Inventory Management and Production Planning and Scheduling Essay

Inventory Management and Production Planning and Scheduling - Essay Example These usually shares 50%-70% of the total items yet contribute only 5% to 20% of their total value. As A items are most valuable in the business operation, stricter and tighter inventory control policies are implemented for their maintenance. For one, A items requires the most accurate and detailed records which are done through a more rigid control on transaction documents. Also, daily updating is done to gain a regular accurate insight of their demand and order quantities. I believe that these tighter inventory policies for type A items are logical. Since they constitute the highest dollar value of the total stock of merchandise, they must be treated with utmost care. These items do entail the stricter documentation as loss of only a minute portion will lead to huge losses for the company as their per unit value is relatively high. Also, inventories with higher values are typically marketed at a higher price to customers. Type A are considered high-end products as they typically require a huge amount of purchasing power from the consumer. Since they are sold to the high-end market, a loss of a single sale of the inventory will lead to a significant loss to the company. Closely monitoring the level of these stocks will yield a higher profitability for any business operation. B items, though given a less strict policy than A items, requires normal control which involves accurate records and timely attention. As opposed to A items which require daily updating, order quantity and order points for B items only need to be revised on a quarterly basis. These stocks require only normal processing, yet they are given top priority when critical situations arise. Moderate control policies are implemented in keeping B items as they comprise only an intermediate value of the company’s total inventory. These items do not require

Should English be declared the official language of the United States Research Paper

Should English be declared the official language of the United States - Research Paper Example Even a great majority of the immigrants who have settled in different states learn the language in order to make it principal means of communication. However, despite all these figures, the truth is that English has never been declared as the official language of the U.S. There may be around 30 states out of the 50 that the country is composed of that have given official status to the language but at the federal level, no such legislation has been made. The irony here is that English is declared as an official language in countries where it is not the native tongue or not even used in ordinary conversations. Countries as far-flung as the interior regions of Africa such as Botswana and Swaziland and the small Pacific island-states such as Fiji and Samoa have made the language their own medium for official transactions. This may prove that English is the world’s most spoken language. However, this also highlights the irony in the fact that U.S., whose cultural influence is the m ajor factor for the spread of English as a language, has never made it official. Thesis Statement The reason why English should be declared as the official language though is based not solely on the fact that it is spoken by the most number of people in the country. It is a fact that people, even newly-arrived immigrants are conscious of the necessity to learn the language as soon as possible, knowing that business and government transactions employ it. The more important point is that language is not just a medium of communication; it is also a symbol of nationhood and of unity as a people. A country without a common language that is declared as official would certainly be wanting in terms of identity. Since English is the most commonly spoken by Americans and even by people who wish to become American citizens, it may as well be declared official. Pros and Cons of Making English the Official Language The proposal that English be made as the country’s official language is ac tually not new. In fact, arguments in favor and against this proposal have been around ever since the early days of the republic. Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers, had proposed that the use of other languages should be limited other than English. It was in the latter part of the 1700s that the John Quincy Adams made concrete steps towards legislation in favor of its official status. He actually recommended that the congress create a resolution that would establish an institution that would study and improve the language’s usage in line with its being official. However, this was countered with the argument that making English official is anathema to democracy and to individual liberty, two basic principles enshrined in the Constitution. A century after the Adams’ failed attempt, President Theodore Roosevelt once again pushed for the legislation of English as an official language. Roosevelt whipped patriotic fervor in asserting his point. He said that †Å"we have but one flag† and therefore â€Å"we must also learn one language, and that language is English.† (Hogg and Denison 417) Despite the appeal to patriotism though, Roosevelt also failed to make English as an official language. Legislators and certain sectors, particularly those groups advocating the rights of immigrants, have successfully blocked such attempts for about two centuries already. Their most solid defense is the country’s evidently uncompromising stance as regards individual liberty. According to them, making

Creativity and Group dynamic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Creativity and Group dynamic - Assignment Example When Danny and Rusty set out to find a team for themselves, they were looking for people who were either too smart in what they do, or they thought differently. This team was made up of people who were unique in their own way, yet when they worked together on this plan, they got successful in what no one else could do. Each of the team member was creative is his own way. They all thought of brilliant ideas and carried out the entire plan successfully. They were however different from each other. In one occasion we could see two of the men were acting like gays which annoyed their other team member. There were white men and there were black men, there were Americans and there was even a Chinese, there were 18 year old boys and 50+ year old man as well. What brought success to the team was how they gelled in with each other; how they accepted each other as they are and worked together as a team. What is remarkable about the group dynamics of this team is that how they communicated well with each other and how they knew about the strengths and weaknesses of each other. While working in a team it is very important that you know each other very well; you should know your team member’s strengths and their weaknesses as well. ... Although each member was creative in his own domain, there were obviously some limitations. Some members could not practice their creative ideas because they did not appeal to their other team members. There were also limitations from the environment. While you are working in a group, you have to take decisions that are approved by everyone, especially the leader. You simply cannot practice your creativity without the agreement of you teammates. And this leads to creative thinking in limitations. When creativity is at peak, an individual or group can also innovate new product, service or an idea. In this movie, they innovated new ways of robbery. Although the idea does not bring something new that helps the society, but it did create a new way of completing their mission. Although the movie is about robbery, we could clearly the aspect of creativity and group dynamics in their mission. From the way team was formed, to how Danny led it, to how they carried out all the tasks; it showed a great team where all members had only one focus-to steal the vault’s money. Bibliography Naiman, L. (2010). What is Creativity? Retrieved May 21, 2011, from Creativity at work:

Can Obama make all the change that he promised Essay

Can Obama make all the change that he promised - Essay Example In this essay, I intend to evaluate if he is capable of fulfilling the changes that he has promised during his campaigns and victory. My goal, however, is to prove that he is indeed capable of realizing the changes he has promised the people. In order to make a substantial research piece, I intend to use this source: â€Å"Change we believe in? Using political science to predict policy change in the Obama presidency† by Jonathan Woon. Woon’s â€Å"Change we believe in? Using political science to predict policy change in the Obama presidency† can provide data on his own evaluation of Obama’s presidency. Woon is an Assistant Professor in University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Political Science since 2007. Then prior to that, he was an assistant professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s He has a doctorate degree in Political Economics from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, which he earned in 2005. He is an S.B in Political Science with a minor in Economics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in June 2000. His affiliations include American Political Science Association, Midwest Political Science Association and Southern Political Science Association. He has various publications, working papers and works that are still in progress. His works were published in various journals and compilation essays – his first publication was â€Å"Testing Theories of Lawmaking† which he wrote with Keith Krehbiel and Adam Meirowitz, this was included in the Social Change and Strategic Decisions: Essays in Honor of Jeffrey S. Banks in 2005, then in 2007 his work entitled â€Å"Direct Democracy and the Selection of Representative Institutions: Voter Support for Appointment Initiatives, 1924-1962 was published in State Politics and Policy Quarterly. He has two publications in the Journal of Politics, both in the year 2008, and they are â€Å"Bill Sponsorship in

Psychology 14 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Psychology 14 - Essay Example Kohlbergs moral stages are applicable in different spheres of life. In explaining the situation facing the Christians, the six stages in all the three levels are used. According to Kohlberg (1984), the first level, known as Preconventional or the premoral is concerned with an individuals’ level of responsiveness to both rules their evaluative labels. It views them in terms of either their pleasant or unpleasant consequences of action. Characteristics of the first stage include obedience and punishment orientation, which major concern is on the objectiveness of the responsibility. With reference to this stage, the Christians disobeyed the law and therefore liable for punishment. The second stage, which Kohlberg described as naively egoistic orientation defines the right action as a parson’s means through which they can personally satisfy their needs as well as that of others. With personal satisfaction being essential in this stage, the actions taken by the Christians we re justified. The second level is defined by conventional or role conformity. In this level, it points out that the moral values guide a person in performing the right role in maintaining the conventional order as well as accomplishing the desire of other people but still maintaining his own right. In this level, the third stage defines the good boy or the good girl orientation, geared towards pleasing other people (Nisha, 2006). There was no need to intentions of the Christians in pleasing Nero and this meant that they were not wrong in their actions. Evaluation of the action taken by an individual is in terms of the personal orientations. The fourth stage, authority and social-order-maintaining orientation, means that the orientation of showing any form of respect to the people as a duty and maintain any form of social order did not justify the actions of these Christians in any way, and thus were supposed to be punished. The third level, the postconventional or

Is Psychology a Science Essay Example for Free

Is Psychology a Science Essay Psychology is commonly defined as scientific study of human behaviour and cognitive processes. Broadly speaking the discussion focuses on the different branches of psychology, and if they are indeed scientific. However, it is integral in this to debate to understand exactly the major features of a science, in order to judge if psychology is in fact one. There must be a definable subject matter this changed from conscious human thought to human and non-human behaviour, then to cognitive processes within psychologys first eighty years as a separate discipline. Also, a theory construction is important. This represents an attempt to explain observed phenomena, such as Watsons attempt to account for human and non-human behaviour in terms of classical conditioning, and Skinners subsequent attempt to do the same with operant conditioning. Any science must have hypotheses, and indeed test them. This involves making specific predictions about behaviour under certain specified conditions, for example, predicting that by combining the sight of a rat with the sound of an iron bar banging behind his head, a small child will learn to fear the rat, as is the case of Little Albert (1923). Also, empirical methods are used in scientific fields to collect data, relevant to the hypothesis being tested, as is the case in many psychological experiments, such as the use of brain scanning in Dement and Kleitmans 1957 study. Science is meant to be objective and unbiased. It should be free of values and discover the truths about what it is studying. Positivism is the view that science is objective and a study of what is real. For example, schizophrenia, when diagnosed as being caused due to excess dopamine, is being studied in a scientific manner. The explanation does not take into account any cultural customs or individual differences that might lead to schizophrenic behaviour. However, even in scientific research like this the person is doing the diagnosing has his or her own views, and may misinterpret behaviour because of his or her own subjective biases. For example, if someone talks about hearing voices, they may be referring to a spiritual experience, but a medical practitioner might well diagnose schizophrenia. So objective, value-free study is not easy, because the scientist has views and biases, and cultural or other issues are perhaps important factors. Some say that a truly objective study is not possible. In conclusion, its a science.

Exploitation of Workers in Developing Countries

Exploitation of Workers in Developing Countries Since the time, plans were being made to implement free trade we were guaranteed it would be a win/win situation.This was one of the very important step for the pioneering of Globalization. First world consumers, manufacturers,industrialists, farmers, laborers everyone would benefit. Not only the first world countries, the whole world would benefit. It would pull the developing world up because there would be plenty of good, well-paid jobs that would be created . When borders opened to the free flow of goods and services, consumers would have more variety, and at cheper prices. Even agricultural goods could move around the world to new markets, sluggish farm prices would also rise. The farmers in developing countries would now have new markets for their goods, and they would bow out of piteous poverty.It seems like the perfect idea and sounds great too, doesnt it? But like most things that sounded too good to be true, it quiet was. The American/British/European workers who had jobs that paid pretty well in the scheme of things found that their employers could clear up the factories and move to a country where the workers werent so well paid. A country where there are no tariffs, so goods could be shipped back into the First world countries and sold, often cheaper than when they were made in the rich countries. Not only was labor cheaper, but environmental laws were generally more lenient in, say, Mexico, India or China. The companies could use child labor too and there were no laws forcing a 40-hour workweek.Drive your workers to the point of exhaustion and pay them as little as possible. If they complain, replace them-This is the formula adopted by all the third world factory bosses for success. All the consumers care for is low prices from their favorite clothing stores and supermarkets. So is this what Globalization called for ? To exploit the labour in third would countries all for the benefit of the rich countries like America , Europe,etc.Consumers in th e first world countries found goods were economical when they were made overseas. The foreign workers did not have the high-paying jobs as promised. They had poverty-wage jobs and the sweatshop was back. They were under paid and working in poor conditions with masses of eager workers waiting in line for them to quit. My argument in the essay is How Globalization has resulted in Labour Exploitation and Child Labour in many third world countries. An International Confederation of Free Trade Unions report said, MULTINATIONAL corporations remained the main beneficiaries of globalisation as more than 1,3-billion people around the world lived on less than $1 a day.(Globalisation: the plight of billions stressed ,By Reneà © Grawitzky, Business Day, 30 March 2000) The widening inequalities should be addressed as part of a broader strategy by unions in dealing with the effects of globalisation. What does globalization mean to working people? Ask a member of UNITE and shell talk about the thousands of good paying jobs that were taken overseas. Talk to the young woman in Bangladesh who gets 20 cents for making a shirt that sells for $30 at The Gap. Ask the 14- to 16-year-old women in Central America who are forced to swallow birth control pills in front of their bosses so the company can keep them on the job, since it doesnt pay for health care. Ask the laid-off steelworker about the foreign imports, made by U.S. corporations abroad and exported to the U.S. because they make more profits. Or ask Iqbal Masih, the 12-year-old rug maker from Pakistan who was enslaved from age 4 and forced to learn a trade. (What globalization means to working people, John Gallo, Peoples Weekly World, 20 April 2002) .What is the reason for all this wretchedness ? Everywhere, the lives of working people are degenerating. If theyre not working from dawn to dusk,Slogging all day, for not enough to live on, they are made dispossessed and being bombed. Is it due to globalization, or greed, or laziness? Or is there something more fundamental, something less obvious, behind the worlds current problems.(What globalization means to working people, John Gallo, Peoples Weekly World, 20 April 2002). In the name of competition, employers try to produce cheaply in bulk and sell larger volumes. One way to put together cheaper labour and still make greater profits is by keeping salaries as low as possible -by any means necessary. Since all wealth is produced by human labor, the fruits of that labor, or value, go either to the workers or the owners. The less workers get, the more the owners get. That accounts for the long, brutal history workers have faced when trying to form unions or improve their livelihood. (What globalization means to working people, John Gallo, Peoples Weekly World, 20 April 2002) The third world Countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Brazil have become more capitalized. The small farmers in these countries now work in factories and mills. They have become workers and in a number of ways find themselves similar to U.S. workers 70 years ago. As poor as they had been, these new workers now have less. They are concerned in trying to form unions to fight to improve their wages and working conditions.They are no more cut off in their country and continue to making ties of solidarity with their fellowmen all over the world. They are the workers who will change the face and the power of the working p eople in the world. Globalization has impulsed a number of interrelated concerns with respect to its social repercussions. The impact on labour employment, income distribution and labour standards are some of the issues included. Global competition has led to job losses or flexible job arrangements in many countries. Compared to the regular jobs these are often less secure and provide fewer social benefits. Economies all across the globe are more volatile now because of short term capital movements. This has resulted in severe economic and financial crises that further leads to unemployment and poverty. All these have created a sense of diffidence among workers and created resistance to globalization from various quarters. A well designed system for social protection is critical for long term growth prospects in open economies. The extent of social protection remains low in Asia, Africa and Latin America. In terms of social protection, there are increasingly unpredictable and fragmented employment relat ionships that lead to more and more workers not being covered by cash sickness benefits. There has been establishment of global labour standards by organizations like International Labour Organization (ILO) which work to promote rights at work, enhance social protection and encourage decent employment opportunities. But can these regulations actually improve lives of workers in LDCs? Will the anti sweatshop campaigns raise labour standards ? Will WTOs imposing trade sanctions on countries that violate standards actually help ? With economic globalization accelerating in the past few decades these questions have just got more complex and controversial. Trade and investments may not be the best way to pull up and help workers in poor countries. Labour standards and free trade are interdependent rather than competing ways to improve welfare. Unions based in first world countries play a eminent role in the dispute over globalization and labour standards whereas workers in LDCs are rarely heard from. The cause for this gap is that these poor countries, mainly those with non d emocratic governments, do not provide the necessary freedom of association or the legal protections for collective bargaining. If the workers from poor countries had been given little opportunities to protect their own interests and voice their concerns, there would be less need for activists from advanced countries to intercede on their behalf. International labour mobility has also increased due to globalization and the growing economic interdependence of states. This has also resulted in the deregulation and exploitation of labour migration. Even the migrant workmen are devoid of legal protection in the foreign countries. Even though many states have put down strict barriers on the legal entry of labour migrants, there are still a large number of irregular and illegal migrants working in low paid sectors lacking the benefits of a national worker. Most of todays migration presents characteristics that converge with concerns for labor migration policy. In short, most permanent immigrants and refugees as well as migrant workers seek remunerative activity, participate in the labor force, and face discrimination and xenophobia directed at foreigners in host countries. (Globalization, Labor and Migration :Protection is paramount, Patrick Taran Eduardo Geronimi , 22 november 2002) The LDCs face serious social and economic dislo cation associated with persistent poverty, growing unemployment, loss of traditional trading patterns, and what has been termed a growing crisis of economic security. (Globalization,Labor and Migration :Protection is paramount, Patrick Taran Eduardo Geronimi , 22 november 2002) The concerns will only increase because since 1975 the figures have only been doubling, from a 75 million in 1975 to 150 million in 2000, these figures represent the migrants living outside their home countries. The other issue in this article that needs to be focussed on is Child labour in light of Globalization. Apart from labour exploitation, Child labour is a serious concern for the consequence of Globalization. It is a grave and extensive problem in LDCs today. It was revealed in a very recent International Labour Organization (ILO) report (ILO, 2006) that approximately 166 million children in the age group of 5 14 years were classified as child laborers in 2004. That accounts for 14% of all children in that age group. These children are engaged in precarious work which adversely affects their growth, moral development and health. They are concentrated mainly in the developing countries. More than half of these children were from the Asian pacific region . The others being from Latin America and Sub saharan Africa.They work in the carpet marking factories, pornography, glass blowing, fireworks, prostitution,etc. Child labour came under the limelight in the 1990s when the campaigns were started by industrialized worlds on why such large number of children were working when they should be gaining knowledge. In November of 2000, ten children earning around $11 per month burned to death in a garment factory in Bangladesh. The exits from the factory were chained shut. Images of children chained into factories, sold as slaves, or forced into prostitution stain the popular imagination about child labor. Fortunately, while many children work in the developing world, relatively few experience such atrocities.(Globalization and the Economics of Child Labor, Eric V. Edmonds,n.d) Of course the world organizations like UNICEF, ILO and governments initiated policies to check child labour globally. But did it help enough is the big question ? Globalization increases employment opportunities specially in developing countries due to the rapid increase in foreign investment. This therefore surges the demand for local labour and higher wages. These changes in the developing economies springing from globalization could further lead to child labour due to earning opportunities. To illustrate how trade policy and globalization can have an affect on child labour, I would like to take Vietnam as an example on how its increase in the price of rice led to a decline in child labour. Vietnam restricted its exports of rice starting in 1989. These quotas suppressed the domestic price of rice. Between 1993 and 1997, Vietnam gradually relaxed this export quota so that by 1998, Vietnam was completely exposed to the international price of rice. During this period of liberalization, the price of rice increased by 30% relative to the rise in the consumer price index. Rice is an important commodity in Vietnam. It is the primary staple in the V ietnamese diet, the largest single component of household expenditure, and 70% of households produce rice. Moreover, in 1993, before the liberalization of rice prices in Vietnam, 26% of children between 6 and 15 worked in rice production in Vietnam, and rice production was far and away the largest employer of adults. Thus, rice price increases should affect both children and adults.The study finds that rice price increases can account for 45% of the overall decline in child labor that Vietnam experienced in the 1990s. This corresponds to approximately 1 million fewer working children in Vietnam. (Globalization and the Economics of Child Labor, Eric V. Edmonds ,n.d) In India child labour has become an accepted practice. It is believed to be a necessity to overcome poverty. The carpet industry, for example pays these children extremely low wages since adults refuse to do these jobs. Even MNCs exploit child labour in poor countries. Nike is accused of using child labour in countries like pakistan, india, bangladesh, china, etc. These children were all in the age group of 4-5 years. More than 200 children were involved in each production processes. The Nike soccer balls in Pakistan are accused to be stained with the harsh truth of child labour. More than half of the soccer ball production is done in Pakistan and every step of its production has child labour involved. So is a reputed company like Nike helping or exploiting these developing countries? In china, the members of a chinese minority group mainly young girls aged 15-18 were employed in the Longfa Shoe factory in the Guangdong province. Longfa Shoe factory supplies Nike , Inc. These compani es get down to the extent of illegally swapping IDs, making fake birth certificates, illegal migration, etc. Even the chocolate industry is accused of using child labour. In Cà ´te dIvoire,West Africa thousands of children are forced to labour in the production of cocoa. Even the well established companies like Puma, Wal-Mart, Hanes are believed to use child labour. Allegations were made against Harvest Rich factory in Bangladesh, which is a contract supplier to these US and European companies. Young children were found sewing clothes for these companies. There were at least 200 children involved, some as young as 11 years. These children work upto almost 12 hours a day. They were reported to be beaten, slapped and forced to work for 19-20 hours sometimes. They get horribly low wages which could be as low as 6.5 cents per hour. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is operating the worlds largest rubber plantation in Harbel, Liberia for the last 80 years. They exploit labour and al so use child labour. The rubber tappers are forced to bring their wives and children, they use toxic pesticides without protection. The children are forced to carry about 70-80 pound buckets of rubber on their shoulders for miles. These laborers live in shacks which exist since 1920s. All these cases, which are just a few to illustrate, include big companies from the developed countries who use child labour only to their benefits. Is this what globalization has called for?