Restaurant Business Summary - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1286 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Business Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Introduction Restaurant business  is by far one of the most favorable and most popular competition in business sector and the newly opened restaurant also more and more in recent. Their location should be strategic and service quality need to be improve in order to attract customers as well. There are five major dimensions to measure service quality such as reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangible. Most of them use Medical nurse and automotive repair services method to measure the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction which is developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml, and Berry. Customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ satisfaction can affect an organization career development, for example, if most of the customers are not satisfied with the restaurant about their customer service, types of food, hygienic conditions and so on, these all will affect their organization operation. We have a principle says that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“customers is a kingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ , so employees need to take some proper or needed actions to make the customers satisfied because customers is the leading role for all business organization and the results can be different which is due to different characteristics of customers such as age, income and knowledge. Besides that, some research find out that customer satisfaction can directly affect their loyalty whereas some research testify that satisfaction does not affect loyalty as several customers will switch to another products which offer better things when they need similar products in their life . Summary Measure of Superiority (MSS) is the difference between service quality performance and customer expectation. The score can be either positive or negative depends on satisfaction level of expectation by customer. The table illustrates the expectation and performance on each quality of services dimensions which provides customers satisfaction. The result show that customer satisfa ction has been achieved when the sum of performance score 19.1 is bigger than expectation score 18.99, MMS score is positive. The gap score of responsiveness 0.03, assurance 0.05, empathy 0.15, and tangible 0.07 is positive, that means performance score is greater than expectation score while reliability represent a negative gap score (-0.19), this dimension causes customer dissatisfaction. Measure of Service Adequacy (MSA) score is acquired by subtracting minimum expectation from customers from service performance in restaurant business and if the performance is greater than customer expectation then the score will become positive. With the MSA being positive and the minimum expectation score met, this five dimensions of service quality had reflects that customers satisfaction has been fulfilled. Besides that, we found that all of the attributes of each dimensions are greater than the minimum expectation from customers especially is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“promptness of the employees se rve their customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (Diah Yulisetiarini, 2014, P6)in reliability acquired highest score while à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“easiness in purchase transaction processà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ customers feel easy to communicate with employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  attributes gets 0.33 the lowest marks compared to other attributes. Measure of Service Adequacy (MSA) score is acquired by subtracting minimum expectation from customers from service performance in restaurant business and the score will become positive when the performance is greater than customer expectation. This five dimensions of service quality had reflects that customers satisfaction has been fulfilled because all has met the minimum expectation score and MSA is positive. We found that all of the attributes of each dimensions are greater than the minimum expectation from customers especially is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“promptness of the employees serve their customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  in reliability acquired highest score while à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“easiness in purchase transaction processà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ customers feel easy to communicate with employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  attributes gets 0.33 the lowest marks compared to other attributes. With comparing the anticipated performance and observed performance, the area of accepted service is demonstrated by Zone of Tolerance. The maximum expectation subtracts minimum expectation of the customers is to get the score of Zone of Tolerance. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Promptness of the employees to serve the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ attribute is the greatest zone whereas assurance dimension which related to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“customers feel safe when they are in the restaurantà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  attributes is the thinnest zone of tolerance. Cartesius diagram use to measure the restaurant performance and the customer expectations. This diagram consists of four quadrants A, B, C, and D which is separated by X-axis and Y-axis. The mean score of the overall attributes of restaurant performance represented by X-axis whereas the mean score of the overall attributes of customer expectation represented by Y-axis. Moreover, the mean scores are calculated from the list of satisfaction attributes for X-axis and Y-axis is 3.80 and 3.82. Quadrant A is located above the mean score of X-axis and before the mean score of Y-axis. Quadrant A is a quadrant that dissatisfaction among customers, due to the restaurant management has less attention on customers. In this cause, the service performance of the restaurant should be improved. Next is quadrant B, it located above the mean score of X-axis and after the mean score of Y-axis. In this quadrant, the performance of the restaurant management is good. The restaurant has conducted well customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ perceive attribute and those attributes have satisfied customers. Furthermore, quadrant C is located below the mean score of X-axis and before the mean score of Y-axis. The rest aurant management service attributes is low priority and less important. So, in this quadrant do not need further attention. Besides that, quadrant D is located below the mean score of X-axis and after the mean score of Y-axis. Even though, the restaurant management has well delivered the service, but the customers do not considered important attributes. The restaurant manager should expand more on other important attributes to improve the performance of the restaurant. Critique There are several critiques we can get from the article. First, a look at the introduction tells us that it is too long. Some points are emphasized too much and repetition occurs here and there. This problem causes unnecessary portion to constitute a large part of the introduction and as a result, the introduction becomes lengthy. Second, some tables did not explain clearly the parts they have. For example, table 7 only stated the mean score of expectation (Y) and the mean score of performance (X) i n the vertical columns without explaining their function in a clear way. Misunderstandings may occur if the readers of the article only scan through the article. Third, the article contains parts that are repetitive. The usages of some words are repeated many times throughout the whole article making it seems to overstress some points. The elaboration for the point also contains sentences that are unnecessary due to it repeating the same thing as the previous sentences. Fourth, the diagram used in the article which is Cartesius Diagram, is very confusing to the readers. The overall data for the whole research is squeezed and put on display in the diagram. The too-large data is too much for a single diagram to explain. In our opinion, the data should be separate into different diagrams to allow better understanding. The whole article does not only consist of negative points. The positive point, which is the fifth point, will be about the part called abstract. The abstract of this article is very good as it is simple and clear, not to mention that it is straight to the point making it easier for the readers to understand the general view of the article. Last but not least, the whole article of this research serves as a very good extension of knowledge in conducting business in the future. Applying the formulas and knowledge gained from this article will be very useful in trying to set up a successful business. Conclusion As a conclusion, restaurant businesses try to put more effort in order to maximum customer satisfaction to attract more customers and increase their business in their restaurant. There are some weakness shows in the critique part. By this way, they can observe and try to do it best for their restaurant. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Restaurant Business Summary" essay for you Create order

Of Mice And Men Character Development - 1435 Words

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Policy Implications Of Porter’s Diamond Theory

Question: Discuss about the Policy Implications of Porters Diamond Theory. Answer: The Porter Diamond was a model designed by Michael Porter, a popular scholar on economic competition and corporate strategy. It was developed for understanding the economic condition of the competitive advantage of the nations (Riasi, 2015). The model comprised of four determinants and two outside forces. All these factors could be implied on the medical tourism industry of Thailand. Medical tourism in Thailand has been a relatively new emerging concept facing a phenomenal growth over the past decade. The implications of policy of the Porter Diamond theory on this industry would be easier as there are future scopes to develop in this sector (Beleska-Spasova, Loykulnanta Nguyen, 2016). The application of the theory by Thailands government to develop the medical tourism industry has been discussed in the essay. The medical tourism has an effective appeal to the emerging economies of Thailand. Thailand posses a significant share from the medical tourism sector growing at the rate of twenty percent every year. The possibility of impacting the healthcare organizations could be analyzed by the factors as explained by the Porters Diamond of National Competitiveness (Beleska-Spasova, Loykulnanta Nguyen, 2016). The framework of Porter comprised of four divisions of national attributes. These attributes has determined the competitive advantage of a country. This is known as the National Diamond. This includes the demand conditions, factor conditions, firm strategies and rivalry and related industries. Porter also suggested two more outside forces such as the government policy and the change supporting the national competitiveness. The government communicates with these determinants by backing the competitive advantage. As claimed by Porter, the determinants shape the surroundings where the local firms contests and promote the development of competitive conditions. This factor conditions of the framework by Porter, included the factors like geographical area and language barriers. To favor the attribute the natural environment of Thailand is found pleasant throughout the year. It has well planned road infrastructures with important international airports connected globally. Thailand has been leading the world in surgical procedures also. Applying the factor, medical tourism in the country has become cost advantageous for the government (Alberti et al., 2014). The demand condition of Potter denoted the amount of customer preferences in certain region. This is easily applicable to Thailand, as the strong demand for the cosmetic procedures has contribution on the overall development in the medical tourism. Thailand also stands first in surgical procedures. These demand for these services have generated specialist expertise for Thailands healthcare. (Alberti et al., 2014). The related and supporting industries factor could go for Thailand as the Bangkok region of Thailand has efficiently developed its infrastructure over the last decade. For this, Porter suggested to consider the growth of particular industries taken in cluster of several nations. Thailand was favorable for this due to the economic outburst in the region occurred by the creation of international airports. The Diethelm travel agency in collaboration with the Bumrungrad hospital has formed the leading inbound organization for the tourists (Alberti et al., 2014). For the firm strategy structure and rivalries, Porter claimed that the performance of the firm might be close to the national competitive advantage. It could be easily applied to Thailand as healthcares like Bumrungrad hospitals have pioneered the medical tourism. As a result of this, the inflow of the international patients increased about seven times in the past decade. (Coelho, 2015). The government plays the facilitators role of the national diamond, as suggested by Porter. The activities of the government were a crucial variable to the determinants of Porters framework. The government could act as the fundamental purchaser of healthcares. The supporting and related industries could get influenced by governments control on market regulations, tax policies and advertising. However, there exists the role of chance events. Some examples of it may be the shift in world financial market and political and war decision of the government (Alberti et al., 2014). Thailand has been competing in the medical tourism sector on the basis of cost price advantages. In order to sustain the development, these markets have to diversify in the areas of the treatment products. The national diamond theory of Porter provides a clear idea of sustaining the potentials by demonstrating the growth in medical tourism for a longer time. References: Alberti, F. G., Giusti, J. D., Papa, F., Pizzurno, E. (2014). Competitiveness policies for medical tourism clusters: government initiatives in Thailand.International journal of economic policy in emerging economies,7(3), 281-309. Beleska-Spasova, E., Loykulnanta, S., Nguyen, Q. T. (2016). Firm-specific, national and regional competitive advantages: The case of emerging market MNEsThailand.Asian Business Management,15(4), 264-291. Coelho, C. L. C. E. (2015).Healthcare and medical tourism-Cascais Municipality case study(Doctoral dissertation). Riasi, A. (2015). Competitive advantages of shadow banking industry: An analysis using Porter diamond model.Business Management and Strategy,6(2), 15-27.

Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Essay Example

Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Essay In the globalized era when most of the business organizations are involved in different business activities it has become inevitable for the firms independently perform all the functions. Most of the companies do not operate their supply chain and rely on other firms to perform the multi-faceted tasks. The successful and efficient combination of the operations of these firms provides the company with the competitive edge in the market. (Cook, DeBree, and Feroleto, 2001). Lummus and Vokurka   (1999) points out towards the need for the managers to understand the performance of all the stake holding firms in the supply chain. According to (Pohlen, 2003), this insight in the performance of each firm will enable the managers to develop measures in order to fulfil the demands of the customers. The main task of the supply chain management is to develop a strategy which can cater the need of the customers and is aligned with the company objectives (Pohlen, 2003). In this lieu it is important for the mangers to keep on measuring the performance of different parts of supply chain (Deloitte, 1999). It has been a proven fact that the improvement in the company’s performance cannot be undertaken with out improving the performance of its suppliers (Lummus, Vokurka, and Alber, 1999). The planning and information taking activities can be easily performed by the operations managers and senior executives it they have an up to date information regarding the performance of different supply chain firm and stake holders and the resources available to the firm. Authors (La Londe and Masters 1994; Lambert, Stock, and Ellram 1998; Mentzer et al. 2001) regard a supply chain as a set of firms involved in the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, information, and/or finances.   Mentzer et al. (2001, p. 4) described a supply chain as a set of three or more organizations directly linked by one or more of the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finances, and information from a source to a customer. Thus, the nature of a supply chain is comprehensive so that membership is not limited to a supplier, a manufacturer, and a distributor, but open to any firm that performs various flow-related services (Mentzer et al. 2001). We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The notion of production management has been transformed from the manufacturing activities and has expanded to activities as purchasing, warehousing, transportation, and other operations from the procurement of raw materials through various activities until a product in available to the buyer. The notion includes the process of delivering the services to the customers with the products. With the changing time the aspects covered are increasing, the process now also includes RD, value creation, marketing management, sales activities, accounting and finance. The operation management model constitutes of inputs and outputs. The list of inputs include, 1. customer needs 2. Information 3. Technology management 4. Fixed assets of the business 5. Human capital 6. Variable assets related to transformation process. Information and the physical factors play an important role for managers in order to produce outputs. Most of the physical assets remain unchanged. These include buildings, land, manufacturing plants, warehouses etc. Planning, operating and controlling are the important constituents of transformation process. The improvement in the system is also an important aim of the model. Outputs consist of products and services and may even be information, such as that provided by a consulting organization. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p 633, 634) The international sourcing policy effects the corporate, marketing, purchasing, and other strategies.   It is important for the firm to connect the future objectives with corporate objectives and strategy. The purchasing function should also be undertaken in order to support the corporate objectives. It is often observed that the purchasing functions in the firms are undertaken without gathering proper and enough information. Also the purchasing decision of most of the companies are not undertaken in the line of the strategy of the company. It is also important for the companies to undertake strategic planning while undertaking the purchasing decision. Most of the researchers emphasize the need of aligning the purchasing function with the firm’s strategic planning process. In order to undertake effective planning according to the company’s goal it is important to plan and implement strategic planning more effectively at the departmental level. Some of the researches a lso pay great attention in establishment of the link between the customers and the suppliers as part of their purchasing strategy. The purchasing decision in the right direction can also help the company in acquiring the market leadership through cost reduction. â€Å"Purchasing’s contributions to corporate strategic planning include the following: monitoring supply market trends, interpreting the impact of these trends on the firm, identifying the materials and services required to support company and strategic business unit strategies, and developing supply options.† (Ellram and Carr, 1994) There are many techniques, which can be undertaken by the management in order to improve the quality of management process. Some of them are described below. Time-Event Networks: Time network analysis is a logical extension of the famous Gantt chart. Often referred to as the program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) an in its essentials as the Critical Path Method (CPM), this technique of planning and control has wide potential use in many applications. But PERT and its various refinements, like PERT/COST, have considerable potential for use in many aspects of planning and controlling operations (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.648). For a company having the expanded supply chain PERT/ COST analysis should be performed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of supply chain. Value Engineering: A product can be improved and its cost lowered through value engineering, which consists of analyzing the operations of the product or service, estimating the value of each operation, and attempting to improve that operation by trying to keep costs low at each step or part. The following specific steps can be taken in order to improve the supply chain. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify the costs for each part and operation. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify each part’s relative contribution value to the final unit or product. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Find a new approach for those items, which appear to have high cost and low value. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.648) Work Simplification: Work methods can be improved through work simplification, which is the process of obtaining the participation of workers in simplifying their work. Training sessions should be conducted in the company to teach concepts and principles of techniques such as time and motion studies, workflow analyses, and the layout of the work situation. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.648) Quality Circles The supply chain management should establish a group of people from the same organizational area who meet regularly to solve problems they experience at work. (Goldstein, 1985; p.504-517) Members should be trained in solving problems, in applying statistical quality control, and in working in-groups. A facilitator should work with each group consisting of six to twelve members. The QCs may meet 4 hours a month. Although QC members may receive recognition, they should also receive monetary rewards. Quality circles should evolve from suggestion programs. In both approaches, workers will participate in solving work-related problems. Although in suggestion programs the problems are usually quite specific, those dealt with by quality control circles are often more complex and require the involvement of several team members. The team should consist primarily of rank-and-file workers and sometimes it can also include supervisors. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.649) The Concept of TQM: TQM is defined as both a philosophy and a set of guiding principles that represent the foundation of a continuously improving organization. It is the application of quantitative methods and human resources to improve all the process within an organization and exceed customer needs now and in the future. TQM integrates fundamental management techniques, existing improvement efforts, and technical tools under a disciplined approach. (Besterfield, Michna, Besterfied Sacre, p.1) Possibilities for improvements of the downstream supply chain: TQM is based on a number of ideas. It means thinking about quality in terms of all functions of the enterprise and is a start is a start-to-finish process that integrates interrelated functions at all levels. It is a systems approach that considers every interaction between the various elements of the organization. Thus, the overall effectiveness of the system is higher than the sum of the individual outputs from the subsystems. The subsystems include all the organizational functions in the life cycle of a product, such as (!) design, (2) planning, (3) production, (4) distribution, and (5) field service. The management subsystems also require integration, including (1) strategy with a customer focus, (2) the tools of quality and (3) employee involvement (the linking process that integrates the whole). A corollary is that any product, process, or service can be improved, and a successful organization is one that consciously seeks and exploits opportunities for improvement at all level s. The load-bearing structure is customer satisfaction. The watchword is continuous improvement. (Ross) Hence following steps should be taken in order to improve the supply chain of the company: 1. Management Commitment: Top management must become convinced of the need for quality and must clearly communicate this to the entire company be written policy, starting that each person is expected to perform according to the requirement or cause the requirement to be officially changed to what the company and the customers really need. 2. Quality improvement team: From a team composed of department heads to oversee improvements in their departments and in the company as a whole. 3. Quality measurement: Establish measurements appropriate to every activity in order to identify areas in need of improvement. 4. Cost of quality: Estimate the costs of quality in order to identify areas where improvements would be profitable. 5. Quality awareness: Raise quality awareness among employees. They non-conformance. 6. Corrective action: Take corrective action as a result of steps 3 and 4. 7. Zero defects planning: From a committee to plan a program appropriate to the company and its culture. 8. Supervisor training: All levels of management must be trained in how to implement their part of the quality improvement program. 9. Zero defects day: Schedule a day to signal to employees that the company has a new standard. 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Goal setting: Individuals must establish improvement goals for themselves and their groups. 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Error causes removal: Employees should be encouraged to inform management of any problems that prevent them from performing error free work. 12.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recognition: Give public, non-financial appreciation to those who meet their quality goals or perform outstandingly. 13.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quality councils: Composed of quality professionals and team chairpersons, quality councils should meet regularly to share experiences, problems, and ideas. 14.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Does it all over again: Repeat steps 1 to 13 in order to emphasize the never-ending process of quality improvement. (Ross) Conclusion: Production management refers to all those activities necessary to manufacture products; it may also include purchasing, warehousing, transportation, and other operations. Operations management has a similar meaning, referring to activities necessary to produce and deliver a service as well as a physical product. It is important for the supply chain management to give importance to all of the above activities. Since a low level of performance from any part of supply chain can effect the whole process.   (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.653) The method of operations research, which is the application of scientific methods to the study of alternatives in a problem situation to obtain a quantitative basis for arriving at the best solution, should be used. Other tools of production management such as linear programming inventory planning and control, the just-in time inventory system, and distribution logistics should be used to enhance the productivity of the Company. Other tools and tech niques such as time-event inventory system, engineering, work simplification, quality circles, total quality management, and a variety of computer-aided approaches can also be used according to the need. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.653) Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Essay Example Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Essay In the globalized era when most of the business organizations are involved in different business activities it has become inevitable for the firms independently perform all the functions. Most of the companies do not operate their supply chain and rely on other firms to perform the multi-faceted tasks. The successful and efficient combination of the operations of these firms provides the company with the competitive edge in the market. (Cook, DeBree, and Feroleto, 2001). Lummus and Vokurka   (1999) points out towards the need for the managers to understand the performance of all the stake holding firms in the supply chain. According to (Pohlen, 2003), this insight in the performance of each firm will enable the managers to develop measures in order to fulfil the demands of the customers. The main task of the supply chain management is to develop a strategy which can cater the need of the customers and is aligned with the company objectives (Pohlen, 2003). In this lieu it is important for the mangers to keep on measuring the performance of different parts of supply chain (Deloitte, 1999). It has been a proven fact that the improvement in the company’s performance cannot be undertaken with out improving the performance of its suppliers (Lummus, Vokurka, and Alber, 1999). The planning and information taking activities can be easily performed by the operations managers and senior executives it they have an up to date information regarding the performance of different supply chain firm and stake holders and the resources available to the firm. Authors (La Londe and Masters 1994; Lambert, Stock, and Ellram 1998; Mentzer et al. 2001) regard a supply chain as a set of firms involved in the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, information, and/or finances.   Mentzer et al. (2001, p. 4) described a supply chain as a set of three or more organizations directly linked by one or more of the upstream and downstream flows of products, services, finances, and information from a source to a customer. Thus, the nature of a supply chain is comprehensive so that membership is not limited to a supplier, a manufacturer, and a distributor, but open to any firm that performs various flow-related services (Mentzer et al. 2001). We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Sourcing in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The notion of production management has been transformed from the manufacturing activities and has expanded to activities as purchasing, warehousing, transportation, and other operations from the procurement of raw materials through various activities until a product in available to the buyer. The notion includes the process of delivering the services to the customers with the products. With the changing time the aspects covered are increasing, the process now also includes RD, value creation, marketing management, sales activities, accounting and finance. The operation management model constitutes of inputs and outputs. The list of inputs include, 1. customer needs 2. Information 3. Technology management 4. Fixed assets of the business 5. Human capital 6. Variable assets related to transformation process. Information and the physical factors play an important role for managers in order to produce outputs. Most of the physical assets remain unchanged. These include buildings, land, manufacturing plants, warehouses etc. Planning, operating and controlling are the important constituents of transformation process. The improvement in the system is also an important aim of the model. Outputs consist of products and services and may even be information, such as that provided by a consulting organization. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p 633, 634) The international sourcing policy effects the corporate, marketing, purchasing, and other strategies.   It is important for the firm to connect the future objectives with corporate objectives and strategy. The purchasing function should also be undertaken in order to support the corporate objectives. It is often observed that the purchasing functions in the firms are undertaken without gathering proper and enough information. Also the purchasing decision of most of the companies are not undertaken in the line of the strategy of the company. It is also important for the companies to undertake strategic planning while undertaking the purchasing decision. Most of the researchers emphasize the need of aligning the purchasing function with the firm’s strategic planning process. In order to undertake effective planning according to the company’s goal it is important to plan and implement strategic planning more effectively at the departmental level. Some of the researches a lso pay great attention in establishment of the link between the customers and the suppliers as part of their purchasing strategy. The purchasing decision in the right direction can also help the company in acquiring the market leadership through cost reduction. â€Å"Purchasing’s contributions to corporate strategic planning include the following: monitoring supply market trends, interpreting the impact of these trends on the firm, identifying the materials and services required to support company and strategic business unit strategies, and developing supply options.† (Ellram and Carr, 1994) There are many techniques, which can be undertaken by the management in order to improve the quality of management process. Some of them are described below. Time-Event Networks: Time network analysis is a logical extension of the famous Gantt chart. Often referred to as the program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) an in its essentials as the Critical Path Method (CPM), this technique of planning and control has wide potential use in many applications. But PERT and its various refinements, like PERT/COST, have considerable potential for use in many aspects of planning and controlling operations (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.648). For a company having the expanded supply chain PERT/ COST analysis should be performed in order to evaluate the effectiveness of supply chain. Value Engineering: A product can be improved and its cost lowered through value engineering, which consists of analyzing the operations of the product or service, estimating the value of each operation, and attempting to improve that operation by trying to keep costs low at each step or part. The following specific steps can be taken in order to improve the supply chain. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify the costs for each part and operation. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify each part’s relative contribution value to the final unit or product. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Find a new approach for those items, which appear to have high cost and low value. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.648) Work Simplification: Work methods can be improved through work simplification, which is the process of obtaining the participation of workers in simplifying their work. Training sessions should be conducted in the company to teach concepts and principles of techniques such as time and motion studies, workflow analyses, and the layout of the work situation. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.648) Quality Circles The supply chain management should establish a group of people from the same organizational area who meet regularly to solve problems they experience at work. (Goldstein, 1985; p.504-517) Members should be trained in solving problems, in applying statistical quality control, and in working in-groups. A facilitator should work with each group consisting of six to twelve members. The QCs may meet 4 hours a month. Although QC members may receive recognition, they should also receive monetary rewards. Quality circles should evolve from suggestion programs. In both approaches, workers will participate in solving work-related problems. Although in suggestion programs the problems are usually quite specific, those dealt with by quality control circles are often more complex and require the involvement of several team members. The team should consist primarily of rank-and-file workers and sometimes it can also include supervisors. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.649) The Concept of TQM: TQM is defined as both a philosophy and a set of guiding principles that represent the foundation of a continuously improving organization. It is the application of quantitative methods and human resources to improve all the process within an organization and exceed customer needs now and in the future. TQM integrates fundamental management techniques, existing improvement efforts, and technical tools under a disciplined approach. (Besterfield, Michna, Besterfied Sacre, p.1) Possibilities for improvements of the downstream supply chain: TQM is based on a number of ideas. It means thinking about quality in terms of all functions of the enterprise and is a start is a start-to-finish process that integrates interrelated functions at all levels. It is a systems approach that considers every interaction between the various elements of the organization. Thus, the overall effectiveness of the system is higher than the sum of the individual outputs from the subsystems. The subsystems include all the organizational functions in the life cycle of a product, such as (!) design, (2) planning, (3) production, (4) distribution, and (5) field service. The management subsystems also require integration, including (1) strategy with a customer focus, (2) the tools of quality and (3) employee involvement (the linking process that integrates the whole). A corollary is that any product, process, or service can be improved, and a successful organization is one that consciously seeks and exploits opportunities for improvement at all level s. The load-bearing structure is customer satisfaction. The watchword is continuous improvement. (Ross) Hence following steps should be taken in order to improve the supply chain of the company: 1. Management Commitment: Top management must become convinced of the need for quality and must clearly communicate this to the entire company be written policy, starting that each person is expected to perform according to the requirement or cause the requirement to be officially changed to what the company and the customers really need. 2. Quality improvement team: From a team composed of department heads to oversee improvements in their departments and in the company as a whole. 3. Quality measurement: Establish measurements appropriate to every activity in order to identify areas in need of improvement. 4. Cost of quality: Estimate the costs of quality in order to identify areas where improvements would be profitable. 5. Quality awareness: Raise quality awareness among employees. They non-conformance. 6. Corrective action: Take corrective action as a result of steps 3 and 4. 7. Zero defects planning: From a committee to plan a program appropriate to the company and its culture. 8. Supervisor training: All levels of management must be trained in how to implement their part of the quality improvement program. 9. Zero defects day: Schedule a day to signal to employees that the company has a new standard. 10.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Goal setting: Individuals must establish improvement goals for themselves and their groups. 11.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Error causes removal: Employees should be encouraged to inform management of any problems that prevent them from performing error free work. 12.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Recognition: Give public, non-financial appreciation to those who meet their quality goals or perform outstandingly. 13.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Quality councils: Composed of quality professionals and team chairpersons, quality councils should meet regularly to share experiences, problems, and ideas. 14.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Does it all over again: Repeat steps 1 to 13 in order to emphasize the never-ending process of quality improvement. (Ross) Conclusion: Production management refers to all those activities necessary to manufacture products; it may also include purchasing, warehousing, transportation, and other operations. Operations management has a similar meaning, referring to activities necessary to produce and deliver a service as well as a physical product. It is important for the supply chain management to give importance to all of the above activities. Since a low level of performance from any part of supply chain can effect the whole process.   (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.653) The method of operations research, which is the application of scientific methods to the study of alternatives in a problem situation to obtain a quantitative basis for arriving at the best solution, should be used. Other tools of production management such as linear programming inventory planning and control, the just-in time inventory system, and distribution logistics should be used to enhance the productivity of the Company. Other tools and tech niques such as time-event inventory system, engineering, work simplification, quality circles, total quality management, and a variety of computer-aided approaches can also be used according to the need. (Koontz and Weihrich, 1994; p.653)

Organizational behaviour and organisational analysis of behaviour in Pizza Hut The WritePass Journal

Organizational behaviour and organisational analysis of behaviour in Pizza Hut 1. Introduction Organizational behaviour and organisational analysis of behaviour in Pizza Hut 1. Introduction2. Mission Statement3. Marketing Strategy4. References Related 1. Introduction Organisational behaviour and organisational analysis are both subjects that deal with the behaviour of people in organizations, and together they contain a wealth of knowledge about this matter. However, each one has a somewhat different focus. The traditional concern of organisational behaviour is at macro level of organization and so it normally has a heavy, if not exclusive focus on the characteristics and processes of individuals and groups. Conversely, organizational analysis is much more heavily focused on the organization as a whole and deals with characteristics such as structure, effectiveness, goals and culture and also with process such as control, communication and change. (Rollinson, Broadfield Edwards, 1998, p.18).   To identify and critically analyse an organisational behaviour and/or human resource issue facing an organisation I have chosen the Company Pizza Hut. Pizza Hut (corporately known as Pizza Hut, Inc.) is an American restaurant chain and international franchise. Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 by brothers Dan and Frank Carney in their home town of Wichita, Kansas and headquarters in Plano, Texas, US.   A small 25 seat restaurant only had room for 9 letters on the sign†¦ the building looked like a hut. So ‘Pizza Hut’ was born! 2. Mission Statement A mission statement identifies operational objectives, assists in goal-directed behaviour of staff, describes performance standards, and speaks to organisational survival (Smith, Heady, Carson Carson, 2001).   And Williams (2002) suggested that organisations with a more comprehensive mission statement do better financially than those with an ambiguous mission or no mission at all. Similarly Pizza Hut takes pride in making perfect pizza and providing courteous and helpful service on time and all the time. They are the employers of choice offering team members opportunities for growth, advancement, and rewarding careers in a fun, safe working environment. 3. Marketing Strategy Most businesses find it easier to formulate strategies that outline how they intend to achieve their goals than how to implement them (Noble and Mokwa, 1999; Walker and Ruekert, 1987). The literature suggests that an important cause of such strategy implementation difficulties is the way businesses organize their marketing activities (McKee, Varadarajan, and Pride, 1989 and Walker and Ruekert, 1987).   In particular, marketing theory posits that to enable strategy implementation and achieve superior performance, managers should organize marketing activities in different ways depending on their business strategy (Slater and Olson 2000; Walker and Ruekert 1987).   However Pizza Hut is successfully enabled its marketing strategy. Pizza Hut marketing strategy is very simple: â€Å"We want to satisfy our customer by offering them the best.† In 1995, Pizza Hut began two customer satisfaction programs: a 1-800 number customer hotline, and a customer call-back program. These were implemented to make sure their customers were happy, and always wanted to return. 4. References Books, Web and Journals: 1. McKee, Daryl O., P. Rajan Varadarajan, and William M. Pride (1989), Strategic Adaptability and Firm Performance: A Market-Contingent Perspective, Journal of Marketing, 53 (July), 21-35. 2. Derek Rollinson, Aysen Broadfield and David J. Edwards. (1998). Organisational behaviour and analysis: an integrated approach. New York: Harlow: Addison-Wesley. p18. 3. Noble, Charles H. and Michael P. Mokwa (1999), Implementing Marketing Strategies: Developing and Testing a Managerial Theory, Journal of Marketing, 63 (October), 57-73. 4. Ruekert, Robert W. and Orville C. Walker (1987), Interactions Between Marketing and RD Departments in Implementing Different Business Strategies, Strategic Management Journal, 8 (May-June), 233-48. 5. Slater, Stanley F. (1995), Issues in Conducting Marketing Strategy Research, Journal of Strategic Marketing, 3(December), 257-70. 6. Smith, M., Heady, R. B., Carson, P. P., Carson, K. D. (2001). Do missions accomplish their missions? An exploratory analysis of mission statement content and organizational longevity. Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship, available on-line at huizenga.nova.edu/jame/. 7. Williams, C. (2002). Effective Management. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western Publishing. fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Pizza-Hut-Inc-Company-History.html

ACT Aspire Practice Tests Where to Find Free Tests

ACT Aspire Practice Tests Where to Find Free Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Has your school district started using ACT Aspire? Because Aspire only rolled out a few years ago (2014), it's possible you have a lot of questions about what the test will be like. Want to get some practice before you take it for real? We'll give you links to free practice tests for each section of Aspire and explain how to best prepare for the test. What Exactly Is ACT Aspire? The ACT Aspire is a test given each year to students in third through tenth grade. Because Aspire tests Common Core standards, it includes varied questions types (like open response, sorting, and long answer). While its format is fairly distinct from the regular multiple-choice ACT, however, it does test some of the same concepts and skills. (For more information on what exactly is tested on the ACT Aspire, be sure to read this post.) In addition to preparing students for the ACT, Aspire aims to track student growth over time. The yearly score reports can help students see their strengths and weaknesses compared to others at their grade level. Why Are ACT Aspire Practice Tests Hard to Find? There aren't many ACT Aspire prep books available. Image via Angel Franco/The New York Times. A student preparing for the ACT could find dozens, if not hundreds, of practice tests. The ACT itself releases practice tests, tutoring companies write their own, and prep books often contain at least two full-length practice tests. So what about Aspire? Why are there so few practice tests for it? There are many reasons. A big one is the fact that Aspire is so new (it started rolling out in 2014), so there is much less information available about it. Furthermore, Aspire tests different questions for different grade levels. Given that Aspire is offered to students in grades 3-10 (or roughly ages 8-15), it’s hard to put together practice problems for so many potential age groups. Plus, the varied questions types make it harder to write a practice test (as opposed to just putting together a bunch of multiple choice questions). However, the main reason there aren’t many practice tests for ACT Aspire is its purpose. While the ACT is a test that students take independently for college admissions, Aspire is a test that entire school districts take to monitor student progress. In other words, the expectation is that teachers will prepare students for what’s on ACT Aspire. Students are not seen as responsible for preparing on their own like they are for the ACT. Links to ACT Aspire Practice Tests Still, if you want to get some practice for Aspire- or just see what the test is like- there are full practice sections by grade and subject that can be taken online, or printable PDFs with questions for each age group. If you're a student, this is a great way to get introduced to Aspire’s format before you take it for the first time in class; if you're a teacher, this is a great way to introduce your students to the format. To access the online version, go to this website and enter the user name and password for the test section you want to try. You will see different log-in usernames depending on the test section and grade level that you want to access. Each test contains between 24 and 42 sample questions. Unfortunately, the tests do not come with answer keys, so if you're a student, you'll need to work with your teacher to make sure you're getting the right answer; if you're a teacher, you'll need to go through and check your students'answers manually. There are also PDF versions of an older set of practice tests (with answer keys) for all subjects except writing. These practice tests contain a mix of questions divided by grade level, so they won't provide as much targeted practice as the online tests above. Also, note that the answer keys don’t provide answers for open-response questions. English Practice Test English Answer Key Mathematics Practice Test Mathematics Answer Key Reading Practice Test Reading Answer Key Science Practice Test Science Answer Key For example, if you’re giving these printable sample questions to your third-grader, only focus on the last few questions per section- the first questions will stump them! If you’re a high schooler, you can easily take the whole practice test. Middle schoolers can attempt the entire test as well, but be aware the first few questions will likely be very challenging. How Will These Help You Get Ready for ACT Aspire? If you take the practice sections online, you can get used to the format of Aspire (toggling back and forth between questions, inputting answers for the various question types, etc). You can also get a sense of how difficult the questions targeted for your grade level are. If you find the test tricky, you could reach out to your teacher and ask for additional resources to help you prepare If you’re at the high school level, the questions for you are quite similar to the ACT. If you want more practice, it would be appropriate for you to look at ACT practice tests, though be aware the ACT only has multiple-choice questions (excluding the optional essay). Furthermore, the ACT tests more challenging math, up to trigonometry. Why You Shouldn’t Stress About ACT Aspire While working through these practice sets can definitely help you prepare for Aspire, don't assume that burden is on you alone. As we mentioned earlier, Aspire is for school districts to monitor student progress. Your Aspire scores have zero effect on your GPA or your college admissions chances. No colleges require, or even accept, ACT Aspire scores for admission. If you (or your child) has Aspire testing coming up and you feel unprepared, feel free to check out the practice problems above, but also speak to your teacher. Your teacher can explain their plan for preparing the class for Aspire and give some insight as to how the test will be used at your school. Bottom line: unlike with the ACT, it is not a student’s independent responsibility to prepare for the ACT Aspire. What’s Next? Do ACT Aspire scores really predict your ACT score? Read our analysis on the subject here. Do you have a high-achieving middle school student (or are you one)? Read about programs they can do at Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford to further develop their talents. High schoolers, want links to free, official ACT practice tests? We’ve got ‘em! Does it make sense to start preparing for the ACT as a seventh, eighth, or ninth grader? Find out with our exclusive guides. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Halle Edwards About the Author Halle Edwards graduated from Stanford University with honors. In high school, she earned 99th percentile ACT scores as well as 99th percentile scores on SAT subject tests. She also took nine AP classes, earning a perfect score of 5 on seven AP tests. As a graduate of a large public high school who tackled the college admission process largely on her own, she is passionate about helping high school students from different backgrounds get the knowledge they need to be successful in the college admissions process. 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Monopolies and oligopolies Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Monopolies and oligopolies - Coursework Example In engaging in such an action, Google as company put other players at a fix. In other words, due to the unhealthy competition, firms in the European Economic Area (EEA) suffered both peculiar and non-peculiar cost. Through analysis, whenever there is a genuine complaint antitrust, it is linked with the dollar figure sense, and for the case of Google, it was worse since it was related to fix pricing. The world has become very dynamic and competitive and thus it is evident that monopolies are not good for any society. For instance the society is more often than not failing to benefit from the single player. Decline in consumer surplus, less incentives, higher consumer prices are a common trend in an industry dominated by monopolies. Sadly, the firms in these industries benefit from the market power behind a monopoly since they can obtain more economic profit by having prices at higher possible point. These firms likewise use the economic profits from the monopoly acts to invest in development and research with resources for the company and thus hugely benefit given the diseconomies of sale. On the other hand, Oligopoly’s case is much unique since the industry has few but large firms. In this regard, if they interfere with price setting it may be a great disadvantage of the final consumer. With no competition or just little competition within the market, these few firms may not have the will to expand or improve their production to benefit their consumers. While having little to new competition in the market can be a bad thing it can also be an advantage for them as they can make huge profits. In cases where prices are easily comparable, it forces firms to set their market prices competitively which are beneficial for the consumers. Antitrust investigation normally implies all the inquiry carried out with a view to obtain the involvement of their business in any illegal business act

Homo heidelbergensis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Homo heidelbergensis - Research Paper Example Another group headed to eastwards side throughout Asia and evolved to Denisovans. Homo heidelbergensis were discovered in 1907 near Herdelberg, Germany. Between 300000 and 400000 years ago, a group of Homo heidelbergensis left Africa, one group went into Europe and west Asia and another group went eastwards through Asia which later evolved into Homo Sapiens about 130,000 years ago. The Schoningen spears were discovered between 1994 and 1998 in Schoningen, Germany under the management of Dr. Hartmut Thieme. About 16000 animal bones were also found at that time approximated to be about 300000 years old. These were the oldest complete hunting weapons preserved in the world and provided proof that Homo heidelbergensis was hunting. In 1992, a team from Spain located about 5500 human bones in Sima de los Huesos site, northern Spain that were dated to be at least 350000 years of age. The pit that was excavated had 32 individuals. In 1994, a british scientist discovered a lower hominin Tibia bone a few distance from the English channel together with many primordial hand axes at Boxgrove Quarry site. The discovered leg dated between 478000 to 524000 years old. A number of Homo heidelbergensis teeth were also discovered in subsequent researches. In 2005, there was a discovery of flint tools from water vole in Suffolk, England. Mimomys Savini which was a key dating species were discovered at Pakefields, Suffolk in the cliff. This is an indication that Hominins can be dated to 700000 years ago in England. Homo heidelbergensis is approximately 300000 to 400000 years old as evidenced in the above descriptions. About 30 human skeletons found in Atapuerca, Spain suggested that Homo heidelbergensis were the first species to bury their dead. The Homo heidelbergensis was discovered by first discovered by Daniel Hartman in 1907 in Mauer,

College Costs How Much Essay Example for Free

College Costs How Much Essay Growing up, students were taught to get a higher education in order to make a comfortable living for them and their families. Now, those college graduates are crippled with large amounts of debilitating student loans and are unable to start a family of their own. According to the credit bureau TransUnion, the average student loan debt carried by each borrower has risen 30% to $23,829 in the past five years. These graduates should be stimulating the economy by buying cars and houses, but instead they are sending their paychecks to the bank to pay back their enormous loans. The aggregated amount of student debt has soared over the past several years due to so many people deciding to go back to college after being laid off from their jobs, a rapid rise in college tuition, and schools that give out worthless degrees. The New York Times states that in the 1970s, the median wage was 40% higher for college graduates than for those with just a high school diploma; today, the wage premium has risen to about 80%. Although there are options to get a degree quickly, it is not always the best idea. It is concerning that some schools promise a degree in less time, yet charge the same amount as a four year university. The Art Institute is one of the biggest offenders. They offer a three year culinary program that costs close to $100,000 while the graduates only average about $12 per hour after graduation. It is impossible to pay back those types of loans with basically a minimum wage job. Also, possible employers would much rather hire someone who has been studying the subject for four to six years rather than just a few months, so it can be very challenging for those students to find a job. The fact that our country’s student loan debt is currently valued at $1 trillion dollars, while the cost of tuition is rapidly increasing, is the most concerning effect of this crisis. Today, about half of college graduates are either underemployed or do not have a job at all. The tide is not going to turn until the job market improves. One of the problems in the job market is that jobs are not opening up as quickly as they should because people are pushing back retirement to help pay for their children’s loans. Students fresh out of college are putting off getting married and starting families because they do not have the secure job future they were promised would come with their college degree. Families have also decreased in size because parents are not able to afford as many children. Public schools are overflowing with students because the alternative private schools are just too expensive. This debilitating debt could cause the millennials, people aged 18 to 34, to be one of the first generations in America to not make a better living than their parents did. It is not ethical to force such a large amount of debt on an 18-year-old who has never even had a credit card before. Too many schools use students as pawns to make thousands of dollars than actually helping them succeed and become a member of a functioning society. The student loan debt problem is going to continue to rise dramatically unless we stop the problem where it started- the greedy universities and â€Å"for-profit† schools. Our government needs to make laws and restrictions based on how much a school can charge for tuition. Because filing for bankruptcy with student loans is impossible, the schools continue to raise the cost of tuition knowing that they will most likely get their money in the end. Now, we have schools charging ridiculous amounts for a mediocre degree while the average graduate makes about $12 an hour. There is no way in the world that graduate would be able to pay off those gargantuan student loans without having more than one job. Tuition should be a percentage of the average income of an employer with that degree so that it is possible to pay back in a reasonable amount of time. If schools went back to offering a great education for an affordable price our country would have a much easier time fixing our limping economy.

Michael Wigglesworth: Devoted Preacherman Overcomes Sickliness And Sill

Michael Wigglesworth: Devoted Preacherman Overcomes Sickliness And Silly Name to Write The First American Bestseller THE MAN (NO MYTH, NO LEGEND) Puritan diaries provide feeble fodder for biographical blurbs. Most diaries focus primarily on spiritual growth. The diary of Michael Wigglesworth is hardly an exception. As noted in the reputable Dictionary of Literary Biography, "Wigglesworth’s private, personal life is surrounded by much ambiguity and conjecture." Wigglesworth (1631-1705) spent the bulk of his life in Malden, Massachusetts, his activities alternating between preaching, writing preachy poetry, and retching in pain. He studied at Harvard and eventually became a practicing physician and minister. He hardly had a year of preaching under his proverbial belt when an obscure "painful, lingering" disease smote him silly. The disease ravaged his innards for nearly twenty years, during which time he had to decline the presidency of Harvard and turn to poetry as a means of preaching from his sickbed (Bosco 337-342). When compared to some of his contemporaries, Wigglesworth composed a fairly slim collection of poetry. However, "The Day of Doom," an Edwards-esque diatribe detailing the second coming of Christ, achieved immense popularity. Hailed by numerous scholars as "the first American bestseller," the poem (comprise of 224 eight-line stanzas) was an immediate success in the American colonies. Generations of schoolchildren memorized it, and their pious parents clutched it closely. Perhaps roused by his success, or by his marriage to a woman 25 years his junior, Wigglesworth "made a startling recovery" and spurned his disease. As Cotton Mather observed, "It pleased God wondrously to restore His Faithful Servant. He... ...mporaries: Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor. Wigglesworth’s style "strikes contemporary readers as more appropriate to the pulpit than to poetic stanzas." The didactic style, exactly what Puritan readers favored, displeases most modern readers (Bosco 337-342). Works Cited Bosco, Ronald A. "Michael Wigglesworth." Dictionary of Literary Biography. Vol 24: American Colonial Writers. Ed. Emory Elliot. Princeton U: Gale Group, 1984. 337-342. Radel, Nicholas F. " A Sodom Within: Historicizing Puritan Homoerotics in the Diary of Michael Wigglesworth." The Puritan Origins of American Sex. Eds. Tracy Fessenden, Nicholas F. Radel, and Magdalena J. Zaborowska. New York: Routledge, 2001. Works Consulted Wigglesworth, Michael. The Day of Doom, or a Poetical Description of the Great and Last Judgment. Ed. Kenneth B. Murdock. New York: Russell & Russell, 1966.

The origin of hurricanes and predictability of hurricane tracks

Low pressure systems form at mid latitude temperate zones as a result of the convergence of warm and cold air masses. Low pressure systems generally form over the polar front where the polar maritime air (a cold air mass) and tropical maritime air (a warm air mass) meet. Air currents in this area within the Northern Hemisphere will flow counter-clockwise due to the rotation of the earth and surface friction. Air flows accumulate at the centre of the system, and the warm air rises because it is less dense, leading to low pressure at the surface. It contains more moisture than the polar maritime air and as a result, when it ascends, it condenses and produces clouds and rain. Cirrus type clouds are the first clouds that are usually created at this point. A circulation of air rotates in an anticlockwise motion due to the coriolis effect. The tropical maritime air swirls around the polar front, the system matures and eventually a warm and cold front is created. At the warm front, the warm air rises over the cold air, the cirrus clouds develop to be cirrostratus, altostratus and nimbostratus clouds which eventually will lead to heavy rain because of the condensation of the warm air. Towards the edge of the warm front, conditions are more stable and pressure stops decreasing as much. No longer is there so much condensation and therefore there is less rain. Polar maritime air is fast, dense, and strong. Eventually the air pushes in and forces the warm air off the ground, creating instability. The pressure increases, as the air ascends rapidly, cumulonimbus clouds form bringing in heavy rain and storms[1]. The cold front consists of heavier and denser air and displaces the warmer and lighter air, because of this, it moves faster than the warm front and it will ultimately catch up with it. Warm air is forced off the ground by the cold air, and once this happens, an occlusion is created. Uniform air begins to fill the gap between the warm front and the cold front and this is where the low pressure system begins to die away. At tropical latitudes, if sea surface temperatures are above 27 degrees c[2], then the low pressure system will grow. If the conditions are right, tropical thunderstorms may develop to become a hurricane. Low pressure systems often begin to rotate around a central area of low pressure. This is known as a tropical depression, if the depression increases in intensity so that winds reach at least 39 mph, it's categorised as a tropical storm. If wind speeds reach and average of 74 mph[3], it known as tropical cyclone or hurricane. Hurricanes/ tropical cyclones mainly develop in the region between 10 and 20 degrees North of the equator (Goldenberg, 2001). When a storm grows to become a hurricane/tropical cyclone, it is described as a non-frontal low pressure system[4] and can reach up to 340 miles across in diameter[5]. Hurricanes absorb energy from the warm water of the ocean, and a thunderstorm will continue to grow so long as there is a fuel source i. e a supply of moist air and heat. This source is normally found above the water in tropical waters. When the heat supply is cut off i. when the hurricane begins to migrate northwards (or southwards), over colder water, it will weaken and die away. Heat from the oceans is the primary source of energy for hurricanes, [6]and so, the greater the heat of the SST [7]the more intense and frequent hurricanes in that area will be (Goldenberg, et al, 2001). Hurricanes don't usually develop far inland due to the lack of moisture. [8] If there is no moisture, then clouds are not likely to form. Cloud formation results in the generation of latent heat. Latent heat is the heat needed to initiate a change of phase i. to a state of higher energy, e. g. from solid to liquid, or liquid to gas, in this context though, it's from liquid to a gas. As clouds are not generated as much, then not much latent heat is released. the majority of hurricanes originate and stay within the oceans, though they do occasionally travel inland, and the effects they can have on the environment, society and on the economy of the affected area are potentially devastating. The coriolis effect, which is a product of the earth's rotation is the reason that storms rotate and why a hurricane has a typical swirling formation. The rotation of the storm causes air to be drawn into the extreme low pressure at the centre (eye) of the storm. As the air rotates, the air ascends. The rising air is very moist, the higher the altitude, the colder the temperature, and so, it condenses forming clouds. Hurricanes aren't found within 0-5 degrees north and south of the equator ((300 miles (500 kilometers)) of the equator because the coriolis effect is at its weakest at this point, so the storm doesn't have enough spin, and there isn't enough force to maintain low pressure in the centre of the system. Meteorologists can predict hurricanes in two main ways : through the use of seasonal probabilities and tracking of hurricanes that are in existence at a current point of time using modelling techniques[9]. Annually, scientists work out how many storms are likely to develop into hurricanes/tropical storms and they also calculate how many are likely to make landfall. Using statistical techniques such as CLIPER[10], past data, and by sending aeroplanes into the centre of storms they can determine wind speeds, temperatures and can predict the intensity of a hurricane, and how many people it is likely to affect. Many scientists try and determine the paths of hurricanes, and it's a difficult duty because not all hurricanes have defined paths, however; the typical characteristics and properties of the weather and ocean in a specific area allow scientists to have a rough idea to which path a hurricane is likely to follow. If the path is predicted then warning and protection can be provided for those that could potentially be affected and this is the best way to prevent a social, economic and environmental disaster from happening. Hurricanes form in various areas depending on the various times of the hurricane season (Reading, 1990). Tracks can be predicted efficiently however, accuracy seems to be an issue in many cases. Models have become more accurate (NOAA,2004) and prediction techniques have improved (Aberson,2001), however there is still a large uncertainty and error is still an issue. It is easier to predict exactly where a hurricane is going to make landfall the closer to landfall the storm is. So the further the hurricane is away from land, the more error there is when trying to work out its path (NOAA,2004). This is mainly due to natural changes in the storms physical characteristics. It has been determined by NOAA, that, 5 days before landfall there is an average of 350 miles of error, and one day before landfall there is a 100 mile error, [11]which is a major problem because a difference of that mileage could determine whether or not whole cities or villages need to be evacuated or not, and if there is an error, it could be devastating.

Mussolini’s Relationship with Hitler

There were many similarities between Mussolini and Hitler even though the two exhibited some differences. Having risen to power earlier, in the 1920s, Mussolini was the senior between the two and had a great influence on Hitler. Hitler saw in him a teacher who helped him shape his policies. The two however had individual characteristics that made their lives quite different. As much as Hitler went to school and graduated as a fine art student, Mussolini was self – educated (Trifkovic 1993). The latter had a larger than life approach to life and he wanted to be perceived as a superman by the people. In this way he would fake pictures portraying him as a master of various skills including a pilot, wrestler etc. On the other hand Hitler had a less colorful view of life. He was more successful in battle; being able to win majority of the wars that he staged against his enemies. In this way Germany was able to conquer other nations. As much as his friend found it easy to conquer other nations due to his early war experience and the huge army back at home; Mussolini had a difficult time in winning battles. In most of the battles he had to depend on the assistance of the Germans in order to become victorious (Carpi 1994). The two leaders were nevertheless hungry for power and were inclined to totalitarian leadership. They both had been wounded in battle and had almost taken a similar avenue to power (Hayes 1995). There election promise to restore hope and help solve the unemployment problem earned them the support and sympathy from the majority voters. In some way they did not fail as both German and Italy significantly reduced the levels of unemployment in the initial years of their leadership (Cassels 1963). The two had a hot cold relationship. Despite the signing the Pact of Steel, which called for cooperation between the two countries in matters economical, militaristic and on foreign policy issues; still there are times when one of the countries would act without due consultation with the other. Ascension to Power There is great similarity in the manner that the two leaders campaigned for political leadership and got elected to the office. There countries by the time were facing unemployment problems, hopelessness and disillusionment. The citizens were therefore anticipating for someone who would literary save them from the situation. The coming of both Mussolini and Hitler was perceived as a great relieve to the economic situation of the time. There campaign which was fierce propaganda helped to catapult the two dictators into office. This propaganda continued to play a key role in the governments and administration of the day; the citizens were totally unaware of the true information that the government was acting upon. In times of war or when the government made important decisions that directly or indirectly affected the lives of the citizens; there were totally kept in the dark (Weber 1982). The two dictators all had a similar script to help them rule over the people (Flood 1989). They were at a point of establishing a new leadership whereby the individual was the one and only decision maker. This totalitarian government did not tolerate any form of opposition either from an individual or groups. It was therefore common for those who expressed ideas or views that were opposed to the leader to either face prosecution without trial or they were simply liquidated. The two leaders had an unquenchable thirst for power. This trait seemed to have cemented their relationship as they tended to see oneself in the character of the other. Hitler had been able to learn from Mussolini the way to govern a nation with the full authority centered on one individual. In mastering the way Mussolini carried out the affairs of the nation and particularly the conduct of the military; Hitler was eventually able to come up with his own style of leadership (Flood 1989). He was however very critical to avoid the mistakes that his friend had made. So in imitating his manner and way of leadership, he was also aware of the pitfalls that come with overindulgence more so exhibitionism. Foreign Policy It is because of the thirst for power and having the same style of leadership that the two dictators had to settle for an agreement such that they will support one another in case of war. This agreement otherwise referred to as the Pact of Steel was more in favor of Hitler’s Germany that is was for Italy (Corrado 1993). There was an unquenchable thirst for power on the part of Mussolini – for he had seen a powerful ally in Germany – that made him sign the deal. Later on it came to Italy’s realization that Germany was too aggressive in a bid to try and expand its influence thus fought a number of war expecting the cooperation of Italy. At least in two instances Italy declined to get involved in the wars despite the agreement. In both the 1939 and 1940 war, the former being the German’s invasion of Poland, there had been no cooperation between the countries. In the latter case the hesitation came since Mussolini had seen the possibility of Germany benefiting entirely from the invasion. The foreign policies of both Mussolini and Hitler were primarily addressing the expansion of their empire. The two would not squander any opportunity to try and spread there influence. For instance the involvement of Italy in the Spanish war was basically as a result of hunger for power by Mussolini. In this civil war that proved to be quite unpopular in Italy; was a way to get another member to the club of dictators. Already Hitler and Mussolini had perceived themselves as the most powerful nations in Europe. The two come up with an axis to which the other European countries revolved. According to Mussolini Italy would not miss the opportunity to spread its power and influence to other nations. In this stance Italy was backed by Germany and together they rallied their support for Franco. The two were in favor of another establishment of a Fascist dictatorship in Europe. In this war there combined force succeeded in having Franco joining the club of dictators. The effect of this war was a further alienation of Italy from the rest of Europe. It implied that the only option and way that was open to Italy was to augment its friendship with Germany. The Military The military might of Germany was not only one of the best but also the biggest. It was said to be five times more that the limit set by international standards. The significance of the great numbers of the officers was apparent. The nation went and fought many wars and was able to be successful in most of them. The military had been well equipped with sophisticated weapons and personnel that made it difficult to be defeated by any other nation. The two leaders were so much fascinated by the army such that even they themselves would always be seen in the army uniforms. In these military activities the leaders also were able to influence one another in one way or another. For instance the Nazi salute came from a direct imitation from the Mussolini army. Similarly there are a number of ideas that Mussolini borrowed from Hitler after he had visited his country and allowed to see the military. On seeing the military might of the Germans he made up his mind to maintain friendship with Hitler. Mussolini knew little about the military hence it was always divided and fragmented. There seemed to be no way to make the factions stick together and be loyal to their commander-in – chief. For a period of a decade or so Mussolini tried to consolidate and manage the military effectively. He could achieve but little success in this regard as his military exhibited weakness due to the internal divisions. This can be contrasted to his friend whose military was so compact and their loyalty was not compromised. The military was more of a cult than a professional body meant to safeguard the security of the nation. The German soldiers were simply dehumanized such that they were like automatons to follow orders that were given by their superiors. Together in Fascism Fascism seemed to have glued the two dictators together. They both found great relieve and prestige in holding absolute power. Fascism is regarded as unmasked capitalism since it has as its core value the idea of big business (Weber 1982). The two dictators were beneficiaries of the big business helping them ascend to leadership positions. It was therefore there prime role to ensure that the idea does not die with their coming into power. Fascism therefore continued to appeal to the emotions of the masses as it took on symbolism such as the hand salute, flags and creeds. Both Hitler and Mussolini exhibited these qualities and also the tendency towards racism, nationalism and sadism. Fascism detested so much the status quo and this has been the defining trait of both the dictators. Mussolini ensured that all political parties were dissolved. This gave him absolute power to rule over the state of Italy. He got to control each and everything in the country; the most powerful ministries were placed in his hands. These include defense, home and foreign affairs and corporations. Similarly he employed a lot of propaganda machinery such that the citizens are kept out of the picture. Everyone was made to believe that Fascism was the one and only system that could work in the 20th century (Griffin 2000). The other forms of government such as democracy and liberalism were to be shunned since they were outdated and could not be adopted. This manner of leadership was much akin to that of Adolph Hitler, just like his friend, he accomplished most of his goals through propaganda. A student of Mussolini, Hitler perfected the art of propaganda (Sternhell 1994). He was able to persuade the entire nation to support his goals and ideals in order to achieve a common purpose. Hitler had an entire ministry allotted to propaganda. Initially Mussolini held the policy of privatization of industries to the satisfaction of the financers. This was however a short term measure as the policy was reversed such that the government took on the control of the industries (Seldes 1935). As Mussolini struggled to ensure economic and financial independence of Italy – it was vital the country to have enough resources. This was not the case with Italy which struggled with limited resource allocation. To some extend Hitler had the resources to sustain his economy. He was able to solve the unemployment problem in the country and meet the demands of the huge army. Though the nation had been sidelined by other nations due to its aggressive behavior, still the economy did not flounder. This success story did not last for long as there were many obstacles on the way of achieving the goals that the leaders had set in mind. The Fascism ideology failed in its endeavor to bring some substantial changes in the human person and the society at large. First the two major personalities that stood for the idea actually met the most miserable of deaths. No one really wants to remember the actions of the two dictators. Similarly the goals of Fascism namely to come up with a society and human beings that are heroically moral were never to be realized. At first both Mussolini and Hitler were revered and admired by the citizen as they seem to have brought the changes that were badly needed by them and the society as a whole (Trifkovic 1993). This did not last long more so for Mussolini whom everyone soon realized his true character. The alienation of the two individuals by the civilized nations of Europe show how they were affected by their policies. However one cannot simply dismiss Mussolini as a failure who brought nothing but misery to his country. On the contrary Mussolini has been noted to have established the most stable government ever. It is as a result of his government that the nation of Italy can boast of a stable foundation. Similarly the good infrastructure of the country traces its roots back to the leadership of Mussolini. This is not to approve of his character or Fascism as a form of leadership. Any leader can take advantage of any form of leadership. In the case of Mussolini and Hitler the two used the power that had been bestowed on them to ensure that no one opposes their leadership. They systematically eliminated the individuals or groups that were not in favor of their policies. Common Tendencies Since Mussolini and Hitler were regarded as friends they were prone to show similarities in their actions. In some of their actions however the two lacked straight forwardness and tended to be some aspect of distrust. Germany and Italy both left the League of Nations, the former in 1933 while the latter – incensed by the imposition of sanctions by the league after invading Ethiopia – left in 1939. This shows how closely the two leaders influenced the behavior of one other. The attempt to try and occupy Albania by Mussolini had been noted as being synonymous with Hitler’s invasion and later occupation of Czechoslovakia and Austria. This attempt, unlike that of Hitler, did not bear any fruit as the Italian forces were defeated and forced to withdraw from Albania. The foreign policy of the two dictators were therefore similar to a greater extend but the political and military might of Germany was far much superior compared to that of Italy. It is for this reason that analysts were concerned that Mussolini was in fact simply a puppet of his comrade. The foreign policies of Mussolini and Hitler were meant for the achievement of power and status. There were both in favor of the expansion of their empires. To achieve this purpose the dictators employed force and diplomacy. For instance in 1935 take over of Ethiopia, Mussolini had to use force. Similarly Hitler had to threaten with the use of force in order to occupy Austria. In this way the two dictators exhibit the same manner of approach in an attempt to gain power. In brief the two fascist dictators were cut in the same cloth (Trifkovic 1993). There character though seemed to show some variation it was nonetheless the same. Everything that the two dictators did could be brought down to the thirst for power. This was mostly accomplished through wars. The Wars The civil war in Spain that lasted for three years saw the exhibition of new weapons and brought to the fore rivalries between the nations. The war simply showed who is who in the world. There were democracies on one hand comprising of countries such as Belgium, Britain, France and Holland. One the other hand there were the totalitarian regimes which included Russia, Italy and Germany. The might of these nations was to be exhibited in Spain during the civil war. Countries such as France and Britain however did not want to get involved in the crisis and therefore kept off the battlefield. This war was therefore fueled by external forces with little participation of internal forces. In participating in the war, Mussolini was acting against the will of a significant number of Italians. The war was not popular with the majority people since it was simply meant to quench the thirst for power of an individual. Mussolini wanted to have another dictator to join in Europe to join him and Hitler. In this endeavor together with Hitler they recorded huge success after General Franco won the war. Italy had been reluctant to join the First World War due to domestic policies that favored a liberal stance. By then Mussolini was allied to the socialist party thus held to the principles of the party. He later on changed his mind and joined Hitler’s faction on the battlefield. This angered the socialist party leadership thus resulting to his expulsion from the party. Similarly in the Second World War Mussolini was reluctant to join his friend as he was unsure on which side to fight. He was later to make up his mind after he had witnessed the progress in the war. Despite the fact that Hitler was more successful in war compared to Mussolini, the wars kept their relationship close and tight. The invasion of Italy to both Greek and Ethiopia – the former due to the supposed killing of her soldiers while the latter just a revenge mission on an occurrence that happened many years back – led the country to face sanctions from the League of Nations. This was very disagreeable to Mussolini thus making him withdraw from the league. He, just as his friend Hitler had come to the realization that the league could not stand on the way to acquisition of colonies. In order to understand the two leaders one has to place their actions in their respective context. It was the time when the nation’s exalted wars and there was much honor and prestige in conquering another nation. The philosophy of the time was mostly in the favor of the Germanys. This is notably Fred rich Nietzsche whom it is said to have influenced both Hitler and Mussolini with his idea of the superman. This idea was later to become the obsession of Mussolini. He wanted everyone to believe that he had extraordinary qualities. In his approach to many issues and problems that faced his country, Mussolini lacked a realistic approach. Betrayal In one way or another friendship between Mussolini and Hitler has not been smooth running. There have been ups and downs; sometimes they did cooperate while other times the two were totally on different paths. In most cases Mussolini was the victim of the betrayal as he was the lesser of the two in the relationship. In the Pact of Steel for instance the two were to stand by one another in case one declared war on another country. This was not to be as Italy was reluctant to join Germany in its attempt to invade Poland; an incidence that caused the Second World War (Trifkovic 1993). In failing to join his friend in war despite the deal that had been made earlier on, Mussolini was declaring his independence. There is also the possibility that the army was not prepared to fight at the time. The failure to abide by the Pact of Steel can also be as a result of the feeling that Hitler was opportunistic. His military was in fact more aggressive compared to that of Italy. This meant that Italy will serve as the puppet to be manipulated by Germany. Considering the character of both Mussolini and Hitler, none would be willing to accept such a demeaning position. Even with the apparent friendship between Mussolini and Hitler, the latter was said to have recommended Hitler for excommunication to the pope. This action, considering the closeness of the two, had two implications; one is that in essence it sounds factual and quite obvious. On the other hand it is shocking for the suggestion to come from ones friend. The two had cooperated in many things and continued to do so. In fact when everyone else seemed to turn his back against Mussolini, it is Hitler that came to his rescue. The incidence is therefore quite shocking as it is interesting. For no one really knew the true character of these individuals. Not even there closest friends. Nevertheless the two did cooperate in many spheres of life. If it were not for the support of the Germany military, then Mussolini will not have achieved some of the victories that were pegged to his name and regime (Cassels 1963). The most significant aspect of the relationship is the rescue that was carried out by the German soldiers. Mussolini having been arrested and imprisoned in the mountain top; it took the world by storm to see that the German soldiers were able to rescue him (Trifkovic 1993). This was a true display of friendship between Hitler and Mussolini. In fact after the rescue Mussolini was reported to have anticipated his friend’s assistance. Likewise Hitler could not afford to do nothing considering that the friend has been kept in prison. Conclusion It is apparent that for anyone to effectively discuss the actions of Mussolini he will not avoid to mention Hitler. The two cooperated in a number of ways and in carrying out the affairs that badly affected the world. Among the things that fascinated the two principles were war and the military. The obsession with both the military and war made them to always show up in the public in full military uniforms. Nothing however is more notable of the two than their thirst for power. It is primarily for the want of excessive power that the two Fascist dictators saw a similarity in one another bringing them closer together. Even though Mussolini had pioneered in totalitarian leadership, it is Hitler that perfected the practice. He learned from the failures of Mussolini thus able to avoid the pitfalls. In brief, the relationship between Mussolini and Hitler had been a friendly one till when death set them apart.