Cultural Scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Scenario - Essay Example â€Å"In the Chinese business world, however, it is also understood as the network of relationships among various parties that cooperate together and support one another† (Netfirms). The second mistake Karen made was that she did not talk to Tsang Yao and went over his head to file a complaint to the COO which made her look bad due to her ignorance of Chinese culture. If Kaken had talked to Yao first she could have mitigated the situation and gotten educated about the importance of Guanxi in China. The third mistake Karen made occurred upon being assigned to the Chinese office. At that moment she should have research Chinese culture and spend several weeks reading information from journal articles, professional databases, books, and the internet regarding Chinese culture. An excellent database that provides great information about countries is the CultureGrams database. China is the most populated place in world with a population of 1.33 billion inhabitants (CulureGrams, 2011) The assumption that Karen made was that Tsang Yao was discriminating against other candidates by hiring his family members and friends based on preferential treatment. Karen wanted to protect the best interest of the company since in the United States that type of mass hiring of family and friends could lead to a discrimination lawsuit. She assumed that Tsang Yao was taking advantage of his position to enrich his family. Karen thought that better candidates were being passed over and were not considered by Tsang Yao. Karen’s primary problem was her lack of communication with her colleagues. There was no reason to get the COO involved. Karen should have confronted Yao first prior to going up the power ladder. She was astonished when Daniel Young reprimanded her instead of taking correction action to ensure equal opportunity rights were protected. I believe in the value

Project Management Definition And Importance Information Technology Essay

Project Management Definition And Importance Information Technology Essay This paper has the purpose to discuss about project management and its importance in the business world. It will then refer to project life management and the advantages of project management to companies. Another concept to be discussed is planning in the project life cycle and ways in which critical thinking and research is mandatory in planning. The paper will refer to project organizations, the importance of sponsorship and leadership, as well as project team building (and how to build and efficient and successful team). Work breakdown structures are also points of interest in this paper as they will be discussed at some point. Lastly, I will refer to project management software in large project and the advantages to use them. Project Management Definition and Importance According to Ohlendorf (2001), project management is a methodological approach to achieving agreed upon results within a specified time frame with defined resources. Project managers will make use of skills, knowledge, different tools and techniques to various activities to meet project requirements. So, the three constraints that project management is concerned of are: time, costs, and performance. Project management is important in businesses for various reasons, such as: compression of the product life-cycle, knowledge explosion, triple bottom line, corporate downsizing, increased customer focus, small projects represent big problems, and others. Project management is important because one of its purposes is to compress or to shorten the product life cycle. One of the projects that I have been part of was to mount a wind turbine on a field. This way a repeating project that has been implemented for more than 20 years. However, since project management concepts have become wide known we have focused on shortening the implementation of this type of project. Project management has helped in succeeding it. It is interesting that knowledge explosion represent the fact that the growth in knowledge has boosted up project complexity as projects tend to use latest advancements if their budget is appropriate. Take for example the fact that building a hotel 80 or 90 years ago was not so hard given the fact that there have not been so many regulations in this area. In the present days, it is a complex process as the builders and project managers need to take consideration of many building codes and also seismic codes to design and build a hotel. This is why the importance of project management has increased a lot. Another reason is triple bottom line which is represented by the planet, the people, and the profit. According to Larson and Gray (2011), business can no longer simply concentrate on the maximization of profits to the detriment of the environment and the society as well. Business have to be more socially and environmentally responsible in what concerns sustainability and durability because the preservation of life on earth and the preservation of earth itself has become one of the most important purposes in the past one hundred years. Project management is important because of the increased customer focus. This means that in the past years, since the competition became bigger and bigger, since more companies from the same industry join the same market, businesses tend to focus on their customers and on their wellbeing, most importantly on increasing the wellbeing for the purpose of reaching competitive advantage. Project Life-Cycle Management and Its Benefits According to Larson and Gray (2011), another way to illustrate the original nature of project work is through project life cycle, which is composed of four stages: defining stage, planning stage, executing stage, and closing stage. The first stage of the project is where the specifications are defined and the objectives are established. This is also the stage when teams are formed and responsibilities are assigned to each team member. The second stage of the project life cycle is the planning stage which is when plans are being created with the purpose of determining what the project will include, determining the schedule of the project, the ones to benefit from it, the budget, as well as the level of quality that is needed. The executing stage is where the work to complete the project takes place. This is when physical and mental work is needed. Most of the physical work is done by less intellectual prepared employees (however, they have good skills), while most of the mental work is done by knowledge base workers such as directors or managers. To make sure that everything goes according to plan, managers implement means of control and evaluation, such as: time measures, cost measures, and specification measures. The last stage of the project life cycle is represented by the closing stage, which according to Larson and Gray (2011), includes three activities: delivering the project product or service to the customers, redeploying some or all of the resources of a project, and post-project reviews. Through delivery methods we understand transfer of documents or customer training. Through redeploying resources we understand the ability of using the resources of the project in the completion of other projects. Through post-project reviews we understand assessment of performance and also capturing the lessons learned by getting the project to the completion date. There was once a project on one of my former workplaces where we had to build a house for someone. We had to create a work team for this project. I was in charge with leading the project. I remember that we used project life cycle to get this project to completion. In the defining stage of the project life cycle we assessed the specifications of the project such as the materials we would need, the time to complete each phase, the papers that we need to get from the authorities, and other specifications that were relevant to the project. We have also established the objectives for the project, we created work teams and we assigned responsibilities to everyone. I remember that the work teams created have been created in a smart way because people with qualities in the same area would be in the same team (for example people good at infrastructure would be in the same team). The planning phase was where we referred to specific details of the project and the level of quality that is desir ed while in the execution stage we did most of the work to get the house built. Several methods of control have been present and we compared the initial established standards with the results of our actions. This way we tried to keep a good level of quality. Lastly, in the closing stage we evaluate the way the project was undertaken and completed and we kept the results for future use when other similar projects will be needed. In the closing stage we have also delivered the house to the customer along with certain instructions of how to use it. Leadership and Sponsorship in Project Organizations According to Stanford University (2007), some of the roles of sponsors in projects are: accountability, strategic fit, resources, project financing, lead political change, and own the final product. Some of the specific duties related to these responsibilities are to: keep the project on track, be available when consultation is needed, to make sure that the project is in line with the strategic goals of the company, to provide or located project resources, to provide or locate project funding, to be clear and specific with the end results, and others. Project sponsors are important and they need to be treated accordingly because they are key players for the company as it tries to reach its objectives. Keeping the project sponsor informed and updated is also important because the sponsor has the power to cut or give extra resources and funds to a project. When it comes to leadership, Winston (n.d.) thinks that a leader can be one or more people to select, to train, to equip, and to influence one or more followers who have different abilities, gifts, and skills, and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“focuses the follower to the organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mission and objectives causingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  them to expand energy to reach the organizational objectives. This may be a quite long definition; however, a leader is someone to inspire other people and the concept of leadership is really important in project management. Project Team Building and WBS Creating a project team may be a difficult task; nevertheless it is an important process that needs to be properly assessed if a company wants to reach positive results when it comes to different projects. According to Larson and Gray (2011) there are five stages in creating a good project team. These stages are: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. The first stage of the team creation is when members get to know each other and understand the purposes and scope of the project. This is when they need to identify rules that will be used with the team. The second stage, storming, is usually when members fight with each other as they try to find a way to get along and start working as a team. The third stage of team creation is norming and this is when the team members create closer relationships with each other and they form a cohesive team. The fourth stage is performing and it is when the team is fully operational and the team members have developed tight connections with each other. This is where the team works efficiently. Adjourning is the last stage in team creating and it is when team members prepare to separate from the team. As we can see, team creation is a process consisting of various stages that have to be browsed accordingly. Team building is important in project management because tight teams can provide more efficie nt parameters for project completion. To get the work done more efficiently, teams and project managers use work-breakdown structures. Successively subdividing project work into smaller work elements is creating a work breakdown structure which helps project managers in making sure that all work elements and products are identified in order to integrate the project with the organizations and also to determine a control basis. WBS is important in project management because it helps projects to become more understandable and it helps specific work elements to be assigned to people skilled on a certain area. By breaking down the work into smaller elements, WBS has provided clear and more comprehensive schedules and plans for managers, as well as for the people getting the work done. Project Management Software in Large Integrated Programs Along with work breakdown structures, large projects need software to assist them into getting the project to completion. This is also good for project management because it provides ways to better handle the projects and the activities related to them. Take for example software to handle work schedule for employees in a large company. These employees work in shifts and the shifts have to change now and then because some workers cannot work only at night while others during the day. Imagine how hard it is to manage this type of schedule without software to handle it, considering there are more than 1,000 workers to be included into this schedule. Also, project management software is useful in the areas of cost, time, and performance by trying to find ways to reduce the duration of certain stages in project life, reducing different costs related to these stages, as well as achieving higher level of performances through a better management of resources, a better management of quality, and a better management of human power. Conclusion This paper provided different concepts into understanding project management and ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s important in the corporate world. It referred to project life cycle, to team building along with its stages, to leadership and to the importance of sponsor in projects, and to work breakdown structures and the ways in which they can help projects be more comprehensible. Lastly, I have discussed about project management software and its critical importance in large companies undertaking large projects. It has to be concluded that project management has become a mandatory discipline in corporations that want the best out of their resources.

Summary of The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara Essay -- Toni Cade Bambara

The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara The Lesson, by Toni Cade Bambara, portrays a group of children living in the slums of New York City around 1972. They seem to be content living in poverty in some very unsanitary conditions. One character, Miss Moore, the children’s self appointed mentor, takes it upon herself to further their education during the summer months. She feels this is her civic duty because she is educated. She used F.A.O. Schwarz, a very expensive toystore, to teach them a lesson and inspire them to strive for success and attempt to better themselves and their situations. At the beginning of the story, the author gives us the feeling that a child is narrating this story. She also shows that the child, Sylvia, is at that age where she feels that adults are silly and she knows everything. â€Å"Back in the days when everyone was old and stupid or young and foolish and me and Sugar were the only ones just right, this lady moved on our block with nappy hair and proper speech and no makeup.† (Bambara 470) Sylvia also tells us about her environment while referencing Miss Moore. â€Å"And we kidna hated her too, hated the way we did the winos who cluttered up our parks and pissed on our handball walls and stank up our hallways and stairs so you couldn’t halfway play hide-and-seek without a damn gas mask. Miss Moore was her name. The only woman on the block without a first name.† (Bambara 470) This is our introduction to Miss Moore. She is an educated, well groomed person and the children resent her because she is different and their parents force them to spend time with her in the interest of education. On the day the story takes place, Miss Moore has rounded up the neighborhood kids and is going to bring them to F.A... ...t. â€Å"We all start reciting the pricetag like we’re in assembly. â€Å"Handcrafted sailboat made of fiberglass at one thousand one hundred ninety-five dollars.† â€Å"Unbelieveable, â€Å" I hear myself say and am really stunned.† (Bambara 472) The prices of the previous two items stunned the children, but the sailboat really brought home the idea. At the end of the story is when Miss Moore’s motive was revealed. She did not want to bring the kids on a field trip. She was interested in giving them a drive to succeed by showing them that some people are very successful and can afford such things. She hopes that they will want to be one of those people instead of a person that, like so many others, are just content with what they have. Works Cited Roberts, Edgar V., Jacobs, Henry E. â€Å"Literature.† The Lesson. 470-475. Toni Cade Bambara. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. 2001

Branding Yoga Essay

I think that’s why there are more and more people are encouraged to practice yoga and yoga has become a power brand which is able to compete with other industry. The yoga brand is managed systematically with branded styles of teaching, branded yoga clothing, branded training programs, branded instructors and etc. There are two branded styles of yoga which are Bikram style and Tara stiles. They are two different styles which appeal to two different sorts of people. Firstly, Bikram Choudhury who is the founder of Bikram yoga in America patent his approach to traditional yoga style. In the process of branding yoga, Bikram obtained the patent for his book, trademarked his company’s name and actively fighting for the copyright of his style. When branding a style of yoga, the legal rules which involves patent, trademark and patent intend to protect the founder’s right and disseminate the gains of the innovation so that it can be recognized by the people with the brand identity. The brand is also supported by Indian government which avoid others following Bikram’s branded poses even though the government only considered the yoga was part of the India’s traditional knowledge ( Deshpande, Herman and Lobb 2011). Additionally, the branding strategy in terms of the Bikram ‘s classical style of yoga is based on the inherent value and adds the more substantive value but still consistent and adherence to the addition (Cohen 2013). Secondly, Tara stiles is distinctive from Bikram’s style which develop the brand in a very fresh and personal way like the founder Stiles said â€Å"making yoga cool†. Stiles broke the rules and added many creative values to the brand such as music in order to maintain the relevance in the society especially the younger generation (Girard 2013). A more modern yoga style get the people more interested in and got popular soon by the promotional videos via different channels of communication in modern society. Stiles’s yoga is considered as authentic yoga since it is created as distinctive, exciting, attractive with personal values. By thinking the reason of success of Stiles’s success, the key is how Stile manage the brand by fitting it in American society. According to the feature of the liberal society in America, Tara promote a natural style not rigid with a certain style which perfectly stay relevance to the social values. Furthermore, the brand communication through the YouTube, Facebook, Ipad app strength brand identity and brand influence. In conclusion, by analyzing the two styles of yoga, I learned that the values adding to the brand is very important for branding experience. The brand needs to be relevant to the features of the society and the brand needs to be protected through the legal regulation. Managing brand is a long process which requires both adherence to the tradition and innovative modification. Desphande R. , Herman, K. and Lobb, A. 2011, Branding Yoga, Harvard Business School, Harvard. Cohen, M. 2013, Branding a style of Yoga, yoga journal, viewed 17 May 2013, <http://www. yogajournal. com/for_teachers/1683#comment> Girard, K. 2013, Branding Yoga: Good Business or Blasphemy? , Forbes, Harvard Business School

Ch. 23 Kite Runner

Chapter 23 †¢The narrative starts very fragmented and disjointed as Amir Flits in and out of consciousness. This is reflected presented by the continued use of short sentences and paragraphs, the broken narrative could also show Amir’s detachment from reality. †¢Within the chapter we are also presented with dreams as a form of narrative. A prominent dream is the dream of the bear and Baba, this could represent Amir finally conquering his guilt, the bear, and however the dream ends without Amir killing the bear which could show he is fully redeemed yet.This moment comes later when Amir runs the kite for Sohrab. The dream could also symbolise many other things Baba could be the bear as earlier in the novel Amir comments â€Å"I could never tell the difference†, the dream could represent how he has finally proved to Baba he is a man or the bear could have represented for Assef who is the real monster in the now. Earlier in the novel â€Å"When Baba died, Amir ca lled his cancer â€Å"the Bear he could not defeat. † This shows how the dream is symbolic on so many different things. The relationship between Sohrab and Amir Remains strained â€Å"I asked Sohrab if he wanted to play. I didn’t expect him to answer, let alone play†. They play â€Å"panjapar† in silence for hours and Amir relates many of Sohrab’s characteristics to Hassan such as his ability with a slingshot and his skill at card games. †¢The chapter is also a very emotional one for Amir he breaks down when Farid says â€Å"For you a thousand times over† this is closely linked to Amir’s memories of Hassan and this phrase is repeated throughout and Repetition is a device used throughout the novel, to create emphasis.It is first spoken by Hassan to Amir, at the beginning of the novel. From then on, the reader associates this quote with the relationship that Hassan and Amir have. Then at the ending in a letter Hassan has wrote to A mir. The fact that Hassan can still say this to Amir after all Amir has done to him, show that he followed through with his words, which makes this phrase very meaningful. This lexis used, such as. A thousand† is purposely used by the author to emphasize Hassan's unlimited loyalty to Hassan. †¢Rahim Khan’s letter provides some answers to the questions that Amir may have had about his and Baba’s behavior. The contrast of how Baba dealt with the guilt, by giving to charities etc; contrasts of how Amir dealt with his guilt. He then later dreams he is Assef’s twin maybe showing he still hasn’t reached peace with