Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Project Management - Essay Example It cannot it should not be understood the project manager is somehow the be all and end-all of mitigating all problems; however, with regards to the firm or entity in question, they do not have purview over the means by which government bureaucracy or other aspects of the international or regional economy function. Ultimately, they are only capable of directing within their own scope and utilizing their own people as a means of effecting noticeable positive change with respect to the overruns which are to be discussed. It is hypothesized by this researcher that adequate project management within the United Arab Emirates with regards to construction projects has a noticeable effect on the means by which time and cost overruns are realized. Of course the difficulty with regards to this particular research is level and extent to which corresponding research questions can effectively be engaged and answered as a means of drawing inference upon the preceding analysis. As a function of thi s, the following research questions will be asked: What percentage of project managers have prior experience in excess of five years What percentage of project managers exhibit specialized project management training beyond mere higher education What percentage of firms operating within the United Arab Emirates utilize the mastic project managers in order to affect time than monetary constraints To what level to project managers in a given firm integrate with one another within the course of their duties? To shareholders within these companies think favorably or not favorably with regards to project management Naturally, this information will not readily available and must require a questionnaire and/or survey in which affect. Moreover, the research objective be to determine the level to which project management integrates with and positively and/or negatively affects the rate at which cost and time overruns are experienced within construction projects within the United Arab Emirate s. Is the hope of this author that through such an analysis, United Arab Emirates construction industry may experience an increase level of efficiency due to being able to understand the best means of utilization that project management can provide. Similarly, with regards the overall feasibility of the study, it must be understood that this it is only constrained by the level and extent to which the researcher is able to go in order to gain the necessary feedback and input from the stakeholders within the process. If the study is performed to a sufficiently small number of firms and/or stakeholders, the level to which inference can be drawn will necessarily be reduced due to the fact that the results will not be able to shed light upon a broad range of issues and will otherwise really focus upon the means by which if you entities without for sponsoring to the survey/questionnaire. Conversely expanding the survey/questionnaire to include a very large number of respondents will mean that the researcher will spend the majority of time gathering tabulating information without having enough time to sufficiently extrapolate based upon the inputs that are thus far been received. Accordingly, it is the

Learning Team IRAC Brief Essay Example for Free

Learning Team IRAC Brief Essay Learning Team B was tasked to study the IRAC method of case study analysis, and select one legal case from a current event that has taken place within the past two years relevant to this week’s objectives. After selecting a current case, Learning Team B prepared a case brief using the IRAC method. Learning Team B selected the United States v. Jones case, which was decided January 23, 2012. Learning Team B was also tasked to provide an explanation of how the legal concepts in the United States v. Jones case could be applied within a business managerial setting. The government issued a warrant to place a Global Positioning System on the personal vehicle of Jones to track any unlawful behavior. For 28 days, the government monitored the vehicle and â€Å"it subsequently secured an indictment of Jones and others on drug trafficking conspiracy charges† (United states v., 2012). The issue is that a violation of the Fourth Amendment may be in question. The question in this case is whether or not the vehicle that was fitted with the GPS is considered real or personal property. Also how is the vehicle subject to government surveillance only on public property? Could the vehicle be subject to the real or personal property laws protected under the Fourth Amendment? The question remains if the vehicle can be searched using the GPS only part of the time. The court’s ruling still does not clearly define what the fourth amendment covers as real or personal property. The definition of the Fourth Amendment is not completely clear on exactly what the real or personal property is defined as or if it is reasonable expectation of privacy as defined by society or a court of law. The law â€Å"protects reasonable expectations of privacy, but the Supreme Court has refused to provide a consistent explanation for what makes an expectation of privacy ‘reasonable’† (Kerr, 2007, p. 503). The Fourth Amendment can be applied to a business managerial setting by protecting workers rights to privacy somewhat. Any use of work property, including e-mail and Internet is subject to inspection by the company. There is a reasonable expectation of privacy in the workplace if an employee has an office. If the employee is in the  front of the work environment conversations or anything in plain view can be subject to police search. According to â€Å"Surveillance Self-Defense (2013), â€Å"A big question in determining whether your expectation of privacy is ‘reasonable’ and protected by the Fourth Amendment arises when you have ‘knowingly exposed’ something to another person or to the public at large† (Reasonable Expectation of Privacy). If a person is exposes intended personal information or property to a third party that reasonable expectation of privacy is no longer valid. The â€Å"Fourth Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights,† and the â€Å"Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments of the United States Constitution.† The â€Å"Fourth Amendment protects the rights of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures† (Gatewood, 2013, p. 1). The government can use â€Å"GPS to track an individual movement† if they believe a crime have been committed. If law enforcement wants to obtain a warrant for â€Å"a GPS device to be installed† on an individual car, he or she must be able to convince a judge that a crime has been committed. They must also provide the judge with information about the place that will â€Å"be searched, and the† individual â€Å"or thing to be seized† (Hughes Burton, 2013, p. 1). In this court case, â€Å"the agents obtained a warrant, but they did not comply with two of the warrants restrictions. First, they did not install the GPS device within the 10-day period that was required by the provision of the warrant.† Second, the â€Å"GPS device supposed to be installed in the vehicle in the District of Columbia, as required by the condition of the warrant.† The â€Å"government installs the GPS device on the vehicle in a public parking space in Maryland† (McKenzie, 2002, p. 1). According to McKenzie (2002), â€Å"the vehicle is an effect as the term is used in the Amendment, and this is a violation of the Fourth Amendment.† An organization that use any form of GPS device on an individual vehicle would be violating the Fourth Amendment.† The â€Å"Fourth Amendment† was implemented to safeguard the rights of citizens, and to make sure that his or her â€Å"privacy is not violated† in any way (McKenzie, 2002, p. 1). A public management can â€Å"conduct a mixed-motive search of an employer’s workplace, seeking to discover evidence of worker misconduct, as well as evidence the worker has committed a crime.† For example, a â€Å"search of a computer of a worker who has been downloading child pornography implicates both personnel misconduct and criminal concern.† â€Å"Courts assessing whether to apply the O’Connor reasonableness standard or the more traditional Fourth Amendment probable cause and warrant requirements of these mix-motive searches have applied O’Connor, reasonableness standard.† Certainly, â€Å"as explained by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, O’Connor’s† objective of â€Å"ensuring that an efficient workplace should not be frustrated simply because the similar misconduct that violates a government management’s rule, and it is also illegal† (Koster, 2007, p. 1). A community employer can conduct searches related to the workplace â€Å"such as to find a missing file or to investigate workplace misconduct,† in compliance with the â€Å"Fourth Amendment without probable cause or a warrant.† A job-related search is â€Å"constitutionally† allowable â€Å"as long as they are reasonable expectation of privacy.† Furthermore, â€Å"even if the search does infringe on a worker’s reasonable expectation of privacy, the search will deemed reasonable in accordance with the Fourth Amendment it is justified as its inception and permissible in scope† (Koster, 2007, p. 1). In George Orwell’s 1984, the citizens of the dystopian, totalitarian country of Oceania are subjected to a grim reality of constant government surveillance. In difference, technology is necessary to fulfill Orwell’s nightmare is far closer to fact than fiction. For example, the smart phone while using its GPS function is an indispensable component for numerous road trips; this global device has many of the same capabilities as 1984 feared telescreen. In the United States v. Jones, the Supreme Court of the United States concluded that police violated the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution when they attached the GPS-enabled tracking device to the defendant’s vehicle and used it to monitor the car’s movements for 28 days (Maryland Law Review, pg. 998). Jones highlights two uniquely prescient  concerns: The impact of modern information-sharing technology on individual privacy, and what limits ought to be placed on Law enforcement from using such technology unrestricted by physical boundaries (Maryland Law Review, pg. 999). The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the lower court and held that without a warrant, the installation of the GPS tracking device constituted an unlawful search under the Fourth Amendment (United states v., 2012). The government had argued a person did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy on public streets but the U.S. Supreme court rejected this argument. The U.S. Supreme court ruled a person does have a reasonable expectation of privacy on public streets regardless of how the GPS tracking device is placed on the person’s vehicle. The U.S. Supreme Court also ruled that today’s surveillance technology is very advanced but still creates a physical intrusion into a person’s reasonable expectation of privacy protected under the Fourth Amendment (United states v., 2012). This ruling is very important in today’s business world as technology rapidly advances. The current generation of workers is very comfortable with advanced technology but still have the basic expectations of privacy that workers had 20 years ago. Companies can track email conversations, locate company smart phones using GPS technology, locate, and monitor routes of company vehicles, and even video tape activity at their locations. It is important that an organization brief and ensure each employee acknowledges the reasonable expectation of privacy policies. If a company issues a smart phone to an employee and employ GPS tracking on the phone, the employee must be informed his or her smart phone will be monitored. If a company installs GPS tracking devices on their vehicles the driver of that vehicle must be informed his or her route and movement is subject to company monitoring at all times. If a company video monitors its employees, employees must sign an acknowledgment under standing their movement with the organization is monitored and recorded during the business day. Advanced technology is a tool to reduce fraud in the workplace but cannot violate an employee’s right to privacy under the Fourth Amendment. References Gatewood, J. (2013). It’s raining Katz and Jones: The implications of United States v. Jones- A case of sound and fury. Pace Law Review, 33(2), 683-715. Retrieved from http://Web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com George Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1988, The Evolving Fourth Amendment United States vs. Jones, The information cloud, and the right to exclude, Ber An Pan, 1993 Hughes, T. Burton, C. (2013). Police GPS surveillance on vehicles and the warrant Requirement: â€Å"For a while I’ve been watching you steady†. American Journal Of Criminal Justice, 38(4), 535-550.doi:10.1007/s12103-012-9185-z. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com Kerr, O.S. (2007, November). Four Models of Fourth Amendment Protection. Stanford Law Review, 60(2), 503-551. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/224069628?accountid=35812 McKenzie, D. (2002). What were they smoking?: The Supreme Court’s latest step in a long Strange trip throu gh the Fourth Amendment. Journal of Criminal Law Criminology, 93(1), 153. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com Koster, P. R. (2007). Workplace searches by public employers and the Fourth Amendment. Urban Lawyer, 39(1). 75-84. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.comezproxy. Apollolibrary.com Surveillance Self-Defense. (2013). Retrieved from https://ssd.eff.org/your-computer/govt/privacy U.S. Supreme Court, (2012). United states v. jones (No. 10–1259). Retrieved from website: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/10-1259.pdf

Difficulty With Essays -- Writing Education Writer Essays

Difficulty With Essays Trying to write an essay is difficult. Reading a book with the very nicely written essays is great and allows me to see examples of good essays. Suggestions such as the journalist’s questions, mapping, brainstorming, and idea books give support and guidance that are supposed to be helpful. After reading all the material of what goes into an essay and the helpful suggestions to get me started in the right direction, such as ways to overcome writer’s block, it is time to begin. Still nothing; I just sit there in front of the computer. I ask myself, how can I use all of the useful information that has been given to me? I try mapping and brainstorming, but a topic or idea is needed. Frustration, irritation, and confusion are very strong emotions I have at this point. I go back to the text and reread one of the stories, and something clicks. An experience comes to me that can be related easily to one of the stories in the required text, so I begin. Ideas for the essay pop into my head. Writing begins fast at first with all the examples found, personal experiences I can write about, and the thoughts evoked by the story that was read or idea I came up with. When rereading what has been put down on paper or typed on the computer, it all of a sudden becomes unclear or out of focus as to what those written words have to do with the thesis or the story. The ideas somehow have nothing to do with what I was trying to convey. The frustration of what is in my head and what I want to put down on paper is intense. When taking my ideas to someone to run by them, again the ideas sound great and clear. I do not know how many times I have heard, â€Å"That’s great! Write it like you just told me.† How did ... ...the ideas that I am trying to express in my essay? How do I get them to come across to the reader in sentences that make sense? How do I come up with enough of them to cover the amount of pages required? The Webster’s Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus are my only insight into the world of words and their meaning or usage. How wonderful it would be to have the ability to sit down and just write colorful and animated essays without frustration, irritation, and confusion. I can see my fingers flying across the keyboard, putting down words that make sense to the reader and me. What a thought! Someday this might happen, but until it does reality returns and I am once again asking myself if what I am writing is good enough. Work Cited Valeri-Gold, Maria, and Mary P. Deming. Making Connection Through Reading and Writing. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1994.

Business Strategy

Victorians Secret, in both its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics in both channels. Strategically the company focuses on individual business processes instead of its' business model so that it can improve upon some of them with technology as this avoids a primarily internet-driven business model which could affect the sales of their retail locations.Their business processes that support their verbal selling and purchasing activities for their physical locations can be utilized by the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which is a strategy implemented in order to reduce transaction costs by improving the flow of information within the company and its' channels. This helps to coordinate the actions for both channels which is useful in maintaining the same brand standards regardless of where the consumer is buying the product.An example of this would be the technique libr ary database the company established which Is shared among all regions/suppliers and includes company standards of design and production. Victorians Secret implements a business strategy that makes use of multiple marketing channels such as their retail stores and e-commerce channel. They utilize a 360 degree approach for the website with channel cooperation regarding their already established physical locations.Victorians Secret strategically avoids channel conflict by differentiating certain products such as best sellers and only offering them for sale from Victorians Secret, In both Its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics In both the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which Is a be the technique library database the company established which is shared among. Business Strategy Victorians Secret, in both its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics in both channels. Strategically the company focuses on individual business processes instead of its' business model so that it can improve upon some of them with technology as this avoids a primarily internet-driven business model which could affect the sales of their retail locations.Their business processes that support their verbal selling and purchasing activities for their physical locations can be utilized by the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which is a strategy implemented in order to reduce transaction costs by improving the flow of information within the company and its' channels. This helps to coordinate the actions for both channels which is useful in maintaining the same brand standards regardless of where the consumer is buying the product.An example of this would be the technique libr ary database the company established which Is shared among all regions/suppliers and includes company standards of design and production. Victorians Secret implements a business strategy that makes use of multiple marketing channels such as their retail stores and e-commerce channel. They utilize a 360 degree approach for the website with channel cooperation regarding their already established physical locations.Victorians Secret strategically avoids channel conflict by differentiating certain products such as best sellers and only offering them for sale from Victorians Secret, In both Its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics In both the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which Is a be the technique library database the company established which is shared among. Business Strategy Application Exercise (Assignment to be submitted) (180 min. ) * Construct a value chain for your department/ division/ company and contrast it over time or vis a vis a competitor, to try and explain the business performance. | | Guidelines for the assignment * Brief introduction of your firm and division. * Draw a value chain of your division/company. (as next best choice generic chain will do) Enlist all the activities under the relevant primary and support functions. Show how each activity is being pursued now, and also differently over time, by your firm. (OR if comparison is not over time but with a competitor’s value chain, show how they perform it differently) * Indicate internal links within the activities, if any. Show how the activities of the value chain are linked to company strategy and structure and how these links enhance competitive advantage. (or show the lack of these links and divergence of activities-scope for improvement in value chain. ). Explore external links (eg. lignment of activities with vendors that enhances differentiation. ) * Conclude-Reflect on overall shift in value chain over time OR difference with competitor’s value chain and how that results in difference in business performance. * The assignment submission should not exceed 5 pages| | About VMware VMware is the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, delivers customer-proven solutions that accelerate IT by reducing complexity and enabling more flexible, agile service delivery.VMware enables enterprises to adopt a cloud model that addresses their unique business challenges. VMware’s approach accelerates the transition to cloud computing while preserving existing investments and improving security and control. With more than 350,000 customers and 50,000 partners, VMware solutions help organizations of all sizes lower costs, increase business agility and ensure freedom of choice I belong to the Consulting Services Division of VMware where we carry out the consulting implementation and management of customer projectsVmware’s Value chain is broadly covered as below . The Value Chain Analysis of VMware covers two categories of activities – primary and support activities. The primary activities are most familiar, as it deals with the steps and processes necessary to take the VMware product or service from R&D to final customer sale and support. * Suppy Chain Management – covers the identification, sourcing, procurement, and supplier management of the â€Å"raw materials† that comprise the final product or service. Operations – covers the engineering, inventory management, and manufacturing of the final product or service. Note:   any technologies incorporated into the product or service are also included here. * Distribution – covers the entire channel network and partnerships that VMware drives for distributing the key platform product solutions * Marketing and Sales – covers the marketing, merchandising, promotions, advertising, sales, and channel management to get the completed product and service to the end customer. Service – covers the support and maintenance of products and services after they are delivered to the customer. The secondary activities are less familiar, but equally important in supporting product and service scalability. * R&D – covers the testing of the product as per the customer specifications, development and roll out of new product updates * Technology Development – covers the supporting technologies, both information technologies as well as other technologies, important for keeping the lights on.Technologies integrated into the product would be covered in the Operations stage. * Human Resource Management – covers the recruiting, hiring, development,and firing of personnel. * General Administration – covers the general admin tasks of the company (buildings, offices, warehouses) I belong to the Services Department function which forms the primary form of activities in the value chain in terms of delivering the value of the virtualization and cloud benefits to customers as per VMware best practices.Compared to our competitor which is Microsoft our services are allinged to be more proactive to customers in the form of Technical Account Manager program. The product profolio that we drive in the Services and consulting space are truly key in giving VMware 84% of the global market share. VMware Professional Services offer end-to-end consulting services for Datacenter, Virtualization Management, Desktop Virtualization and Cloud Services.Our service offerings are based on in-depth virtualization expertise, proven best practices, and repeatable delivery methodologies to help customers realize the full value of virtualization for IT as a service computing models faster, and with less risk. Based on best practices from working with thousands of customers and using reliable, r epeatable methodologies, our services are designed to help Assess the current environments, Plan and design solutions that meet the desired business objectives, Build and implement the desired virtualization solutions, and Manage the environment with staff augmentation and performance tuningRegardless of the level of a customer’s virtualization maturity or business need, VMware Consulting Services accelerate the business value of IT transformation to IT as a Service computing models, through virtualization, with less risk compared to our competition which is the key differentiator in our engagement with customers compared to competition. We have provided key differentiators in our Services Value chain which has resulted huge business benefits to VMware the summary of which is as below – Year-over-Year Revenue Growth of 25% to $1. 6 Billion – Operating Margin of 20. 6%; Non-GAAP Operating Margin of 32. 6% – Trailing Twelve Months Operating Cash Flows Growt h of 64% to $2. 12 Billion; Free Cash Flows Growth of 53% to $2. 07 Billion Service revenues, which include software maintenance and professional services, were $573 million for 2012, an increase of 35% from 2011. The use of value chain analysis facilitates the strategic management of VMware as an organization. The three main types of competitive strategy are cost leadership, differentiation, and focus.Cost leadership is a strategy that relies on lowest-cost production and delivery, while differentiation relies on outstanding quality or product (program/course) features. The focus strategy relies on differentiation or cost leadership for a particular product or market niche. Value chain analysis is a framework that can provide a number of benefits to the VMware management of virtualiation and cloud computing organizations. This analysis help VMware managers of to identify linkages between value activities within the organization, and to think in terms of process rather than function or department.Through analysis of the value system, managers identify potentials for strategic alliances with various actors in the industry value system. Identification of cost drivers and linkage with value chain activities help managers focus on cost reduction and on finding ways to optimize returns throughout the value chain. As well, value chain analysis helps managers understand cost management problems. Failure to see the impact of a decision on the overall value chain will result in missed opportunities for VMware.The value chain framework allows VMware to break down the chain—from basic infrastructure and support, to software development, to customer support and service—into strategically relevant activities to understand the behavior of costs and the sources of differentiation. Profit Margin is typically only one part of the larger set of activities in the value delivery system. Gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage requires that VMware understands the entire value delivery system, not just the portion of the value chain in which it participates.Suppliers and distribution channels have profit margins that must be identified if one is to understand VMware’s cost or differentiation positioning, because the customers ultimately pay for all the profit margins throughout the value chain. Broadly the value chain framework is used as powerful analysis tool for the strategic planning and to build the organizational model ensuring an effective leadership model. The value chain concept is applied also in the individual business unit and is extended to the whole supply chain and distribution networks of VMware.To form a successful product for VMware it is important to add value in each activity that the product goes through during the life cycle. The best possible value can be achieved in the product development process by adding value in each stage. For that it needs all, or a combination of, value chain activities and a proper s ynchronization among all the related activities. A proper organization is required that contains all the required functional departments to perform these activities and a proper communication approach is required to synchronize the activities of these functional units efficiently. Business Strategy Application Exercise (Assignment to be submitted) (180 min. ) * Construct a value chain for your department/ division/ company and contrast it over time or vis a vis a competitor, to try and explain the business performance. | | Guidelines for the assignment * Brief introduction of your firm and division. * Draw a value chain of your division/company. (as next best choice generic chain will do) Enlist all the activities under the relevant primary and support functions. Show how each activity is being pursued now, and also differently over time, by your firm. (OR if comparison is not over time but with a competitor’s value chain, show how they perform it differently) * Indicate internal links within the activities, if any. Show how the activities of the value chain are linked to company strategy and structure and how these links enhance competitive advantage. (or show the lack of these links and divergence of activities-scope for improvement in value chain. ). Explore external links (eg. lignment of activities with vendors that enhances differentiation. ) * Conclude-Reflect on overall shift in value chain over time OR difference with competitor’s value chain and how that results in difference in business performance. * The assignment submission should not exceed 5 pages| | About VMware VMware is the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, delivers customer-proven solutions that accelerate IT by reducing complexity and enabling more flexible, agile service delivery.VMware enables enterprises to adopt a cloud model that addresses their unique business challenges. VMware’s approach accelerates the transition to cloud computing while preserving existing investments and improving security and control. With more than 350,000 customers and 50,000 partners, VMware solutions help organizations of all sizes lower costs, increase business agility and ensure freedom of choice I belong to the Consulting Services Division of VMware where we carry out the consulting implementation and management of customer projectsVmware’s Value chain is broadly covered as below . The Value Chain Analysis of VMware covers two categories of activities – primary and support activities. The primary activities are most familiar, as it deals with the steps and processes necessary to take the VMware product or service from R&D to final customer sale and support. * Suppy Chain Management – covers the identification, sourcing, procurement, and supplier management of the â€Å"raw materials† that comprise the final product or service. Operations – covers the engineering, inventory management, and manufacturing of the final product or service. Note:   any technologies incorporated into the product or service are also included here. * Distribution – covers the entire channel network and partnerships that VMware drives for distributing the key platform product solutions * Marketing and Sales – covers the marketing, merchandising, promotions, advertising, sales, and channel management to get the completed product and service to the end customer. Service – covers the support and maintenance of products and services after they are delivered to the customer. The secondary activities are less familiar, but equally important in supporting product and service scalability. * R&D – covers the testing of the product as per the customer specifications, development and roll out of new product updates * Technology Development – covers the supporting technologies, both information technologies as well as other technologies, important for keeping the lights on.Technologies integrated into the product would be covered in the Operations stage. * Human Resource Management – covers the recruiting, hiring, development,and firing of personnel. * General Administration – covers the general admin tasks of the company (buildings, offices, warehouses) I belong to the Services Department function which forms the primary form of activities in the value chain in terms of delivering the value of the virtualization and cloud benefits to customers as per VMware best practices.Compared to our competitor which is Microsoft our services are allinged to be more proactive to customers in the form of Technical Account Manager program. The product profolio that we drive in the Services and consulting space are truly key in giving VMware 84% of the global market share. VMware Professional Services offer end-to-end consulting services for Datacenter, Virtualization Management, Desktop Virtualization and Cloud Services.Our service offerings are based on in-depth virtualization expertise, proven best practices, and repeatable delivery methodologies to help customers realize the full value of virtualization for IT as a service computing models faster, and with less risk. Based on best practices from working with thousands of customers and using reliable, r epeatable methodologies, our services are designed to help Assess the current environments, Plan and design solutions that meet the desired business objectives, Build and implement the desired virtualization solutions, and Manage the environment with staff augmentation and performance tuningRegardless of the level of a customer’s virtualization maturity or business need, VMware Consulting Services accelerate the business value of IT transformation to IT as a Service computing models, through virtualization, with less risk compared to our competition which is the key differentiator in our engagement with customers compared to competition. We have provided key differentiators in our Services Value chain which has resulted huge business benefits to VMware the summary of which is as below – Year-over-Year Revenue Growth of 25% to $1. 6 Billion – Operating Margin of 20. 6%; Non-GAAP Operating Margin of 32. 6% – Trailing Twelve Months Operating Cash Flows Growt h of 64% to $2. 12 Billion; Free Cash Flows Growth of 53% to $2. 07 Billion Service revenues, which include software maintenance and professional services, were $573 million for 2012, an increase of 35% from 2011. The use of value chain analysis facilitates the strategic management of VMware as an organization. The three main types of competitive strategy are cost leadership, differentiation, and focus.Cost leadership is a strategy that relies on lowest-cost production and delivery, while differentiation relies on outstanding quality or product (program/course) features. The focus strategy relies on differentiation or cost leadership for a particular product or market niche. Value chain analysis is a framework that can provide a number of benefits to the VMware management of virtualiation and cloud computing organizations. This analysis help VMware managers of to identify linkages between value activities within the organization, and to think in terms of process rather than function or department.Through analysis of the value system, managers identify potentials for strategic alliances with various actors in the industry value system. Identification of cost drivers and linkage with value chain activities help managers focus on cost reduction and on finding ways to optimize returns throughout the value chain. As well, value chain analysis helps managers understand cost management problems. Failure to see the impact of a decision on the overall value chain will result in missed opportunities for VMware.The value chain framework allows VMware to break down the chain—from basic infrastructure and support, to software development, to customer support and service—into strategically relevant activities to understand the behavior of costs and the sources of differentiation. Profit Margin is typically only one part of the larger set of activities in the value delivery system. Gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage requires that VMware understands the entire value delivery system, not just the portion of the value chain in which it participates.Suppliers and distribution channels have profit margins that must be identified if one is to understand VMware’s cost or differentiation positioning, because the customers ultimately pay for all the profit margins throughout the value chain. Broadly the value chain framework is used as powerful analysis tool for the strategic planning and to build the organizational model ensuring an effective leadership model. The value chain concept is applied also in the individual business unit and is extended to the whole supply chain and distribution networks of VMware.To form a successful product for VMware it is important to add value in each activity that the product goes through during the life cycle. The best possible value can be achieved in the product development process by adding value in each stage. For that it needs all, or a combination of, value chain activities and a proper s ynchronization among all the related activities. A proper organization is required that contains all the required functional departments to perform these activities and a proper communication approach is required to synchronize the activities of these functional units efficiently. Business Strategy MPM703 Business Strategy and Analysis Trimester 1, 2013 Assignment: Business Strategy Report In this assignment you are acting either as a group of strategy consultants (group assignment), or as one strategy consultant (individual assignment). You have been asked to prepare a strategy report for a business. The first step is to select a business as the subject of your assignment. The business can be a publicly listed company in Australia or overseas which is of interest to you or other members of your group, or it may be a large private or family business located either in Australia or overseas.Do not use or refer to assignments completed by students for this unit in previous trimesters. (A record of past assignments is kept on a database). Note also that the requirements of the assignment change from trimester to trimester. The focus of this assignment is on the business level of analysis. Therefore if you select a diversified company then make sure you focus only on one of the comp any’s business units. The report must be specific and applied to the business. In other words you must apply the relevant concepts and tools of business strategy to the particular conditions and circumstances of the business you are studying.General statements and references to theories and models that are not applied to the business will not add value to your assignment. Similarly, data about the business that is not analysed and presented from a strategic perspective – using the relevant concepts and tools of strategy – is of little value. To help you in this exercise, consider the position of the CEO of the business who will be reading your report and looking for a strategic analysis and recommendation that is practical and specific to her or his business.The CEO does not want to read a broad analysis that could apply to any number of organisations and does not ‘speak’ to their business. Group or individual submission This assignment may be compl eted either as a group submission (up to 5 people) or as an individual assignment (one person only). Either way, you must sign up in one of the group assignment spaces online. Marking will be done without regard to whether the assignment was a group or individual submission. In other words an individual assignment should be of a similar standard and quality to that of a group assignment.For group assignments the mark will be shared by all in the group. Therefore: 1. Allocate the various tasks among your group members and agree on interim due dates for the stages of work. Make sure your interim due dates allow for drafts to be circulated and edited so that the final submission is of the highest standard. 2. Each group member must make a relatively fair and reasonable contribution to the report, in whatever form or shape that might take, in order to share equally in the mark. In the rare event that there are any issues you should contact me two weeks prior to the report due date so th at a resolution can be reached.Report format and requirements The presentation of your report is a critical aspect of this assignment. It is essential that your report is formatted appropriately, and carefully edited and re-edited to achieve a professional standard. Allow time to draft and re-draft your assignment prior to the due date in order to improve the quality of writing and presentation. You must follow carefully the report structure and requirements set out below. 1. Title Page In the title page, you should include: †¢ Title of the report, e. g. ‘Company X: A Business Strategy Report’. Cloud Deakin Group number (whether you are a group or individual). †¢ The names and student IDs of your group members. †¢ Off campus or on campus status. †¢ Date and Unit Code. †¢ Name and postal address for the return of your assignment. 2. Table of contents Include all of the section headings and subheadings used in your report, together with page numbe rs. 3. Executive summary (Less than 300 words) This is a one page only summary of the report, written as a series of short paragraphs, outlining your key findings and recommended strategic option. 4. Introduction (Approximately 400 words)This section provides some background and context to your report. Your introduction should include: †¢ A brief description of the reasons for undertaking the study, i. e. the value of undertaking a strategy review of the business. †¢ An introduction to the business and its macro environment and industry. 5. Strategic Analysis 5. 1 Methods (Approximately 200 words) Provide a brief description of the techniques of data collection and analysis used in this section, including an outline of the sources used to gather the data upon which the report is based.Data may be collected from sources within the business (business documents, questionnaires, interviews) and from industry reports, media sources, the World Wide Web and database searches. It is important to describe the types and quantity of your data sources so that the reader can evaluate the quality and validity of the data on which your analysis is based. 5. 2 Business strategy statement (Approximately 300 words) Describe the mission, vision, objectives, scope, and advantage of the business (see section 1. 2. 3 in the text). Summarise these descriptions into a clear and compelling strategy statement in 35 words or less. . 3 External analysis (Approximately 800 words) †¢ Conduct a PESTEL analysis of your business’s macro environment, evaluating whether each of the PESTEL factors are positive, neutral, or negative for the industry. †¢ Provide an overall evaluation of the impact of these factors on growth and consumer demand in the industry. Explain which of the influences in your analysis are likely to be the main drivers for change in the future. †¢ Using the five forces framework described in your text, evaluate and briefly describe the key for ces at work in your business’s industry environment. Draw a strategy canvas for your business and the two main rivals (see Figure 2. 9 in the text). Describe briefly the three most critical success factors for your business (see pp. 73-74 in the text). 5. 4 Strategic capability (Approximately 400 words) †¢ Describe your business’s strategic capability in the form of a value chain analysis. †¢ Present a SWOT analysis in table form. 5. 5 Strategy and culture (Approximately 400 words) Draw a cultural web of the business (see Chapter 5 of your text and Figure 5. 8). Briefly evaluate the relationship between the business’s culture and its strategy. . 6Strategic direction (Approximately 450 words) Identify and describe the one most viable strategic direction for the business. To undertake this task refer to Figure 7. 2 on p. 232 and the relevant commentary. Explain how your chosen strategic direction allows the business to: †¢ Respond appropriately to t he industry and macro environments described in your external analysis. †¢ Match the strengths of the business to the opportunities in the environment, described in your earlier analyses, to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. . Conclusion (Approximately 250 words) This section is written in paragraph form to provide a summary of one key finding from each of the report sections from 5. 2 to 5. 6. 7. References List all of the references referred to in the report. Please note that appendices are not allowed. Requirements Word limit:3500 (excluding the references only) Line spacing: 1. 5 Font size: 12 Contribution to your final mark: 40% Due date: 3. 00pm, Tuesday 7 May 2013 NB. Words in excess of 3500 will not be marked. Assignment submission rules All assignments are to be submitted online, in addition to a printed copy delivered to the Faculty office, or handed in at lecture. For off campus students the mailed hard copy of the assignment is deemed to be on time if sen t and post-marked by the due date of the assignment. Please note that the version of an assignment you submit electronically must be the same as any version you submit in any other form. Students enrolled through partnership agreements must submit as required by the unit chair at the partner institution on the due date. Assignments are on time if they are submitted online and in hard copy on the due date. On campus students must submit the printed version in lecture or at the Faculty office by the due date; off campus students must mail their submission on or before the due date to: Assignment Tracking AASD Deakin University Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3217 3Remote students: A student is classified as remote if they are living in a place where it takes more than 3 days for mail to reach Deakin University, Geelong, for example overseas in certain locations.If you are a remote student, you may submit your assignment by email to [email  protected] edu. au If you are a remote student and submit via email, please clearly state your name, student ID number, unit code and assignment number on the email. It is also recommended that you place this information on your assignment as a Footer or Header. The Assignment Tracking staff will print your assignment and place an Assignment Attachment Form onto your assignment. It will then be tracked and sent to your assessor for marking the same day.When returning the assignment, the assignment will be sent by normal postage and not via email. Please do not post another version in the mail if you email your assignment. 5 No extensions will be considered for assignment submission due dates unless a written request is submitted to and negotiated with the unit chair. 6 Assignments submitted late without an extension being granted will not be marked. Plagiarism and other academic offences Plagiarism is the copying of another person’s ideas or expressions without appropriate acknowledgment. Please read the notes on plagiarism in the Unit Guide. Business Strategy Victorians Secret, in both its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics in both channels. Strategically the company focuses on individual business processes instead of its' business model so that it can improve upon some of them with technology as this avoids a primarily internet-driven business model which could affect the sales of their retail locations.Their business processes that support their verbal selling and purchasing activities for their physical locations can be utilized by the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which is a strategy implemented in order to reduce transaction costs by improving the flow of information within the company and its' channels. This helps to coordinate the actions for both channels which is useful in maintaining the same brand standards regardless of where the consumer is buying the product.An example of this would be the technique libr ary database the company established which Is shared among all regions/suppliers and includes company standards of design and production. Victorians Secret implements a business strategy that makes use of multiple marketing channels such as their retail stores and e-commerce channel. They utilize a 360 degree approach for the website with channel cooperation regarding their already established physical locations.Victorians Secret strategically avoids channel conflict by differentiating certain products such as best sellers and only offering them for sale from Victorians Secret, In both Its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics In both the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which Is a be the technique library database the company established which is shared among.

A Hard Day’s Night- A Study in Fame, Paranoia, and Claustrophobia

Who among us has not heard of the Beatles, or know of their influence in everyday society. Their music fills elevators around the world, there have been thousands of books and movies recorded detailing every event of their personal and professional lives, and who can’t resist singing alone, if only under our breath, when ever we hear these classic songs.To watch the movie A Hard Day’s Night, starring the Beatles, created at the height of their popularity, your first thought is this is a movie to promote the Beatles and display their music.They are grown men, running around, having fun in the midst of a hectic lifestyle that very successful performers live. They seemingly don’t have a care in the world, but just need to show up and start playing their music on time, with much enthusiasm, while their manager, George Martin, does all the worrying for them.While the movie is entertaining, and has some great, full length versions of classic Beatles music, the underlyi ng theme is that of 4 grown men, dealing with the constraints and frustrations of enormous fame and popularity.They are not allowed to roam free about the city, or on the train they are riding, for fear of being overrun with groupies. Instead they are subject to do what George Martin tells them to do, because after all he is their ‘manager’, as if 4 grown men need someone to manage their personal lives as well as their professional.Their fame is so overwhelming, it often times disarms people who run into them unknowingly. When John Lennon meets a woman on the train who is taken back because she knows â€Å"it’s him†, he repeatedly denies it, and says he just looks like him. They start a conversation about how John is not really the persona of John Lennon the Beatle, but at that point in time he is John Lennon the private person, who wants to get to know the woman he just met, the woman, is insisting that she is right and knows John Lennon when she sees him .After a few exchanges, John convinces her that he just looks like John the Beatle, she ends up confessing, â€Å"You don’t really look like him at all.† Once she concludes that, she is not interested in him anymore.This is the prominent theme that is presented concerning their fame. Once recognized, people don’t really like them at all. At that time, they were criticized for having long hair, for wearing funny clothes, being brash and generally rebelling against society in general. It is mild to us today, but at that time they were radicals.This theme is seen again as Ringo is walking down the street. At first he is recognized and runs away from a young, female fan. When he steps out of a costume shop wearing a disguise, he speaks to the same woman who now tells him to â€Å"get lost.†One of the drawbacks of their fame is that because their personal life is examined so closely, and their inner most thoughts and feelings are put to music, arousing the sam e strong feelings in others, somehow total strangers feel as though they can walk up to them and act like they know everything about each one, right away.This causes a great sense of unsettled discomfort in the lives of the Beatles. They are desperately trying throughout the whole movie to be understood and accepted for just who they are.At the time of this movies release, in 1964, there were many big social changes going on around the world. Music before the Beatles, with the exception of Elvis Presley, was primarily either a solo singer, or a 3 piece band playing conservative music, that was well choreographed.When the Beatles came on stage, all of a sudden there were 4 instruments creating a loud, driving beat, with lyrics that spoke of love and desire, unlike anything that was ever heard before in mainstream America. Their entrance into this country is often times referred to as the ‘Beatles Explosion’.John Lennon himself stated that they were more popular the Jesus Christ at that time. The statement itself stirred up even more fame, and more attention- be it good or bad- adding fuel to the fire. It seemed as though their every move was documented, imitated, and capitalized on any way possible.

Free Essays on The Greeks Cypriots

OVERVIEW OF THE CONSTITUTION The Republic of Cyprus was born in the early hours of 16 August 1960. On that date the Republic’s constitution was signed by the First Governor of the Colony of Cyprus, Sir Hugh Foot, the Consul-General of Greece, George Christopoulos, his Turkish counterpart, Turel, and Archbishop Makarios and Dr. Fazil Kutchuk on behalf of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. The range of signatories reflected the fact that the constitution of Cyprus did not emanate from the free will of its people, who were not consulted either directly or through their ad hoc elected representatives, but from the Zurich Agreement between Greece and Turkey. The terms of that agreement, outlined in the last chapter, were included in the constitution as fundamental Articles, which could not be revised or amended. The constitution was drafted by the Joint Constitutional Commission created under Part VIII of the London Agreement of 19 February 1959. It comprised representatives of Greece, Turkey, the Greek Cypriot community and the Turkish Cypriot community. But the structure of the constitution again reflected the Zurich Agreement, with various provisions from the 1950 Greek constitution also incorporated along with the provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights in respect of fundamental rights and liberties. Two main principles underpinned the constitutional structure agreed at Zurich. The first recognized the existence of two communities on the island - the Greek and the Turkish - who, despite their numerical disparity, were given equal treatment. The rights of Cypriots and other communities, which made up the island’s population, were conspicuously ignored. The second principle, that of partial communal autonomy, aimed at ensuring the participation of each community in the exercise of government, and at avoiding the domination of the larger Greek Cypriot community in administrative matters. These two ... Free Essays on The Greeks Cypriots Free Essays on The Greeks Cypriots OVERVIEW OF THE CONSTITUTION The Republic of Cyprus was born in the early hours of 16 August 1960. On that date the Republic’s constitution was signed by the First Governor of the Colony of Cyprus, Sir Hugh Foot, the Consul-General of Greece, George Christopoulos, his Turkish counterpart, Turel, and Archbishop Makarios and Dr. Fazil Kutchuk on behalf of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. The range of signatories reflected the fact that the constitution of Cyprus did not emanate from the free will of its people, who were not consulted either directly or through their ad hoc elected representatives, but from the Zurich Agreement between Greece and Turkey. The terms of that agreement, outlined in the last chapter, were included in the constitution as fundamental Articles, which could not be revised or amended. The constitution was drafted by the Joint Constitutional Commission created under Part VIII of the London Agreement of 19 February 1959. It comprised representatives of Greece, Turkey, the Greek Cypriot community and the Turkish Cypriot community. But the structure of the constitution again reflected the Zurich Agreement, with various provisions from the 1950 Greek constitution also incorporated along with the provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights in respect of fundamental rights and liberties. Two main principles underpinned the constitutional structure agreed at Zurich. The first recognized the existence of two communities on the island - the Greek and the Turkish - who, despite their numerical disparity, were given equal treatment. The rights of Cypriots and other communities, which made up the island’s population, were conspicuously ignored. The second principle, that of partial communal autonomy, aimed at ensuring the participation of each community in the exercise of government, and at avoiding the domination of the larger Greek Cypriot community in administrative matters. These two ...

Dinosaur Footprints and Trackmarks

Dinosaur Footprints and Trackmarks You can do the dinosaur footprint math yourself: If the average Tyrannosaurus rex walked two or three miles per day, it would have left behind thousands of footprints. Multiply that number by T. Rexs multi-decade life span, and youre well into the millions. Of these millions of footprints, the vast majority would have been erased by rain, floods, or the subsequent footprints of other dinosaurs. However, a tiny percentage baked and hardened in the sun, and an even tinier percentage managed to survive to the present day. Because they’re so common, especially compared to complete, articulated dinosaur skeletons, dinosaur footprints are an especially rich source of information about the size, posture, and everyday behavior of their creators. Many professional and amateur paleontologists devote themselves full-time to the study of these trace fossils or as they’re sometimes called, ichnites or ichnofossils. Other examples of trace fossils are coprolites - fossilized dinosaur poop to you and me. How Dinosaur Footprints Fossilize One of the odd things about dinosaur footprints is that they fossilize under different conditions than dinosaurs themselves. The holy grail of paleontologists - a complete, fully articulated dinosaur skeleton, including imprints of soft tissues - usually forms in sudden, catastrophic circumstances, such as when a Parasaurolophus is buried by a sandstorm, drowned in a flash flood, or chased by a predator into a tar pit. Newly-formed footprints, on the other hand, can only hope to be preserved when theyre left alone - by the elements and by other dinosaurs - and given a chance to harden. The necessary condition for dinosaur footprints to survive for 100 million years is that the impression has to be made in soft clay (say, along a lake, coastline, or riverbed), and then baked dry by the sun. Assuming the footprints are well-done enough, they can then persist even after being buried under successive layers of sediment. What this means is that dinosaur footprints aren’t necessarily found only on the surface. They can also be recovered from deep beneath the ground, just like ordinary fossils. What Dinosaurs Made the Footprints? Except in extraordinary circumstances, its pretty much impossible to identify the specific genus or species of dinosaur that made a given footprint. What paleontologists can figure out fairly easily is whether the dinosaur was bipedal or quadrupedal (that is, whether it walked on two or four feet), what geological period it lived in (based on the age of the sediment where the footprint is found), and its approximate size and weight (based on the size and depth of the footprint). As for the type of dinosaur that made the tracks, the suspects can at least be narrowed down. For example, bipedal footprints (which are more common than the quadrupedal kind) could only have been produced by meat-eating theropods (a category that includes raptors, tyrannosaurs, and dino-birds) or plant-eating ornithopods. A trained investigator can distinguish between two sets of prints. For example, theropod footprints tend to be longer and narrower than those of ornithopods. At this point, you might ask: cant we identify the exact owner of a set of footprints by examining any fossil remains unearthed nearby? Sadly, no. As stated above, footprints and fossils are preserved under very different circumstances, so the odds of finding an intact Stegosaurus skeleton buried next to its own footprints are virtually zero. Dinosaur Footprint Forensics Paleontologists can only extract a limited amount of information from a single, isolated dinosaur footprint. The real fun starts when the prints of one or more dinosaurs (of the same or different species) are found along extended tracks. By analyzing the spacing of a single dinosaur’s footprints - both between the left and right feet and forward, in the direction of motion - researchers can make good guesses about the dinosaurs posture and weight distribution (not a small consideration when it comes to larger, bulkier theropods like the huge Giganotosaurus). It may also be possible to determine whether the dinosaur was running rather than walking, and if so, how fast. Footprints also tell scientists whether or not the dinosaur held its tail upright. A droopy tail would have left a telltale skid mark behind the footprints. Dinosaur footprints are sometimes found in groups, which (if the tracks are similar in appearance) counts as evidence of herding behavior. Numerous sets of footprints on a parallel course may be a sign of mass migration or the location of a now-vanished shoreline. These same sets of prints, arranged in a circular pattern, can represent the traces of an ancient dinner party - that is, the dinosaurs responsible were digging into a heap of carrion or a tasty, long-gone tree. More controversially, some paleontologists have interpreted the proximity of carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaur footprints as evidence of ancient chases to the death. This may certainly have been the case, in some instances, but its also possible that the Allosaurus in question tromped along the same patch of ground as the Diplodocus a few hours, a few days, or even a few years later. Don’t Be Fooled Because theyre so common, dinosaur footprints were identified long before anyone had even conceived of the existence of dinosaurs - so these track marks were attributed to giant prehistoric birds! This is a good example of how its possible to be right and wrong at the same time. Its now believed that birds evolved from dinosaurs, so it makes sense that some types of dinosaurs had bird-like footprints. To show how quickly a half-baked idea can spread, in 1858, the naturalist Edward Hitchcock interpreted the latest footprint finds in Connecticut as evidence that herds of flightless, ostrich-like birds once roamed the plains of North America. Over the next few years, this image was taken up by writers as diverse as Herman Melville (author of Moby Dick) and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who referenced birds unknown, that have left us only their footprints in one of his more obscure poems. Source Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. To the Driving Cloud. The Belfry of Bruges and Other Poems, Bartleby, 1993.