristics and Origins of Its Nurses. It states ‘the introduction of any new health service can clearly have an impact on other services in two distinct ways: firstly, by altering the pattern of patient demand for existing services; and secondly, if it competes for the same resources, by affecting the ability of existing services to supply care.’ This was commissioned in response to increasing criticism that the service was taking qualified nurses away from the profession. The article went on to point out that a number of the nursing staff working for NHS Direct actually have disabilities or personal reasons for not being able or willing to do active nursing duties and have been encouraged back into the work force by NHS Direct – they would otherwise have remained outside of their profession al together. Research the NHS Direct history and its operations. NHS Direct was one of the new services that were introduced in 1999/2000 to improve and reform the NHS healthcare making it a modern, efficient and patient led health service giving patients more choice and better access to their own healthcare. The service provides access to confidential health advice and information, 24 hours a day, in a range of easy and convenient ways – the NHS Direct telephone service, NHS Direct Online website and the NHS Direct Interactive service on digital satellite TV service. As well as helping patients improve their health and looking after themselves, NHS Direct helps patients access the right health care service for their needs. The value of the use of technology was reported by [5]Carr (1996) who agrees that, when properly used, information technology is a powerful tool for increasing speed, quality, and flexibility, and for creating new, different, and effective process operations. â€Å"It enables businesses to maximize their return on investment and deliver breakthroughs in competitive advantage.† But in practice, â€Å"many organizations have been sending millions of dollars down the drain by applying sophisticated information technology to automatic existing processes. The consequences? Making the same mistakes faster.† The costs and changing structure of the NHS Direct in the past and concerns regarding the accounting were tabled by the National Audit Office in Feb 2006 ref http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/05-06/0506484.htm ‘Established in 1999, until April 2004 NHS Direct was centrally managed by the Department of Health but the service was delivered at a local level by 22 NHS Trusts. When NHS Direct became a Special Health Authority in April 2004, it had to put in place new accounting systems and procedures. While these systems were being established the host Trusts which had previously funded and managed the service continued to be responsible for providing accounting and payroll services under service level agreements. Since NHS Direct had not implemented a centralized ledger or payroll system and the payroll providers and records were dispersed across the country, there was an absence of central management control over the processing of payroll. Work by NHS Direct and the NAO has indicated that in the region of  £1.6m of payroll expenditure in 2004-05 may be inaccurate. According to today’s report, NHS Direct has also been unable to provide evidenced comparative income and expenditure figures for previous years. NHS Direct has estimated total income and expenditure of  £121 million for the previous year based on returns provided by the host Trusts to the Department of Health together with an estimate of central departmental costs, but has been unable to provide sufficient evidence to support these figures.’ Identify the NHS Direct objectives and the success to date Objectives are stated as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and divided into sections – Patient, Staff and Organisation, Stakeholders Financial. The table below summarizes the KPIs for the sections, as stated in the Executive Report for July 2005, tabled in Sept 2005. This provides a recent snapshot of NHS Directs adherence to KPIs and provides actuals for previous month and year allowing comparisons for improvement over the period. As the department is in a growth phase, these KPIs include measurements of change management as well as maintenance and adherence to standards and processes and procedures. The section for Financial KPIs does not include any metrics, therefore it is assumed they were not discussed or agreed prior to the tabling of the report. The following table has been extracted from the Executive Scorecard, a method used to measure adherence to targets. Patients KPIs Overall, patients reported being satisfied with the service received, however, the department did not achieve its objectives against the majority of KPIs The number of complaints were up from 2004, although lower than reported in June Number of complaints responded to within 20 days was 39% below target and 37% worse than in June Serious adverse incidents exceeded the target and has shown an improvement over prior year and month figures The number of web visits and calls answered were lower. This is likely to be due to the fact that this was summer and not due to any shortcoming on the service. The number of abandoned calls is above target, although improved over the period The assessment of calls, all types, have met target and are significantly improved over the period. The National Audit Office paper ‘NHS Direct in England, published in 2002 stated ‘NHS Direct’s project team has balanced the need to publicize the service and its capacity to meet demand. It has already met its target for 60% of the population to be aware of NHS Direct by March 2002. Public satisfaction with NHS Direct is consistently very high at over 90%. Very few callers received the engaged signal when telephoning, but in Sept 2001 only 64% of callers were able to speak to a nurse adviser within 5 minutes compared with the current target of 90%. ’ Staff Organisation KPIs Schedule adherence appears to be a problem, with the target not being met by 2 key staff members by 9 18%. The cause for concern is within the rolling year turnover rate for staff. This is exceptionally high at 39% and this should be further investigated to find out the root cause. The BBC article ‘Call Centres: An Ideal Calling’ an NHS Direct employee commented ‘However, with a staff turnover of some 30%, it looks as though the call handlers are not enjoying the fruits of this telecommunications boom. ‘Jonathan, who works at a major call centre in northern England, has seen this staggering turnover at first hand. Two-thirds of the people who join us dont make it past their second month. Most [of the others] leave within a year, he says. Companies have been accused of taking a cavalier attitude to happiness of their staff, preferring to hire agency workers rather than investing time and money in a full-time workforce.’ Stakeholder KPIs The departments reached the majority of stakeholder KPIs – stakeholders are other departments within the NHS and therefore this indicates that the NHS Direct should have a successful relationship within the NHS as a whole. July 2005 Executive Scorecard Patient KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) Actual Actual Actual Rating Jun-05 Target Prev mth Last Year G % Patients satisfied with service 99% 95% 98% 99% R Number of complaints (per 10,000 calls) 0.84 0.5 1.01 0.49 R Number of complaints responded to within 20 days 56% 95% 93% G Serious adverse incidents (per 10,000 calls) 0.16 0.24 0.34 0.25 A Number of web visits 963.3k 1040.9k 1013.0k 662.6k A Number of calls answered 570.01k 591.3k 553.5k 526.3k A Abandonment rate 7% 5% 10% 13% A % calls answered within 60 seconds 76% 95% 71% 57% G % urgent calls commencing clinical assessment in 20 minutes 97% 95% 97% 50% A % non-urgent calls commencing clinical assessment in 60 minutes 97% 95% 97% 50% G % of HI calls assessed within 3 hours 91% 90% 91% 90% Staff Organisation G Overall ICT availability 99.97% 99.00% 99.99% 99.99% R Schedule Adherence: Nurse Advisor 61% 80% 61% 57% A Schedule Adherence: Health Advisor 72% 80% 70% 66% A Calls per available hour 7.7 8.8 8.7 7.5 G Short term sickness 6% 6% 5% 5% R Rolling year turnover rate for staff 39% 25% 39% 30% A % of funded staff in establishment 90% 100% 91% 93% Stakeholders KPI <

Physics of Black Holes :: physics science space

What are Black Holes? A black hole is theorized to be a collection of collapsed matter of whose gravitational pull is so strong that not even light can escape its force. The matter is is forced in a very, very tiny area and therefore the matter is very dense. Since light cannot escape, they are considered to be truly black. This, obviously, makes it hard to detect an actual black hole, and therefore, have only been theorizd to exist. These theories are slowly turning into "conclusive evidence." This evidence includes the particle dust given off from matter entering the black hole, as well as observations of orbits of bodies near the black hole. Black holes are usually formed after supernova explosions, in which the remnants of this explosion implodes within itself. It will continue to condense to a volume of zero and infinite density. This is known as a singularity. How do we know? History Karl Swarzschild first came up with the concept of black holes in 1916. This was based upon Einstein's theory of relativity. The Swarzschild radius is the radius where the escape velocity equals the speed of light. The Swarzschild radius can be calculated using the escape velocity equation: vesc = (2GM/R)^1/2 Substituting the speed of light for the v: R = 2GM/c^2 If you notice, the Swarzschild radius is only dependent upon the mass of the body. Anything that enters this radius will not exit, due to the tremendous amount of gravitational pull. So, How do we know? Again, as mentioned earlier, we can't directly observe a black hole. We can, however, make observations to the surroundings around the black hole. It used to be that theorists were the only scientific persons who acknowledged an existence of black holes, however, today, the story is quite different. The popular idea today is that black holes do exist and are common in all the galaxies so far investigated. One reason is Einstein's theory of General Relativity. This theory accounts for the existence of black holes, and if they do not exist, then the General Relativity theories by Einstein would be wrong. Considering all the tests and experiements done to date to try and disprove this theory have all been rejected, this seems unlikely. Also, scientists today look for high concentration of mass in a small area. Calculations and technology allow this to happen. Another factor in proving the existence of black holes is the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope has accumulated a large amount of data and information supporting the existence of black holes.

Critique of the Hawthorne Experiments

Written by Fritz J. Roethlisberger (1898 – 1974), The Hawthorne Experiments, explores the experiments, results and conclusions of studies performed at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Company. The Hawthorne Effect is the theory that resulted from the studies. Roethlisberger, a key member of the team, joined the team in 1927 and actively participated in the research until 1936, first as Elton Mayo’s assistant and later as his collaborator (Roethlisberger, 2007). Roethlisberger earned a BA in engineering from Columbia University, a BS in engineering administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a MA in philosophy from Harvard University (Roethlisberger, 2007). When Roethlisberger became Elton Mayo’s assistant and a member of the Harvard Business School Department of Industrial Research, his studies towards a PhD in philosophy were halted (Roethlisberger, 2007). Roethlisberger held multiple positions while at Harvard University including: Instructor of Industrial Research (1927-1930), Assistant Professor of Industrial Research (1930-1938), Associate Professor of Industrial Research (1938-1946); and Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Human Relations (1950-1974) (Roethlisberger, 2007). Roethlisberger also served as a consultant to the Training within Industry Program of the U. S. Governments Office of Production Management from 1941 to 1942 (Roethlisberger, 2007). Roethlisberger is also responsible for multiple other essays and books including, â€Å"Man-in-Organization: Essays of F. J. Roethlisberger† (1968), â€Å"Counseling in an Organization; A Sequel to the Hawthorne Researches (1966)†, and â€Å"Management and Morale† (1941) (Biography – Fritz, 2010). Critique The article uses the experiments performed at the Hawthorne plant of the Western Electric Company as illustration to prove Roethlisberger’s theory . He wrote: It is my simple thesis that a human problem requires a human solution. First, we have to learn to recognize a human problem when we see one; and second, upon recognizing it, we have to learn to deal with it as such and not as if it were something else. Too often at the verbal level we talk glibly about the importance of the human factor; and too seldom at the concrete level of behavior do we recognize a human problem for what it is and deal with it as such (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 30). Roethlisberger also said, â€Å"A human problem to be brought to a human solution requires human data and human tools (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 30). Again the results from these experiments reiterated Roethlisberger’s theory of treating human problems with human solutions. There were multiple experiments performed at the Hawthorne plant. â€Å"In the illumination experiments†¦we have a classic example of trying to deal with a human situation in nonhuman terms (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 31). The illumination studies were performed from 1924 until 1927 and were to study the effect of lighting changes on employee productivity (Kirchner, 1992). Within this experiment, various degrees of illumination were experimented on a ‘test’ group and most of the experiments performed on the group showed an increase of productivity. According to Roethlisberger, â€Å"in still another experiment, the workers were allowed to believe that the illumination was being increased, although, in fact, no change in intensity was made† (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 31). Again the researchers saw an increase in productivity. Some of the researchers were beginning to develop their basic ideas and assumptions with regard to human motivation (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 31). In the next set of experiments, also known as the Relay Assembly Test Room Experiments, Western Electric Company drew support from Harvard researchers. The experiments (with five young women from the Relay Assembly room of the plant) involved manipulated a number of factors including, pay incentives, length of workday and work week, and the use of rest period (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p 32). While researchers kept tons of data regarding this experiment, including the temperature and humidity of the room and the amount of slept each women had the night prior, the physical changes had little change on the productivity (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, pp. 32 – 34). The experiments at the Hawthorne Plant continued with interviewing the actual employees. These interviews began in 1928 and were the â€Å"first real attempt to get human data and to forge human tools to get them† (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 35). In the beginning of the interviewing process, the interviewers found it difficult to not input their feelings, advice, etc into the interviews (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 35). Over time and with practice: They discovered that sooner or later a person tends to talk about what is uppermost in his mind to a sympathetic and skillful listener. And they become more proficient in interpreting what a person is say or trying to say (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p 35). It was the data from these experiments that supported the research of the Harvard team and lead them to conclude that productivity increase when management/supervisors began to pay attention to their employees. In the final set of experiments at the Hawthorne Plant, also described as the Bank Wiring Observation Group (1931-1932), researchers observed a group of employees that represented three occupational groups – wiremen, soldermen, and inspectors (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 8). All of the work done in this room was piece work and what the researchers discovered while observing was† To be an accepted member of the group a man had to act in accordance with these [the] social standards. One man in this group exceeded the group standard of what constituted a fair day’s work. Social pressure was put on him to conform, but without avail, since he enjoyed doing things the other disliked. The best-liked person in the group was the one who kept his output exactly where the group agreed it should be (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 8) It was these observations that lead the researchers to the conclusion: informal groups operate in the work environment. According to Roethlisberger, â€Å"most of us want the satisfaction that comes from being accepted and recognized as people of worth by friends and works associated. Money is only a small part of this social recognition (Natemeyer & McMahon, 2001, p. 39)† Despite the modern criticism the Hawthorne res earch receives, the studies changed the landscape permanently. These experiments help disprove, Frederick Winslow Taylor’s theory of scientific management. According to his theory, management should scientifically design the job, scientifically select and train the right worker, reward for performance (Dessler & Phillips, 2008, p. 12). The study at the Hawthorne plant shows that management can not be a separate identity in the workplace but needs to be actively involved and available to employees. While the findings of the Hawthorne Experiments disproved Taylor’s theory they do support Abraham Maslow’s theories. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, he points out there is more to motivation and an enjoyable workplace, then a paycheck. According to his theory, an employee has numerous needs including: physiological needs (food, water, etc), safety and security needs, social needs, self esteem, and self actualization (Dessler and Phillips, 2008, p. 12). In these experiments, the employees included in the group received more attention and were included into ‘special’ social groups. Today’s Workplace Fritz J. Roethlisberger’s conclusions from the Hawthorne Experiments are still relevant in today’s workplace. Employees need to feel as though they are a member of a group and their thoughts and opinions matter to the company they work for. While some researchers criticize the Hawthorne Experiments, the experiments, flawed or not, point to a key point – the employees in the Hawthorne experiment were pleased and thrived when receiving attention from the resea rchers. As Roethlisberger, pointed out one can not solve human problems or concerns without a human solution and he is correct. Social needs, self esteem needs, and self actualization needs, as defined by Maslow, are all human needs and can not be completed or satisfied with changed lighting, rest periods, increased pay, etc – they need human interaction and human solutions. These needs are even more important in our society and many companies do recognize these. Many companies now offer mentoring programs, employee groups (including health committee, activity committees, etc), rewards, and acknowledgement programs. When employees are made to feel special their physical and intellectual performance improves and thus a company will experience success.

Adjective Clauses in Grammar

Adjective Clauses in Grammar In English grammar, an adjective clause is a  dependent clause used as an adjective within a sentence. Also known as an adjectival clause or a relative clause. An adjective clause usually begins with a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom, whose), a relative adverb (where, when, why), or a zero relative. See Examples below. Also, see: Contact ClauseRelative Pronouns and Adjective ClausesRestrictive and Nonrestrictive Adjective Clauses Exercises Expanding Sentences With Adjective ClausesPractice in Identifying Adjective ClausesPractice in Punctuating Adjective ClausesPractice in Using Relative Pronouns With Adjective ClausesSentence Building With Adjective Clauses Types of Adjectives Clauses There are two basic types of adjective clauses: ï » ¿The first type is the nonrestrictive or nonessential adjective clause. This clause simply gives extra information about the noun. In the sentence, My older brothers car, which he bought two years ago, has already needed many repairs, the adjective clause, which he bought two years ago, is nonrestrictive or nonessential. It provides extra information.The second type is the restrictive or essential adjective clause. It offers essential [information] and is needed to complete the sentences thought. In the sentence, The room that you reserved for the meeting is not ready, the adjective clause, that you reserved for the meeting, is essential because it restricts which room.- Jack Umstatter,  Got Grammar?  Wiley, 2007 Examples He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe is as good as dead.- Albert EinsteinCreatures whose mainspring is curiosity enjoy the accumulating of facts far more than the pausing at times to reflect on those facts. - Clarence DayAmong those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh. - W. H. AudenShort, fat, and of a quiet disposition, he appeared to spend a lot of money on really bad clothes, which hung about his squat frame like skin on a shrunken toad. - John le Carrà ©,  Call for the Dead, 1961

Free Essays on Essays On Essays

on a piece of paper. Even though they are partially correct, it is a lot more to it than that. First, you have to choose what type of essay you want to write: Classification, Process Analysis, Causes of, and many more. The essay that I want to explain is the Process Analysis essay. This essay is like making Kool-Aid. Just like Kool-Aid, you have steps to complete in order to make the perfect pitcher. The process analysis essay should have at least 6 different steps in completing it correctly. The very first step, prewriting, is not that hard. In fact, it is the easiest part of the essay. All you have to do is first find your subject (the topic you want to write about), it shouldn’t be hard because the topic is the reason you would want to write this type of essay. Now that you have your subject, jot down a few notes and facts that you already know about your subject. Don’t be afraid to leave out anything, there is always time to delete the nonsense sentences. Now that you have your ideas on paper, the next step is to compose the essay. Write out your rough draft and if you think it is necessary, add all of the nonsense sentences to make your essay look bigger. On a personal note, you might want to leave the spelling and grammar problems out, because you are not really interested in that right now. Spelling uses to much of your time and energy, it is better to get out what you are thinking on paper. After composing, you have to evaluate your essay. What I mean is you have to read the essay over and over, take out whatever you do or do not like and maybe change around some of the word usage. This is a good time to check out your grammar problems and run-on sentences. If you feel comfortable with your essay, let a peer read it and find out their opinion. Thei... Free Essays on Essays On Essays Free Essays on Essays On Essays Essay on Essay Many different people do not know how to write an essay, even though it is quite easy people just can’t comprehend it. People think and essay is words on a piece of paper. Even though they are partially correct, it is a lot more to it than that. First, you have to choose what type of essay you want to write: Classification, Process Analysis, Causes of, and many more. The essay that I want to explain is the Process Analysis essay. This essay is like making Kool-Aid. Just like Kool-Aid, you have steps to complete in order to make the perfect pitcher. The process analysis essay should have at least 6 different steps in completing it correctly. The very first step, prewriting, is not that hard. In fact, it is the easiest part of the essay. All you have to do is first find your subject (the topic you want to write about), it shouldn’t be hard because the topic is the reason you would want to write this type of essay. Now that you have your subject, jot down a few notes and facts that you already know about your subject. Don’t be afraid to leave out anything, there is always time to delete the nonsense sentences. Now that you have your ideas on paper, the next step is to compose the essay. Write out your rough draft and if you think it is necessary, add all of the nonsense sentences to make your essay look bigger. On a personal note, you might want to leave the spelling and grammar problems out, because you are not really interested in that right now. Spelling uses to much of your time and energy, it is better to get out what you are thinking on paper. After composing, you have to evaluate your essay. What I mean is you have to read the essay over and over, take out whatever you do or do not like and maybe change around some of the word usage. This is a good time to check out your grammar problems and run-on sentences. If you feel comfortable with your essay, let a peer read it and find out their opinion. Thei...

What are some Issues that Lead to the Rise of the Labor Movement and Essay

What are some Issues that Lead to the Rise of the Labor Movement and the Problems Organized Labor Faced both Internally and Externally in their Struggle for Social Equality - Essay Example Most employers since as early 19th century have been known for their ruthless treatment of their workers without considering their wellbeing and the civil rights to which they are entitled. For workers in the industrial sector, labor movements were organized with the core objective of bettering wages, reasonable hours, improved conditions at the work place. The movement’s efforts have since transformed the labor society to what it is today. It has resulted to dismissal of child labor, health benefits accrued to workers as well as provision of assistance to workers who get injured in the course of duty and support to for the retired group. Factors that have led to the emergence of the labor movements include mistreatment of workers at the work place by their employers. Incidences of workers mistreatment had become prominent in the American society that compelled them to form unions in an effort to fight for their rights and protect them from the inconsiderate, self-centered employees. The workers were kept working for longer hours with little or no pay at all. Such terms of contract fuelled formation of mass protest by the workers in protest of the cheap labor. Another factor that was key in the rise of labor movement was political involvement and sensitization of the workers. Local leaders and politicians played a significant role in the formation of unions as they sought to fight for the rights of their people. Most leaders of the time sensitized their community to stand their grounds and fight for their rights. The call by leaders propelled residents who were getting unfair treatment to congregate together and stag e a protest against their masters. This was evident in the colonial era where political leaders led their troops against their masters who were taking advantage of them to gained cheap labor leading to reforms in the sector. Marxism taught believed that trade

Time Warner Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Time Warner Case Study - Research Paper Example Such a situation may progressively lead to market monopoly. It is obvious that a monopolistic market environment may hurt the interests of buyers, suppliers, and new market entrants. Sometimes, mergers adversely affect the feasibility of integrated organizations also if the business becomes too large because of the merger. Under such circumstances, the merger process may cause the firms to incur higher unit costs. Similarly, often huge mergers result in employee termination, which in turn, would contribute to growing unemployment issues. In short, thoughtless mergers would threaten the economic uplift of the country and, therefore, government regulation is essential in a market economy. 2. It is observed that the US government has constantly intervened in the country’s market process over the last decade, especially after the 2008-09 global financial crisis. The US government identified that accounting fraud was the root cause behind a series of corporate failures in the count ry. Hence, nowadays the US government greatly intervenes in the country’s market process on the belief that those restrictions would put a check on illegal and unfair business practices. In addition, the US debt crisis also persuaded regulators to exercise more control over the country’s market process. ... As Perry and Dell (2010) pointed out, investigations discovered that the US bank collapses were partially attributable to inefficient government control over its market operations. Policymakers believe that government intervention in the market process would assist the country to overcome the impacts of debt crisis and, thereby, promote sustainable economic growth. 3. An organization or an industry would face some additional complexities if it needs to expand its business sector by means of capital projects rather than merger strategy. Acquisition strategy is an alternative to merger and this method demands huge amounts of money. If the Time Warner proceeds with the acquisition strategy, the firm would be forced to raise huge capital in order to acquire another firm. In addition, organizational change associated with the acquisition strategy may sometimes raise potential managerial challenges to the organization. New venture expansion is another strategy for self expansion and it req uires the firm to raise abundant potential sources of capital. In case of large venture projects, Time Warner alone cannot fund its operational requirements and, thus, the firm may be forced to depend on debt financing practices. However, such policies would adversely affect the financial viability of the firm and consequently threaten the long-term sustainability of the organization (Debt financing). Furthermore, other capital projects based on self-expansional strategies may raise a series of operational difficulties to the company while entering an overseas market. It has been identified that the level of uncertainty is higher under self-expansion strategies based on capital projects other than merger process. 4. When the industry is confronted with government