Saturday, August 15, 2020

whats happening at SIPA next week COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

whats happening at SIPA next week COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog SIPA events are held each week but it begins to slow down around now as students get ready for exams and the winter break.   Events will be back in full swing in January.   But to keep you engaged for another week, below are some upcoming events at SIPA.   Guests are welcomed. MONDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2013 A New World of Migration and Development: A Discussion with Ambassador William Swing 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1512 A discussion with Ambassador William Swing.  Moderated by Professor Michael Doyle. Sponsor: Columbia Global Policy Initiative, Center on Global Governance at Columbia Law School MONDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2013 Augmented Humanity, Drones, Self-Driving Cars, Furbys, and Robot Politics: Freedom and Security in the Robotics Age 12:15 pm to 2:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1302 Camille François, Visiting Scholar, Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies and moderator Sean Lonergan, Captain, US Army and Ph.D. Candidate in Political Science, Columbia will debate current research and discuss freedom and security in the robotics age. Sponsor: Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies MONDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2013 Jamesian Precisions in Natsume Soseki: Contending with Light and Dark 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Kent Hall, Room 403 Lecture with John Nathan, Takashima Professor of Japanese Cultural Studies, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara. No registration required. Sponsor: Weatherhead East Asian Institute TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2013 The Seminar on Modern Europe 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, Fayerweather Hal, Room 302 We will also host our last seminar of the semester with Anton Hemerjick, Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. He will discuss fault lines in European social models and will address the current Euro crisis, welfare reform, and the future of affordable social investment. Sponsor: Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013 Development Workshop: Stelios Michalopoulos 4:15 pm to 5:45 pm, International Affairs Building, Room 1101 As part of Columbia Universitys Fall 2013 Development Workshop, Stelios Michalopoulos, Assistant Professor of Economics at Brown University, will discuss his latest work. Sponsor: Center for Development Economics and Policy FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2013 Diversity Symposium: Public Policy: A Global Prospective 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm, International Affairs Building, Kellogg Center SIPA Alumni panel and SIPA student led policy roundtable discussions.   Please RSVP. Sponsor: SIPA Admissions Financial Aid Office Click here to see more events on the SIPA Calendar.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Dual Supply Chain - 1824 Words

Introduction Benetton is an Italian brand created in 1965 by Benetton family. Its core business is clothing and fashion wears. The Benetton group is composed by four brands specialized in different segments: †¢ United Colors of Benetton: which is a global brand well known all around the world present in different sectors like eyes wear, perfumes, accessories and every day wear. †¢ Undercolor of Benetton: which is an extension of the united color of Benetton .this brand is specialized in undergarments. †¢ Sisley is another brand of Benetton group to answer to fashion wear request. Sisley makes a special attention on design, fabrics and new ships. †¢ Play life this brand is specialized leisure wear.†¦show more content†¦It however had a few drawbacks. It required the network partners to place most of the orders around eight months in advance. At that time, most of the stores did not have much idea about the upcoming fashion trends. The feedback from the customer also was not incorporated. Problems of Benetton on the 1990’s During the 1990’s, the fashion market had changed. Offering good quality products and presenting a â€Å"cool† brand image was not enough to maintain a leading position on the fashion industry. Indeed, other competitors like ZARA and HM had appeared. These companies introduce a new concept which is the â€Å"fast fashion†. Each brands offered the opportunity for customers to discover an average of 12 collections per year. In order to guarantee a good â€Å"rotation† of their stocks, they created specific Supply Chain systems. After that, the price of clothes was affordable to seduce the most potential customers possible. Finally, for these low prices, these brands offer trendy product. Design began having a strategic importance. For instance, ZARA had approximately one hundred designers to create ZARA products. Comparatively, Benetton had an old Supply Chain management. In fact, the company only produced two collections per year. Their clothes had a too classic way: Bright colored Clothes .Price of Benetton’s clothes was high, compared to HM and ZARA products. The other big issue of the company is their way to commercialize heirShow MoreRelatedDistribution Channels4793 Words   |  20 Pageswhom they sell.1 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL There are several types of participants that make up a distribution channel, so let’s begin by listing them, as in Chapter 1 with supply chain participants. You will notice some overlap because, as also previously mentioned, retailers belong to several (or many) different supply chains, each group focused on making and marketing different products. Retailers The characteristic that sets a retailer apart from other members of its distribution channelRead MoreDist Channel3946 Words   |  16 Pagesdistribution channels facilitate the flow of goods from a producer to an organizational customer. B2B can also consist of – * producer to agent to buyer and next, * producer to agent to distributor to buyer Multiple Marketing Channels – Dual Distribution – Network that move products to a firm’s target market through more than one marketing channel. Conventional distribution channel v/s vertical and horizontal distribution channel A conventional distribution channel is a channelRead MoreFast Fashion3100 Words   |  13 PagesBergen 1997). However, results of an exploratory study (Birtwistle et al 2003) shows that the advantages of quick response strategy have not been fully understood by fashion retailers. They tend to implement quick response strategy for internal supply chain management. Moreover, Iyer and Bergen (1997) tried to use formal model to examine the impact of quick response strategy on fashion retailers. Although there is companies already adopted both strategies, limited attention has been paid to theRead MoreMaterial Flows And Inventory Policy During Military Scm1484 Words   |  6 PagesJoshua M. Lenzini in his article Anticipatory Logistics: The Army’s Answer to Supply Chain Management, â€Å"Supply chain management is similar for both corporate and military organizations. However, some significant differences are evident in these models. The first is the absence of maintenance on the corporate model. Another is that transportation, distribution, and warehousing are unidirectional in the corporate model but dual directional in the military model (see Figure 3, Lenzini, 2002)).† This backwardRead MoreA High Level View Management Structure1659 Words   |  7 Pagesrecognized as the Supply Chains. Therefore, the value of DLA Troop Support is to procure the items, with the best quality at the best price possible and delivered to whatever location needed in the planet. Since the mission is to have no profits in this process, the charges for DLA’s services is based on a concept called Cost Recovery Rate (CRR). This is to only add the costs incurred in procuring and delivering the product/service. How is the value chain managed? Each Supply Chain has a directorateRead MoreMarketing Mix Of Body Spray Essay1070 Words   |  5 Pagespersonal care product, which in most cases convenience products purchased using a routinized response. AXE body spray is also sold in many retail outlets, including places like Walmart, Kroger, and Walgreens (Walmart; Kroger; Walgreens). Also, AXE uses dual distribution to distribute its body spray, which is the use of two or more marketing channels to distribute the same products to the same target market. They do this by directly selling their products on their website, thus using a producer to consumerRead MoreWhat Is Linkage Between Upstream Supply Chains? Essay2024 Words   |  9 Pagesfurther improve the flexibility. To achieve this objective, the companies have to ensure each component in their supply chain must be designed with respect of flexibility (Borhanazad and Tran, 2012). Relevant theories reveal the linkage between upstream supply chains must be well-maintained thr ough the sourcing strategy. The sourcing strategy is determined as new evolution in supply chain management in comparison with traditional sourcing method. Previously, the companies made sourcing decisions throughRead MoreDual Approach For Information Technology Strategic Management Essay1465 Words   |  6 Pages we develop a framework for analyzing the contribution of IT in the logistics sector. We conclude that IT will contribute to competitive advantage in limited cases and that most often the â€Å"strategic necessity† hypothesis will apply. We suggest a dual approach to information technology strategic management: on one hand, the firm should develop the capability to implement efficiently some â€Å"standard† solutions on an opportunity-based approach; on the other hand, it should embed its IT system in theRead MoreArchitectural Knowledge And Modular Knowledge1489 Words   |  6 Pagesarchitecture (Henderson and Clark,1990). It also defines how different activities interface in the supp ly chain. The architectural knowledge constitutes the composition embedded within the organization. Modular knowledge contains the individual characteristics and functions in different components respectively. The knowledge of different types of product and innovation divides the different components in the supply chain. Distinguishing it from modular innovation, which is the innovation that has impact in componentsRead MoreSUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT-LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES Lucent Technology was an American multinational company2200 Words   |  9 PagesSUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT-LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES Lucent Technology was an American multinational company headquartered in New Jersey, in the United States. It was established through the divestiture of the ATT Technologies which included Western Electric and Bell Labs. Lucent Technologies are a part of well renowned USA based company American telephone and Telegraph Corporation or ATT Corporation. Lucent technologies deal in manufacturing of communication equipments. Later in 1996, it became an independent

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Vietnam War Timeline

The Vietnam War (also known as the Second Indochina War and the American War in Viet Nam) was an outgrowth of conflicts between the colonizing French forces in Vietnam supported by Bao Dais Vietnamese National Army (VNA) and the communist forces led by Ho Chi Minh (the Viet Minh) and Vo Nguyen Giap. The Vietnam War itself began in 1954 when the United States and other members of the Southeast Asia Treat Organization were drawn into the conflict. It would not end until 20 years later, with the fall of Saigon to the Communists in April 1975. Vietnam War Key Takeaways The Vietnam War was one of several conflicts which began with the struggle over Indochina to overthrow the French colonial forces.  Known as the Second Indochina War, the Vietnam War officially begins when the U.S. gets involved in 1954.The first American fatality was in 1956 when an off-duty airman was shot by a colleague for talking to some children.Four U.S. Presidents oversaw the Vietnam War: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon.The war ended when Saigon fell to the Communists, in April 1975. Background to Conflicts in Vietnam 1847: France sends warships to Vietnam, to protect Christians from the ruling emperor Gia Long 1858–1884: France invades Vietnam and makes Vietnam a colony. Procession of Indigenous Cavalry or Troops in French Indo-China (Vietnam, Aug. 1903). Corbis / Getty Images Early 20th century: Nationalism begins to rise in Vietnam, including several separate groups with different political systems. October 1930: Ho Chi Minh helps found the Indochinese Communist Party. September 1940: Japan invades Vietnam. May 1941: Ho Chi Minh establishes the Viet Minh (League for the Independence of Vietnam). September 2, 1945: Ho Chi Minh declares an independent Vietnam, called the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and fighting begins with French forces and the VNA. December 19, 1946: All-out war breaks out between France and the Viet Minh, signaling the start of the First Indochina War. 1949: Mao Zedongs Communist Party wins the Chinese Civil War. January 1950: The Viet Minh receive military advisors and weapons from China. July 1950: The United States pledges $15 million worth of military aid to France to help its troops fight in Vietnam. 1950–1953: Communist takeover in China and the war in Korea creates concern in the West that Southeast Asia would be a dangerous Communist stronghold. The Second Indochina War Begins May 7, 1954: The French suffer a decisive defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. July 21, 1954: The Geneva Accords creates a cease-fire for the peaceful withdrawal of the French from Vietnam and provides a temporary boundary between North and South Vietnam at the 17th parallel. The accords call for free elections in 1956; Cambodia and Laos receive their independence. South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem rides with Commissioner Richard Patterson and Chief Protocol of the State Department, Wiley T. Buchanan Jr. in a parade in New York City. Carl T. Gossett Jr / Getty Images October 26, 1955: South Vietnam declares itself the Republic of Vietnam, with newly elected Ngo Dinh Diem as president. 1956: President Diem decides against the elections required in the Geneva Accords because the North would certainly win. June 8, 1956: The first official American fatality is Air Force Technical Sergeant Richard B. Fitzgibbon, Jr., murdered by another American airman as he was talking with local children. July 1959: North Vietnams leaders pass an ordinance calling for continued socialist revolutions in the north and south. July 11, 1959: Two off-duty U.S. military advisors Major Dale Buis and Master Sergeant Chester Ovnand  are killed when a guerilla strike at Bienhoa struck their mess hall. The 1960s North Vietnamese President and communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969, left) with Prime Minister of the Peoples Republic of China, Zhou Enlai (1898–1976) in Vietnam, 1960. Three Lions / Getty Images December 20, 1960: The insurgents in South Vietnam are formally established as the National Liberation Front (PLF), but are better known to their enemies as the Vietnamese Communists or Viet Cong for short. January 1961: John F. Kennedy takes office as the President of the United States and begins to escalate American involvement in Vietnam; two U.S. helicopter units arrive in Saigon. February 1962: A U.S.-backed strategic hamlet program in South Vietnam forcibly relocates South Vietnamese peasants to fortified settlements. June 11, 1963: A buddhist monk makes the ultimate protest in Saigon by setting himself alight. Keystone / Getty Images June 11, 1963: Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc sets himself on fire in front of a pagoda in Saigon to protest Diems policies; the journalists photo of the death is published worldwide as The Ultimate Protest. November 2, 1963: South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem is executed during a coup. November 22, 1963: President Kennedy is assassinated; the new President Lyndon Johnson would continue the escalation. Lyndon B. Johnson takes the oath of office as President of the United States, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy November 22, 1963. National Archives / Getty Images August 2 and 4, 1964: North Vietnamese attack two U.S. destroyers sitting in international waters (the Gulf of Tonkin Incident). August 7, 1964: In response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, the U.S. Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. March 2, 1965: A sustained U.S. aerial bombing campaign of North Vietnam begins (Operation Rolling Thunder). March 8, 1965: The first U.S. combat troops arrive in Vietnam. January 30, 1968: The North Vietnamese join forces with the Viet Cong to launch the Tet Offensive, attacking approximately 100 South Vietnamese cities and towns. March 16, 1968: U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the town of Mai Lai. Refugees flee the Tan Son Nhut area after a Viet Cong attack on May 6, 1968. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images July 1968: General William Westmoreland, who had been in charge of the U.S. troops in Vietnam, is replaced by General Creighton Abrams. December 1968: U.S. troops in Vietnam reaches 540,000. July 1969: President Nixon orders the first of many U.S. troop withdrawals from Vietnam. September 3, 1969: Communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh dies at age 79. November 13, 1969: The American public learns of the Mai Lai massacre. The 1970s Hundreds of students at Kent State staged a demonstration in protest against the Nixon administrations expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia on May 4, 1970. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images April 30, 1970: President Nixon announces that U.S. troops will attack enemy locations in Cambodia. This news sparks nationwide protests, especially on college campuses. May 4, 1970: National Guardsmen fire a barrage of tear gas into a crowd of demonstrators protesting the expansion into Cambodia on the campus of Kent State University; four students are killed. June 13, 1971: Portions of the Pentagon Papers are published in The New York Times. March 1972: The North Vietnamese cross the demilitarized zone (DMZ) at the 17th parallel to attack South Vietnam in what became known as the Easter Offensive. January 27, 1973: The Paris Peace Accords are signed that provide a cease-fire. March 29, 1973: The last U.S. troops are withdrawn from Vietnam. March 1975: North Vietnam launches a massive assault on South Vietnam. April 30, 1975: Saigon falls, and South Vietnam surrenders to the communists, the official end of the Second Indochina War/Vietnam War. WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 30: Vietnam war veteran Steve Moczary, who served two tours during the war, searches for the name of his friend Msgt. Cecil Hodgson at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Win McNamee / Getty Images July 2, 1976: Vietnam is unified as a communist country, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. November 13, 1982: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. is dedicated.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Jim Crow Laws Free Essays

Segregation and disfranchisement laws were often supported, moreover, by brutal acts of ceremonial and ritualized mob vi olence (lynchings) against southern blacks. Indeed, from 1889 to 1930, over 3,700 men and women were reported lynched in the United States–most of whom were southern blacks. Hundreds of other lynchings and acts of mob terror aimed at brutalizing blacks occurred throughout the era but went unreported in the press. We will write a custom essay sample on Jim Crow Laws or any similar topic only for you Order Now Numerous race riots erupted in the Jim Crow era, usually in towns and cities and almost always in defense of segregation and white supremacy. These riots engulfed the nation from Wilmington, South Carolina, to Houston, Texas; from East St. Louis and Chicago to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the years from 1865 to 1955. The riots usually erupted in urban areas to which southern, rural blacks had recently migrated. In the single year of 1919, at least twenty-five incidents were recorded, with numerous deaths and hundreds of people injured. So bloody was this summer of that year that it is known as the Red Summer of 1919. The so-called Jim Crow segregation laws gained significant impetus from U. S. Supreme Court rulings in the last two decades of the nineteenth century. In 1883, the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the Civil Rights Act of 1875. The 1875 law stipulated: â€Å"That all persons †¦ shall be entitled to full and equal enjoyment of the ac Some historians believe that a Mr. Crow owned the slave who inspired Rice’s act–thus the reason for the Jim Crow term in the lyrics. In any case, Rice incorporated the skit into his minstrel act, and by the 1850s the â€Å"Jim Crow† character had become a standard part of the minstrel show scene in America. On the eve of the Civil War, the Jim Crow idea was one of many stereotypical images of black inferiority in the popular culture of the day–along with Sambos, Coons, and Zip Dandies. The word Jim Crow became a racial slur synonymous with black, colored, or Negro in the vocabulary of many whites; and by the end of the century acts of racial discrimination toward blacks were often referred to as Jim Crow laws and practices. How to cite Jim Crow Laws, Papers

Monday, May 4, 2020

Animal Research Essay Example For Students

Animal Research Essay Animal ResearchFor the past 20 years, there has a been an on going heateddebate on whether experiments on animals for the benefit of medical and scientific research is ethical. Whether it is or isnt, most people believe that some form of cost-benefit test should be performedto determine if the action is right. The costs include: animal pain, distress and death where thebenefits include the collection of new knowledge or the development of new medical therapies forhumans. Looking into these different aspects of the experimentation, there is a large gap for argumentbetween the different scientists views. In the next few paragraphs, both sides of the argument will beexpressed by the supporters. A well known scientist named Neal D. Barnard said, The use ofanimals for research and testing is only one of many investigative techniques available. We believethat although animal experiments are sometimes intellectually seductive, they are poorly suited toaddressing the urgent health problems of our era, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, AIDS andbirth defects. He goes on further to say that animal experiments can not only mislead researchersbut even contribute to illnesses or deaths by failing to predict any toxic effect on drugs. The majorityof animals in laboratories are used for genetic manipulation, surgical intervention or injection offoreign substances. Researchers produce solutions from these animal models and are adaptingthem to human conditions. Unfortunately, these animal models cant always be connected with thehuman body thus creating problems. Many times, researchers induce strokes on animals in order totest certain methods for curing. The downfall of this procedure is that a healthy animal thatexperiences a sudden stroke does not undergo the slowly progressive arterial damage that usuallyplays a crucial role in human strokes. In another illustration of the inaccuracy of animal research,scientists in the 1960s deduced from many animal experiments that inhaled tobacco smoke did notcause lung cancer. For many years afterward, the tobacco industry was able to use these studies todelay government warnings and to discourage physician s from intervening in their patients smokinghabits. We all know now that this is totally untrue and that smoking is a large contributor to cancer. Itturns out that cancer research is especially sensitive to differences in physiology between humans andother animals. Many animals, particularly rats and mice, synthesize within their bodies approximately100 times the recommended daily allowance for humans of vitamin C, which is believed to help thebody ward off cancer. The stress of handling, confinement and isolation alters the animals mentalstability and introduces yet another experimental variable that makes any results from testing evenless valuable to human helping. In many cases, drugs and other substances are given to the testanimals but studies have shown considerable differences in the effects of these drugs on differentspecies. David Salsburg of Pfizer Central Research has noted that of 19 chemicals known to causecancer in humans when ingested, only seven caused cancer in mice and rats using the standards setby the National Cancer Institute. This justifies that many substances that appeared safe in animalstudies and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in humans laterproved dangerous to people. The drug milrinone, which raises cardiac output, increased survival ofrats with artificially induced heart failure; humans with severe chronic heart failure taking this drug hada 30 percent increase in fatalities. Also, the antiviral drug fialuridine seemed safe in animal trials yetcaused liver failure in seven of 15 humans taking the drug (five of these patients died as a result of themedication, and the other two received liver transplants). Scientists and the populous that do notagree with the experimentation of animals believe in different methods. These techniques includeepidemiological studies, clinical intervention trials, astute clinical observation aided by laboratorytesting, human tissue and cell cultures, autopsy studies, endoscopic examination and biopsy, as wellas new imaging methods. In the last decade, scientists with these views have learned to respect theanimals for their own species observations and for their ability to communicate. On the reverseaspect, many scientists .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f , .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f .postImageUrl , .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f , .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f:hover , .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f:visited , .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f:active { border:0!important; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f:active , .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud972d14778e114ce40ee6a1444deef2f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Julius Caesar – Mark Antony Essay Summary

Saturday, March 28, 2020

Global economy and its impact on global south Essay Example

Global economy and its impact on global south Essay In large number of developing countries, globalization has helped poverty reduction. However aftermath of September 11, and the worldwide economic slowdown hit the poor hard.According to a study that 24 developing countries which integrated into the global economy over two decades ending in the late 1990s achieved higher growth in incomes, longer life expectancy and better schooling. These countries, home to some 3 billion people, enjoyed an average 5 percent growth rate in income per capita in the 1990s compared to 2 percent in rich countries. However, not all nations got integrated in the global economy, especially the sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and the former USSR, the combined population of thesea areas is two billion people. The countries economies in these got shrunk, giving rise to poverty.Though Globalization is very powerful force for poverty reduction, too many countries and people have left behind. The reasons cited for this exclusion are poor governance and poli cies in non-integrating countries, tariffs and other constraints that poor countries and poor people face to access rich country markets and for turning down development assistance. Reversing globalization isuntenable, and curtailing globalization with nationalism and protectionism does harm well-being of people in developing countries.Globalization had a diluting effect on state powers, and illustrated how global forces can transform an individual life, and also scope for an individual to expand connections around the world. The individual lives got affected not just by their local communities, but also by economic, political, and cultural processes or forces that operate globally. Globalization has led to various developments in economic, cultural, and political spheres. In the global economy the countries are depended on global forces, increasing interdependence among developing countries.Choice and inequalityHowever, globalization has put developing countries at risk of widening the income inequalities. The choice of trade liberalization provided access for cheaper products, raw materials and goods that drastically affected local industries such as garments, manufacturing and services. Local industries and manufactures were no match to big multinationals, thus they have go out business.   However, certain technologies and technology-related manufacturing such as assembling parts, software and other mechanical parts thrived.   The existing inherent inequalities in the current global trading system is hurting developing countries at the expense of developed countries. The US and Western nations manipulate institutions of globalization such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to pressurize less economically secure nations to provide access to their markets to free trade while safeguarding the weaker segments within their societies.Three differences between gender and raceGlobalization and the financial crisis had increased discrimi natory practices against women such as dehumanization of and violence against women, and the feminization of poverty. That, in turn, had facilitated the expansion of illegal industries. Trafficking of women and children. Migrant workers who are vulnerable are tricked and forced into prostitution by unscrupulous agents.Illegal immigrants and refugees do not have access to education, legal resources, or health and social services. The research has indicated that men and women are affected differently by trade policies and performance due to different locations and command over resources within the economy.   The gender-based inequalities impact differently on outcomes as they are based on economy and sector; as such, yielding unexpected results due to trade liberalization policies.ReferenceDunkin, A. (2005). Globalization: A portrait of exploitation,  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   inequality, and limits. Retrieved on December 11, 2006 from http://globalization.icaap.org/content/v5.2/dunklin.ht ml

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Team Dynamics and Group Formation

Team Dynamics and Group Formation Introduction Teamwork occupies a special place in the operational models of most organizations worldwide. This comes from the realization that it is the most efficient way of achieving the goals of an organization. Globalization is the major force behind the changes seen in workplaces because it is causing inevitable interaction of different cultures.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Team Dynamics and Group Formation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This realization has been the motivation for learning institutions to adopt the use of group based models of learning to enrich the learning process. This paper relates to the experiences derived from a team-based approach to learning. It focuses on the formative stages and the operational dynamics of the team. The goal of the team is to analyze the operations of Qantas in order to identify sustainable business practices and the change management process at the airline. In itial Functioning of the Group There are two reasons behind the formation of the group. The first reason is that the course under study calls for the analysis of an organization in order to determine elements such as its operations and its change management strategy. This group is working on Qantas Airlines as the case study. The second goal for the team’s formation is to develop an appreciation of how teams function. In addition to the primary objective of analyzing the operations of Qantas, using a team model to do it promises to provide all the members with an idea of how team function and the dynamics controlling the development process. Teams tend to develop through certain stages that follow a logical progression. Different scholars refer to these stages using various terms. According to Phillips and McConnell (2005), teams go through five stages in their development process. These stages are, â€Å"formation, disequilibrium, role definition, maturity and maintenanceâ € . They take on a logical progression that follows the dynamic processes at work in the life of the team. However, the more popular way of looking at the team development process is by the model developed by Bruce Tuckman that labeled the stages of team development as Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since then different scholars have developed variations to it to accommodate new research and to increase awareness to some of the core issues covered under each of the stages. One of those variations presented by Williams (2006, p. 323) adds three stages to the process titled, â€Å"de-norming, de-storming, and deforming† after the performing stage in Tuckman’s model. The goal for these additions is to show that teams are not permanent but must disintegrate after the attainment of the objectives. Another exa mple of variations to Tuckman’s model presented by Heldman and Mangano (2009, p. 187) is the addition of a stage called â€Å"adjourning†, after Tuckman’s performing stage. These examples show that there is agreement among scholars to the fact that teams go through a logical development cycle. In order to discuss the development process of the team under discussion, Tuckman’s model will provide the framework. This is because it is simple enough and covers all the key stages of relevance to this discussion. The first stage that the team went through was â€Å"forming†, which covered the circumstances that led to its creation. The members did not have a choice of whether or not to be part of a team because it was a course requirement. The members decided to be part of a team of their choice but they did not have a say as to whether they wanted to be in a team or not. This brought about a sense of common destiny because the performance of the members in the course depended on their performance as a team. This situation is not unique but is common especially in the disciplined forces. Soldiers do not have a choice regarding the company they will be in. However, once together, they must put their differences aside and work around their differences to win the war at hand because they all have a common destiny.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Team Dynamics and Group Formation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The second stage in the team development process is â€Å"storming†. This is the stage where the actual work in the team begins. It is characterized by infighting and jostling for positions because the member are not yet clear what their roles in the team are. In some cases, some members opt out because they find the jostling unbearable. In the case of the team under review, there was a bit of tension originally as members sought to clarify how the team w ould operate. Most of the member had other jobs, which made the issue of finding a common time outside of class work very difficult to find. In addition, there was the challenge of deciding on who would be the team leader. Since the interaction of the members was limited to classroom encounters, member did not have a good appreciation of who had the best skills to lead the team. A vote to decide on the team leader settled the issue. The next stage that the team passed through was â€Å"norming†. After settling down and appointing a leader, the team found it easier to talk and to raise issues related to the project. Some of the issues had a direct impact on the progress of the work while others had to do with the needs of the members. The team did its best to accommodate the schedules of all the members, especially those who had other jobs. Meeting regularly proved to be a bigger challenge than originally anticipated but the team has worked very hard to settle and get down to business. The team is currently in the fourth stage of â€Å"performing†. There are clear rules guiding the team’s operations and its outcomes. It is clear to all team members that failure to deliver on targets will affect the whole team. The team is working very hard to keep up with the schedule for completion of the work. There are fewer personality related conflicts compared to the initial stages of the teams work. One of the issues that warrant mention in the whole development process is the goal setting process that the team adopted. In the first meeting, the only thing that was clear was that the team was going to analyze the operation of Qantas. However, the process of doing it remained in the hands of the team. It was up to the team to make up its mind regarding how the project was to proceed.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One definition of a goal is â€Å"an end towards which you direct specific effort†. One of the first goals the team had to set and execute was choosing a team leader. The team realized that a team leader would help coordinate the work of the team better than if each member went to work without some form of central control. After choosing a leader, the team looked at the assignment in detail and developed options for meeting the objectives. At this point, the team identified specific objectives relating to the desired outcome of the process. One of the decisions taken included giving each member a particular department in Qantas as their individual area of focus. The idea was to develop a comprehensive picture of the company before going on to analyze the trends that showed up based on individual reports. The outcome of the analysis is what will form the core discussion in the final submission of the teams work. Developed specific goals included the analysis of the operation o f specific departments in Qantas, the development of an overall picture of how the airline operates, and the analysis of the change management strategies employed by the airline. Midstream Changes in Team Dynamics The critical events that characterized the development of the team related closely to the stage that the team was in. During the forming stage, the critical issue was choosing team members. As noted earlier, the task for the team was not open for debate hence it was not possible to opt out. After the class to the class to form teams, people grouped themselves based on what they felt was the best arrangement based on the limited interaction with each other in class. During storming, the team went through a period of distrust and jostling. The members were not sure of whom to trust the responsibilities. Some attempted to take more work to ensure that completion of the assignment, while others took only limited work because of their tight schedules. Eventually, under the guid ance of the team leader, the team rationalized the workload by asking each member to pick a specific aspect of the overall assignment. There was a bit of jostling too because members did not have a good idea of what their role in the team was. Forming stage gave the team a chance to reconsider its goals, processes, and achievements. The members relaxed and became less formal during meetings. It was in this stage that it became necessary to enforce rules developed earlier because members became relaxed. Without direction from the chair, the team would have lost time to socialization and to other irrelevancies. However, these activities also helped to build trust. After the norming stage, the team sorted out many of the issues that came up during storming. The key strengths of different members became apparent during the performing stage. This enabled the team to work better. Some member proved to be more adept at research while others had better analytical skills. Members collaborate d in and out of team meeting to leverage on the strengths available within the team. The key characteristics of the team in this stage were collaboration and high productivity. The team is currently in this stage. Output is satisfactory but there are still problems with meeting the team’s deadlines mainly because of the tight schedules that some team members operate under. Change Management Process The characteristics of strong teams include a clear vision, objectives and goals, synergy, flexibility and adaptability, and a strong review mechanism. The team in this report had a very clear objective, which was the analysis of the operations of Qantas. The setting of this objective partly came from the clarity of the course requirements. In addition to this objective, the team set a number of operational objectives including the number of meetings it needed to have in order to achieve the goals, the targets for each individual member and the quality of work the team wanted to pr esent at the end of the exercise. In as far as strong objectives characterize strong teams, this team met the requirement. The second characteristic of a strong team is synergy. In other words, it is the working together of the team members by leveraging on the strengths of individual members to create a strong result. This aspect came into play when the team used its strongest members to validate research and analysis done by the other members. The team members passed on their work to members who were strong in research and analysis for criticism and comment. This improved the quality of the output that each individual provided and by extension it improved the overall quality of the work the team produced at each stage. The third aspect of strong teams that this team displayed was flexibility and adaptability. Flexibility showed when team members constantly put effort into adjusting and synchronizing personal schedules to create time for team meetings. As mentioned earlier, some of the team members have demanding jobs and getting time off apart from class time to attend meetings is a major issue for them. Nonetheless, a lot of effort went into finding a workable time to ensure the meeting of the team’s objectives. On the issue of adaptability, the team worked hard to find ways of remaining in touch outside the meetings and classes. In this sense, the use of email and text messaging made it possible for the team members to keep in touch and to continue with work despite the severe time constraints. This option was not immediately obvious to the team because the model that the members originally had in mind included meeting together for discussions and compiling parts of the work. The reality however is that it is difficult to meet as often as earlier envisaged. This called for innovation and a flexible attitude to see how to employ electronic means of communication. The final characteristic of strong teams is that they review progress regularly as a sou rce of learning. On this count the team still has a lot to do. The time constrains associated with this team’s work means that most of the meeting time went into the actual development of the work with very little time left for meaningful review. However, in principle, the team fully appreciates the need for regular review. Conclusion The experiences of the team with this project illustrate the practical hurdles teams face in the process of executing their mandate. There are always forces acting to make it difficult for the team to execute its mandate. It also shows that each team must go through the formative processes. The stages of team development occur concurrently with the team’s efforts to achieve the primary goals. There is always need to balance the needs of the team as a growing unit with the achievement of the objectives set for the team. Reference List Burns, J. M. (1979) Leadership. Harper Row, New York, NY. Gaist, P. A. (2009) Igniting the Power of Commu nity. Springer, New York, NY. Heldman, K., Mangano, V. (2009) PMP Project management Professional Exam Review Guide. Illustrated edn, John WIley and Sons, Indianapolis, IN. Hopkins, D. H. 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