Performance management and control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Performance management and control - Essay Example Every day, 8 hours are spent producing the soaps, and the producer can produce Yellow soaps at the rate of 40 per hour, and the Blue soaps at the rate of 80 per hour. Each of the Yellow soaps attracts a profit of $5 and $3 for the Blue soap. We are going to use linear programming technique to find out the number of Yellow and Blue soaps that should be produced in order to maximise the profits. 1. The selling price can be increased; however, care should be taken so this strategy does not lead reduction in sales volume. If the selling price is increased without affecting the sales volume significantly, then the contribution sales ratio is increased directly. 2. Reduction of variable costs per unit can lead to a better contribution sales ratio. This can be achieved by acquiring inputs at cheaper prices; for example by buying in large qualities in order to enjoy quantity

Harry Lavender Essay Essay Example for Free

Harry Lavender Essay Essay All characters have their own distinctive voices but the main voice is Cluadia Valentine and she makes all other characters involved in her search to find the real truth of the crime that has been committed to Mark Bannister. Claudia Valentine is drawn into Harry Lavenders web of corruption and the world of organised crime behind Sydneys established image. Marele Days choice to take the traditional hardboiled private investigator approach and not only challenge the stereotyping of characters but also the common setting, from somewhere such as Los Angeles to Sydney. She also brings about many new ideas in relation to characters and themes. The relationships between characters, themes and setting provide a strong message, which at first appearances are tricky and unusual. It is also apparent that the common issue of the good versus evil is explored through both the two sides of the city and the characters of Claudia Valentine and Harry Lavender. The characters may live and breath the city but the city too is living and breathing, every moment unfolding new beauty and new corruption. Marele Days choice of  Sydney as a plot setting is vital to the novel and provokes a reaction in the reader that is one of discovery, exploration and search for truth. In Harry Lavender text, lavender is a sweet smelling flower, which is unable to hide the stench of the criminal underworld in Sydney. There are three references to ‘lavender’ in the novel which emphasise a recurring theme: when Claudia receives the flowers, the secret message that was left for Claudia, the scent of lavender in bloom in Sydney, the clues in the coroner report that lead her to suspect that Harry Lavender might be behind this crime  committed over the reporter’s story. Claudia’s distinctive voice gives the impression throughout â€Å"The life and Crimes of Harry Lavender† that she does not give up easily, which is ultimately her character. Claudia is very analytical in any situation when meeting characters or being exposed to different environments, â€Å"The city looks like a huge building site†. In the â€Å"Drifter† the entire family does not agree with the idea of leaving just for the sake of leaving. The mother, for example the â€Å"her† of the first line has hopes of establishing some permanence here. She is willing to leave in order  to be supportive of the father, which is an aspect of their relationship that is clear in the poem’s first line, when a major decision for the family is made by him alone, without discussion, and told to her. What makes this two text connected are the distinctive roles, that is the role of reversal a female initiative and persistence in a traditional male dominated field; women can do everything men can do challenges the stereotypes of traditional crime fiction and the story of â€Å"Drifters†. Claudia is a domineering character as a detective unlike traditionally male ones while the mother in â€Å"Drifters† is an independent woman, who takes care of herself and her family. Just like Claudia the mother in a way tends to observe in order to understand people. This can be seen in the use of â€Å"Wildly excited for no reason† in reference to her kids. Marele Day uses a lot of the technique of modern day films especially the â€Å"black and white† scenes on Harry Lavender. He is very detached and aloof, (nobody knows where is and what he looks like). We as the audience get to see and hear what Claudia could not get her hands on to solve the problems, like where Mark Banister’s writings on  Lavander are hidden. In contrast to the Harry Lavender text, the use of â€Å"One day soon hell tell her its time to start packing† shows us the obstacles of life experiences that are influenced by the great depression, families such as the one seen in â€Å"Drifter’s†. Claudia’s life becomes depressed and troubled because she cannot solve problems of crimes as fast as she would like to. Claudia contacts the American publisher, Nancy Grosz, who had rejected Mark’s book and arranges for her to return the only remaining disc containing the manuscript. She also phones Steve and plans a holiday with him to  Queensland where she hopes he will be able to meet her children. Just as Claudia is hoping to get close to the victory in this case, Collier gives her message that Harry Lavender has lapsed into a coma and is expected to die overnight. For Claudia this may be the end of the road but her investigation in life will go on. Similarly, hope and willingness to go on at all cost is seen in â€Å"Drifter’s† when mother’s hopes and wisdom of constant movement will give the opportunity to new chances, new ways of sustain the life of the whole family, we see at the end of the text, in the verse â€Å"Make a wish, Tom, make a wish†, which  symbolises her will to cope and accept the problems that are part of everyday life which is very similar to Claudia’s mindset . Although of different genres, â€Å"Harry Lavender† a crime story and â€Å"Drifters†, a poem, dearly portraying the struggles of the great depression in 1920s set in the American rural area, these two texts are connected by two women and their singularity in the struggle of not giving up. When compared, both texts are opening our minds to how singular and distinctive voices the main characters have, sending the message that life is very precious and is worth fighting for.

Ecodisc :: essays research papers

Ecodisc Ecodisc is a program which allows the user to take on the role of a Nature Reserve Manager. It was designed by a man named Peter Bratt, and Englishman in South Devon. Ecodisc is designed so that the user can see what effects certain changes can make on the environment with out actually making the changes. Ecodisc is a good educational tool showing new users the effects of certain decisions. It can also be used a map, because it lets you see various parts of the nature reserve without actually going there. Ecodisc allows the user to take on the role of a nature reserve manger, which is the person who basically decides what changes will be made to the nature reserve. With aid of the Ecodisc, the results of decisions can be shown without actually doing anything, or doing any harm to the environment. Ecodisc allows users to explore various parts of the nature reserve and view it from different positions. You can see the area from any direction (north, south, east or west), and even from a helicopter position. Ecodisc lets you see the areas of the reserve from any part of the year. For example, you could view the reserve in the middle of winter and see what it looks like in summer. Ecodisc is one of the first interactive programmes, and there are hopes of some day there being interactive broadcast television. This is a breakthrough in visual entertainment, because while television lets you see a place, interactive video will let you explore it. Interactive video is where the viewer decides the plot and characters of a movie, or show. The viewer will basically be able to write their own scripts and produce the movie at the same time. Ecodisc would be very good for showing students (or anyone) interested in managing nature reserves, working for national parks or just as an interest

JIL Church Attendance Monitoring System

The main purpose of this study is to develop a better attendance monitoring system in JIL Church in Iligan City. This study intends to fill such weaknesses of the proponents found. JIL Church Attendance Monitoring System maintains a daily record of a person’s arrival and departure time from Church. Time and attendance system are the modern day equivalent of the paper time sheet or attendance that are done manually.Through this system the leaders of the church that whose assign for the attendance sheet are they done without struggling for maintaining daily record of a person and makes it easy and fast for monitoring the attendance of every attendee. An Attendance Monitoring System serves as a time log that is set up as a computerized database. Using of this computerized database it can monitor the attendance of every person attends in church activity. There is a difference in recording keeping if that person is a first-timer or attendee or regular attendee. An attendance monito ring system for a person would contain attendee history, references and performance information.The system contains also the person's name, address, day, time, month and number of person’s attended that determined the level of her/his life-growth and the inviters. The system keeps records in order and is frequently updated. When seeking person’s information, the pastors can request certain reports to be printed from the attendance monitoring system even for the whole attendance of every activity for the whole month or for the whole year are automatically calculate every datails on that activity with necessary reports and information.Statement of the problem Statement of the problem†¢ Existing system to monitor attendance does not exist. JIL Church still doesn’t have a computerized system in their management . This computerized system make easier to JIL group leaders to manage the attendance problem and more systematic. †¢ Save time and keep data more s ecuredThe point here is to reduced time and ensure that the data is kept systemically and free from damage. †¢ Create a systemic and effective attendance monitoring system The management for the attendance process is not systemic because when using the manual system, there are lot of disadvantages and problems. They should replace the manual system to a computerized system to manage all the process properly.Objectives†¢ To provide a computerized system with high efficiency, error free and high quality services to the users concerning the attendance record. †¢ To build a system that can reduce the number of damage data. †¢ To build one system that helps the JIL group leader to makes his/her work easy and fast in attendance and accurate head counts.The existing attendance monitoring of JIL Church in Iligan City are done manually. This process of monitoring requires tremendous manual work. Based on interviews and observation, the following problems have been establi shed. Inaccurate head count.Slow processing and prone to alternation. Time-consuming of preparation of reports.General Problem The existing attendance monitoring of JIL Church are done manually and there is a possibility that all information will lost and disorder files.Objectives of the problemThis study is to design and develop a computer-based system for a better attendance monitoring system for YJ and Sunday Service of the JIL Church in Iligan City. The following are the solution for a better attendance monitoring. Through this system all attendees are have accurate head count. The attendees are easy to monitor.All reports of the whole week of a month are on time and updated .Scope and limitation of the study There are many branches in Jesus Is Lord Church in the Philippines but this study focus only in JIL Church in Iligan City, Area 54 where located at Tibanga, Iligan City.

Change Management †the One Right Way Essay

However the offer is often illusory, for particular change approaches usually apply to particular situations, and simple solutions sometimes ignore the complexities of real life. (Stace and Dunphy, 2001, p 5) To utilise a single change approach is to assume that all organisations, all situations and all internal and external variables and influences remain constant. It applies the same logic to all changes without consideration of the many and varied influencing factors. I generally agree with the statement presented by Stace and Dunphy but am interested in the reasons underlying the requirement for simple, easy and fast change interventions. Are managers and change agents lazy and only looking for simple solutions? Does management consider change unimportant? Do management really believe that a single solution is going to work in every case? What is behind this trend? Bold (2011) suggests that change itself is becoming the only constant or ‘business as usual’ in the modern business environment. With technological advancements over the past 10 years, organisation now have the ability to access, collect and process enormous amounts of business data very quickly. This has provided management with the ability to understand the current health of their organisational processes and track against set goals and targets quickly and accurately. Previously, managers may have waited for end of month or end of quarter reporting from all business units to be collated and presented to gain an accurate understanding of the current business position and gauge the results from previous decisions made. Now, when a manager wants to make a change, they want it implemented as soon as possible so they can assess the impact of the change. Due to the high amount of change occurring in modern organisations and management’s requirement for immediate solutions, I believe that pressure is placed onto the change agents to provide solutions, often without the resources or time to perform adequate analysis to plan and implement the best change approach. As Bold (2011) suggested, change is becoming ‘business as usual’ and management may expect change managers to be able to develop a change process (i. e. the one right way), in the way that other parts of the organisation develops other repeatable ‘business as usual’ processes. Corporate competencies for change management constitute the critical capacity that is needed to create a learning organisation which is flexible, dynamic and adaptable in a rapidly changing and volatile environment. (Turner and Crawford 1998) As recent as the 1990’s, research was being undertaken by Romanelli & Tushman (1994) that proposed an alternate viewpoint. Their punctuated equilibrium paradigm argues that relatively long periods of stability (equilibrium) are punctuated by short periods of more radical, revolutionary change. I believe that most organisational change researchers would now agree that this is no longer the case and further progression into the information age has meant that very few industries operate within a long term, stable business operating environment. Although many different change models and approaches have been developed by academics, consultants and practitioners, none has yet to be accepted as a standard that can be used for all change interventions. Bold (2011) argues that there is no right or wrong theory for change management. It is not an exact science. However, through the ongoing research and studies by the industry’s leading experts, a clearer picture of what it takes to lead a change effort effectively will continue to emerge. Andriopoulos & Dawson (2009) agree that in the case of organisational change, there remains considerable debate over the speed, direction and effects of change and on the most appropriate methods and concepts for understanding and explaining change. Kanter, Stein & Jick (1992) found that it would be very difficult for a single solution or approach to meet all the types of changes required and to take into account all of the required aspects as organisations are fluid entities. In an attempt to provide a more broad solution, Stace & Dunphy (2001) proposed a situational approach or framework for change. They argued that there is no single path to successful change implementation that holds true in all situations. This framework however has been criticised by Andriopoulos & Dawson (2009) for neglecting the role of organisational politics and the internal power relationships within organisations as shapers of the organisational change process. Pettigrew (1985) presented a holistic, contextual analysis approach providing a multi-level approach to encapsulate the complexities of change management. Pettigrew argued that strategic change is a continuous process with no clear beginning or end point. However, Buchanan and Boddy (1992) argued that the richness and complexity of the multi-level analysis presented by Pettigrew, while comprehensive, it did little to simplify or clarify the processes of change and thereby rendered the research as largely impenetrable for the organisational practitioner. Change within an organisation is ongoing and involves many variables which are covered by different change models, processes and frameworks. Variables include the type of industry, the geographical location, the organisations size, the style of management leadership, the capability of the people involved, the organisational culture, the local and global economic environment, timing in regard to other events, the organisational structure and many more. This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but demonstrates the length and breadth of variables to be taken into account when assessing and managing change. Senior (2002) argues that the trigger for internal change is often in response to external influences which then links the internal and external drivers for change. Often, the change strategy or mechanism used by an organisation is chosen by the change manager and may not necessarily meet the needs of the organisation. This can lead to the change manager selecting an approach that may have worked before, that they feel comfortable with, or that suits their personality. This may not be however, what the organisation really requires. For example, a change manager may have had previous success utilising a consultative and collaborative approach which would take time to fully consult with all impacted parties while the organisation may actually require a fast, dictatorial type approach due to it losing market share which is putting the very existence of the organisation at risk. Kanter (1983) notes that managers sometimes make strategic choices based on their own area of competence and career payoff. A model of change strategies that seeks to develop our understanding of change processes is unfortunately restricted if it excludes considerations of anything other than management as some sort of ‘black box’ wherein environmental fit is sought. Stace and Dunphy argue that change managers need to develop a varied behaviour repertoire rather than remain fixed on a particular approach to change. They argue the compelling need for in our modern economies to create and build more dynamic and innovative corporations which can compete successfully in global terms. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – â€⠀œ – – – – – – – – – – – – – Remember that change involves people, is instigated by people and controlled by people. There are many internal and external influences and forces that affect change but the interests of the change agents themselves and their political interests must also be considered. You cannot expect a change manager to ignore their own self-interest when making rational decisions. (Dunford 1990) Stace and Dunphy argue that the critical requirement for longer term viability and success in the corporation of the future is the ongoing development of what is increasingly being referred to as organisational capabilities or corporate competencies. These are capabilities for the flexible initiation of new strategies and environmental responsiveness that reside in the corporation itself rather than only in the capabilities and skills of the individual members. This will allow organisations to respond quicker to changes and effectively make change management part of the organisational culture. Change would then be regarded as ‘business as usual’. Many of the change approach methods, tools and techniques proposed by researchers and practitioners have overlapping ideas and cover a lot of the same ground. Rather than working independently towards defining improvements to existing ideas or new ideas, it may be more beneficial to take a collaborative approach and create an international standard for change or a recognised body of shared knowledge that could be used as a guide for organisational change.

Senior Americans - Living Past 90 in the U.S.A.

Senior Americans - Living Past 90 in the U.S.A. Americas population of persons aged 90-and-older has almost tripled since 1980, reaching 1.9 million in 2010 and will continue to increase to more than 7.6 million over the next 40 years, according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. If you think government benefit programs like Social Security and Medicare are financially strained now, just wait. In August 2011, the Centers for Disease Control reported that Americans are now living longer and dying less than ever before. As a result, people 90 and over now make up 4.7% of all people 65 and older, as compared with only 2.8% in 1980. By 2050, projects the Census Bureau, the 90 and over share will reach 10 percent. Traditionally, the cutoff age for what is considered the oldest old has been age 85, said Census Bureau demographer Wan He in a press release, but increasingly people are living longer and the older population itself is getting older. Given its rapid growth, the 90-and-older population merits a closer look. The Threat to Social Security A closer look to say the least. The great threat to the long-term survival of Social Security - the Baby Boomers drew their very first Social Security check on February 12, 2008. Over the next 20 years, more than 10,000 Americans a day will become eligible for Social Security benefits. Millions of these Boomers will retire, begin collecting monthly social security checks and go on Medicare. For decades before the Baby Boomers, about 2.5 million babies a year were born in the United States. Starting in 1946, that figure jumped to 3.4 million. New births peaked from 1957 to 1961 with 4.3 million births a year. It was that spurt that produced the 76 million Baby Boomers. In December 2011, the Census Bureau reported that the Baby Boomers had become the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. The inconvenient and unavoidable truth is that the longer Americans live, the faster the Social Security system runs out of money. That sad day, unless Congress changes the way Social Security works, is now estimated to come in 2042. The minimum age to begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits is 62. Medicare coverage, which covers about 80 percent of basic healthcare, begins automatically at age 65. Persons who wait until age 67 to apply for Social Security currently receive about 30 percent higher benefits than those who retire at 62. It pays to wait. 90 Not Necessarily the New 60 According to findings in the Census American Community Survey report, 90 in the United States: 2006-2008, living well into ones 90s may not necessarily be a decade at the beach.A majority of people 90 and over live alone or in nursing homes and reported having at least one physical or mental disability. In keeping with long-standing trends, more women than men are living into their 90s, but tend to have higher rates of widowhood, poverty, and disability than women in their eighties. Older Americans chances of requiring nursing home care also increase rapidly with advancing age. While only about 1% of people in their upper 60s and 3% in their upper 70s live in nursing homes, the proportion jumps to about 20% for those in their lower 90s, more than 30% for people in their upper 90s, and nearly 40% for persons 100 and over. Sadly, old age and disability still go hand-in-hand. According to census data, 98.2% of all people in their 90s who lived in a nursing home had a disability and 80.8% of people in their 90s who did not live in a nursing home also had one or more disabilities. Overall, the proportion of people age 90 to 94 having disabilities is more than 13 percentage points higher than that of 85- to 89-year-olds. The most common types of disabilities reported to the Census Bureau included difficulty doing errands alone and performing general mobility-related activities like walking or climbing stairs. Money Over 90? During 2006-2008, the inflation-adjusted median income of people 90 and over was $14,760, almost half (47.9%) of which came from Social Security. Income from retirement pension plans accounted for another 18.3% of income for persons in their 90s. Overall, 92.3% of people 90 and older received Social Security benefit income. In 2206-2008, 14.5% of people 90 and older reported living in poverty, compared to only 9.6% of people 65-89 years old. Almost all (99.5%) of all people 90 and older had health insurance coverage, mainly Medicare. Far More Surviving Women Over 90 than Men According to 90 in the United States: 2006-2008, women surviving into their 90s outnumber men by a ratio of almost three to one. For every 100 women between ages 90 to 94, there were only 38 men. For every 100 women ages 95 to 99, the number of men dropped to 26, and for every 100 women 100 and older, only 24 men. In 2006-2008, half of men 90 and older lived in a household with family members and/or unrelated individuals, less than one-third lived alone, and about 15 percent were in an institutionalized living arrangement such as a nursing home. In contrast, less than one-third of women in this age group lived in a household with family members and/or unrelated individuals, four in 10 lived alone, and another 25% were in institutionalized living arrangements.

The Candid in Candidate

The Candid in Candidate The Candid in Candidate The Candid in Candidate By Mark Nichol Yes, candid and candidate are cognate. It’s ironic, of course, that a word referring to forthrightness and honesty is the basis of a noun referring to someone who stands for political office. Candid is from the Latin term candidum, which means not only â€Å"sincere† and â€Å"upright† but also â€Å"white† and â€Å"pure.† Candidatus, the Latin predecessor of candidate, means â€Å"white robed,† and alludes to the fact that those campaigning for public office in ancient Rome wore white. Candid also means â€Å"blunt† or â€Å"frank† but also came, by extension, to mean â€Å"spontaneous,† as in referring to someone photographed in a candid pose rather than a prepared one. Meanwhile, candidate now can also refer to an applicant for any position, whether in a political context or otherwise, or to someone vying for an award or one who meets, or is on track to meet, all the requirements for something. Synonyms for candidate include applicant, referring to someone who applies or asks for something, from the Latin verb applicare, meaning â€Å"fold to.† (The second syllable of apply is has the same as the word ply.) Another is aspirant, meaning â€Å"someone who tries to be or do something,† derived from the Latin verb aspirare, meaning â€Å"breathe on.† Campaigner, which refers to someone who embarks on a political campaign to seek office, derives ultimately from the Latin term campania, meaning â€Å"level ground† and referring to the type of terrain most easily traversed by an army on the march; campaign originally referred to a series of battles waged to produce a desired strategic outcome. Contender, meanwhile, refers to someone who tries to win something, especially someone with a strong possibility of victory; the root word, contend, stems from the Latin verb contendere, meaning â€Å"stretch with† in the sense of a competitor who physically strives to win. Nominee, from the Latin verb nominare, meaning â€Å"name,† pertains to someone who has been chosen to represent a political party for a specific office or someone who is being considered for a position. Prospect denotes someone likely to win or be chosen; the word, from the Latin verb prospicere, meaning â€Å"look forward,† also refers in general to anticipation or possibility, or to a lookout or a scene or a survey. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in S3 Types of HeadingsHonorary vs. Honourary