A Matter of Life and Death, or Did You Hear Someone Knocking

A Matter of Life and Death, or Did You Hear Someone Knocking There is hardly an experience as trivial and as everyday as hearing someone knocking at the door or a doorbell ringing. However, even out of such a common thing, Metcalfe and Game manage to develop a compelling and intriguing idea.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Matter of Life and Death, or Did You Hear Someone Knocking? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In their short story, ‘A knock at the door’, the writers manage to convey an idea that changes, whether they are for better or for worse, are a part and parcel of people’s lives, which means that being open for changes is pretty much living a full life. Taking a closer look at the passage that starts with â€Å"the doorbell prompts drama’s primal question† to â€Å"was never to be completed†1, one can see that there is more in the simple description of choice than meets the eye. At certain point, it might actually seem that the authors not merely hint at the tortures of making a choice, but also make a big metaphor for life as it is, with all its opportunities that come and go, and the threats which these opportunities conceal. The door becomes a gateway for a countless number of events and further options to choose from; the authors make it clear that after the door is open, the person who opened it is bound to take a great amount of responsibilities that come with another acquaintance. â€Å"The visitor could be a beggarman or a thief; it could be Archangel Gabriel, the Angel of Death or a person with good news from lottery office†2. Metcalfe and Game make it clear that, opening the door, one will let the whole palette of life in, thus, changing his/her own pace, which definitely takes guts.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, Metcalfe and Game touch upon the necessity o f solitude, mentioning that, just because of one single visit, the work on Kubla Khan was interrupted to never be continued again. It seems that the authors are not only showing the mechanisms of the binary opposition logics, but are also trying to break free from its realm. Of course, they do convey the message that there are two key options, i.e. either taking the risks and going where the chance will take you, or sitting there twiddling one’s fingers and fearing the burden of responsibilities. However, it seems that Metcalfe and Game do in fact consider the third option, that is, the possibility of lingering and rethinking the choice. Even as the authors speak of the choice being made, they still make it clear that the moment of choice is another stage that leads to a certain self-development: â€Å"The door has become a curtain that will open to reveal the next stage of my life†3. Thus, the bottom line is that whenever hearing a knock at the door, it is better to t ake chances and open it. Despite the fact that changes lead to the most unpredictable results and can turn one’s life completely upside down, they are a much better option than living a life as exciting as a schedule of trains. Showing in a rather graphic way that opportunity knocks, but it does not beg, the authors managed to explain the readers how unpredictable life can be, making it obvious that a good chance is worth taking a risk.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A Matter of Life and Death, or Did You Hear Someone Knocking? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Bibliography Metcalfe, A A Game, ‘A knock at the door’ in A Metcalfe A Game (eds.), The  mystery of everyday life, Federation Press, Annandale, AU, 2002. Footnotes 1. A. Metcalfe A Game, ‘A knock at the door’ in A Metcalfe A Game (eds.), The mystery of everyday life, Federation Press, Annandale, AU, 2002, p. 65. 2. A. Me tcalfe A Game, ‘A knock at the door’ in A Metcalfe A Game (eds.), The mystery of everyday life, Federation Press, Annandale, AU, 2002, p. 65. 3. A. Metcalfe A Game, ‘A knock at the door’ in A Metcalfe A Game (eds.), The mystery of everyday life, Federation Press, Annandale, AU, 2002, p. 65.

Why the Pennsylvania Germans Are Often Called Dutch

Why the Pennsylvania Germans Are Often Called Dutch First of all, we can quickly dispose of the Pennsylvania Dutch misnomer. The term is more properly Pennsylvania German because the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch have nothing to do with Holland, the Netherlands, or the Dutch language. These settlers originally came from German-speaking areas of Europe and spoke a dialect of German they refer to as Deitsch (Deutsch). It is this word Deutsch (German) that has led to the second misconception about the origin of the term Pennsylvania Dutch. Did Deutsch Become Dutch? This popular explanation of why the Pennsylvania Germans are often incorrectly called Pennsylvania Dutch fits into the plausible category of myths. At first, it seems logical that English-speaking Pennsylvanians simply confused the word Deutsch for Dutch. But then you have to ask yourself, were they really that ignorant- and wouldnt the Pennsylvania Dutch themselves have bothered to correct people constantly calling them Dutchmen? But this Deutsch/Dutch explanation further falls apart when you realize that many of the Pennsylvania Dutch actually prefer that term over Pennsylvania German! They also use the term Dutch or Dutchmen to refer to themselves. There is another explanation. Some linguists have made the case that the term Pennsylvania Dutch goes back to the original English use of the word Dutch. Although there is no definitive evidence that links it to the term Pennsylvania Dutch, it is true that in the English of the 18th and 19th centuries, the word Dutch referred to anyone from a wide range of Germanic regions, places that we now distinguish as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. At that time Dutch was a broader term that meant what we today call Flemish, Dutch or German. The terms High Dutch (German) and Low Dutch (Dutch, nether means low) were used to make a clearer distinction between what we now call German (from Latin) or Dutch (from Old High German). Not all Pennsylvania Germans are Amish. Although they are the best known group, the Amish make up only a small portion of the Pennsylvania Germans in the state. Other groups include the Mennonites, the Brethren, and sub-groups within each group, many of whom use cars and electricity. It is also easy to forget that Germany (Deutschland) did not exist as a single nation state until 1871. Prior to that time, Germany was more like a quilt-work of duchies, kingdoms, and states where various German dialects were spoken. The settlers of the Pennsylvania German region came from the Rhineland, Switzerland, Tyrol, and various other regions beginning in 1689. The Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites now located in the eastern counties of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in North America did not really come from Germany in the modern sense of the word, so it is not entirely accurate to refer to them as German either. However, they did bring their German dialects with them, and in modern English, it is best to refer to this ethnic group as Pennsylvania Germans. Calling them Pennsylvania Dutch is misleading to speakers of modern English. Despite the fact that Lancaster County and various tourism agencies keep using the quaint term Pennsylvania Dutch on their Web sites and promotional materials, and despite the fact that some Pennsylvania Germans prefer the Dutch term, why perpetuate something that contradicts the fact that the Pennsylvania Germans are linguistically German, not Dutch? Support for this opinion can be seen in the name of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. This organization, dedicated to the preservation of the Pennsylvania German language and culture, uses the word German rather than Dutch in its name. Since Dutch no longer means what it did in the 1700s and is very misleading, its more appropriate to replace it with German. Deitsch Unfortunately,  Deitsch, the language of the Pennsylvania Germans, is dying out. Learn more about  Deitsch, the Amish, other settlement areas.

Secure Computer System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Secure Computer System - Essay Example Firewalls are the most common security measures for computer networks. Certain mechanisms are put in place in order to provide adequate security to protect resources on the trusted network against potential access by attackers. There are numerous mechanisms in network security, one of which is the DMZ or Demilitarised Zone. DMZ is a network which is semi-protected and is common to medium scale to large scale enterprise (Pickering, 2009). DMZ has two (2) disadvantages: First, the firewall can be created to pass trusted'' services within the application gateway(s), thus, subverting the policy. The trusted'' services which get passed all around the application gateway typically end up being in contact with the site systems. Another disadvantage is placed on the routers for the provision of security. Packet filtering routers seemed complex to configure and errors could disclose the whole site to security holes (Wack, 2009). Added by Pickering (2003), the application proxy firewalls usually require frequent software updating to run the latest versions of the proxy code. This is important particularly when new exploits are detected, needs to be blocked, and in the event when problems emerge interactions between the proxy as well as widely deployed applications. Meaning, when the proxy is found actually breaking. 3. Using a Microsoft XP or 2000 system, open Internet Explorer. Open Internet Options under the Tools menu. Examine the contents of the Security and Privacy tabs. How can these tabs be configured to provide: a) content filtering, and b) protection from unwanted items like cookies Some actions that Microsoft XP or 2000 system allow a user to do in order to configure content, filtering, and protection from unwanted items like cookies are: 1. To personalize Windows XP settings for each user; and also 2. To assign user to create accounts and passwords in the computer to control the users who can access on the system. In other words, users who are not the "administrators" will have no access, unable to change critical system files or delete it. The system may also be upgraded by logging off from a regular user account, then, logging back in as

Corporate Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Corporate Investment - Essay Example Some of the junk bonds are very profitable but they have the highest risk for investment losses. Individuals and corporations must carry out appropriate risk management when purchasing bonds. The issuer make announcement that bonds are to be issued. Usually, the bond is associated with a face value that is redeemed when it is sold by the purchaser in open market. The bond is issued at a value less than the face value, the difference is the profit for the purchaser. The underwriter takes its commission also. Once the purchaser buys the bond, he/she can sell it in the open secondary market or can keep it till maturity when full face value of the bond will be returned by the issuer. If bond is traded before maturity, the selling price is lower than the face value to accommodate profits for the next purchaser. Though bond and stock markets operate separately, yet stock market does have an impact on bond market. The company whose shares are trading at premium in stock market has a better chance to get its bonds purchased by many purchasers. Also, they are in a position to sell bonds at a higher discount rate to minimize its own losses when the bond face value is to be returned at the time of maturity. A company that is not doing well on stock market also faces difficulty in selling its bonds in bond market. I think lower taxes on dividend and ca... A company that is not doing well on stock market also faces difficulty in selling its bonds in bond market. PART 2 Data: 500 shares at $30 per share = $15,000 Initial Margin requirements = 55% = (15000)(0.55) = $8,250 Hence, Loan amount = 15,000 - 8,250 = $6,750 Interest payment = 13% = (6750)(0.13) = $877.5 Dividends received = $1 per share = $500 (for 500 shares) 1. Sold stock for $40 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(40) = $20,000 Total earnings + dividends = 20,000 + 500 = $20,500 Total expenses = $878 Net earnings = $19,622 Hence, rate of return = (19,622 - 8,250) / 8,250 Rate of Return on investment = 137.84% 2. Sold stock for $20 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(20) = $10,000 Total earnings + dividends = 10,000 + 500 = $10,500 Total expenses = $878 Net earnings = $9,622 Hence, rate of return = (9,622 - 8,250) / 8,250 Rate of Return on investment = 16.66% 3. Cash Purchases: (i) Sold stock for $40 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(40) = $20,000 Total earnings + dividends = 20,000 + 500 = $20,500 Total expenses = $15,000 Net earnings = $5,500 Hence, rate of return = 5,500 / 15,000 Rate of Return on investment = 36.67% (ii) Sold stock for $20 per share: Total earnings from sale = (500)(20) = $10,000 Total earnings + dividends = 10,000 + 500 = $10,500 Total expenses = $15,000 Net earnings = ($4,500) Hence, rate of return = (4,500) / 15,000 Rate of Return on investment = -30% PART 3 I think lower taxes on dividend and capital gains can enhance economic development. This is because if taxes are low, the individuals are able to save

Filinvest Company Background Essay Example for Free

Filinvest Company Background Essay Filinvest Land, Inc. (FLI) is one of the leading real estate developers in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC), which has more than 40 years of experience in real estate development. Founded by Mr. Andrew L. Gotianun, Sr., FDC is the holding company of the Gotianun Family. Originally engaged in the small-scale financing of second hand cars in 1955, the Gotianun Family’s business later expanded into consumer finance in partnerships with foreign institutions such as Chase Manhattan Bank, Westinghouse Electric Corporation and Ford Philippines. By the early 1980’s, the Gotianun Family’s Filinvest Credit Corporation had become one of the leading consumer finance companies in the Philippines in terms of assets, and the â€Å"Filinvest† name had become well recognized in the Philippines. The Gotianun Family entered the real estate business in 1967 through the incorporation of Filinvest Realty Corporation, which engaged in the development of residential subdivisions. In 1984, the Gotianun Family consolidated their real estate interests in FDC after divesting their shares in two family-owned banks, Family Bank and Trust Company and the Insular Bank of Asia and America. By 1990, FDC expanded its products line to include the development and sale of low-cost and medium-cost housing units. FLI was incorporated on November 24, 1989 as Citation Homes, Inc. and changed its name to FLI on July 12, 1993. It began commercial operations in August 1993 after FDC spun off its MISSION AND VISSION The primary responsibility of Filinvest Land is to the people that inhabit the cities, communities, and homes it has created. Filinvest will continually contribute to the economic development of society and will function as a good corporate citizen. II.View point Based on the researcher’s opinion, Filinvest Alabang Incorporated is a well established enterprise in the Philippines. In fact, Filinvest Alabang Incorporated was ranked as high as number 5; Top Real Estate Companies in the Philippines. Although it’s a well established company here in the Philippines, still, they do encounter minor and major problems depending on the situation and due to some environmental factors. Since Real Estate is the main source of profit for the company, it is very important that the management will hire highly qualified employees who possess a quality that can help the company grow. And to make the employees perform better, the management should provide rewards that will help motivate the employees to function effectively and efficiently. Overview Although Filinvest Alabang, established a stable place in the market; it should be always equipped with â€Å"contingency plans† in case of crisis or if any problems will rise. And in this paper, the researchers will provide a concrete analysis of the problems of the said company, and might will provide solutions for the given problem. III.Time context Filinvest Alabang, Inc. (FAI) was incorporated on August 25, 1993 in connection with the development of Filinvest Corporate City (FCC) in Alabang, a joint venture with the government’s Public Estates Authority. FAI is 80% owned by FDC and 20% owned by FLI. FAI’s primary project is FCC, a 244-hectare mixed-use development project located at the southern end of Metro Manila and adjacent to the South Expressway in Alabang. FAI uses modern, ecological urban planning and design in developing FCC as an alternative to Metro Manila’s business districts. Since the start of its development in 1995, FCC has grown to become a major destination in southern Manila that services all segments of the population with a wide array of retail, office and residential developments. It is home to key anchors such as Insular Life, Asian Hospital and the fast-growing Northgate Cyberzone BPO hub. The second busiest transport terminal in Metro Manila is in the immediate vicinity, making FCC a major gateway for commuters going into and out of Metro Manila from the south. The extension of the Skyway elevated road to Alabang significantly enhances the value of FCC and further increase its attractiveness as the location of choice for offices and residential living in the South of Metro Manila IV. Statement of the problem MAIN PROBLEM: Relationship basis inside the corporation MAJOR PROBLEM: †¢Low recruitment process †¢Lack communication inside the industry MINOR PROBLEM: Relationship basis inside the corporation †¢Reward and benefits of the employees are small and little in hand †¢Salaries and wages are not accommodated well V.Statement of objective †¢To identify the cause of the slow recruitment process in Filinvest Alabang Inc. †¢To provide possible solutions for the slow recruitment process. †¢To analyze problems occurring inside the cooperation and providing solutions to patch-up the problems of employees regarding the delay of their salaries and having less rewards and incentives. †¢To provide solution for improvement of employees and worker’s skills regarding in handling customers service and maintaining good image of the industry. * Specific †¢To identify the different demands and problems of the employees inside the organization’ which they think is affecting their performance. That way, the firm will be able to provide any possible solution so to trim down those types of problems affecting the employee. The study will cover the common types of problems that employees encounters: Salary and Wages, working hours and relationship among other employees. * Measurable †¢The company could provide seminars once or twice a month to address all the concerns that i bothering the employee. That way, the manager will be able to point out what exactly is the problem within the organization. And by providing seminars for the employee, they will be able to know more how to interact with their co-employees. With this type of structure, most probably, the organization will be able to solve any ongoing long term problems within a year. * Attainable †¢The objectives of this study are indeed attainable as it will focus more on solving the problems of the employees. Although it will take some time to discuss, know and solve their problems, still it is very important for the part of the management to address all the employee concerns so that they will be able to function well. * Realistic †¢The plan is bound to be effective if it’s implemented, although it will take some time to execute it properly. * Time bound †¢The target audience of this study is mainly the employees of this organization. And this plan should be implemented for a year. VI.SWOT analysis Strength Filinvest Alabang Incorporated has been one of the leading Real Estate developers here in the Philippines. Boasting a total of 70 Billion assets and earning an all-time high of 20 Billion of sales the year 2011, this year, they aim to earn higher; 30 Billion of sales, so to provide Filipinos a chance to experience a dynamic living in a vibrant master planned city. What gives Filinvest Alabang Inc. an edge compared to other Real Estate developer? Simple, they bounded their project in a very good location, wherein the city is connected to 5 major road points; giving them maximum exposure to businessman, commuters and even prospect buyers. In terms of their recruitment routine, applicants undergo a series of observations, interviews and training so to identify if they are well qualified for the job and somehow has the ability to achieve the given job description. With this type of assessment, Filinvest Alabang Incorporated accepts highly qualified sellers to help the company achieve its target mark for this year, making sure that the ones they accept will be able to function really well. Weakness Given the amount of time that the recruitment process takes to finally hire employees, there is a possibility that they might miss out other highly qualified applicants due to the long process of interviews and series of training. Some applicants might lose their interest given the time that the training process eats. And due loss of interest of applicants, there’s a blink of probability that other Real Estate companies will snatch the chance of getting those type employees and definitely that gives Filinvest a slight margin of disadvantage. Opportunities With a well renowned name in the industry of Real Estate, that puts Filinvest Alabang Inc. in a good position as a top of mind priority for businessmen and job applicants. Knowing that selling real estate requires a huge workforce, evidently the corporation is in search of many inspiring job applicants who want to earn big money. And Filinvest Alabang give those kinds of opportunities to unemployed individuals who wants to make a living. They actually have a very flexible standard when they hire applicants, because they can’t throw away the fact that they need an individual with great talent, given that he/she wasn’t able to meet one of the required standards to be hired be swatted away. Threats Obviously, Filinvest ALabang Inc. is not only the renowned RealEstate developer here in the Philippines. Other top competitors Ayala Land and SMDC for example use different kind of strategies to lure prospect buyers to buy their luxurious properties and of course, they have a different style of training used to hone the skills of their employees. With the presence of other top real estate companies, that makes the stakes of hiring highly qualified employees divided among those corporations. VII.Alternative courses of action Detailed Background Check. ( Past Employment ) To make the process of recruitment shorter, the Human Resource management could use a background check with regards to the individual’s past employments (if available), whether he/she has background working on a sales team which will help clarify points if the individual is capable of being part of the Filinvest Alabang sales team. Putting a little bit of emphasis on the applicant’s background would help shorten the period of training knowing that he/she is capable of being a seller. That will definitely help cut the expenses that the company supply for training and seminars as part of the training program Experience Experience is definitely a plus when you apply for a job. And for Human Resource managers, an applicant with plenty of experience makes the job easier. Knowing that the individual is already knowledgeable of the job description and knows what are the functions of being a seller, those type of statistics may lead to fewer training and interviews. But the management definitely should not rest easier; they should conduct a detailed background check regarding the past performance of the applicant like consulting the previous company where he/she worked for about how he/she dealt with the stress of the job and etc. VIII.Recommendation †¢Conduct seminars for improvement of customer relationship and as well as the employee to employee relationship. †¢Conduct monthly meeting to be aware of the status of each organization of the corporation. †¢Get feedback from customer to distinguish the quality and satisfaction of service and products the Filinvest offers. IX.Action plan / time constraint The Human Resource management could make a proposal to be sent to the higher level management regarding the issue of slow recruitment process and suggest that they should focus more on analyzing and looking briefly at the individual’s experience by conducting background check so to lessen the time that the training and interviews are taking. That way, the recruitment process would somehow speed up, and in case they get better results, they should continue to do it or perhaps improve the system more. And in case that the strategy is not working out, they should try to evaluate on what seems to be out of sync and once they were able to point out the problem, they should be able to come up with good solutions to the problem. X.Conclusion The researcher recommends that the management of Filinvest Alabang Incorporated should speed up the process of hiring highly qualified employees without sacrificing their thoroughness in selecting the best among the job applicants. They could focus more on looking briefly at the resume of the employee and perhaps, they could perform through background check on the individual to ensure that they are qualified for the job. That way, they could cut the cost allotted for many sessions of trainings and undying interviews.

Biblical Allusions in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells the story of a world lost to superficiality and greed. Falsehood and deception are the currency which fuels the characters in the novel. Dwelling in this fallen world, Fitzgerald has placed a fallen god. Gatsby is bathed in descriptions that identify him as the Son of God. Fitzgerald makes a conscious effort to clothe this character with imagery and actions to make him the patron deity of this fallen world, but Gatsby is too much enveloped by his surroundings to save them and is consumed in the attempt. Despite the biblical allusions, strong images and explicit statements identifying Gatsby with Christ, the prevailing tone of the novel prevents him from being a Christ-figure. A strong pattern of biblical allusions establishes an image of Gatsby as Jesus. The very first description of Gatsby conjures biblical images. Gatsby is described as having "a heightened sensitivity to the promises of life" and "an extraordinary gift for hope" (6). Jesus "came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn. 10:10). Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, identifies hope as the second of the three theological virtues (13:13). Furthermore, Nick describes Gatsby's handwriting as "majestic," suggesting the kingship of Christ (46). Gatsby's kingdom, like Jesus' is "not of this world" (Jn. 18:36). When Gatsby stands in his yard, surveying the stars, Nick describes him as laying claim to a section of the "heavens" (25). Gatsby's parties are even reminiscent of biblical themes. Nick observes that "people were not invited; they went there" (45). This recalls the parable of the wedding feast, in which, lacking invited guests, the king sends his soldiers out to the highways to gather ... ...Marius. "Scott Fitzgerald's Criticism of America." Modern Critical Interpretations: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 11-27. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. England: Penguin, 1990. Hack, Robert and Libby Stockstill. "Colour in The Great Gatsby." http://www.nmusd.k12.ca.us/cdmhs/gatsbycenter/roberthack&libbystockstill. November 29th 2001. O'Brien, Meghan et al. "Colour Imagery in The Great Gatsby." http://www.nmusd.k12.ca.us/cdmhs/gatsbycenter/meghanobrien/gg.html. November 29th 2001. Tanner, Tony. "Introduction." The Great Gatsby. Author F. Scott Fitzgerald. England: Penguin, 1990. vii-lvi. Way, Brian. "The Great Gatsby." Modern Critical Interpretations: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 87-108.   

Worldview Essay

Worldview Essay Essay Below is a free essay on â€Å"Worldview Essay† from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples. In his well-written and informative book, The Universe Next Door, James W. Sire, provides an introduction to a world of difference. The implications of his work bring one to seriously reflect on his own personal views and those of society.To quote Sire, a world view is, â€Å"a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundation on which we live and move and have our being. † Simply put, a worldview is one’s perspective, whether right or wrong, on reality which can be shaped by his personal beliefs and environment.I will attempt t o answer those seven fundamental questions provided by Sire based on my experiences, values, and personal knowledge. Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue? Why the grass is green? What makes day and night? Why is light called day and dark called night? What is light and dark? Have you ever wondered why the sun shines so brightly or why the moon shines at night? Beyond this thinking, what or who made the sky blue and the grass green? Who made the days and the nights? What about the sun and moon? This is the evidence that God exists. I believe in God.He is the almighty Creator of everything in this universe and beyond. It is impossible to comprehend the awesomeness of God. He is uncaused by anything else. The prime characteristic of God is that He is absolutely holy. In His nature, God is separated from everything else. God is eternal. He has no beginning or end. God was not created. God is transcendent: above and beyond everything in the entire universe. God is unequaled and tot ally unique. He is infinite or beyond limitation. God is self-existent. As all-powerful, God is omni-present (everywhere at the same time).

Six Sigma for Sustainability in Multinational Organizations

Six Sigma For Sustainability In Multinational Organizations Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Six Sigma For Sustainability In Multinational Organizations Abdullah AlSagheer, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University, Dubai UAE ABSTRACT The Six Sigma model provides various kinds of sustainability to companies in terms of quality enhancement, zero defect level, market share enhancement, optimal production level and financial returns. Multinational companies are more orientated toward impl ementation of Six Sigma than small scale locally held companies.Numerous larger companies have so far implemented Six Sigma including 3M, Caterpillar, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Amazon. com, DHL, SGL group, Dell, Ford Motor Company, DuPont, McGraw Hi ll Companies and HSBC group. Implementation of Six Sigma requires considerable cost and effort in terms of human resource training and reformulation of business processes. This study is an attempt to find what kind of sustainability motivates multinational companies to invest in Six Sigma. Sustainability identified includes social sustainability, environmental sustainability, and economic sustainability.With the aid of interviews, a constant comparison study is conducted in order to find the most preva lent type of sustainability offered by Six Sigma. A sample is drawn from multinational companies which have already implemented Six Sigma in their operations. The findings suggest that multinational companies implement Six Sigma in order to attain econom ic sustainability through various means such as market share, customer base, and social sustainability. Keywords: Six Sigma; sustainability; multinationals; economic sustainability; zero defect level; financial sustainabilityINTRODUCTION T he world is witnessing a reformed shape of business, an approach more focused on quality and customer care. The traditional concept of supplier orientation has shifted to customer orientation and traditional mean ing of quality has also changed. Quality management, total quality management, zero defect level, lean management, continuous improvement and Six Sigma have evolved over the period of time to meet quality requirements of customers. Each having a slighter different and updated focus of quality, Six S igma is the most advance approach.Six Sigma is a quality management initiative that takes the methodological approach based on data attempting to eliminate the defects to minimize standard deviation to desired level of quality (Six Sigma, 2010). The study is focused to find sustainability that Six Sigma brings in multinationals. Small businesses, due to their small scale and low organized processes confront difficulties while implementing six sigma processes. Present study finds the sustainability that six sigma provides to larger multinational organizations in terms of society, environment and financial return.Background Of Study Initiated by Motorola, Six Sigma has largely been adopted by number of multinational, larger scale companies. A few to mentioned includes 3M, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Amazon. com, DHL, SGL group, Dell, Ford Motor company, DuPont, McGraw Hill Companies, HSBC group, United States Army and many others (Gupta, 2005). It is pertinent to notice that mostly multinational an d larger companies have adopted Six Sigma (Wiele, Iwaarden and Power, 2010).Literature and actual implementation of Six Sigma largely reflects the fact that multinational companies are more inclined towards adoption of Six Sigma as it produces multifacete d sustainability. Core reasons of this adoption is that multinational afford higher cost of training, higher technical expertise requirement and more advance processes (Gupta, 2005).  © 2011 The Clute Institute 7 Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Statement Of The Research ProblemMultinational organizations adopts six sigma as it offer them sustainability and diversity however , it is important to learn what type of sustainability does six sigma provide to the companies. The core research question to be addressed is what kind of sustainability is largely provided by S ix Sigma in multinational companies. The core question is supported by several secondary questions such as is it in terms of financial success, corporate social responsibility, market share or business? s repute for best practices? Does the core objective of Six Sigma is to bring financial success?How companies define sustainability and what do they want to achieve through Six Sigma? Purpose And Significance Of The Study The study is aimed to drill down into concept of sustainability provided by Six Sig ma. It is important to learn how quality management and advanced quality approaches are helping companies to improve their performance and efficiency. The study is a guideline for companies that have not ventured for Six Sigma. Many multinational companies such as IBM, Microsoft and Royal Dut ch Shell are using their customized quality approach (Schwandt and Marquardt, 2000).The study will ardently provide a basis of comparison between Six Sigma companies and customized quality approaches for future researc h. Moreover, it is significant from Six Sigma companies view point by looking into possible sustainability that Six Sigma can add to their businesses. Review Of The Literature A wide variety of literature is present which draws on Six Sigma, sustainabil ity and sustainability brought by Six Sigma in multinational companies in different perspectives. Six Sigma has a history of twenty four years and theorists have widely discussed its different aspects.The literature initially defines how Six Sigma works f or multinational companies and what the term sustainability ideally reflects. In later part, the literature reviews the sustainability actually brought by Six Sigma in companies and the core aim of adopting Six Sigma in different companies. Six Sigma For Quality Manag ement Six Sigma is highly effective implementation of proven quality principles and techniques. The approach works for virtually error free business performance. In Six Sigma, the company? s performance is measured by the sigma level of businesses process (Pyzdek and Keller, 2009).An approach focused on establishing world class performance bench marks provides road map for attaining zero error level. Apparently Six Sigma is associated with the enhancing quality of good and services, nevertheless, it brings efficiency and effectiveness in processes throughout the organization (Truscott, 2003). Six Sigma approach marvelously improves quality as it objectively looks into quality measurement. Henderson and Evans (2000) McCarty and Fisher (2007) stated that Six Sigma make measurement possible through its multi dimensional statistical model.The model is primarily focused on three aspects i -e sigma statistics, sigma measure and performance benchmark however no element specifically identif ies the le vel of sustainability (Truscott, 2009). Turscott (2009) further exemplifies the Six Sigma implementation by looking at following daily life examples: Process sigma value 2 3 4 5 6 Source: Truscott (2009) 8 Table 1: Six Sigma Implementation from Daily Life Expectation of Time without electricity 207 h 45 h 4h 9 min 8 sec Aircraft accidents 8 per 10 flights 24 per 100 flights 25 per 1000 flights 9 per 10,000 flights 12 per million flights 2011 The Clute Institute Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Six Sigma works on principles of continuous improvement; Coronado and Antony (2002) resembles the Six Sigma as a loop which begins with defining the goals of improvement activity i -e benchmarking of quality services and leads to measuring of existing syste m. In Six Sigma, measuring the existing system is often termed as gap analysis (Antony, 2006). The next component of Six Sigma loop works with identifying the ways to remove the gap and i mproving the present system (Thareja, 2006).If Six Sigma loop stops at continuous improvement, it will more likely consider as total quality management (Khan, 2003). Sustainability The other core element of Six Sigma implementation is the sustainability which it brings to the organization. Generally understanding sustainability, sustainability is best defined by world commission on environment and development (1987) stating that sustainable development is development that meets the need of present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own n eeds.Fricker (1998) defined sustainability as vision of future that provides a road map while focusing on certain set of ethical and moral values which may guide the actions of an entity. Looking sustainability in details, it mainly focuses on three aspec ts i-e economic growth, social progress and environmental protection (Munier, 2006). Sustainability involves people, capital resources, natural resources, environme nt and institution. Fricker (1998) further added that sustainability is not merely an end result of processes rather it continuous seeking of quality behavior.An organization is said to be sustainable if its people are willing to bring a change and embrace the change ultimately leading toward sustainable organizational design (Shrivastava and Director, 1995). In an organizational perspective particularly, sustainability refers to the value addition from Six Sigma. The dimension of sustainability includes variation elimination, control on new processes, statistical controls, reduced complexity, precision, accuracy and effectiveness in business process (Giardina, 2006).An addition in traditional Six Sigma is lean Six Sigma which primarily focuses on improved process flow (Reiling, 2008). Due to difference of focus, the perspective for sustainability also varies. In Six Sigma, the sustainability refers to utmost standardization with zero defects whereas lean Six Sigma emphasize sustain ability as identification of value, defining value stream, determining flow, defining pull and improving process in every business function such as marketing, finance and management (Taghizadegan, 2006). Sustainability Achieved Through Six SigmaMultinational companies have adopted Six Sigma for variety of purposes however, the core goal was to attain financial sustainability through improved processes and better work flow (Poudlove, Moxham and Boaden, 2008) however, the financial success is achieved through multidimensional quality improvements (Mahadevan, 2010). General Motors reduced its disposal costs by $12 million through kanban system; an integral part of Six Sigma. Similar to this, Robins Air Force Base, C -130 paint shop reduced tools material and equipment by 39% and $373,800 in direct operating savings (Giardina, 2006). M was among few companies which initiated to adopt Six Sigma. 3M upgraded to lean Six Sigma and its purpose was to attain environmental stability. The comp any is pioneer in use of lean Six Sigma methods and tools to improve operations and quality. In first step, the company trained it s 100,000 employees for Six Sigma in order to attain the operational sustainability. 3M achieved multi facet results such as improvement in energy efficiency from 20% to 27% and reduction in waste index to net sales from 25% to 30%.All these achievements are aimed toward attaining environmental sustainability and operational sustainability. Till 2005, savings from the lean Six Sigma project was amounted to $1 billion which was made possible by reducing pollution, improving workflow, equipment redesign, process ramification and product reformulation (3M Lean Six-Sigma and Sustainability, 2010). Byrne (2007) also asserts that companies implement Six Sigma to drive the innovation. The first five years of lean Six Sigma helped many companies to improve their results such as attained by Caterpillar.Weber (2004) also quotes Caterpillar as achiever from Six Sig ma. In September 2004, Caterpillar was $20 billion Company and Caterpillar was aimed to increase the revenues by $10 billion in first decade of lean Six Sigma implementation. Weber (2004) contrasts with Byrne (2007) in the context that caterpillar wanted to attain the innovation  © 2011 The Clute Institute 9 Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 sustainability. According to Weber (2004), caterpillar was focused on achieving financial stability. The company? top management has highlighted that Caterpillar management such as CEO has claimed that Six Sigma was the important contribution toward increase in sales of caterpillar. Six Sigma is also driving the continuous improvement culture in the company and business is gaining efficiency in all respects (Weber, 2004). Hilton (2008) identifies several companies such as Motorola, General Electric, Dell Computer, Dow Chemicals, Wal-Mart and Honeywell who implemented Six Sigma and attained measurable re sults. General electric saved $8 billion after mplementing Six Sigma in three years and Wall -Marts is looking for savings of $1 billion from lean Six Sigma (Leahy, 2000). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Study Design Decision to implement of Six Sigma comes from organizational leaders. Since every organization is unique and has its own requirements, therefore company? s internal management can determine the potential benefits to be achieved by the Six Sigma (Bertels, Rath & Strong, 2003). Defining objectives for the company and preparing employees to accept change occurred through Six Sigma is responsibility of top management and leaders.According to Pande (2003), Six Sigma lies in the vision of top management and only they can decide what sustainability they want from Six Sigma. On these grounds, the study seeks direct interaction with top management about sustainability desired from Six Sigma. The survey method provides researcher with an ease of open communication and allows sharing of idea s and thoughts. Surveys are considered best when opinion and ideas of people are important in shaping a conclusion (Groves, Fowler, Couper, Lepkowski and Eleanor, 2009). The study adopted cross section survey method as its core research methodology.In survey, interview tool was used to collect data directly from top management of multinational companies. Cross sectional survey are used to collect information at a single point in time and helps to establish the relationship between two entities (Babbie, 1990). Brief structured interviews were conduct ed to collect the data from participants. Participants Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Purposive sampling provides an opportunity to select participants on a specific criterion which fits to the purpose of study (Teddlie and Tashakkori, 2009).For present study, interviewees were selected on number of criteria such as listed below: ? ? ? The participants belong to a multinational company which has already implemented Six Sigma. The participant works on multinational on any key managerial position directly associated with decision making. Such participants include chief operating officers, chief executive officers, senior finance managers, chief information manager, information technology head, information technology specialist and senior management.Participant has been working in the organization before the Six Sigma was implemented in the company. Data Collection And Data Analysis Since it was difficult to visit such participants personally due to geographical constraints, int erviews were conducted on telephone where personal visit was not possible. After getting the list of multinational companies who have implemented the Six Sigma, the information tentative participants were collected using official websites and Chamber of Commerce websites. The contact information, permission and appointment for an interview were also obtained via telephone.The interviews could not be recorded as permission was not granted however; notes were taken during the interview and were later converted into text manually. The text was later analyzed using software Weft QDA and patterns were obtained. Constant comparison approach was used to compare the interview transcript and to obtain the patterns. According to Glaser and Strauss (1967), constant c omparison approach helps to develop a 10  © 2011 The Clute Institute Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 theory about the phenomenon.The constant comparison is made through development of codes and subsequently, a theory is developed. The interviews were structured and comprised of 15 -20 twenty minute each. In all, forty two participants from different companies were interviewed. The participants includes senior finance managers, chief executive officers, IT managers, chief operating officers and in some cases directors of companies also. The participants companies include Maple Lead Foods, Pakistan Intern ational Airlines, Pakistan State Oil, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Deere and Company, Bank of Montreal, McGraw Hill Companies and Vodafone.Findings And Analysis Telephonic and face to face interviews were conducted to collect the data from participants. In all forty two participants were interviewed which included executives and managers. The stratification of participants on basis of their designation is provided below: Senior Finance Managers Chief Executive Officers IT Managers Chief Operating Officers Directors Total Table 2: Stratification of Participants on Designation Participants 12 7 14 5 4 42 %age Participation 29% 17% 33% 12% 10% 100% The interviews were brief and structured (Appendix A).Primarily the interviews were focused to know what type of sustainability motivates the multinational companies to invest in Six Sigma. Using the constant comparison approach, the interviews text was a nalyzed for patterns. Two level coding was performed using Weft QDA as the pu rpose was to find which type of sustainability is acquired through Six Sigma. Several codes were found which were emerged. Redundant codes were merged to derive constant flow of i nformation. Primary and secondary research questions are addressed through several themes discussed heere Core Objective Of Six SigmaSecondary research questions inquiring core objectives of Six Sigma were addressed through themes such as competition, zero defect level and financial success. As reflected by most of the, Six Sigma is implemented to stay competitive with other companies. Participants concluded that multinational companies needs to build corporate repute which increases their market share and Six Sigma is nowadays used as tool to reflect that company is taking endeavors for improving quality. This at first hands improves the competitive position of the company.Regional Finance Manager of Vodafone asserted that â€Å"The impacts of Six Sigma are long term and may be seen afterwards however; t he company instantly start attaining repute after implementation of advance quality model †. COO of Maple Lead Foods was also of the view that â€Å"To remain competitive in market, continuous improvement in every aspect is necessary. Six-Sigma is also aimed to help us in enhancement in our market image in eyes of competitors† Vice President (Finance) of Bank of Montreal endorsed the same by stating â€Å"Other larger banks have already implemented similar models which has raised customers’ expectation.We are aimed to attain better market position by implementing an optimal service quality model†. Second prevailing theme for core objectives of Six Sigma was quality improvement. â€Å" Six-Sigma really helps to improve quality, we can see the difference. Processes are now more efficient and speedy† stated by IT manager of Starwood Hotels. CEO of Pakistan International Airlines asserted that â€Å"The model has helped to stay efficient and had reduce d our effort in day to day activities. We are now more competent for offering quality solutions to our passengers and to our suppliers†.COO of Pakistan State Oil stated the fact â€Å"Six Sigma has reduce our effective time to market and we had a desire to attain so from this model implementa tion†.  © 2011 The Clute Institute 11 Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Third objective as extracted from most of interviews was the ability of Six Sigma to improve financial position of the company. It is evolved from the interviews that almost all companies are highly profit oriented and Six Sigma is adopted as a tool to attain financial success. Most of the company? executives reflected that Six Sigma is not merely adopted for financial success however, the responses can be considered as attempt to act in socially desirable manner. Executives of large multinational companies may not always admit that their specific endeavor is merely fo r profits. Reflection about company? s high concern toward profits can harm its repute as socially responsible company (Stocke, 2003). CEO of Pakistan State Oil endorsed that † We understand Six-Sigma reduces material wastage and improves supply chain activities.Ultimately, it leads to overall cost reduction† . COO of Maple Leaf Foods also asserted that â€Å"Six-Sigma do cost to use however, we expect a positive return in terms of market repute ultimately translated in financial success†. Senior Vice President (Finance) of Deere and Company stated, â€Å"It is important to look all projects from financial perspective. We considered the cost and benefit analysis of Six Sigma as fundamental step for deciding on the project†. How Companies Understand Sustainability Secondary question pertaining to sustainability was explained with themes uch as financial stability, improvement in quality, optimal productivity, social responsibility, environmental protection a nd value addition to the company. The most prevalent theme emerged for sustainability is financial success and optimal productivity. As reflected by all participants, the primary meaning of sustainability is financial success and optimal produc tion with minimum defects. Multinational companies consider financial success as the foremost sustainability to be achieved through zero defect level.In opinion of CEO of Pakistan International Airline â€Å"A company can only be socially responsible when it is financial sustainable. For me, sustainability is the financial success which enables PIA to be sustainable in other areas too†. IT Manager of McGraw Hill Companies highlighted the fact that â€Å"when I think of sustainability, I think of higher financial return earned on investments of shareholders. Finance manger of John Deer and Company however, considered value addition as true sustainability by stating â€Å"We are sustainable when our products are able to generate value for our company†.Endorsed by director of Starwood Hotels, â€Å"We are sustainable when are able to offer highest with the lowest sources, this means Starwood is sustainable in terms of services and in its corporate framework†. The other prevalent theme about sustainability was environmental protection and corporate social responsibility. Director of Deere and Company defined sustainability as â€Å" We are sustainable when we are harmless to society and its stakeholders†. IT manager of Bank of Montreal highlighted the same fact â€Å"Sustainability is an attempt to be productive for the society and for its members†. Sustainability Attained Through Six SigmaThe literal meaning of sustainability identified by participants is different from the sustainability desired to be attained through Six Sigma. While analyzing the interviews, the most prevalent theme of sustainability attained through Six Sigma was zero defect level, optimal production and financial su ccess. The primary research questions of study i-e what kind of sustainability is largely provided by Six Sigma in multinational companies. The multinational companies mostly reflected that Six Sigma has helped them in improving production and services ultimately translated into financial success.The primary research question was aimed to find what kind of sustainability has actually been provided by implementing Six Sigma. This has further been identified by secondary research question about core aim of Six Sigma and understanding of sustainability by multinational companies. â€Å"Six Sigma has helped us achieve financial success† identified by CEO of Deere and Company. Further elaborated by CEO of Deere and Company, Six Sigma has helped us in improving human resource functions, customer services and low cost.Ultimately, all these types of sustainability are translated into financial success. â€Å"Our employee satisfaction has increases which have helped to reduce materia l wastage and become process efficient. Reduced employee turnover and reduced manufacturing cost. Due to Six -Sigma implementation has considerably helped out to increase financial viability†. Finance Manger of Vodafone highlights the sustainability achieved through implementation of Six Sigma â€Å"Vodafone market share has increased as well as its financial returns.Six-Sigma has offered us financial sustainability as well as market sustainability†. 12  © 2011 The Clute Institute Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 As revealed in the present study, Six Sigma sustainability bears a multifaceted concept for organizations. Sustainability is primarily offered by Six Sigma however, every company takes the Six Sigma fr om a different perspective. It is not only the perspective which differs, rather the organizations adopts several ways to reach to a single sustainable point which is common in all organizations.Organizations? understan ding of sustainability is contrasting with the requirements of Commission on Environment and Development (1987) definition of sustainability. Multinational organizations are working for material sustainability instead of focusing on developing sustainability for creating conductive environment for future changes (Ethier, 1986). Sustainability as defined by Shrivastava and Director (1995) has not been addressed by multinational companies in its fullest. Multinational organizations? ore aim to adopt Six Sigma was either to remain competitive with the other companies or to attain zero defect level along with financial sustainability. In addition, the sustainability is taken by multinational companies in terms of effectiveness in business process which are capable enough to be translated into fi nancial success (Giardina, 2006). The concept of Giardina (2006) and Taghizadegan (2006) are closely aligned and both fit to the present understanding of organizational sustainability to be achi eved through Six Sigma.Sustainability as identified by organizations holds multiple meaning and multinational organization use Six Sigma to escalate from one sustainability to other such as optimal production to higher market share and ultimately into financial success (Muneir 2006). Actual sustainability as reflected by 3M experience and Robins Air Force Base attained financial sustainability through Six Sigma. 3M saved $1 billion by implementing Six Sigma by the way of product reformulation, process ramification and equipment redesign (Giardina, 2006).Amalgamating secondary and prime research question about sustainability provided by Six Sigma, it is evident from the study that multinational companies are more concerned with multidimensional sustainability however; the financial sustainability is mostly desired sustainability. Multinational companies are focused on achieving financial stability using different sustainability routes such as value addition, process improvement, huma n resource process improvement and market sustainability. The financial sustainabili ty is the ultimate goal however, achieved through various type of sustainability.SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Six Sigma is a multidimensional approach for improving process efficiency and attaining sustainability. Six Sigma has traditionally been adopted by multinational companies due to several reasons such as higher concern for quality, higher availability to resources and competitive business environment. Initially Six Sigma was introduced by Motorola however; soon it became an advance model for improvi ng quality. Larger companies such as 3M, Deere and Company, Caterpillar, Bank of America and McGraw Hill Companies are already sustainability through Six Sigma.The study has an aim to find what kind of sustainability is being obtained by implementation of Six Sigma. Several theorists have identified several types of sustainability few including process improvement, financial sustainability, market shar e, value addition, corporate reputation – all broadly covered under social repute, environment protection and economic growth. The study directly interacts with participants and adopts qualitative research methodology to address the subject matter. Under qualitative study, survey design and interview tools are used for making constant comparison analysis of all interviews.With constant comparison, several themes were emerged to address the primary and secondary research question. Primarily, Six Sigma is multifaceted and holds several aspects variably been considered by multinational companies. Organizations are less concerned with environment protection, moderately concerned with social repute such as competitive position in eyes o f competitors and highly concerned with economic growth. The economic growth widely covers financial returns attained through different routes such as increase in market share, economies of scale production, minimum input cost and low employee turn over.Mu ltinational companies? ultimate objective is to increase financial returns by identifying market share increase, customer base enhancement, zero defect level and competition as secondary objectives. For multinational companies, aim and sustainability of Si x Sigma varies as most of companies considers Six Sigma as a way to meet competition however, sustainability is associated with financial success. The combination of sustainability and Six Sigma ultimately translated into sustainable financial return which helps the company to increase its market competitiveness.  © 2011 The Clute Institute 13Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 Implications For Future Research Six Sigma is not a new issue nevertheless; the issue has mainly been addressed by developed counties. Mostly, the organizations that have implemented Six Sigma belong to developed nations. In few cases, companies of small underdeveloped countries have implemented Six Sigma and have reaped significant benefits from implementation of Six Sigma. The study identifies such companies and reflects on sustainability provided such as financial returns; markets share increase, environmental protection, zero defect level and o thers.In this way, it is a guide for small companies which have still not implemented Six Sigma considering it as an expensive way to quality. The study provides a guide to companies about the benefits attained through Six Sigma and serve as guidelines for companies who have not yet implemented Six Sigma. Present study is an initial research on sustainability provided to multinational companies. The study is under limited scope as it collects data from CEOs of only few companies. A large number of compa nies and their top executives are still untapped to describe several types of sustainability provided.In addition to this, sustainability with respect to industry and type of business can also be identified to customize the Six Sigma for speci fic businesses. The study is a subject measurement of sustainability generally drawn on all type nevertheless, leaving a significant margin to calculate financial sustainability provided to these companies. The study is a base for future studies as first step of id entification of top most sustainability provided by Six Sigma has been completed.The base study can be utilized for identification and statically measurement of market, financial, environmental and social sustainability provided. In addition, a comparison can be made between multinational and domestic or small vs. larger scale companies for the financial return improvement or customer base enhancement. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Dr. Abdullah AlSagheer is an Assistant Professor of Management at the e -School of Quality and Business Management at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University. He is teaching undergraduate courses level such as TQM Implementation, Capstone Project.In addition, he is teaching graduate courses level such as Strat egic Management of Innovation and Technological change. Dr. AlSagheer has PhD in Education and Human Resource Studies specialized in Interdisciplinary Studies (Industrial and Human Recourse Management Engineering) and M. Ed Education and Human Resource Studies specialized in Interdisciplinary Studies (Industrial and Human Recourse Management Engineering) from Colorado State University (CSU). He received Master of Science in Electrical Engineering specialized in Integrated Systems & Strategic Project Management.His undergraduate degrees wer e Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and a double major in Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from California State University Long Beach (CSULB). Dr. AlSagheer research focuses in strategic management, capstone courses, entrepreneurship and leadership, total quality management, ergonomics and human factor engineering, curriculum development, human resource management, management training, teamwork, innovation strategies, engin eering management, and industrial engineering. 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Critical success factors for the successful im plementation of six sigma projects in organizations? , The TQM Magazine, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp 92 – 99 Ethier, W. 1986. „The Multinational Firm? , The Quarterly Journal of Economics , Vol 101 No. 4, pp- 805834  © 2011 The Clute Institute Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. Volume 7, Number 3 Fricker, A. 1998. „Measuring up to sustainability? , Futures, Vol 30 No. 4. pp-367-3 Giardina, A. 2006. Sustainability and Lean Six Sigma. Available [Online] http://proceedings. dia. org/JSEM2006/Wednesday/Giardina. pdf [Accessed December 10, 2010]. Gupta, P. 2005. The Six Sigma performance handbook: a statistical guide to optimizing results, McGraw Hill Professional, pp- 15-19 Glaser, B. G. , & Strauss, A. L. 1967. The discovery of grounded th eory: Strategies for qualitative research. 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Available [Online] http://www. articlesbase. com/business-articles/lean-versus-six-sigma-whats-the-controversy-whatthe-difference-595677. html#ixzz17Y3zDWRW [Accessed December 20, 2010]. Schwandt, D. , and Marquardt, M. 2000. Organizational learning: from world -class theories to global best practices, St. Lucie Press, pp-120-31 Six Sigma. 2010 Available [Online] on http://www. managementhelp. rg/quality/sixsigma/six-sigma. htm [Accessed November 27, 2010]. Shrivastava, P. , and Director, S. 1 995. „Creating sustainable corporations? , Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. 4 No. 3, pp-154–165. Stocke, V. 2001. Socially desirable response behavior as rational choice: the case of attitudes towards foreigners. Sonderforschungsbereich. Taghizadegan, S. 2006. Essentials of lean Six Sigma. Butterworth -Heineman. Teddlie, C. , and Tashakkori, A. 2009. Foundations of mixed methods research: integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches in the social and behavioral scie nces. SAGE Publications Inc. Thareja P, 2006. A Total Quality Organization through People; Part 5, People as Change Agents? , Foundry, A Journal of Progressive Metal Casters, Vol. 18 No. 5, Sept/Oct. Truscott, W. 2003. Six sigma: continual improvement fo r business: a practical guide Referex Engineering, Butterworth-Heinemann, pp-15-35 Wiele, T. , Iwaarden, J. , and Power, D. 2010. „Six Sigma implementation in Ireland: the role of multinational firms? , International Journal of Qualit y & Reliability Management, Vol. 27 No. 9, pp- 1054 – 66.  © 2011 The Clute Institute 15 Journal of Business Case Studies – May/June 2011 Volume 7, Number 3 NOTES 16  © 2011 The Clute Institute

Air Force Training Program Essays

Air Force Training Program Essays Air Force Training Program Essay Air Force Training Program Essay An Air Force introductory course in electronics uses a personalized system of instruction whereby each student views a videotaped lecture and then is given a programmed instruction text. The students work with the text until they have completed the training and passed the test. The pace at which the students complete the course varies and the faster students wait until the others complete before the entire group proceeds further. An alternative system, whereby students viewed the same video-taped lecture and then guided by computer-assisted instruction in place of the programmed text, was proposed. It is the goal of the institute to analyze and compare the efficiencies of both the methods and then to determine the most efficient method of training. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the method that had better pace and consistency of completion. From the analysis, it was concluded that the computer-assisted method enabled more students to complete the course together than before but not sooner on an average. Additional data and a more effective method of testing is required in order to predict more accurately the efficient method that can be used as the training program in the future. CASE BACKGROUND An Air Force training institute had conducted a study in order to evaluate efficiency of their proposed computer-assisted training method for the introductory course in electronics. To compare the proposed and the current methods of instruction, an entering class of 122 students was assigned randomly to one of the two groups of 61 students each using either of the methods. The completion time in hours was taken for each student in the study. The objective is to find the difference in the population means of the two training methods; to identify the most effective method of instruction and to make a final decision on the training program to be used in the future. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS As an alternative to the current training method, a new computer-assisted method was proposed. To evaluate the effectiveness of this method, a class of 122 students was assigned randomly to one of the training methods therefore forming two groups of 61 each. The course completion time taken (in hours) by the students, of both the groups were collected. Descriptive summaries for the completion times of both the methods were obtained using MS Excel tool and the measures of central tendency and variability were hence found so that the data could be understood better. This study involves two populations: a population of students using the current training method and a population of students using the proposed computer-assisted training method. In terms of time required to complete the training program, the population means are as follows:  µ1 = the mean course completion time for students using the current training method  µ2 = the mean course completion time for students using the proposed computer-assisted training method The institute hopes to show that the computer-assisted training method will provide a shorter mean course completion time and that the entire group proceeds together with other aspects for the training. Thus, evidence to conclude that  µ2 is less than  µ1; in this case, the difference between the two population means,  µ1  µ2, will be greater than zero. The research hypothesis  µ1  µ2 gt;0 is stated as the alternative hypothesis. Thus, the hypothesis test becomes H0: The computer-assisted training method does not provide smaller population mean course completion time than the current method i. e. ,  µ1  µ2 ? 0 H1: The computer-assisted training method provides smaller population mean course completion time than the current method i. e. ,  µ1  µ2 gt; 0 The level of significance is taken as 5%. The test statistic‘t’ was performed for this case using the paired t-test analysis tool in MS Excel, with hypothesized mean difference as zero and assuming equal variances. The calculated value and critical value, with ? =0. 05, of the test statistic were found and the rejection rule for the right-sided test (reject H0 if zcal gt; z? ) was used to decide about the validity of the null hypothesis. RESULTS AND FINDINGS The measures of central tendency and variability of the completion time taken by the students who used the two methods were determined. The sample means of course completion time for the current and computer-assisted training method were found to be 75. 066 hours and 75. 426 hours respectively. The sample mean completion time for the proposed method was found to be 21. mins more than that for the current method, which shows that the students on an average have slightly taken more time than earlier. The sample standard deviations for the same were determined as 3. 945 and 2. 506, and the co-efficients of variance were 5. 3% and 3. 3%. The pace of completion is seen to be more consistent and less varying for the entire group using the compute r-assisted method. Also, the maximum time taken for this group is lesser than that taken for the current method. According to the rejection rule for the right-sided test, reject H0 if zcal gt; z?. From the hypothesis testing, it was found that the critical value of the test statistic was 1. 658 and the calculated value was -0. 603. Therefore the decision taken is: Do not reject H0, as there is no enough evidence the computer-assisted training method provides smaller population mean course completion time. As the null hypothesis cannot be rejected there is a possibility for the two population means to be equal. CONCLUSION The alternative system of computer–assisted instruction was proposed in order to improve the pace of the course completion by all the students of the program. Using the current programmed instruction text method, the fast students had to wait until the slow students completed the introductory course before the entire group proceeds together with other aspects of training. This gap in the course completion is expected to be rectified by the new computer-assisted method and also to improve the pace of the learning. The hypothesis testing has shown that there is not enough evidence that the computer-assisted training method provides smaller population mean course completion time i. . for the all the students in the program. Therefore, the new method can be helpful for the whole set of students to complete the course more or less together but may not quicken the completion process. More data is required in order to prove that the new method is more efficient in terms of quicker and more consistent pace of completion. The new method may be more effective with the students getting used to the system and hence the test must be performed again aft er a certain time gap for another course perhaps. Another considerable fact is that the two samples are independent, and so the performance level and the learning speed of the students in the two groups are different. This may have an effect on the pace of course completion and hence, it can be suggested that the test be done with the same set of students for both the methods. The introductory course test may be conducted in two phases: the first using the text method and the second with the computer-assisted method, so that the syllabus is different for each test. Additionally, the data of the performance levels and the learning speed of the students may be included and a multiple regression analysis be done in order to determine their influence on the course completion time taken by the students, therefore enabling to analyze the efficiency of the two methods. In this manner, matched samples of same students can be used to identify the most efficient method of training more accurately. REFERENCES: Ken Black. Business Statistics: Contemporary Decision Making, 3rd ed. Thomson Learning, 2001. Anderson, Sweeny and Williams. Statistics for Business and Economics, 9e. Cengage Learning, 2010.

Definition and Examples of Sententiae in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Sententiae in Rhetoric In classical rhetoric, a  sententia  is a maxim, proverb, aphorism, or popular quotation: a brief expression of conventional wisdom. Plural: sententiae. A  sententia, said the Dutch  Renaissance humanist  Erasmus, is an adage  that bears particularly on â€Å"instruction in living (Adagia, 1536). See Examples and Observations below. Also see: 2,000 Pure Fools: An Anthology of AphorismsCommonplaceEnthymemeLogosWhat Is a Maxim? EtymologyFrom the Latin, feeling, judgment, opinion Examples and Observations It is best to insert sententiae discreetly, that we may be viewed as judicial advocates, not moral instructors.(Rhetorica ad Herennium, c. 90 BC)A mans as miserable as he thinks he is.(Seneca the Younger)No man is laughable who laughs at himself.(Seneca the Younger)Things forbidden have a secret charm.(Tacitus)Greater things are believed of those who are absent.(Tacitus)A bad peace is worse than war.(Tacitus)Post-Ciceronian Latin gave vigor and point to style by the frequent use of sententiaeclever, sometimes epigrammatic, apothegmatic turns of phrase: what oft was thought but ner so well expressd, as Alexander Pope was to put it. Quintilian devotes a chapter to sententiae (8.5), acknowledging that they had become a necessary part of the orators art.(George A. Kennedy, Classical Rhetoric. Encyclopedia of Rhetoric. Oxford University  Press, 2001)Sententiae in the Renaissance- A sententia, which had overtones of its classical Latin sense of judgement, was a pithy and memorable phrase : a recitall of some grave matter which both beautified and graced a style. Several writers were clear that testimony could take the form of a Notable sentence or was a sententia of a witness. Richard Sherry, in his Treatise of Schemes and Tropes (1550), closely associated the sententia with the argument from testimony or authority when he defined it as one of the seven kinds of figure called Indicacio, or authoritie.(R.W. Serjeantson, Testimony. Renaissance Figures of Speech, ed. by Sylvia Adamson, Gavin Alexander, and Katrin Ettenhuber. Cambridge University  Press, 2008)- Scholasticism developed around the medieval tendency to treat ancient sourcesboth the Bible and certain texts of classical antiquityas authoritative. So strong was this tendency that individual sentences from a respected source, even when taken out of context, could be employed to secure a point in debate. These isolated statements from ancient sources were called sententiae. Some authors collected large number s of sententiae into anthologies for educational and disputational purposes. Disputes centered on debatable points suggested by one or more sententiae, these debatable notions being called quaestiones. Education by debating general topics drawn from authoritative statements reveals one way in which rhetorical and dialectical practices made their way into the Middle Ages. . . .Writers now known as the Italian Humanists were responsible for a resurgence of interest in the languages and texts of classical antiquity during the Renaissance period, an orientation referred to as classicism. . . .[T]he Humanists sought to place the text in its historical context, in order to establish the correct value of words and phrases. . . . As noted [above], the scholastic practice of splintering classical sources into individual statements or sententiae led to the loss of original meaning and even of authorial identity. Charles Nauert writes, from Petrarch onward, humanists insisted on reading each o pinion in its context, abandoning the anthologies . . . and subsequent interpretations and going back to the full original text in search of the authors real meaning.(James A. Herrick, The History and Theory of Rhetoric, 3rd ed. Pearson, 2005) Pronunciation: sen-TEN-she-ah

Reading Response Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Reading Response Review - Essay Example It implies that, the society has been bred on a certain notion that has placed the woman in a precarious situation over time, generation after generation in the course of the existence of various societies. As a societal issue, it means that it is not an issue that just sprang up yesterday, it has had to be incorporated into the culture of every society that has been looked at by the authors. It is worthwhile to note that these authors have looked at the themes of the woman, not from one place, but from different places in the world. An indication that the issue at hand is not a local but a global issue. Their representation of the issues that they have examined is unique for each one of them. Hence, they have brought about varying dimensions from which the issues can be looked at. Meaning that, if the issues are a problem that plagues society, then their solutions are diverse and far reaching. They can be solved from varying starting points and lead to one result, the liberation of the woman and an attainment of equality for the girl child. In the first reading, the woman is presented in a traditional aspect where she was viewed as an object of wealth. The reason behind men acquiring more than one wife. The view that the woman is seen as an object is well illustrated by Shinde (1994) when he relates the number of women driven out of their homes to that of men. What he tries to illustrate is that the woman is treated as the weaker species, and objectified as something that can be picked up and thrown away at any time. In addition, in reading two, the theme is still on the woman but a different perspective. That on the exploitation of women. Due to the prevailing economic conditions, the woman is the major bearer of this burden. The bearer in that she is again objectified as being an object whose role is to use her body in prostitution in order to overcome these harsh economic conditions. In reading three, the author adds on the theme of women being