How to Succeed in College Essay Example for Free

How to Succeed in College Essay For most, the collegiate experience represents a major cornerstone in life. Attending college can provide identity, give direction and fortify the foundation of its students. Success in college means always demonstrating responsible decision making. Attendance policies and rules of participation may not appear to be significant, but they can move a student to the right or to the left in the grading scale. It is also crucial to adhere to rigid standards that command accountability. Some Professors are adamant about participation and class involvement. Academia mandates setting goals and becoming objective. You will discover that these habits, when applied, enhance the window of opportunity for success to enter. Confidence is an essential part of being a successful college student. Likewise, a student that lacks this sort of discipline, readiness and mental strength will most likely be lackadaisical and less likely to thrive in college. The first key to succeeding in college is attendance. Being present and on time ensures that pertinent knowledge is ascertained. Most of all, showing up on time for every class allows the individual to develop positive attendance habits that are just as important in the job market. These habits reflect a sense of dependability to professors and employers alike. A student simply cannot gain information from a lecture if they are not present. Nonetheless, being present is only half of the equation. The next step is class participation. Professors want to see that their students can apply what is being taught to them. This element may stimulate debate, or even trigger thorough research on something in particular. At the college level, participation and attentiveness really exercise the mind. Consequently, when students work in groups, are involved in research and share opinions they are able to hone their communication skills. Subsequently, it is critical for any college student to set goals and concise objectives for accomplishing them. Individuals with something to work toward are most likely to thrive in any c ollege or university. Goals provide the determination to fuel students through adversity; school related or not. Objectives should be well-defined. They are actually small steps indicative of levels of accomplishment and success. For college students, enormous goals are not far-fetched, nor do they seem impossible to reach when clear  objectives exist. Students who regularly set goals and objectives possess more ambition and drive than those who do not. Goal-oriented people have a more resilient work ethic due to the fact that they can see the progression of their hard work when they arrive at specific objectives. This hard work creates a sense of gratitude and individual accomplishment. Ultimately, college students must be prepared mentally and harbor a positive attitude. Self-confidence must be present if anyone is to endure the investment and sacrifice that pave the way to becoming a college graduate. A confident student is one that can evade social distractions and work through personal adversity to get to the finish line. Successful college students and college graduates are mentally poised. This frame of mind beckons the hard-working college student to accept challenges, explore new modes of learning and to appreciate their individuality. A confident mind is a mind for success. The rigors of college can, at times, seem overwhelming. With so much information to process, students are bound to enter their respective careers with a solid grasp on what they are doing. Success in college is contingent almost completely on attitude and fortitude. The college freshman will discover that the road ahead is bumpy, demanding and can be painstaking. The graduating senior will be indebted forever for the journey. The investment is precious; the success affiliated with reaching the destination is boundless.

Integrated Marketing Communications in Rural Markets in India

Integrated Marketing Communications in Rural Markets in India With around 6, 38, 667 villages, India boasts of the highest number of villages in the world, hugely populated by 720 million people (72% of India lives in villages). It is a market which cant be ignored by the marketers. Customers in villages have their own sets of aspirations and are willing to pay for the right services. Companies understand that that the rules of game are different when it comes to rural markets, especially in a diverse one like India. The rural environment is different from the urban and therefore communication to potential customers in a proper and effective manner is a major challenge for corporate marketers. An urban communications approach might not hold well in these rural markets and thus there is a need to have a different Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) approach for the rural markets in India. This Research Paper tries to explore and find out how Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) can be used in the rural markets in India and a strategic framework has been proposed for the same. Keywords: Rural Markets, Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). Introduction The global economic meltdown has taken its toll on the manufacturing and service sector of the economy, which, in turn, has slowed down the urban market. The companies cutting across sectors have discovered the importance of rural markets. With urban India in the grip of a slowdown, the rural market is helping industries like automobiles, cement, consumer electronics, textiles, telecommunications and FMCGs grow. While urban organised retail is in pain, its rural counterpart is thriving. All of a sudden, the consumer in the laid back Indian village is being spoilt for choice. The rural incomes are progressing, thanks to the Government initiatives like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) launched in 2006 which promised employment of at least 100 days to every member of a poor rural household. This served three purposes: It built rural infrastructure Plugged pilferage of funds Boosted the disposable incomes of rural families The scheme was rolled out to all the 596 districts of the country. All told, Rs 66,800 crores has been earmarked for the programme. Another boost for liquidity among farmers came with the farm loan waiver of Rs 65,318 crores carried out by the Government last year. The bottom-line is clear. Customers in villages have their own set of aspirations and are willing to pay for the right services. Companies are understanding that to play the game in rural markets is to understand and innovate products exclusively for the rural consumers and after tasting success can also be replicated in the urban markets. For example, Tata Sky launched DTH (Direct to Home) primarily for the urban markets. However, in the rural entry, the package has been at Rs 99 per month which was a mini-thali of sorts with a bit of everything. The promotional campaigns included taking Aamir Khan as the brand ambassador who could easily appeal across the rural-urban divide and they also do a lot of promotions and demonstrations so as to motivate the local distributors who highlight the benefits of the service. Tata Sky has launched the Rs 99 pack in the urban markets as well. Advertising goes hand in hand with economic growth. With economic liberalization and increasing rural prosperity, marketers are keen to inform villagers about the benefits of buying and consuming their products and services. Prior to the introduction of economic liberalization in 1990s, there was little incentive for marketers to advertise their products and services, as rural markets were predominantly a sellers market. The influence of the electronic media, in particular television, video and the Hindi film industry, is contributing to the growth of rural aspirations, which are being manifested in rural India in the form of increasing consumerism. The rural environment is different from the urban and therefore communication to potential customers in a proper and effective manner is a major challenge for corporate marketers. The majority of advertisements designed by corporate marketers, are largely urban oriented and extend themselves to rural areas without any consideration to the values and sensitivities of the rural audience, which are often in striking contrast to those of their urban counterparts. This has led to a negative perception in the minds of villagers, about urban media planners and advertisers. Rural communication is not a peripheral activity. It does not, for instance, involve taking an audio-visual van to a village and assuming that this step is enough to reach out to customers. It requires an entirely different mindset, which demands getting rid of many mental barriers. Companies have to realize that rural is a long-haul market, as gains in the short term are neither immediate nor large. Challenges in Rural Communications There are many challenges to communication in rural. Low literacy level; poor media reach and exposure and vast, heterogeneous and diversely spread rural audiences characterized by variations in language, culture and lifestyle-all these factors pose multiple challenges to marketers looking to take their messages to the largely media-dark or media-grey areas, of rural markets. Heterogeneity and spread The communication pattern in any society is a part of its culture. No communication medium can exist in a cultural vacuum. Communicating the message to rural consumers ha posed enormous challenges to the rural marketer, because of the large numbers of consumers scatters across the country. The problem is further compounded by the heterogeneous nature of consumers there are 16 scheduled languages and 114 local vernaculars. For example, the dialects used in the Vidharbha region, in Konkan region, in costal Maharashtra etc. Limited Media Reach The limited reach of the mass media imposes limitations on universal communication to rural consumers. These factors lead to poor message comprehension and negligible impact, which fail to translate into consumer awareness and hence fail in generating consumer pull. Understanding the Rural Audience It is not sufficient to understand rural communication challenges as stated above: rather, what is equally crucial is the need to understand the behavioural and psychographic characteristics of the rural audience, in order to develop an effective rural communication strategy. Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) Tools IMC is a management concept that is designed to make all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, personal selling and direct marketing work together as a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation. Advertising Advertising has four characteristics: it is persuasive in nature; it is non-personal; it is paid for by an identified sponsor; and it is disseminated through mass channels of communication. Advertising messages may promote the adoption of goods, services, persons, or ideas. Because the sales message is disseminated through the mass media-as opposed to personal selling-it is viewed as a much cheaper way of reaching consumers. However, its non-personal nature means it lacks the ability to tailor the sales message to the message recipient and, more importantly, actually get the sale. Therefore, advertising effects are best measured in terms of increasing awareness and changing attitudes and opinions, not creating sales. Advertisings contribution to sales is difficult to isolate because many factors influence sales. The contribution advertising makes to sales are best viewed over the long run. The exception to this thinking is within the internet arena. While banner ads, pop-ups and inte rstitials should still be viewed as brand promoting and not necessarily sales drivers, technology provides the ability to track how many of a websites visitors click the banner, investigate a product, request more information, and ultimately make a purchase. Through the use of symbols and images advertising can help differentiate products and services that are otherwise similar. Advertising also helps create and maintain brand equity. Brand equity is an intangible asset that results from a favorable image, impressions of differentiation, or consumer attachment to the company, brand, or trademark. This equity translates into greater sales volume, and/or higher margins, thus greater competitive advantage. Brand equity is established and maintained through advertising that focuses on image, product attributes, service, or other features of the company and its products or services. Cost is the greatest disadvantage of advertising. The average cost for a 30-second spot on network television increased fivefold between 1980 and 2005. Plus, the average cost of producing a 30-second ad for network television is quite expensive. It is not uncommon for a national advertiser to spend in the millions of dollars for one 30-second commercial to be produced. Add more millions on top of that if celebrity talent is utilized. Credibility and clutter are other disadvantages. Consumers have become increasingly skeptical about advertising messages and tend to resent advertisers attempt to persuade. Advertising is everywhere, from network television, to daily newspapers, to roadside billboards, to golf course signs, to stickers on fruit in grocery stores. Clutter encourages consumers to ignore many advertising messages. New media are emerging, such as DVRs (digital video recorders) which allow consumers to record programs and then skip commercials, and satellite radio which provides a majority of its channels advertising free. Public Relations (PR) Public relations is defined as a management function which identifies, establishes, and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the public upon which its success or failure depends. Whereas advertising is a one-way communication from sender (the marketer) to the receiver (the consumer or the retail trade), public relations considers multiple audiences (consumers, employees, suppliers, vendors, etc.) and uses two-way communication to monitor feedback and adjust both its message and the organizations actions for maximum benefit. A primary tool used by public relations practitioners is publicity. Publicity capitalizes on the news value of a product, service, idea, person or event so that the information can be disseminated through the news media. This third party endorsement by the news media provides a vital boost to the marketing communication message: credibility. Articles in the media are perceived as being more objective than advertisements, and thei r messages are more likely to be absorbed and believed. For example, after the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes reported in the early 1990s that drinking moderate amounts of red wine could prevent heart attacks by lowering cholesterol, red wine sales in the United States increased 50 percent. Another benefit publicity offers is that it is free, not considering the great amount of effort it can require to get out-bound publicity noticed and picked up by media sources. Public relations role in the promotional mix is becoming more important because of what Philip Kotler describes as an over communicated society. Consumers develop communication-avoidance routines where they are likely to tune out commercial messages. As advertising loses some of its cost-effectiveness, marketers are turning to news coverage, events, and community programs to help disseminate their product and company messages. Some consumers may also base their purchase decisions on the image of the company, for example, how environmentally responsible the company is. In this regard, public relations plays an important role in presenting, through news reports, sponsorships, advertorials (a form of advertising that instead of selling a product or service promotes the companys views regarding current issues), and other forms of communication, what the company stands for. Sales Promotions (SP) Sales promotions are direct inducements that offer extra incentives to enhance or accelerate the products movement from producer to consumer. Sales promotions may be directed at the consumer or the trade. Consumer promotions such as coupons, sampling, premiums, sweepstakes, price packs (packs that offer greater quantity or lower cost than normal), low-cost financing deals, and rebates are purchase incentives in that they induce product trial and encourage repurchase. Consumer promotions may also include incentives to visit a retail establishment or request additional information. Trade promotions include slotting allowances (buying shelf space in retail stores), allowances for featuring the brand in retail advertising, display and merchandising allowances, buying allowances (volume discounts and other volume-oriented incentives), bill back allowances (pay-for-performance incentives), incentives to salespeople, and other tactics to encourage retailers to carry the item and to push the brand. Two perspectives may be found among marketers regarding sales promotion. First, sales promotion is supplemental to advertising in that it binds the role of advertising with personal selling. This view regards sales promotion as a minor player in the marketing communication program. A second view regards sales promotion and advertising as distinct functions with objectives and strategies very different from each other. Sales promotion in this sense is equal to or even more important than advertising. Some companies allocate as much as 75 percent of their advertising/promotion dollars to sales promotion and just 25 percent to advertising. Finding the right balance is often a difficult task. The main purpose of sales promotion is to spur action. Advertising sets up the deal by developing a brand reputation and building market value. Sales promotion helps close the deal by providing incentives that build market volume. Sales promotions can motivate customers to select a particular brand, especially when brands appear to be equal, and they can produce more immediate and measurable results than advertising. However, too heavy a reliance on sales promotions results in deal-prone consumers with little brand loyalty and too much price sensitivity. Sales promotions can also force competitors to offer similar inducements, with sales and profits suffering for everyone. Personal Selling (PS) Personal selling includes all person-to-person contact with customers with the purpose of introducing the product to the customer, convincing him or her of the products value, and closing the sale. The role of personal selling varies from organization to organization, depending on the nature and size of the company, the industry, and the products or services it is marketing. Many marketing executives realize that both sales and non-sales employees act as salespeople for their organization in one way or another. One study that perhaps supports this contention found that marketing executives predicted greater emphasis being placed on sales management and personal selling in their organization than on any other promotional mix element. These organizations have launched training sessions that show employees how they act as salespeople for the organization and how they can improve their interpersonal skills with clients, customers, and prospects. Employee reward programs now reward employ ees for their efforts in this regard. Personal selling is the most effective way to make a sale because of the interpersonal communication between the salesperson and the prospect. Messages can be tailored to particular situations, immediate feedback can be processed, and message strategies can be changed to accommodate the feedback. However, personal selling is the most expensive way to make a sale, with the average cost per sales call ranging from $235 to $332 and the average number of sales calls needed to close a deal being between three and six personal calls. Sales and marketing management classifies salespersons into one of three groups: creative selling, order taking, and missionary sales reps. Creative selling jobs require the most skills and preparation. They are the point person for the sales function. They prospect for customers, analyze situations, determine how their company can satisfy wants and needs of prospects, and, most importantly, get an order. Order takers take over after the initial order is received. They handle repeat purchases (straight rebuys) and modified rebuys. Missionary sales reps service accounts by introducing new products, promotions, and other programs. Orders are taken by order takers or by distributors. Direct Marketing (DM) Direct marketing, the oldest form of marketing, is the process of communicating directly with target customers to encourage response by telephone, mail, electronic means, or personal visit. Users of direct marketing include retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and service providers, and they use a variety of methods including direct mail, telemarketing, direct-response advertising, online computer shopping services, cable shopping networks, and infomercials. Traditionally not viewed as an element in the promotional mix, direct marketing represents one of the most profound changes in marketing and promotion in the last 25 years. Aspects of direct marketing, which includes direct response advertising and direct mail advertising as well as the various research and support activities necessary for their implementation, have been adopted by virtually all companies engaged in marketing products, services, ideas, or persons. Direct marketing has become an important part of many marketing communication programs for three reasons. First, the number of two-income households has increased dramatically. About six in every ten women in the United States work outside the home. This has reduced the amount of time families have for shopping trips. Secondly, more shoppers than ever before rely on credit cards for payment of goods and services. These cashless transactions make products easier and faster to purchase. Finally, technological advances in telecommunications and computers allow consumers to make purchases from their homes via telephone, television, or computer with ease and safety. These three factors have dramatically altered the purchasing habits of American consumers and made direct marketing a growing field worldwide. Direct marketing allows a company to target more precisely a segment of customers and prospects with a sales message tailored to their specific needs and characteristics. Unlike advertising and public relations, whose connections to actual sales are tenuous or nebulous at best, direct marketing offers accountability by providing tangible results. The economics of direct marketing have also improved over the years as more information is gathered about customers and prospects. By identifying those consumers they can serve more effectively and profitably, companies may be more efficient in their marketing efforts. Whereas network television in the past offered opportunities to reach huge groups of consumers at a low cost per thousand, direct marketing can reach individual consumers and develop a relationship with each of them. Research indicates that brands with strong brand equity are more successful in direct marketing efforts than little-known brands. Direct marketing, then, works best when other marketing communication such as traditional media advertising supports the direct marketing effort. Direct marketing has its drawbacks also. Just as consumers built resistance to the persuasive nature of advertising, so have they with direct marketing efforts. Direct marketers have responded by being less sales oriented and more relationship oriented. Also, just as consumers grew weary of advertising clutter, so have they with the direct marketing efforts. Consumers are bombarded with mail, infomercials, and telemarketing pitches daily. Some direct marketers have responded by regarding privacy as a customer service benefit. Direct marketers must also overcome consumer mistrust of direct marketing efforts due to incidents of illegal behavior by companies and individuals using direct marketing. The U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Trade Commission, and other federal and state agencies may prosecute criminal acts. The industry then risks legislation regulating the behavior of direct marketers if it is not successful in self-regulation. The Direct Marketing Association, the leading tra de organization for direct marketing, works with companies and government agencies to initiate self-regulation. In March of 2003 the National Do Not Call Registry went into affect whereby consumers added their names to a list that telemarketers had to eliminate from their out-bound call database. Emerging Tools of IMC Sponsorships (Event Marketing) Sponsorships, or event marketing, combine advertising and sales promotions with public relations. Sponsorships increase awareness of a company or product, build loyalty with a specific target audience, help differentiate a product from its competitors, provide merchandising opportunities, demonstrate commitment to a community or ethnic group, or impact the bottom line. Like advertising, sponsorships are initiated to build long-term associations. Organizations sometimes compare sponsorships with advertising by using gross impressions or cost-per-thousand measurements. However, the value of sponsorships can be very difficult to measure. Companies considering sponsorships should consider the short-term public relations value of sponsorships and the long-term goals of the organization. Sports sponsorships make up about two-thirds of all sponsorships. Social Media Marketing The concept of social media marketing basically refers to the process of promoting business or websites through social media channels. It is a powerful marketing medium that is defining the way people are communicating. It is one of the significantly low-cost promotional methods that provide businesses large numbers of links and huge amount of traffic. Companies manage to get massive attention and that really works in favour of the business. Social media marketing is a potent method applied by progressive companies for selling their products/services or for just publishing content for advertisement revenue. Social media is an extremely useful tool using which companies can get their information, product descriptions, promotions all ingrained in the chain of networking world. Considering the newness of this marketing method, organizations are coming up with innovative ways to develop their marketing plans. New platforms are being created to approach potential clients. A large number of business organizations are allocating budget for online business development using social media marketing. It is a booming sector which is going to redefine the way marketing strategies are being formed and promoted. Internet Marketing Internet marketing also referred to as i-marketing, web-marketing, online-marketing or e-Marketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. The Internet has brought media to a global audience. The interactive nature of Internet marketing in terms of providing instant responses and eliciting responses are the unique qualities of the medium. Internet marketing is sometimes considered to be broad in scope because it not only refers to marketing on the Internet, but also includes marketing done via e-mail and wireless media. Management of digital customer data and electronic customer relationship management (ECRM) systems are also often grouped together under internet marketing. Internet marketing ties together creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including: design, development, advertising, and sales. Internet marketing also refers to the placement of media along many different stages of the customer engagement cycle through search engine marketing (SEM), search engine optimization (SEO), banner ads on specific websites, e-mail marketing, and Web 2.0 strategies. Mobile Marketing Mobile Marketing involves communicating with the consumer via cellular (or mobile) device, either to send a simple marketing message, to introduce them to a new audience participation-based campaign or to allow them to visit a mobile website. Mobile connectivity not only enables people to connect to the Internet via a cellular telephone, PDA or other gadget, but also consolidates the different communication channels in a simple, yet effective medium. Cheaper than traditional means for both the consumer and the marketer and easy enough for almost any age group to understand and engage with Mobile Marketing really is a streamlined version of traditional eMarketing. Strategic Framework for IMC in Rural Markets in India A strategic framework for implementing Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) in the rural markets in India has been proposed. The following are the elements of the framework: Objectives: The firms need to set and review their objectives for the rural markets. The desired effects and output needed from an integrated communications programme need to be decided and this becomes the base for the next steps in the implementation framework. 3As of the Adoption Process: Awareness Creation: Firstly, awareness needs to be created about the brand and the product in the rural market. An urban product might have low or almost nil awareness level in the rural market. The various tools that should be used at this stage are Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Advertising and Events. Adopt the Brand: Once awareness has been created about the brand, steps need to be taken so that the rural markets adopt the brand. The various tools that should be used at this stage are Personal Selling, Sales Promotions and Road shows. Brand Purchase: Once people have adopted the brand, steps must be taken to ensure that people purchase the brand and become repeat buyers. The tools which must be used at this stage are Sales Promotion and Personal Selling. IMC Tools: As mentioned before, different tools serve different purposes in the rural markets. For awareness creation, Public Relations, Direct Marketing, Advertising and Events are useful. Rural advertising will be different from the urban advertising keeping in mind the different profiles of the rural customers. Events also are very effective tools as they engage prospective consumers. The tools useful for adopting the brand are Personal Selling, Sales Promotions and Road shows. The markets accept and adopt the brands once salience has been achieved in the previous stage. Road shows are newer IMC tools which are proving to be very effective. They should be leveraged in the rural markets. In the brand purchase stage, tools like Personal Selling and Sales Promotions must be used as they have a direct impact on the brand purchase by providing incentives and more direct information about the brand. Select Right Mix of IMC: All these above mentioned tools need to be used judiciously and in the right proportion to achieve the desired marketing objectives. There needs to be a strategic fit between the chosen tools and the IMC objectives. Depending on the stages of the adoption process, the corresponding tools should be given importance over others and also overall media budget must be considered. Adds Incremental Value to the Firm: The implementation of an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) model in the rural markets in the above mentioned manner will add incremental value to the firm. Since most of the corporate are looking in a big manner to exploit the rural markets in India, the above strategic framework might be useful for them to devise an IMC strategy. And it goes without saying that an urban IMC will be different from a rural IMC. Conclusions Customers in villages have their own set of aspirations and are willing to pay for the right services. Companies are understanding that to play the game in rural markets is to understand and innovate products exclusively for the rural consumers and after tasting success can also be replicated in the urban markets. The rural environment is different from the urban and therefore communication to potential customers in a proper and effective manner is a major challenge for corporate marketers. An urban communications approach might not hold well in these rural markets and thus there is a need to have a different Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) approach for the rural markets in India. The strategic framework for Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) developed in this paper may be used by companies as a part of their rural strategy. Thus the companies can add incremental value to themselves.

The Case Against Direct Changeover Information Technology Essay

The Case Against Direct Changeover Information Technology Essay The purpose of this report is to complete the requirements and implementation according to the CAVIES and VOLE case study. Evaluate if any objectives have changed or should have changed. Comments should address the following final installation plan. This report is about the CAVIES and VOLE final installation and support. This has been in place for .. months and this report covers the evaluation of the implementation. 1.2 Scope Analyze if proper limits were established in the feasibility study and if they were maintained during implementation. Comments should address the following: The business goals and objectives for this project will focus on implementing the system. Enhances the ability and effectiveness of staff to perform their jobs. Facilitates coordinated crime prevention and reduction. Provides data security. Provides an open, flexible, reliable technology base for the future. Facilitates the electronic capture of data at its source. Is easy to use. Eliminate redundant data entry throughout the organization. Ensure that end users have input into the design process. Accomplish project business goals and objectives within defined budget and time parameters. Minimize impact to standard business operations within the affected units. Craft a favourable and secure relationship between the Department and the selected vendor. Facilitates Help Desk Support System. 2. Installation 2.1 Deployment Plan Pilot Changeover Implement the new system at a selected location of the company, such as only one branch office. The first group to use the new system is called the pilot site. The old system is still running at the pilot site and for the rest of the organization. After the system proves successful at the pilot site, it is implemented into the rest of the organization, usually using the direct changeover method. Pilot conversion is a semi parallel and direct changeover method. Operating both systems at only one site is not as expensive. This strategy builds the confidence and the errors are traced easily. Pilot implementation where the new system will be implemented branch by branch, if there is an failure in the new system it will be in one branch only. The problem solved in any branch will not appear in the others. We recommend a pilot deployment. That is a deployment to a select group, probably power users or those in a particular department or division. Successful projects avoid a big bang approach which attempts to roll out the system to a large audience in a single deployment. This is asking for trouble. Instead start small using a pilot and obtain feedback. Pilot implementation: implementation_pilot With this strategy, the new system replaces the old one in one operation but only on a small scale.   For example it might be tried out in one branch of the company or in one location.   If successful then the pilot is extended until it eventually replaces the old system completely. Pilot operation is combination of both direct cutover and parallel operation, which restricts the implementation to a pilot site and reduces risk of system failure as compared with a direct cutover method. Operating system only at pilot site is less expensive than parallel operation. Creating a Pilot Program Need to create a test version of custom package, install it on a few lab computers, test and evaluate the performance, then update your package with any changes that we want to make. It is good practice to prepare a test plan and checklists for lab tests, and then use the test checklists to record satisfactory completion of tasks and note all problems with the process. Also, prepare a checklist to test each deployment and distribution strategy. Identify and select pilot groups and prepare them for pilot program. Run a pilot program for each unique environment or group. Locate groups that are representative of the users throughout organization. To maximize the success, make sure volunteers have enough time in their schedules to fully participate in pilot program. The following are procedures that can use to run a pilot program. To prepare a pilot program for deployment Identify the tasks and resources necessary to conduct the pilot program. Before deploy the new system to the organization, use lab clients to test and refine deployment strategies and configurations. To plan the pilot program: Select the appropriate pilot groups. Document the resources and tasks needed for the pilot program. Develop a user-training plan. Develop a user-support plan. Easy to train staff by letting them learn new skills on the pilot system. Easy to evaluate because the new and old systems are both running. Some staff have time to get used to and become fully trained in the new system before changeover but costs are spread (benefits of parallel running but costs are spread). When spread to other parts of the company, trained staff can act as mentors and so staff can train on a rota basis. Determine the ability of computer operations to schedule according to user needs and to complete scheduled tasks. Comments should address the following: Any problems in accomplishing the work The frequency and extent of the problems Suggested changes The effort required to make changes Volume of data processed (number of transactions) Number of errors made Frequency of problems with the interface Suggested changes Effort required to make the changes Identifying compatibility, conversion and migration strategies To top of page If the system will replace an existing system, compatibility, conversion, and migration issues must be addressed.   Specifically: Data from an existing system must be carried forward (and possibly converted in format) for the new system. Existing user interfaces (screen formats, commands, etc) must be supported in the new system. All existing application programming interfaces (APIs) must be maintained. Migration from the existing system to the new one must not disrupt end user service for more than a pre-determined amount of time (varies depending on the business). The new system must be capable of operating in parallel with the old system during the migration period. There must be a capability to fall back to the old system, if needed, during the first two weeks of operation. Old archive data may need to be processed on the new system. If it is cryptographically protected, then the encryption keys will need special consideration when migrating. The strategies chosen to address these issue will require appropriate support in the architecture and design of the system Determining user training needs To top of page For each category of user, including administration, operators, and end users, identify: What types of IT systems they use at the present. If this system will bring the first use of IT to any users, either within or external to the organization, flag this as a special requirement that will merit special attention. What new functions will be brought to them by this system. In broad terms, what their training needs will be. What requirements exist for National Language Support (NLS) Stage / milestone Planned date(s) Actual date(s) Implementation phase 9 Oct 2010 16 May 2011 9 Oct 2010 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (on-going and on-schedule) Preliminary installation and support plan By Week 5 (in February 2011) 18 Mar 2011 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Final installation and support plan By Week 13 (20 May 2011) 20 May 2011 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Installation 23 May 2011 31 Dec 2011 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Support phase Must start as soon as any part of CAVIES and VOLE is live à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 2.2 The Case Against Direct Changeover The new system is first of all piloted (trialled) in one part of the business / organisation (e.g. in just one office, or in just one department). Once the pilot system is running successfully, the new system is introduced to the all of the business / organisation. stacks_image_DD1DE2A0-86E7-481C-9D4B-F5B766B39D27 The pilot changeover method involves implementing the complete new system at a selected location of a company. Direct cutover method and operating both systems for only the pilot site. The group that uses the new system first is called the pilot site. By restricting the implementation to a pilot site reduces the risk of system failure as compared with is less expensive than a parallel system. 2.3 Data Migration System will migrate data that is determined to be necessary for the future business process and manage the effort associated with any manual data clean up identified. Data Conversion Plan Transformation Calendar Planning Extraction Loading Three-Step Data Conversions: 1. Test a conversion sample of existing data 2. Initial data conversion 3. Final conversion of data before going live Once the decision is made to perform data migration; before migration can begin the following analyses must be performed: Analyze and define source structure (structure of data in the legacy system) Analyze and define target structure (structure of data in the new system) Perform field mapping (mapping between the source and target structure with data cleansing, if necessary) Define the migration process (automated vs. manual) Migration As part of the installation comes often the issue of migration: Replacing an older system with a new one, with or without constraints of continuity of operation. Converting existing data to a new format. Module Description Appointments-module Books appointments for clients to see a veterinary surgeon/nurse with one or more of their pets (i.e. can book multiple appointments) in CAVIES Records-module Enters details for individual pets belonging to clients, giving information on state of health, prescription(s), progress, review dates, etc. in CAVIES Treatments-module Books treatments for pets with a veterinary surgeon/nurse (can book multiple treatments) in CAVIES Sales-module Standard EPOS functions linked to the practice tills, with stock control and reporting functions available to the local practice manager on a PC through VOLE Orders-module Generates orders for replenishment of supplies (VPOM drugs must be approved by a veterinary surgeon) 2.4 Training Training courses may be conducted at the head office Southgate. Courses are customized to needs and may include topics ranging from an introduction to advanced topics such as advanced software development, tuning application to improve performance, and using the new system effectively. Training may include tutorials and hands-on practical experience. The timeliness of the training provided Method of training (Ex Formal classroom session, Informal seminar discussion, Computer aided training, User manuals) The adequacy of the training The appropriateness of the training Identification of additional training needs by job category The ability of the personnel to use the training provided Types of Training   APPLICATION STAFF TRAINING    Types of training for application staff may include:  · System Overview  · Transition to New System Training, including:  · How to Use the System  · New Procedures Itemized by Task, (tasks will differ for Application Management Staff, Application Line Staff, Application Administrative Staff)  · Refresher Training (summary version of Transition to New System Training)  · New Worker Training (may be the same as Transition to New System Training or Refresher Training)  · User Interface training, (e.g., Microsofts Windows)  · Network navigation, (e.g., LAN and WAN concepts, where data can be found, printing over the network, network support contact) OPERATION STAFF TRAINING Types of training for operations staff, (e.g., LAN Administrator, Help Desk Staff, and Network and Systems Management), may include: LAN Administrator  · Hands-on Training on the Product Installed  · Network Operating System  · Upper-Layer Protocols  · Scheduled Background processing, (e.g., error handling)  · Security, (e.g., how to establish user accounts)  · Back-up and Recovery Procedures  · Physical Media handling, (e.g., tape handling) Help Desk Staff  · Hands-on Training on the Product Installed  · Network Operating System  · Upper, Middle, and Lower Protocol Layers  · Network Components, (e.g., bridges, routers, and hubs) Network and Systems Management  · Hands-on Training on the Product Installed  · Network Operating System  · Upper, Middle, and Lower Protocol Layers  · Network Components, (e.g., bridges, routers, and hubs)  · Network Performance and Problem Diagnosis Tools TECHNICAL STAFF TRAINING  Ã‚   Depending on the system architecture and the role of the customer programming staff, the types of training for technical staff, (e.g., Application Programmers, Information Technology Manager, Database Administrator), may include: Application Programmers  · Principles of Client/Server    · Application Development/Maintenance (for the specific environment), including:  · Graphical User Interface (GUI) Design  · Event-Driven Programming  · Object-Oriented Concepts  · Object-Oriented Analysis and   Design  · Object-Oriented Programming  · New Programming Languages, (e.g., C++)  · Application Development Tools, (e.g., CASE, Powersofts PowerBuilder, Microsofts Visual C++, Microsofts Visual Basic)  · Database Training, (e.g., SQL, Microsoft or Sybase SQL Server, Oracle)  · Team Building  · Network Overview Information Technology Manager  · Application Programmer Training Courses  · Managing a Client/Server Environment Database Administrator  · Principles of Client/Server  · Database Training (e.g., SQL, Microsoft or Sybase SQL Server, Oracle)  · Multiplatform Environments  · Data Modeling  · Performance Monitoring Possible Training Methods Instructor-Led Training Instructor-led training includes:  · classroom training (group instruction),    · train-the-trainers (group instruction),    ·on-line group training (group instruction),    ·videoconferencing, (group instruction that is instructor-led, but for many participants the instructor is in another location),  ·video/on-line training (group instruction),    · on-the-job coaching (individual instruction). Self-Directed Training Self-directed training includes:  ·on-line self-directed training (individual instruction),    ·off-line self-directed training, such as the use of printed materials, audio cassettes, or video (individual instruction). Just-in-Time Training Just-in-time training includes:  ·Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS) (individual instruction),  ·continuous improvement instruction (individual or team instruction),  ·computer-mediated asynchronous collaboration (group instruction from an individual perspective). 2.5 Documentation A number of documents are produced during the development of a new computer application. Essentially there are two types: User Guides User guides are written in plain English rather than technical language. The guide should cover how to run the system, how to enter data, how to modify data and how to save and print reports. The guide should include a list of error messages and advice on what to do if something goes wrong. Technical Documentation Technical documentation is used to explain a system to a specialist i.e. an analyst/programmer. This document will be used if any changes have to be made to the system. It is a very important document which needs to be fully up-to-date. Excellent documentation will reduce your support costs. Every answer that someone finds in the user guide or the help system means one less call or email to your support line. The support team can concentrate on finding answers to real problems, rather than explaining to a customer how to switch an appliance on, or how to install a computer program. User Manuals These are the easiest to read and use, and are designed for the non-technical reader who wants to start with how to switch it on and use it. It may even show where the On switch is. (Dont laugh people ask!) When designed for software packages, these guides are designed to provide the user all the information they need to use the software to perform a range of tasks. A well designed user guide can: reduce support calls help new staff perform daily tasks help experienced staff perform infrequent tasks standardise work practises. Technical Manuals These are for the more technical readers, often at graduate level, and may cover the complete setup of a software system, for example. Support Manuals These are for Help Desk staff, who need to know how the overall system should be set up, and including total support information. This normally includes Technical and User Manual content. Training Manuals These can be written for your training staff, and provide you with material for training other users of equipment or systems; or they may just complement your own Customer Training process. Working one-to-one with clients allows close cooperation, so when you need alternatives, we design accordingly. Reference Manuals (Programmer Bibles) These are typically comprehensive manuals which the user can use to check for information when required. They are fully indexed and cross-referenced. If your product is so complicated that a third-party specialist takes care of the maintenance on your behalf, then this type of manual is ideal. For portability and ease of use, these typically large manuals can also be generated in pdf format so they can be accessed on-line (via an intranet, on-line help or web site), or from a CD. Standards and Procedures As your company grows, you will need to document your standards and procedures. They bring together the knowledge within your company, help new staff learn company procedures, and help ensure everyone is working to the same standards. Basically, they are an ideal way to underpin your internal quality systems. Specifications Technical staff, while highly-skilled and very knowledgeable, frequently have problems putting their thoughts down on paper. We can make sense of the technical jargon and scribbled notes (including beer mats!) to produce your specifications. Release Notes These documents are primarily used by software houses and are aimed at internal staff and expert-end users. They describe new and advanced functionality at a high level in new software releases. Operating Instructions Ideal for anyone operating specialist equipment, in the home or commercial premises. Clear instructions, supported by illustrations (and photographs where appropriate), with trouble shooting tips. These instructions can be particularly useful for newly trained staff. Good operating instructions can enhance your product and your companys reputation. Assembly Instructions If you supply a flat-packed product, these are vital for your customers. They take the customer through the task step-by-step in a visual format. They also include a check list of components. Overviews Overviews are designed to support your sales literature and give an in-depth view of your product. They enable your clients, both new and established, to make informed decisions in conjunction with input from your staff. Skills Books Your company probably has at least one member of staff that all the others go to for knowledge and advice about one particular aspect of your business operations, products or services. A series of skills books can capture this invaluable knowledge so that it can be shared by everyone while reducing the pressures on your expert staff. These books can also be used to drive internal training sessions. Test Scripts Prior to going live with a new computer system, it is always advisable to run your own tests on a test system. It is not enough to simply enter a few sales orders. A series of carefully designed test scripts will ensure your staff puts the system through its paces, highlighting possible problems before the go-live date. Multimedia Systems These interactive solutions combine text, graphics and maybe even sound for presentations, demonstrations and tutorials. Document Redesign (Cosmetic Surgery) Maybe you have all the right documentation but it is old fashioned and looking dated. Maybe it doesnt completely cover everything. Maybe you just need to change the delivery format, for example, convert your paper documentation to on-line help. We can analyse your existing documentation to help you achieve the look, feel and content you need. 2.6 Business Change Issues As we can determine from above information that pilot approach is the best approach where we can see the combination of less risks as well as less implementation cost because. There are many health centers so we can implement the new system only at any one of the health centers to check whether it is working appropriately or not. And this method is also cheaper than all other methods except direct cut over where there are chances of risks here in this method risk of system failure is very less. Workshops close down for half a working day but it will take two full working days to install and configure CAVIES and VOLE system in live working environment. There should be little disruption as possible to normal business operation. The full business benefit will be achieved when all workshops are live on CAVIES and VOLE. Giving most priority to CAVIES and VOLE and train the staffs for the new system will cause the business slightly. And until the staff used to the new system there may be possible to have technical errors. STITCH (SMARTS Training Information Technology Communications Harmonisation) intends to evaluate the overall impact on business, social and technical issues for future attention. Issue Management The information contained within the Project Plan will likely change as the project progresses. While change is both certain and required, it is important to note that any changes to the Project Plan will impact at least one of three critical success factors: Available Time, Available Resources (Financial, Personnel), or Project Quality. The decision by which to make modifications to the Project Plan (including project scope and resources) should be coordinated using the following process: Step 1: As soon as a change which impacts project scope, schedule, staffing or spending is identified, the Project Manager will document the issue. Step 2: The Project Manager will review the change and determine the associated impact to the project and will forward the issue, along with a recommendation, to the Steering Committee for review and decision. Step 3: Upon receipt, the Steering Committee should reach a consensus opinion on whether to approve, reject or modify the request based upon the information contained within the project website, the Project Managers recommendation and their own judgment. Should the Steering Committee be unable to reach consensus on the approval or denial of a change, the issue will be forwarded to the Project Sponsor, with a written summation of the issue, for ultimate resolution. Step 4: If required under the decision matrix or due to a lack of consensus, the Project Sponsor shall review the issue(s) and render a final decision on the approval or denial of a change. Step 5: Following an approval or denial (by the Steering Committee or Project Sponsor), the Project Manager will notify the original requestor of the action taken. There is no appeal process. 2.7 Installation Schedule This section should outline the way you will roll out the technology, including the highest level milestones. GANTT CHART 3. Support 3.1 Support Needs RABBIT Steering Committee role Position Name Joint Executive Joint Owner/Managing Director Neil Nimbus Joint Executive Joint Owner/Managing Director Simon Wheatley Senior user Practice Manager Verity Green Senior user Financial Controller Hadi Esfahani Senior user ISS Manager Vanessa Phillips CAVIES and VOLE Project Manager ISS Project Manager F S Haroon MICE Project Manager ISS Project Manager Fergus Sheridan Support Services Offered We provide the following telephone, remote-access and onsite support for New System, hardware, network and Microsoft products: Phone and Remote Access On-site Support Software Implementation Upgrade Installation Hardware/Software Data Import/Export Business practices consulting Training-on site ATC Classroom Forms/Report Design 3.2 ISS Help Desk The Support Plan is what we call the backup service we offer to CAVIES and VOLE users to ensure that you have all the help you need to get the most out of the software. Here are the benefits. Unlimited Telephone, Email and Online Help Desk Support Unlimited telephone support from our technical staff, priority treatment for any email support and free use of our Online Helpdesk System FREE Version Upgrades* We usually release a major upgrade to every couple of years or so. Customers on the Support Plan receive a completely FREE upgrade to the latest version (otherwise an upgrade fee has to be paid). Online Backup Service Support Plan customers have the option of an Online Backup account. We will help to configure an automatic backup schedule for you so that Database is uploaded to a secure server every night, giving extra peace of mind. Discounts on other Support Services Support Plan customers receive massive discounts on our other services such as Report Designing, Data Conversion and On-Site Installation Training. Wishlist Implementation To continually improve the software, we operate a wishlist system so that users can make requests for new features or changes. Requests from customers on the Support Plan are given priority so that you can have an active role in the ongoing development of software. User Support and customer service on company supported computer application and platforms. Troubleshoot problems and advise on the appropriate action. Main Job and Responsibilities. Telephone Support Remote Support On-site Support Roles and Responsibilities Respond to requests for technical assistance in person, via phone, electronically Diagnose and resolve technical hardware and software issues. Research questions using available information resources Advise user on appropriate act Follow Standard help desk procedures Log all help desk interactions Administer help desk software Redirect problems to appropriate resource Identify and escalate situations requiring urgent attention Track and route problems and requests and document resolutions Prepare activity reports Stay current with system information, changes and updates Project Roles and Responsibilities Role Responsibilities Project Sponsor Ultimate decision-maker and tie-breaker Provide project oversight and guidance Review/approve some project elements Steering Committee Commits department resources Approves major funding and resource allocation strategies, and significant changes to funding/resource allocation Resolves conflicts and issues Provides direction to the Project Manager Review project deliverables Project Manager Manages project in accordance to the project plan Serves as liaison to the Steering Committee Receive guidance from Steering Committee Supervises consultants Supervise vendor(s) Provide overall project direction Direct/lead team members toward project objectives Handle problem resolution Manages the project budget Project Participants Understand the user needs and business processes of their area Act as consumer advocate in representing their area Communicate project goals, status and progress throughout the project to personnel in their area Review and approve project deliverables Creates or helps create work products Coordinates participation of work groups, individuals and stakeholders Provide knowledge and recommendations Helps identify and remove project barriers Assure quality of products that will meet the project goals and objectives Identify risks and issues and help in resolutions Subject Matter Experts Lend expertise and guidance as needed Help Desk will be located in Southgate, Head Office and it will staffed as follows; 2 project managers (F S Haroon, and the MICE project manager Fergus Sheridan) 3 system/database administrators 2 business analysts 4 Oracle developers The ISS Service Desk is the place to go with any queries about ISS services. Service Desk is open weekdays between: 0900 1700 3.3 Outsourcing the Help Desk Help Desk Staff Position Name Senior user Pract

Life Before the Pharaohs :: Ancient Egypt Egyptian History

Life Before the Pharaohs For more than half of the twentieth century, much like the pyramids, the predynastic Egypt was a mystery to archeologists. The little discoveries that had been made from the period preceding the pharaohs were not enough to either prove or disprove the various theories circulating at the time. One of the first artifacts dated at the time of the unification to be unearthed was Narmer's palette, discovered by the English archeologist James Edward Quibell at the end of the nineteenth century. The discovery was made at Hierakonpolis, about four hundred and fifty miles outside of Cairo. The object depicted the unification of the Lower and Upper Egypt, the event being attributed to Narmer; he also found a macehead that carried the insignia of Scorpion, a king which was believed to have ruled Upper Egypt just before the unification. Not far from the spot where Quibell had found the palette, his colleague, Frederick W. Green, discovered an extremely decorated tomb that had been built for a ruler who dominated the surrounding region almost two centuries before Narmer. Their discoveries were the first ones to document this moment of extreme importance in history: a time of political and cultural change and evolution. Unfortunately they were not nearly enough to explain that evolutio n. The little evidence available led several archeologists to come up with more or less "believable" theories about the predynastic Egypt. Some sustained that the society before the pharaohs was a primitive and one that could not have evolved into the great Egyptian state without any outside help. Walter Brian Emory was one of the supporters of this theory. Only three years before this amazing discovery, another English archeologist, William Fliders Petrie, had unearthed at Naqada about twenty-one hundred graves containing such objects as fired-clay pots, palettes, and amulets made of stone, bone, and ivory. The latest graves were dated to about 3100 BC, while the earliest were dated to the predynastic period. Petrie assigned the objects found in the "predynastic graves" to three major periods: the Amratian (3800-3500 BC), the Gerzean (3500-3200 BC), and the Protodynastic (3200-3100 BC) periods; a fourth period, the Badarian (before 4000-3800 BC), is added in the 1920's. Using the scarce evidence they had, Petrie and other archeologists concluded that life before the pharaohs was quite a primitive one and it wasn't until very short before the dynastic era that the culture would evolve.

Online Shopping: Product Availability and Logistics Essay -- The Logis

Table of Contents Introduction 1 Online shops, Logistics and the Last Mile Problem 3 The E-Commerce Platform’s Accessibility and Availability 6 Efficient Customer Response and Quick Response 8 Conclusion 10 References 11 Introduction Online shops are an alternative to traditional shopping methods, but do they solve product availability issues in a viable way, and are traditional shopping methods preferred over online shopping? Morris, B (2013) points out that more consumers prefer online shopping as 70 % of 3,000 online shoppers surveyed in February 2013 in a study performed by the United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) say they would rather shop their favorite retailer online. This can only lead us to understand that a relatively large number of customers choose to satisfy their needs in an online platform. At first sight, it might be possible to speculate and assume that the reasons many of these customers choose to follow this path derives from qualities that include but are not limited to the ease-of-use, reliability, platform availability and accessibility as e-commerce platforms are accessible and available round the year, only as long as access to the internet is on hand (Gao, N.A.). It is accurate to pry into these qualities and strive in the possible relationship they might have with a term such as customer satisfaction, which could be prematurely answered if the fact that such terms describe the benefits online platforms have. As opposed to those found within traditional shopping methods. Moreover, Morris, B. (2013) showed that UPS (a logistics and package delivery company) had a positive overall customer satisfaction score of 83% which not only explains why the â€Å"back-end of the online shopping experi... ...s.com/sites/ashoka/2014/02/17/6459/ [Accessed April 29, 2014]. 6. Gao, J. (N.A.) â€Å"Introduction to E-Commerce† Computer, College of engineering ISE, Information & Systems Engineering, San Jose State University. https://www.uop.edu.jo/download/research/members/introduction.pdf [Accesed April 29, 2014] 7. The World Bank. (2013). â€Å"Internet Users (per 100 people). http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.P2 [Accesed April 29, 2014]. 8. Price Waterhouse Coopers. (2012). â€Å"10 myths of multichannel retailing†. http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/retail-consumer/retail-consumer-publications/global-multi-channel-consumer-survey/country-snapshots.jhtml [Accesed April 29, 2014]. 9. Weinstein, R. (2005) â€Å"RFID: A Technical Overview and its Application to Enterprise† the IEEE Computer Society, IT Pro. http://www.cs.sunysb.edu/~jgao/CSE370-spring07/RFID.pdf [accessed April 29, 2014].

Worlds of History by Kevin Reilly :: essays research papers

Worlds of History by Kevin Reilly Response to: From Hominids to Human Beings, From Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman, Women and the Agricultural Revolution, From Hammurabi’s Code, From the Upanishads: Karma and Reincarnation, and From the Upanishads: Brahman and Atman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Societies of today are very different from the first civilizations. Pre-historic cultures depended on the cooperation of its people to live. Today, however, everyone is dependent on money. Even though the main focus of each story was distinctly different, they all had a similar view on society. They all felt that cooperation was essential to the survival of their community. From Hominids to Human Beings revealed how the people of pre-historic civilizations interacted. Pre-historic man was a forager, a hunter-gatherer. They traveled in bands of about twenty-five people and used only transient camps. â€Å"The band, not the nuclear family was the principal social unit.† (Matossian, pg 13). Every member of the band worked together to obtain food. The adults taught the children to be responsive to others needs and share the food with the group. Frans de Waal, a researcher at the Yerkes Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, traced this behavior back to chimpanzees. â€Å"Chimpanzee groups consist of caring, sharing individuals who form self-policing networks† (pg 13). Despite this fact, chimps share food only when it is to their advantage and cheat whenever they can get away with it. When the cheaters are identified, food is withheld in the next windfall. Nisa, from From Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman, feels extremely jealous of her newborn brother, Kumsa, and often makes him cry. Nisa felt she wasn’t being paid enough attention to and deprived her brother of milk by nursing. Nisa leaves to live with her grandmother after being berated several times for stealing. She thought that was what her mother wanted, but when she returned her parents told her they wanted her to be with them. â€Å"Yes, even your mother wanted you and missed you.† (Shostak, pg 28).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Later in the story, Nisa’s father arranges a marriage. At that time women were married when they were still young girls. As a result, they were often scared of their husbands and a woman would sleep between the newly married couple. A woman named Nukha layed between Nisa and Bo to show her that she had nothing to be afraid of. Nukha and Bo would bump in Nisa while making love, but Nisa didn’t say anything. Worlds of History by Kevin Reilly :: essays research papers Worlds of History by Kevin Reilly Response to: From Hominids to Human Beings, From Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman, Women and the Agricultural Revolution, From Hammurabi’s Code, From the Upanishads: Karma and Reincarnation, and From the Upanishads: Brahman and Atman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Societies of today are very different from the first civilizations. Pre-historic cultures depended on the cooperation of its people to live. Today, however, everyone is dependent on money. Even though the main focus of each story was distinctly different, they all had a similar view on society. They all felt that cooperation was essential to the survival of their community. From Hominids to Human Beings revealed how the people of pre-historic civilizations interacted. Pre-historic man was a forager, a hunter-gatherer. They traveled in bands of about twenty-five people and used only transient camps. â€Å"The band, not the nuclear family was the principal social unit.† (Matossian, pg 13). Every member of the band worked together to obtain food. The adults taught the children to be responsive to others needs and share the food with the group. Frans de Waal, a researcher at the Yerkes Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, traced this behavior back to chimpanzees. â€Å"Chimpanzee groups consist of caring, sharing individuals who form self-policing networks† (pg 13). Despite this fact, chimps share food only when it is to their advantage and cheat whenever they can get away with it. When the cheaters are identified, food is withheld in the next windfall. Nisa, from From Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman, feels extremely jealous of her newborn brother, Kumsa, and often makes him cry. Nisa felt she wasn’t being paid enough attention to and deprived her brother of milk by nursing. Nisa leaves to live with her grandmother after being berated several times for stealing. She thought that was what her mother wanted, but when she returned her parents told her they wanted her to be with them. â€Å"Yes, even your mother wanted you and missed you.† (Shostak, pg 28).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Later in the story, Nisa’s father arranges a marriage. At that time women were married when they were still young girls. As a result, they were often scared of their husbands and a woman would sleep between the newly married couple. A woman named Nukha layed between Nisa and Bo to show her that she had nothing to be afraid of. Nukha and Bo would bump in Nisa while making love, but Nisa didn’t say anything.

Building Trust

Teaching Guide Building Trust (DVD Title: Building Trust in a Large Organization) LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: TEACHING OBJECTIVES: Manager must win the trust †¢ Importance of building trust of over 500 employees in his with people when leading a large team Understandcall center team to motivate ing how to earn the trust them to maximize customer of subordinates who are different than you satisfaction. LEADERSHIP DECISION AND RESULT: Manager ? nds a common ground with people, learns their names, changes his dress, learns about their job, and makes himself visible to win their trust. Importance of knowing your people and their job †¢ Importance of identifying with your people and being visible. Center for Leadership Development and Research Leadership in Focus TEACHING THEMES: †¢ Motivating Teams †¢ Vision, Values and Culture †¢ Taking Charge Building Trust Jim Roth Manager, Dell Background on Company Dell, Inc. and its subsidiaries engage in the design, development, manufacture, marketing, sale, and support of various computer systems and services worldwide. Discussion Questions: Have you ever had to build trust with a large number of people who are fundamentally different than you? †¢ As a manager, what are the advantages and disadvantages of seeing yourself as part of a team rather than leading a team? †¢ Do you think Jim will still have the respect of his team if he is so focused on serving them and their needs? †¢ What does Jim mean when he says that a manager should be â€Å"conscious of how they ? t into the organization† and â€Å"have a sense they are always on stage? † Background on Leader Jim Roth is a graduate of Northwestern and has a Masters degree in Industrial Engineering.He worked as a Venture Capitalist, in a software start up, in management consulting and at Dell manages a large tech support team of 500 people. 1 Building Trust | Jim Roth These videos are prepared for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright  © 2007 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All Rights Reserved. Teaching Notes Building Trust (DVD Title: Building Trust in a Large Organization) Center for Leadership Development and Research Leadership in FocusVideo Segment 1: (Run Time: 1 minute 5 seconds) Challenge: Manager must win the trust of over 500 employees in his call center team to motivate them to maximize customer satisfaction. Note: Operations are 24/7 and units are located in Texas and Idaho. This is the ? rst time Jim has managed a large (550 person with 26 managers) group—he felt intimidated. The pressure to reach 90% looming. Dell had prioritized Wall Street ahead of customers— and service suffered—lots of bad press. better results. You think this new manager is too â€Å"touchy feely† and will get walked all over.You want results! Group Work (optional): As sume it is the ? rst day on the job as the new manager of this team. Discuss what you should do. Writing Exercises (optional): Write a message to the managers of your new organization, setting expectations about the team and goals they will be working towards moving forward. Describe your leadership style and approach to the challenge. Make your message motivational. Discussion Questions: †¢ Have you ever had to build trust with a large number of people who are fundamentally different than you? What did you do? What are the advantages of disadvantages of being the boss who is feared? †¢ Do you agree with all the things Jim does to earn the trust of his team? Why or why not? †¢ Do you think Jim will still have the respect of his team if he is so focused on serving them and their needs? Why or why not? Oral Presentations (optional): As the new manager, give an introductory speech to the managers in your organization about you and the goals you hope to achieve. Clearly s tate the messages you want to convey to your direct reports. Role Play (optional):Discussion between Manager (Jim) and his Supervisor (Sam) whose leadership philosophy is very different and thinks a manager should be feared by his people. Explain yourself and try to gain your supervisor’s trust. †¢ Background for Manager (Jim): You believe you should think of your team as your customers and make every effort to make their job easier. You do not want to be feared by your people and think you will be even more productive thanks to your leadership style. †¢ Background for Supervisor (Sam): You think the new manager needs to come in strong and put fear in his employees to achieve 2 Building Trust | Jim RothCopyright  © 2007 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All Rights Reserved. Teaching Notes Building Trust (DVD Title: Building Trust in a Large Organization) Center for Leadership Development and Research Leadership in Focus Video Segme nt 2: (Run Time: 3 minutes 20 seconds) Decision: Manager ? nds a common ground with people, learns their names, changes his dress, learns about their job, and he makes himself visible to win their trust. Writing Exercises (optional): As the manager, write an email to your employees announcing your new purchase of headsets for all agents.Discuss how they will be distributed. Will you incentivize the high performers by awarding them with new headsets ? rst? Discussion Questions: †¢ Do you agree with all the things Jim does to earn the trust of his team? Why or why not? †¢ Do you think Jim will still have the respect of his team if he is so focused on serving them and their needs? Why or why not? †¢ Is there anything Jim should do differently and how successful do you think he will be with his approach? †¢ As a manager, what are the advantages and disadvantages of seeing your team as your customers?Role Play (optional): Discussion between Manager (Jim) and direct re port (Fred) who believes everybody needs new headsets and new chairs. †¢ Background for Manager (Jim): You believe you should make your people more comfortable, but you are limited in budget and must make your people and Fred understand there are limits to what you can do for them. †¢ Background for Direct Report (Fred): You think everybody needs new headsets and chairs. You know the new manager is anxious to make a positive impression and you think this purchase could help.Group Work (optional): What does Jim mean by having an â€Å"early victories† when he talks about getting new headsets? What kind of a precedent does this set and how should he manage expectations for the future? 3 Building Trust | Jim Roth Copyright  © 2007 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All Rights Reserved. Teaching Notes Building Trust (DVD Title: Building Trust in a Large Organization) Center for Leadership Development and Research Leadership in Focus Vid eo Segment 3 and 4: (Run Time: 2 minutes 10 seconds)Writing Exercises (optional): As the Manager, write an email to your team telling them how you want them to come to you when they have problems. You want them to understand you are there to help them, but also don’t want them to abuse this privilege. Make the message motivational. Result and Lessons Learned: Manager receives feedback from his people and sees this as a victory that he has earned their trust. To earn trust and improve performance, it is important to learn the details about your people to determine why they come to work everyday.Discussion Questions: †¢ As a manager, what are the advantages and disadvantages of seeing yourself as part of a team rather than leading a team? †¢ What does Jim mean when he says that a manager should be conscious of â€Å"how they ? t into the organization† and â€Å"have a sense they are always on stage? † †¢ What does Jim mean when he says a manager sho uld come across as a â€Å"real person? † †¢ Do you agree or disagree with Jim’s statement when he talks about his subordinates, â€Å"They are not beneath you. † Explain. Group Work (optional):Discuss the ideal leadership style and image of a manager for a large organization who needs to improve team performance. Oral Presentations (optional): Assume you are talking about your vision for the future of your team. You are in front of 300 of your employees and when you pause, somebody from the audience yells out a quote you said three months ago that is different than what you are saying now. Everybody laughs and starts talking amongst themselves. How do you handle this and what do you say? 4 Building Trust | Jim Roth Copyright  © 2007 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All Rights Reserved.