Intuition and Decision-Making Essay

This paper basically talks about intuition and leadership and takes into account the intuitive decision making that the leaders take into account while making decisions where adequate knowledge is not available or where there are time constraints. There are a lot of arguments regarding this intuitive decision making by leaders where some people argue that it should not be like that as they may turn out to be wrong and others hold to the fact that at times intuitions lead to the right decision as leaders have this ability to analyze all the available information and make the decision on it along with using their past experience and expertise. The paper will first start by defining what actually intuition is and what makes leaders to promote or prevent decision making using intuitions. Then the paper will take a leaders point of view regarding decision making and how they bring in account all the available information to come up with a decision. In the end, the report will compare decisions made on intuitions with the decisions made upon logical reasoning in order to give a better knowledge to the readers regarding the two concepts and terminologies. Defining Intuition Starting with the report, we all know what decision making is, however, it will be helpful for us to know what exactly intuitions are on which leaders tend to make their decisions on. Intuitions are basically the ability of a person to actually judge or perceive an appropriate outcome without using reasoning and adequate information for that. The word is actually derived from a Latin word that means to â€Å"look inside† and that is exactly what we are talking about in this report. While using intuitions, leaders are able to look into the matters, problems or situations without even making an effort to gather or probe into the matter or its complexities (Aqor, 1986). With intuition, leaders actually tend to break into the thickness of the surface reality through their gutt-feeling, a feeling from inside that may be based on their past experience, a fear based interpretation or the actual leadership quality in their personality. What promotes or prevent leaders from using intuitions Moving on, as we have realized that intuitions are feelings, emotions or responses that are based on your own abilities, thus, it is not always true that they are right, they can also be wrong. A leader may be good in doing so in a lot number of instances but still, he is not sure whether his next intuitive decision will actually lead to the same positive results. Every important matter has its own requirements to mitigate risks and probing into complexities, thus for that purpose leaders do need appropriate information in order to come up with their decisions. However, many leaders fear this because of the fact that there personal bias in shape of their previous good or bad experience to a similar problem can actually influence their decision to a great extent. This personal bias or personal judgment that we are talking about is basically based on personal abilities or past experiences and has very less to do with analyzing the current information that is available (Williams, 2001). Thus, leaders do fear with their intuitive decision making that it can actually make them make a wrong decision. On the other hand, there are instances, where leaders have to take charge of the matter and make decisions on just a small amount of information or at times no information. These are situations where there time and resource constraints and decisions have to be taken. There, the best thing a leader can do to save time and resources in gathering all the relevant information and risk factors is to use intuitive decision making approach. A leader is a qualified team member who is chosen because of his ability to look at things with a broader and a next level thought process, thus team members also tend to conform with their this ability and promote them to take such decision. An example of such decisions can be taken as sales predictions after a natural calamity or a sudden fall in the stock market. Although, the demand would fall due to these circumstances, but it might be the other way round for a leader who is looking at the matter with a different approach using his intuitive decision making ability. Role of decision-making to a leader’s position Moreover, a leader is the person who is actually held responsible for all the actions of his team. His team basically conforms to his decisions and relies on his orders and directions because they also accept him as more capable in decision making and his abilities to solve problems and handle situations. Thus, with all this responsibility, a leader has to make sure that his decisions are correct and the best interest of the project and the team he is looking after. Any false decision can cost him and his team a failure of project. When we talk in management terms, we see that one thing that is always argued is the fact that decisions made upon inadequate information are mostly wrong. However, when we look into the practical world of leaders, can we say that leaders always have the right amount of information at the right time and at the right place? Obviously not is the answer to this question because of the fact that if all information would have been made available to the team, then there was no need of a leader to make decisions. In that case just a checker or manager would have done the job of a leader (Aqor, 1986). But, when we look at the decision making role of a leader, he has to make a large number of decisions everyday for which he might not have all the information and which won’t allow him much time to think upon them otherwise he will have to compromise all other important things that he and his team has to complete. A leader, as we have already discussed is chosen because of his special abilities, and this intuitive decision making skills is a part of them. Although on the surface we might say that while intuitively making decisions, a leader does not takes into account all the information, but he is actually thinking with a different angle and approach using his abilities that other team members cannot(Bealer,1998). Difference between decisions made with logical reasoning and decisions made with intuition In the last part of this report we will now discuss the difference between logical decision making and intuitive decision making. Logical decision making involves a high level of reasoning and data that is analyzed in order to come up with a decision. this approach is mostly advocated by most of the critics because of the fact that through this type of decision making, a leader tends to take into account and mitigate a large number of threats and risks which he might not through intuitive decision making. However, this type of a decision making approach may require more time and resources to come up with the decision (Williams, 2001). Also these decisions are mostly based on the theoretical knowledge and proven facts. For example, as we have seen in a number of stock markets that when people with logical reasoning were un-holding their stocks with losses, there were some others as well who were actually earning by using their intuitive knowledge. On the other hand, as we have discussed above that while making intuitive decisions, a leader might not take much time to make those decisions as they are usually made in circumstances where there are time constraints. Moreover, a leader uses his abilities to reconcile his past experiences and trends to come up with the decision rather than core number, figures and theoretical knowledge only.  Another major difference between the two is that both the types of decisions can actually go in the opposite directions as well as we have already discussed above in the stock market example(Giannini & Rhodes,1978). Conclusion Thus, the report will conclude the discussion with an argument that no one can actually say whether intuitive decision making is good or bad. It all depends on the situation. Yes, it is true that when there is adequate time and resources, the leader should also take into account the other approaches as well but in constraints of time, a leader may take these decisions depending on his abilities. Also we cannot also say which one of the two types of decision making is good or bad for the project because it again depends on the situation that the organization is in. however, as we know that intuitive decision making involves personal bias of leaders as well and may also reflect their personality traits such as risk taker or risk averse, it is recommended that whenever possible, a leader should take into account the logical reasoning approach and compare it with his intuitive perspective before taking any decision as it might make him realize a number of risks that he may have ignored in the first thought.

Cecil Rice Export

CECIL RICE EXPORT REPORT This report will focus on Cecil Rice Export and its aim is to develop more organized system which enhanced the productivity of each hour and for each three days. We discussed and calculated below the three questions. 1. In the Cecil Rice Export, to determine whether the process is in control or out of control we should use x-Charts and R-Charts. X-Charts are usually used when we know standard deviation of the sample. We calculate the upper and lower control limits based on that data.For this data, we assumed the standard deviation as 3 and we found the upper and lower limits for each day’s shifts. According to Monday Shift 1, the lower limit is 69. 23 hence the numbers that are below 69. 23, are becoming out of control. And the upper limit is 71. 91, so the numbers which are above 71. 91, become out of control due to assignable causes and not natural causes. In addition, Tuesday Shift 1, the lower limit is 68. 54, thus the numbers which are below 68. 5 4, are out of control. The upper limit is 71. 22 and the numbers that are above 71. 2, become out of control. Finally, those processes which we calculated as upper and lower limits should be under control. In R-Charts, the important part is the upper and lower control limits and the specific mean. We calculated the upper and lower control limits for each day of shifts according to n is equal to four. For instance, for Monday Shift 2, the upper control limit is 4879 pounds and the lower control limit is 4865 pounds. 2. We developed control charts for each shift three days. For Monday shifts from 00:00 to 08:00 the upper control limit is 71. 1 and the lower control limit is 69. 23. From 08:00 to 16:00, the upper control limit is 71. 30 and the lower control limit is 68. 25. And from 16:00 to 00:00 the upper limit is 71. 45 and the lower limit is 68. 77. According to our calculations, the best shift on Monday is from 08:00 to 16:00. In addition, for Tuesday shifts from 00:00 to 08:00 t he upper control limit is 71. 22 and the lower control limit is 68. 54. From 08:00 to 16:00, the upper control limit is 71. 24 and the lower control limit is 68. 55.From 16:00 to 00:00, the upper control limit is 71. 05 and 68. 37. The best shift in terms of productivity is from 16:00 to 00:00. Finally, for Wednesday the best shift is from 16:00 to 00:00. Because the customers expect the bags that are closest to the specific mean 70. For R- Charts, we assumed mean as 70 and found the upper and lower control limits for each days. For Monday shift, from 08:00 to 16:00, it seems more profitable when we considered with the other shifts on Monday. The upper and lower control limits are 4879 and 4865 pounds.Furthermore, for Tuesday, as same as Monday shift, from 08:00 to 16:00 is more suitable than other shifts for customers. We calculated the upper and lower control limits as 4942 and 4900 pounds. For the last shift, the best and more productive hours are from 16:00 to 00:00 and the uppe r and lower limits are found as 4977 and 4900 pounds. 3. Each shift in each day, the productivity hours change according to the personals and seniors. In order to increase output levels and shorten the lead times for customer, we mixed all shifts in each three days.By using the pooled chart where we calculated the upper and lower control limits for each days and each charts. Then, we took the average of UCLs and LCLs for each day for x-Charts. For instance, on Monday the average UCL is 71. 55 and LCL is 68. 87. Finally, we calculated the average of D3s and D4s for each shifts on each days. And we multiplied the D3s and D4s with the specific mean 70. Lastly, we found UCLs and LCLs for R- Charts for each day. For example, on Tuesday, UCL and LCL were calculated as 4975 and 4907 pounds. These numbers are our control limits.

Mangement and Leadership

Management and Leadership Cortnie Edwards MGT/330 December 19, 2011 Alecia Cummings Management and Leadership Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller. The couple had a dream of following their Christian lifestyle and helping others in need. They wanted to help families living in poverty and build new homes. The idea was they would build housed with no profit and charge no interest. â€Å"The concept that grew into Habitat for Humanity International was born at Koinonia Farm, a small, interracial, Christian farming community founded in 1942 outside of Americus, Ga. , by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan.Building would be financed by a revolving Fund for Humanity. The fund's money would come from the new homeowners' house payments, donations and no-interest loans provided by supporters and money earned by fund-raising activities. The monies in the Fund for Humanity would be used to build more houses† (â€Å"Thrivent Builds With Habitat For Humanity â€Å",  2011). The organization took off with unbelievable results. The Fullers took their organization internationally and have now since built over 400,000 homes. Leading and managing an organization such as Habitat for Humanity involves a multitude of diverse ideas, visions, and people. What is the difference between management and leadership? It is a question that has been asked more than once and also answered in different ways. The biggest difference between managers and leaders is the way they motivate the people who work or follow them, and this sets the tone for most other aspects of what they do† (â€Å"Leadership Vs. Management†,  2002-2011). Habitat for Humanity starts with the board of directors. Habitat for Humanity International board members oversee the direction of Habitat’s activities worldwide as the organization works to eradicate substandard housing.Directors are elected to two-year terms that may be renewed four times. They r eceive no compensation for their voluntary service. The board of directors is responsible for affiliate policies and procedures, program development, financial stewardship, supervision of volunteer staff, fundraising, public relations, and legal matters. There are global directors that â€Å"represent the Asia-Pacific region in the global Habitat communications team in the creation and implementation of worldwide brand building, marketing and advocacy initiatives and campaigns.This includes devising Asia-Pacific roll-out strategies; liaising and sharing with peers in other Habitat regions; and coordinating and collaborating with the HQ communications team on global strategies and initiatives† (â€Å"Alertnet†,  2011). The organization is made up mostly of volunteers and describes different levels among the organization as committees. The development, site selection, and public relations committees are just a few of the different leadership levels Habitat for Humanity has. The development committee is responsible for raising funds and for introducing people to our work.This committee is also responsible for special events and outreach to businesses. The site selection committee works with town officials and developers to identifying and evaluating potential sites for new Habitat homes. This committee is always looking for new members with insight into the local real estate market and the inner workings of town government. The public relations committee is responsible for raising awareness of Habitat for Humanity in our service area. Responsibilities include media relations and publishing a quarterly newsletter.In a non-profit organization there is often very little direction offered to volunteers, leaving them with many decisions to be made on their own. There is a lot of focus on the bigger picture, which in this case is to provide as many families as possible with shelter. However, the steps to achieving the overall goals or mission are not as clearly defined as would be in a profit-seeking company. According to the McKinsey Capacity Assessment Grid, Habitat for Humanity exemplifies effective governance.This offers a competitive advantage because the managers’ decisions are aligned with the stakeholders’ interests since the managers may very well be shareholders themselves. The managers definitely devote their time and energy to improve the financial position of the organization so that it can offer assistance to those that require it the most. Habitat for Humanity is such a large organization; it is broken up into chapters, representing different regions of the world. Each chapter consists of different levels of leaders. At the top of the chain is the President. The President is esponsible for setting and distributing agendas for meetings, setting and distributing calendars of events, maintaining a working relationship with the local affiliate, coordinating an open communication with the Office of Student Activities, and keeping chapter focused on its goals. The vice president follows. His responsibilities consist of serving as project manager of chapter build, serving as chapter chaplain, keeping an open communication with the Construction and Horticulture Club, and overseeing family liaison, volunteer coordinator, superintendents, and tools management.Family liaison pursues a relationship with the family that they are building for. They also keep all other members informed of the family's needs. Brainstorms ideas for gifts to family, plans family gatherings, and makes scrapbooks for the family. Volunteer Coordinators are responsible for keeping track of the number of volunteers designated for the build days. Tools management maintains volunteers on the work site through a sign in/out sheet. They may also assign designated tools to each volunteer as needed through sign in/out sheet.Superintendents maintain a close relationship with the VP during the build day. They will often be one of the most experienced on site and will help the Project Manager decide how to go about construction. They may also help educate and designate groups through construction. â€Å"The ability to implement strategies in an organization is one of the most skillful managerial requirements and knowledge that we need in critical aspects to run an organization† (â€Å"Strategies That Organizational Managers and Leaders Can Use to Create and Maintain a Healthy â€Å",  2011). Leaders and managers in an organization can use some factors to create a healthy organizational culture, such factors are social factors, physical setting, technology, organizing arrangements and individual behavior. Leaders and managers are required to have increased resources, perceptive knowledge, and superior talent and enhanced capabilities to continue facilitating processes toward attaining the ultimate objectives, discovering and commercializing safety of the organization.These multiple activities re quire managers and leaders who have the significant of strategies implementation and core competencies and organizational capabilities that create values to changes of the organization† (â€Å"Strategies That Organizational Managers And Leaders Can Use To Create And Maintain A Healthy†,  2011). A strategy is something an organization uses to help it reach its vision and mission. Habitat for Humanity’s global strategy, asks what markets it should be operating in. As a resource based organization, however, this question is less important.The organization is not looking for opportunities to enter new industries and therefore develop new competencies. Rather, it is looking for ways to use its internal strengths and competencies in the market place. Habitat has chosen a global strategy that has them participating only in one type of non-profit industry – mainly the zero-interest mortgage and home building market. If they were to diversify into other non-profi t markets such as non-perishable foods for example, the organization’s few resources may become too spread out and its core competencies would be stretched rendering all activities less effective.If there was a business-level strategy category for Habitat for Humanity, it would definitely have to be one of cost leadership. The land, supplies, and labor are all acquired at low cost or free of charge. This strategy requires a centralized functional structure so that there can be higher rates of efficiency and better methods of meeting the objectives determined. Habitat incorporates this strategy through and through although its focus is on increasing efficiency so that more families can be helped – not to increase profits.Adapting to different cultures, religions, languages, and people are just a few obstacles volunteers face when working with the globalization within Habitat for Humanity. Globalization makes a huge impact on volunteers. The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October as annual World Habitat Day. According to Habitat International, World Habitat Day’s purpose is to call attention to the current global state of the human habitat and push toward adequate housing for all. By raising awareness and advocating for universal decent housing the systems that reinforce and entrench poverty housing can be altered and even changed.Habitat builds dignity through providing a shelter bringing a family closer together, it builds relationships throughout the world, and it builds community. Habitat for Humanity does all of this through globalization. They are helping people all over the world helping people become part of the globalization. Sustainability and Green building are two ways that Habitat is addressing globalization issues. Based on the research I have done on this organization, I found that there are a couple of strategies the organization an use to help obtain more volunteers and build credibility. The first option is partnering up with more trade schools. Students would be able to obtain hands-on experience and at the same time have the opportunity to add valuable volunteer hours to their resume. It would build a lifelong relationship with the institutions in addition to securing help and perhaps setting the tone for students to keep volunteering after graduation. The second strategy would be to obtain a Better Business Bureau Charity Seal to gain credibility.Obtaining a Better Business Bureau Charity Seal would allow Habitat for Humanity to gain credibility in addition to getting more recognition. A lot of community members look to the Better Business Bureau when making decisions as to which businesses to get involved with or which charities to donate to. There may be people that have not heard of Habitat for Humanity but may learn about the organization through the BBB Website. Joining forces with and obtaining recognition from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau could benefit Habitat for Humanity by providing them with the opportunity to acquire even more volunteers.As with any company or organization, there are always opportunities and risks involved. Making the best decisions for the families that are in need is the only way for Habitat to continue with their success. Strong leadership and management will continue to help the organization prosper. Many of the leaders of Habitat had to overcome their own struggles to get where they are today driving them to make the issue of poverty so much more of a priority. Skill, hard work, and their belief in living out God’s word have built this organization to where it is today.References Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. thriventbuilds. com/partnership/habitat/history. html Leadership vs. Management. (2002-2011). Retrieved from http://changingminds. org/disciplines/leadership/articles/manager_leader. htm Alertnet. (2011). Retrieved from http://www. trust. org/al ertnet/jobs/2011-08-26-1458/ http://www. articleclick. com/Article/Strategies-That-Organizational-Managers-and-Leaders-Can-Use-to-Create-and-Maintain-a-Healthy/997166

Fast Food and Healthy Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fast Food and Healthy Life - Essay Example There is a big gap in the sensible amounts of food that can be consumed to the amounts of food actually consumed on a daily basis (Young, Lisa R and Nestle, Marion; 2003, p1). Food manufacturers are the biggest culprits of health mismanagement in the United States. Individual intake of food is surreptitiously promoted by packages that invariably provide more than double the quantity of food necessary for one meal. "Foodservice establishments use larger dinner plates, larger pans to bake muffins and pizzas, and larger containers for sodas and fries" (Young, Lisa R and Nestle, Marion; 2003, p2). Customers are not inclined to measure the exact quantity of food they are supposed to consume over one meal course. Normally, food is consumed on the basis of individual likes and no statutory rules are broken if the customer consumes more of a particular food he likes. Adequate portion sizes relevant for a meal marked on the labels are not seriously noted. This state of affairs happens on a very wide scale involving a huge segment of the population anywhere in the world. However, science provides information on the portions of each food that could be safely consumed. Excess food invariably adds to the calories and sooner than later leverage disease-prone organs such as kidneys and the heart with impure blood and once set it becomes difficult to root them out. "There are short-term studies showing that controlling portion sizes helps limit calorie intake, particularly when eating high-calorie foods. What is missing from the research is whether people monitor portion sizes and consistently chooses to eat recommended serving sizes, thus consuming the appropriate amount of calories for maintaining or losing weight" (Do Increased Portion Sizes Affect How Much We Eat, 2006) Obese children and fast food We live in an information age where the television is the best form of entertainment and everyone, including the children, finds endless solace glued to it with fast food packets in their hands. Little wonder then that one in every three children is obese in the United States (Leading by Example, 2010). "Many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the television, computer, or video-game console. And today's busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality formany people in the new millennium" (Leading by Example, 2010). The eat-more-work-less syndrome has become a way of life that does not appear to be a threat until it strikes when it becomes a too late to take corrective action. Granted, lots of teenagers are now taking action and working out to reduce the extra calories. However, the erratic lifestyle they have been leading up to that point when they start

What are the major differences between discount stores and off-price Essay

What are the major differences between discount stores and off-price retailers - Essay Example The retail industry comprises a significant share of the country’s commerce. Yet, there is wide variety in the types of retail stores. There are supermarkets, discount stores, convenience stores, hypermarkets, department stores, etc. New types of retail stores are constantly evolving to fit the needs and changing lifestyles of consumers. This essay will focus on the major differences between discount stores and off-price retailers. The way a discount store works is by offering standard merchandise to consumers at low prices. Though margins tend to be quite low, high volume makes up for it and fetch profits. Previously, discount stores used to cut costs by limiting the range of services that they offered and by operating out of cheap storage facilities in heavily travelled districts. But these days, discount stores sport an improved ambience and have widened the range of services and products. But their success still depends on â€Å"keeping prices low through lean, efficient operations†. (Chapter 13, p. 370) Wal-Mart, which is a leader in this domain, follows this business philosophy. Off-price retailers, on the other hand, came in to replace markets left open by discount stores. As big discount store chains started catered to an up-scale customer base, a market for low-price stores once again cropped up.

Operations Management in Kristens Cooki Company Assignment

Operations Management in Kristens Cooki Company - Assignment Example Thus, one batch of cookies takes 26 minutes. If the order has been placed for 2 dozen (2 batches) of cookies, it will take an additional 9 minutes. This is because while the first batch is baking, the first student would spoon the prepared mix into a second tray, ready to bake. With thermostat and timer already in place, the second batch will require 9 minutes to bake + 5 minutes to cool + 2 minutes to pack in a box. Payment for two dozen cookies will be accepted in the same1 minute as an order for only one dozen cookies (already accounted for). However, the time taken for the two batches overlap. Hence, to make a total of two batches, for the second batch, 2 minutes out of 9 minutes of baking time will be left after the 1st batch is packed and ready. Thus 2 minutes baking time + 5 minutes cooling + 2 minutes packing takes an additional 9 minutes after the first batch is packed and ready. Therefore, the total time required to fill a rush order for 2 dozen cookies would be 35 minutes. To fill an order for three dozen cookies, the tray in which the mix is spooned in to make 12 cookies, will be ready to bake while the second batch is getting baked. Once the second batch is taken out of the oven, the third batch will be placed inside for baking. It will take only 9 minutes for baking because of timer and thermostat already set. Thus 9 minutes baking time + 5 minutes cooling time + 2 minutes packing time takes a total of 16 minutes. Payment time of 1 minute is already accounted for. However, the time taken for the three batches overlap. Hence, to make a total of three batches, for the third batch, 2 minutes of baking time will be left out of the 9 minutes for baking, after the 2nd batch is packed and ready. Thus 2 minutes baking time + 5 minutes cooling + 2 minutes packing takes an additional 9 minutes after the second  batch is packed and ready. Thus, 44 minutes total will be required to fill an order for 3 dozen cookies.

GOVT 480 Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GOVT 480 Final - Essay Example Today, international terrorism has become a major threat to the security of the United States. Domestic terrorism in the United States has been a big threat in the 20th century. The Los Angeles Times Building and the Wall Street bombing are examples of bombings that happened early in the 1920s. In the later 1990s, there was evidence of Unabomber attacks that used sophisticated technology. For instance, a mathematics professor Theodore was involved in the design of letter bombs that exploded on opening. However, the government has put enough efforts to disarm bombers and to contain the threat. The counter terrorism body has remained all eyes in containing domestic violence and has intercepted such actions with great efficiency. Clancy (2012), the deputy assistant director of the counter terrorism division stated that although the risk stills persists the public has little to worry as domestic violence is no longer a threat in America. However, the US government has a new problem to handle. In the recent past, the United States has had friction with hostile groups such as the Al-Qaeda, resulting into new threat of international terrorism. International terrorism is a greater reason to worry than domestic violence due to the severity of these attacks. For instance, in 11th September, 2011, the Al-Qaeda attacked the twin towers in United States killing over 3,000 citizens. Although various efforts have been launched to end the tension between US and Al-Qaeda, it is clear that there is likelihood of a revenge mission following the US involvement in the war in Iraq. The US president Barack Obama has put efforts to apply diplomacy in neutralizing the threat but since Al-Qaeda is a violent group, international terrorism remains a major threat whose solution is yet to be found (Clancy, 2012). On this ground, neutralizing domestic violence has been a great leg for America but the challenge of international terrorism is st ill

Website for an organization which has a campaign promoting a core Assignment

Website for an organization which has a campaign promoting a core issue that interests you - Assignment Example Morris Dees SPLC uses current laws to bring lawsuits to change current unjust laws. One example is when Dees sued the United Klans of America on behalf of Beulah Mae Donald. Donald’s son had been killed due to the Klan’s incitement toward violence against blacks. This suit bankrupted the last majorly nationally organized Ku Klux Klan in the United States. By challenging unfair laws and bring lawsuits, the SPLC has challenged and won lawsuits against discrimination against those living in the United States. The primary message is written with photographs at the top. These messages are informative. The website is set up like a news organization. Articles are current news around the United States involving issues of discrimination against minorities, Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT), and immigrants. The message is clear. Although America does have more tolerant laws today than in the 1950’s, there is much work to still be done. The target audience is average Americans that might not be aware of incidents of discriminations in their area. An example is the Hate Watch map. The Hate Watch map tracks hate groups. These groups are skinheads, KKK, black panthers, anti-government groups, and any group that promotes hate against others. The map shows the locations of hate group members and more information on each group. It must be noted that although the SPLC was founded during the Civil Rights Movement, the group is not anti-white or pro-black. The SPLC was founded to promote equality among all Americans. The SPLC also has teaching material for educators to teach children. These messages are targeted toward the younger audience. These materials, books, worksheets, videos, and recordings are provided for free. History and current events are covered in these materials. The materials can be requested by a teacher or adult for free. The noise or confusion that

Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Philosopher Biography Project Paper Essay

Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Philosopher Biography Project Paper and Persuasive Presentation - Essay Example Rand supported the Kerensky revolution but denounced the Bolshevik revolution. Because of the latter revolution, fighting erupted and her family relocated to Crimea where she finished her studies. Later in life, her father’s pharmacy was confiscated after the communist victory, a fact that saw a lot of suffering. Rand immensely opposed the Russian way of life, especially their collectivism and mysticism. Instead, she admired and emulated the American culture, and even changed her name from Alisa Zinovievna Rosenbaum. She studied Philosophy in the Petrograd University and graduated in 1924. Some of her works include The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology, and We the Living among others. Sadly, Rand passed on in 1982 from a cardiac failure but her work still raises discussions and debates in the world of philosophy. Ayn Rand is recognized worldwide for her philosophy of objectivism. Rand pointed out that peop le can understand the world. She elaborates further that this can be achieved by reasoning and logic. This has elicited controversy since other philosophers have proposed that reality is unclear. They have claimed that reasoning and logic sometimes cannot be depended on, coining it as subjectivism. Rand discounted this claim, citing erosion of self-esteem and confidence as its downsides. Instead, she asserted that reality is what it is and that one can certainly know what is. It is because of this that termed her philosophy objectivism, where one is required to check their premises in case they are not sure about something. This was the philosophy of epistemology. Rand termed objectivism as ‘a philosophy for those living on earth’. Her philosophy, she claimed, was based on man as a hero, with the moral purpose in his life being in pursuit of his happiness. Man’s noble activity, in her philosophy, is to be productive in his achievements. However, she acknowledges the fact that this happiness cannot be achieved by mere whim or wish. Objectivism outlines the principles that one must live with, even in pursuit of happiness. This include, among others, respect for other people’s rights as well as possession of moral integrity. Rand also proposed the capitalism ideology where Laissez- Faire capitalism is the concept introduced by objectivists in the political world. Here, the government is limited in its actions and protection the life of each citizen and his or her property are its functions. The government also ensures that there is no use of force by one citizen against the other. An objectivist, from this description, therefore, is one who achieves in the creation of ideas and art; succeed in businesses and the invention of technologies. This they achieve through their own talents and efforts or trading with other independent minds. Objectivism believes in optimism. There is always that hope that the world is open for everyone’s happiness and thus living fulfilling lives. This she mentioned in her two books, Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. Even in her high school life, Rand had always objected to mysticism. She believed that all truth was arrived at after a careful analysis of the facts of reality, something that should be done without contradictions. It is a fact that objectivists believe that everyone is free to believe in whatever they want. However, they should not claim that what they believe is the truth without verifying the proofs. This could be

Effect of enzymes on reactions Essay Example for Free

Effect of enzymes on reactions Essay Effect of enzymes on reactions Introduction            The function of any enzyme largely depends on the arrangement of its amino acids. The shape of an enzyme is so important such that any alteration or change in its amino acid sequence can have a huge effect on its function. An alteration to the amino acids in an enzyme does not only alter it shape but also its functionality. During a reaction, the whole enzyme does not take part but rather a small part known as the active site. The shape and appearance of the active site in any enzyme is determined by its three dimensional structure. The active site of an enzyme houses the shape of the substrate that needs to be changed during the reaction. This means that enzymes and substrates work like a lock and key. Since a specific key can only open a specific lock, this is explains why enzymes are specific in their reactions. How enzymes catalyze reactions            As noted earlier, enzymes serve as catalysts that speed up the rate at which biochemical reactions take place. They mainly work by offering a substitute pathway for reactions. Compared to other catalysts, the pathway provided by enzymes reduces activation energy. The same with all other catalysts, enzymes participate in reactions and this is the main way through which they offer a substitute reaction pathway. However, it is worthy noting that enzymes do not undergo any permanent changes during a reaction but remain intact. There main role in a reaction is to increase the rate but not the position of the reaction equilibrium (Cornish-Bowden 47). Unlike chemicals that catalyze a number of reactions, enzymes are usually very selective and can only catalyze precise reactions. This characteristic can be attributed to the shape of molecules that make up enzymes. Majority of enzymes are made up of a protein and non protein known as the cofactor. In most cases, the protein s found in the enzymes are globular. Any change in temperature and pH disrupts the inter-molecular and intra-molecular bonds that hold the proteins together in their tertiary and secondary structures. This means that catalytic ability of an enzyme is temperature and pH sensitive.            For any molecules to react, they must come into contact with one another. In other words, they must collide with enough energy and in the correct direction. Sufficient energy is important during a reaction because it helps the molecules overcome the energy barrier to the reaction. This type of energy is known as activation energy. During a reaction, the active side of an enzyme attaches itself to one of the reacting molecules known as the substrate. A reaction catalyzed by an enzyme takes a different route compared to that catalyzed by other catalysts. The coming together of an enzyme and a substrate results in a reaction intermediate. Enzyme substrate Enzyme-substrate complex            The best experiment that can be used to validate the claim that enzymes do in fact catalyze reactions is looking at how enzymes help human beings digest food. There are different types of foods that are consumed by human beings. Some of the most common foods consumed by people are the two types of sugars namely disaccharides and monosaccharaides. These two sugars are derived from foods like fruits which also contain fructose and glucose. All monosaccharides derived from the foods that we eat is absorbed directly and transported to different cells in the body (Cornish-Bowden 96). Unlike monosaccharides, disaccharides need to be broken down into their monosaccharide form before they can be absorbed into the body. In the absence of a catalyst, the rate at which the absorption of monosaccharide galactose and glucose take place is very slow. Since human bodies require a lot of energy to function properly, it is important that the absorption process is quickened through the use of an enzyme. The main enzyme that is produced by human bodies to quicken the absorption process is known as a lactase. The experiment would involve the following steps. This experiment can be represented using the following diagram. Fill a tube with 20 ml of a lactose solution. Fill another tube with 20 ml of lactose solution and 2 ml of lactase solution. Shake the tube to ensure that the two solutions mix. Give the experiment 5 minutes for the lactose to breakdown into galactose and glucose. Use a test strip to monitor the process. Originally, the strip is usually colored aqua. If it turns brown, olive or green, it is an indication that glucose is present. Compare the results from the two tubes.            If the color of the test strip turns brown, olive or green, this is an indication that glucose is present. This means that reaction in the tube with lactase was catalyzed resulting in the production of glucose. The reaction in the other tube was slow because there was no catalyst to quicken the reaction. The result from this experiment indicates that indeed enzymes can play a big role in catalyzing reactions. References Cornish-Bowden, Athel. Fundamentals of Enzyme Kinetics. (3rd edition), Portland Press, 2004. Print. Source document

Importance of Strategic Planning and Management

Importance of Strategic Planning and Management Strategic management involves decisions concerning what a company might do, given the opportunities in its environment; what it can do, given the resources at its disposal; what it wants to do, given the personal values and aspirations of key decision makers; and what it should do, given the ethical and legal context in which it is operating (Dobson). Organizations need to know where they are heading to and a firm concept of the kind of business it is in. An organizations product-market scope specifies the particular products or services of the organization and the growth vector is the direction the organization is moving in terms of its current product-market scope. Strategic management is an art and science that must be studied by top management and it involves formulating, implementing and evaluating the cross-functional decisions that have been created so that an organization can achieve its objectives. The organization identifies its objectives, acquire the resources needed to i mplement the policies and strategies to achieve its goals. In order to be successful, strategic management synthesizes the activities of the different sectors of the business such as sales, marketing, production, etc. so that organizational goals can be achieved. Also, strategic management is a continuous process of assessing the business, the industry it belongs, its competitors, for the improvement of the organization. According to Carter McNamara, Strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more and how its going to get there. (McNamara 2008). The strategic planning process is organization-wide, or it can be focused on a major function. The major activities of the strategic planning process include strategic analysis; setting strategic direction; and action planning. Small business owners need strategic planning because it involves figuring out where the business is going with the aim of achieving overall success and at the same time, pinpoint strategic objectives. Owners of small businesses must give time to look for ways to grow and increase turnover. Most big businesses have used strategic planning when they were still new and small businesses. Strategic planning and business strategy are essential to achieve the goals of the business and without strategic planning and decision making, no business can head forward over the long term. Strategic demands the owners own thoughts and ideas and owners must make it as a major concern. His/Her personal investment in strategic planning is essential and fundamental to make the business to grow and improve the way the business operates and without strategic planning, the business will likely stumble into one problem to another. Therefore, small business owners must consider strategic planning frequently and regularly as it is essential to long term success. The four functions of management in relation to the creation and implementation of an organizations strategic plan are as follows: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. This paper is going to analyze an external IT company that has been assigned and contracted to take over the internal IT functions of an organization, particularly, the desktop support department. The goal of the external IT Company is to offer the highest quality service with an equally high financial return rate. In the planning stage, the company has to analyze the needs of the organization in terms of technology such as hardware types to support, peripherals, and other various office related equipment. The number of customers impacts the number of support staff needed and the skill levels required. The next phase is organizing and the company is going to reduce the number of their desk side support team for the purpose of minimizing expenses but they have to assign a technician to build an operating syst em, customize it so that the security needs and standards of the organization are met. The next phase is leading and its purpose is to channel the behavior of the personnel so that the organizations mission and objectives are accomplished. In the IT Company, they need to establish good relationship with their staff, give good compensation and benefits, provide them with the best training, promotion, and others so that they will be motivated and become more effective and contribute to the success of the organization. The last function is controlling which refers to the process of establishing the performance standards according to the companys objectives, comparing and taking preventive or corrective action as necessary. The controlling function involves evaluating and reporting the actual job performance of their staff. It is important that these points be studied and further corrective and preventive actions can be decided. In solving performance problems, there is a need for manag ement to higher their standards, speak to the employee on any problem that hinders him/her to work excellently, and check any other problems that may affect performance. Effective and efficient management leads to success, the success where it attains the objectives and goals of the organizations. (Pakhare, J. 2007). In achieving the ultimate goal, management has to be creative in solving problems in all the four functions. References http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/BPL_Images/Content_store/Sample_chapter/140511181X/Dobson_strategic%20management_sample%20chapter.pdf http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Definition-Strategic-Management/127324 http://managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/basics.htm http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/The-Importance-of-Business-Strategy-Planning/156896 http://www.articlesbase.com/strategic-planning-articles/four-functions-of-management-outsource-technology-377102.html http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070510055850AAFFm0y http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of-management.html