Friday, January 31, 2020

Engineering Project Management Essay Example for Free

Engineering Project Management Essay Typical Practice Estimating time to undertake design and drafting tasks, such as the crafting of blueprints for the construction of wooden furniture (e.g. stool, desk, chest) by an expert and the creation of blueprints for buildings of commercial establishments by an architect, requires the method of estimating labor costs. After all, cost estimates require time estimates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Computing the labor cost (technically called as the direct labor cost in management accounting) proceeds by adding the worker’s base rate and indirect payroll costs, such as government securities and insurance. The result is multiplied with the worker’s labor hours. The product of the operation is the labor cost. If labor cost is known and the estimated labor hour is unknown, the manager only has to work around the equation to obtain the estimated time of performing the task. This is the easiest method for the manager, and also the most unreliable because it relies on past data of labor costs. It relies on past data of labor costs because an empirical method is needed, which this method does not include. In such a case, this method is just mere ‘speculation’. It is not an ‘estimation’ in the proper sense of the term because there are no trials and errors done to gather data. From this, there is also a differentiation between ‘past data’ and ‘empirical data’. Past data are also empirical data, but they are gathered in the past, therefore acquiring a less accurate information. Empirical data, after all, require certain use of tools to be obtained. Also, it is unreliable because if the company is new, it cannot use this method—there is no recorded information regarding past operations. Only a long-existing company can benefit from this method of estimating labor hours.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One problem in estimating the time and cost in performing design and drafting jobs is that managers can only speculate about the amount of time required by a specific job. For instance, the manager of a firm that designs and produces musical instruments can not know exactly how long in a day can a staff of twenty finishes a certain number of musical instruments. Time is a variable that depends on the quality and quantity of tools, materials, equipment, and workers assigned in performing tasks. In the example of designing musical instruments, the manager should know how long each instrument is designed in its entirety by a specific worker. It would help to get an average rate for this. Afterwards, the average rate will be multiplied to the number of instruments to be designed. If one stops here, this is an incomplete method of computing labor time. The manager should get the time it took the labor to prepare for the task, and how long it took him to bring the musical instrument to the corresponding collectors of the aforementioned products in the management system. Then, the sum is multiplied with the distance of the labor from the shop or wherever he is taking the musical instruments. The resulting product is then added to the product of the average rate and the number of instruments to be designed. Another method in estimating the labor time is by taking the average hours of preceding homogenous tasks. In creating a musical instrument, the manager gets the time it took for a worker to complete one instrument. He then obtains data from the proceeding tasks. By getting the average of the values, we obtain the average hours. Variability and Contingencies The accuracy of the first method is low. First, there is a huge possibility of error in relying past data or performance. A company that designs cars ought to measure the time and cost of labor through direct empirical methods, such as obtaining the rates by which workers accomplish their jobs. However, this method depends on the accuracy of historical data. If historical data are inaccurate, there is a 100% tendency that the result of using this method will produce inaccuracies. This is not recommended for companies because it is not an engineering standard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second method is more empirical and far more accurate than the first method. Considering the computation of the average rate, one can not be sure of the precision of this statistical tool. Using the mean, median or mode as a way to produce data for the estimation of the time and cost of labor is inefficient. It is recommended that a variance analysis be conducted so that deviations will be taken into consideration. After all, workers are not robots. They have higher levels of inefficiency and inconsistency of output. A worker has fluctuating labor rates. The time he finishes a job fluctuates in hours or minutes, thereby changing the amount of labor cost. Using the variance analysis as a statistical method in obtaining work rates is more efficient. When this is done, it makes the second estimation method more accurate because deviant cases, or changes in time and labor costs, are taken into consideration. The variance analysis can also be applied on the third method, which also relies on using the mean, median or mode. Since averages are less reliable than doing a variance analysis, the third method can be inaccurate. More statistical methods are needed. Monitoring and Updating As the design and drafting tasks proceed, the practices used to update estimates are the following: regular, intermittent, and periodical recording of average rates in designing and drafting jobs. The practice of having a regular recording system, which requires inputs for every day of labor, is the most accurate but also the most costly. Therefore, it is far from inefficient. Only a huge company can take advantage of this, if there is a high risk involved in not monitoring the time and cost of labor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An intermittent recording practice entails intermediate accuracy and cost. This requires inputs every week, month or quarter of the year, depending on the needs of the company to monitor the progress of the fluctuations in time and cost of labor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A periodical recording practice is the least costly, but has the risk of being inaccurate because it does not measure everything. It only measures the fluctuations in time and cost of labor between points in time, and not within a span of time. References: Baskette, C. (2006). Avoided cost estimation and post-reform funding allocation for Californias energy efficiency programs. Electricity Market Reform and Deregulation, 31, 1084-1099. Farsi, Mehdi. (2006). Cost efficiency in the Swiss gas distribution sector. Energy Economics, 28, 1050-1062. ASSIGNMENT 2 (Y) Basis for Project Methodology The specific method chosen for a certain project is based on the inherent characteristics of that project. There are as many methods as there are kinds of projects. The basis for choosing a method depends on the variables that differentiate one project from another, like the level of complexity involved in the activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The following is the list of factors that may be the basis of project methodology: Project area Level of complexity Type of communication used   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the many considerations in project methodology decision-making is the project area. Is the project small, medium, or large? Even this question requires some thinking, since the size of a project is arbitrary. It depends on the sizes of other projects the manager or company considers as points of comparison. The area of the project may mean the geographical area concerned. For instance, an electric company that aims to build a network of electric facilities may be one kilometer by 500 meters. Judging whether this is small, medium, or large varies from one project to another. There may have been other similar projects built, requiring only two or three hectares of land. In such cases, this project may be considered large in area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The area can also be seen in terms of influence. In the example of an electric company building a network of electric facilities, the area may mean the number of households it would serve. Again, judging whether a number of ten-thousand households is small, medium or large depends on other similar projects made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another basis is the level of complexity involved in the project. Complexity can be measured by how many interactions among units are required to accomplish a task, and judging the data whether the project system is simple or complex. In the above example, measuring the complexity of building a network of electric facilities may require determining the organization of managers and workers that are involved in the project. Some organizations interact according to hierarchy. These kinds of organizations tend to be simple because there are defined ways on how the units interact among one another. Some, which are more complex, require units to interact in different ways. To put it concretely, let us say that the electric company assigns the maintenance department to be always under the engineering department, which means that the staff would only take commands from the latter. This is a simple scenario. A complex scenario would be when the company assigns the maintenance department to communicate with the other divisions of the company in accomplishing its own task. The connection between complexity and method is that the complexity determines the method. After knowing a project’s level of complexity, the method may then be configured depending on this information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third basis is communication. What is the message of the project? What are the kinds of media used? For whom is the message? These are significant things to take in mind when characterizing what sort of communication exists in an activity. Is the electric company making use of an intranet, which simplifies complex interactions? What tools are used for one division to communicate with another? Are telephones preferred over online chatting between departments?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is also significant to determine the contexts in which communication occurs. Is it one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many? Determining this also affects the level of complexity of the project. A one-to-one communication is simple but slow and inefficient. A one-to-many communication is fast and efficient, but the message reception loses quality. Many-to-many communication is fast and complex, thereby increasing the level of complexity in the project. Decisions regarding matters on communication are only part of choosing what methodology to use. Criteria for Best Project Methodology In order to illustrate how one method is better than another given a specific project, let us take the following popular methods in project management: Waterfall Development, Rational Unified Process, and Extreme Programming (Asrilhant, 2005). These are the best methods in project management because they generally are flexible to different factors, like budget and project size. They compliment each other. One strategy’s weakness is another’s strength.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the project has high budget, one may say that the Waterfall Development is the best method for it. That is because this method requires little or zero corrections in inputs. This is possible because the planning function of the management is more crucial. A low budget means a high risk to undertake the project. Therefore, quality planning is indispensable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For instance, if the electric company funds a 5-hectare electric network facility 30% lower than similar projects, the management has to undertake Waterfall Development. This means the planning function is geared on decreasing costs. There will be much labor required on the part of engineers and analysts to increase the level of certainty in inputs. The company cannot afford to do experimentations and much testing. High technical proficiency is required.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the project entails intermediate risk, and there is an intermediate number of staff who would man it, then the Rational Unified Process may be used as the best methodology. This is because risk management is balanced with a medium amount of budget or allowance for failure in inputs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the electric company funds a 10-hectare electric network facility 2% lower than similar projects, the management may afford to increase the costs of testing and experimenting with inputs to produce outputs in electric services.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, if there is a need for regular testing and experimentation of inputs, and corrections in testing failures, then the Extreme Programming may be undertaken as the best methodology. Budget given here is high, and the risks are lower. The population of staff is also considerably higher than the two other methodologies. Here, the management can afford to run the risk of losing resources, albeit with prudence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determining which method is best for a project requires measuring the amount of risks associated with the project, the budget allocated for the activity, the number of participants in the staff, and the affordability of the project to receive failing outputs. References: Asrilhant, Boris. (2005). On the strategic project management process in the UK indutrial sector. Omega, 35, 89-103. ASSIGNMENT 3 Alternative Classification   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rationale of having a new project classification is to respond against the inefficiencies of the older classifications. The project method concerns itself much on the processes and ways on how tasks are carried out in the activity. However, it is too formalistic and technical. It is formalistic because it is focused on empirical observations. It is too technical because it does not leave room for speculation and theorizing. There is a huge chance that it will lose sight of the project’s objectives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project end-product, being goal-oriented, is weak on the part of specific matters. It may lose sight on technical issues such as the method of computation to use in estimating labor costs. If a firm that manufactures cars undertake an activity in which the project is classified as belonging under the project end-product, the managers will fall short on practicality. Important details are missed, like the choosing of a certain metal as a material in making automobiles. There may be one end-product but there are many methods in which inputs can be processed into outputs. These methods determine the level of costs associated with the production. If a company is too concerned about output, it loses sight on the possibility of gaining productivity by merely choosing the method. This is to say that a new classification is needed—a new classification that would account for the weaknesses of project methodology and project end-product. Since the two classifications do not take into consideration certain factors of production and labor, which are important determinants of the success of a project, a new chosen classification is labeling projects according to the types of constraints. The traditional constrains in a project are the following: Time Cost Production Labor These variables define the shape or form of the project. Changing one variable changes the whole project in its entirety. To illustrate, assume that an automobile manufacturing company undertakes a project of creating fifty units of luxury cars. The time constraint associated with the project makes it different from all the other projects with similar methods and end-products. For instance, this project is similar to five other projects whose goals are also to create fifty units of luxury cars. The only hypothetical difference is the amount of days required to accomplish it. This is to say that a project is different from another when there is a significant time interval between the required time to accomplish one project and the required time to accomplish another.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, it is too trivial if the manager only relies on the time constraint. Costs are also important contributors of project type determination. The amount of money allotted for a budget determines the influence of the project on the area it is being undertaken, and on the unit is serving. This is an indispensable category because the cost also gives way to knowing the area and quality of the project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the car company gives a budget to a car-manufacturing project which is 50% lower than that of another project with similar end-product, then the two projects are different because the former is constrained in using resources. It must tap the planning function of the management at its best, because it cannot afford high risks and high expenses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Production is a consequence of the cost constraint. The number of cars to be produced by the company depends on the allotted budget in producing these cars. Consequently, this is also related to labor in the sense that, if the budget is low and the production is high, then the labor must be intensive. It is empirically impossible to increase labor if the budget remains the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In short, projects can be classified according to the variability of their traditional constraints. They be classified as the following: Long-term undertaking, high-budgeted, labor intensive. Mid-term undertaking, with intermediate budget, intermediate production, and medium labor intensiveness. Short-term undertaking, low-budgeted, small production, and low concentration in labor. This is not to say that there are only three ways to classify projects. There are different permutations of classifying them because a project can be both long-term and low-budgeted, short-term and high-budgeted, and the like. There are twenty-seven combinations possible for the project manager. It is helpful for the project manager because there are varied choices to be undertaken with this typology. Enhancement   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This classification gives an enhanced understanding of project management because the inefficiencies of project end-product and project method are revealed and solved. The old classification system is poor because there are only small categories where projects fall under. In logic, the lesser concepts there are to stand for heterogeneous things, the more abstract the ideas become. By taking into consideration the traditional constraints of a project, and basing from it to form a new project classification, one achieves a more concrete and detailed description of the different projects that are to be executed. Project classification, through this kind of classification, becomes more useful not only as a mere science of classification. It also helps management keep an improved system of managing the projects, thereby increasing productivity and output quality. This project classification also enhances the understanding on the content of projects. Project method concerns itself with the processed item but not the one being processed. Project end-product concerns itself with the output but not the materials or inputs that led to its creation. This classification gives a new lens through which projects are seen by the manager. References: Project management. Retrieved September 4, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management#Project_systems

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Innocence Lost by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay -- Nathaniel Hawthorne Inn

Innocence Lost by Nathaniel Hawthorne My Kinsman, Major Molineux and Young Goodman Brown present Nathaniel Hawthorne’s belief in the universality of sin. These works provide numerous perspectives into the nature of the human condition and the individual’s role within it. Hawthorne fictionalizes a world where communion with man is essential for spiritual satisfaction. The main characters of these stories face moral dilemmas through their pursuit of human communion. Whether the problems are moral, psychological, or both, Hawthorne insists that the individual must come to affirm a tie with the procession of life, must come to achieve some sense of brotherhood of man. In order to commune with mankind, one has to give up a secure, ordered and innocent world. The individual becomes liable to a fearsome array of complex emotions. One feels alienated by a community that forces himself to corruption while his isolation creates an ambiguity. The newly initiated into the rites of man appears no more moral than th ose who he disdains. Hawthorne presents a world where communion with mankind leads to corruption while isolation from humans is an unpardonable sin. Nathaniel Hawthorne presents an interesting predicament in man's search for communion with his fellow man. Coming of age in Hawthorne's time requires an affirmation of sin, communion with sinners and celebration of life through sin. Hawthorne creates this environment by grounding the consequences on earth. To feel the universal throb of brotherhood, one must recognize sin, participate in and celebrate it. Hawthorne affirms, recognizes and revels in the depravity of the human condition. The first fatal step of understanding human nature is a self-conscious probing that ends in confusion. The story of My Kinsmen, Major Molineux presents the youthful character of Robin on his way from the country to the town of Boston. He wishes to succeed within the community, and figures that it will not be difficult because of his connection through Major Molineux, a prominent figure of the community. Hawthorne erodes innocence slowly through the harsh experience of urban realities. Robin’s initial contact with the residents of this community jostles his confidence. He does not yet understand the harshness of adults and happily continues on his way. But Hawthorne underscores the cost of his yearning. Robin has t... ... later. Camus insists Sisyphus is happy or there is no joy or redemption for life on earth. The profundity of Hawthorne is apparent in his notions of the human condition. Nathaniel Hawthorne concludes his discovery of sin in the human condition at the point of universal appeal. The key for Hawthorne’s understanding of the human condition is the recognition of the universality of sin. So take this work for its imperfections, instead of tormenting these ideas with the harsh meter stick of faithless standards. Nathaniel Hawthorne believes that understanding man is understanding its moral condition of imperfection. Works Cited: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Ethan Brand†. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Tales. Ed. James McIntosh. Norton Critical Edition. New York: Norton, 1987. 231-244. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"My Kinsman, Major Molineux†. Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1994. 1173-1186. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†. Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1994. 1198-1207. Stubbs, John C. The Pursuit of Form: a study of Hawthorne and the romance. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1970.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Canon

Case Study Introduction Canon is one of the most recognisable brands worldwide. It is a Japanese Multinational Enterprise (MNE), specialised on manufacturing of imaging and optical products, including printers, cameras and copiers. This paper will investigate on the degree of global expansion of Canon. It will focus on the problem statement on how Canon evolved from a Japanese company to a global player. First, this paper starts with Canon’s structure and their background. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on the motivations, means and mentalities of expanding and an analysis of the international context.Next to that,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Sama jouw stuk!. Finally, this paper will describe the social responsibility of Canon and will end with a conclusion. Background of Canon Canon focuses on three different groups: the Customer, the Office and the Industry and others. They are producing a lot of different products but the most important are for the Customer: cameras, camcorders, print ers, projectors, scanners and equipment. For the Office: laser/ large-format printers, multifunction devices, solutions software, cartidges. For Industry and others: lithograpy systems, card printers, radiography systems, vacuum equipment, components. Canon, 2011). Founded in 1933, Canon started as a small laboratory in Tokyo. At the time, all high-quality cameras were European with the majority coming from Germany. It was in this small room that young people with a big dream began to work on producing a high-quality Japanese camera, this was the start of Canon. In 1950, Canon's first president, Takeshi Mitarai, went to America for the first time to attend an international trade fair. He got a lot of inspiration and good ideas and started to build a new factory as modern as in the US. In 1955, Canon made its first step into the global market with the opening of a U.S. office in New York City. In 1970, Canon was doing really good but was hit by dollar and oil shocks. In 1976, Canon l aunched its Premier Company Plan, an ambitious strategy to transform Canon into an â€Å"excellent global company†. The plan proposed high ideals and pooled the strength of its employees, enabling the company to promptly recover. Then, in 1988, Canon introduced its corporate philosophy of kyosei, an unfamiliar term at the time. We will elaborate on this later in the report. In the 1990s, Canon carried debt of more than 840 billion yen and in 1996 the Excellent Global Corporation Plan was launched.Transforming the corporate mindset from partial to total optimization and from a focus on sales to a focus on profits, the new plan was the start of the innovations that characterize today's Canon. From 2001 to 2010 the number of employees almost doubled, this shows the huge growth of Canon in the last years. (Canon, 2011) Canon’s global expansion Canon satisfies both requirements for being a Multinational Enterprise according to Bartlett and Beamish (2011, p. 2), such as subs tantial direct investment in foreign countries and active management in foreign subsidiaries.Canon goes beyond the trading relationships of an import-export business in countries such as France and Australia. The headquarter in Japan plays however a crucial role in determining organizational culture and strategy. This can also be seen in the representation of the Board of Directors which consists exclusively of Japanese. (Canon, 2011). Canon’s mentality can be categorized as Global. The production of the mainly standardized products takes place to a large extend in Japan, but also in the US, Germany, France, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.These few plants are highly efficient, which provides economies of scale but also transparency of quality. When considering the products itself world is seen as one Due to the organizational structure the Japanese headquarter takes over the central coordination and control of the subsidiaries, their various product or business manage rs have worldwide responsibility. Furthermore R&D and manufacturing activities are managed from Japan. R&D subsidiaries are located in France, China, the Philippines and Australia but mainly Japan. Canon, 2011). Main motivations for Canon to expand their activities globally were mainly due to market-seeking behaviour and increasing scale economies. Especially in the technology sector where competition is increasing, R&D costs are rising and product life cycles are becoming shorter, so Canon was forced to expand if it wanted to gain first mover advantages. This is in line with the principle of global chess. (Bartlett & Beamish, 2011, p. 4). Canon operates in an international industry, where technological forces are central.As mentioned above the technology industry is fast moving, highly competitive and requires huge R&D investments. Therefore Canon need to follow the international strategy and focusses on its ability to exploit technological forces and leveraging international life cycles. Furthermore its business also contains some attributes of a global industry, such as highly centralized, scale-intensive manufacturing and R&D operations, which allows Canon to leverage through worldwide exports of standardized global goods. (Bartlett & Beamish, 2011, p. 123).Besides competitive positioning, global scanning and learning capability play a crucial role. This responsibility is usually taken over by the R&D departments. However Canon adjusts to local needs mainly in marketing activities. In order to reach the local market Canon focused on marketing activities. Headquarters for marketing activities are located in Japan, New York (USA), Florida (Central and South America, Caribbean) London and the Netherlands (Europe), Dubai (Middle East) and Singapore (South East Asia). Numerous local marketing offices are places in almost every country where products of Canon can be purchased. Canon, 2011). After having analysed Canon’s administrative heritage, clearly in line with the Japanese tradition, the EPG framework can be applied. On the first sight Canon seems to be mainly ethnocentric oriented. (Perlmutter, 1969). Performance criteria for products and managers are clearly formulated in Japan. Managers of the subsidiaries are Japanese, many of them are related. (Flannery, 2011). This also shows the cultural distance between Japan and the western business world. Further culture distances include differences in social norms, such as the principle of â€Å"saving face† and of course a language barrier.Many differences were embraced by Canon by expanding globally. An example of this is the implementation of a FengShui activity for employees in Europe. Furthermore Japanese do not expect foreigners to have comprehensive knowledge of the Japanese culture and tolerate mistakes. Overall Canon managed to overcome most of these obstacles without losing their Japanese identity. (Ghemawat, 2001). When considering marketing activities, Canon manag ed to capture and target all the different local market needs and appears to implement a world-wide approach and not just following home-country objectives.Part Sama!!!! Corporate Social Responsibility Initially international expansion was viewed as something very positive. It would not only help the richest nations, but also the poorer countries were able to benefit from globalization. However, in the last years of the 20th century contradicting views were arising. People saw a lot of drawbacks, globalization was seen as continued exploitation by MNEs. The growing gap between the rich and the poor was seen as an evidence of this exploitation. There was a need for a different approach and many people believed that MNEs could provide a solution.Because MNEs controlled the resources and power, they should play a larger role in the global development. (Bartlett & Beamish, 2011, p. 646) Canon is a perfect example of a company who is trying to be responsible and who wants to take care of the world. In 1988 Canon officially introduced its corporate philosophy of  kyosei. This means ‘living and working together for the common good’ (Canon, 2011). They want to achieve this in a community in which all people, regardless of language, culture or ethnicity, live together.Based on the concept of kyosei and with the idea of their â€Å"excellent global corporation† plan in mind, Canon tries to take the responsibility for the impact of its activities on society. (Canon, 2010) Besides that they also focus on CSR internally, a nice example is the change of offices in 2008. They implemented Feng-Shui in their European offices to remedy a real, modern problem: high levels of employee office stress and rage. In the end, a Zen Workplace was created by a US-based Feng Shui Master consultant. (Mainini, 2007) According to Bartlett and Beamish (2011, p. 49) there are four MNE responses to developing world needs. The first one is the exploitive MNE, this company o nly focuses on making profit and does not care about the community at all. The issue of sweatshops is common within these companies. The second response is one of a transactional MNE, today this is viewed as the minimum expectation of MNE’s behaviour. These companies do not pursue the bottom-line at all costs but respect laws and regulations. The third approach is the responsive MNE, they are making a difference. Canon can be categorized into this category.They really try to make a difference and not only for their own benefits. The question that could arise is if Canon should try to move to the fourth one, the transformative MNE? In this transformative approach companies are trying to lead the change, so take a initiative to set up projects. In our view this should not be the aim for Canon, they are already making a huge difference because of their commitment to society. A good example to show why they are still a responsive MNE is the investment of Canon after the recent Ja panese earthquake, their commitment was enormous but this was also due to their own damage.The most important reason for their action was their own recover. This is in line with Prahalad and Hammond (2002), companies can help the community profitably. On March 11, 2011 a great Japanese earthquake caused a lot of damage. This earthquake took place where Canon’s operations are based. Canon acted immediatley and supported the Red Cross Society with a financial donation but more important with portable digital radiography systems. This system has shown to be effective in contributing to medical activities in disaster areas.The earthquake caused damage to buildings and equipment of Canon, but most of all their supply chain was hitten. Canon realized the only way of minimizing the impact was a rapid recovery so they concentrated all of their resources and tried to provide customers still with a supply of their products. (Canon, 2011) Canon focuses on two different parts of the comm unity, the social and cultural support activities and environmental acitivities. This is still a really broad focus, because they want to be committed to everyone and everything.Their environmental view is the produce – use – recycle circle, in which they want to reduce their environmental impact in every stage. (Appendix, figure 1) Canon is also focused on the social and cultural support activities. Canon Global uses the philosophy of Kyosei to focus their CSR iniatives in a couple of categories. They are humanitarian aid and relief, art, culture and sports, education and science, local communities, social welfare and conservation of the environment. Due to cultural differences and needs, the implementation of projects varies between branches. Canon, 2010) Conclusion The aim of this paper was to investigate in the evolution of Canon from a Japense company to a global player. †¦. blabla Conclusion!!!!!!! * References Bartlett, C. A. & Beamish, P. W. (2011). Transn ational Management, Text, Cases, and Readings in Cross-Border Management. (6th ed. ) New York: McGraw-Hill. Canon. (2010). Social and Cultural support activities. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. com/scsa/index. html Canon. (2011). Canon support relief efforts following Japan quake. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. om/scsa/aid_relief/support/japan_quake/index. html Canon. (2011). Canon up to now. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. com/about/history/outline. html Canon. (2011). Products. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. com/products/ Canon. (2011). Sustainability report. Retrieved from: http://www. canon. com/environment/ Flannery, N. P. (2011). Japanese Business Culture and the Value of Good Governance. Retrieved from: http://foundersforum. gmiratings. com/2011/11/japanese-business-culture-and-the -value-of-good-governance. html Ghemawat, P. (2001).Distance Still Matters: The Hard Reality of Global Expansion. Transnational Management, Reading 1. 2. Mainini, S. F. (2007). Zen W orkplace, how to use Feng Shui to reduce office stress? Retrieved from: http://www. canon-europe. com/Images/Feng_Shui_report-v1_0_tcm13-612885. pdf Perlmutter, H. (1969). The Tortuous Evolution of the Multinational Corporation. Transnational Management, Reading 1. 1. Prahalad, C. K. & Hammond, A. (2002). Serving the World’s Poor, Profitably. Transnational Management, Reading 8. 2. Appendix Figure 1 Canon. (2011) Sustainibility report

Monday, January 6, 2020

Essay on All American Students Must Learn Standard English

All American Students Must Learn Standard English What are words? A simple question such as this would in theory demand only a simple answer. Words, however, take such an abundance of forms that creating a truly inclusive definition for the notion of â€Å"words† is daunting. In its physical manifestation, a word is little more than air passing over taut tendons, forming sounds which are accented by flicks of the tongue against the teeth and roof of the mouth. These sounds are arranged in patterns that come to be recognized and accepted as words. But are these sounds all that words represent?—certainly not. Words command power. Although the defiant playground motto states that â€Å"sticks and stones may break bones, but words can never hurt,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦According to Geneva Smitherman, in her book Talkin and Testifyin, standard English as we know it today flourished in the eighteenth century to fill the void left by the decline of Latin (186). African American Vernacular English, or Ebonics, a lso formed to meet a specific need. Contrary to popular belief, Ebonics rose out of 19th Century southern slave culture, not out of repeated use of â€Å"sloppy† speech. Slaves who were strictly oppressed by their masters were not allowed to peaceably assemble or meet with each other for any purpose. Such freedom, slave owners feared, could foster coercive ideas amongst their slaves. Slaves, therefore, needed a language that would allow them to communicate with each other in a clandestine manner. Ebonics rose to meet this need (Smitherman 19). Using Ebonics, slaves were able to communicate behind their masters’ backs and form a unity that was instrumental in the perseverance of African American culture through the unspeakable trials of slavery. Almost one hundred and forty years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery, the need which Ebonics originally rose to meet is no longer present. In its place, a new need has arisen—the need for increased social mobility. Statistics show that a cycle of poverty has formed in which a disadvantaged African American child has little chance in his lifetime of ever advancing appreciably beyond the socialShow MoreRelated Ebonics In Schools Essay1071 Words   |  5 PagesRights leader Jesse Jackson defended Oaklands school over a controversial plan to recognize black English in the classroom (N.A., p.1). On December 18, 1996 the Oakland School Board approved a policy affirming Standard American English language development for all students. This policy covers the effectiveness of the strategies that must be utilized to ensure that every child will achieve English language Proficiency (Hawkins, p.1). 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