Biography of Henry Ford, Industrialist and Inventor

Biography of Henry Ford, Industrialist and Inventor Henry Ford was an American  industrialist, the founder of the  Ford Motor Company, and the sponsor of the development of the  assembly line  technique of  mass production. Fast Facts: Henry Ford Known For: American industrialist, founder of the Ford Motor Company.Born: July 30, 1863, Dearborn, Michigan.Parents: Mary Litogot Ahern Ford (1839–1876) and William Ford (1826- 1905) (m. April 21, 1861).Died: April 7, 1947, Dearborn, Michigan.Education: Scotch Settlement School in Dearborn to the 6th grade, apprentice in a machine shop, and general business studies at Bryant Stratton Business University in Detroit.  Published Works: My Life and Work.  Spouse: Clara Jane Bryant (m. 1888–1947).Children: Edsel (November 6, 1893–May 26, 1943). Early Life Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, one of eight and the oldest of five that survived to adulthood, of Mary Litogot Ahern and William Ford. William (1826–1905) was an Irish immigrant, born in Clonakilty in County Cork, who fled the Irish potato famine with two borrowed pounds and  a set of carpentry tools. He settled in Detroit where a number of his uncles lived, and quickly accrued land. At three years of age, Mary Litogot Ahern (1839–1876) and her three brothers were orphaned; Mary was adopted by a couple named Margaret and Patrick Ahern. She and William married on April 21, 1861: Marys dowry included 90 acres and after they were married, their sizable farm totaled 250 acres. By the time Henry was born, they were among the most important and wealthy families in Dearborn.   Education Henry was educated in two one-room schoolhouses, the Scottish Settlement School and the Miller School, finishing six grades. The building was eventually moved to Fords Greenfield village and opened to tourists. From his graduation in 1876 Henry worked on his fathers farm but after harvest 1878, he abruptly left, walking off without permission to Detroit where he stayed with his fathers sister Rebecca. He took a job at the streetcar manufacturer Michigan Car Company Works, but was fired after six days and had to return home. In 1879, William got Henry an apprenticeship at the James Flower and Brothers Machine shop in Detroit where he lasted 9 months, leaving for the Detroit Dry Dock Company, pioneers in iron ships and Bessemer steel. Neither job paid him enough to cover his rent, so he took a night job with a jeweler, cleaning and repairing watches.   Henry Ford returned to the farm in 1882, where he operated a small portable steam threshing machine, the Westinghouse Agricultural Engine, for a neighbor. He was very good at it, and over the summers of 1883–1884, he was hired by the company to operate and repair engines made and sold in Michigan and northern Ohio.   Marriage and Future Plans In December of 1885, Ford met Clara Jane Bryant (1866–1950) at a New Years Eve party and they married on April 11, 1888. Ford continued to work the farm- his father gave him an acreage- but his heart was in tinkering and and he clearly had business in mind. Over the winters of 1888-1890, Henry Ford enrolled in Goldsmith, Bryant Stratton Business University in Detroit, where he likely took penmanship, bookkeeping, mechanical drawing, and general business practices. By the early 1890s, Ford was convinced that he could construct a horseless carriage: but he didnt know enough about electricity, so in September 1891, he took a job with the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit. After his first and only son Edsel was born on November 6, 1893, Ford was promoted to Chief Engineer. By 1896, Edison had built his first working horseless carriage, which he named a quadricyle. He sold it in order to finance work on an improved model- a delivery wagon. On April 17, 1897, Ford applied for a patent for a carburetor, and on August 5, 1899, the Detroit Automobile Company was formed. Ten days later, Ford quit the Edison Illuminating Company.  And on January 12, 1900, the Detroit Automobile Company released the delivery wagon as its first commercial automobile, designed by Henry Ford. Ford Motors Ford incorporated the Ford Motor Company in 1903, proclaiming, I will build a car for the great multitude. In October 1908, he did so, the Model T- Ford numbered his models by the letters of the alphabet, although not all of them made it to manufacture. First priced at $950, over the Model Ts nineteen years of production, its price dipped as low as $280. Nearly 15,000,000 were sold in the United States alone. The Model T heralds the beginning of the Motor Age; Fords innovation was a car evolved from luxury item for the well-to-do to an essential form of transportation for the ordinary man, that that ordinary man could repair and maintain by himself Although contrary to some reports he didnt invent the assembly line, Ford did use it to revolutionize manufacturing processes in the United States. By 1914, his Highland Park, Michigan plant used innovative production techniques to turn out a complete chassis every 93 minutes. This was a stunning improvement over the earlier production time of 728 minutes. Using a constantly-moving assembly line, subdivision of labor, and careful coordination of operations, Ford realized huge gains in productivity, and personal wealth. In 1914, Ford began paying his employees five dollars a day, nearly doubling the wages offered by other manufacturers. He cut the workday from nine to eight hours in order to convert the factory to a three-shift workday. Fords mass-production techniques would eventually allow for the manufacture of a Model T every 24 seconds. His innovations made him an international celebrity. On May 27, 1927, production ended for the Ford Model T. Legacy and Death Ford was a shrewd businessman and very much of a showman, with a fairly thin skin. In 1919 he sued the Chicago Tribune for libel for writing an editorial in which the  Tribune  called him an anarchist and ignorant idealist.  He wrote and rewrote his biography multiple times beginning in 1922, and he sponsored the restoration of an idyllic rural town called Greenfield Village which was built in part to act as a tourist destination celebrating his life and work. Yet, Ford continued to innovate. In 1932, Henry Ford introduced his last engineering triumph: his en block, or one piece, V-8 engine; and on January 13, 1942, he patented a plastic-bodied automobile- a car 30 percent lighter than metal cars. Fords affordable Model T irrevocably altered American society. As more Americans owned cars, urbanization patterns changed. The United States saw the growth of suburbia, the creation of a national highway system, and a population entranced with the possibility of going anywhere anytime. Ford witnessed many of these changes during his lifetime, all the while personally longing for the agrarian lifestyle of his youth. The last few years, Henry Ford visibly slowed down, and on April 7, 1947, he died in his home in Dearborn. Controversy There is unfortunately ample evidence that Ford was a bigot, whose writings include several statements referring to white supremacy. According to a recent article in Quartz, even though he hired black employees and paid them the same as white ones, he was concerned that they and his other workers would be infected by the evil of jazz music, so he suggested that square dancing could be put forward as an alternative place where white people could hang out.   Sources Bryan, Ford R. Clara: Mrs. Henry Ford. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2013.Ford, Henry. My Life and Work. Fords memoir was published several times and with numerous editions, the book was first written, in association with Samuel Crowther, in 1922.Lewis, David L. The Public Image of Henry Ford: An American Folk Hero and His Company. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1976.Pennacchia, Robyn. America’s wholesome square dancing tradition is a tool of white supremacy. Quartz, December 12, 2017.Swigger, Jessica. History Is Bunk: Historical Memories at Henry Fords Greenfield Village. University of Texas, 2008.Wik, Reynold M. Henry Ford and Grass-roots America. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1973.Wood, John Cunningham and Michael C. Wood (eds). Henry Ford: Critical Evaluations in Business and Management, Volume 1. London: Routledge, 2003.

Illustration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Illustration - Essay Example It is in this role, that graphic designing has gained importance. What once began as the artist's job with hand painting, went over to screen printing and has today reached the desktops of millions of visualizers. Amongst the various elements of graphic design, the art of illustration is interesting and rather challenging. Thus while words need to be read, illustrations can capture a million words in a single expression. This is because they capture and combine photography and art in an appealing and attractive manner. As we pointed out before, illustrations have been with us since the advent of mankind where they took the shape of cave paintings. Woodcut illustrations became popular in the 15th century, followed by lithography in the 18th century. In the early 19th century, journals became popular for mass circulation and illustration gained new meaning. Soon wood engraving was preferred over steel engraving to incorporate illustrations in the pages. However what was a mere painter's mindscape, evolved to touch more people with the advent of advertising. During the 20th century, many graphic designers were also illustrators of high repute and the art was viewed with great reverence, some considering it greater than graphic design. Many illustrators would even sign their work and many enjoyed great fame. Gustavo Dore was a renowned figure in those times. Today the modern illustrator has with him various new software to assist the design process. Most training institutes also encourage that the ill ustrator uses both traditional and modern techniques to recreate the image in his mind on paper. Today there are many associations that bring together illustrators. These include the Association of Illustrators (AOI), Society of Illustrators and Society of Children's book writers and illustrators. Various awards are also handed out every year to support the efforts of these artists. New media Today illustrations benefit from a range of media. From print media like newspapers, greeting cards, books and magazines where these were commonly used, today the scope is much wider. Technologies allow for these to be used in movies, television shows and video games. With the advent of computers and the Internet, illustrations are also highly popular on web sites. Finally advertising has allowed for illustrations to be used on all its media spanning billboards, print advertising, television advertising and the Internet. Great works of great minds Illustration has been a popular form of art and communication with many great works being produced by great names like Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Santiago Martinez Delgado etc. However in the current day scenario, works of two reputed illustrators are illustrated here. 28 year old Vladimir Dubko is one great name to reckon with in this scenario. At a time when many find the world of illustration distressing in the least, he created a niche for himself in fashion illustration, doing what every illustrator could only dream of in Italy. He experimented with diverse disciplines, obtained a grant at Fabrica (Benetton research center for communication) and worked with various young artists from across the world. While most of his work is

Changing the Nature of Higher Education Research Paper

Changing the Nature of Higher Education - Research Paper Example n example, there was an authorized provision for â€Å"College Senate† in one of the institutions, but the bylaws stated that the membership could be drawn wholly from the board of administers and college governors, and not from the faculty. From these, one can assess that the creation and refinement of the structure is a legacy of the colonial colleges which in turn defined and shaped the higher education system in the United States to the present day. However, Thelin (2004) suggests that we do learn many straightforward incidents from Adams about Harvard in 1858. The classes were small and had about one hundred students per class with a total enrollment of about five hundred. Its faculty could enjoy a high local prestige in the society but were not well paid (p.63). This practice in the Harvard was implemented with intent to encourage them for developing the habit of self-criticism and even self-doubt. By the end of the 19th century, various systems in the German higher educ ation such as ideal of advanced scholarship and doctoral programs with graduate students had influences over the United States’ higher education system. The American university in the 1890s typically was the historic college that was internally renovated and enhanced by new programs. It seemed like a smorgasbord for students and a few of them opted for a bachelor’s degree from there. It was the Morril Act of 1862 contributed to the expansion of the state college into the university model of federated units (Thelin, p. 104). However, the faculty’s teaching overload remained the same even with the expansion into new system. Only token allowances were granted for graduate courses and seminars while curricular offerings were for undergraduates. The implementation of new academic systems resulted... From the disc ussion it is clear that  the higher education in the colonial era had been under the administration of queens, kings, and bishops for centuries. The faculty at these institutions faced daily scrutiny from the administrative board and received immoderate approach from the directors who appointed them. In fact, as Thelin states, the academic freedom and the rights of the teacher in respect to the â€Å"hiring and firing† received little consideration from the authorities. At this period, a class president usually reported to the board of administrators rather than the faculty.  This essay stresses that a major factor that influenced the changes in faculty system was the contributions made by Charles Eliot. He gained fame though often referred as notoriety by implementing bold modernizations at Harvard College. He introduced an elective system from which some colleges formulated provisions for electives in student curriculum, while others sustained the same cour se of study. There have been evidences about implementing more provisions for specialized departments. The faculty identification was the factor highly impacted by the provision to conglomerate the colleges.   The states’ silence on issues of higher education campus enhancement in the 1880s was not a result of the governments’ disinterest towards research, applied science or technology. It did not imply that colleges or universities were systems for large-scale government projects.

The Big Bang Theory Essay Example for Free

The Big Bang Theory Essay The beginning of the universe is explained in the big bang theory. It is proved beyond doubt that our universe had a beginning and that its origin was as a singularity about 13 billion years ago. This singularity was infinitely hot, small and dense. It had undergone a series of changes, which includes expansion and cooling to become the present form of universe. This theory is called the big bang theory. According to this theory the process of cooling and expansion is still continuing. There are several evidences as well as arguments supporting this theory as well as opposing it. The main intention of the present paper is to analyze these arguments in search of its validity. History of this theory, its religious interpretations as well as the features of the universe according to this theory also will be discussed in this paper. The big bang theory was proposed by scientist and Roman Catholic priest Georges Lemaitre and his called his theory as hypothesis of the primeval atom (Hubble, 1929). The framework for this model was based on the Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Most of the astronomers today believe in this theory mainly because of the red shift that was observed in the near by galaxies. Scientists believe that the universe is still expending because of the presence of dark energy (Big bang Theory, 2009). There are several features of the universe which support big bang theory. The abundance of light elements such as hydrogen and helium and less occurrence of the heavy elements or heavy metals in universe is actually in support of this theory. This is because it is proved beyond doubt that at such a high temperature that persisted at the time of origin of the universe, the elements of mass numbers more than 5 and their isotopes would have been unstable. This might have resulted in the formation of more light elements at that time. Presence of more matter than antimatter is another feature that supports the theory. Even now the scientists are not able to find a reason for this phenomenon. However, many scientists consider the asymmetry in the decay of some mesons as the reason for this phenomenon. Another feature of the universe is that it is composed of several galaxies and these are separated by cosmic voids. The presence of a radiation in all directions which is quite even or uniform throughout is another factor that supports the theory which explains the origin of universe from a fire ball ( Big bang theory, 2009) One of the argument against big bang theory is that universe had its origin as an explosion. However according to experts it is better to imagine universe as a balloon with an infinitely small size and continuously increasing its size so as to reach the current size. It would be difficult to imagine the universe as a balloon bursting and throwing off its contents. Another argument against this theory is that it universe e originated as a fireball in space. But according to the Einstein’s theory of relativity there could not be anything, space or time or matter or energy before the origin of universe. Thus this argument also has been proved to be baseless (Big Bang Theory An Overview, 2009). There are many arguments or evidences that support this theory. Most of the people believe that universe had an origin. Edwin Hubble discovered that galaxies are moving away from us at speeds, which are directly proportional to the distance from us. This provides evidence for the expansion of the universe, which was originally very small. The discovery of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMB) by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson in 1965 provided evidence that universe was initially very very hot as it is explained according to the big bang theory. Another important evidence is the profusion of hydrogen and helium in the observable universe. This also supports the big bang origin of universe. According to the recent research by NASA and ESA, the universe had its origin from the remnants of a universe, which existed previously. This is called loop quantum gravity theory (Zyga, 2008). This theory also supports the origin of the present universe as a singularity as in big bang theory. Still the arguments regarding the models to explain the origin of universe is continuing between great scientists. But one thing that has to be remembered is that whatever might be the arguments, there would always be a philosophical criterion involved and therefore these arguments are never going to end (Gibbs, 1995). Therefore as long as no one is certain about anything that happened at that time, the arguments would continue. An important factor that has to be considered in the big bang theory is its religious interpretations. Origin of Universe is an area where science and theology places opposite views. According to Islam, Allah is the creator and Evolver of every thing in this universe. Of course the development of the universe to the present stage is something that is super natural and therefore there is nothing wrong in believing that there is a super natural force behind all these evolution and that supernatural force is God. The theologians as well as majority of people believe that it is not possible to evolve something from nothingness. Estes (2009) has put it in a different manner. According to him this explanation of origin of universe is as absurd as believing that when there was an explosion in a place all the metal pieces joined in the air to form a car. He further explains that it cannot be believed that the different parts of the oldest computer one day exploded and then joined to form the most advanced computer now. This development took place as a result of long years of research by human beings. In the same way the development of universe to the present form, required the intelligence of someone who is super natural and that is God himself. When we look at the stars, sun, moon and the galaxy as a whole, we see that they are all moving with accurate speed and timings in such a way that they do not collide each other. The earth is having the exact requirements for the life of man on it. All the requirements of the man are met through the other organisms as well as physical and chemical properties of the earth. It is very difficult to explain all these facts based on big bang theory (Estes, 2009). There is another school of thought in the Islam itself in support of the big bang theory (Huda, 2009). The idea of singularity is present in the Quran also, where it is said that heaven and earth existed as a single unit originally. According to the big bang theory, the elements, which constituted the universe, had come together, cooled down and finally formed into the present shape. This is what exactly said in Quran, the only difference is that it was Allah who gave commands to these elements to behave in the way it had behaved. Come together, willingly or unwillingly. They said: We come (together) in willing obedience' (41:11). The concept that Universe is expanding is also there in Quran. The heavens, We have built them with power. And verily, We are expanding it (51:47). The fact that the universe is continuing to get expanded has been discovered only recently and it was the answer to the long debates by Muslim scholars on the exact meaning of this verse in the Quran. An argument in Islam against the big bang theory is that in Quran it is written that the creation of the universe was completed in six days. But in Quran itself it is written that one day of Allah could be 50,000 years for man. In another place it is written as 1000 years. Thus the day could be regarded as an era with a fixed length of time. And six days could be six such eras, the length of which no body knows. Thus in this way also Quran is not contradicting the big band theory, which suggests that the origin was 13 billion years ago, and since then the formation of different organisms as well as the shape of the universe were gradual (Huda, 2009). Another aspect where Quran supports big band theory is that the process of evolution or the creation as Islam takes it, is never ending. It is clearly mentioned in Quran that Allah is continuing his creation. This is what we see everyday, as a new child or as a new plant which is quite different from both parents (Huda, 2009). Considering all these facts the Muslims of the modern world believe that big bang theory is genuine and that the universe is ever changing. The only difference is that they believe that all these are happening according to the command of Allah and that everything that happens in the universe reveals the super natural power and majesty of Allah. It is stated that the creations are to be viewed upon, as tremendous power of Allah and His name has to be glorified. Thus it could be seen that the Big Bang theory of the origin of Universe is the most widely accepted theory of cosmic origin. It is based on the Einstein’s theory of relativity. There are several features that the universe exhibits which supports this theory. Most of the arguments against this theory by different scientists have already proved to be baseless. More and more discoveries have been made in the last and present century, which supports this theory. Regarding the religious interpretation of this theory, in Islam, the origin of universe and earth and everything on it is explained in the same manner as the big bang theory. Only difference is that, in Quran it is explained to have happened as per the command of God. It is quite logical to believe that there is a super natural power that is regulating all these happenings in the way it is happening so that we could exist happily and peacefully on this earth. References Big Bang Theory An Overview (2009). [online] Available at: http://www. big-bang-theory. com/default. htm (accessed on 11th June 2009) Big Bang Theory (2009). [online] Available at: http://www. answers. com/topic/big-bang-theory (accessed on 11th June 2009) Estes, Y.. (2009). Big bang. [online] Available at: http://scienceislam. com/bigbang. php (accessed on 11th June 2009) Gibbs, W. W. (1995). Scientific American, October 1995, 273: 55. Hubble, E. (1929). A Relation Between Distance and Radial Velocity Among Extra-Galactic Nebulae. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 15: 168–173. Huda (2009). Creation of the Universe Six Days or Long Periods of Time [online] Available at: http://islam. about. com/od/creation/a/creation. htm (accessed on 11th June 2009) Zyga, L. (2008). Before the Big Bang: A Twin Universe? [online] Available at: http://www. physorg. com/news126955971. html (accessed on 11th June 2009)

Evolution of the Geeks Essay -- Essays Papers

Evolution of the Geeks In the past 20th century, the word geek has evolved into many different meanings. The term branched off to create a person with low social skills, often with high intelligence, a person highly interested in computer technology, and a person with a devotion to something that places him or her outside of the mainstream. Geek usually has negative connotations within popular culture, where being a geek tends to be an insult. The term can also be a badge of honor among subcultures, such as the know-it-all of Star Trek. Media dictates popular culture. The television sitcoms I’ve watched growing up all displayed who is the stereotype for a geek. Steve Urkel from Family Matters, Screech from Saved By The Bell, Ross from Friends are some examples. All are viewed as highly intelligent and with low social skills. Yet the word is still evolving and currently is accepted as an honor. Examples of cool geeks of the 21st century are hobbits from Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Seth Cohen from The O.C, and Napoleon Dynamite. The consensus of the word geek by the media shapes the society’s minds of what is perceived to be true. The term stereotype is usually referred to be a term of abuse. It gives society a short cut to identify and categorize people. The word also evokes a consensus among all of society. According to the Oxford English Dictionary Online, the word geek was introduced as the lowest of carnival performers, often displaying acts of swallowing live animals. It evolved in the 20th century to represent a person who is highly intelligent yet lacks the ability to socialize. This representation inflicts psychological and social behaviors that often consider geeks as outcasts and victim to abuse from the ... ... taped-up glasses, the 21st century is welcoming the geek to the mainstream. Geeks are adorable, relatable, and provide comic relief. With the following of Harry Potter fans and quirky geek icons such as Napoleon Dynamite, the geek of today is the ultimate cool. Now geeks put the pop in pop culture. Works Cited Lester, Paul M., ed. Images That Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media. Westport: Praeger Publishers, 1996. Long, Tom. â€Å"Great geek portrayals save â€Å"Dynamite† from its clichà ©s.† Rev. of Napoleon Dynamite, by Jared Hess. The Detroit News on the Web 2 July 2004. 20 October 2004 < http://www.detnews.com/2004/screens/0407/07/e01-201089.htm>. Oxford English Dictionary Online. . Soergel, Matt. â€Å"RETURN OF THE NERDS: Geeks are the coolest things in movies this summer.† Florida Times Union 28 Jul. 2004, city ed., c-1.

Session Long Affirmative Action

Gender discrimination has for long been the topic of hot ethical debate. Despite the growing awareness about the social implications and the consequences of discrimination, as well as financial and human costs of discriminative attitudes at workplace, numerous firms and businesses appear unable to change the traditional structure of their business relationships. Even the best and the most ethical organizations are not always willing to eliminate the barriers women face on their way to professional excellence. In case of KBR, diversity and female participation in labor seem to be the two critical elements of organizational culture.Yet, KBR, Inc. has not done everything possible to involve women into all areas of its organizational and business performance. In reality, even at KBR, Inc. – the company well known for its ethical practices – gender remains an issue. Moreover, the majority of the present day American companies are either unwilling or unprepared to tackle gend er discrimination challenges. â€Å"For instance, for every dollar earned by white men in 1998, white women earn 78 cents, African-American women earn 67 cents, and Hispanic women earn 56 cents, according to Catalyst.More than 85 percent of Fortune 500 companies lack even one woman among their five highest earning officers† (Social Funds, 2000). Objectively, KBR, Inc. is not an exception for even despite its growing commitment to diversity at workplace and its desire to eliminate the barriers which women face when trying to become a part of the company staff, the current Board of Directors at KBR does not have a single woman, comprising seven highly professional men (KBR, 2009).Moreover, given the nature and specificity of work at KBR, women find it even more difficult to prove that they possess sufficient engineering and construction skills and are able to successfully fulfill their workplace obligations and tasks. Finally, when it comes to working in hotspots, women face ev en more opposition on the side of their potential employers, who view it as unacceptable for a woman to work in conditions of wartime. From the deontological perspective, gender equality should become a rule KBR will follow at all levels of its organizational performance.Certainly, affirmative action can potentially become a good solution for the majority of gender discrimination problems, but affirmative action is just another form of discrimination aimed at establishing the new quality of gender relationships at workplace. Not gender discrimination, not affirmative action, but professionalism, education, and skills should serve the primary criteria the company will use when considering potential job candidates. Not gender, but individual preparedness to work in dangerous conditions and realization of the tasks and obligations should govern KBR in its job decisions.From the viewpoint of utilitarianism, providing women with equal access to jobs will help resolve several essential is sues. First, the company will improve its social corporate image. Second, it will bring in innovative looks and will substantially improve and speed up its decision-making processes. Third, it will provide women with a chance to realize themselves in professional fields, and finally, the company will avoid and secure itself from financial losses that result of continuous discrimination lawsuits.Discrimination is an increasingly negative social and workplace phenomenon. Moreover, the more â€Å"male† the nature of business seems to be, the less likely women are to become a part of such companies’ staff. That is why for the company to remain competitive, glass ceiling should be eliminated, to give women just another professional and individual try. Conclusion Even the most ethical companies face serious gender discrimination challenges and are not always able to eliminate the so-called â€Å"glass ceiling†.KBR, Inc. is not an exception. From deontological perspect ive, gender equality should become one of the primary company rules; from the utilitarian perspective, giving women a chance for professional self-realization will improve the quality of all decision-making processes and will protect the company from numerous discrimination lawsuits. Whether KBR, Inc. is able to preserve its positive corporate image depends on how well it copes with the challenges of gender discrimination at workplace. References KBR, Inc. (2009). Board of directors. KBR, Inc. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from http://www.kbr.com/corporate/corporate_governance/board_of_directors/index.aspx Social Funds. (2000). Glass ceiling still unshattered. Social Funds. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from http://www.socialfunds.com/news/article.cgi/345.html

How Effectively an Organization Meets the Wants

Competitiveness How effectively an organization meets the wants and needs of customers relative to others that offer similar goods or services Business compete using MARKETING 1. Identifying consumer wants and/or needs is a basic input in an organization’s decision making process, and central to competitiveness. The idea is to achieve a perfect match between those wants and needs and the organization’s goods and/or services. 2. Price and quality are key factors in consumer buying decisions. It is important to understand the trade-off decision consumers make between price and quality. 3.Advertising and promotion are ways organizations can inform potential customers about features of their products or services, and attract buyers. Business compete using OPERATION 1. Product and service design should reflect joint efforts of many areas of the firm to achieve a match between financial resources, operations capabilities, supply chain capabilities,and consumer wants and needs . Special characteristics or features of a product or service can be a key factor in consumer buying decisions. Other key factors include innovation and the time-to-market for new products and services. 2.Cost of an organization’s output is a key variable that affects pricing decisions and profits. Cost-reduction efforts are generally ongoing in business organizations. Productivity(discussed later in the chapter) is an important determinant of cost. Organizations with higher productivity rates than their competitors have a competitive cost advantage. A company may outsource a portion of its operation to achieve lower costs, higher productivity, or better quality. 3. Location can be important in terms of cost and convenience for customers. Location near inputs can result in lower input costs.Location near markets can result in lower transportation costs and quicker delivery times. Convenient location is particularly important in the retail sector. 4. Quality refers to material s, workmanship, design, and service. Consumers judge quality in terms of how well they think a product or service will satisfy its intended purpose. Customers are generally willing to pay more for a product or service if they perceive the product or service has a higher quality than that of a competitor. 5. Quick response can be a competitive advantage. One way is quickly bringing new or improved products or services to the market.Another is being able to quickly deliver existing products and services to a customer after they are ordered, and still another is quickly handling customer complaints. 6. Flexibility is the ability to respond to changes. Changes might relate to alterations in design features of a product or service, or to the volume demanded by customers, or the mix of products or services offered by an organization. High flexibility can be a competitive advantage in a changeable environment. 7. Inventory management can be a competitive advantage by effectively matching s upplies of goods with demand. . Supply chain management involves coordinating internal and external operations (buyers and suppliers) to achieve timely and cost-effective delivery of goods throughout the system. 9. Service might involve after-sale activities customers perceive as value-added, such as delivery, setup, warranty work, and technical support. Or it might involve extra attention while work is in progress, such as courtesy, keeping the customer informed, and attention to details. Service quality can be a key differentiator; and it is one that is often sustainable.Moreover, businesses rated highly by their customers for service quality tend to be more profitable, and grow faster, than businesses that are not rated highly. 10. Managers and workers are the people at the heart and soul of an organization, and if they are competent and motivated, they can provide a distinct competitive edge by their skills and the ideas they create. One often overlooked skill is answering the t elephone. How complaint calls or requests for information are handled can be a positive or a negative. If a person answering is rude or not helpful, that can produce a negative image.Conversely, if calls are handled promptly and cheerfully, that can produce a positive image and, potentially, a competitive advantage. Key EXTERNAL factor 1. Economic conditions. These include the general health and direction of the economy, inflation and deflation, interest rates, tax laws, and tariffs. 2. Political conditions. These include favorable or unfavorable attitudes toward business, political stability or instability, and wars. 3. Legal environment. This includes antitrust laws, government regulations, trade restrictions, minimum wage laws, product liability laws and recent court experience, labor laws, and patents. . Technology. This can include the rate at which product innovations are occurring, current and future process technology (equipment, materials handling), and design technology. 5 . Competition. This includes the number and strength of competitors, the basis of competition (price, quality, special features), and the ease of market entry. 6. Markets. This includes size, location, brand loyalties, ease of entry, potential for growth, long-term stability, and demographics. Key INTERNAL factors 1. Human resources. These include the skills and abilities of managers and orkers; special talents (creativity, designing, problem solving); loyalty to the organization; expertise; dedication; and experience. 2. Facilities and equipment. Capacities, location, age, and cost to maintain or replace can have a significant impact on operations. 3. Financial resources. Cash flow, access to additional funding, existing debt burden, and cost of capital are important considerations. 4. Customers. Loyalty, existing relationships, and understanding of wants and needs are important. 5. Products and services. These include existing products and services, and the potential for new produ cts and services. . Technology. This includes existing technology, the ability to integrate new technology, and the probable impact of technology on current and future operations. 7. Suppliers. Supplier relationships, dependability of suppliers, quality, flexibility, and service are typical considerations. 8. Other. Other factors include patents, labor relations, company or product image, distribution channels, relationships with distributors, maintenance of facilities and equipment, access to resources, and access to markets. PRODUCTIVITY MEASURE Productivity measures are useful on a number of levels.For an individual department or organization, productivity measures can be used to track performance over time. * This allows managers to judge performance and to decide where improvements are needed. * For example, if productivity has slipped in a certain area, operations staff can examine the factors used to compute productivity to determine what has changed and then devise a means o f improving productivity in subsequent periods. Productivity measures also can be used to judge the performance of an entire industry or the productivity of a country as a whole.These productivity measures are aggregate measures. In essence, productivity measurements serve as scorecards of the effective use of resources. Business leaders are concerned with productivity as it relates to competitiveness: If two firms both have the same level of output but one requires less input because of higher productivity, that one will be able to charge a lower price and consequently increase its share of the market. Or that firm might elect to charge the same price, thereby reaping a greater profit.Government leaders are concerned with national productivity because of the close relationship between productivity and a nation’s standard of living. High levels of productivity are largely responsible for the relatively high standards of living enjoyed by people in industrial nations. Furtherm ore, wage and price increases not accompanied by productivity increases tend to create inflationary pressures on a nation’s economy. Improving Productivity A company or a department can take a number of key steps toward improving productivity: 1.Develop productivity measures for all operations. Measurement is the first step in managing and controlling an operation. 2. Look at the system as a whole in deciding which operations are most critical. It is overall productivity that is important. Managers need to reflect on the value of potential productivity improvements before Okaying improvement efforts. The issue is effectiveness. There are several aspects of this. * One is to make sure the result will be something customers want. * For example, if a company is able to increase its output through roductivity improvements, but then is unable to sell the increased output, the increase in productivity isn’t effective. * Second, it is important to adopt a systems viewpoint: A productivity increase in one part of an operation that doesn’t increase the productivity of the system would not be effective. * For example, suppose a system consists of a sequence of two operations, where the output of the first operation is the input to the second operation, and each operation can complete its part of the process at a rate of 20 units per hour.If the productivity of the first operation is increased, but the productivity of the second operation is not, the output of the system will still be 20 units per hour. 3. Develop methods for achieving productivity improvements, such as soliciting ideas from workers (perhaps organizing teams of workers, engineers, and managers), studying how other firms have increased productivity, and reexamining the way work is done. 4. Establish reasonable goals for improvement. 5. Make it clear that management supports and encourages productivity improvement. Consider incentives to reward workers for contributions. . Measure impr ovements and publicize them. Other factors that affect productivity include the following: * Standardizing processes and procedures wherever possible to reduce variability can have a significant benefit for both productivity and quality. * Quality differences may distort productivity measurements. One way this can happen is when comparisons are made over time, such as comparing the productivity of a factory now with one 30 years ago. Quality is now much higher than it was then, but there is no simple way to incorporate quality improvements into productivity measurements. Use of the Internet can lower costs of a wide range of transactions, thereby increasing, productivity. It is likely that this effect will continue to increase productivity in the foreseeable future. * Computer viruses can have an immense negative impact on productivity. * Searching for lost or misplaced items wastes time, hence negatively affecting productivity. * Scrap rates have an adverse effect on productivity, signaling inefficient use of resources. * New workers tend to have lower productivity than seasoned workers. Thus, growing companies may experience a productivity lag. Safety should be addressed. Accidents can take a toll on productivity. * A shortage of information technology workers and other technical workers hampers the ability of companies to update computing resources, generate and sustain growth, and take advantage of new opportunities. * Layoffs often affect productivity. The effect can be positive and negative. Initially, productivity may increase after a layoff, because the workload remains the same but fewer workers do the work—although they have to work harder and longer to do it.However, as time goes by, the remaining workers may experience an increased risk of burnout, and they may fear additional job cuts. The most capable workers may decide to leave. * Labor turnover has a negative effect on productivity; replacements need time to get up to speed. * Design of the workspace can impact productivity. For example, having tools and other work items within easy reach can positively impact productivity. * Incentive plans that reward productivity increases can boost productivity.