Moral Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Moral Responsibility Essay ? Most people have natural desires such as getting higher social status; making more money; travelling all around the world; or collecting specific objects like cars, shoes, watches, dishes or stamps. Often this desire becomes a reason why people wake up in the morning, work hard, deal with all their troubles, or patiently save money. Eventually when the person achieves their desire, he/she feels great happiness, and it remains in their lives as a pleasant memory. However, sometimes people have conflicts between their wants and their moral responsibilities. What should human beings put first in their lives? Is there a method that helps human beings to find a balance among different values? My desire was to have designer bags. It started when I was a freshman in college. I had no knowledge about designer brands before I came to college because my parents have never put value on material things and have shown thrifty living is more meaningful than luxury living. I had had no issues with what my parents taught me, but starting in college I have struggled with my original values. My professor made fun of my clothing and accessories, which I bought at the supermarket, with obscure brand logos. She said if I wanted to be a good designer I had to be aware of fashion trends and style, and I also had to use those items. Moreover, the professor advised me that I should treat myself like a professional designer instead of a naive country girl, so I should take more care of my outfit. What she said it made sense to me but it hurt my self-esteem first. After that I started to look at people around me and I realized I had to change from head to toe. I asked my parents to buy new clothes, shoes and accessories, and not at the supermarket. So we went to a department store and I saw the new world at age 19. Everything looked fabulous and beautiful, but also very expensive, especially compared to what I used to wear and carry. That first shopping experience at the luxury department changed my entire value system. I used to give tithe and offering to church without thinking or counting. It was my duty as a Christian and I knew how the church would spend the money that I donate. The church I attended had a partnership with a local orphanage and a nursing home and I regularly went there to serve people with other church members. It was such a significant experience which taught me the spirit of sharing and happiness from contribution to people who are in need. Since my entire values changed, I started to calculate the money I spent for donation and to fulfill myself. I tried to find a few reasons why I did not have to donate. First of all, I worked hard to earn money; second of all, I would sacrifice my short-term wants to save money for a new designer bag. Thirdly, there are many people who are wealthier than I who would give more. A few months after, I had money to buy my first designer bag, so I went to the department store to buy my long-term goal. That bag made me feel happy and satisfied and I found myself showing off my pleasure to people around me.. I thought once I had a bag that I wanted to have it would be just enough, but soon after, I found a new bag that I hoped to have. This started my moral dilemma between satisfying my material greed and the spirit of sharing. I asked my parents to give me wise words about the situation that I faced. They said I should not stop donating money if I feel guilty from it, but I should stop donating money if not getting a bag made me unhappy. They also said I had to think about why I had a part-time drawing teaching job. I said that I worked because I wanted to build my career and to take financial responsibility for myself, so there was no problem with that. I pointed out the amount of fulfillment was greater and longer when I carried out my moral responsibility for orphan children and seniors who were in nursing homes. Therefore I decided to put my moral duty first, but I also made special savings for myself which could afford my personal desire for bags. It seemed the problem was solved but it is not fully solved yet. As my eyes become more sophisticated, my desires grow bigger and more expensive and it will not stop. The utilitarian philosopher, Peter Singer, emphasizes the scientific evidence on conditions of happiness, which shows that once human beings have enough to satisfy their basic needs, they cannot maximize their happiness anymore by gaining wealth. I do partly agree with his opinion because human beings need continuous stimulation, so they work and make progress in their daily lives. The New York Times Op-Ed columnist David Brooks believes that human beings need a reward as motivation in order to work harder and being productive, which means people are supposed to help each other but human beings have natural preference to put themselves as the highest priority, so self-satisfaction is more important than taking moral responsibilities. Although Brooks’ opinion makes sense to me according to my experience, I am not 100% sure which opinion is right and I should follow. In my mind the most important matter is what makes people happier and brings no regret, while finding a balance between self-satisfaction and looking after people who are in need with a true heart.

Managing A Work Life Balance Social Work Essay

Managing A Work Life Balance Social Work Essay Work-life balance is a broad concept which is closely related and derived from the research of job satisfaction. There are both intrinsic and extrinsic factors which affected perceptions of job satisfaction within individuals. Intrinsic factors referred to job characteristics specifically. However, the extrinsic factors referred to the social and cultural norms the individual holding the job operated by. Hence, Work-life balance was considered one of the inputs of this extrinsic factor. Hackman and Oldhams Job Characteristics Model Work/life balance is the ability to do great work and get all of your other priorities accomplished, too. That means giving people the freedom to choose when and where to do their work so they can best balance every aspect of their life. The point is, people are working. Work/life balance isnt about doing less work. Its about having the freedom to choose when and whereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Introduction:- Why is it important to develop a work-life balance? The answer lies in how we deal with that old adversary stress. Maintaining a work-life balance is essential in handling stress. Balance is the key to dealing with stress and a chaotic life. Balance provides us with necessary time to ourselves, enhances our relationships with our families, friends and gives us opportunities to relax. Balance brings our lives into focus, sharpens our perceptions and gives us time to discover ourselves. Balancing time spent at work and time spent at home doing other activities should be equally balanced. We all need a breather from work and from time to time we require a break from home life. Balance gives us the means to bring our lives into harmony. Relationships with family, friends and partners suffer when there is an imbalance between work and life. Not only do relationships suffer when there is an imbalance but our work performance suffers as well. If we give our all to one we neglect the other. This creates chaos and stress in our lives. Stress is the byproduct of imbalance and steps should be taken to reduce or avoid stress by balancing work and life. How can we develop a work-life balance? In order to develop balance between work and life we must start with giving equal time and attention to both. Never take your work home with you and leave your home life and all of its problems at home. When you are at work be wholly and completely at work and when at home be completely committed to caring about family matters only. This will reduce unnecessary stress on yourself, family and coworkers. Work Life Balance Work Life Balance Day was initiated by the National Framework Committee for Work Life Balance Policies in 2001. The Committee seeks to encourage and support employers to put in place a range of flexible working arrangements which help employees to combine employment with the other commitments in their lives. The Committee established a Panel of Consultants who will advise employers on putting in place a Work Life Balance Policy and associated arrangements. Work Life Balance initiatives can be advantageous to both employers and employees: For employers, Work Life Balance options can make an organization more attractive to recruitment candidates, as well as supporting the retention of current employees. When recruiting, employers can attract individuals from a wider pool of candidates, providing the organization with the best prospect for selecting high quality employees; For employees, Work Life Balance options can allow them to remain in, or re-enter, employment while meeting commitments in other parts of their lives (family, education etc). 16 Ways to Encourage Work/Life Balance in Employees By David Hakala on April 16, 2008 As a recession looms and companies slash their payrolls, it is more important than ever to keep remaining employees productive and happy. One issue that employers constantly wrestle with is work/life balance, the allocation of employees time and energy between work and family, health activities, hobbies and all of lifes nonwork requirements. Studies have shown that too much work can lead to a variety of stress-related illnesses that sap workers vitality, making them more prone to errors on the job, absenteeism, burnout and turnover. The tendency for work to dominate employees lives is increased when layoffs and hiring freezes leave fewer workers with more to do. The remaining workers are often the hardest to replace because they are the best. It behooves companies to encourage employees to sustain healthy work/life balances. Here are some tips that companies can use to keep their work forces healthy and productive. On-the-Job Training:- Management ManagementHYPERLINK http://www.hrworld.com/management/ support for work/life balance is critical, and it must come from the top. Too often, the perception that hard work is the only way to rise in a company keeps employees at the grindstone, working themselves into illness. Survey of employee Surveys of employees work/life issues can help a company understand workers needs and design appropriate policies to meet them. Studies have shown that respect for work/life balance needs is high on employees lists. Set priorities for all work When priorities are unclear, employees tend to overwork because they think that everything must get done at once. Setting priorities allows workers to schedule tasks over a reasonable period of time. Train line managers to recognize signs of overwork. Supervisors can spot increasing error rates, absenteeism and signs of stress-related burnout more easily than anyone else in the organization. Workers who show these signs of a poor work/life balance can be referred to employee-assistance programs. Seminars on work/life balance It can help employees understand its importance and find ways to achieve it. Such seminars teach employees how to better manage their workloads, eliminate unproductive work habits, get sufficient exercise and negotiate more flexible work conditions that meet their needs. Make Work More Flexible Flextime It is one of the most useful tools in helping workers achieve a good work/life balance. Companies should identify which jobs lend themselves to flexible work scheduling and implement formal policies for coordinating flexible schedules with an employees supervisors and coworkers. Telecommuting It is a way for employees to work from home while taking care of a sick or dependent family member. It also cuts down on stress and unproductive time due to a commute. Studies have shown that telecommuters can be 30 percent more productive than their office-bound counterparts. Many companies are implementing formal telecommuting programs on an as-needed or permanent basis. Telecommuting can be a terrific recruitment tools as well. Job sharing It can keep two valuable employees busy while reducing work-related stress. In a job-sharing arrangement, two workers work part-time and share the workload of one job. Careful coordination between the two workers, their supervisor and their co-workers is necessary to make job sharing work. Allow for Time off from Work Encourage the use of vacation and sick-leave time. Supervisors should advise employees to use their vacation and sick-leave benefits when signs of burnout or illness arise. Companies can implement use-it-or-lose- it policies to encourage employees to take time off when it is necessary. Leave policy: A formal leave policy for employees with dependents recognizes and encourages the need to care for sick children or elderly parents. Paid childbirth or adoption leave gives women and men the flexibility to keep their jobs while attending to a new addition to the family. This option is almost always cheaper than the alternatives of burnt-out employees or those who leave the company. Limit how often employees take work home. The line between work and home lives tends to blur when employees regularly take work home. This practice should be monitored by management personnel, who should also develop plans for making sure that work gets done at the office instead of at home.Some companies allow employees to take leave for community service. These firms recognize that employees obtain life satisfaction from projects or work outside of their regular jobs. Bringing Life to Work Bring-your-kids-to-work day It is a way to get employees families involved in their work lives. The opportunity to share a day of work with children is a benefit that many employees appreciate. Sponsoring employees It family-oriented activities is another way to combine work and life. Sporting events, excursions to amusement parks, fishing trips and other family-oriented jaunts are good opportunities to help employees strike a work/life balance. Companies need to promote their work/life-balance policies year-round not just in employee orientations and handbooks. Frequent, positive communication of these benefits reinforces managements commitment to help workers achieve work/life balances and gives employees the feeling that it is OK to live a little. Balancing Life and Personal Commitments Work-Life Balance does not mean an equal balance. Trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each of your various work and personal activities is usually unrewarding and unrealistic. Life is and should be more fluid than that. We want to make sure you have the resources, services and tools you need to get the balance that is right for you and to help you in your personal and professional endeavors. WORK LIFE BALANCE: Benefits to the organization Measured increases in individual productivity, accountability and commitment Better teamwork and communication Improved morale Less negative organizational stress WORK LIFE BALANCE: Benefits to the individual More value and balance in your daily life Better understanding of what your best individual work life balance. Increased productivity Improved relationships both on and off the job Reduced stress Balancing Work and Life Your department and colleagues can contribute to your work-life balance Managers play an important role in helping faculty and staff achieves the right work-life balance. When you create and promote a work atmosphere that makes it easier for your team to achieve a better work-life balance, you have happier, healthier employees who are more productive and satisfied in their work and a less stressful work environment overall for your team. Being flexible and understanding the needs of each of your employees will help you to build a more positive and successful work environment. Tips for helping your team achieve a better work-life balance Consider flexible schedules, alternate work arrangements or job sharing where appropriate and be supportive of these arrangements (they shouldnt have a negative impact on career growth and success) Be flexible, considerate, and respectful of personal or family responsibilities Allow for time to pursue professional development and community service opportunities Promote a positive work environment through your leadership and support of employees Promote a disconnect from work atmosphere when employees have scheduled time off (no cell phones or lap tops) where possible You can contribute to your own work-life balance It is important that you, as an individual, find ways to create the right work-life balance for yourself. The best work-life balance for you may be different than that of your coworkers or your manager. For some, working long hours creates value and balance in their lives. For others, it is not a routine they can productively or enjoyable maintain. The best work-life balance also changes for each individual over time and is usually different for someone just starting in their career than someone who is retiring. A good work-life balance for someone who has no children may be different than that of someone with children, and many people are caregivers to older family members as well. Your best work-life balance will change, and while we strive to help create an environment that allows you to integrate your personal and professional lives, you must find ways to create the right balance for your self. Suggestions for getting a better work-life balance that is right for you: Define and create your own work-life balance Be accountable for balancing your personal and professional commitments Help your manager understand the right balance for your life and help to work out an arrangement that supports your needs Strive for meaningful achievements and enjoyments in work, family, friends, and self each day Work life balance what are the benefits and barriers associated with the achievement of a work life balance for employees and employers? The importance of the achievement of a work-life balance and the issues which can be faced when initiatives to achieve such a balance are implemented One issue surrounding the concept is that work life balance is often loosely defined as simply referring to the balance between an individuals time spent at work and on home life. In fact employees are usually monitored on various factors including their attention whilst at work. Central to definitions of work-life balance then is the notion that the modern employment relationship is a negotiation to establish the boundaries around the attention and presence required, creating the need for employees to consciously incorporate practices into their lives to integrate the work and non-work aspects. Work-life balance can be defined as a reconciliation of paid employment and life. It has suggested by McKee and colleagues that a series of historical shifts has shaped, to some degree, the debate about work-life balance. Broadly speaking they suggested these were the absence of fathers from home through war, imprisonment or long working shifts, the entry of large numbers of women into the workforce; the changing composition and structure of the family; expanding male unemployment; the increase in singe working parents; the intensification of working hours; an ageing population and the growing number of cared for groups; and the growth of equal opportunities. (McKee and colleagues) It is accepted that the feminization of the work force increases the need for family friendly policies, however studies are said largely to have narrowly focused on the experiences of women with the double burden of employment and domestic and child care tasks, at the expense of a broader concept (Ransom, 2007). It also must be noted that the Work-Life Balance b/w personal and professional life When an individual maintains a balance between his personal and professional life, the phenomenon is called Work-Life Balance. This expression holds worth a lot because it is very important to have a balance between personal and professional life. Work life balance is at the forefront of the world of work. Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy for continuous improvement, along with the role of information technology (IT) helps and guides the management people, to get the maximum output with the help of available resources. The balance between personal and professional life vary from person to person and the organization where he or she is working. When an individual does not maintain a balance and works too much in the organizational setting, this may cause him some medical, psychological and behavioral consequences, as a result his or her productivity will also be low. Studies have shown that work life stress is harmful to the employees. Late sitting and working too much can cause imbalance in an individuals personal and professional life; however there are some techniques to manage the work life stress e.g. time management, task management, relaxation, flexible working hours, working from home and exercise etc. Work life balance improves individuals health, job satisfaction, commitment, involvement and reduces absenteeism and presenteeism (state of physical presence but not productive). Despite of the progress in the betterment of maintaining work life balance, there is still more to be done. One important factor is the degree to which work life balance are generally applicable across the whole hierarchy of the organization. Those lower down the organizational hierarchy are sometimes not entitled for some benefits or uninformed about relevant company policies. Work life balance can assist employers and employee to be healthy and productive in their personal and professional life. Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices. Betsy Jacobson. For some people spending more time in the organization is more important than the time they spend at home. However, there are people who give priority to the personal and family life. In this technological era, some organizations also offer flexible working hours. One can carry laptop, PDA, black berry and is connected with suppliers, venders through internet 24 hours a day. The moment he gets any query, he responds to it. There are some work-alcoholics who take their laptops and PDAs to the vacation and face the annoyance of their wives while checking the emails. People are more interested in looking for a job that gives them flexibility at work. Necessary arrangements for work life balance are required by all workers at different times in their lives because balance is instrumental in quality initiatives by preparing an individual to deal with the change. An individual can give his best only in a conducive environment e.g. students want to study and work at the same time; parents want to have time with their children and the older worker approaching retirement to have the opportunity to stay in the workforce on reduced hours. Mostly the employers and the employees agree that organizational objectives are more important, so it is the obligation of the employer to help people in work life balance. CONCLUSION Work life balance does not just happen; it is your own personal strategy of the manner in which you make a conscious choice to put balance in your life. Work life balance means different things to different people. It is a personal decision on how you want to balance your time between work and your personal life. It is a decision on balancing and maintaining a focus on what is most important to you. No two people share the exact work life balance preferences. Examine what is important in your life and what is your highest priority. Examine what your personal life goals are related to your job and your personal life. Personal life goals should reflect the value and principles that you focus your life on. None of the priorities are set in cement and there should always be room to make changes because your priorities and goals can change.  Whenever you are experiencing competing priorities, stop and take a close look at your situation. Look at what is being expected for you to accompl ish and make an accurate estimate of what you can accomplish and what you cannot accomplish.   This should be a honest accounting of yourself and your priorities. Avoid setting yourself up to fail because you are trying to accomplish more than you can effectively balance in your life. If you over extend yourself your work life balance will be out of control. Work/life balance is not a nice to have when were in a boom time. It can have a fundamental impact on the corporate performance at all times. Companies who focus on and measure staff wellbeing are in fact being very prudent. Theyre making as big a contribution to their bottom line as those who are looking at ways to increase sales or cut costs

Information systems of ford motor company

Information systems of ford motor company Since Information System is a concept for competitive advantage which defined in the early 80s, there are lots of companies invested at information technology. Until now, there is a survey shows that information technology investment is being more and more in every company. It is showing that, Information system is a foundation for conducting business today. In many businesses, survival and the ability to achieve strategic business goals is difficult without extensive use of information technology. It is because information technology can help a company more easy to gain competitive by achieving operational excellence, developing new products and services, enhanced customer and supplier intimacy and exploiting digital markets. So nowadays, information system is very important for every company. This essay will discuss how useful of information system in business, by using Ford Motor Company as an example which using information system to enhanced customer and supplier intimacy in customer relationship management system (CRM). Ford Motor Companys organization and environment The Ford motor company was formed in 1903 by Henry Ford whose aim was to provide the people with a cheap and affordable car that any middle class employed person could own. Ford Motor Company is a famous company which selling automotive. It is also a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan. It manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. In 1995, Ford had embarked on an ambitious restructuring plan called Ford 2000, which included merging its North American, European, and international automotive operations into a single global. Ford 2000 helps company reduce the cost by reengineering and globalizing corporate organizations and processes. The major reengineering projects were initiated around major company processes such as Order to Delivery (OTD) and Ford Production System (FPS), with goals such as reducing OTD time from more than 60 days to less than 15 days. Ford also launched a public Internet site in mid- 1995; by mid- 1997 the number of visits to the site had reached more than 1 million per day. A companywide Intranet was launched in mid- 1996. And by January 1997 Ford had in place a business-to-business capability through which the Intranet could be extended in a secure manner beyond company boundaries into an Extranet potentially connecting Ford with its suppliers. Ford teamed with Chrysler and General Motors to work on the Automotive Network Exchange, which can help suppliers to manage different means of interaction with each automaker to be consistency in technology standards and processes in the supplier network. In the supply chain area, there was general agreement that information technology also could be deployed to dramatically enhance material flows and reduce inventories, substituting information for inventory, as the expression went. So in the plan of Ford 2000, for meeting the aim on reengineering projects, having a nice supply chain management systems and customer relationship management systems can help the company more close to suppliers and customers which can easy to reduce the cost on order to delivery system and ford production system. As that time Internet revolution unfolded in parallel, Ford Motor Company created new possibilities for reengineering processes within and between enterprises by using Internet. Fords Existing Supply Base The existing supply base was in many respects a product of history. Start in early 1990s, Ford had begun to try actively to decrease the number of suppliers the company dealt with directly. Rather than using a large amount to buy individual components, it shifts to have long-term relationships with a subset of very capable suppliers who would provide entire vehicle subsystems. By doing that, Ford can easier to have a well link with major suppliers which can help Ford easier to improving a range of techniques such as just-in-time and total quality management. Ford Motor Companys SCM and CRM technology of Information system Ford Production System In restructuring plan, Ford 2000, the most important is reengineering projects; one of these projects is Ford Production System, it is an information system to achieve a close relationship to suppliers. Its aim is that improve the process on making motor to be more pull-based system, with synchronized production, continuous flow, and stability throughout the process. To achieve that, Ford could tell suppliers exactly when and where certain components would be needed days in advance, and buffer stocks thus could be reduced dramatically. If this system can work successfully, the benefits would be felt throughout the supply chain. Order to Delivery For another key process Ford reengineering projects is looking for improve the customer relationship management system. The information system to do that is Order to Delivery, the purpose of this system was to reduce to 15days the time from a customers order to delivery of the finished product. The Order to Delivery vision was to create a lean, flexible, and predictable process that harmonized the efforts of all of Fords components to enable it to provide consumers with right product in right place at right time, which means that it can help Ford Motor Company meet the just-in-time technique. By achieving Order to Delivery, Ford believed that it would provide better quality, higher customer satisfaction, improved customer selection, better plant productivity, stability for its supply base, and lower dealer and company costs. Ford Retail Network On 1 July, 1998, Ford Motor Company launched the first of its Ford Retail Network ventures in Tulsa, Oklahoma, under the newly formed Ford Investment Enterprises Company. The principle of Ford Retail Network was that giving consumers the highest level of treatment and create an experience they would want to come back to again and again. The showrooms would be consolidated to focus resources on creating a superior selling experience, while the number of service outlets would increase to be closer to customer population centers. Then Ford can reduce the cost on advertising as well as more and more on using Internet to provide the service to the customers as the information system can analysis the needs for customers effectively. Using SAPÂ ® software Until now, Ford not only just follows the web-site to provide the service to customers, for achieving total supply chain visibility in real time, increasing dealer and customer service satisfaction and minimizing costs, especially ongoing IT costs, Ford also using SAPÂ ® software, to improve the performance on supply chain management and customer relationship management. Business models for Ford Motor Company Three generic strategies Cost Leadership Under Porter (1985), he regarded the selection of a defendable position within an industry as the end result of a competitive strategic analysis. He argued that successful, profitable companies generally choose to compete on either low costs or by differentiating their products to meet specific customer needs. Although these two strategic options are mutually exclusive, he added a third category of firms as niche players that serve a specific market or product segment. Porters three generic strategies are: cost leadership, differentiation and focus. Henry Ford was a farmers son whose manufacturing genius transformed life around the globe (Ford Motor Company, 2010). So that Ford Motor Company is following the business models which Henry Ford want to be. It is the cost leadership. In the automobile industry, Ford Motor Company can meet its business model, cost leadership. As Porter (1985) stated that cost leadership is about being the lowest cost producer in the industry. For an organization to gain competitive advantage, it must achieve overall cost leadership in an industry it is competing in. To lowest the cost, there are many techniques and methodology for organizations to use. Among the popular and successful techniques used by successful organizations worldwide in enhancing quality, productivity, lowering cost are six methodology, Total Quality Management (TQM), Benchmarking Competitors, Just-in-Time (JIT), Supply Chain Management (SCM), Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and MRP solutions. When Ford Motor Company developed the information system, it is easier to achieve this business model. It is because Ford using information system to improve the relationship to customers and suppliers. Ford develop the Ford Production System can help it to improve Supply Chain Management system to be a competitive advantage. And also, the Order to Delivery system can reduce the time, which means Ford can easier to achieve the just-in-time techniques. Not only these two reasons, but also the major reason of Ford can achieve this business model, cost leadership, is that Ford through developing information system to get a power on using a cheaper price to buy the material from suppliers. By that, Ford can reduce the cost effectively, thats why Ford Motor Company can achieve cost leadership. Ford developed the information system is focus on enhanced customer and supplier intimacy, it is looking for what customers want to, not for what company what to develop. So that means, Ford is not just focus on narrow target. It is because different customers need different type of cars. Value Chain Porter (1985) stated that value chain model is a systematic way of analyzing all the firms activities and evaluating how they interact with each other. Such an examination is necessary in order to identify potential sources of competitive advantage. For Porter, the value chain can be consisted for five primary activities (including inbound logistics, operations, outbound logistics, marketing and sales, and service) and four support activities (including firm infrastructure, human resource management, technology development and procurement). The value chain of the Ford Motor Company is not all that different from other manufacturers in the automobile industry. However, when Ford Motor Company developed information system, it helped Ford to improve its value chain. In one of support activities, Procurement, Ford through its information system, Ford Production System, to improve the relationship of suppliers, it is not only helping Ford to reduce the cost for buying material, but also working closely with its suppliers to eliminate waste and thereby lower costs for both organizations. This should be a win-win situation for both companies and should help lift Ford from its near-last ranking in supplier relations. The next activity for information system to improve is technology development. Ford through the information system, Ford Retail Network, to understand the value of consumer input and what consumer needed, which can help Ford easier to design a successful modern design technologies. They have initiated tailoring design models after public demand. This method has proven highly successful in recent financial periods. Marketing is also a very important aspect of the Ford. By using Ford Retail Network system, Ford has been working together with dealers or buys all dealers to collect more information to create marketing strategies that help boost sales. This is proven to be the primary basis for the consumers perceived values. Ford has also teamed-up with Caterpillar Logistics and SAP to improve warehousing and its Daily Parts Advantage network for getting spare parts to their dealers. Their hope in partnering with Cat Logistics was to secure a partner with expertise in the automotive supply chain, laying a foundation for development of a new information system. The goal was to obtain end-to-end visibility of service parts, increase the speed of time to market, optimize inventories at each location, and do a better job serving the customer (Supply Chain Brain). Along with Cat Logistics and SAP, Ford is also using an SAS platform that supports customer relationship management (CRM). This SAS platform enhances Fords existing customer relationship database and provides a powerful base for information analysis, data mining and predictive modeling thus enabling highly effective reporting, trending, segmentation, customer scoring, and customer life-cycle analysis all of which support key activities for CRM. As information system can improve lots of activities in value chain, it can help the company to gain the competitive advantage. Problems and challenges in the development of the Information System When Ford Motor Company developed the information system, it needs to face lots of challenges. Here are some of them. Costly and timely As Ford is a large company, it is very costly on developing information system. There are complex pieces of software which Ford developed to achieve its competitive advantage. To develop these large system, Ford need to spend its recourses. Not only the cost on buying software and hardware of the system, but also other cost such as consulting fees, personnel costs, training. Also, most of them need to spend time to develop. For Ford Motor Company, it has large team on Information Technology, which needs to hire lots of employees to work. There are costly on the salaries and also it needs spend over one mouth to train the employees to understand the system and use the system. As Ford adopts an enterprise application from SAP, it is very costly to switch SAP and it become dependent on SAP to upgrade its product and maintain its installation. Hard to collect information Some of the information systems which developed by Ford focus on supply chain management. These systems require multiple organizations to share information and business processes. It is difficult for each participant to change of its process and the way it uses information to create a system that best serves the supply chain as whole. Also, there are different policies in different company; Ford cannot collect the information fully for its suppliers as some of the information may be the secrecy. Hard to handle the technology As the technology of information system such as internet is growth quickly, it is not easy for Ford Motor Company to understand clearly about the technology, it will be a risk on losing money when develop that technology. So when developing the information system, Ford needs to make sure it understands what is its usage clearly. Conclusion In short, Ford uses information technology on business manager, SCM and CRM, for enhanced customer and supplier successfully. It can see that information system can help Ford achieve its business model. Nowadays, every company will develop the information system to achieve competitive, most of them have the e-business, too. It is surly that information system is a very useful and major tool to help company to meet their aims. However, it does not mean have information system can help the company to do a successful business, because the most important is that company have a correct business strategy. As the example on Ford, its business model is cost leadership; it is a great competitive advantage at early 1900s when Ford provided Model T cars. However, following the change of environment, it is not work now. So, if a company want to achieve competitive, it is not only focusing on develop information system, but also focusing on the business strategy.

Euripides Medea Essay example -- Medea Euripides Essays

Euripides' Medea Medea is the tragic tale of a woman scorned. It was written in 431 B.C. by the Greek playwright, Euripides. Eruipides was the first Greek poet to suffer the fate of so many of the great modern writers: rejected by most of his contemporaries (he rarely won first prize and was the favorite target for the scurrilous humor of the comic poets), he was universally admired and revered by the Greeks of the centuries that followed his death('Norton Anthology';). Euripides showed his interest in psychology in his many understanding portraits of women ('World Book';). Euripides choice of women support characters such as the nurse and the chorus is imperative to the magnification of Medea's emotions. The very fact that the nurse and chorus are female deepens Medea's sadness, impassions her anger, and makes the crime of killing her own children all the more heinous.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Medea's state of mind in the beginning of the play is that of hopelessness and self pity. Medea is both woman and foreigner; that is to say, in terms of the audience's prejudice and practice she is a representative of the two free born groups in Athenian society that had almost no rights at all ('Norton Anthology'; 739). Euripides could not have chosen a more downtrodden role for Medea. Here is this woman who has stood by her man through thick and thin. She has turned her back on her family and killed her own brother while helping Jason capture the Golden Fleece. 'Oh my father! Oh, my country! In what dishonor I left you, killing my own brother for it.'; (Medea 164-165) Despite all of her devotion to her husband he has fallen in love with someone new, Glauke. The Nurse and the Chorus understand and sympathize with Medea as only other women could. Euripides develops the heart of Medea's character by the sympathetical approach of the Nurse. '...calling out on her father's name, And her land, and her home betrayed when she came away with A man who now is determined to dishonor her. Poor creature, she has discovered by her sufferings What it means to one not to have lost one's own country.'; (Medea 31-35) The Chorus are sympathetic to Medea's heartache also, and offer a more simple and acceptable approach to help Medea deal with her troubles.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'Suppose your man gives honor To another woman's bed. It often happens. Don't be hurt.  Ã‚  ... ...And when I have ruined the whole of Jason's house, I shall leave the land and flee from the murder of my Dear children, and I shall have done a dreadful deed.'; (Medea 775-780) The killing of Glauke and Kreon loses significance with the Chorus who are dreadfully anticipating the harm of Medea's children. Euripides uses a female chorus to signify the atrocity of a mother killing her own children. The Chorus no longer sympathizes with Medea, yet still blames Jason for the events which have taken place. 'You too, O wretched bridegroom, making your match with kings, You do not see that you bring Destruction on your children...';(Medea 964-966)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Euripides role of female characters to sympathize with Medeas heartache in the beginning, and magnify the unscrupulous murder of her children in the end is brilliant. The reason for the female support is evident. If the Nurse or Chorus had been a male servant or a mixed crowd in society the plot of the play would have been lost. Medea is a woman suffering from a broken heart, and it seems only fair that she be given sympathy and judgment from peers who can relate. Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned!

An Examination of Deontology and Utilitarianism in Deeply Moral Situati

An Examination of Deontology and Utilitarianism in Deeply Moral Situations Samuel Adams (1722 - 1803), an American patriot and politician, once stated, "Mankind are governed more by their feelings than by reason"[1]. This statement is significant, as it undermines two of the primary ethical doctrines in philosophy - the deontological perspective defended by Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804) in Foundations of the Metaphysics of Morals (634), and utilitarianism, supported by John Stuart Mill (1806 - 1873) in his essay, Utilitarianism (667). Deontology and utilitarianism are contrasting theories. The former focuses on the intrinsic moral worth of our actions, whereas the latter argues that the consequences of our actions determine their moral value. Nevertheless, both perspectives substantiate Mill's claim that "our moral faculty.is a branch of our reason, not of our sensitive faculty" (678). Reason is an indispensable aspect of Kant's deontological view, as he believes the will is a capacity unique to rational beings. In Kant's opinion, the will is ess ential, as it facilitates our ability to act according to the universalizable maxims we establish for ourselves (653). Reason is also a crucial element of utilitarianism, as it is the intellectual faculty that enables us to distinguish the course of action with the best possible outcome (i.e., the choice that will ensure the greatest happiness or least amount of pain for as many people as possible) (688). However, since both deontology and utilitarianism are governed by the notion that moral judgements are established through reason, can either theory apply in circumstances in which rational thought is not feasible? For example, during World War II, a Nazi soldier offers a ... ...the least possible amount of pain). As a result, the subjective emotional component that invariably arises in situations of moral import reinforces the difficulty in ascribing concrete rules and principles to circumstances that involve moral deliberation. All that can be shown is that the woman's final decision may seemingly correspond to either deontology or utilitarianism in hindsight; however, her unavoidable emotional anguish hinders her ability to think rationally in terms of either perspective at the time in which she is forced to make her decision. Work Cited Bailey, Andrew, ed. First Philosophy: Fundamental Problems and Readings in Philosophy. 1st ed. Toronto: Broadview Press, 2002. Notes: [1] Steven J. Hayes. Quotes by Adams, Samuel from Basic Quotations. 16 Dec. 2002. Online. 15 Feb. 2004 .

Nike CSR Challenge Essay

1. Several cases of abusive treatments were reported in more than 1/4th of the South Asian factories. Another report states that about 25% – 50% of plants restricted their employees from drinking water & accessing toilet during the working hours. Almost the same percentage of factories denied workers at least a day off of the seven days that they work. Nike’s CSR Challenge highlighted the difficulties of bringing change to a company that isn’t centralized. In fact, the challenge was to alter the way business is done. Traditionally, leadership was seen as guidance to steer your employees towards the company’s goal. What’s required is a more open kind of leadership that calls for cooperation among mutually dependent groups so as to deal with systematic issues. The hurdles are to modify the signals given out by its supply chain groups and its rivals so that the companies run in a continual and sustainable way, which is financially feasible. 4. Leadership Beyond Borders gives a substructure for defining global citizenship. It assists any of us to find the commonalities in between differences everywhere in our day to day life, be it home or work. It’s a type of leadership that exceeds the borders of a person’s professionalism and limits to attract people on collective objectives. It is also called as â€Å"transcending leadership† because this kind of leadership transcends the need of a single leader and inspires others to lead. The best example for leadership beyond borders would be Mahatma Gandhi. 1. Several cases of abusive treatments were reported in more than 1/4th of the South Asian factories. Another report states that about 25% – 50% of plants restricted their employees from drinking water & accessing toilet during the working hours. Almost the same percentage of factories denied workers at least a day off of the seven days that they work. Nike’s CSR Challenge highlighted the difficulties of bringing change to a company that isn’t centralized. In fact, the challenge was to alter the way business is done. Traditionally, leadership was seen as guidance to steer your employees towards the company’s goal. What’s required is a more open kind of leadership that calls for cooperation among mutually dependent groups so as to deal with systematic issues. The hurdles are to modify the signals given out by its supply chain groups and its rivals so that the companies run in a continual and sustainable way, which is financially feasible. 4. Leadership Beyond Borders gives a substructure for defining global citizenship. It assists any of us to find the commonalities in between differences everywhere in our day to day life, be it home or work. It’s a type of leadership that exceeds the borders of a person’s professionalism and limits to attract people on collective objectives. It is also called as â€Å"transcending leadership† because this kind of leadership transcends the need of a single leader and inspires others to lead. The best example for leadership beyond borders would be Mahatma Gandhi. 1. Several cases of abusive treatments were reported in more than 1/4th of the South Asian factories. Another report states that about 25% – 50% of plants restricted their employees from drinking water & accessing toilet during the working hours. Almost the same percentage of factories denied workers at least a day off of the seven days that they work. Nike’s CSR Challenge highlighted the difficulties of bringing change to a company that isn’t centralized. In fact, the challenge was to alter the way business is done. Traditionally, leadership was seen as guidance to steer your employees towards the company’s goal. What’s required is a more open kind of leadership that calls for cooperation among mutually dependent groups so as to deal with systematic issues. The hurdles are to modify the signals given out by its supply chain groups and its rivals so that the companies run in a continual and sustainable way, which is financially feasible. 4. Leadership Beyond Borders gives a substructure for defining global citizenship. It assists any of us to find the commonalities in between differences everywhere in our day to day life, be it home or work. It’s a type of leadership that exceeds the borders of a person’s professionalism and limits to attract people on collective objectives. It is also called as â€Å"transcending leadership† because this kind of leadership transcends the need of a single leader and inspires others to lead. The best example for leadership beyond borders would be Mahatma Gandhi. 1. Several cases of abusive treatments were reported in more than 1/4th of the South Asian factories. Another report states that about 25% – 50% of plants restricted their employees from drinking water & accessing toilet during the working hours. Almost the same percentage of factories denied workers at least a day off of the seven days that they work. Nike’s CSR Challenge highlighted the difficulties of bringing change to a company that isn’t centralized. In fact, the challenge was to alter the way business is done. Traditionally, leadership was seen as guidance to steer your employees towards the company’s goal. What’s required is a more open kind of leadership that calls for cooperation among mutually dependent groups so as to deal with systematic issues. The hurdles are to modify the signals given out by its supply chain groups and its rivals so that the companies run in a continual and sustainable way, which is financially feasible. 4. Leadership Beyond Borders gives a substructure for defining global citizenship. It assists any of us to find the commonalities in between differences everywhere in our day to day life, be it home or work. It’s a type of leadership that exceeds the borders of a person’s professionalism and limits to attract people on collective objectives. It is also called as â€Å"transcending leadership† because this kind of leadership transcends the need of a single leader and inspires others to lead. The best example for leadership beyond borders would be Mahatma Gandhi.

A Synopsis of the Movie The Graduate

A world without rebels would be a world with no change. If specific groups didn't escape the status quo, life would essentially go on as if it were put on repeat. Nothing would ever change, and nothing new would ever be accomplished. And most importantly, there would be no distinguishing factors between any two generations. Generations are shaped by the exclusive social changes that transpire over a given time period. Each generation desperately wants to set themselves apart by challenging the values and morals of the ones who came before them.They rebel against everything they were once taught in order to be independent and live a appy life. These rebellions have shaped American society for decades. Mike Nichol's film, The Graduate, tells the story of a young man's rebellion against his family and against society. The story unfolds in the nineteen sixties during a time of a major cultural change. In The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock consistently rebels against everything he believes i n, which doesn't stray far from the typical behavior of most youth in the nineteen sixties. Rebellion is a recurring theme throughout Nichol's film.The main character, Benjamin Braddock, had Just graduated college and had no definite plan for his uture endeavors. On the other hand, Benjamin's overbearing parents practically had his life laid out for him. As soon as he returned home from graduating college they constantly pestered him about attending graduate school. At the time, the thought of attending graduate school or starting a career stressed Benjamin out, and he admitted that he was nervous about his future. At his graduation party he told his father that he wishes that his future could be â€Å"different†, but his father did not seem to care about Benjamin's uncertainties.Therefore, he followed what most kids is age were doing in the sixties and rebelled against conformity. In the nineteen sixties the youth rebellion was in full swing. The youth wanted freedom from th e previous ways of the generation before them, so they began to rebel. The rebellion was massive because the current youth was comprised of the baby-boomer generation (â€Å"Rebellion and Reaction†). In fact it was so big that it gave the nineteen sixties the common nicknames of â€Å"the rebellious decade† and â€Å"the period of turmoil† (Bodroghkozy).The nineteen sixtys counterculture rebelled in various ways, but defying parental authorities was among the most popular. They wanted to ensure that their values and behaviors deviated from those of their parents. It was important to them that they made a new life for themselves that was for their own happiness and not for their parent's happiness (â€Å"Rebellion and Reaction†). They were striving to make their futures different Just like Benjamin Braddock wanted his future to be. Parents were always trying to map out their children's futures, but the rebellious youth of the nineteen sixties were all but willing to allow that to happen.Benjamin Braddock did everything he could to escape from his parent's high expectations. They were constantly telling him what to do and when to do it. However, Benjamin continued to ignore their constant demands and did the exact opposite of what he was told. He rebelled because he wanted to make himself happy betore pleasing his parents He was not ready to s tart a career or turtner his education; all he wanted to do was relax by his parent's pool and not worry about his future Just yet. The scene at his 21st birthday party finally allowed him to tune out the sound of his parents.He was given a scuba suit and was forced to test it out in front of everyone who was at his party. After he was forced into the pool, he found himself standing still at the bottom. He was finally alone and was not able to hear any of the noise coming from above the water. The camera angle shifted and was now from the perspective of Benjamin. It showed him looking up out of the water at his parents shouting at him, but he was not able to comprehend any of the words being yelled at him. This was Just the start of his rebellion against his parents.The fact that he was underwater symbolized that Benjamin felt like his parents were drowning him in all of their expectations. He was suffocating and was finally able to be at peace at the bottom of the pool. The majority of the youth at this time was searching for peace, and the only way of obtaining it was to rebel against the conformity of their parents. They all felt like they were being drowned; therefore they continued to rebel in ways that disgusted their parents and even disgraced society. The nineteen sixties was a time to experiment. The youth was trying so hard to change society and find a new identity for themselves.They did everything they could to stray away from what was considered normal. Drugs and sex played a major role in the youth's rebellion against society, and it was definitely a culture shock. During this time period, casual sex became more acceptable and a majority of the youth participated in it. It became so popular that it earned the name â€Å"free sex† and everyone was made aware of it (â€Å"Rebellion and Reaction†). It was mostly popular among the younger generation, but that didn't stop Benjamin Braddock from pursuing an older woman. He engaged himself in a long-term affair with one of his parent's friends.In the beginning he was very hesitant and nervous about the affair ut soon realized that it was the nineteen sixties and it was the start of the â€Å"free love† era. He became more comfortable with the affair as the movie went on. By committing adultery with Mrs. Robinson, Benjamin Braddock clearly destroyed all moral values of the generation that came before him. This kind of behavior was not acceptable for the previous generation but became a trend during his time. The counterculture strayed far away from the traditional values of their parents and â€Å"this marked the beginning of the sexual revolution† (â€Å"Primary Menu†).It was one of the iggest societal changes during the sixties. The affair between Mrs. Robinson and Benjamin Braddock was a little different from what was actually acceptable in the nineteen sixties. â€Å"Free sex† was acceptable; however, affairs were not. He soon realized that what he was doing was wrong and immediately put a stop to the affair. Even though he ended the affair, it was still understandable as to why he got himself into that position in the first place. Benjamin Braddock was Just trying to fit in with the rest of his generation in the sixties by rebelling against conformity.The sexual evolution was among the most rebellious acts of the nineteen sixties. The more Benjamin Braddock's parents pushed him, the more he rebelled. Not only did he rebel against going to graduate school and starting a career but he also had a scandalous long-term affair with one of his parent's close friends. Both acts were done to rebel against the contormity ot his parents and against society . Instead of conforming to the high expectations of his parents and society, Benjamin Braddock took a different path to ensure his own happiness. He follows his own heart and defies the path that was mapped out for him.