...A critique of “Into the unknown” published by the economist (November 13, 2004.) Fear of losing jobs to offshoring (rise in unemployment), but computers and technology may take these jobs anyway. “Has the machines in its last furious manifestation begun to eliminate workers faster than new task can be found for them?” Article says not to worry. The United States has experienced an increase in the offshore outsourcing (offshoring) of jobs in the service industry. Although offshoring is common in the manufacturing industry, it only recently began in the service industry. The recent increase in the service industry has occurred because of new technology and the ability to access information from anywhere. Those who oppose offshoring believe it takes away American jobs, lower wages, and causes declines in America’s standard of living and any benefits from offshoring are unevenly distributed. Offshoring in the industry has not negatively affected the United States. Currently, offshore outsourcing in the service industry has a net benefit to society and there is no reason for concern. Critics charge that the information revolution (especially the Internet) has accelerated the decimation of U.S. manufacturing and facilitated the outsourcing of service sector jobs once considered safe, from backroom call centers to high level software programming. (This concern feeds into the suspicion that U.S. corporations are exploiting globalization to fatten profits at the expense of workers.)...
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...Early stage project issues considered by a Project Manager Albert J. Reshaw Walden University January 12, 2015 Early stage program issues faced by a Project Manager As a Project Manager, you will face issues in the early stages of any project that must be identified and dealt with to ensure the program meets the agreed upon output requirements defined by the customer or the organization. In addition, the project team requires effective and accurate communication from the very beginning. Specifically, clear definitions and direction are a must to achieve identified program goals. In this case study, five areas have been identified as the top issues to address and are listed in order of priority. Project Goals First and foremost, the project goals must be defined so we can identify any deliverables, meet specific requirements and ensure the scope of the project timeframe and allocated budget are realistic. The team’s subject matter experts should be consulted to validate all specific requirements and determine if the identified goals are attainable. The Program Manager will measure the group’s performance to ensure the project is completed on time, on budget and produces all required deliverables in order to satisfy the customer. Project Resources Secondly, project resources must be identified and evaluated to ensure the proper use, effectiveness, and determine if they will be shared and readily...
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... Project remains the top priority of most organization (Yardley, 2002; Wysocki, 2007; Standish Group, 2010). Project management methodologies (PPMs) are frequently adopted with the aim of increasing project efficiency and effectiveness, embracing methods of planning, organising, controlling, directing and reporting. It creates structures for responsibility and accountability of project resources. The structure created involves appointing a project manager who carries vital responsibility on the initializing, implementing and management of the project in Cassdav Resources Limited which is in the Information Technology sector to attain its goals. The PMM is a requirement for project planning, including risk assessment, cost estimation, forecasting and economic evaluation. It can fit in any project type, designed and implemented to regulate project management processes in order to keep a focus on other critical performance matters. Therefore, PMMs are significant (Hany, 2012). This report examines the effectiveness, limitations of Project Management Methodology (PMM), taking considerations key roles played by the Project Manager in the effective implementation and management of the organization project using PMM. 2.0 AIMS AND...
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...SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT CASE SUBMISSION REPORT Transforming ASUSTeK: Breaking from the Past Submitted To PROF. JISHNU HAZRA INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, BANGALORE Submitted by: Group 6 1311147 Akhil Mittal 1311200 Shashank Shekhar 1311197 Supriya Shailesh Kumar Sehgal 1311195 Sameer Gupta 1311196 Saurabh Kumar Introduction ASUSTeK is a Taiwanese multinational computer hardware and electronics company. It started in 1989 as a motherboard manufacturer and ventured into diverse streams in the coming years. Its motherboard business model was based on white box manufacturers and by early 2000s, ASUSTeK became the number one manufacturer of motherboards in the world. Keeping a firm focus on innovation and technical expertise, ASUSTeK ventured into the Notebook market and gained significant market share. Their attempt to enter the PC market failed due to lack of efficient supply chain expertise and a mismatch in their organisational goals with those needed to succeed in the PC market. ASUSTeK positioned itself as a high-end product manufacturer earning a premium price. It eventually started subsidiaries like AsRock and ASUSALPHA to deal with various market segments like low end motherboards. In a bid to build their own brand name and move away from anonymity, ASUSTeK separated from its contract manufacturing arm (Pegaatron) and retained only their ASUS brand along with the sales and marketing organization. ASUSTeK now targets to become a global leader in the...
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...Forecasting and Analyzing World Commodity Prices René Lalonde* Principal Researcher International Department Bank of Canada Zhenhua Zhu Economist Research Department Bank of Canada October 18, 2002 Frédérick Demers** Economist Research Department Bank of Canada Abstract This paper develops simple econometric models to analyze and forecast three components of the Bank of Canada commodity price index (BCPI), namely non-energy commodity prices (BCNE), the West Texas Intermediate crude oil price (WTI), and other energy prices. In the paper, we present different methodologies to identify transitory and permanent components of movements in these prices. A structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model is used for real BCNE prices, a multiple structural-break technique is employed for real crude oil prices, and an errorcorrection model is constructed for real prices of other energy components. Then we use these transitory and permanent components to develop forecasting models. We assess our models’ performance in various aspects, and our main results indicate: (a) for real BCNE prices, most of the short-run variation is attributed to demand shocks, (b) the world economic activity and real U.S. dollar effective exchange rate explain much of the cyclical variation of real BCNE prices, (c) real crude oil prices have two structural breaks over the sample period, and their link with the world economic activity is strongest in the most recent regime, (d) real prices of other energy components...
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...Professor: Dr. Kimberly Bennett April 15th, 2015 Organization development (OD) Introduction In today’s world it is almost impossible for an organization to survive and prosper without consequent change. Having the right and diverse culture are as important as having a great brand of products to support the business aspects of an organization. Implementing change is never easy nor resistance free. Change can’t be rushed nor imposed upon. Planning, strategy, risk analysis and hard work are vital elements that an organization should anticipate and be good at. Most of the organizations have difficulties recognizing the effort and planning that is required for an organization change and to withhold the resistance associated with change. Forecasting change before disaster and getting equipped with the change intervention is half the battle the modern era companies face. The company that I will be discussing in this paper is General Motors (GM). GM has a global presence and was growing rapidly in sales and brand value until past decade. Due to recent economy melt down and global economic crisis, GM was left with no options other than to make critical changes to their business model and products for the corporation to survive. Auto industry is deeply rooted in the fabric of American culture, one out of ten Americans depends on the US auto industry for their livelihood. GM can’t go back to the old ways of making profit and survive the new wave of economic restrains; like environment...
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... Abstract This report discusses the state of current strategies and technologies designed to avoid damage to aircraft from volcanic ash, and the limitations current technologies present with respect to the recent Eyjafjallajokull Icelandic volcanic eruption. Future strategies and technologies are critically examined to determine the limitations, requirements and cost of implementation. Ash cloud avoidance strategies appear to be the most viable option. A technology entitled AVOID (Airborne Volcanic Object Imaging Detector) is currently being tested on the United Kingdom’s biggest airline EasyJet which uses an infrared camera to detect ash particles and gases present in volcanic ash. Whilst this technology exists, it is unknown whether other airlines will adopt the technology, and whether the government will support it; in spite of of the huge economical cost the Eyjafjallajokull volcano caused for European airlines and in shipping delays. What is known is that this was not an isolated incident and volcanoes will continue to erupt as long as the earth exists. Table of contents Introduction 4 Current strategies and technologies for dealing with volcanic ash 4 - 5 Future strategies and technologies for dealing with volcanic ash 5 - 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction On the 14th April 2010...
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...HOW DOES THE CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY Contents Introduction 3 Problem statement 4 Delimitation 4 Methodology 5 Risk management 6 Charateristics of insurance industry 6 Risk qualification 8 Approximate cost for a threat determination 8 Probability of threat accuracy or that vulnerability will be affected 9 SWOT analyses 10 Matrix between Strengths-Threats and Opportunities-Weaknesses 11 Conclusion of SWOT analysis 13 CONCLUSION 14 Introduction Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average. Climate change may be limited to a specific region or may occur across the whole Earth. Nowadays the impact of the climate change can be seen around the globe - seasons are shifting, temperatures are climbing and sea levels are rising. And meanwhile, our planet must still supply us – and all living things – with air, water, food and safe places to live. Weather related consequences, caused by climate change, present challenges that threaten the understanding of extreme weather and natural disaster related damages. Many natural disasters (like floods, earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions) all around the world have showed that people are now exposed to extreme weather events. The lack of financial preparation to face...
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...HRA 4210 Work Planning & Talent Management The process of determining staffing levels aims to identify the numbers and types of employees needed to be successful in solidifying the business plans and strategies for an organization. Organizations apply several different techniques to accomplish this task. However, there are ways to implement fundamental building blocks to set a baseline for success; but due to numerous variables, a step-by-step concrete solution for determining staffing levels cannot exist. Consistent within any stage of strategic staffing, it is crucial to understand the overall plans and strategies of the business and what factors are driving staffing. As discussed by Heneman, “organization effectiveness and staffing systems exist, and should be used, to contribute to the attainment of organizational goals such as survival, profitability, and growth. A macro view of staffing like this is often lost or ignored because most of the day-to-day operations of staffing systems involve micro activities that are procedural, transactional, and routine in nature. While these micro activities are essential for staffing systems, they must be viewed within the broader macro context of the positive impacts staffing can have on organization effectiveness” (6). Managers and Human Resources must share a common understanding of the business needs and react through implementing corresponding staffing levels. Only with a common perspective between management and human...
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...CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PRACTICUM INTRODUCTION According to Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners Second Edition (2011), practicum or practical means involving or relating to real situations and events. In the other words, it is the activity which not only about theory but facing the real world works. Students will be trained to apply the theory during this period. In Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), practicum is obligated for students in some courses as a fulfillment in the course structure. Practicum program is also designed to provide and expose student to real world problem situations before the end of graduation. From this program, students are given the opportunity to practice and apply their understanding and theoretical knowledge that have been learned in classroom with the help and guidance from the university and the attached organization. It is a platform of training and preparing the student before entering the job market. Practicum program is compulsory for all students pursuing Bachelor of Business Mathematics with Honors in UUM. This program can also be seen as a method to integrate the theoretical knowledge with the hands-on training. In this way, students would have an opportunity to apply their understanding of theories into the real working environment within industries. Practicum program provides opportunities for students to improve two vital skills which are soft kills and hard skills. It aims to help student to apply these two skills...
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...Final Paper The 5 Steps to a Successful Organization Jacob Dunnichay Indiana Tech University Table of Contents TOC \t "Heading, 1" Introduction PAGEREF _Toc \h 3 Value and Vision PAGEREF _Toc1 \h 4 Direction and Alignment PAGEREF _Toc2 \h 7 Motive and Empower PAGEREF _Toc3 \h 10 Learning and Change PAGEREF _Toc4 \h 13 Leading in Global and Multicultural Society PAGEREF _Toc5 \h 16 Summary PAGEREF _Toc6 \h 19 References PAGEREF _Toc7 \h 20 Introduction For the purposes of this paper, I have chosen to be the owner of a small hotel chain on the island of Put-In-Bay, Ohio. This organization currently has three hotels, two condos, a large house, two bars, and a fleet of approximately 250 golf carts for rent underneath the owners control. This is a business that has been built from the ground up around its two most successful businesses, Put-In-Bay Resort and Conference Center, which has the largest pool bar on the island, the Blue Marlin Bar and Grill, and Edgewater Golf Cart Rentals. By developing these two businesses in the last eight years, a competitive advantage has been built over competitors that were on the island long before our organization. Put-In-Bay, Ohio is a small vacation island located on Lake Erie. Considering the island is only accessible by boat or ferry, the main form of transportation on the island is golf carts. There are many attractions and family oriented activities that make this island a prime location for vacation...
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...Market Prices Abstract This paper is a survey on the application of neural networks in forecasting stock market prices. With their ability to discover patterns in nonlinear and chaotic systems, neural networks offer the ability to predict market directions more accurately than current techniques. Common market analysis techniques such as technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and regression are discussed and compared with neural network performance. Also, the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH) is presented and contrasted with chaos theory and neural networks. This paper refutes the EMH based on previous neural network work. Finally, future directions for applying neural networks to the financial markets are discussed. 1 Introduction From the beginning of time it has been man’s common goal to make his life easier. The prevailing notion in society is that wealth brings comfort and luxury, so it is not surprising that there has been so much work done on ways to predict the markets. Various technical, fundamental, and statistical indicators have been proposed and used with varying results. However, no one technique or combination of techniques has been successful enough to consistently "beat the market". With the development of neural networks, researchers and investors are hoping that the market mysteries can be unraveled. This paper is a survey of current market forecasting techniques with an emphasis on why they are insufficient and how neural networks have been...
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...This essay is based on the 2007 book The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (1960 - ). It is hardly an obscure tome, having been on the New York Times bestseller list for several weeks. Before I get to the essence of this essay I believe explaining what the term “Black Swan” means and saying a few words about the author would be in order. It was once thought in the Old World that only white swans existed. Then from Australia came the realization that there were black swans. And no, they were not white swans made black by bootblack or any other artificial coloring medium. After millennia of observations in the West of millions of white swans, the sighting of one black swan was enough to invalidate this long and firmly held belief. In a broader sense then A Black Swan is a sudden, monumental, and completely unexpected event. WWI, WWII, and 9/11 were Black Swans. If one were to win a multi-million dollars lottery that would be a personal Black Swan (Black Swans are not all negative, although given the troubles experienced by some of these huge lottery winners, this might also be negative). But a Black Swan is more than this – it goes to the heart of and challenges the putative acceptance of Gaussian probabilities. Least you think Gaussian or bell shaped probability functions are theoretical only and not important in real life, then consider that not only mathematics, but engineering, medicine, social sciences, economomics, the insurance...
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...SAMPLE growth process toolkit Distribution Channel Optimization Accelerating Growth through Unbiased and Ongoing Partner Evaluation, Selection, and Management SAMPLE INTRODUCTION Growth through Distribution Channel Optimization A recent study determined that high-performance businesses (i.e., the 10 percent that outpace competitors regardless of economic conditions) “excel in the development of meaningful customer insights and practical ways to put those insights into action.” 1 They understand what their customers want, and they know how to deliver solutions that customers will buy. An unwritten, but nonetheless significant, extension of this idea is that they not only know what customers will buy, but where and how they want to buy. In short, no company is successful for its insights alone. Success ultimately depends upon the effectiveness and reach of its go-to-market strategy. Distribution channel optimization is therefore a critical ingredient to sustaining growth through a rigorous customer focus. ∗ D D F F At their most basic level, distribution partners enable suppliers to deliver goods or services to end users, and distributors’ reach significantly influences the extent to which suppliers can engage with customers. On a more meaningful level, distribution partners provide customer service in areas where suppliers cannot or do not (e.g., financing, insurance, training, maintenance, repairs). Taken together, the two deliver an enhanced customer experience...
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...This page intentionally left blank Quantitative Models in Marketing Research Recent advances in data collection and data storage techniques enable marketing researchers to study the characteristics of a large range of transactions and purchases, in particular the effects of household-specific characteristics and marketing-mix variables. This book presents the most important and practically relevant quantitative models for marketing research. Each model is presented in detail with a self-contained discussion, which includes: a demonstration of the mechanics of the model, empirical analysis, real-world examples, and interpretation of results and findings. The reader of the book will learn how to apply the techniques, as well as understand the latest methodological developments in the academic literature. Pathways are offered in the book for students and practitioners with differing statistical and mathematical skill levels, although a basic knowledge of elementary numerical techniques is assumed. PHILIP HANS FRANSES is Professor of Applied Econometrics affiliated with the Econometric Institute and Professor of Marketing Research affiliated with the Department of Marketing and Organization, both at Erasmus University Rotterdam. He has written successful textbooks in time series analysis. RICHARD PAAP is Postdoctoral Researcher with the Rotterdam Institute for Business Economic Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam. His research interests cover applied (macro-)econometrics...
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