Traditional Family In A Post Modern Society

In a post modern society such as Britain, are traditional family and marriage necessary? This essay will explore whether traditional family and marriage are necessary in Britain today. The change of societal views and attitudes will need to be considered, as well as analyzing statistical evidence. The ideology of the family and marriage will then be discussed and contrasted, in relation to various theoretical perspectives such as functionalism and post modernism.Government views and policies will also be reviewed in order to show how family has evolved for various family types. Before discussing if there is a necessity for traditional family and marriage in Britain today, it only seems logical to first understand what is meant by the term traditional family. A traditional family or nuclear family, as it is sometimes referred to as, consists of a heterosexual monogamous couple that are legally bound through marriage and their healthy, dependent 2. Children, Muncie et al. (1999). There is usually a clear division of labor where the male predominantly plays the instrumental role of the breadwinner and the female predominantly plays her expressive role as the homemaker and care giver, Bernard (1997). This is based on the theory of Functionalism (which has dominated theories until the mid 20th century). They seem to place importance on the division of labor, as they believe that this structure is the most effective way of performing family functions.This image of family would have been very accurate if it was based families around the 20th century as it was considered to be the norm, to get married and have a family with males and females playing their respective biological roles. According to Pascal (1986) in Muncie et al (1 999, pop), the Beverage Report recognized three key characteristics of the associated with the idea of he family; 1 Women are available to do housework and care for children and elderly relatives, without pay. 2 Couples consist of one full-time worker (usually a male breadwinner) and one ‘housewife' whose work outside the home is insignificant†¦ Women look to men for financial support. As time has evolved the idea of what family is has become varied and not quite as meticulous in its structure, although this is still the image of some households. These characteristics that are noted in The Beverage Report may be deemed as dated by most individuals in the 21 SST century, as it is evident that family Structure has changed dramatically. This report would have been disregarded by feminists, as a patriarchal family is not what they believe in. This clearly shows the woman as being dependent on a man.According to data from the Office of National Statistics (2012), it is clear that the nuclear family (married parents with an average of 2 child dependents) has continued to be the most ordinary family type, although this number has slowly begun to decrease as the years have moved on. What can also be identified is that the number of people in other family types, for example single parent families and same-sex families, has begun to increase gradually. This suggests that people are beginning to accept that ‘family' does not have to be the ‘traditional nuclear family.The fact that it is documented at all shows that there is no huge necessity for marriage as there once was. Also there is the opinion as per Duncan and Phillips (2008, up), that ‘marriage and unmarried cohabitation are socially similar (as agreed by two-thirds of individuals when surveyed) and one-third felt that ‘unmarried cohabitation shows as much commitment as marriage'. There is also the suggestion that cohabiting relationships are actually lasting longer, for example in 2006 it was . 9 years, compared to 6. 5 years in 2000.This demonstrates how views and relationship types have changed in Britain, as if this survey Was done in the early 20th century there probably would have been remarkable difference in th e responses and the types of relationship people were part of. Postmodernists such as Bernard (1997) believe that society needs to accept family diversity, as you would accept different classes, ethnicities and sexual orientation. This assumption of their only being one proper family form needs to be eradicated, as anything outside of this form will been seen as inferior. Morocco (1968) cited in Muncie et al. 1999) suggested the idea of the nuclear family as being a universal. The traditional nuclear family is based on the ideology of families. This ideology is shaped by both the state and the media and it seems to be heavily promoted, whereas other family types might be seen as deviant. It could be argued that this idea of a traditional family is becoming less of an option. According to Elution in Fox (2009, IPPP-459) in order for some families to cope with the strain of ‘domestic labor and paid employment', both spouses are having to share the responsibility of reducing a sa lary through paid work.This suggests that in some households the option of a traditional family lifestyle is unavailable to them, based on the way in which this capitalist state has evolved. According to Duncan and Phillips (2008, Pl), ‘Family life is no longer equated with the married couple'. This implies that this model of the family could be seen as unrealistic in this present modern society, as it simply ignores the different variations that we can now expect within a family unit, such as single parent families, same-sex families and step families to name a few.The legislation is that there is no family norm and no definite definition to the term family. ‘Marriage, as a social institution, may have simply been reformed, widened and ‘modernized' rather than being ‘decreed'†¦ If this family form were indeed ‘decreed', we would expect to find that those who live apart from their partners, solo living and same-sex partnerships are seen as equivale nt, rather than inferior family forms', Duncan and Phillips (2008, pop). The Postmodernism approach seems to take this diversity of family types into account and therefore pushes for this diversity to be accepted within society.This could be considered to be a more appropriate observation of British society today. This approach family is characterized by ‘choice, freedom, diversity, ambivalence and fluidity', Harmless and Holbrook (2007, IPPP). This suggests that individuals are more open to live their lives as they please, without judgment and humiliation. According to McNeil et al (2003, up) more and more people delay forming their own families; some may choose to remain Single or childless. This has led some sociologists to argue that there is such a thing as a postmodern family.This is a more modernized term that Seems to embody what British society is like today. Maybe the term traditional family needs to become redundant and replaced by the more flexible term postmodern family? This may be seen as a more appropriate portrayal of family life in a post modern society. Post-war women had the demands of devoting their lives to their men with domestic roles becoming imminent, Muncie et al (1999). The roles of women have now changed, for the majority. They now have more rights which could affect the dynamics of the family.In the past a non married woman might have been considered to be a spinster, but now they tend to be labeled as independent professional women. Some of these changes are down to feminists taking a stand for equal treatment of men and women and eliminating patriarchy, Bernard (1997). This can be evidenced with the Equal Pay Act in 1970, where feminists thought for the right for women to be paid the same salary as their male counterparts, when doing the same role, Lynn Seal in Muncie et al (1997).Another major turning point for women was in 1 918 when they were finally given the right to vote, after years of campaigning from the suffragis ts and suffragettes, Women and the Vote, (no date). It is apparent that feminists have conflicting views to the functionalists ND new right regarding the idea of the traditional nuclear family, as they would possibly prefer a more symmetrical family where the authority is shared. They might argue that traditional family and marriage are not necessary, as traditional family in particular is perceived as more beneficial to men.Gender appears to be Of some importance, as stated by Duncan and Phillips (2008, up), because ‘according to individualistic theory it is women who often lead change, as they break away from traditional and ‘antidisestablishmentarianism and seek fairer and more equal ones'. Feminists Barrett and McIntosh (1 982), maintain that this traditional nuclear family type is anti-social because it exploits women and benefits capitalism, whilst perceiving the more unconventional family types as in adequate.It is evident that societal attitudes have changed over time regarding the acceptance of the various family lifestyle choices. Society has become ethnically diverse and it could be considered as less judgmental. One of the most recent examples of this change is the consideration, by the coalition government, for gay marriages. The bill is to be submitted as early as next ear; with it becoming law by as early as 2015, Hennessey (2012).This insinuates that the coalition government are starting to adopt a more post modern view regarding family and marriage. Although according to McCarthy and Edwards (2011 a more recent concept known as New right, which supports many of the primary functionalist beliefs including the importance of monogamous marriage, the nuclear family and the division of labor in maintaining stability within society, is the view currently held by the coalition government.According to Mainland (2012) Deed Mainland has stated that, â€Å"There are many ay couples of faith and there are many faith groups that embrace gay pe ople and so it's only right for faith groups that wish to conduct same-sex marriages to be allowed to do so under law†. He believes that there needs to be marriage equality for gay couples with the ‘right to marry in churches, synagogues and meeting houses' that are willing to accommodate them.If this bill is pasted it may well be another significant triumph for the equality of gay couples since their right to adopt in the UK in 2005 and being allowed to have civil partnerships in 2005, Ross, Gas and Barrington (2011). These hanged were made through The New Labor Government from 1 997, which seemed to embrace the reality of the diversity of family types. This action can be perceived as necessary as it shows that the government have been taking steps to establishing equality and rights for gay people and regarding them as they would a married couple.They also showed great support for single mothers offering them financial support and paid childcare, Bourbons (2012). This in itself could be seen as evidence of traditional family not being necessary in Britain today and it also shows the support that is been received y these supposed ‘deviant' family types. This illustrates the rights that gay couples are starting to receive which are the same as a married couple and the support that single parents get from the state. Single parent families are becoming more common with the rise in divorce and separation.Since the Divorce Reform Act 1969 there has been a rise in divorce in England and Wales, Bourbons (2009). Also Rodgers (2011) explains how Data published by the Office for National Statistics, indicates that since 2009 there has been a 4. 9% increase from 113,949 to 119,589 in 2010. Single parent families seem o bring about the idea of living in a welfare state, where some individuals are preoccupied by state handouts instead of actually supporting themselves. Margaret Thatcher gave a speech in 1 987, which she clearly shows her condemnation of how society had become.She maintained that some individuals became complacent and dependent on the state to provide for them, because of the benefits that they were permitted to. She suggested that, ‘people have got the entitlements too much in mind without the obligations', Key (1987). This suggests that some individuals take advantage f the help that is offered and decide not to satiate their obligations of I. E. Trying to find a job. It can be considered as an effortless alternative for some, enabling their unwillingness to work.Although the welfare state was initially aimed at tackling poverty, it became apparent to some that it actually created more problems. Locks (2000) stated that the idea of the ‘nanny stats? and a ‘culture of dependency' started to emerge. It seems very fitting that the government is now trying to put a stop to this reliance on the state by capping the benefits that out of work individuals are entitled to (http:// www. Conservatives. Com/ Policy/Where_we_stand/Jobs_and_Welfare. Asps; no date).It will be made law that anyone claiming out of work benefits will not be able to receive more than EWE,OHO per year, which is what the average person earns in employment. By implementing this cap, in 201 3, the government could be seen as trying to create a much fairer system for families and possibly promoting the notion that everyone should work. Although there has been a rise in divorce rates there also seems to be a high level of remarriage, which means that the number of reconstituted families is also on the rise as indicated by Duncan and Phillips (2008).This could signify that marriage and family is still of some importance to most individuals and regarded as necessary, although there is a rise in divorce, these same individuals are still opting to remarry and create their own family form. In conclusion, it is evident that traditional family and marriage are not necessary in a post modern society such as Britain, althoug h it is still considered as important to some individuals. Family in general seems to have some importance to most individuals, regardless of the family form.The rotational nuclear family is still seen as the preferred family type according to New right and Functionalists; nonetheless it seems realistic to accept that society has become more flexible in regards to their views on family due to the changes that have occurred. Looking at family from a postmodernist and feminist view it is evident that society is diverse and it makes sense to adopt an understanding nature towards family situations and types.

Culture of Chinese Family Stereotype Essay

Taiwan, my mother country, though suffering under complicated identification obscurity, is still applying Chinese culture and values. We still commemorate Chinese New Year, QingMing Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and so forth. We still believe in Confucianism and Chinese ethic moral rules like â€Å" †, â€Å" †, â€Å" , †, to name but a few. In addition, we also share the similar diet culture, since our staple food mostly based on rice and noodles. There are surplus parallels between Taiwanese culture and those adopted in the mother China even though we’ve been separated geographically for centuries. Though Taiwan is politically independent from China, as a Chinese, I would still accept the perspective that I’m belonging to part of the Great Chinese Culture Region( ), as we can call it â€Å"Chinese Family†. Although modern technology and knowledge keep flourishing, people nowadays may think that western culture somehow influence people more, included religion believing , fast food culture, insight of democracy and freedom, western literature, and so on. However, as a Chinese, I can’t deny that Chinese culture did affect our daily living physically and mentally. Many values originated from the ancient people and philosophers, included those in ,,,, still maintain clear and essential in our mind , since we have been taught to follow the concept and the worship the good deeds those ancient sages and virtuous, like Confucius, Zhuangzi, Mencius, Yao and Shun( )†¦ have conducted. â€Å" †, â€Å" †, â€Å" †, â€Å" †, â€Å" , , †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ these values not only affect the way Chinese people think, but also become a sub consciousness which lead to the way we live. As we often emphasis the importance of studying, Chinese parents are willing to spent their whole life working hard so their children can accept better education because they believe the sayings, â€Å" †, â€Å" , †. In contrary, western families take less focus on their children’s academic performance; they would rather think that children should seek out their interest instead of obtaining all A grades at school. Furthermore, it would also affect how parents educate their children, and this educating concept would pass on by generations. And the phenomenon is just the same in Taiwan as that in Mainland. As most Chinese parents always believe and hope their children to be the best( , ), they usually devote more than western parents do, just to provide the best resources for their children. This may somehow spoil a child, too. As Chinese family often pass their fortune to their descendants, rather than considering parents’ fortune as their own, offspring of a wealthy family may no longer eager to achieve his own life goal and seek his own fortune. In contrary, western children usually gain their own fortune by their hand, on their own, which is considered more independent and responsible. There’s a real story of a business man. Because he’s so busy and so was his wife, they’ve decided to send their 13 years old son to New Zealand for a couple of months, and there was a friend named Marry, who could take care of their child. When the child met Marry, the first thing she said was, â€Å"Listen, my sweet heart, I’ll like to notice you that I’m here only to take care of your living, but doesn’t mean I should make you breakfast, do your laundries and dishes, you should do it all by yourself. You’re now 13, which is definitely able to start taking care of yourself. Parents aren’t responsible to look after your whole life; thus, you should be independent from now on. You live your life and I do mine own business, is that clear enough? † After 6 months, while the business man and his wife picked their son back from New Zealand, they’re totally stunned; their son had changed thoroughly mature. He began to make breakfast, woke up early himself and was able to schedule his own life, which he never did before. This dramatically change simply based on how western and eastern parents educate their children. As a result, it leads to the circumstance that western children are usually more independent. In addition, the value of women rights also maintain deeply in Chinese people’s mind, though we are now in a world advocating gender equality. Even nowadays, some people still believe the concept â€Å" †, â€Å" †, â€Å" , , †, but mostly the elders. Thanks to the revolution New Culture Movement ( ) brought to the Chinese society. People started to explore and accept new technology and knowledge, not only the perception of Democracy() and Science( ), but also the new century values. For instance, in the old days, women are forced to bound their feet from their young ages, so that their feet may look tiny and delicate, which ancient Chinese regarded as sexy and beauty. They even worshiped tiny feet as â€Å" †. This social usage only happened in the upper classes which higher status women did not need to deal with tuff tasks that rural area women did. On the other hand, it also lead to the phenomenon that women were having lower social position than men were. But after the New Culture Movement and other further revolutions, women gradually stopped to suffer from the pain bounding feet brought to them, and started to handle more housework; little by little, women’s social status had been raised. When it comes to the argument of women’s right and discrimination, it’s no doubt that Chinese ancient culture and concept have deeply influenced the way the majority behaves. Not only in Mainland, but also the whole Chinese cultural region, included Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and other South East Asian countries. Take Japan as an example, Japanese girls are well known for their virtuous behavior, while men are quite accustomed to chauvinism( ). This may be somewhat resulted from the old sayings originated from China; for instance, â€Å" , †, â€Å" †, and so on. However, women status obviously do rise in this century, modern parents may be more willing to give birth to a girl because they may think girls are sweeter than boys, ignoring the stereotype that having a boy is better than a girl. This stereotype is resulted from the traditional custom that boys are able to pass the family name, while girls no longer belongs to the family after they’re married. Plus, this is also a chief reason why ancient Chinese family sent a boy to school rather than a girl, cause only when a boy achieve high social status after , will the whole family gain benefits. Thus, brought out a novel which the feminine role have to disguise herself as a guy so as to be able to pursue education. We can see that phenomenon changes not only in giving birth to a baby, but also in education providing. In the old times, there were mostly boys that could access complete education instead of girls, but now, we may even discover that the numbers of girls are surprisingly higher than boys. Which some researches declaim that it’s because girls are innately more careful and thoughtful than boys are. The case is similar in industries and working places, more and more â€Å"Iron ladies† exist and keep on controlling the whole company, which may be more success than men. What’s more there’re even throngs of specific phrases for modern women, like â€Å" — †, â€Å" †, â€Å" †(which refers to women that haven’t married but are successful in their carriers), and so forth. There is an awkward circumstance that women in upper social status are mostly unmarried, and so as men within lower social status. This is due to two main reasons; first, women education is relatively emphasized than that in the past; second, traditional concept has that a woman should marry a man better than she is. As the result, a woman graduated from high school may marry a man finished college studying; woman finished college studying may marry a guy accomplished graduated school; woman accomplished graduated school marry a PHD guy; and a PHD woman may marry a professor; then who will a female professor marry? Obviously not a guy graduated from high school! This worrying case lead to a sad ending, which then somehow may strictly proofed the saying â€Å" †. However, to my opinion, I think this is a controversial issue because being married involves mostly on love itself, we shouldn’t blame it all to the Chinese cultural effects. But frankly speaking, we can’t ignore truth that these old sayings somehow match to the phenomena we’re now facing. Even though women are now capable enough to compare with men in industry fields, there still exist â€Å" †, which means however hard women try, the promotion rate and the salaries are relatively lower than that of men’s. This may also be an outcome of the Chinese stereotypes that men are more capable then women are when it comes to work. For conclusion, old Chinese concepts really influence modern society deeply in an unmeasurable degree. All in all, although ancient Chinese empires had faded into history, glorious kingdoms had turned into dust, brilliant philosophy of ancient saints only exist in books now, the influence they brought to this Chinese world still remain and just couldn’t be erased from our mind. Chinese culture and ancient concepts couldn’t be ignored. They’re now the biggest part of our life because they’re what we come from, and what foster us. It’s our soul, our mother characteristic. Also, they’re things that allow us to identify ourselves as a member of this huge â€Å"Chinese Family†. And because it’s uniqueness and specialties, we’re always able to find our loyalties. In this complex culture integrated world, finding a sense of belonging is really important, because it may make us feel comfortable and gleeful to be part of this big family. We can even say that, without Chinese culture, we can’t be who we are now. Cherish our culture and maintain it well so as to pass the Chinese spirit on and on is what our generation should do. Despite of focusing and arguing on whether I’m a Taiwanese or a Chinese, It’s more vital and meaningful to define myself as a member part of Chinese culture. I’m from Taiwan, and I’m a Chinese. I’m proud of my identity; I’m proud of this Chinese family I belong to. It’s where my mind and spirit mature, where my ancestor struggled for their lives and for the next generation, for us.

First Union: An Office Without Walls Essay

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to analyze the Integrative Case 5.0, â€Å"First Union: An Office Without Walls,† found on page 589 of the text book Organization Theory & Design, by Richard L. Daft, and to respond to the questions relating to the case study. Problem Statement First Union Federal is a large savings and loan banking organization at which Meg Rabb has been employed with since she was 18. Meg has been recently promoted to Vice President of her division after serving the last five years as assistant V.P. At the time Meg was hired as an assistant V.P. there had not been a single female in the position of V.P. After a week in her new position, Meg was notified by her boss Dan Cummings that she would be moving into a new office. After three weeks of construction, Meg’s office was complete; however, only a day after settling in, Meg was summoned to her boss’ office yet again. She was informed that the First Union president had performed a walkthrough of the building and ruled that Meg’s office was too large and would have to be torn down and rebuild from the current 12 feet by 12 feet specifications down to the new 10 feet by 10 feet specifications outlined in the new regulations. Meg was angry and questioned herself how this would effect and damage her department’s morale, and how she could possibly lose the respect from her peers she worked so hard to earn. Meg also wondered if this had to do with her being a woman in a position of power – especially when her promotion came after an intervention from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC discovered that First Union did not have any female executives at or above the level of V.P. prior to Meg’s promotion and encouraged First Union to seek out qualified female candidates for promotion to executive status. This paper will identify the main issue at First Union, discuss the forces for cultural change, explain the use of power, and finally determine what political tactics Meg should use to resolver her office situation at First Union. Questions What is the main issue in this case? The main issue in this case is First Union’s corporate culture, the accompanying ethical values and how these are motivated by organization managers. According to Daft (2013), organizational culture exists at two levels – on the surface are the visible characteristics and observable behaviors and below the surface are the underlying values, assumptions, and beliefs that make up the second level (p. 393). At First Union, the issue with corporate culture touches on both levels of organizational culture. The observable behaviors include office layouts, the type of control systems and power structures used by the company and the ceremonies organizations share (Daft, 2013, p. 393). The office layout in Meg’s department was split up into sections and partitioned off for each of her 12 staff. Depending on their level in the organizational hierarchy, employees had variable office furniture for their individual section. The lowest-level employees received minimal second-rate quality furniture and often had to share the space with other employees. Robertson argues with the right approach, a company can become forward-thinking by creating a workspace with flow and function that motivates and inspires people and their business (2006, p. 35). Today, forward-thinking companies are turning to egalitarianism to get the job done. Rather than acting like the office space is symbol of status, all office spaces should be equal, cutting down on costs of space, equipment and furniture (Robertson, 2006, p. 34). Secondly, Meg’s boss, Dan Cummings, is senior V.P. of human resources. With his position, he organized the first annual â€Å"Dan Cummings Golf Invitational† now in its fourth year setup. Invitations to this prestigious event indicated status in the organization – only those V.P.s and assistant V.P.s close to senior management received invitations; yet no female employee had ever been invited to the golf tournament. Disregard to ethics threats substantial harm to reputation and to other significant intangible corporate assets – including employee morale and productivity. The outcomes of unethical behavior can affect an organization’s ability to survive (Doorley & Garcia, 2007, p. 30). In addition to these contributing factors, Meg was the first person to fall victim to stri ct adherence to the miscalculation of  her office size. Not only that, but shortly before her promotion, the EEOC put pressure on First Union to hire female executives since none had been put in place. Meg was the first of her kind. The EEOC was trying to encourage diversity management. Diversity management is defined by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as a practice intended to produce and maintain a positive work environment that recognizes the value of individuals’ similarities and differences, so that everyone can reach their potential and make the most of their contributions to an organization’s strategic goals and objectives (GAO, 2013, p. 5). What are the forces for cultural change at First Union? Cultural changes will need to start from the top down. According to Daft (2013), culture changes refer to changes in the values, attitudes, expectations, beliefs, abilities, and behavior of employees such as the mindset of the organization (p. 435). Miller and Tucker (2013) suggest the senior leadership must set the tone at the top for integrity and ethics including diversity (p. 56). Consulting with First Union’s outside auditors, internal and outside legal counsel may be helpful in laying the groundwork for an updated diversity plan and Code of Ethics (Miller & Tucker, 2013, p. 56). Miller and Tucker go on to state top management should work with legal counsel to identify possible events that could impact the company’s diversity program, such as the annual golf tournament (2013, p. 56). Discuss the use of power at First Union. The use of power at First Union is interesting as it has many facets. For one, the mortgage division was considered the most powerful as it was the department that made that brought in a substantial amount of revenues. Because of the mortgage division’s contribution to the bottom line, the mortgages offices had been remodeled so beautifully, that they stood out from the rest of the bank. This is an example of reward power (Jing, 2010, p. 220). The president was not happy with the cost of the renovations but kept his displeasure to himself due to the significant profits generated by the mortgage division. Just as stated above, First Union had not employed any female executives until the EEOC intervened encouraging them to do so. And just as there had not been any women executives in a VP status, none had been invited to play in the annual golf invitational either. This is a prime example of referent power, which refers to the ability to provide others with feelings of personal acceptance, approval, usefulness, or worth (Jing, 2010, p. 220). The artwork around First Union was also suggestive of the values perceived by top management as one particular art piece displayed a member of the female body and was hung in the president’s conference room. This is another example of referent power. An example of legitimate and possible coercive power is the president’s influence on the building manager in deciding to downsize Meg’s office. As stated in the text, Meg was the first person to come under scrutiny with the current regulations. This is considered legitimate because of the president’s position to impose a sense of obligation on the building manager to follow the guidelines even though they were casually held in compliance with other executives. It is also coercive as the president has the power to grant and take away rewards and privileges (Jing, 2010, p. 220). What political tactics should Meg use? Political behavior is an important factor of power progressions in organizations and has been found to enhance leader-member relations, career mentoring, and customer satisfaction (Gupta, Singh, & Singh, 2008, p. 16). Meg should only employ sanctioned political tactics that are perceived as acceptable in the workplace as a way to progress positive relationships. She should try to cultivate positive relationships throughout the First Union by learning about their views and developing mutually advantageous coalitions and alliances (Daft, 2013, p. 548). Meg should also use the political tactic of reciprocity which works hand in hand in building coalitions and alliances. Being in a V.P. position, Meg has the prime opportunity to be a mentor to  other females since she is the first woman V.P. at First Union; not only would she be educating females, but educating males on acceptable behavior changing the culture of First Union and its perception of women in the workplace (Gupta et. al, 2008, p. 23). Other political tactics include: promoting self-interests (such as her golf lessons) through creating and maintaining a favorable image with the â€Å"power holders† to help foster a change in culture. Meg can draw the attention to the success her department has in establishing positive staff morale and by developing a reputation as formidable as the mortgage division. Doing so would make her as a V.P. and the department more desirable to the influential members of First Union (Gupta et. al, 2008, p. 24). And lastly, Meg can become a â€Å"mentoree† by looking up to the more senior members of the organization for advice and support. Conclusion In conclusion, First Union’s main issue is the corporate culture and the need for change in the organization. In order to foster this need, top management will need to change their way of thinking and educate the staff from their level on down. With Meg being the first woman hired as a female V.P., she is in a prime position to help pave the way towards this new cultural change. References Daft, R. L. (2013). Organization Theory & Design (11th ed.) Mason, OH: South-Western. Doorley, J., & Garcia, H. (2007). Reputation Management: The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communication. New York: Routledge. Government Accountability Office. (2013). Diversity management. (GAO-13-238). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Jing, Z. (2010). Cross-cultural study on French and Chinese managers’ use of power sources. International Journal of Business & Management, 5(5), 219-225. Miller, S.K., & Tucker III, J. J. (2013). Diversity trends, practices, and challenges in the financial services industry. Journal of Financial Service Professionals, 67(6), 46-57. Robertson, D. (2006). Does your office work for you?. J@Pan Inc, (66), 32-35. Gupta, B., Singh, S., & Singh, N. (2008) Self-monitoring and perceived job security and use of sanctioned and non-sanctioned political tactics. Vilakshan: The XIMB Journal of Management, 5(2), 15-32.

Ops Presentation

BGMT 20010 Operations and Supply Chain Management Report December 2011 ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- DANKERS FUNITUTE LTD ————————————————- ————————————————- THE NEW BUSINESS PLANNING CASE ————————————————- ——————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- â€Å"If You Are Not Measuring, You Are Not Managing† CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary 2. Overview of the Organisation 3.Description of the main issues raised in the case 4. Problem One; Breakdown in Organisational Relationships * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively 5. Problem Two; Short-term actions regarding the new product development process * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively . Problem Three; Long-term developments regarding the new product development process * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively 7. Conclusion 8. References 1. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide Rolf Danker and Danker’s Furniture Ltd with some short-term and long-term suggestions on how to successfully implement their new business venture into timber framed conservatories.This report offers advice on how to successfully incorporate this new venture into the existing processes within the company as well as recommendations on short-term establishment and long-term expansion. Some of the problems that were encountered at the onset of the venture included communication breakdowns between company departments, quality concerns in the two existing Strategic Business Units, and resource constraints. This report suggests that Danker’s adopt a swim lane process map to help with the communications failures as well as improvements in the internal and external supply chains. 2.Overview of the organisation During the 1800â⠂¬â„¢s, a Danker family from Norway moved to County Meath, Ireland. The family was associated with a tradition of high quality furniture design, and high-class customary made furniture. The Danker family discovered that there was a market for their furniture in Meath, enclosed by rich middle class estates. During the next few generations, the Danker’s family continued the family tradition of making furniture and at the end of the 20th Century, ‘Danker’ was renowned for its ability to produce customised hardwood design based on clients specific requirements and specifications.The company became known as Danker’s Furniture Ltd and was well established in the manufacturing markets. The company had been very profitable and had obtained a great reputation. But in the late 1990’s the company experienced problems and the newly appointed Managing Director Rolf Danker appointed me as operations manager, which quickly resolved the underlying difficulties in t he business at the time. Currently under the management of newly appointed Managing Director Rolf Danker, the business’ strategic focus is to grow and expand through the production of new goods and services.The massive economic growth in the 1990’s resulted in a huge development in the construction area, Rolf Danker, successfully discovered an opportunity to enter into the standard cabinetry market. The company started making kitchen cabinets and wardrobes to exploit the rapid increase in the number of houses being built which required reasonable priced furniture. Danker’s believed that their established reputation in the customised furniture making industry accompanying the standard cabinets would increase their market share.Rolf believed that this would be a quick way to increase profits instead of continuing exclusively with the previous business model. But by the 2000’s Rolf’s new initiative caused problems in the company’s business foun dations. Fortunately, Rolf appointed me as Operations Manager at Danker’s, which helped to quickly resolve the underlying difficulties in the business at the time. Now in 2002, the company has two independently operated strategic business unites (SBUs), the craft purpose-made and the standard cabinet, the business is performing well again and enjoying good profit margins. 3.Description of the main issues in the case The division was completely financed from the company’s reserves, and in 2002, the company’s balance sheet was very strong with no long-term loans or debt equity. Bankers to the company were very willing towards them and the company were constantly being encouraged by the bankers to take up the finance being offered to them and further expand their business. Following a new product concept generation process involving external consultants, a gap has been identified in the market and the Danker’s Board has agreed to enter the timber conservator y market.The Irish market for conservatories is constantly growing but there is not a huge demand in the home market for hardwood timber framed. But it has been recognised that the UK market is around 20 times the size of the Irish one with a 50% share being for timber framed conservatories. It has been explained that due to the foregoing and rising interest in ‘sustainable construction’, which has been evident in the growth of timber-framed windows, due to improvements in technology and conveniently meets revised Irish Building Regulations.There is no dedicated manufacturer for timber conservatory in the Irish market and this is where Danker’s have seen the opportunity, coupled with the attraction of the large, growing UK market. Rolf feels before focusing on the export opportunity, the company should focus on the home market first and gain experience, amend any defects in their product and then look to expand into the huge UK market. This will be Danker’ s third SBU. Rolf has asked me as Operations manager to plan this new business venture for the company.Duty as operation manager is the planning, scheduling and control of the activities that transform inputs into finished goods and services. For the new venture to succeed it is important that there is close co-operation between marketing, operations and engineering. * The company already has got expertise knowledge and skills in the marketing and operations areas; was short on engineering skills. * Production Engineer, John Brady was appointed by Danker’s. * He is appointed to provide the initial engineering aspects for the conservatory line and then also provide production-engineering support to all the SBU’s. The sales manager drew up a report on the market characteristics for hardwood conservatories to begin the process of conservatory design and to decide on product specifications for the new product line. * The engineering manager drew up a Technical Specificatio n Report (TSR) to develop a bill of materials (BOM) with a detailed analysis of dimensions and specifications for all the items on the BOM. * TSR contained a great deal of * Development costs * Product costs * Schedules * Materials technical specifications. * New product development planning schedule was also developed This plan was presented to the management team meeting and was approved. * The plan approved is to have the third SBU first production lot produced in 11/12 months time. * In order for the development plan to be a success, need to strictly adhere to the planning schedule, as any delay will result in extra costs. * This is when some problems began to arise. * Jack, the sales manager, did not see the need to have weekly product design meetings with John because he felt that the marketing and production teams already had enough to worry about with their existing products. In this report, we address this breakdown in communication as well as potential problems that will a rise within the short-term and long-term operations and supply chains of the company from implementing their new timber conservatory SBU. 4. The first problem identified was what could be done to clarify the organizational relationships between marketing, production, and engineering. The issue that arose with the introduction of the third SBU was the smooth functioning of the interdepartmental relationships within the company.To create a successful new product it involved more work than the primary sourcing of materials and construction of the conservatories. There needs to be a cohesive and common effort made by all departments to achieve success for this new product. We see this problem arising with Jack, sales manager who was slow to hand in the report on the market characteristics of hardwood conservatoires and declined to attend the weekly product design meetings, claiming the marketing department had too much on its plate.A problem is created in the intrinsic makeup of the pro duct, as now market research is not being contributed to the production of the new product. This could be a fatal flaw for Danker’s as they could be producing something that is not exactly what the customer wants. This increases the riskiness of this new venture. As well as this problem the breakdown in the relationships can result in delays and process breakdown as well as distracting from the two other S. B. U’s of the business.The approach management took to address the issues raised was to focus on improving the relationship between the departments. This was done with a focus being placed on department approval. This system was going to be implemented at the weekly product meetings. Here the department heads could input on resources available, capacity and ability of their department to input on the production process. Jack would be able to have an input into important feedback in relation to aiming and promoting the product to the right customers.A recommendation that could effectively deal with the issue is to implement swim lane process maps. The implementation of swim-lane process maps by the management at Danker’s will help to clarify the organisational relationships between marketing, production and engineering and combat the breakdown in their relationships. The swim lane process maps allowed each department to determine exactly what was required of them throughout the new product design process and prevented situations occurring where marketing refused to attend weekly product design meetings because they felt they were being overworked.Each department was required to attend the weekly product design meetings; this was the first stage of the swim-lane process maps, the second stage involved finalising the product design and this was successfully carried out by the three departments and the third strategic business unit is now ready for launch into the Irish market. There was no ambiguity in relation to what was required from ea ch department and if they were unsure of their role in the development process they re-analysed the swim-lane process map and took corrective action. 5.The second problem that we focused on was to look at what short-term actions could be done to improve the new product development process. For the new venture to succeed it is important that there is close cooperation between marketing, operations and engineering. * The company already has got expertise knowledge and skills in the marketing and operations areas; was short on engineering skills. * Production Engineer, John Brady was appointed by Danker’s. * He is appointed to provide the initial engineering aspects for the conservatory line and then also provide production-engineering support to all SBU’s. The sales manager drew up a report on the market characteristics for hardwood conservatories to begin the process of conservatory design and to decide on product specifications for the new product line. * The engineeri ng manager drew up a Technical Specification Report (TSR) to develop a bill of materials (BOM) with a detailed analysis of dimensions and specifications for all the items on the BOM. * TSR contained a great deal of * Development costs * Product costs New product development planning schedule was also developed New Product Development Planning Schedule – 2003| Jan| Feb| Mar| Apr| May| Jun| Jul| Aug| Sep| Oct| Nov| Dec| Jan| Establish Project Team|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Define Marketing Need|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Concept Cost Estimate|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Technical Specs Complete|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | First Model Complete|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | First Model Testing|   |   |   |   |   |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Design Review Meeting|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Hazard Analysis|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Field Test Model Tests|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Production cost Estimate| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tooling / Process Design| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Release to Production| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Order Parts| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Production of Lot 1| | | | | | | | | | | | | | This plan was presented to the management team meeting and was approved. The plan approved is to have the third SBU first production lot produced in 11/12 months time.This approach adopted by management could be successful, but they need to strictly adhere to the planning schedule, as any delay will result in extra costs. The hiring of an engineering production manager was very valuable as he created a TSR which would aid the BOM ensuring the correct materials would be ordered, avoiding a potential loss of earnings. Recommendations which could provide additional help to Danker’s would be for each individual sector to improve their own areas which would impact on the overall development process in the short term. For engineering department important aspects they could focus on would be concept development and design. In the marketing area, it is critical that planning improves as well as commercial preparation.By encouraging Jack attendance at the weekly meetings, he will have detailed knowledge of the other two departments, which will aid him in designing the marketing strategy for the SBU. In the production sector, it is vital that process for the supply chain is efficient. By implementing a detailed process map, this will ensure that there is an efficient process layout selected. The layout can then be measured using takt time, theoretical minimum and line balancing so that the amo unt of time idle at the workstation is minimised and the Danker’s can maximise their capacity. This process can then be evaluated at the end of the first year to identify any areas for improvement and opportunity to improve efficiency. The operations manager also needs to ensure that there is good, quality control.All products produced need to adhere to the ISO 9000 and ensure that all products are inspected before they leave the production’s premises. In order to gain a competitive share of the Irish timber conservatory market, Danker’s must develop a competitive strategy. A business strategy can be defined as the identification of the market(s) in which the business will participate and how the business will gain a competitive advantage in those markets. A strategy is a pattern that integrates an organisation’s major goals, policies and actions into a cohesive goal in order to gain a competitive advantage. There are two main types of strategy; 1) Cost L eadership FocusThis strategy involves company managing their costs better than their competitors, so that they can offer a lower cost to their consumers. 2) Differentiation focus The product produced is unique. Customers are willing to pay premium price for it. Having seen already by the work done by the operations manager, Danker’s imposes two different strategies for its two SBU’s; 1) Cost leadership focus implemented for the standard cabinet 2) Differentiate focus for the custom made furniture. Now that Danker’s are producing their third SBU, it is important they distinguish what strategy they are going to implement with it. As operations manager, we recommend that we implement a cost leadership strategy with the production of timber conservatory market.If we succeed in managing our costs better than other competitors in the fragmented home industry, this will enable us to offer a lower price to our consumers and enable us to gain a competitive advantage in t he market and contribute towards the goal of becoming the market leader in the Irish Market. As operations Manager, my job is to make sure that * The business strategy gets translated into operational terms. * Assure the co-ordination with marketing and engineering. * Provide direction and guidance for operation decisions. The operations strategy is a pattern of structural and infrastructural operations decisions that configure the shape and design of the operations function and constitutes the operations strategy.Currently Danker’s had two production lines, one for craft purpose-made and one for the standard cabinetry. We propose as operations manager that Danker’s changes its operations to three production lines, which would incorporate its new business products production process. In the short-term, we would advise Danker’s to use its retained earnings to fund the creation of the third product, as unknown whether its going to be a success, so should start out small to minimise costs. If Danker’s were having difficulties with three production processes or were struggling to fulfil capacity requirement, we recommend that Danker’s could subcontract out the work.There would be no production costs involved. They would have to pay the company but if successful they could expand and develop the company. We propose that Danker’s outsource their distribution costs which are not close to their production premises and engage in distribution contracts with company’s in the North, South, West and deliver to companies in the East of Ireland. 6. The third point recognised was the long-term developments of the new product development at Danker’s. Apart from this new product development opportunity on the home market, Rolf and the Danker’s Board were also attracted towards the larger, growing market for timber framed conservatories in the UK.However Rolf felt that before focusing on this export opportunity, the company should first gain experience in the market / industry sector on the home market first, modify any shortcomings in the product-offer, and then look at how he might make in-roads in the UK. Rolf reckoned that the introduction phase of timber conservatories in the Irish market would need to have 2/3 years experience in Ireland to confirm its viability, before entering the UK market. The UK market is 20 times the size of the home market and up until now it has been described as a fragmented joinery industry. There is great potential to break into the UK market and establish as a leader in the market. This would generate huge profits for Danker’s. It is important to note that Danker’s Balance Sheet has been very strong, with no debt equity, long-term loans, or overdraft.Bankers to the company were very favourably disposed towards them. Rolf Danker and his accountant brother Erik were constantly being encouraged by their bankers to take up the finance being offered t o them and expand their business further. This approach taken by management to gain experience in the Irish market first, evaluate the product, and adjust any shortcomings they may experience before attempting to break into the UK market is crucial. 2-3 year’s experience in the home market would be essential before expanding. Before expansion of the product it is vital that our strategy in the short term is achieved and we successfully become a market leader in the home market first.This will enable us to establish a reputation while creating a loyal customer base giving us a competitive advantage against competitors in the market. Furthermore, this would provide Danker’s with experience of the market before attempting to make in-roads in the UK. Provided we are successful in the home market, there are a number of tasks that would need to be in place for expanding our product. We would need to expand the business by purchasing a larger warehouse to produce the goods in order to facilitate production in the wider UK market as well as maintaining production in the home market and our other SBU’s. To aid expansion, we recommend on taking up on the Bank’s offer providing us with a loan.By increasing capacity this will enable Danker’s to avail of a number of capacity considerations. There include economies of scale, technology/labour mix, and learning curves. With economies of scale the average unit cost decreases as output increases. It is essential that Danker’s are able to obtain lower costs by expanding their business. The technology/labour mix means that Danker’s can improve capacity by introducing new technologies, which will increase fixed costs but reduce their variable labour costs. The phenomenon of learning curves results in increasing output overtime, without an increase in resources. The external supply chain would also need to be developed to penetrate the UK market.The existing supply chain used in the home market would be a template and then extend and adopt it to make it suitable for the UK market. An effective recommendation could be to design a detailed process map. This would allow all staff to ascertain what was required at each stage and the time constraints that would need to be adhered to. As operation manager, it is in imperative to ensure that the process is efficient. However, if Danker’s are finding it difficult to break into the UK market, they could create Strategic Alliance with suppliers from the UK. Distribution costs and warehouse costs will be a major contribution to costs as the firm breaks into the UK market. There needs to be smart decisions made by the operations manager in regards to logistics management.This involves the planning, implementation, and control of the effective flow and storage of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption. An effective recommendation for Danker’s would be to outsource their transport requireme nts, this will provide more control, improve customer service, and would be less expensive for the business. With the money from the loan, Danker’s could look to develop a production center in the UK to cut costs. They should then set up distribution centers close to the market in the UK, which would reduce transportation costs. Danker’s then should evaluate their performance on their third SBU to ensure that they are achieving their goals. A method of performance, which could be used is benchmarking.This involves comparing the business to others in the industry to gauge where they stand and steps they may need to identify in order to become more successful. 7. Conclusion Once Danker’s have their third SBU up and running, they will be able to develop sales and operations plans and forecast for the business by looking at previous sales, which will help them to determine the levels of capacity required, both strategically and tactically. They will also be able to plan for future materials required and gauge what inventory levels are required for their business. This will facilitate them to be able to develop a master production schedule. This will drive the supply chain and set precise production levels.We believe that once Danker’s follows the short-term objectives and implements our recommendations, they will generate profits from their new product development and facilitate them in becoming a market leader in the home market. As a result, this will enable them to penetrate the wider UK market in the long run and alongside our advice compete with their product on a large scale. By expanding their business and creating a third SBU we believe that they can generate massive profits and become a leader in the timber conservatory market. 8. References We got our information for our report from the following; * Introduction to Operations & Supply Chain Management; Bozarth & Handfield, 2nd Edition (2008); Pearson International Edition. * B GMT 20010 Operational and Supply Chain Management 2011 Lecture Material, University College Dublin. Ops Presentation BGMT 20010 Operations and Supply Chain Management Report December 2011 ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- DANKERS FUNITUTE LTD ————————————————- ————————————————- THE NEW BUSINESS PLANNING CASE ————————————————- ——————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- â€Å"If You Are Not Measuring, You Are Not Managing† CONTENTS 1. Executive Summary 2. Overview of the Organisation 3.Description of the main issues raised in the case 4. Problem One; Breakdown in Organisational Relationships * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively 5. Problem Two; Short-term actions regarding the new product development process * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively . Problem Three; Long-term developments regarding the new product development process * Main issue raised in the case * Steps management adopted to address the issue raised * Analysis of the effectiveness of the existing approach * Recommendations on how it could be addressed more effectively 7. Conclusion 8. References 1. Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to provide Rolf Danker and Danker’s Furniture Ltd with some short-term and long-term suggestions on how to successfully implement their new business venture into timber framed conservatories.This report offers advice on how to successfully incorporate this new venture into the existing processes within the company as well as recommendations on short-term establishment and long-term expansion. Some of the problems that were encountered at the onset of the venture included communication breakdowns between company departments, quality concerns in the two existing Strategic Business Units, and resource constraints. This report suggests that Danker’s adopt a swim lane process map to help with the communications failures as well as improvements in the internal and external supply chains. 2.Overview of the organisation During the 1800â⠂¬â„¢s, a Danker family from Norway moved to County Meath, Ireland. The family was associated with a tradition of high quality furniture design, and high-class customary made furniture. The Danker family discovered that there was a market for their furniture in Meath, enclosed by rich middle class estates. During the next few generations, the Danker’s family continued the family tradition of making furniture and at the end of the 20th Century, ‘Danker’ was renowned for its ability to produce customised hardwood design based on clients specific requirements and specifications.The company became known as Danker’s Furniture Ltd and was well established in the manufacturing markets. The company had been very profitable and had obtained a great reputation. But in the late 1990’s the company experienced problems and the newly appointed Managing Director Rolf Danker appointed me as operations manager, which quickly resolved the underlying difficulties in t he business at the time. Currently under the management of newly appointed Managing Director Rolf Danker, the business’ strategic focus is to grow and expand through the production of new goods and services.The massive economic growth in the 1990’s resulted in a huge development in the construction area, Rolf Danker, successfully discovered an opportunity to enter into the standard cabinetry market. The company started making kitchen cabinets and wardrobes to exploit the rapid increase in the number of houses being built which required reasonable priced furniture. Danker’s believed that their established reputation in the customised furniture making industry accompanying the standard cabinets would increase their market share.Rolf believed that this would be a quick way to increase profits instead of continuing exclusively with the previous business model. But by the 2000’s Rolf’s new initiative caused problems in the company’s business foun dations. Fortunately, Rolf appointed me as Operations Manager at Danker’s, which helped to quickly resolve the underlying difficulties in the business at the time. Now in 2002, the company has two independently operated strategic business unites (SBUs), the craft purpose-made and the standard cabinet, the business is performing well again and enjoying good profit margins. 3.Description of the main issues in the case The division was completely financed from the company’s reserves, and in 2002, the company’s balance sheet was very strong with no long-term loans or debt equity. Bankers to the company were very willing towards them and the company were constantly being encouraged by the bankers to take up the finance being offered to them and further expand their business. Following a new product concept generation process involving external consultants, a gap has been identified in the market and the Danker’s Board has agreed to enter the timber conservator y market.The Irish market for conservatories is constantly growing but there is not a huge demand in the home market for hardwood timber framed. But it has been recognised that the UK market is around 20 times the size of the Irish one with a 50% share being for timber framed conservatories. It has been explained that due to the foregoing and rising interest in ‘sustainable construction’, which has been evident in the growth of timber-framed windows, due to improvements in technology and conveniently meets revised Irish Building Regulations.There is no dedicated manufacturer for timber conservatory in the Irish market and this is where Danker’s have seen the opportunity, coupled with the attraction of the large, growing UK market. Rolf feels before focusing on the export opportunity, the company should focus on the home market first and gain experience, amend any defects in their product and then look to expand into the huge UK market. This will be Danker’ s third SBU. Rolf has asked me as Operations manager to plan this new business venture for the company.Duty as operation manager is the planning, scheduling and control of the activities that transform inputs into finished goods and services. For the new venture to succeed it is important that there is close co-operation between marketing, operations and engineering. * The company already has got expertise knowledge and skills in the marketing and operations areas; was short on engineering skills. * Production Engineer, John Brady was appointed by Danker’s. * He is appointed to provide the initial engineering aspects for the conservatory line and then also provide production-engineering support to all the SBU’s. The sales manager drew up a report on the market characteristics for hardwood conservatories to begin the process of conservatory design and to decide on product specifications for the new product line. * The engineering manager drew up a Technical Specificatio n Report (TSR) to develop a bill of materials (BOM) with a detailed analysis of dimensions and specifications for all the items on the BOM. * TSR contained a great deal of * Development costs * Product costs * Schedules * Materials technical specifications. * New product development planning schedule was also developed This plan was presented to the management team meeting and was approved. * The plan approved is to have the third SBU first production lot produced in 11/12 months time. * In order for the development plan to be a success, need to strictly adhere to the planning schedule, as any delay will result in extra costs. * This is when some problems began to arise. * Jack, the sales manager, did not see the need to have weekly product design meetings with John because he felt that the marketing and production teams already had enough to worry about with their existing products. In this report, we address this breakdown in communication as well as potential problems that will a rise within the short-term and long-term operations and supply chains of the company from implementing their new timber conservatory SBU. 4. The first problem identified was what could be done to clarify the organizational relationships between marketing, production, and engineering. The issue that arose with the introduction of the third SBU was the smooth functioning of the interdepartmental relationships within the company.To create a successful new product it involved more work than the primary sourcing of materials and construction of the conservatories. There needs to be a cohesive and common effort made by all departments to achieve success for this new product. We see this problem arising with Jack, sales manager who was slow to hand in the report on the market characteristics of hardwood conservatoires and declined to attend the weekly product design meetings, claiming the marketing department had too much on its plate.A problem is created in the intrinsic makeup of the pro duct, as now market research is not being contributed to the production of the new product. This could be a fatal flaw for Danker’s as they could be producing something that is not exactly what the customer wants. This increases the riskiness of this new venture. As well as this problem the breakdown in the relationships can result in delays and process breakdown as well as distracting from the two other S. B. U’s of the business.The approach management took to address the issues raised was to focus on improving the relationship between the departments. This was done with a focus being placed on department approval. This system was going to be implemented at the weekly product meetings. Here the department heads could input on resources available, capacity and ability of their department to input on the production process. Jack would be able to have an input into important feedback in relation to aiming and promoting the product to the right customers.A recommendation that could effectively deal with the issue is to implement swim lane process maps. The implementation of swim-lane process maps by the management at Danker’s will help to clarify the organisational relationships between marketing, production and engineering and combat the breakdown in their relationships. The swim lane process maps allowed each department to determine exactly what was required of them throughout the new product design process and prevented situations occurring where marketing refused to attend weekly product design meetings because they felt they were being overworked.Each department was required to attend the weekly product design meetings; this was the first stage of the swim-lane process maps, the second stage involved finalising the product design and this was successfully carried out by the three departments and the third strategic business unit is now ready for launch into the Irish market. There was no ambiguity in relation to what was required from ea ch department and if they were unsure of their role in the development process they re-analysed the swim-lane process map and took corrective action. 5.The second problem that we focused on was to look at what short-term actions could be done to improve the new product development process. For the new venture to succeed it is important that there is close cooperation between marketing, operations and engineering. * The company already has got expertise knowledge and skills in the marketing and operations areas; was short on engineering skills. * Production Engineer, John Brady was appointed by Danker’s. * He is appointed to provide the initial engineering aspects for the conservatory line and then also provide production-engineering support to all SBU’s. The sales manager drew up a report on the market characteristics for hardwood conservatories to begin the process of conservatory design and to decide on product specifications for the new product line. * The engineeri ng manager drew up a Technical Specification Report (TSR) to develop a bill of materials (BOM) with a detailed analysis of dimensions and specifications for all the items on the BOM. * TSR contained a great deal of * Development costs * Product costs New product development planning schedule was also developed New Product Development Planning Schedule – 2003| Jan| Feb| Mar| Apr| May| Jun| Jul| Aug| Sep| Oct| Nov| Dec| Jan| Establish Project Team|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Define Marketing Need|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Concept Cost Estimate|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Technical Specs Complete|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | First Model Complete|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | First Model Testing|   |   |   |   |   |    |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Design Review Meeting|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Hazard Analysis|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Field Test Model Tests|   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   | Production cost Estimate| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tooling / Process Design| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Release to Production| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Order Parts| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Production of Lot 1| | | | | | | | | | | | | | This plan was presented to the management team meeting and was approved. The plan approved is to have the third SBU first production lot produced in 11/12 months time.This approach adopted by management could be successful, but they need to strictly adhere to the planning schedule, as any delay will result in extra costs. The hiring of an engineering production manager was very valuable as he created a TSR which would aid the BOM ensuring the correct materials would be ordered, avoiding a potential loss of earnings. Recommendations which could provide additional help to Danker’s would be for each individual sector to improve their own areas which would impact on the overall development process in the short term. For engineering department important aspects they could focus on would be concept development and design. In the marketing area, it is critical that planning improves as well as commercial preparation.By encouraging Jack attendance at the weekly meetings, he will have detailed knowledge of the other two departments, which will aid him in designing the marketing strategy for the SBU. In the production sector, it is vital that process for the supply chain is efficient. By implementing a detailed process map, this will ensure that there is an efficient process layout selected. The layout can then be measured using takt time, theoretical minimum and line balancing so that the amo unt of time idle at the workstation is minimised and the Danker’s can maximise their capacity. This process can then be evaluated at the end of the first year to identify any areas for improvement and opportunity to improve efficiency. The operations manager also needs to ensure that there is good, quality control.All products produced need to adhere to the ISO 9000 and ensure that all products are inspected before they leave the production’s premises. In order to gain a competitive share of the Irish timber conservatory market, Danker’s must develop a competitive strategy. A business strategy can be defined as the identification of the market(s) in which the business will participate and how the business will gain a competitive advantage in those markets. A strategy is a pattern that integrates an organisation’s major goals, policies and actions into a cohesive goal in order to gain a competitive advantage. There are two main types of strategy; 1) Cost L eadership FocusThis strategy involves company managing their costs better than their competitors, so that they can offer a lower cost to their consumers. 2) Differentiation focus The product produced is unique. Customers are willing to pay premium price for it. Having seen already by the work done by the operations manager, Danker’s imposes two different strategies for its two SBU’s; 1) Cost leadership focus implemented for the standard cabinet 2) Differentiate focus for the custom made furniture. Now that Danker’s are producing their third SBU, it is important they distinguish what strategy they are going to implement with it. As operations manager, we recommend that we implement a cost leadership strategy with the production of timber conservatory market.If we succeed in managing our costs better than other competitors in the fragmented home industry, this will enable us to offer a lower price to our consumers and enable us to gain a competitive advantage in t he market and contribute towards the goal of becoming the market leader in the Irish Market. As operations Manager, my job is to make sure that * The business strategy gets translated into operational terms. * Assure the co-ordination with marketing and engineering. * Provide direction and guidance for operation decisions. The operations strategy is a pattern of structural and infrastructural operations decisions that configure the shape and design of the operations function and constitutes the operations strategy.Currently Danker’s had two production lines, one for craft purpose-made and one for the standard cabinetry. We propose as operations manager that Danker’s changes its operations to three production lines, which would incorporate its new business products production process. In the short-term, we would advise Danker’s to use its retained earnings to fund the creation of the third product, as unknown whether its going to be a success, so should start out small to minimise costs. If Danker’s were having difficulties with three production processes or were struggling to fulfil capacity requirement, we recommend that Danker’s could subcontract out the work.There would be no production costs involved. They would have to pay the company but if successful they could expand and develop the company. We propose that Danker’s outsource their distribution costs which are not close to their production premises and engage in distribution contracts with company’s in the North, South, West and deliver to companies in the East of Ireland. 6. The third point recognised was the long-term developments of the new product development at Danker’s. Apart from this new product development opportunity on the home market, Rolf and the Danker’s Board were also attracted towards the larger, growing market for timber framed conservatories in the UK.However Rolf felt that before focusing on this export opportunity, the company should first gain experience in the market / industry sector on the home market first, modify any shortcomings in the product-offer, and then look at how he might make in-roads in the UK. Rolf reckoned that the introduction phase of timber conservatories in the Irish market would need to have 2/3 years experience in Ireland to confirm its viability, before entering the UK market. The UK market is 20 times the size of the home market and up until now it has been described as a fragmented joinery industry. There is great potential to break into the UK market and establish as a leader in the market. This would generate huge profits for Danker’s. It is important to note that Danker’s Balance Sheet has been very strong, with no debt equity, long-term loans, or overdraft.Bankers to the company were very favourably disposed towards them. Rolf Danker and his accountant brother Erik were constantly being encouraged by their bankers to take up the finance being offered t o them and expand their business further. This approach taken by management to gain experience in the Irish market first, evaluate the product, and adjust any shortcomings they may experience before attempting to break into the UK market is crucial. 2-3 year’s experience in the home market would be essential before expanding. Before expansion of the product it is vital that our strategy in the short term is achieved and we successfully become a market leader in the home market first.This will enable us to establish a reputation while creating a loyal customer base giving us a competitive advantage against competitors in the market. Furthermore, this would provide Danker’s with experience of the market before attempting to make in-roads in the UK. Provided we are successful in the home market, there are a number of tasks that would need to be in place for expanding our product. We would need to expand the business by purchasing a larger warehouse to produce the goods in order to facilitate production in the wider UK market as well as maintaining production in the home market and our other SBU’s. To aid expansion, we recommend on taking up on the Bank’s offer providing us with a loan.By increasing capacity this will enable Danker’s to avail of a number of capacity considerations. There include economies of scale, technology/labour mix, and learning curves. With economies of scale the average unit cost decreases as output increases. It is essential that Danker’s are able to obtain lower costs by expanding their business. The technology/labour mix means that Danker’s can improve capacity by introducing new technologies, which will increase fixed costs but reduce their variable labour costs. The phenomenon of learning curves results in increasing output overtime, without an increase in resources. The external supply chain would also need to be developed to penetrate the UK market.The existing supply chain used in the home market would be a template and then extend and adopt it to make it suitable for the UK market. An effective recommendation could be to design a detailed process map. This would allow all staff to ascertain what was required at each stage and the time constraints that would need to be adhered to. As operation manager, it is in imperative to ensure that the process is efficient. However, if Danker’s are finding it difficult to break into the UK market, they could create Strategic Alliance with suppliers from the UK. Distribution costs and warehouse costs will be a major contribution to costs as the firm breaks into the UK market. There needs to be smart decisions made by the operations manager in regards to logistics management.This involves the planning, implementation, and control of the effective flow and storage of goods from the point of origin to the point of consumption. An effective recommendation for Danker’s would be to outsource their transport requireme nts, this will provide more control, improve customer service, and would be less expensive for the business. With the money from the loan, Danker’s could look to develop a production center in the UK to cut costs. They should then set up distribution centers close to the market in the UK, which would reduce transportation costs. Danker’s then should evaluate their performance on their third SBU to ensure that they are achieving their goals. A method of performance, which could be used is benchmarking.This involves comparing the business to others in the industry to gauge where they stand and steps they may need to identify in order to become more successful. 7. Conclusion Once Danker’s have their third SBU up and running, they will be able to develop sales and operations plans and forecast for the business by looking at previous sales, which will help them to determine the levels of capacity required, both strategically and tactically. They will also be able to plan for future materials required and gauge what inventory levels are required for their business. This will facilitate them to be able to develop a master production schedule. This will drive the supply chain and set precise production levels.We believe that once Danker’s follows the short-term objectives and implements our recommendations, they will generate profits from their new product development and facilitate them in becoming a market leader in the home market. As a result, this will enable them to penetrate the wider UK market in the long run and alongside our advice compete with their product on a large scale. By expanding their business and creating a third SBU we believe that they can generate massive profits and become a leader in the timber conservatory market. 8. References We got our information for our report from the following; * Introduction to Operations & Supply Chain Management; Bozarth & Handfield, 2nd Edition (2008); Pearson International Edition. * B GMT 20010 Operational and Supply Chain Management 2011 Lecture Material, University College Dublin.

The Pantheon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Pantheon - Essay Example The force of the presence of Pantheon as well as its environmental symbolism often works charismatically upon visitors who experience the beautiful reach of its canopied void while passing through its bronze door into the enclosing rotunda. The extensive and influential architectural effects of the Pantheon upon the subsequent buildings are incontrovertible, and documented widely for the design and various aspects of the architecture (Baker 30). The controversial designer of the architecture, Hadrian, had an in-depth architectural brilliance accompanied with deep interest in architecture. He demonstrated inexplicable impudence and superiority in his architectures. Literature reveals that the conception and design of the Pantheon was original. Notwithstanding the fair amount of data and information on the history of the building, the eventual meaning and impression of the building remains in its intricacy and mystery. The description of the Rome architecture, the Pantheon, is presente d with information on its history. The description will cover the interior and exterior descriptions. History of the Pantheon According to MacDonald, the architect of the Rome Pantheon is unidentified. MacDonald states that it is almost certain that Hadrian was not the architect of the Pantheon despite his name being widely suggested as the one. He argues that the construction of the building must have required a thorough going professional to create the drawings and models, calculate the design and construction details and supervise the complex and extracting work as it progressed. Whoever the architect of the Pantheon may have been, the architect stands in relation to the building of Hadrian as Justinian to the Hagia Sophia or Louis XIV to Versailles. Hadrian, the Pantheon as well as the cultural texture of the early second century are all interlinked inextricably. As a result, no doubt exists that Hadrian was the motivating personality behind the conception and design of the Pant heon (MacDonald 12). Hadrian was born in well established colonial family in Roman Spain during the reign of emperor Vespian in 76 A.D. Hadrian was made the emperor upon the death of Trajan who reigned between 98 and 117 A.D. Hadrian reigned between 117 and 138 A.D. The location where the Pantheon was built was earlier occupied by a rectangular sanctuary of similar dedication built by the great minister Agrippa of Augustus, and dedicated around 25 B.C. The building was burnt down twice prior to the accession of Hadrian, and replaced entirely by Hadrian with the current structure. Nevertheless, Hadrian reinstated the original inscriptions of Agrippa, â€Å"Marcus Agrippa the son of Lucius, three times consul, built this,† on his new building. This inscription has led to significant confusion. Up-to-date, the Pantheon is uncommonly said to have been constructed during the period of Augustus Caesar. This date is wide off the mark by approximately 150 years because the inscriptio n in bold bronze letters that spreads across the entablature of the great porch is modern (MacDonald 13). The appropriate date of building the Pantheon is approximated to be the first half of the reign of Hadrian. The architecture was not commenced prior to 117 A.D., and was most probably dedicated around 126 A.D. to 128 A.D. During the second century, the Roman brick makers stamped methodologically a

Use of informants in criminal investigation Essay

Use of informants in criminal investigation - Essay Example Identifying motivators, insuring the informant has access to the information that is desired, and maintaining control over the informant are the essential components for successful use of an informant in an investigation. The basis for American law enforcement in using informants is the concept of probable cause. In Aguilar v. Texas, the Supreme court designed a test that was divided into two aspects of determination under which to establish probable cause on hearsay evidence. The two things that must be accomplished are 1). the credibility of the informant be established, and 2). the reliability of the informant’s information also be established (Greene, 2007, pp 353). An informant’s credibility could be established by checking to see if the statements that have been made were able to lead to prosecution. An informant who has been used more than once has established a record of success or has been shown to be without value. The second aspect of determining probable cause requires that the reliability of the information be established, which is accomplished by checking to see if the informant has direct knowledge of the information that is being A variety of sources can be cultivated by law enforcement officers A cultivated source is one who is engaged in a legal business that allows for access to a person of interest. These individuals are can be hair stylists, hotel employees, doormen, legitimate gun dealers, bartenders, or anyone who does business with someone who has the potential to commit a crime and then allows some evidence of that crime to be discovered by the informant. This kind of network of individuals who watch the world as it functions within their job parameters allows for law enforcement to create a source of information that is more widespread, and sometimes very unexpected. Service workers, especially, aren’t necessarily identified as a threat and can sometimes allow for a

Marbury v. Madison and It's Effects on the United States Today Term Paper

Marbury v. Madison and It's Effects on the United States Today - Term Paper Example The rising power of Adams-appointed Marshall also pushed the judiciary into the political struggle between Federalists and Republicans and made the Marbury v. Madison a critical pawn in the government's political chess (Henderson, 2010, p.43). This paper summarizes the facts and decision in the Marbury v. Madison and explores the effects of its ruling on the United States today. It argues that the Marbury v. Madison emphasized the role of the independent judiciary, separation of the judiciary from political squabbles, and the importance of checks-and-balances in the American government. Marbury v. Madison: A summary As his term ended, President John Adams had made a number of federal appointments, including William Marbury, as justice of the peace in the District of Columbia, in the process known as â€Å"midnight appointments.† Thomas Jefferson, the new president, noticed the pile of documents related to these appointments and refused to recognize them, including Marbury's ap pointment. The Secretary of State James Madison should have delivered these appointments, but he followed Jefferson and did not deliver Marbury's commission (Henderson, 2010, p.59). Marbury sued Madison, and the Supreme Court handled the case. ... The primary question is that: Could Congress, based on the 1789 law, broaden the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, as indicated in Article III of the Constitution? Article III clearly stated that: â€Å"In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be a party, the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction. In all other cases before mentioned, the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction both as to Law and Fact† (qtd. in Henderson, 2010, p.60). Marshall argued that according to the Judiciary Act of 1789, delivering these commissions for judges and justices was unconstitutional, since it provided higher authority to the Supreme Court, which infringed on Article III of the Constitution. The Congress did not have the authority to expand the powers of the Supreme Court. Hence, the Supreme Court ruled that the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional and should not be followed. Since the law that prov ided authority to the Court in issuing writs of mandamus was void, the Court could not give a writ of mandamus and Marbury v. Madison had been dismissed. Effects of the Marbury v. Madison Independence of the Judiciary Marbury v. Madison asserted the role of an independent judiciary in having the â€Å"last word in law and the Constitution† (Sloan & McKean, 2009, p.49). Chief Justice Marshall established the Court's authority â€Å"to say what the law is† (Lively, 2000, p.392) and not have the executive and legislative power dictate how the law should be interpreted by the judiciary. This case is a landmark case, because it emphasizes the power of the judicial review in aligning laws with the Constitution. Marshall provided a â€Å"narrow† interpretation of the limits