...the Wheel at Apex Door Company 1. What do you think of Apex’s training process? Could it help to explain why employees “do things their way” and if so, how? I think the training process at Apex has no organizational effectiveness. It’s unstructured, and there is no training documentation which makes the entire training process weak. It appears the employee does things their way because the company clearly does not have in place a structured training process. The employee assigned to perform training is likely to have very low motivation, partial training their self, and few of the necessary skills needed to train. The employee must know what an employer wants them to do and how they want them to do it. If the employee is left not knowing, then he/she is left to improvise or teach other employees "their way" of accomplishing tasks. There are no outcome measures to determine if the training was successful. 2. What role should job descriptions play in training at Apex? The job description should play a pertinent role in training at Apex because the job description defines the learning requirements for a new or transitioning employee while also setting the boundaries of employment in terms of required knowledge and skills. By understanding the job description, a trainer can utilize the information it provides to write job descriptions and job specifications, which are utilized in recruitment and selection, compensation, performance appraisal, and training. Not only the...
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...REINVENTING THE WHEEL AT APEX DOOR COMPANY Jim Delaney, President of Apex Door Company, has a problem. No matter how often he tells his employees how to do their jobs, they invariably “decide to do things their own way”, as he puts it, and arguments ensue between Delaney, his employee and the employee’s supervisor. One example is in the door-design department. The designers are expected to work with the architects to design doors that meet the specifications. Although its not “rocket science”, as Delaney puts it, the designers often make mistakes- such as designing in too much steel- a problem that can cost Apex tens of thousands of wasted dollars, especially considering the numbers of doors in, say, a 30-story office tower. The order processing department is another example. Although Jim has a specific, detailed way he wants each order written up, most of the order clerks don’t understand how to use the multipage order form, and they improvise when it comes to a question such as whether to classify a customer as “industrial” or “commercial”. The current training process is as follows. None of the jobs have training manuals per se, although several have somewhat out-of-date job descriptions. The training of new employees is all on the job. Usually, the person leaving the company trains the new person during the 1- or 2-weeks overlap period, but if there is no overlap, the new person is trained as well as possible by other employees who have occasionally filled in on the job...
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...Reinventing the Wheel at Apex Door Company Apex’s training process is lacking structure which could explain the way employees are performing. If there are no set instructions or a proper explanation of how things should be done, the existing employees will do the work to the best of their ability with the knowledge they’ve had from before the job. For example, the order processing department is failing to properly use the multipage order form to Jim’s liking, because there was no training on how to properly use the form. Which is resulting in wrong customer classifications and improper order forms. The job description should include detailed descriptions of activities and job duties that are both relevant and important to the position. Once those specific activities are listed, then Apex must decipher which activities require more in depth training before starting the job and which ones can be learned through experience. To improve Apex’s current training program, I would suggest to start with a thorough needs analysis to measure the amount of money the company can allot specifically towards training, what specific tasks employees need to be trained on, and which employees need it the most. Once that is completed, Jim needs to distinguish training that would specifically benefit each separate position and then which trainings can be completed as whole with the entire organization. For example the order processing department needs systems trainings in order for employees...
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...* In the Lake Michigan food web, is it possible to identify the most important producer? Why or why not? It is not possible to identify the most important producer. There are multiple consumers which are consumed by several different primary consumers. The image was blurry so it was difficult to determine what everything was in the food web. * What would happen if there was a change in the population size for any one of the producers (either an increase or a decrease)? How could these changes impact other producers and organisms on other trophic levels? If there were an increase in population in any one of the producers, they would begin to dominate the other producers and therefore would increase the number of consumers which feed on the producer. If there were a decrease in one of the producers then there may be a decrease in consumers that are reliant on the producer for food or the consumer could choose a different producer. If the consumer chose a different producer for food, the result would be a depletion of this producer. It could end up like a snowball effect by one affecting the other. * Provide at least two types of impacts that humans could have on this food web. Burning of coal can cause air pollution which can cause acid rain and change the ecosystem of the lake. http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/c02b.html Dumping of toxins into the lake which could disrupt producers and have an effect on producers. * Read the description of the sea...
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...CHAPTER 6 ECOSYSTEMS AND ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT ______________________________________________ MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS 1) _____ A set of interacting species that live in the same area Answer: a 2) _____ A species upon which the entire ecosystem depends Answer: c 3) _____ The simplest environmental unit that can support life Answer: d 4) According to the case study in the Environmental Science textbook(“The Acorn Connection”), the incidence of lyme disease among humans increases in years when the gypsy moth population is low because: a) an abundant acorn crop draws deer into the woods b) during these years, small plants and seedlings grow particularly fast c) gypsy moth larvae are eaten by mice d) there are “bumper years” of lyme disease e) ticks like to feed on human blood Answer: a 5) The Environmental Science textbook outlines the relatively simple food chain that exists in hot springs such as in Yellowstone National Park, including the following organisms: (A) herbivorous flies (B) carnivorous flies (C) decomposers (D) photosynthetic bacteria What would be the correct order of these organisms from lowest trophic level to highest trophic level: a) C, A, B, D b) B, A, D, C c) D, A, B, C d) B, A, C, D e) C, D, A, B Answer: c 6) Which of the following is an example of three different species on three different trophic levels, listed from lowest level to highest: a) shrubs, trees, giraffes ...
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...Food web A food web (or food cycle) is the natural interconnection of food chains and generally a graphical representation (usually an image) of what-eats-what in an ecological community. Another name for food web is a consumer-resource system. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories called trophic levels: 1) the autotrophs, and 2) the heterotrophs. To maintain their bodies, grow, develop, and to reproduce, autotrophs produce organic matter from inorganic substances, including both minerals and gases such as carbon dioxide. These chemical reactions require energy, which mainly comes from the sun and largely by photosynthesis, although a very small amount comes from hydrothermal vents and hot springs. A gradient exists between trophic levels running from complete autotrophs that obtain their sole source of carbon from the atmosphere, to mixotrophs (such as carnivorous plants) that are autotrophic organisms that partially obtain organic matter from sources other than the atmosphere, and complete heterotrophs that must feed to obtain organic matter. The linkages in a food web illustrate the feeding pathways, such as where heterotrophs obtain organic matter by feeding on autotrophs and other heterotrophs. The food web is a simplified illustration of the various methods of feeding that links an ecosystem into a unified system of exchange. There are different kinds of feeding relations that can be roughly divided into herbivory, carnivory, scavenging and...
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...A single ecosystem holds all the food chain and this is called a food web. Every living creature in the ecosystem is a component of multiplex food chains. Every food chain is a possible pathway that nutrients, and energy could take on while they travel throughout an ecosystem. Each and every one of the overlapping, and organized food chains in the same ecosystem create a food web. "A food web is a graphical description of feeding relationships among species in an ecological community, that is, of who eats whom"( J. Duffy, 2013 ). Trophic levels consist of a group of organisms in the food webs. Also, this trophic levels are divided into three levels and this levels are decomposers, consumers, and producers. The first trophic level is known as Producers. Also, they create their food and they don't turn to other organism, and they also called autotrophs. Normally autotrophs create food using a process known as photosynthesis, and that create a nutrient known as glucose, and these consist of water , carbon dioxide, and sunlight. There are different types of autotroph but plants are the most known type. One larger plant that's known as seaweed is a autotroph. Also, tiny organisms living in the deep-sea called Phytoplankton, are also autotrophs. There are various bacteria that are autotrophs. Example, in a lively volcanoes exist bacteria and they use sulfur to put together its own food. This procedure is known as chemosynthesis. The following trophic levels consist of organism...
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...Dogs in human history have a long and fascinating journey. They started off as protection for wolf domestification, then for work and now for friendship.A dog is a man’s best friend. This has led to the belief that dogs can provide company, affection and support to people who are going through a difficult time or who feel lonely or depressed. This led to the development of therapy dogs, they were provided to people living in retirement homes, nursing homes and even in hospitals. They are also in schools and educational centers as an assist to children who have difficulties learning. From the first therapy dog known, smoky, therapy dogs have evolved over the years, therapy dogs now also serve as service dogs, helping people with autism and PTSD. Therapy dogs help children to become better readers by being a good listener. One of the illnesses that dog therapy has helped improve is autism. Autism is a serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact. Most children with autism lack interest with other people which is a huge barrier especially when it gets to their communication and social skills. There have been plenty of therapeutic approaches to help manage autism most of which help improve social skills and help with most behavioral “issues”. Even though the therapeutic approaches have been successful, researchers have yet to find a true treatment to help improve the overall health of a child with autism. As a result, more, research was done...
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...No animal even remotely compares in import to the dog here at Cold Antler Farm. Dogs get the lion’s share of attention, love, and care. They live in the house with me. They share my bed and furniture. They get the best medical attention, food, and effort I can afford. Dogs are not livestock to me. They are not children, siblings, or any other simulacrum of human interaction. They are my dogs. That is enough. I am a dog person. When I say that, I do not mean that as a subculture identifier. I do not spend my evenings in paw-print embroidered sweatshirts scouring Petfinder.com to foster homeless canines or sifting through breed-specific email lists. Dogs are not my hobby, occupation, or entertainment. When I say “I am a dog person,” I mean that my personhood is intensely connected to, and made better through, my life with dogs. They are my partners in living in this world. And I don’t mean “partners” as a replacement for a human spouse or family, not at all. I mean partners in the most basic way possible. They are my wingmen, staff, and teammates. We exist in a primal partnership that has sung the same long howl since before any human beings had surnames or used complex tools. We ran beside each other long before memory-foam dog beds and Nylabones. This partnership is ancient and ceremonial. It is the combination of two amazing stories, shared over meat and firelight. It is our legacy and privilege to share our lives with another beast so in tune and useful to us. Dogs...
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...Sara King Ms. McNeal October 18, 2012 Unattained Animals (Dogs) Every place people go, will have animals that are running around the town. It is especially noticeable in little towns, towns of 500 people, such as Huntington. The problem here is not that there are stray dogs, but dogs that are left to run wild. This is not just a problem that happens a few times a month. This is an everyday issue that needs to be addressed and fixed. The problem isn’t just that the dog is running around town. The problem is that these dogs are running into other people’s yards and causing fights with other animals. They are left to go to the bathroom where they please, which is very disgusting when the kids that play at the park always have to watch out for dog poop. Along with kids playing at the park, there is the risk of kids getting bit by these dogs. There is one dog, in particular, a couple houses down from me that likes to chase cars. This dog has already been hit once before and still continues to run out in front of cars, causing drivers to slam on their brakes. There is also the issue of these dogs getting other dogs pregnant. Finally, most of them are constantly barking, causing every other dog in town to bark. There are a few different ways we can fix this issue; we can run the dogs over, take them to the pound, return them to owner while reminding them their dogs need to be on a leash, or take the dogs and drop them off somewhere far away. These solutions would make for...
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...Problem Statement: Are food chains and food webs the same? How do organisms transfer energy? Background information: (Source: www.epa.gov) All organisms in an ecosystem need energy to survive. This energy is obtained through food. Producers obtain energy by making their own food whereas consumers must feed on other organisms for energy. This dependence on other organisms for food leads to feeding relationships that interconnect all living things in an ecosystem. A food chain illustrates the simplest kind of feeding relationship. For example, in a forest ecosystem, a grasshopper feeds on plants. The grasshopper is consumed by a spider and the spider is eaten by a bird. Finally, that bird is hunted by a hawk. A food chain clearly shows this pathway of food consumption. You could probably think of another food chain for a forest ecosystem. In fact, many different food chains exist in ecosystems. Although there are many different kinds of food chains, each food chain follows the same general pattern. A link in a food chain is called a trophic, or feeding level. The trophic levels are numbered as the first, second, third, and fourth levels, starting with the producers. Each of the trophic levels is occupied by a certain kind of organism. Producers are always in the first trophic level since they do not feed on another organism. Consumers occupy the rest of the trophic levels. The second trophic level is the first consumer in the food chain and is called a primary consumer...
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...Remembering a Best Mate It’s been ten years … Since we lost our – Truly great, If not one of the best equine mates to lay a hoof on the racing turf. He was a champion a champion; a composer of heroic memories. A three-time he presented the Gold Cup to his owner. Best Mate. ………………………….. The Perfect Horse? A Star that sparkled at the beginning of humanity’s new millennium. As one cream of the crop, Istabraq, trotted out of the racing spectrum, another illustrious gelding would ignite and canter upon the turf of greats. Today is a decade since the abrupt and startling fatality of Best Mate. It was the first day of winter, but it seemed that November 1st 2005 was going to be a spring-like start to the serious action of the National Hunt season of 2005/2006. A Winner …….Grade Ones had his own heroic style, not one of an on the bridle champion – but that of Never Give UP! Best Mate was a gallant warrior. …………………………………. And On That Day The Large crowd in the western England track of Exeter – some no doubt wanting to ‘’ How they had seen a great’’. Or simply celebrate an eminent hero of horse racing return. Best Mate prior Exeter had ran 23 races, in which he had been victorious in 16 and second in 7. Till that day in Exeter, he had never been unplaced. It was to be his appearance under the direction of the creditable Paul Carberry. Initially, all seemed well and anticipation grew among the crowd. And then, a couple of mistakes and thought that this might not be a great day...
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...Keystone predators is defined as one of the organism in a community that defines the structure of the community by the abundance and diversity of species (Menge et al. 1994). Paine stated that a keystone predator will have two skills which are the predator will control the prey population by consumption and the prey species of the predator could competitively outcompete other prey species in the community ( Menge et al. 1994). Paine suggested that the local marine diversity is correlated to the predators in that ecosystem (Paine 1996). The sea star Pisaster ochraceus is a keystone predator in the rocky intertidal. The P. ochraceus is commonly found the west coast of North America (Ricketts and Calvin 1962; Menge 1972). The sea star diet consist...
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...A dog is said to be man’s best friend; if so, why are they treated so poorly? The most prominent example of the latter occurs in the last place one might expect, a pet store. Frequently seen in these stores is the picturesque scene in which puppies of all breeds playfully romp around in their clean, well-kept cages or peacefully doze behind the glass. Cunningly, a salesperson, in hopes of selling their wares, smoothly assures potential buyers that these puppies are of the finest lineage and of the highest quality that can be found, raised happily on a local farm. Looking at them one might never guess where they truly came from or what horrors they have already faced even at such a young age. These pups are bred only for profit at what is termed puppy mills, where breeders only seem to care about keeping them alive until they are sold. Snatched from their mother’s side just a few weeks after birth, they are crammed into wire cages and coops far too small to be humane. Next, they are crowded onto a truck which ships them thousands of miles to their destination. Upon arrival, those that have survived are cleaned up just enough to be sold for high profit. However, this is not the end for these puppies. Often, after these pups have been given new homes, unsuspecting owners frequently find both genetic and behavioral issues regarding these pups. These problems stem from the puppy mills and lack of sufficient care for both the pups and their parents, resulting in countless newly acquired...
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...Loss of Top Predators is Humankind’s Most Pervasive Influence on Nature Thesis: For thousands of years, nature and humans have coexisted in equilibrium. As human population increases and expands, it cases severe effects in every ecosystem. Evidence of human growth and urbanization can be seen through the impacts on virtually every ecosystem in planet earth, marine and terrestrial. Effects of, such as species decline, endangerment and extinction of enormous proportions. In most cases, driving some species to the edge of extinction. Possibly no species are more affected than the world’s large top predators. These animals are extremely important to the overall health and function of an ecosystem, but conservation and restoration of them and their habitat is a remote thought on humans. The absence of predators in certain areas has led to an explosion of their natural prey, which leads to a damaging impact on their habitat. Ecosystems need to be healthy in order to maintain the health of all living things within and around them, including humans. It seems logical then to restore the natural balance by reintroducing the animal’s natural predator, conserving the population, and protecting the wild environment. Humans can no longer wait to address this growing environmental and ethical issue, and by establishing clear goals they can ensure the future of these species and ecosystems along with the continuing growth and success of their own. DOT: Sharks influence on the structure and...
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