Microsoft Hazel Case Essay

Hazel had worked for the same Fortune 500 Company for almost 15 years. Although the company had gone through some tough times, things were starting to turn around. Customer orders were up and quality and productivity had improved dramatically from what they had been only a few years earlier due to a company-wide quality improvement program. So it came as a real shock to Hazel and about 400 of her fellow coworkers when they were suddenly terminated following the new CEO’s decision to downsize the company. After recovering from the initial shock, Hazel tried to find employment elsewhere. Despite her efforts, after eight months of searching, she was nowhere closer to finding a job than the day that she had started. Her funds were being depleted and she was getting more and more discouraged. There was one bright spot, though: She was able to bring in a little money by mowing lawns for her neighbors. She got involved quite by chance when she heard one neighbor remark that now that his children were on their own; nobody was around to cut the grass. Almost jokingly, Hazel asked how much he’d be willing to pay. Soon Hazel was mowing the lawns of five neighbors. Other neighbors wanted her to work on their lawns, but she didn’t feel that she could spare any more time from her job search. However, as the rejection letters began to pile up, Hazel knew she had to make an important decision in her life. On a rainy Tuesday morning, she decided to go into business for herself – taking care of neighborhood lawns. She was relieved to give up the stress of job searching, and she was excited about the prospect of being her own boss. But she was also fearful of being completely on her own. Nevertheless, Hazel was determined to make a go of it. At first business was slow, but once people realized Hazel was available, many asked her to take care of their lawns. Some people were simply glad to turn the work over to her; others switched from other lawn care services. By the end of her first year in business, Hazel knew she could earn a living this way. She also performed other services such as fertilizing lawns, weeding gardens, and trimming shrubbery. Business became so good that Hazel  hired two part-time workers to assist her and, even then, she believed she could expand further if she wanted to. Questions: In what ways are Hazel’s customer s likely to judge the quality of her lawn care services? Hazel is the Operations Manager of her business. Among her many responsibilities are forecasting, inventory management, scheduling, quality assurance, and maintenance. What kinds of things would she likely forecast? What inventory items does Hazel probably have? What scheduling must she do? What things might disrupt her schedules and cause her to reschedule? How important is quality assurance to her business? Why? What kind of maintenance must be performed? Hazel decided to offer the students who worked for her a bonus of $25 if she implemented one of their ideas on how to improve the business, and they responded with several good ones. One idea that she initially rejected now appears to hold great promise. The student that proposed the idea has unfortunately left, and is currently working for a competitor. What should Hazel do? Hazel Case Revisited Questions: What competitive advantage does Hazel have over her competitors? Hazel would like to increase her profits, but she doesn’t believe that it would be wise to raise her prices considering the current state of the local economy (she is aware of this current state because of her keen environmental scanning abilities!). Instead she has given some thought to increasing productivity. Explain how increased productivity could be an alternative to increase prices? What are some of the ways that Hazel could increase productivity? Hazel is thinking about purchasing some new equipment. One type of new equipment she is considering is power sidewalk edgers. She believes that power edgers will lead to an increase in productivity. Another type of new equipment would be a chain saw, which would be used for tree pruning. What trade-offs must Hazel think about in her analysis? Hazel is fairly successful in her neighborhood and now wants to expand into other neighborhoods, including some that are up to five miles away. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of doing this? (this is a classic expansion dilemma) Hazel does not have a formal mission statement and a set of objectives. Take one of the following positions and defend it: Hazel does not need a formal mission statement and a set of objectives. Many small businesses don’t have them. She definitely needs a formal mission statement and a set of objectives. They would be extremely beneficial. There may be some benefit to Hazel’s business, and she should consider developing one.

Beautiful Happiness In A Meaningless Life Short Story English Literature Essay

Beautiful Happiness In A Meaningless Life Short Story English Literature Essay I intend to write a short story featuring a few of the more potent themes present within the novelette â€Å"The Outsider†. This short story has simply been written to entertain, and explore the central themes and issues that I have chosen. The content of the story is gruesome and described with vivid details in some cases, so the target audience would be fairly mature, and have an orientation towards fanciful fantasy worlds. The story is set in a land where the local entertainment consists of arena type pit fights. These pit fights are similar to a council of the city’s rich and wealthiest, with the lower classes also in attendance. These pit fights are also the place where status is gained and lost among these affluent members of society, with the slaves that compete being used as a means to this end. I have also interpreted the ending of â€Å"The Outsider† differently in my story, with my main character realising that he can make a difference with his life, and that he can live for other people rather than himself only. The content of the story is gruesome and described with vivid details in some cases, so the target audience would be fairly mature, and have an orientation towards fanciful fantasy worlds. The story is set in a land where the local entertainment consists of arena type pit fights. These pit fights are similar to a council of the city’s rich and wealthiest, with the lower classes also in attendance. These pit fights are also the place where status is gained and lost among these affluent members of society, with the slaves that compete being used as a means to this end. I have also interpreted the ending of â€Å"The Outsider† differently in my story, with my main character realising that he can make a difference with his life, and that he can live for other people rather than himself only. The ring of steel on steel resounded around the arena, to join the din of gaudy music and jeering shouts ensuing from th e on looking patrons of this violent event. The ‘Slave Games’ took place every day, from the blaze of the new fire in the sky at its start, to its dying embers at dusk. The games consisted of slaves and a monster entered by the ‘Games Keeper’. Of course to make it more complicated, there were two different types of slaves, the ones entered by their master, and the ones donated. By a slave being entered it was similar to a bet being placed, with a small fee for entry paid to the games master, the fee also gave slaves the privilege of a weapon of choice. At the conclusion of the battle if the monster was the last one standing, the games master would keep the majority of the winnings, otherwise if a slave was the victor; their master was granted higher standing in society and a large sum of gold as their winnings. There was also an unspoken tradition, that the victorious slave was granted freedom for their heroic deeds performed within the arena. The ‘do nated’ slaves on the other hand, were the unwanted outcasts of rich society that the Games Keeper bought for a small fee, to â€Å"liven up the games† as he would call it.

Performance Pay at Safelite Auto Glass Case Study

Performance Pay at Safelite Auto Glass - Case Study Example Performance Management is undoubtedly one of the most important areas in managing the operations of a business enterprise. It is clear that the present management of Safelite Auto Glass, particularly the CEO John Barlow and COO Staglin want the firm to be profitable and expand into new markets. Ever since the change of management in 1987, there have been efforts towards expanding Safelite’s reach and markets. For this purpose, Barlow hit upon the idea of allowing the setup of franchise operations all across the USA, a move which increased the number of Safelite outlets from 250 to 550 within two years from 1987 to1989 (Hall et al., p 1) . The problem here was that stores were opened up rather haphazardly and customers had problems locating the stores. To deal with this issue, the CEO then hit upon the idea of using mobile trucks to provide repair and installation services to the customers at their own location. There was no need to bring the vehicle to the repair outlet. But h ere again the problems faced were coordinating the needs of the customers and reaching the locations correctly. To solve these issues, it was decided to open up warehouse style locations complete with technicians and fitters who could service, repair and fit out a car windshield all from this central location. The communications network installed here was used to route calls to the technicians so that service and repair work could be carried out with a minimum of time wastage. A limiting factor here was that too many calls came into the more central and popular locations while others stayed idle, but this too was being addressed by forwarding calls to locations that were not so busy. It is quite evident that these expansion efforts came with a cost. To make more use of idle capacity on the part of those warehouse locations that were not too busy, the managers of those locations had themselves been put on a performance pay plan that required them to do some actual fitting, repairing and servicing when the place was not too busy. Quite possibly some of the managers might have resented this double role. Yet the fact is that they had to improve the productivity of the warehouse before they could be considered for a rating upgrade. While it is clear that the present performance pay plan is not working, part of the reason is management’s lack of strategic long term thinking. This is evident from the way that problems creep up and are solved on the run. In the beginning the franchise system created a glut of stores in some locations and scarcity in others; it also created internal competition which was counterproductive. The use of trucks as mobile repair shops was innovative but included a cost that should have been considered before launching this initiative. Safelite’s own deficiencies in the current performance pay plan make it seem that the workers are being discriminated against after the initial guarantee period of 12 weeks have passed. At the in itial stage, the worker is being guaranteed a 12-week basic wage rate depending on his previous productivity. But after 12 weeks have passed, the worker has to prove himself again by meeting the difference and also make efforts to increase his productivity. This might not always be possible due to seasonal variations, intensity of competition and manager bias in a particular warehouse. As indicated, the workers would take it easy in the first 12 weeks of the plan unless pushed by conscientious managers. They would prefer to play pinochle (Hall et al., p 5) while maintaining a minimum of productivity. Secondly, despite the best communication systems there is a lack of proper coordination between the order takers on phone and the technicians and the drivers. This point needs to be addressed because it is having an

Cinematographic Representation of Violence and Abuse of Women Essay - 1

Cinematographic Representation of Violence and Abuse of Women - Essay Example Norindr main concept that he examines deeply is modernity and he stresses that it has been an ongoing manifestation of the omnipotent cultural force, an incomplete project in the West. As a result, Norindr examines the active participants in the transformation to be the ‘modern subjects’ of the emerging modern societies who are negotiating imaginative ways; their place in the postcolonial spaces in some cities such as Saigon. In his film vision, he identifies Tran Anh Hung Film which, although it had been shot from a Vietnamese ‘aura’, the movie is a selection of Vietnam that had lost its traditional innocence. Prostitution, capitalism, and torture are what the filmmaker wants to debunk as being the clichà ©s about Vietnam, similar to what has been conveyed in Vietnam Hollywood war movies. The film shows people living in hopes, ambitions, and frustrations engraved in a culture of crime, prostitution, and uncannily no respect for humanity. In his thesis, Nor indr believes that the violence, capitalism, and misrepresentation of women in Tran Anh Hung Film is a manifestation of emerging modernity that has taken the shape of Western colonialism such as the crime business which is evident in the film. Paul Narkunas is also critical about the life of frustration that has been experienced by the Vietnamese due to the influence of the West. Narkunas is very descriptive about the 1986 market liberalization in Vietnam and directly begins his analysis by describing Tran Anh Hung Film. Narkunas examines the economic transition of an eighteen-year-old cyclo, and the camerawork emphasizes on the diagramming of flow of money and bodies.  

Social Networking Sites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Networking Sites - Essay Example Face to face meetings, especially for the first time, are usually exciting events. One gets to scrutinize a new acquaintance physically and gauge his or her intelligence through conversations. Almost immediately, one can form an impression of the other, and this may remain unless proven otherwise in the next meetings. A lot depends on the spontaneity of a person – how quick his or her wit is, how personable he or she is, and how one’s sense of humor clicks with another’s. Glimpses of one’s personality shines through except for people who have put up a lot of defensive walls around themselves. For these people, it may be more challenging to see through their real selves. Getting into a social networking site such as Tagged to meet new people online offers a different scenario. One creates his or her own profile, putting in information he chooses to share, lay it out in a design he or she prefers, and adds a profile picture, or more for his or her picture gallery. Then a choice to set this profile in private or to be seen publicly is made by the user. The profile picture is available for public viewing, and becomes a choice in a buffet of new prospects to be chosen as contacts or â€Å"friends† by other members. If someone likes to include another in his friends’ list, then he makes an effort to ask that person if he or she can be added as â€Å"friend†, and upon acceptance, they become part of each other’s online contact list. It is up to them to maintain communication either by sending messages, picture tags or add comments (either text or picture or video) in one’s profile. They may also opt to communicate outsid e the site by exchanging contact details or chatting in another messaging system like Yahoo Messenger or MSN Instant Messaging. Here, they may restrict their communication to online chat or see each other by webcam or actually meet in person. It is really up to the individuals how they want

Resistance to Change and Rapid Change Coursework

Resistance to Change and Rapid Change - Coursework Example Once such absenteeism takes place, there becomes lack of consensus to the change agenda and the subjects in turn refuse to see the need to corporate. In another breadth, resistance to change takes place because subjects develop suspicions of unfairness in regards to the changes that take place. Commonly, resistance happens through the development of organizational conflicts (Jim, 2001). Also, resistance may happen through a lack of commitment towards new regulations that are spelt out in the course of the change. What is more, resistance take place through absolute disregard and disobedience to the instructions associated with the change. To address the issues of resistance to change, managers are advised to understand why resistance would take place and a will power to address the issues head-on. A democratic organizational decision making system that takes up the interest of all stakeholders on board is for example suggested as a very useful strategy in addressing the issue of resi stance to change. This strategy is sure to work because it seeks to bring all people on board ahead of the change implementation. Once everyone gets satisfied with the need for there to be change, they are left with no other choice than to heed to the changes (Bill et al,

Negotiation skills - QUESTIONS 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Negotiation skills - QUESTIONS 2 - Essay Example Avoiding in a conflict situation generally means postponing, showing lack of assertiveness or withdrawing from issues (at present time) in order to deal with them later or in other words showing reluctant behavior in terms of solving problem. However this avoidance may be deliberate in order to come up with the better solution later or for so many reasons (Trainer, 2012, p. 3). Moreover using this technique too much can result in creating a communication gap which further leads towards unhealthy co ordination as both parties are unable to know the stance of each other. Similarly if avoiding is overused it may affect the nature of the decision or stance of the other party. Likewise if avoiding is underused it may result in creating a situation which might hurt individuals feeling as usually discretion is not very much opt by individuals. Furthermore if individual is less likely to follow avoiding policy he is likely to be threatened by various issues and conflicts. Accommodating generally means sacrificing ones interest, goals or motives in order to give preference to others for satisfying their concerns. It can be use for number of reasons for instance if an individual is wrong and feels like correcting himself, or if a boss in a company accommodates employees in order to give them chance so they can learn from their previous mistakes (Trainer, 2012, p. 3). Accommodating if overused can lead towards losing of respect as employees are likely to make mistakes and take employer for granted. Moreover employer may lose his overall control over his employees because of overuse of accommodating factor. However if this factor is underused it may result in creating trouble in so many dimensions, for instance in creating goodwill, realizing, and accepting one’s own mistakes. Compromising is a phase in which both parties understand each other’s point of view and are willing to give up