Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Pizza USA Term Paper Essay Example for Free

Pizza USA Term Paper Essay Abstract This case involves Pizza USA, a small independent chain restaurant operation that offers both dine-in and carry-out services for customers that has received feedback for a potential change that will require the implementation of design process to add services. Currently, customers have indicated that they are pleased with the food offered by the restaurant but they would increase pizza purchases if a delivery service was available. This dilemma ties into two separate issues. First, in order to remain competitive within the industry, customer wants and preferences need to be heard. After all, if you cannot please your customer base, you will lose them. Secondly, the changes required must be done in a manner that combines data gathering and analysis and implementation of a plan that best suites this particular type of business in order to maximize success. Customer service has been a recurring theme in many discussions regarding business operations and management in recent weeks. The prevailing thought is that in order for your business to grow and be successful, you must identify what your customers want and find a way to deliver it. This paper will analyze and discuss how process design can be implemented to assist this business to achieve its goals. Within the process design analysis and discussion, several factors will be reviewed to include: identification of what customer satisfaction means to the business and how we can identify the things that are most valuable to customers, the potential net yield of achieving a high level of customer satisfaction and efficiency, and the characteristic of developing an efficient pizza delivery (from stove to door) system. The paper will also assess creation of market â€Å"advantages† to not only maintain but grow the customer base. Pizza USA: An Exercise in Translating Customer Requirements into Process Design In the last five years leading up to 2012, the Pizza Restaurants industry has experienced the results of a downturn in economy. Restaurants have been directly affected by changing market conditions such as changes in intense competition, decreasing consumer spending and an increase in overall health consciousness (Kalnins, A., Mayer, K. , 2004). However, despite such overwhelming odds and challenges, businesses were able to overcome economic hard times by reinventing themselves through creative marketing and adjusting their menu’s to adapt to customers preferences (Kelso, 2012). This allowed the industry to recover effectively and consumer spending and market growth returned in 2010. As more consumers returned to the restaurants, overall demand increased. The U. S. Pizza industry averages about 410 million pizzas per year (Kelso, 2012). In 2012 alone, pizza sales are expected to reach an incredible $36. 1 billion in revenue which is a 3. 8 percent increase from the previous year (Kelso, 2012). This growth is expected to continue at a rate of 2. 9 percent per year through 2017. Based on gathered data, 97 percent of U. S. consumers have ordered food from a pizza restaurant or establishment within the past 12 months (Kelso, 2012). No matter how you look at it, pizza consumption is on the rise and creates an exceptional opportunity for success in this industry. According to Gregory Badishkanian, a CITI Analyst, the big three of the pizza industry: Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa Johns are currently in position to increase market share. (Bloomberg, 2012). Although the big three comprise of 30% of the total pizza market, the remaining 70% comprise largely of other large chains with less market coverage and of course the smaller independent chains (Kelso, 2012). While the larger chains are improving profits independent chains are struggling to stay afloat amidst the fierce competition among the larger more established companies such as the big three (Kelso, 2012). Understanding this dilemma, it would be most prudent for any independent restaurant operator to maximize operations by insuring that internal process design enables not only efficient productivity but generates a process that is customer friendly and focused on customer’s needs and preferences (Kalnins, A. , Mayer, K. , 2004). This would be critical in the business’ ability to survive in such a monopolistic type market. Successful operation within a smaller independent chain restaurant faces challenges that may not be as apparent to a larger and more established national chains. Pizza USA is a small chain operation that currently provides two services: dine-in and carry-out options. Customers have commented that if delivery services were added to the restaurant offerings, they would potentially buy more pizzas (Jacobs Chase, 2011). Based on this information, it is apparent that the owner needs to assess his business operations and consider a process design that would include adding this service to current operations. The addition of delivery services would potentially require additional capital to finance changes and may involve the hiring of additional staff. However, revenue increases as a result of the added service would off-set the costs associated with these additions. Near and long-term implications would include survivability within such a competitive market. As a customer, the primary focus of my satisfaction with this type of business relates primarily to efficiency and the level of customer service provided. If delivery service was provided, the two areas that would be most prevalent in my mind would be the delivery time and the state of the pizza once received. Far too often, I’ve received delivered food that was warm and in some cases cold. Needless to say, I never contacted that restaurant again. The thing that would create a unique experience would be the restaurant’s ability to not only deliver within an exceptional time period but also to provide a pizza that is piping hot as it would be while dining in. Another aspect would be an incentive to order delivery by way of discounting or some type of rewards service. These are experiences that have not been typical in my experience with pizza deliveries. Method. The perceived situational analysis are as follows: Strengths-Due to the smaller nature of the business, It could potentially create a more personal experience for the customers thus increasing customer satisfaction; Weaknesses-As a smaller business entity, they have less resources and limited options in implementing changes to meet customer demands. Also, the business would be less tolerant of negative impacts that may result from changes compared to larger established chains with additional resources available; Opportunities-A stronger customer relationship tends to allow more flexibility due to stronger loyalty among satisfied customers. Loyal customers are willing to wait changes out rather than making an initial determination and moving on to another business; Threats-The primary threats are of course the larger and more established chains such as the big three. Again, due to resourcing issues, these smaller and independent operations have less flexibility and opportunity if changes become less than desirable. The primary causes and effects are business survivability and customer satisfaction. Although these two areas are mentioned separately, they are in fact one. If changes are not made to meet customer needs and preferences, the business risks losing clientele and eventual closure. The term customer loyalty has been described as a process of capturing how well an organization is performing in three critical market measures: customer retention, share of wallet, and price sensitivity relative to competitors (Jacobs Chase, 2011). Studies have shown that customer loyalty relates directly to business success and survivability. There exists a major distinction between product design from the user’s standpoint from what may have been intended by the manufacturer (Jacobs Chase, 2011). The main difference deals primarily with the intended versus perceived usefulness of a given product. In short, if the customer’s input is not considered, product or process design could potentially be a major waste of time on the from end of the planning cycle with even a worse outcome once in the market. Table-1 below indicates quick-serve satisfaction rates among the top companies in the market to include the big three (Verma, R. , Thompson, G. , 1999). As you can see, each of the larger chains has high overall scores in customer satisfaction. Albeit, this is only one of many areas that could potentially be assessed. The independent chains can learn something from this data. The large chains didn’t survive the market and become who they are today without success in this particular area (Verma, R. , Thompson, G. , 1999). Table-1 Although the case situation described is consistent with most other business operations, â€Å"what can be done to be more profitable? † it is unique in itself due the detail andlevel of changes discussed. There are probably 100 areas that could be looked at that deals with efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, for the purpose of this paper we will only analyze the above mentioned areas. If assessing profitability and customer satisfaction is an everyday occurrence, which is the case in most businesses, then this case could most certainly be considered as a preexisting situation. However, this paper has little to do with assessing a documented loss in profits or revenue streams so the evolution is unknown at best. There are many course concepts that can be applied to understand this situation. However the two most prevalent areas of operations philosophy that comes to mind are: Chapter 3-Product and Service Design and Chapter 5-Process Analysis. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) in chapter 3 discusses the process of getting the customer’s â€Å"voice† involved in design specifications (Jacobs Chase, 2011). This concept and application relates to any and all industries and organizations. It is directly related a process of studying and listening to customers to improve upon a product or service (Jacobs Chase, 2011). Measuring Process Performance in Chapter 5 primarily deals with how well a particular process is performing. This is accomplished by assessing many different types of metrics such as: productivity, efficiency, flow time, throughput, and value added time to name a few (Jacobs Chase, 2011). In order to adequately analyze whether your operation is running efficiently, a system of measurement is required to assess the performance. Results/Discussion The problem of addressing the customers’ needs and preferences are easily solved. Immediately implement planning to accommodate your customers’ request for the added feature of delivery service. Consider the most efficient manner of transition to minimize disruption to current business operations while planning the change. Insure that additional feedback is solicited and gathered from customers to re-validate the need to add the additional service and proceed with design process reviews and analysis to achieve goals. This satisfies the earlier discussion regarding identification of what the customer really wants and prefers. The task of developing and implementing the plan is what is the most difficult. Recommend that the owner begins with data gathering methods such as GAP Analysis. This method is used to assess the business’ performance relative to the expectations of its customers (Jacobs Chase, 2011). An additional form of Gap Analysis includes the benchmarking of certain industry standards and measures the business ‘performance against established standards within the industry (Jacobs Chase, 2011). Questions to be asked would be: What are other smaller independent chains offering? Is delivery service a value added service or just a waste of money? What are the industry standards in regards to delivery times and what is considered acceptable to customers? Do have the resources to provide that type of service or will it require additional equipment, supplies, vehicles and staff? This will allow the owner to see where his restaurant is versus where he wants to be. Moreover, this would be an ideal tool to gather additional information from Customers to obtain additional feedback. It can be accomplished in many ways such as through paper or email mailers and in store surveys. The method selected would primarily depend on the owner’s available resources and preferences and of course size of targeted population. The follow-on recommendation is to conduct a cost impact and payoff analysis using a decision tree or what some would call a consequence diagram. This process allows the planner to map out several alternatives with different end results to assess risk (Jacobs Chase, 2011). In essence it is a risk matrix. When planning or considering restaurant equipment purchases or even additional staff hires, this process could be beneficial in assessing the risks involved with each decision (Jacobs Chase, 2011). Table-2 is a representation of a typical decision tree used to make informed decisions. As you can see, it is a process of identifying the problem (or situation) and working through several COA’s to determine what works best for you. Table-2 Implementation is the next step. I would recommend the utilization of responsibility charts to organize and manage tasks. Again, this particular tool is a type of matrix that lists all the projects and tasks to be completed while identifying certain responsible parties or stakeholders (Jacobs Chase, 2011). In such a small business environment, it would probably be most beneficial for the owner to get all staff involved with the design process to obtain full buy-in.this can be accomplished through the use of this tool. Of all the steps involved with planning and execution, this is probably the most labor intensive due to the potential resourcing required. After plans are implemented, the owner needs to assess the customer reactions to the added service. Anticipating a given response and getting the actual response are sometimes two different things. Again, the same process used during the Gap Analysis can be used to capture post-implementation feedback from customers (Jacobs Chase, 2011). The bottom line is that as a small business, you more reliant on customer loyalty than larger chains and operations. As a result, you must pay attention to any feedback received regarding your products and services, In this case we’re talking about pizzas but it applies in many other situations and industries as well. Once the feedback id obtained develop a smart and affordable plan and implement the plan. Once you have transitioned fully into your new plan, solicit additional feedback from customers to see how things are going. You may find other areas of your business operations that require attention. Customer feedback has to be a part of your daily operations. Without it, your business is at serious risk. References Kalnins, A. , Mayer, K. , (Dec 2004), Franchising, ownership, and experience: A study of pizza restaurant survival. Management Science Journal, Vol. 50 Issue 12, p1716-1728, 13p, 3 Charts. doi: 10. 1287/mnsc. 1040. 0220 Kohli, A. , Gupta, M. , (Apr 2010), Improving operations strategy: Application of TOC principles in a small business. Journal of Business Economics Research, Vol. 8 Issue 4, p37-45, 9p Verma, R. , Thompson, G. , (1999), Managing service operations based on customer preferences. International Journal of Operations and Production Management. Vol. 19 Issue 9/10, p891-908, 18p, 6 Charts Jacobs, F. R. , Chase, R. B. (2011), Operations and supply chain management. (13th ed. ), New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Kelso, A. , (Sep 2012), Survey: U. S. pizza market tops $40 billion, pizzamarketplace. com, Retrieved: 1 Mar 2013 http://www. pizzamarketplace. com/article/200667/Survey-U-S-pizza-market-tops-40-billion AP News, (Sep 2012), Analyst: Big pizza chains could take bigger slice, Bloomberg Business Week News, Retrieved: 1 Mar 2013 http://www. businessweek. com/ap/2012-09-18/analyst-big-pizza-chains-could-take-bigger-slice.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The Complex Relationship Between Multiculturalism and Feminism Essay

The Complex Relationship Between Multiculturalism and Feminism These days, it seems that multiculturalism is generally an assumed good. Increased acknowledgement of diversity and cultural sensitivity seem to be steps toward leveling the playing field for all human beings. And that is the goal of much scholarship and activism, right--to secure and ensure human rights across the board? That is one of global feminism’s aims, so it would seem that multiculturalism would help, not hinder, feminist work to better the situation of women. That is not necessarily the case. It may be helpful to first clarify what is meant by both feminism and multiculturalism. Though it is difficult to definitively state what is meant by these complex terms, Susan Moller Okin is able to sum up the essence of feminism and single out a facet of multiculturalism that is particularly relevant. In her essay, â€Å"Is Multiculturalism Bad for Women?,† Okin explores the relationship between feminism and multiculturalism, especially pertaining to the granting of â€Å"group rights.† Okin writes: â€Å"By feminism, I mean the belief that women should not be disadvantaged by their sex, that they should be recognized as having human dignity equal to that of men, and that they should have the opportunity to live as fulfilling and as freely chosen lives as men can.† She goes on, writing that â€Å"Multiculturalism is harder to pin down, but the particular aspect that concerns me here is the claim, made in the context of basically liberal democracies, that minority cultures or ways of life are not sufficiently protected by the practice of ensuring the individual rights of their members, and as a consequence these should also be protected through special group rights of priv... ...a hard time representing our entire country’s population in a few sentences, or even a few pages. The American cultural system of today is far different than the culture of the 1940’s, and my experience as a Southerner is quite different than that of someone from New England. Multiculturalism seeks to protect cultures from extinction, it is very dangerous to over-simplify a complex cultural system and identify it by its most extreme practices. Feminism and multiculturalism do have some of the same goals; chiefly, equality of rights for all human beings. It is true that some efforts of multiculturalism counter feminism’s goals to empower women, but I do not think that this must always be the case. Cultural sensitivity is not enough; we must consider cultural practices, the workings of the cultural system that supports them, and how that system itself came about.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Abc Steel Company Essay

Robert Cruz, newly appointed Shop Manager of ABC Steel Company, was making his way through the plant back to his office. He had just reviewed the company’s most recent operating statistics with his boss, Rudyard de los Santos, Operations Manager. The statistics were shocking: ABC Company’s production backlog had reached such proportions that top management decided not to accept any further business. The company was paying penalties of P50, 000.00 a day due to non-fulfillment of contract delivery dates. ABC Company was one of the country’s largest producers of fabricated steel products. The company fabricated and installed storage tanks, mine and cane car bodies, dump bodies, boats and many types of structural steel. As shown in the organization chart (Exhibit 1), fabrication and installation activities were organized as independent activities. See more: Is the Importance of being earnest a satirical play essay Robert Cruz had recently been promoted from Quality Control Supervisor to Shop Manager (see Exhibit 1). Twenty-nine years old, Robert had worked for ABC Company for the past 2 years. He had previously worked as a sheet metal worker and as an instructor at a United States naval base in Subic. Robert held an engineering degree from a local university. Plagued by an ever-increasing production backlog, ABC Company had placed Robert in charge of all shop operations. There were 200 workers in the shop reporting directly to leadmen who, in turn, reported to Bay supervisors.1There were five Bay supervisors reporting to Robert. Before Robert’s appointment, Jim Fuentes, 45, was in charge of the shop. It was decided to transfer him to the position of Field Manager. (This position had formerly been a part of Rudyard’s responsibility.) Before, he and Mr. de los Santos had reviewed the ABC Company’s performance. Robert had isolated a number of critical problem areas in the fabrication shop. Production control was a constant problem. Schedules were drawn up improperly and they were seldom met. For example, a local construction firm had recently contracted ABC Company to build 2 dump trucks. The contract  price agreed upon was P150,000 each, and the trucks were to be delivered in 8 weeks. ABC Company had failed to meet the delivery date. The first dump truck was delivered after 10 week’s time, and the production statistics revealed that â€Å"out of pocket† costs for the first truck exceeded P170, 000. The second truck had yet to be delivered, and Robert estimated that fabrication costs for the two would total nearly P400,000. It was discovered that labor and material estimates had been inaccurate. More importantly, Robert listed four reasons why target dates were not met: (1) the targets were unrealistic, (2) shifts in manpower requirements were not anticipated, _______________ 1All fabrication activities were carried on in separate sections of the plant called â€Å"bays†. Most work orders were started and completed in one bay; less than 20% of the production work flowed from one bay to another. (3 there were no consistent â€Å"follow-up† policies and (4) machine scheduling was so poor that during one week, a huge cutting machine lay idle, while during the next week it had to be run 22 hours a day.2 As shown in Exhibit 1, Rudyard de los Santos was acting Production Control Manager. He and Gabby Alcantara, (Shop Production Control Supervisor), were working on a more effective system of production control. But Robert believed it would be at least six months before any new system would be ready for implementation. As the General Manager admitted, production and control was a â€Å"hit and miss† affair. Another problem Robert Cruz inherited when he took over the fabrication shop was a shortage of skilled manpower. ABC Company had long prided itself on being a producer of top quality steel products. The use of skilled welders, cutters, and steel workers was ABC Company’s only assurance that this quality could be maintained, and in recent years such skilled workers had become scarce. Finally, Robert had been told that there were serious â€Å"discipline† problems  in the shop. Workers were often tardy. They fraternized constantly during working hours, and often disregarded the authority of their leadmen and supervisors. Ninety percent of the laborers came from a nearby baranggay, and many were also baranggay leaders tended to be more lax in implementing company policies and taking disciplinary action against the workers. Other baranggay leaders who did not hold positions of responsibility with ABC Company were able to undermine the authority of the leadmen and supervisors in the shop. Two of the five Bay supervisors were described by the workers as â€Å"baranggay leaders†; two were described as being â€Å"not important† in the baranggay. One supervisor was an â€Å"outsider† and did not reside in the nearby baranggay. When Robert’s appointment to the position of Shop Manager became known, many persons in the shop were surprised. Although his performance in the Quality Control Department had been excellent, many of the â€Å"old timers† in the shop believed he lacked sufficient â€Å"management experience.† Interview with Robert Cruz Edison Mojica, an MBA student specializing in Organizational Behavior, had been observing the operations of ABC Steel Company as part of practicum for a number of weeks. He was waiting in the Shop manager’s office when Robert Cruz returned from his meeting with Rudyard de los Santos. He and Robert sat down and the new Shop Manager began to talk. Robert: Well I know I’ve got my work cut out for me†¦ You should see those penalty figures! We’ll be bankrupt in another five months at this rate! I’m still swimming in a pool of problems†¦Lots of them. Old problems dropped into my lap. _______________ 2ABC Steel Company fabrication operations were carried on during two eight-hour shifts. The first shift was from 8 AM to 5 PM; the second shift was from 5 PM to 2 AM. What’s worst, present problem multiply them (Pause). Of course, management does not expect me to solve these problems all by myself. I’m new in this position†¦.besides, the odds seem to be on my side. I would need the help of other departments. Edison: What do you mean by â€Å"odds†? Robert: Well, take the case of my supervisors in the shop. They are too old to be my subordinates. (Laughs) Not only that, they’re too good to their men. I don’t get any bad reports from them. That’s not an accurate reflection of things. The supervisors can’t afford to go against the majority’s rule you know how baranggay folks are†¦. Edison: But do you get results from your supervisors? Robert: It’s not a question of getting results from them. It’s more a problem of getting the best results. Do you think that my supervisors would have the guts to ask their men to cut out their chat-chats during working hours, or their coming late to work? Or even correcting their poor working habits? Everyone tries to be a supervisor here, you know. Edison: How do you propose to correct this situation? Robert: The Personnel Department will have to help me handle this problem. My supervisors and leadmen will be given supervisory training. If they still don’t’ learn†¦ Well, I think I have to be more firmed with them. Right? You see, before I stepped into this shop, these supervisors had been doing the things they’re doing now for generations. I’m not exaggerating. I think previous management had been too lax with them. To break a rule was not uncommon. Nobody seemed to check on anyone. Now when I came in, I tried to push these rules. What happened? The workers thought that I’ve created new rules for them. They think I’m trying to be strict with them. Edison: What’s your major problem in the shop? Robert: I have many major problems. (Laughs) But I think production control is the worst of them. We never seem to have completed any job on time. This is what’s costing us money. Planning and scheduling are a hit and miss affair. It’s really hard to break a habit, isn’t it? Besides, our production control section is undermanned, I think. What we‘ve got to do is get the men to think in terms of a schedule, a plan †¦.rather than just working on the job in front of them†¦.. The Problem of Overtime The following day a Bay Supervisor entered Robert’s office and requested that the entire fabrication work force be placed on overtime that weekend to complete a number of unfinished jobs.3 The Shop Manager knew that in recent months overtime expenses were extraordinarily high. Mr. de los Santos and top management had tolerated this extra expense because it seemed to be the only way to meet deadlines. Before granting the Bay Supervisor’s request, Robert asked for detailed description of the operations that were to be completed during the overtime period. The Bay Supervisor became angry. He stood up and exclaimed loudly. â€Å"Nobody in my twenty years in this shop has demanded this from me. Who do you think you are?† The two men stared at each other. After a few moments Robert suggested they review the matter with Mr. Rudyard de los Santos. The Operations Manger, sensing that the Bay Supervisor was very upset, decided that the Supervisor on this occasion need not submit a description of work to be completed. However, it was made an operating procedure from that time on that a proposed overtime activities list had to be submitted before any overtime could be allowed in the shop. The following week Robert found that it would be necessary for one of the fabrication bays to work overtime. He approached the Bay Supervisor and asked him to work overtime on the following day. To Robert’s surprise, the  Supervisor told him that the men could not make the overtime because they all had â€Å"previous appointments.† ABC STEEL COMPANY Essay VIEWPOINT:a) Mr. Robert Cruz, newly appointed Shop Manager of ABC Steel Company. The company had placed Mr. Robert in charge of all shop operations; OR b) Top Management TIME CONTEXT:At present I.PROBLEM STATEMENT: How can ABC Steel Company avoid delays in the production and delivery of the products to the customer? II.STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVE To strictly comply with the stated delivery schedule requirement of the customer in recently placed orders and fully accomplish the backlogs within three (3) months. III.AREAS OF CONSIDERATION A.STRENGTH 1.ABC Company was one of the country’s largest producers of fabricated steel products. The company fabricated and installed storage tanks, mine and cane car bodies, dump bodies, boats and many types of structural steel. 2. ABC has the capability to produce top quality steel products. B.WEAKNESSES 1.ABC Company has an inaccurate labor and materials estimates; 2.The targets were unrealistic; 3.Shifts in manpower requirements were not anticipated; 4.There were no consistent â€Å"follow-up† policies; 5.Poor planning and scheduling of manpower and machineries; 6.Shortage of skilled manpower that produces top quality products; 7.View of subordinates that Mr. Rober Cruz lacked management experience; 8.Authority of leadmen and supervisors is being disregarded by their subordinates; 9.Discipline problems among workers; and 10.Lax in the implementation of company’s rules and regulations. 11.Production backlog C.OPPORTUNITIES 1.ABC’s known credibility in producing high quality fabricated steel products can still be used to generate other leading consumers in the market. D.THREATS 1.Bankruptcy in another five months; 2.Industry’s awareness of ABC’s situation/inefficiency; 3.Decrease in customer loyalty 4.Other companies in the same product line that target the delivery schedule of its customers IV.ASSUMPTION/S A.The machineries used by the company are in good condition and are sufficient enough to meet production requirements. B.No price increase in commodities. C.Workers will coordinate with their supervisor in terms of work attitudes V.ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF ACTION A.Conduct meeting with Department Heads B.Resources and personnel maximization C.Sub-contracting VI.ANALYSIS ADVANTAGEDISADVANTAGE Better understanding of company’s situation Pin-point the source of the problem thru representations of the Heads in their respective departments. Encourage participation of concerned personnel in decision-making Time consuming Adjustment difficulty Avoid idle times of machines Avoid fraternizing during work hours Completion of backlogs/increased in production Higher cost for maintenance and utilities Acquiring the services of company with expertise on the goods / services required. Division of labor Less profit VII.CONCLUSION AREA’SACA ABC Adaptability332 Timeliness332 Cost Effectiveness321 Manageability332 Total12117 Legend: 1 – Good, 2 – Better; and 3 – Best VIII.RECOMMENDATION:ACA A IX.DETAILED PLAN OF ACTION ACTIVITIESPERSONS INVOLVEDRESOURCESTIME FRAME 1.Conduct management review meetingRudyard delos Santos and Department HeadsMeeting expenses-Weekly (until the completion of the backlogs); and -Once every months (routine schedule). 2. Strict implementation of management review meeting agreements (e.g. Status reports)Department HeadsMeeting expensesAs required. 2. Conduct Leadership trainings and seminar for Completed Staff Work Managers and StaffAt least 2 training per semester (1 internal and 1 external trainings) 3.Creative an incentive scheme (e.g. Star Performer of the month) with incentive bonus StaffEvery month 4. Create a Performance Evaluation CommitteeManagers/SupervisorsBefore end of the year 5.Conduct of Team Building activitiesManagers, Staff, Department headsCultural expenseQuarterly – all department

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Descartes Man vs Animal Essays - 2061 Words

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Movies and novels such as â€Å"Planet of the Apes† and 2001: A Space Odyssey are called Science Fiction because they portray situations that seem extremely unrealistic concurrent with contemporary philosophy. â€Å"Planet of the Apes† depicts a world where apes rule while humans are subjected to servitude and confinement. These apes speak intelligibly and are human-like in appearance and behavior. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, the highly advanced computer, HAL 9000, an acronym for â€Å"Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer,† controls the bulk of spaceship operation. It makes declarative statements, learns from mistakes and, in the beginning, interacts well with the crew. In both works non-human entities, apes in one†¦show more content†¦However, simply the utterance of sounds does not require any such entity. Since humans are the only animals that use speech, we must be the only animals equipped with a soul. He also points out that it is not the lack or organs or physical capacity that prevents speech and requires talk: â€Å"it is not the want of organs that brings this to pass, for it is evident that magpies and parrots are able to utter words just like ourselves, and yet they cannot speak as we do† (Descartes). He also makes the point that â€Å"we ought not to confound speech with natural movements which betray passions and may be imitated by machines as well as be manifested by animals† (Descartes). He is making the point not to interpret the habitual instinct to make a racket and wave appendages when angry as speech. He makes the point as well that machines, by simple programming, can utter sounds that resembles communication but that they are not truly speaking because it is simply the disposition of their organs, not true expression. Descartes’ first criterion for distinguishing humans from animals and machines, those with souls from those without, is the capacity for spee ch. Because humans are the only creatures that use speech to communicate, where other animals may talk (a very primitiveShow MoreRelatedDescartes Man vs Animal2088 Words   |  9 Pagesfunctions based upon previously acquired knowledge which goes against what most consider to be normal animal/machine behavior, thus it is termed Science Fiction. In 1637, celebrated French philosopher and mathematician, Renà © Descartes (1596-1650), published Discourse on Method, Optics, Geometry, and Meteorology in which he maintains that he had established two universal criteria to distinguish animals and machines from humans, and thus those entities without souls from those with. His criteria are theRead MoreCartesian Rationalism Vs. 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Montaigne constantly uses the contrast of animals and humans with the former representing a more pureRead MoreThe Mystery Of Consciousness And Consciousness Essay1338 Words   |  6 Pag esmemories. Throughout the nineteenth century and beyond, however, consciousness has laid beyond the confines of science. Rene Descartes , a French philosopher, laid down the foundation of science by reflecting on what it meant to be conscious. Descartes was the one who introduced the idea of the mind as separate from the body, otherwise known as Cartesian Dualism. Descartes several theories sparked major controversy and discussion about consciousness. During the twentieth century, consciousness wasRead MoreHuman And Non Human Animals1791 Words   |  8 PagesWith several scientifically verifiable differences between human and non-human animals, there are major similarities in terms of biological make ups, livelihood requirements, and life cycles. Major differences are cited on the grounds of brain functionality and response to various environmental stimuli. Basing the whole argument on the differences in the mental capabilities of both human and non-human animals, the latter is viewed as less being that is vulnerable and that requires support, protectionRead MoreConsciousness Is The Subjective Perception Of The Self Essay1694 Words   |  7 Pagesto solve problems, and to create memories. Consciousness has historically laid beyond the confines of science. Rene Descartes, a French philosopher, laid down the foundation of the study of consciousness by reflecting on what it meant to be conscious. Descartes was the one who introduced the idea of the mind as separate from the body, otherwise known as Cartesian Dualism. Descartes’ several theories sparked major controversy and discussion about consciousness. During the twentieth century, consciousnessRead MoreCartesian Dualism vs Logical Behaviorism Essay1483 Words   |  6 Pagesthe mind, both have their strengths and weaknesses. Renà © Descartes was the 17th century, French philosopher responsible for many well-known philosophical arguments, such as Cartesian dualism. Briefly discussed previously, according to dualism, brains and the bodies are physical things; the mind, which is a nonphysical object, is distinct from both the brain and from all other body parts (Sober 204). Sober makes a point to note Descartes never denied that there are causal interactions between mentalRead MoreCritically Compare How the Nature-Nurture Debate Has Been Addressed by Three Different Researchers or Schools or Thought in Psychology and/or Philosophy. at Least One of the Researchers/Schools Must Have Been Active Before the 20th Century.2285 Words   |  10 Pagesbehaviour is a result of life experiences that mould and change through one’s life such as how one is reared by their parents, what one is educated in school and one’s culture. The nature vs. nurture debate can be traced all the way to 13th century Fra nce and to a manuscript, Silence. 17th century philosopher Descartes was also a major influence on nature and nurture debate and argued that we do not come into the world completely void of any conceptions about it. On the other spectrum to his line ofRead MorePsychology : Child Development Theories1094 Words   |  5 Pagespsychologist and thought it would not be of any benefit to study them. Interest in the development in children did not take place until the early 17th century and the only thing being studied were abnormalities in children. It all began with a man named Renà © Descartes, a philosopher and mathematician, who is considered the father of modern philosophy. Arguably most known for his most famous observation â€Å"I think; Therefore I am† which is thought to define the starting point of existence and for being theRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Human Nature1534 Words   |  7 Pagesfamously stated â€Å"Man s nature is not essentially evil. Brute nature has bee n known to yield to the influence of love. You must never despair of human nature.† In Chinese culture, too, humans had long been considered to be essentially good, under the idealistic doctrines of Confucius and Mencius. In the West, however, many scholars, most notably including John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, suggested that the innate human condition was selfish and competitive. French philosopher, Rene Descartes expanded on