Create a report about the Upstream segment for ExxonMobil Corporation (Paragraphs only No bullet)
In: Operations Management
Select an e-commerce company that has participated in an incubator program such as Y-Combinator, TechStars, DreamIt Ventures, Capital Factory, Gust.com or another of your choosing, and write a short report on its business model and the amount and sources of capital it has raised thus far. Include your views on the company’s future prospects for success.
In: Operations Management
Following is the Blog for this week
Discuss the process and the uses of organizational development.
In: Operations Management
Pete is an employee in Chris' small golf store. Pete likes to practice his swing and likes to hit balls off a wall at the back of the store. Several times, golf balls have hit customers and other employees. Chris knows he should ask Pete to stop, but he thinks it's funny. One day, Pete "chips" a ball and hits a customer in the eye, causing severe damage. If Chris is the principal and Pete is the agent, Chris is:
Multiple Choice
immune from liability because Pete committed the wrongful act, and Chris did not directly order him to do so.
protected by respondeat superior.
immune from liability because no one had previously been seriously injured.
directly liable.
14.
Which of the following was the result in Roberts v. Danner, the case in the text in which an employee driving his personal vehicle to see a physician for a non-work related injury struck and injured the plaintiff on a road leased by the employer, and the issue was whether the employer was liable for the plaintiff’s injuries?
Multiple Choice
The employer was not held liable because the employee was in his personal vehicle which negates liability based on an agency theory.
The employer was held liable under the theory of strict liability based on the accident occurring on a road leased by the employer.
The employer was not held liable because the employee was not acting within the course and scope of his employment.
The employer was held liable under the theory of respondeat superior.
The following is false regarding the bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) permitted by Title VII.
Multiple Choice
An employer may refuse to hire a man with an Asian heritage as a bouncer in a bar because he believes people with such a heritage are not aggressive enough.
A Christian church would not have to consider a Muslim as an applicant for choir director.
No BFOQ exception is permitted with respect to discrimination based on color.
A gym may refuse to hire a male attendant for a women’s locker room.
In: Operations Management
1. What is the basic difference between project and project management
In: Operations Management
The future in the building toy market held both opportunity and uncertainty, with new threats emerging from increased control over licensing agreements, loss of trademark protection and competition fromTnew and existing sources. It was important for the LEGO management team to
(Question) "identify where to expand current product lines in order to help the company formulate a strategy to ensure that LEGO"
(which country should be the next one to expansion and why)
FYI.
At this moment, there are already 48 countries
In: Operations Management
German Car Industry
The luxury cars industry is one of the most prestigious mass-production industries in Germany. The country is recognized by many as the native land of the automobile; in fact in 1901, 900 vehicles a year were already produced. Throughout the century the sector turned out to be the pillar of the national economy. Germany's famous premier brands such as Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are enviable all around the world. We are now going to tackle the question of why Germany is the home base for so many successful international competitors in the automotive cars industry.
Porter's Diamond Model will be used in analyzing the key factors that led these firms to be both nationally and globally competitive, and the nation to become one of the three leading automobile-producer together with the USA and Japan. Michael Porter focused for four years in ten important trading nations and then discovered four interlinked advanced factors for competitive advantage for countries or region which are: factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries, firm strategy, structure and rivalry. To these four key elements the Porter added the role of government and the role of chance. German car manufacturers and suppliers are world leaders in innovation with more than 3,500 registered patents every year. With 47 Original Equipment Manufacturer of components and assembly plants, 32 industry-related innovative clusters and Europe’s most experienced workforce, Germany is the primary location for technology-driven companies active in all stages of the value chain. Applying the factors of the Porter’s model, the competitive advantage of the German car industry has shown the following results:
The first determinants of global advantage we are going to look at are factors of production which can be grouped in several categories, arguing that a more advanced factor conditions in the home market will positively impact a firm's global competitiveness. In the case of human and knowledge resources, Germany highly-qualified, available and motivated labor force has been determinant in the success for the car industry, helped by the educational system which provides on-the-job training.
Moreover around the area of Berlin-Brandenburg we can find 7 universities and 21 other higher-education institutions with almost 200,000 students that make the capital region one of the densest research network in Europe and help to ensure a steady flow of engineering to assure continuity in the business. German companies bet on research and development projects annually spending a considerable amount of money on it. As a result of the highest research facilities, the country turns out to be a leader in innovation.
As a matter of fact, BMW opened a forum on its website to invite users to submit new ideas about design or additional features. In addition, we can find above-average productivity of labor and working flexible hours. Transportation is another key factor for the German automotive industry. Germany is the geographic and economic center of Europe: any part of the continent can be reached in one day by truck or three hours by plane. The transportation system is well structured and railways are connected with a network of ports and delivery points all over Europe.
Besides having excellent transport, the country is in the forefront in telecommunications infrastructure. Germany not for nothing took first place for infrastructure in the World Economic Forum‘s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report 2008. Three-dimensional concentrations of the automobile firms and their suppliers can be found in Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Wurttemberg, Hesse and Bavaria.
The second element of the model is known as demand condition which arises from buyer needs. The demand for cars is subject to strong fluctuations. During the year, sales tend to increase in spring and droop in winter. Most importantly, the market follows the general business cycle. With growing car ownership in industrialized countries the proportion of replacement purchases in the car market is increasing, cyclical fluctuations are likely to become more highlighted in the future.
The existence of economies of scale is another strength point in favor of the home market. Sophisticated costumers push car companies to innovate and create new features to satisfy the buyers need. For instance in 2007 BMW presented a retrofitted IPod connection which put them at the leading edge compared to other manufacturers. Consumers in Germany and Europe and in the USA and Japan as well have become more demanding about fuel efficient cars.
Germany automobile producers were not the first to introduce hybrid cars but Mercedes, Daimler AG, Chrisler and BMW recently joined General Motors in The Global Hybrid Cooperation in order to build next-generation, hybrid powertrain technology which was an important step in addressing the steadily increasing demand. Strong and dynamic related supported industry have a strong impact on competitiveness. Moreover suppliers play an important role in the car industry. Today, components are more complex and advanced in order to cope with the diversified demand and the need for heterogeneity in car industry.
Some suppliers are large and produce various goods for other industries as well. Most suppliers are, however, small and medium-sized firms. There are two types of suppliers. The first type of firms works in close cooperation with the final producers. This makes both sides dependent on each other. The second type of suppliers produces large volumes of standardized low-value parts. These firms are not competitive in international terms and rely on car producers ‘decisions and strategies. Regarding the relationship between car producers and suppliers we can notice two different kind of relationship.
Some buy from several suppliers, often worldwide, but do not stay with any one firm on a permanent basis. Others buy specialized, compound components from one or two suppliers, with whom collaboration must be good and close in three-dimensional terms. Germany is in an advantageous position in terms of related and supporting industries. It is the home land of ThyssenKrupp, one of the biggest steel producers in the world and steel turns out to be very important in the car manufacturing process. Tires are another decisive part of the industry and Goodyear Dunlop, one of the major firms in the sector, is located in Berlin.
Local conditions affect firms’ strategy. As Porter reports, in Germany the engineering and technical background of many senior executives produces a strong feeling towards methodical product and process improvement, avoiding focus strategies. This kind of feature mostly affects sectors with a high technical or engineering content such as the automotive one. Banks play a key role in the sector we are analyzing. Indeed in the German cooperative economy there is a close relationship among banks and car industry which gives strength to the structure.
In order to be more secure about the future, long term loans are guaranteed. Germany has got a comprehensive centralized and covering group structure; companies are hierarchical in organization and management practices. This is typical for countries that have suffered an institutional breakdown in its past. As a matter of fact the state has for centuries been deeply involved in many aspects of social life and its early and continuing involvement in industrial relations conformed to a general pattern.
It is very hard to join the German automotive industry since there are high fixed cost to entry and discouraging startup cost. Furthermore a strong supply chain is required and it is very difficult to break in to the long-term already existing chain of suppliers, manufacturers and customers. Competition is very cruel mainly in this particular time of economic crisis. The most vital strategy to survive in this market is innovation. The industry is supported by an active innovation policy and significant public investments.
The German Federal Government provided 15 billion euros for R&D projects in innovative technologies such as .alternative fuels, fuel cell technology, alternative powertrain and energy
storage systems, active safety, vehicle-to-X communication and traffic management systems. In history chance events also played a major role and this is the case for Germany.
Giving an example the origins of Volkswagen go back to the period of the fourth Reich. In fact the organization which owned Volkswagen was called kraft durch freude (strength through joy) and was part of the Nazi device. Its principle purpose was to guarantee government-controlled mass tourism on a large scale and to arrange other recreational activities such as summer camps or sport events. The second important function of Volkswagen was to ensure motor transportation for the German army, and this was the aim that led the company from 1939 till the end of the war.
From the beginning highly advanced methods were used, as much of furniture and technical know-how were imported from Ford in Detroit. The Volkswagen plant was established in 1938 in a rural community in Lower Saxony, together with the construction of a whole town (Wolfsburg). Mercedes-Benz, Opel (since 1927 part of General Motors) and BMW were the principal firms. At the end of the Second World War, the car industry was badly damaged. New assembly and components plants (for example Opel in in Bochum) were built by surviving companies and new firms like Audi were set.
The new plants were established around congested areas or in adjacent rural areas with close ties to resource industries and suppliers. With the growth of the car firms, numerous suppliers opened up or shifted plants into their vicinity. Along with that, employment steadily increased. The postwar expansion of Volkswagen began in 1948, closely after production restarted. During the 1950s and especially the 1960s, the company set up new plants in Germany and abroad.
The final variable is the role of government, the degree of access and the support provided by the state. Germany's government grants unlimited access to foreign firms and discriminatory intervention in favor of domestic producers. Furthermore the government offers investment incentives up to 50 percent of capital expenditure and additionally extensive support granted for employment and R&D. Political support to invest in Germany is assured.
The cash incentives package consists of loan programs offering reduced interest rates and public guarantees at state and national level (investment grants are offered in several incentive regions). The government offers several incentives programs targeted at reducing the operating costs of R&D projects. Moreover the Federal Employment Agency and all German states offer a range of different labor-related incentives programs. To see how the German government takes part in the economy we can easily look at the recent facts concerning Opel.
General Motors was about to close down its European Opel branch because of bankruptcy. The disappointment was high because of the 25,000 Opel workers in Germany plus all the suppliers that work for it and the German state banks provided GM with some €1.5bn ($2. 2bn) in bridging loans. GM cancelled the deal after Fiat, the Italian carmaker; Magna, the Canadian auto parts and contract carmaker; and RHJ International, the Brussels-listed investment firm entered bids for GM Europe because it wanted the money the government would pay to save Opel.
All these factors contributed to extend the nation’s reputation for quality manufacturing with brands internationally recognized for high standards. Despite this, German industry car is suffering because of the credit crunch. The German Finance Ministry, Peer Steinbrueck, said that the domestic economy is increasingly suffering from a decline in foreign demand and the global financial crisis shows no sign of ending soon and this is an issue since it is estimated that every seventh job in the country depends directly or indirectly on the automotive sector.
The crisis has accelerated the merger between Volkswagen (VW) and Porsche, while the future of Opel, one of industry's major players, remains undecided despite the emergence of its parent General Motors Company (GM) from bankruptcy. The current crisis will probably accelerate structural changes taking place in the car industry across Western Europe. In the coming years, German car makers are likely to move more production out of the country and closer to their customers in Russia, the U. S. and Asia. Assuming, that is, that they still have a growing customer base in those places.
.
Required Question:
Q.2. Describe the relevance of Demand Conditions, which is one of the factors of Diamond of National Competitive Advantage in the context of Car Manufacturing Industries in Germany.
In: Operations Management
After the overall responder shortfalls of Hurricane Katrina, the use of the National Incident Management System and Incident Command Systems were beefed up in an effort to avoid such shortfalls in the future. Presumably, after years of training and emphasis, the next, similar, large-scale response will see better performance by responders at all levels.
Based on what you know of NIMS and ICS, what
short-comings do you think might still exist overall that could
hinder another large-scale response?
What solutions would you propose to avoid such issues
proactively?
In: Operations Management
The Law’s Main Mission “Preserve the Social Peace”
(In the Business Filed)
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Introduction |
(1.1) |
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The law depends on the contract to balance the conflicting interests, as its one of the fundamental legal procedures for maintaining social peace. |
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The Body |
(3.2) |
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Starting from forming the contract, implementing the contractual terms (Breaching the contract), till verifying the validity of the contract there are several facts show the mechanism of such balance
( illegal contract- unenforceable contract-voidable contract) |
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The Conclusion |
(4.1) |
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In: Operations Management
Acme Advertising has a $10,000 budget for a combination of
television ads ($300 each) and radio ads ($125 each) for a new
client (a sporting goods store) and wants to maximize total reach.
Television ads reach 5,000 people while radio ads reach 3,500
people.
The television ads are to be run during local college basketball
games with the goal of running at least 5 ads and no more than 20
ads. Radio ads will be run at the same time during the game and the
goal is to run at least radio 10 ads.
a)Formulate with linear programming to maximize reach.
b)Determine the optimal solution.
c) Due to high television ratings, TV reach has increased from
5,000 viewers to 8,500 viewers. How would this change the optimal
solution?
d)If the manager decides the minimum TV ads should be 10 instead of
5, how does this change the optimal solution?
In: Operations Management
Linear Programming:
A real estate developer is planning a new mini apartment
complex.
Three types of units can be built: one-bedroom apartments,
two-bedroom apartments, and three-bedroom apartments.
Each one-bedroom apartment requires 700 square feet; each
two-bedroom apartment requires 850 square feet; and each
three-bedroom apartment requires 1,250 square feet.
The developer wants to keep a mix of apartment types in the
complex. He believes that the number of one-bedroom apartments
should be at least 15% of the total number of apartments. However
three-bedroom apartments should not be more than 30% of the total
number of apartments.
Local zoning laws do not allow the developer to build more than 42
units in this particular building location, and restrict the
building to a maximum of 36,000 square feet.
Market studies show that one-bedrooms rent for $825 per month,
two-bedrooms for $1,225 per month, and three-bedrooms for $1,775
per month.
a)Determine the constraint for square feet.
b)Determine the constraint for the number of total
units.
c) Determine the constraint for one-bedroom
apartments.
d) Determine the objective function.
In: Operations Management
Execu Clean is a 3-month-old start-up enterprise newly established in your area. The company provides dry cleaning, laundry and garment alteration services, with a regular door to door pick-up and delivery service. The company has a production facility as well as qualified drivers and vans. For the time being the production facility is rented and cleaning equipment is leased.
Objectives:
In providing dry cleaning, laundry and garment alteration services the company aims to:
Mission and Vision:
Services are offered with free pick-up and delivery. High quality and convenience will save time and effort for the companies and working customers that we serve.
Keys to Success:
Services:
Execu Clean provides services to both industrial and private customers. Customers can sign contracts with Execu Clean to get on-going and scheduled services. Orders are also taken over the phone and via e-mail. The production or operations facility is used for the installation of machines and equipment, washing and cleaning activities, storage of not yet cleaned and cleaned garments, as well as a workplace for garment alterations.
Personnel:
The owner is the director of the business and working part-time. You were employed as the general manager because of your extensive knowledge and experience in the field of business management. The company also has a laundry expert who is in charge of the operation and quality of garment cleaning and a logistics manager in charge of distribution. Two shop workers report to the laundry expert and two drivers report to the logistics manager. The laundry expert and logistics manager reports to you and you report to the owner of the business. A part-time laundry worker and driver are also employed to help out in busy seasons and in case one of the other workers get sick or have other matters to attend to.
Question:
The owner of Execu Clean has requested you to develop a marketing strategy and plan that is consistent with the company’s business strategy. The strategy must be summarised in a formal management report and all research must be based on the area in which you live.
Your report should include the following:
Tips:
In: Operations Management
Soylent Corp sells $150,000 of energy drinks with a cost
of materials at $90,000 and a cost of production at $22,500. Fixed
operating costs are $20,000.
a)Determine current profit.
b)If Soylent Corp uses the Sales Strategy to increase sales to
$250,000, its fixed costs will increase by $10,000. Determine the
new profit. Profits increased by what percent?
c) If Soylent Corp uses the Supplier Strategy to decrease material
costs in order to double profits determine the new material cost.
Materials would now be what percent of sales?
In: Operations Management
According to the doctrine of "respondeat superior" (or, "let the master answer for the servant") and employee engaged in activities that further the employer's interest is considered to be the agent of the employer. Therefore, the employer (the principal under agency law) is liable for the negligence of employees. Consider the following hypothetical occurrence: Martha is a tax return preparer at Acme Tax Service. Jeremy, the owner of the business, asks Martha to make a trip to the post office to replenish the office's supply of stamps, which are running very low. On the way to the post office, Martha becomes distracted by a text on her mobile phone and fails to stop at a red light, striking Buford who is in the pedestrian crosswalk. In a few paragraphs of academic-quality writing, respond to the following compound question: Is it right that Acme, and by extension Jeremy, should be liable for paying for the damages caused by Martha's negligence; why is this the policy imposed by the law; and, what principle of justice, ethics, or morality are embodied in this policy?
In: Operations Management
In: Operations Management