Learning Team Reflection: Chase Strategy Essay

Chase strategy is when production meets the demand and capacity from one period to the next. This strategy is mostly used when demand is unpredictable and there is no inventory. Many cases when using this strategy result in a hire turnover rate when it comes to employment which can lead to insecure and unhappy employees. Problems with labor unions may arise as well. Other results of this strategy include increased inventory costs and erratic use of factories and equipment. This allows factories to have a large amount of flexibility. A major advantage of the strategy is that inventory is allowed at its lowest level which can provide a savings to some companies. The just-in concept firms utilize the chase strategy to aggregate planning. There are many companies that prefer to use a combination of the level and chase strategy. The combination enables optimization of goals and lower costs more so than independently. Companies and businesses within the service industry that use this strategy are demand matching which means that the workforce must match the demand. Another example of an industry that uses the chase strategy is the auto industry. Companies like Ford, GM, and Hyundai have automobiles that depreciate quickly and the cost of warehousing, insurance, and taxes are high. Automobiles cannot be stockpiled for too long so therefore, only so many are made based on demand of the consumer. Another example would be the fast food industry. For example, Chik-Fil-A would only produce a meal once an order is taken which meets the demand of the customer. When companies in the service industry use Chase Strategy, they tend to hire hourly employees, part time employees and allow overtime in order to meet the demand of customers. Some disadvantages of using the Chase Strategy would be a high turnover rate which can cause low employee morale as well as problems with labor unions and a possible increase in labor costs. The use of the Chase Strategy could also mean higher hiring and training costs.

A Good Leader: Odysseus and Gilgamesh

Strength, determination and dedication are a few examples of characteristics, which a leader should possess. Characteristics of a good leader may vary in the eye of the beholder, however, I believe that overall there are a few qualities that are critically important. Throughout a person’s life, the experiences they endure shape them and build them into an individual. Like the lugals in Mesopotamia, it is a leaders obligation to protect and serve. In the Mycenaean civilization the Wanax stood at the top of their social ladder.In the Odyssey, Odysseus would be a Wanax because he owned an independent walled kingdom or palace. Both Odysseus and Gilgamesh were looked up to as leaders. When asked if they were successful leaders, I was a bit stuck. After some thought, though, I came to the conclusion that I believe both Odysseus and Gilgamesh were successful leaders. They were not always successful leaders, but their adventures and experiences molded them into reliable men. Our first glance of Odysseus is when Telemakhos speaks of him to Athena. (Odyssey 8-9).He explains that he would rather have a father who is happy and growing old in his house rather than one with a mysterious and dangerous life. This is the first example of why I believe Odysseus started out as a bad leader. Although he was off fighting, against his wishes, he lost contact with the people he cared about the most, and fell off the radar. I believe that, as a leader, he should have been able to somehow get into contact with his family and inform them that he was okay. When comparing our first impression of Gilgamesh to Odysseus, we see someone who is extremely different.Odysseus had a loving family and a loyal wife. In contrast, Gilgamesh was selfish and achieved the glory he thought he deserved. He was on the hunt for immortality and in doing so, abandoned his city or Uruk to travel with his friend Enkidu. A successful leader should never abandon his or her people. One example that contrasts Odysseus’ quality of leadership can be seen by looking at his crew. None of his members survived. A successful leader should always lead, protect and receive respect from their crew and in many ways the members of his crew were disobedient.When Odysseus and his crew traveled to the island of Helios he distinctively said to his men not to touch the cattle (Odyssey 219-220). When Odysseus fell into a sleep, Eurylokhos, Odysseus’ main member of the crew, convinced the men to kill one of the cattle for food (Odyssey 221). Disobedience shows disrespect, and when the members of your crew do not listen to what you say it shows that they do not take you seriously. A second example showing how Odysseus could not control his crew is the bag of wind (Odyssey 166).I believe that if you are a successful leader, you should be able to control all of your people, namely your crew. Although Gilgamesh does not have a crew, he proves that he lacks the characteristics of a good leader in a few instances. Gilgamesh and Enkidu steal trees from the cedar forest, which is forbidden to mortals. This is prime example of how Gilgamesh does not care about anyone else but himself. He is disrespecting the Gods by entering the forest and going even further by cutting down the trees.During this endeavor they also kill Huwawa, the monster that guards the forest. At first Gilgamesh flees when he first sees the face of Huwawa (Gilgamesh 26). Gilgamesh fleeing from the face of the demon shows that he was afraid, and no leader should ever be afraid and show it. Another example of Gilgamesh lacking the qualities of a leader is when he kills the Bull of Heaven. The goddess Ishtar was in love with Gilgamesh and wanted to be with him; when she asks him to be her husband he rejects her and she goes straight to her father and mother, Anu and Antum (Gilgamesh 29-32).Ishtar has her father send the Bull of Heaven down to kill Gilgamesh, however Enkidu and Gilgamesh conquer the Bull of Heave n and kill it. The council of Gods were enraged and demand that Enkidu must die in order to pay for the deaths of both Huwawa and the Bull (Gilgamesh 37-38). Betraying the Gods enough for them to wish death upon Enkidu shows that Gilgamesh was certainly not being a respectful mortal, let alone leader. Odysseus was a very sneaky and cunning man. He was able to defeat many monsters by out-smarting them.This was not always the best way to go about achieving victory. Odysseus came upon the Kyklops while on his journey with his crew. They were stuck in his cave, and he thought of a sneaky plan to get away. Odysseus and his crew took a large pole and poked the Kyklops in the eye. Right before they did this, however, Odysseus told the Kyklops that his name was Nohbdy. When the kyklops ran out of his cave bellowing in pain his fellow Kyklops’ asked who did this to him. â€Å"Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me, Nohbdys’s ruined me† (Odyssey 157) was the Kyklops’ r eply.This was extremely smart and cunning, and Odysseus would have been able to get away safe and sound. The unfortunate part occurred when Odysseus decides to brag his victory and announce his real name to the Kyklops. A leader should not feel the need to brag about victories that he or she has earned. Every leader knows that they are capable of defeat, and bragging is never something that a successful leader should do. As you can see there are several examples proving that Gilgamesh and Odysseus were not successful leaders from the start and throughout their journeys.The realization comes at the end of both novels where I believe the leaders made a change in their path for the better. When Odysseus and Telemakhos meet up they know that they must now defeat the suitors and gain the palace back as their own. Odysseus was disguised as a beggar so that he was able to go into the palace and get ready for the defeat of the suitors. You could already tell that he was starting to change w hen one of the suitors insulted him on being a beggar, and not being worthy. Normally Odysseus might have revealed whom he really was in order to prove his excellence, however he did not seem phased by it.From there Telemakhos and Odysseus defeated all of the suitors and claimed that palace, as it should be. Odysseus was back where he belonged, and ready to rule his people like he should have been doing from the start. Gilgamesh on the other hand was searching not for his way home, but for immortality. After Gilgamesh’s long journey he comes to the realization that death is inevitable. He learned from his talk with Utnapishtim that immortality cannot be earned when you are trying to get it. In his case, Utnapishtim was not looking for immortality when he built that ark.He was building the ark because he was told to and immortality was awarded to him as a reward. Death is something that cannot be avoided, and that he should just learn to accept that. Gilgamesh then finally rea lized what he had done to his people. Because he was so wrapped up in the glory, fame, and immortality he was trying to reach he gave up on something that was a part of him. Gilgamesh knew at that moment that he needed to travel back to Uruk and rule his people the way that they deserved to be ruled. In my opinion I believe that the end of both men’s journeys is the most important part.Yes, they were definitely not successful leaders for most of the story however the realizations at the end meant the most. When they realized that they let their people down they knew they needed to change. It shows that they will be there for them from now on, and be the best leaders they can be. I also believe that with the obstacles they over came along the way lessons were learned. Every champion athlete has to over come bad competitions, injuries, and bumps in the road in order for them to be at the top of the podium, and a successful leader has to do the exact same thing.

Structure of the Nucleus, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Ribosomes, Assignment

Structure of the Nucleus, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Ribosomes, Mitochondria, Golgi Dody, and Lysosomes - Assignment Example The main function of the cell is to control the expression of proteins (as directed by DNA and RNA). The nucleus itself is a membrane-bound organelle, which means that it is slightly separated by a thin membrane from the rest of the cell components (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). However, this poses a challenge as messages need to be carried from the enclosed DNA found in chromosomes to the rest of the cell, which is why there are nuclear pores to allow the passage of water-soluble molecules (Campbell & Reece, 2005). The chromosomes themselves are mostly found tightly-packed as chromatin (except during replication), and this function allows the huge amount of human DNA to be contained within each cell (Campbell & Reece, 2005). The structure of these chromosomes changes throughout the cell cycle, particularly relating to cell division. During mitosis or meiosis (cell division), chromatin structures become more condensed and as a result of this change in structure, transcription stops. D uring mitosis, structures known as microtubules form, anchoring the chromatid to the cell wall. This attachment is what allows the cell to divide, splitting sister chromatids in two to form two haploid daughter cells (Campbell & Reece, 2005).... The ER itself is generally split into two sections, known as the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the smooth. The rough ER plays a part in the synthesis of proteins, which is why its surface is covered in ribosomes involved in the process (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). The ribosomes themselves are bound to the rough ER on a transitory basis, depending on the signal from the nucleus (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). In fact, the reason that the rough ER is so-called is because the fact that it is studded with these ribosomes makes it look rough under an electron microscope (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). The ribosomes themselves only bind to the rough ER as required by the cell, and are associated with the initialization of protein-synthesis for part of a secretory pathway (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). The smooth ER is involved in the synthesis of lipids required by the cell. It is the increased surface area created by the smooth ER that allows the action of enzymes involved in lipid and ster oid synthesis. Each part of the ER thus has a distinct function in regulating cell behavior. Ribosomes Ribosomes are found within all living cells and are primarily involved in protein synthesis, also known as translation (Tortora & Derrickson, 2008). To do this, the ribosomes link together amino acids (found within the cell) to a template specified from messenger RNA (mRNA). This message, in turn, has come from the DNA code found within the nucleus. There are two subunits which comprise a ribosome; the small unit which reads the mRNA template, and the larger unit which anchors small amino acid units together to create a larger, fully formed protein (Campbell & Reece, 2005).

Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organisation of facts Essay - 1

Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organisation of facts. Discuss this statement in relation to two areas of knowledge - Essay Example This was classical definition of knowledge which was ultimately endorsed but initially was described by Plato. Some grasp of knowledge’s relationship to information is required by an understanding of knowledge. The difference between knowledge and information has long been the practice in everyday language (Daniel, 2006, pp. 36).â€Å"Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organization of facts† is the main theme of this essay. This essay will discuss this statement in relation to two areas of knowledge, i.e. history and ethics. Furthermore, it will investigate the ways of knowing and the two areas of knowledge. The potential knowledge issues, the sort of real life situations which can be drawn out and the challenges and difficulties will also be addressed by this essay. The labeling and division of the knowledge we posses are referred to as the areas of knowledge. Eight different areas of knowledge are identified by the TOK course. Ethics and History are the two areas of knowledge, which I will consider. The study of how to live our lives morally or the moral philosophy is referred to as ethics. Ethics is a branch of knowledge which is concerned with moral principles. The issue of moral issues is an example of a key area of discussion in ethics. Conduct is influenced or governed by these moral principles. The study of morals is referred to as ethics. Since ethics is based on the mind of an individual, therefore, knowledge may be refuted by the idea of ethics. Ethics may be based on beliefs or religion or may be raised through our own experience. In order to list things as facts, there may not be a written formula booklet of ethics. Since ethics is created and related to the time we live now, therefore, it is not highly related to the past. An area of knowledge that studies the recorded past is referred to as history. Understanding of human behavior can be deepened through study

History of Modern Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History of Modern Art - Essay Example The essay "History of Modern Art" examines Philadelphia Savings Fund Society building. This is one of the features that make the building standout among other buildings. It depicts a piece of art that had been well designed to match the exact mental imagery of the designers. It can also be said to represent the minds of many people especially from the perspective of creativity. This is because of the remarkable landmarks available in this area. The exact materials used to make the building include but not limited to brass, copper, glass, glazed brick. While the glass is working to ensure the continued beautification of the building, other factors were in play such as stainless steel that was seriously working on the strength as well as the durability of the building. It is free standing and strategically placed to fulfill the duties that it was originally put up for. With regard to iconography of the structure, the building can be said to have three main parts that make it unique in the area. Here, the structure appears as if the lower part, which is the widest and protruding, is separate from the rest of the building. The west part of the building also appears distinct from the other part of the building in that it is even taller than the main building. This can be said to be the flanked art of the building. This style makes it the only building with a distinctive sand unique style in Philadelphia. It can also be easily spotted even by an outsider because it bears its name at the top most part.

The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Debate on Lowering the Drinking Age - Essay Example The article in CBS News stated the problem clearly. Teenagers are engaging in beer binges at an alarming rate. Underage drinking is so prevalent that it is already the norm. Even university presidents seemed to give up on the issue that it cannot be stop but can only be contained (2009). As a result of excessive underage drinking, deaths and accidents are on the continuous rise. Apparently, death among young adults that is alcohol related is not only due to drunk driving as what the age 21 drinking limit is trying to avoid but by other causes as well. As the article has stated, strict enforcement on the working age never worked. It only pushed underage drinking further underground. Banning it altogether also did not work because underage drinkers always find a way to have their alcohol. It even estimated that out of 2,000 violations, there are only 2 convictions that resulted from strict enforcement. Convicting the violators is also not a solution to the problem. Even if we assume for the sake of discussion that all 2,000 violators will be convicted, underage drinking will still not stop. Again, it will only push underage drinking further underground making it more dangerous. It will become more dangerous because underage drinkers will tend to make the most of the opportunity to drink alcohol without any regulators or parents around to moderate drinking. The problem about underage drinking is not the incorrect age limit to drink. It involves a bigger and more complex issue. It is a problem of indulgence and addiction more than the legal issue of incorrectly stating the correct drinking age at 21 years old. This explains why I am against at lowering the drinking age because it will not only solve the problem but can even potentially aggravate it. With the current culture of indulgence and addition, lowering the drinking age, say to age 18 or 17 may be even perceived as an encouragement. That instead of stopping or

Stability analysis using GUI in MATLAB (Electronic Engineering) Essay

Stability analysis using GUI in MATLAB (Electronic Engineering) Project Proposal - Essay Example Initially it is essential to examine the theoretical basis for the concept of stability in order to identify the various conditions which characterize a stable system. After determining the stability conditions, the Graphical User Interface Development Environment (GUIDE) module of MATLAB will be studied to examine the process of developing a Graphical User Interface for a MATLAB application which determines the stability of a given system. The BIBO (Bounded Input Bounded Output) concept of stability states that if a bounded input to the system produces a bounded output, then the system is stable (Ogata. K. 1997). It is important to determine the physical significance of stability both in the time domain and in the frequency domain. In the time domain, for continuous functions to be BIBO stable, an integral of their impulse response should exist. Similarly for discrete functions in the time domain, we should be able to sum up the impulse responses of the discrete function (Ogata. K. 1995). To determine stability in the frequency domain, we consider the Laplace transform (used for converting continous functions from time domain to frequency domain and vice versa) for the continous signals and Z transform (used for converting discrete functions from time domain to frequency domain and vice versa) for the discrete signals. If the region of convergence of the Laplace transform includes the imaginary axis, then the system i s stable (Ogata. K. 1995). The physical significance of this statement is that all poles of the system should on the left of the origin (as we are dealing only with causal systems). If the region of convergence Z transform includes the unit circle then the system is stable. A system is stable if and only if all its poles are lying within the unit circle. The transfer function is an illustration of the relationship between the input to a system and the output of the system (Ogata. K. 1997). It accurately represents a system which is time invariant