Philips Electronics Singapore Essay Example for Free

Philips Electronics Singapore Essay Manufacturing of common everyday utilities that span from household appliances, business equipment, and industry machineries require massive labor force that may span from a few hundreds to several thousands. This type of organization would typically have a wide operational staff base as there is the need to deal with production of goods. This is followed by different management levels and the top management whose functions vary from one another. A very important aspect in the landscape of organizations, to which manufacturing is not an exemption, is motivation as it has a direct impact on the organizational and individual effectiveness. Motivation in work, according to Muchinsky (2006), is in reference of the use of the different motivational strategies in the workplace. Furthermore, the same author, in the discussion of work motivation, included the following statement: Work motivation is a set of energetic forces that originate both within as well as beyond an individual’s being, to initiate work-related behavior, and to determine its form, direction, intensity, and duration. (Pinder as cited in Muchinsky, 2006, p. 381). Motivation inside the workplace is said to take on different forms and strategies that are identified based on the management style, needs of the organization, characteristics of the employees, and the nature of the organization. The definition mentioned above places a wide scope that reaches all sectors and all levels in the work industry and likewise places emphasis on the fact that this is geared towards the goal of improving the productivity of the employee, which is a view espoused by the Scientific Management (Kelly-Heidenthal, 2002). On the other hand, with the introduction of the Human Relations perspective, work motivation shared a slightly different view from that of the Scientific Management era where the focus is now placed on the employee and their individual needs (Kelly-Heidenthal, 2002). The Human Relations perspective, the forerunner of which is Elton Mayo with his Hawthorne study, places a new element which is job satisfaction as â€Å"a major determinant of productivity or performance† (Hoque, 2006, p. 20). The component of job satisfaction, being an important aspect in productivity and performance, is a major consideration in the motivation strategies (Doran, 2003). New trends in motivation have led managers to continually seek for creative ways to motivate their subordinates according to their needs. These new trends are composed of a mix of the older theories that continually evolve to suit the emerging needs and new trends in the field today. Background of the Organization The Organization  In the year 1951, Royal Philips Electronics, which was established in Eindhoven, the Netherlands in the year 1891, decided to give birth to Philips Electronics Singapore by setting up one of their branches in the said country (â€Å"Philips in Singapore,† n. d. ). The company served as one of the â€Å"pioneer investors in Singapore and has been in the country for 56 years† and it received its status of an Operational Headquarters 38 years after its inception (â€Å"Philips in Singapore,† n. d. ). The organization has received several awards that are indicative of their outstanding performance as recognized by different sectors. The organization received three awards from the Singaporean government namely the Distinguished Partner in Progress Award in 1992, Singapore Quality Award for its Philips Tuner Factory in 1998, and Singapore Quality Award for the Domestic Appliances and Personal Care Factory in 2000 (â€Å"Philips in Singapore,† n. d. ). Likewise, the company was able to earn the Singapore Innovation Award for its Video and Multimedia Applications division in 2006. In the same year, the Domestic Appliances and Personal Care Factory became a finalist in the Manufacturing Excellence Award and received the Singapore Advantage Award for the said event (â€Å"Philips in Sinapore,† n. d. ). Their sterling record with regard to the field of human resources development is, likewise, recognized by the National Trades Union Congress and they were given the May Day Plaque of Commendation – Gold Award in the year 1995 (â€Å"Philips in Singapore,† n. d. ). In consonance with the award given by the National Trades Union Congress, Philips continues to wield its way into becoming the preferred employer, according to the Ministry of Manpower (2007). The company does this by fostering an environment that leads to an organizational culture where people are oriented towards their performance, provision of incentives driven by market, and a holistic approach with their theme of â€Å"think total rewards† (Ministry of Manpower, 2007). The 4 Value Statements The said company espouses 4 values that they carry with their mission and vision. These values are to delight the customer, deliver on commitment, develop our people, and depend on each other. As can be discerned from the values mentioned above, they are after the welfare of the stakeholders they feel accountable to and thus, adhere to a holistic approach to their endeavors. Likewise, this confirms their â€Å"think total rewards† statement where they show that they are a company that is meant to address the concerns of the different sectors that they continuously interact with. Organizational values are considered as the â€Å"values that are shared to some extent across a firm† (Gillilan et al. , 2003, p. 6). Organizational values are at times equated to two things: a) the culture of the organization and b) the values that the top management holds (Gillilan et al. , 2003). For Philips, their values are carried by almost everyone in the company as they carry out their responsibilities and serves as their guiding principle, which extends to the organizational culture. It should be noted that organizational culture defines how the members of the organization do things or accomplish their tasks (Muchinsky, 2006). The Activity Groups The company has four main activity groups namely the Philips Innovation Campus, the Regional Competence Centers, the Sales Organization, and the Industrial Operations and Support (â€Å"Philips in Singapore,† n. d. ). These activity centers serve as the gateway for learning, training, support, and production for the company to ensure that it goes well with its operations. The Products  It concentrates on electronic consumer products that include home entertainment system components, personal computer products, communication gadgets, household appliances, accessories, lighting, and a few professional products and services (â€Å"Philips,† n. d. ). The list of professional products and services cater to the medical sector, businesses with special needs, and lighting (â€Å"Philips,† n. d. ). The presence of the brand has enabled it to establish its reputation as a maker of electronic goods and continues to be such after more than a hundred years since it was first created, which as in 1891 (â€Å"Philips in Sinpapore,† n. . ). The stability of the company is attributed to the fact that they have scattered their specialties into different fields and this diversity provides a stable support for its overall structure. The Challenges The company faces several challenges which stem from internal and external sources. First, there is a need to make sure that they always have their best foot forward with regard to their Human Resources policies while looking into its impact for the concerned stakeholders. With the previously mentioned desire of the company to become the first in terms of employee preference, they always keep abreast of the trends and issues that the field is facing. Their HR department needs to identify these issues, the impact to the employees, and measures to mitigate the effects. Some of these global issues include cultural diversity and negative work behaviors that sometimes lead to disruption in the workplace. Second, the company, despite their efforts to foster a healthy and fair working environment, also has to deal with employee turnover. According to Mathis and Jackson (2006), turnover is the â€Å"process in which employees leave an organization and have to be replaced† (p. 73). Employee turnover is inevitable to an organization as the present generation of workers, the Generation X, considers job-hopping as â€Å"essential for advancement† (Lovely et al. , 2007, p. 52). Likewise the Millenials group, the phenomenon is predicted to become ordinary for them (Lovely et al. , 2007). Since job-hopping can not be prevented as it has become a characteristic of the organization, the need for programs and policies that enhance employee retention is greater for the organization’s HR department. With the nature of the organization where they are in need of the talents, as well as the manpower, they should be able to retain the best of the best as the competition and the need to stay updated among the current trends in the technology would mean that they have to keep the greatest minds and the most efficient and skilled workers they have. For example, an employee working on the technical department such as an engineer who becomes their asset would be a big loss for them if he/she decides to move on to other careers and other organizations. This turnover of employees would also mean a turnover of skills, knowledge, and abilities from their organization to another. Likewise, the cost for employee turnover, according to a survey of employers, 45% of them reported that they incur a cost of more than $10,000 for every employee who leaves the company because of this phenomenon (Mathis Jackson, 2006). The cost for Philips Electronics Singapore would vary certainly depending on the value of the person to the organization and the amount they spent to invest in the employee’s skills and training. Likewise, the disruption of work operations and the need for the remaining workers to take on increasing volumes of work also poses certain costs for the company (Locke, 2000). The said problem of turnover is to be addressed through the assessment of employee motivation (Orlikowski, et al. , 1996). The interlocking relationship between job motivation, job satisfaction, and employee retention is at the forefront of the HR concerns of Philips Electronics Singapore due to their nature and the competitive industry they are in. The Nature of the Electronics Industry The Singaporean economy is a very dynamic economy buzzing with life and competition stays firm for the few multinational companies who sell and produce electronic goods. There is a wide product base in the said industry of the country that includes from the smallest computer chip to automated industry machineries. The different companies in the electronic industry of Singapore account for one third of the entire manufacturing sector of the country and utilizes 25% or a quarter of the labor force to continually produce the goods being demanded in the local and international market (â€Å"Electronics,† n. d. ). The massive output of the industry enables it to have a fair competition in catering to the needs of a greater population. They are not restricted to one sector or one locale but is rather responding to global demands that even reach outside countries and this makes creating demand easier. Likewise, the general reach of the products has created a ready market for the producers and the only thing they have to deal with is the brand preference that the customers have with respect to a number of considerations that include quality and affordability. In addition to this, the industry also has the responsibility of taking their products to greater heights with the purpose of making life easier for their clients. Modern technologies incessantly come into existence through laborious research and development. The electronics industry of the country relies on the new breakthroughs they meet through their research facilities for them to provide innovative solutions to different needs of the society. According to the Economic Development Board chairman Lim Siong Guan, â€Å"given the cost factors in Singapore, we’re going for capital-intensive, knowledge-intensive, innovation-intensive activities† (as cited in â€Å"Singapore – Base for Complex Manufacturing,† n. d. ). The statement of the EDB chairman and the focus on innovation emphasized by Philips Singapore runs parallel with one another.

How to Manage Your Stress Wisely Essay Example for Free

How to Manage Your Stress Wisely Essay Stress is defined as a physiological response that occur when an organism fails to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats (Selye, 1956, p.1). It can also be defined as something that puts a strain on your health and overall well-being. Stress is considered â€Å"The Unseen Killer† according to Charles Stangor. I, personally, define stress as the number one killer. I think stress is the behind the scenes killer to many different illnesses like high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks and nervous break downs. People are faced with stress every day when it comes to daily life situations. Jobs cause stress, schoolwork causes stress, traffic causes stress, relationships cause stress and illnesses cause stress. According to the â€Å"The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale†, based upon a survey of everyday life events that could cause stress out of 2,500 military soldiers, there are 40 leading stressors that lead to people being put in the hospital (Rahe, R. H.,1970, p.12). People become hospitalized because they do not know how to manage stress. If people had a better response to stress and different ways to manage stress, they may be healthier. Since stress is a behind the scenes murderer, I have decided to share some stress management exercises with my best friend. She has been going through a divorce. She is now a single mother of two eight year old twins. She has a full time job and she is a part time student. Not only does she have a lot of responsibility, she is also hoping for a promotion to become project manager for her current employer. Between all the juggling schedules and making time for herself, she is beyond stressed. She has lost weight, her hair is falling out, and she never makes enough time to relax. I have come up with a stress management guide that I think will be helpful for her. I find that the power of positive thinking is a great beginning. The best antidote for stress is a happy one: Think positively, have fun, and enjoy the company of others (Stangor, 2013). Wake up with the thought of â€Å"Today will be a great day.† Being optimistic about life will help her with dealing with her daily issues she is faced with. Optimistic thinking helps remove doubt and negative thoughts. Being optimistic about her daily life will help nurture positive thinking. I want her to know that, even though things seem overwhelming, there is plenty to be happy about. She has two beautiful healthy children, a stable career that is considering making her a project manager, a stable environment that her children can rest in, and, although she is divorcing, it can bring a new beginning. I also recommend more planning and time management. With planning and time management, it can reduce stress and the feeling of being overwhelmed and rushed. It will help her self-efficacy, which will help her be proactive and give her the satisfaction of some accomplishment. She can plan out her week, which will allow her some free time for social support from friends and family. Social support will be uplifting to her and let her know that she has a support team. Last, but not least, to help her manage her stress, I would allow her to choose an activity for us to do weekly. Some good stress management activities would be exercising, meditation, shopping, eating out, activities with the kids or just basic girls night out. This time will enable her to be free from some worries and have some fun, laughs, and relaxation. Laughing is truly good for the body and fun brings laughs. Relaxation removes tension and allows the body to be at ease mentally and physically. In conclusion, stress management is vital to our health. It has a big impact on our overall health as far as our moods, heart condition, and mental state. I hope that this information on stress will help her manage her stress and know the facts about stress. Being healthy and stress free is an important factor in healthy living. Cited: Selye, H. (2013). Introduction to Psychology, v. 1.0., 10.2 (1) Irvington, NY: Flatworld Knowledge, Inc., http://www.flatworldknowledge.com Rahe, R. H. (2013). Introduction to Psychology, v. 1.0., 10.2 (12) Irvington, NY: Flatworld Knowledge, Inc., http://www.flatworldknowledge.com Stangor, C. (2013). Introduction to Psychology, v. 1.0., Irvington, NY: Flatworld Knowledge, Inc., http://www.flatworldknowledge.com

Planning, Scheduling and Control

Planning, Scheduling and Control Business or business organizations involve conceptualization of implementation of a specific plan designed for particular business outcomes. This particularity of business outcomes envisages putting up a well coordinated system for realization of the same. Forming a conglomeration of peoples, activities work schedules, methods, processes, all geared towards achieving a specific business objective, work or assignment, it works according to a plan to achieve the objective within a particular time-frame, with the available or additional resources. This whole process is given the generic name of Project, and coordinating all the activities within it to achieve the desired objective to perfection within the time frame is known as Project Management (Heerkens; 2001). Given the generic nature of the work as well as the outcome it can be said that every activity requiring a particular work to be completed within a particular time by using a particular amount of resources takes the shape of a project. In that way every activity, be that of building a township, a bridge, a subway project, oil refinery, steel production, manufacturing facility erection or even conducting a study to seek some particular information, data or have some desired outcome, all can be termed as projects. In that way projects are distinguishable from continuing work processes like manufacturing process, routine management work or doing daily chores, which are continuing in nature, with the distinguishing factor being a specific time for start and completion of a particular work. So, essentially, time is the core element of a project. As a result the inseparable part of a project is adoption of proper management systems and processes to complete the project within the particular time and cost (Levine; 2002). For this it is imperative that there should be proper planning to execute a project within the allotted time, cost and resources for which there should be proper planning for its implementation . Project planning and implementation within the allotted time by properly organizing it to maintain quality of execution, avoid risks and adhere to the project schedule by proper utilization of resources is key to the success of a project (Hillson; 2003). This study essentially pertains to discussing the key aspects of project planning and control activities in order to successfully complete a project by adhering to the quality of execution of projects. Project Management: Project management essentially is the process of planning, organizing and managing the allotted resources given to a project in order to successfully complete the projects objectives and program. As said, a project is one time work unlike a continuing process, and has a particular period of execution with a starting and ending time in order to meet particular goals and objectives that is aimed at bringing about a particular outcome(Kerzner; 2009). It means that the projects are different from usual business processes that have repeat value and are of permanent nature requiring routine functional work that is envisaged to produce different products and services. In actual practice, the two systems are quite different, thereby requiring the development of specific technical skills and adoption of separate management practices. Projects adhere top specific phases or stages of work processes. According to Horine, project management process includes conducting feasibility studies, defining the project scope and objectives, planning the model to attain those objectives, implementing the plan according to design and scope, evaluating the process of implementation to ensure that the project is being implemented according to guidelines and quality along with provision of proper support and maintenance backup to protect against any hiccups in the implementation process (Horine; 2009). All these are required because project management is a meticulously planned and organized effort to attain a specific and single objective like building a flyover, implementing a software system or building a thermal power plant. It is for this reason only that the project management process includes developing a project plan, which includes defining the project goals and objectives, identifying tasks and goals to be achieved, quantifying the resources needed, and determining budgets and time peri od for completion and managing the implementation of the project plan, along with establishing control procedures to track the proper implementation of the project according to the objectives relative to the plan and intervene to restore the quality of implementation wherever required (Lewis; 2006). All these aspects constitute the project planning and control process. Project Planning, Scheduling and Control: Planning: According to Lewis, project planning and control includes developing a standardized management methodology to implement the objectives of a project that can be comfortably adapted to any project and be flexible enough to be customized for such projects but for which there should be a specific system with checks and balances to proceed with the project according to the plans and objectives (Lewis; 2005). This means that the project management function has a specific process and stages of implementation as is given below: Project Planning: Contents Project Planning: Key Stages Source: F Harrison; Advanced Project Management: A Structured Approach; Gower Publishing; 2004 The project planning and control process therefore pertains to defining the scope and responsibilities accruing to a project, scheduling the time and resources, estimating the cost and budget and analyzing the risks associated with the project implementation process and planning to handle those risks. Suppose there is a project to construct a new administrative building for a certain organization. In this case the management of the organization will define the scope of implementation of the building plan, estimating the time needed to complete the project and the resources in terms of materials, money and time needed for it. There would also be measures to analyze the risks that can come in the way of constructing the building in terms of escalation of costs, time, materials and inadvertent incidents that would hamper the e smooth construction of the building. For this the manager of the project will have to make a blue print and accommodate all the factors while planning the impleme ntation of the project. In such cases the planning process is properly delineated and documented for the benefit of all the members of the project team as well as the client or the organization for whom the project is being implemented (Turner; 1998). This process also becomes beneficial in taking steps to control the project according to the requirements and preventing it from going from its planned path that would necessitate intervention in terms of cost and materials by the project manager. In order to achieve all these objectives the project management process includes key elements to the project planning process i.e. the products, activities, resources, schedule, budget, risks and assumptions. Accordingly, the project planning process determines what are the products and sub-products that a project must deliver ad what quality aspects it must adhere to, what are the activities and the resources needed to carry out the project, what is the sequence and schedule that must be fol lowed to complete the project, what is the budget needed for implementing the project, what are the risks associated with implementing the project and what are the assumptions that are part of the project(Burke; 2003). The projects management planning process therefore incorporates all these aspects to formulate the plan of implementation. Broadly speaking the project plan includes all the aspects that are needed to properly implement a project according to the specifications of the client. Accordingly the actual requirements of a project may vary but there is no dichotomy with regards to the planning process that needs to be applied of such projects. For this the project implementation and planning process includes some fundamental principles, like breaking down the whole project into cohesive work packages, defining the desired results and encouraging the team members to work towards the plans to achieve the results (Williams et. al.; 2008). All these aspects of the planning proce ss follow certain basic objectives of the project plan that includes ensure that all the work and products need to achieve the project objectives included in the plan. For this the project planners include a framework to integrate the key planning and control functions i.e. scope, quality, cost, time and risk at different stages of the project management and implementation stage and specify the team and the responsibilities of the team members   to deliver the requirements of the project (Kendrick; 2004). In this whole planning process there includes factors such as scheduling the project to bring the desired outcome of the project. Scheduling and Control: Scheduling of a project essentially signifies managing the implementation of the project, keeping in view the time factor in primary sense, and adjusting the men, material and activities into the whole process (Berkun; ; 2005). This means that the project must follow a regimented routine according to daily weekly and monthly basis so that the project is effectively implemented according to the controls of its requirements and other factors. It is also important that the different activities associated with a project planning and implementation process are well coordinated so as to avoid delays and chaos in the implementation of the project that would result is costs and time overruns. A typical project schedule divides the work associated with a project into different activities all coordinated to the overall whole. In this the works are divided into areas of activities and the tine taken as well as the mode of operation is determined accordingly with the most easy path and the criti cal yet effective path of each activity of the path is determined with assessment as to the time lapse that can happen in the event of the time and work pace not keeping up with the allotted time schedule. Source: : F Harrison; Advanced Project Management: A Structured Approach; Gower Publishing; 2004 Accordingly the project implementation stage and control stage is divided into various activities and the time allotted is measured accordingly as is shown in the diagram above. In it the works are divided into critical and non-critical activities and the milestone is to be achieved with the overall work process along with the float time that can emerge due to unavoidable time delays. Along with all these factors it is also likely that without proper scheduling of the project it may happen that it may drag along beyond the manageable limit and therefore become unviable. So, the core part of effective implementation of a project is its proper scheduling so that unnecessary delays and cost overruns area avoided and there is harmonious coordination between all aspects of the work process of the project as well as the different stakeholders and service providers associated with it. Project Documentation: As mentioned in the preceding scheduling of a project is done in order to achieve all the factors the project planning process breaks down the project into a particular schedule as per its desired outputs in order to facilitate the proper implementation and control as well as help in maintaining quality of implementation of the project. Accordingly the project is divided into different sub-structures and process in order to effectively maintain quality of implementation such as primary outputs of a project a supplementary outputs of a project (Berkun; 2008). Along with it the project manager needs the proper documentation and processing of the activities in order to effectively track the implementation of the project as well as communicate with the team members and the management to articulate the progress of the project, give directions to the members to work according to an accepted framework and measure the progress of the project at different stages of implementation for which th ere should be proper documentation of the project planning, scheduling and control process. In the primary outputs the documentation process includes defining the product breakdown structures, product descriptions, work breakdown structures (WBS), work package descriptions (WPD), organization breakdown structure (OBS), responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) and assumptions documentation. In the secondary outputs of a project planning, implementation and control process the documentation and processing those are needed pertain to creating a product flow diagram (PFD), work flow diagram (WFD), control accounts (CA) and dependency structure matrix (DSM) (Berbee; 2009). All these aspects of the project process are properly documented in order to properly implement a project. For this the project manager establishes a proper structure and accessories for documentation as well as recruitment of relevant persons to manage such processes, which brings to the human resources aspect and the management structure of a project planning and implementation process. According to Leach, the most critical part of a project management process is the management part itself which means that if the management structure and the people manning it are not competent enough to effectively plan and implement the project than all the other factors even if they are of highest degree of quality, will fail to deliver the results (Leach; 2004). It is for this that the project planning and implementation process gives utmost importance to the management structure and team as well as the human resources aspect of the overall project structure and process. Management Structure: A typical product management structure incorporates the following management structure as mentioned below, with necessary customization as per the requirements of the individual projects: Source: Self Designed The typical project management team therefore consists of a project head who takes part in the conceptualization planning and overall control of the project followed by a project manager who actually oversees the implementation of the project with a team that consists of technical head, operation head quality control head resource head who do the actual work of implementing the project and directly supervise the work   through a team consisting of managers workers, technicians, suppliers and stakeholders along with support staff(Rothman; 2009). In the case of a building project the management would consist of a project head having wide experience in managing building projects, same is the case with the project manager who must have ample experience in managing projects associated with the construction industry. The different heads of the project should also have adequate experience in their area of activity and desirable experience in actual projects involving the construction indu stry. In this place it may be convenient to argue as what would happen if some people with general project management experience are taken into projects involving construction if buildings. In normal sense it would not make that much of a difference. But in actual stage of implementation and the critical factors associated with it the hands on experience of a person comes in handy. Along with it there is the factor of scheduling for efficient management of time and resources. In such a situation it if great advantage if personnel with hands on experience in specific projects are included in the project planning implementation and evaluation process rather than having general project management experience (Wong; 2007). Nonetheless the underlying spirit for proper implementation of a project is management of time and quality. Nowadays there are various technologies, tools and methods to manage project planning, implementation, quality control and delivery.   Techniques and Technologies: The present day project management exercise is a highly technical function involving a number of complex tools and processes as well as advanced software systems to effectively implement, schedule, track and maintain the quality aspects of a project. It is immaterial whether the project is a brick and mortar concept or an academic concept, what is important is that there have emerged methods that can effectively coordinate all the activities and effectively establish communication channels between all the stakeholders of a project in order to maintain the time, quality and overall objectives of a project. At the outset there are basic operational tools like PERT and CPM which effectively schedule the project into different activities and measure the time, cost and materials required for completing the project (Kendrick; 2009). Along with these basic tools there are some methods that quantify the time required for completing the project along with the costs required. Some allied disciplines and tools are also used like the financial forecasts, statistical measurement of lead and lag time for completing a project as well as the application of quality tools like six sigma to ascertain that the project is going according to the accepted quality standards. But the most profound effect of technology on the project management discipline has been the development of various software for proper management of the overall project planning, scheduling, implementation, quality control, budgeting and assumption processes. One of such tolls is the Project Management suite developed by Microsoft that is known as MS Projects, which is a complete software package to manage the entire project management process. In it there are various functions and techniques to effectively plan, schedule monitor and implement various projects by adhering to all the functions and disciplines required for implementing a project (Microsoft Inc; 2009). Besides MS Projects there are other software applications designed to manage projects that are developed by different software companies for specific projects by different companies. Along with all these developments there have been instances where companies have developed their own software and techniques by applying a host of discrete software processes to create their own project management tools that cater to all its aspects including budgeting and quality control. In essence all these softwares have made the project management with overall planning, scheduling, quality control budgeting and monitoring, a smooth and hassle fee process by which the managers can hope to achieve expected outcomes without leaving anything to chance. This goes a long way in achieving efficiency in project planning scheduling and control process as well as its proper implementation. Conclusion: Project management is a complex and complicated   process requiring coordination of a host of disciplines along with men, money material that are to be coordinate within a proper time frame to achieve all the objectives of a project without compromising on the quality aspect of it. In that way it becomes necessary to design proper planning, scheduling and quality control mechanisms to give proper implementation to it. In this it becomes necessary to take the help of different tools techniques, documentation processes and technologies so that the project gets implemented successfully and according to its objectives. -x- Reference: Gary Heerkens; Project Management; McGraw Hill Professional; 2001; 250 pages H Levine; Practical Project Management: Tips, Tools and Tactics; John Wiley Sons; 2002 D Hillson; Effective Opportunity Management for Projects; Marcel Dekker; 2003 Harold Kerzner; Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling;Wiley; 2009 1120 pages Greg Horine; Absolute Beginners Guide to Project Management;   Que publications; 2009; 432 pages James P. Lewis; Fundamentals of Project Management; AMACOM; 2006; 160 pages James Lewis; Project, Planning, Scheduling and Control; McGraw-Hill; 2005; 550 pages F Harrison; Advanced Project Management: A Structured Approach; Gower Publishing; 2004 R. Turner; The Handbook of Project Based Management; McGraw Hill; 1998) R Burke; Project Management: Planning and control Techniques; John Wiley Sons; 2003 Mary Williams, William Meri; The Principles of Project Management; Site Point; 2008; 224 pages Tom Kendrick; Project Management Toolkit; AMACOM; 2004; 256 pages Scott Berkun; The Art of Project Management; OReilly Media; 2005; 374 pages Scott Berkun; Making Thngs Happen: Mastering Project Management; OReilly Media; 2008; 392 pages Davis Berbee; 97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know; OReilly Media; 2009; 250 pages L Leach; Critical Chain Project Management; Artech House; 2004 Johanna Rothman; Manage Your Project Portfolio; Pragmatic Bookshelf; 2009; 250 pages Zachary Wong; Human Factors in Project Management; Jossey-Bass; 2007; 368 pages Tom Kendrick; Identifying and Managing project Risk; AMACOM; 2009; 368 pages Microsoft Inc., MS Projects 07; 2009; cited in http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/project/default.aspx

Crime Films Essay -- essays research papers fc

Crime Films When looking at the crime film it is important to understand the nature of the films genre. The genre is a way for the audience to distinguish types of films. These are categorised together because of standard protocols developed for a particular types or styles of film. These films usually follow similar guidelines in order to produce a predictable style for the audience. The development of genre films is not entirely the prerogative of Hollywood. It is more the desire of the public viewing audience to have an idea of the type of film they are about to see. The western, musical or the gangster film are examples of genre films. These categories of films all have similarities in the ways in which they are made: musicals end happily; the westerns will all have the final shoot out; and the gangsters will all be overcome by justice or meet their own demise. The reason for the consistency in the films is the publics desire to make an informed choice not and not to go in blind. By using the genre qualification, the industry is able to target societal groups and try to produce and market what they want to see. The public attends a film because they think they might enjoy some aspect of it. The film genre follows a set of abstract rules that allows the public to informally categorize films. These rules must be viewed from an flexible point of view in order to legitimize their future existence. By using this method of categorizing films the public is able to decide which films they wish to see and those they do not. Some people love musicals and if they were to go to one and find there was no music or dance they might not be too pleased. The concept of genre is one that may provide benefit to the viewers but at the same time may also present problems for the directors who must compromise their artistic aspirations. Examples of this can be seen in the production of sequels, and the use of repetitive set qualities. These may include the mise en scene of the picture or the inclusion of similar sound. Because of these unwritten rules the directors must include some of the familiar aspects of the genre. The greatest problem may be that the film must fall into a genre category. Defining it within the genre may be compromising to the nature of the film. Scarface (1932 U.S.A. - Howard Hawks ) is a f... ...s that are felt for the characters can for the most part be generalised by saying that the "principle" of the film is most often the character that receive the greatest attention. This is fundamental in the understanding of a film and in the deliverance of a story. The apparent identification with characters of certain types of films is totally dependent upon the desires and expectations of the viewer. It is the ability of the audience to identify with the central characters of a film that keeps them watching. The use of the imagination or a simple wish to be exposed to other possibilities are the fundamental reasons for entertainment. The criticisms being aroused by those who are opposed to the way in which crime is occasional depicted, believe that real life and the stories told by films are becoming increasingly similar. The criticism can be justified in some respects but by justifying these criticisms there is an implied ignorance for the individual intelligence of the general population . Bibliography David Bordwell, Kristin Thomson, Film Art an introduction: McGraw- -Hill,Inc.:University of Wisconsin,1993. Graeme Turner, Film as Social Practice: Routledge, 1993.

Lord of the Flies :: essays research papers

By comparing and contrasting the characters of Jack and Ralph it allows the reader to fully understand their characters and how each develops throughout the novel. Once this has been achieved the reason the rivalry occurs becomes evident and the novel’s most important qualities and themes emerge from these two characters. It is then that we are able to see why Ralph and Jack’s friendship can never develop into anything but rivalry. Throughout the novel we see that Ralph and Jack share similar qualities, but there is a great difference in the way they use these attributes to benefit both themselves and others. Ralph uses his power to create a democracy, where each person has the right to voice their opinions and ideas. â€Å"I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking...and he won’t be interrupted.† The conch becomes a symbol of the right of a speaker to a fair hearing. While Jack uses his authority to produce a fascist, hostile environment where he controls the doings of his tribe. â€Å"Tomorrow we shall hunt† and â€Å"He said we weren’t to let you in.† Whilst both characters have the chance to exercise their power, both do so in a disparate way, with Ralph aiming to benefit the group as a whole, and Jack himself profiting from his actions. Ralph and Jack begin the novel with similar beliefs, both wanting to implement rules. â€Å"I agree with Ralph. We’ve got to have rules and obey them.† Ralph concentrates on being rescued and Jack goes along with this taking on the responsibility that he and his choir will mind the fire. â€Å"We’ll be responsible for keeping the fire going-†, but while Ralph remains focused on being rescued, Jack’s newfound interest in hunting leads him to forget about rescue. â€Å"Jack had to think for a moment before he could remember what rescue was. ‘Rescue? Yes, of course! All the same, I’d like to catch a pig first-.† As the story evolves, so to do Ralph and Jack’s different opinions. The pressure on Ralph and Jack’s different ideas peak when Jack forgets about his responsibilities in order to hunt. When Ralph tells Jack a ship had passed, and Jack had let the fire go out, because he had been hunting, all Jack can say is â€Å"You should have seen the blood!† Now Jack is faced with two choices. â€Å"There was the brilliant world of hunting, tactics, fierce exhilaration, skill; and there was the world of longing and baffled commonsense.

Kurt Donald Cobain :: Biography

Kurt Donald Cobain was born on February 20, 1976 in Hoquaim, a small town south-west of Seattle. When he was about six months old he moved to Arberdeen and spent most of his childhood there. His parents divorced when he was seven years old. Cobain did not handle the divorce well. Cobain said that he never felt loved or secure again (Ronson, 1996). He became anti-social and withdrawn after the divorce. Cobain was passed around to several relatives and even lived under a bridge at one point. After Cobain’s parent’s divorced, he lived with his mom in a trailer park for a year. Cobain then lived with his father in Montesano. His father made him participate in sports. Cobain would intentionally not perform well while playing sports to get back at his dad. Cobain decided to learn how to play guitar instead of playing sports. He enjoyed reading and doing other artistic activities. Cobain’s interests made him a target for bullies. (Wilson, 1996) Cobain was a sickly child. â€Å"As an infant, he suffered from chronic bronchitis and scoliosis, and, by the age of seven, he was being prescribed both Ritalin and sedatives to allow him to sleep† (Headlam, 1996). Cobain complained of burning stomach pain that kept him from participating in gym class. In 1985 Cobain started the band Nirvana. The band went through several changes before finally becoming Nirvana. In 1987 the band was playing in several locations. In 1988 the band landed their first record deal. Cobain’s music mainstreamed the grunge sound. Nirvana rose very quickly to become stars. â€Å"Nirvana was, briefly, the most popular band in the world largely because of the cult of personality that grew around Cobain† (Headlam, 1996). After Nirvana released the album Nevermind, Cobain married Courtney Love. â€Å"Love shared Cobain’s penchant for self-destruction, but none of his ambivalence about fame. Together they went on a drug taking spree that resulted a few times in Cobain nearly dying and Love taking heroin during her pregnancy† (Headlam, 1996). Cobain claimed that the birth of his daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, made him a different man. He claimed that he was a doting father and husband. It is believed that the drug use continued though. â€Å"On March 5th , 1994 Cobain was rushed to the hospital in a coma after an unsuccessful suicide bid in which he washed down about fifty prescription painkillers with champagne† (Ronson, 1996). The attempt was not made known to many people.

Confrontation

Cindy Xin Wang MBA 5500 Managing Confrontation Writing Assignment 1 Mar. 25th, 2010 Confrontation: Based on My Personal Experience Confrontation is never a pleasant process for both the one who conducts the action and the one who is confronted with. According to the textbook, crucial confrontation is defined as face-to-face accountability discussions with the aim to address and close the gap between expectations and actual performances. The gap is usually violated expectations, broken promises, or poor performances. Confrontation is not a simple discussion but deals with an urgent high-steak issue. The differences between what was promised or expected and what actually happened are very common in real life. Most of the time, however, people try to avoid confronting others even though they want to hold someone accountable. They believe the action is either unnecessary or unaffordable. After the first lectures in this class, I began to realize that some confrontations do not necessarily to be unpleasant. Some confrontations could be very effective and helpful in improving results and relationships if conducting well. Before confronting people, first, we need to analyze the consequences of either confronting or not confronting this person. Then we need to identify the real issue by unbundling with CPR (context, patter, and relation), and distill to a single sentence for the whole situation. Then we can make a decision on whether to confront this person or not. Also, to master confrontations, we need to avoid silence, violence, and hogs. This paper will discover a potential confrontation that has troubled me for quite a long time, and use the skills that I learned in this class to examine the situation and decide whether to conduct confrontation or not. The issue that bothers me for a long time is a grading discrepancy with a professor. I took that class year. I got 89. 6% of that class. Most of the students in that class were the same major with me and we’ve know each other very well. The score that I disagree with is the participation points. The grading policy was the quality of the I thought I was misjudged as Confrontation Cindy Xin Wang MBA 5500 Managing Confrontation Writing Assignment 1 Mar. 25th, 2010 Confrontation: Based on My Personal Experience Confrontation is never a pleasant process for both the one who conducts the action and the one who is confronted with. According to the textbook, crucial confrontation is defined as face-to-face accountability discussions with the aim to address and close the gap between expectations and actual performances. The gap is usually violated expectations, broken promises, or poor performances. Confrontation is not a simple discussion but deals with an urgent high-steak issue. The differences between what was promised or expected and what actually happened are very common in real life. Most of the time, however, people try to avoid confronting others even though they want to hold someone accountable. They believe the action is either unnecessary or unaffordable. After the first lectures in this class, I began to realize that some confrontations do not necessarily to be unpleasant. Some confrontations could be very effective and helpful in improving results and relationships if conducting well. Before confronting people, first, we need to analyze the consequences of either confronting or not confronting this person. Then we need to identify the real issue by unbundling with CPR (context, patter, and relation), and distill to a single sentence for the whole situation. Then we can make a decision on whether to confront this person or not. Also, to master confrontations, we need to avoid silence, violence, and hogs. This paper will discover a potential confrontation that has troubled me for quite a long time, and use the skills that I learned in this class to examine the situation and decide whether to conduct confrontation or not. The issue that bothers me for a long time is a grading discrepancy with a professor. I took that class year. I got 89. 6% of that class. Most of the students in that class were the same major with me and we’ve know each other very well. The score that I disagree with is the participation points. The grading policy was the quality of the I thought I was misjudged as