Product Summary Of Continental AG Marketing Essay

Product Summary Of Continental AG Marketing Essay Continental AG stands fourth in position globally as the supplier of Automotive spare parts. The company is the Europes second largest in the same industry. The manufactures and provide services over a wide range of automotive parts. Continental AG was started in HANOVER IN GERMANY in the year 1871. The company stands differently from its competitors and gives prior importance to the safety and comfort of the consumers. The company is also conscious about reducing the harm to the environment. Although the company faced many travails and hindrances in its path of growth, it efficiently faced and solved them and continues as one among the giants in the industry. In this BUISINESS PLAN I am focusing on the thorough study of the business of Continental AG. This industry provides employment to millions of people and provides a good source of income for many countries. The demand for rubber and other related products are increasing day by day. Many branded companies and firms are operating in this industry. The competition in this industry resulted in the evolution of the giants in this industry. The graph for this industry is showing positive signs in the beginning of this century and the experts predicted that this trend will go on. The increasing demand for the rubber related products can be considered in this regard.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire) It is estimated that the demand for rubber and tube and other related products will exceed 31.3million metric tones and that of the tire cord industry will exceed 1.3 million metric tones by 2015. The recession caused for a depression in this industry but now this industry is again on its path of growth and growing at a rate of 4.3%. The prolonged recession in the developed countries caused distress in the automobile industry in those industries and developing countries like India and china emerged as promising market for this industry. The recession caused for the geographic change of the industry from the Europe to the Asia pacific. Availability of the material resources and human resources available in the area fastened the growth of the industry. After the recession the healthy recovery of the motor vehicle industry in the leading producing countries like France, Canada and United States of America also fastened the growth of this industry. The increasing growth rate of china demands almost half of the new rubber in the industry and the country accounts for the consumption of almost one third of the production in the industry. As this industry is a growing and a highly competitive industry all the companies and corporate in this industry are seeking for better strategies to get achievement and sustained development in the industry. The major holders of this industry are organizing researches to modify their strategy and to develop new to make their company adaptable to the changing demands and priorities of the auto mobile industry. The companies are adopting new theoretical models to improve the organizational performance and to improve marketing of the product. Good and competitive global corporate policy is essential for the proper coordination and function of the particular firm in this industry. They have to review their business objectives and organizational aim and to determine whether they are going with the international trends and demands. PRODUCT SUMMARY OF CONTINENTAL AG The company Continental AG focuses on the development, production and marketing of the automotive and vehicle parts which helps to improve the driving comfort, safety and dynamics of driving. Continental AG stands for innovative technology and products world wide and they got a world wide network. The organization of the company is mainly divided in to two grouped and each group is further divided into three sections. The two main groups include AUTOMOTIVE AND RUBBER Automotive group include three sections namely Chassis and Safety, Powertrain, and Interior The Rubber group includes three sections namely Passenger and light truck tires, Commercial vehicle tires, and Contitech tires. Chassis and safety: focuses on the safety of the customer and provide various techniques and equipments which ensure the safety of the driver and passenger. Powertrain: involves all the innovative techniques and system solutions which affect the powertrain of the vehicle. It also aims at increasing the comfort and pleasure of the driving. Interior: This division is concerned with the information management that is display, and administration of the information in the vehicle. Passenger and light truck tires: this division manufactures passenger and light truck tires for compact, medium and full sized cars. Commercial vehicle tires: This division ensures economic stability in goods transport, passenger transit etc. Contitech tires: This division s specialized in rubber and plastic technology The Continental AG Is one among the giants of the au8tomnobile industry. The company holds the fourth place in the Worlds Leading produces in the tire and tube industry. The company manufactures a wide range of products. The products include tire, brake systems, chassis and its components, and various electronic products for the vehicles, list of products and the various services available from the company. BUISINESS STRATEGY OF CONTINENTAL AG Every employee in the continental AG has the full responsibly of all his actions and he is ready to perform it all the time. Constructive criticism and suggestions are welcomed from the employees to increase their activities and role in the management process and to develop their own ideas. Another important characteristic of the leadership in the Continental AG is that they provide and encourage continuous education for all the employees. By this process their knowledge will be improved and they can contribute more significantly for the organization. It also help them to adapt to the quickly changing environments in the industry. The management and leadership is keen to make sure the exchange of knowledge between the external and internal environment of the organization. By 1991 Continental AG become the worlds largest producer in rubber and tube industry. They had to face severe economic crisis during the early 1990s. The company made some significant effort to extend their share in the automotive industry during this time. In the early 1990s the company faced severe competition in the market. The company achieved some recovery during the first half of 1992 but the condition of the company was miserable in the beginning of the 1993. During this time the company introduced cost reduction plans and widespread restructuring in the company. The company reduced labor cost as the preliminary step to bring down cost reduction in the organization. As the second step they laid down 20% of their total work force. In 1994 company announced a plan to trim another 2000 employees from their ranks. In order to increase the profit they changed the manufacturing centers from Germany to other countries. This is because of the high labor cost and other restrictions in the country. By 1998 Czech Republic become the center of the companies largest car tire manufacturing unit.(http://www.nytimes.com/keyword/continental -ag) FINANCIAL SUMMARY The continental AG achieved sale of 28,030,286,188 $ in the year 2009.The statement is according to the company reports in Dec 2009.The company raised I billion euro in January 2010 to repair the sagging balance sheet of the company. The total revenue of the company as per the financial data in dec2006 was 14887 million Euros and it is increased to 16620 million Euros in Dec 2007. The total revenue in dec31 of 2009 was 20096 million euro. The gross profit in Dec 31 2009 was4014 million Euros. The other operational expenses in 2009 was 3108 million euro IN DEC2009 CONTINENTAL AG STRATEGY Here in this assignment we are studying the strategies and theories applicable to the global rubber and tube industry by taking the example of the Continental AG the leading company in the global rubber and tube industry. This German company is shortly known as Contl and it manufactures diverse products for the automobile and transport industries. This company is based in Hanover in Germany. It holds the fourth place in the leading tire manufacture of the world. One of the important strategies followed by the technological and production wing of the company is fuel consumption reduction and this is achieved by the use of efficient fuel ejection systems, reduced rolling resistance of the tire and by the use of sophisticated propulsion systems. The company produces tires for almost all type of vehicle and therefore got wide and good acceptance in the industry. As a part of the strategy to enlarge the company and business they purchased German automotive rubber and plastic company. This is also carried out some important takeovers. During the time of takeovers also the management tried to preserve the independence of the company. As a part of their strategy to expand the trade the entered the north American tire industry in the year 1987.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_AG) The Continental AG follows a clear cut corporate strategy in their company. They clarified that their strategy is to develop products and services according to the trends of the automotive industry. The company wants to maintain a leading position in the area where they are operating. The companys strategy is to embed entrepreneurial action in all levels of their organization. One of the most important strategies which they are following is to generate 40% of their sale outside the automotive industry. This will reduce the total dependency in the automotive industry and the immediate fluctuation and trends in the automobile will not affect the company badly.(http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Continental-AG-Company-History.html) There are some important components for the strategy of this company. They are giving the prime importance to safety due to the law requirements and demand by the drivers. So the company is focusing on developing and manufacturing components and systems which ensure the safety of the customer. The safety division of the company is aimed at increasing the road security and adopted this as one of the important strategy of the company. Another strategy is to reduce the number of the fatal accidents by providing driving assistance systems, electronic braking systems etc. Another strategy of the company is the environment friendly operations which is relevant and important in this century. The environmentally friendly technologies which the company is following are aimed at reducing the fuel consumption and thereby reducing carbon dioxide emission which will subsequently reduce global warming. This is also because of the strict standards and regulation followed in the industrialized countries like US, France, EU, and Japan. They are providing consumers which helps in reducing fuel consumption. Another important strategy is that the company is enabling the exchange of information between the drivers and the external environment. This will help in reducing traffic and to increase safety during driving. The information is exchanged in a concise manner. This facility is aimed at providing the necessary information to the passengers and drivers during driving. The companys strategy is to remain among the top three in the area where they are operating. They are also aiming at maintaining a balance between the sales between the automotive and other sectors. 67% of the total sale is from the automotive industry and the rest from outside industries such as replacement market. Their strategy is t increase the share of the outside sector to about 40%. Another strategy which they are planning for the future growth is the mutual cooperation with Schaffler group. The mutual cooperation between the two companies is aimed at forming a new company with a wide range of diverse products and thereafter to acquire a leading role in the automotive industry. MODEL FOR STRATEGY Porters Value Chain Porters Value Chain is invented by porter. It is a chain which is showing the relations between inputs and outputs in an organization. The idea of the Porters Value Chain is based and clarified on the process view of the organization. Cost, labor, input output, major systems in the organization, subsystems in the organization, transformations equipments,, building, administration and management of the organization. The way we carry out the value chain determines the cost and profit of the organization. Most of the companys particularly large companies engage in thousands of activities in transforming inputs to outputs. Out of these some are primary activities and the rest are support activities. According to porter in 1985 the primary activities are listed below. Primary activities 1. Inbound logistics: It involves relation with the suppliers who provide with the necessary inputs for the organizational 2. Operations: It includes all the activities involved in the transformation of inputs to outputs. 3. Output Logistics: It includes all the activities required for the storage and distribution of products or outputs. 4. Marketing and Sales: It helps to improve the sale of the products and the various steps taken to improve the sale of the products. 5. Service: These are the steps taken the company to keep the product or service working effectively after the product is sold.(Porter, Michael E., Competitive Advantage. 1985, Ch. 1, pp 11-15. The Free Press. New York.) Secondary activities: 1. Procurement: It involves the acquisition of the inputs and other resources for the firm 2. Human Resource Management: It includes all the activities which is aimed at the proper utilization of the human resources available for the organization 3. Technological development: It includes the development of the technological aspects which is required for the transformation f inputs to outputs. 4. Infrastructure: It includes the various departments which is required for the smooth functioning of the organization. The infrastructure include departments such as finance, planning, public relations, legal affairs, general management etc.(http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/dstools/paradigm/valuch.html) Technical innovation is one of the methods achieved by company to bring down the total cost of the company. To facilitate the globalization of the tire products the company developed a technique known as modular manufacturing process which means manufacturing of the parts in low cost areas and assembling these parts in the main factory after shipping them to the sites. As a result of these reforms the company achieved 67% increase in the income in the year 1997. So we can conclude that the company was successful in applying the Poters value chain in their company which advocates the principle of cost reduction and increase in the profit through the proper management and control of the various processes in the organization. Corporate leadership in Continental AG The company is focusing on corporate spirit. The leadership and entrepreneurship of the company aims at achieving this. They are conscious to maintain a culture of high performance in their company. The leaderships emphasis on high performance inspires each and every employee at various levels of the company worldwide. They are following then practice of striving for the best in their business practices. The leadership plays the most important role in this. The make the employees aware about the ambitious aim of the company and insist the employees to hope and work for the best. The leadership in the Continental AG plays a key role in encouraging team work and cooperation in the company. The spirit of cooperation controls and drives all the levels and divisions in the cooperation. This will in turn helps to maintain good relationship with top level management, employees at the various levels and the representatives of the company. The leadership in the cooperation encourages both external and internal cooperation in the corporation. They took some revolutionary steps to encourage cooperation and team work in their company that is they abolished bureaucracy and hierarchy in the company. They promote and follows a culture of delegation and rewards entrepreneurship.(http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smj.4250150703/abstract) . MARKETTING STRATEGY OF CONTINENTAL AG The marketing strategy of the company is innovative and stands different in the content and method. Continental AG continues marketing strategy for light truck and passenger tires. The Continental AG was the official tire partner for the 2010 FIFA world cup held in South Africa. They have the option to extend their sponsorship to 2014 football world cup in Brazil MARKET TRENDS Market trends can be defined as the tendency of the market to move in a particular direction over a period of time. Market trends can be considered as the driving forces in a particular market or industry. The Global financial crisis created scars on the Growth of the Continental AG. But the situation has changed. Now the market trends are favoring the growth of the industry as there is increase in the sale of automobiles increased worldwide and is showing signs of growth in the coming future. The trends in the rubber industry do not affect the company much because the major income of the company is coming from the automotive sector. MARKET RESEARCH OF CONTINENTAL AG The market research done by the Continental AG identified India as a promising market for future. The company wishes to launch products in the country which focuses on safety, information, and environment and at an affordable rate. The importance of the automotive industry in the Global arena is increasing day by day. With this aim the company participated in the Auto Expo 2010. By market research the company means a thorough analysis of the organizational factors, the business segments of the company and the competitors in the market. By carrying out the market research the company can identify the trends prevailing in the particular market and the scope for the development in the particular market. A thorough market research is a necessity for the expansion of the business in to particular area. MANAGEMENT OF CONTINENTAL AG The success of the Continental AG in the highly competitive industry is attributed to the efficient management of the company. Visionary leadership and innovative ideas of the management team also contribute to the success and growth of the company. The project team of the company is constituted with experts in the respective fields and constituted separately for the interior and tire division of the company. The company management is conscious of implementing quality systems in the organization and carry out continuous monitoring of the overall activities of the organization. The management of the organization is giving prior importance to the proper and complete utilization of the human resources of the organization. BUISINESS LOCATIONS AND DESTINATIONS OF CONTINENTAL AG The company considers India as a key market in the future. The country is emerging as one of the key Asian market for the company. The development of the automobile industry in the country makes the country a promising market for the Continental AG. The Company is planning to expand its operation in the country in the next few years. The company is planning to start new tire manufacturing unit with the aim of acquiring prominent place in the worlds second largest automotive industry. Despite of the market saturation in the automobile industry in certain parts of the world such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan, The worldwide production of cars is increasing at a drastic rate. It was predicted that the sale of the cars will be 74 million by 2013. Countries like India, China, Russia and Brazil are predicted as the emerging markets for the automotive industry. There share in the car production will increased firm 14% to 20% by 2013.( http://www.autospectator.com/cars/topics/continental-automotive) Budget allocation of a company is very essential for the proper management of the organization. OPERATIONS OF CONTINENTAL AG The company mainly operates in Europe. The headquarters of the company is in Hannover in Germany. The company holds employee strength of almost 140000. The company suffered a severe fall in its revenue and income due to the economic crisis of 2008. The company suffered a loss of 17% in the year 2009 when compared to 2008. The net loss of the company in the year 2009 is $2300 million which is less compared to the loss in2008 which is almost $1653 million. CONTINENTAL AG Continental AG is the leading tire and tube producer in Germany and ranks fourth in the world market. It acquired prominence in the international market through a series of major acquisitions in the Europe and in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. It started acquisitions in the year 1979. The company faced severe economic crisis in the 1990s.Yet the company management faced the challenges with courage. The most important and large acquisition is made by the company in the year 2001 when it bought TEMIC auto electronic systems from Daimler Chrysler. The Company has its origin in the year 1871 as a rubber good manufacturing company. The Company was established in Hanover in Germany and still this place is continuing as the centre of the companys business operations. The Continental AG was promoted by a group of financiers and industrialists having interests in the rubber industry. The initial capital of the company was 900000 MARKS. The companies initial products include water proof fabrics, footwears, and tires but soon they expanded their business to sundry consumer items such as balls toys, medial products and industrial rubber goods.( http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/24/Continental-AG.html) The increasing demand of the automobiles in the 1890 and 1990 favored the growth of the industry. The prominence and efficiency of the German engineers created additional market for the company. SWOT ANALYSIS OF CONTINENTAL AG SWOT Analysis of the Continental AG is very important. Because it is an important source for the getting the top level management data and information regarding the top level organization of the company. In SWOT analysis there is a thorough analysis involving the key business areas of the company, the history of the company, and the product and operational strategy of the company and analysis of the financial lines of the company. The SWOT Analysis of the company analyses the various products of the company such as tire and tube, braking systems, electronic systems for the vehicle and identified the markets and share of the products. The SWOT Analysis carried out a significant research in the fiscal matters of the company and Analyzed the loss and reduction in the total revenue of the company which the suffered in the years 2008 and 2009. The SWOT Analysis identified that this is p[primarily due to the financial crisis which the world economy and market faced during these years. The SWOT Analysis of the company provides the necessary information to plan future business strategy of the company and to face the competition in the market. The SWOT Analysis of the company helps in the easy understanding and study of the various internal and external factors affecting the company. The studies are supported and evidenced by the various elements used in the SWOT Analysis such as key executives, business strategies, and structure of the company. SWOT Analysis of the company helps in increasing the sales of products because of the increased knowledge of the customers interests. The SWOT Analysis helps to maintain quality through out the operations of the company. This analysis helps to gain a better understanding of the competitors business, strategy and prospects. The analysis keeps a record of the performance of the company during the previous years. COMPETITORS OF CONTINENTAL AG Continental AG is ranked as the one of the giants in the suppliers of automotive parts and is facing severe competition fro the industry. The important ant competitors for Continental AG in the industry are Good year, Michelin etc. Both the companies hold major shares in the industry and providing quality service to the consumers and got a widely accepted brand image. Yet the Continental AG has been successful in maintaining the key position in the industry and got the scope and strategy for future growth and development in the industry. CUSTOMER SEGMENTS The Continental AG introduced innovative Tire Finder technology for commercial vehicles. This technology provides the consumers with clear recommendations for truck tires. This technology is highly beneficial to the consumers. The importance3 is that the technology is available online and the service can be used and ailed easily. This technology recommends the right tire for the users after collecting the necessary information from the consumers. The Consumer segment, the transport category and the type of assignment are decisive here. They technology efficiently categories the various transport categories and suggest the tire size and vehicle for the consumer by analyzing the various factors. They are the only company which provides this technology and recommendation regarding the use of the most appropriate vehicle parts after considering the various influential factors. PRICE STRATEGY OF CONTINENTAL AG The companys strategy is to achieve profitable growth through the marketing of the innovative and quality products and my maintaining competitive price. Continuous profitable growth is the main motto of the company. The Company knew that the lowest possible cost is essential to maintain its ability to compete in the market. The cost awareness is so important for the company because the automotive manufactures expect price reduction at the rate of 3 to 5% every year as the suppliers of the auto motive parts. This demand not only affects the technological aspect of the company but also the procurement of essential raw materials and components for the industry. The overall coordination of then activities of the company is relevant in determining the pricing strategy of the company. MARKET DEVELOPMENT The company is conscious about converting the positive developments in the automotive industry to increase their sale. The globalization of the automotive industry and emerging industry like Brazil, China, and India provide them with the scope of achieving future growth in the industry. The company is looking for new markets in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia. The automobile manufactures are setting up new factories in these countries and this demands the supply of vehicle parts. So the company has to set up new production units in this countries and this requires huge capital investment which is driving the consolidation process in the industry. This is beneficial for a large vehicle parts supplier like Continental AG. ADVERTISING OF CONTINENTAL AG They are focusing on soccer as a strategic platform for advertising their premium tire brand. They are following different and diverse methods for advertising. TYRE TV spots are one of the most important methods of advertising of the company. Print campaigns are also successfully applied by the company as an advertising tool. Internet advertising is an innovative method adopted by the company for advertising their products. Boarding thee stadium during soccer games and other games is also adopted by the company as tool of advertisement. Special advertising formats are also used by the company to improve the sale and brand image of the company OBJECTIVES AND PLANS OF CONTINENTAL AG The Continental AG Corporation has got clear cut objectives and plans to achieve further growth and development in the future and to remain competitive in the industry. The global automotive industry is showing signs of growth and this favors the growth of the Continental AG which is the global leader in thee supply of automotive parts. Te Company is looking forwarding in the emerging markets of China, India, Brazil and Russia. The company started tire manufacturing unit in China as a part of their strategy to expand their trade to the global level. The company aims at providing quality and innovative services to the consumers such as tire finder technology. The companys objectives is not only limited to selling of the products and making profit but also aimed at providing security, comfort and safety to the consumers. The company also plans to implement excellent engineering technology in the organization to improve the quality of the products and to expand their business to the glo bal scenario. RESOURCE ALLOCATION OF CONTINENTAL AG One of the important problems faced by the Continental G is the fluctuating price of the raw materials and other resources of the company. The rubber division of the company will be adversely affected by the rising prices of oil and natural rubber. The automotive sector of the company will be affected by the rising prices of the steel and other ele3ctronic components. The source for the natural rubber for the company is Malaysia and India. BUDJET ALLOCATION OF CONTINENTAL AG As per the records of the economic times the company has plan s to invest$216 million in China to build a tire manufacturing unit there. The companys strategy is to boost the sales in the worlds second largest auto market. This is a good example for the intelligent budget allocation of the company with a future perspective to boost the sales. The company is planning to start a production plant in Hefei, in Anuhi province by the beginning of the 2010. The company is planning to manufacture 4 million tires annually from this plant. The company is planning to implement an increase in the pay for 25000 employees in the German metal and electrical industry by feb2011.( http://www.just-auto.com/companies/continental-ag_id174) START UP BUDJET OF THE COMPANY The company was started in the year 1871 with an investment of 200000 marks in Hanover in Germany. The company was greatly supported by the industrialists and other investors interested in the rubber and allied industries. So the company got favorable conditions for the initial growth of the company. CHART SHOWING THE SALE OF CONTINENTAL AG Snapshot of CONTINENTAL AG (CON) OPEN â‚ ¬57.41 PREVIOUS CLOSE â‚ ¬57.35 DAY HIGH â‚ ¬57.98 DAY LOW â‚ ¬56.64 52 WEEK HIGH 12/7/10 â‚ ¬68.53 52 WEEK LOW 02/25/10 â‚ ¬31.86 MARKET CAP 11.5B AVERAGE VOLUME 10 D 574.9K EPS TTM â‚ ¬0.93 SHARES  OUTSTANDING 200.0M EX-DATE 04/29/10 P/E TTM 61.6x DIVIDEND DIVIDEND YIELD K  =  Thousands  Ã‚  M  =  Millions  Ã‚  B  =  Billions Current Stock Chart Performance for CONTINENTAL AG (CON) CON:GR Historical Stock Quote CON:GR Advanced Stock Chart (http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=CON:GR FORECASTING THE FUTURE GROWTH OF CONTINENTAL AG Continental

Makeover Feminism Essay -- Social Sociology Feminism Essays

Makeover Feminism Most viewers of commercial television or consumers of popular magazines have seen striking images of women whose appearance has been dramatically altered. Many of these â€Å"made-over† women changed their body image through diet and exercise regimes, skillfully applied makeup, or elective cosmetic surgery. Possessed of higher education, prestigious careers, and families, these successful women often report that they felt some aspect of their appearance prevented them from reaching their goals. Responding to criticism from feminists, they defend the choice to enhance their appearance as a tactical effort to win power in normative society. Drawing on popular media interpretations of third wave feminism, women compelled to politicize a personal decision to â€Å"improve† their image have wrapped this act in ideological jargon. Makeover Feminism is a cheeky new slogan meant to express the idea that conformity to cultural norms of physical beauty achieved through artificial and sometimes extreme means asserts female power. These women deny submission to patriarchal fantasies of the feminine ideal, claiming agency in the choice to alter their faces and/or bodies. Significant numbers of females submit to costly and dangerous, deforming, and potentially lethal procedures in an effort to claim power through beauty. This trend is visible in the annals of medical journal statistics that demonstrate an increase in the number of elective surgeries undergone by women in the last ten years. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Year Total Annual Procedures ----------------------------------------------------------------------------... ...ted, feminism is basically a shift from woman as eternal Other—always defined from outside—to woman as Self. Makeover Feminism, despite its sincere discourse within the tradition, cannot accomplish the goal of female liberation. Works Cited American Society of Plastic Surgeons. â€Å"National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Statistics.† 2004. 12 Aug. 2004. . Donovan, Josephine. Feminist Theory: The Intellectual Traditions of American Feminism. New York: Continuum, 1992. Franzoi, Stephen L. Social Psychology. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Laing, R.D. The Politics of Experience. New York: Ballantine, 1973. Lotz, Amanda D. â€Å"Communicating Third-Wave Feminism and New Social Movements: Challenges for the Next Century of Feminist Endeavor.† Women and Language 26.1 (2003): 2-9.

Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay -- Chaucer Geoffrey Canterbu

Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales The Knight, Squire, Prioress, The Monk and the Friar are defined by their settings in Geoffrey Chaucer’s "Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales. 1. Portnoy says in his article in the Chaucer Review that "The General Prologue is like a mirror reflecting the individuals appearance which then defines the character of that person."(281) 2. Scanlon backs up Portnoy in his article from Speculum by saying "†¦Characters descriptions somehow emerge inevitably from the original intentions of Chaucer’s text or reflect its lasting value." (128) 3. Russell remarks in his book Chaucer & the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales: There is something that seems natural and almost unavoidable in the structure of the individual portraits in the General Prologue: How else could you describe the characters without passing judgment on them? (62) KNIGHT The Knight is defined by his settings. 1. Andrew says in The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue: The Knight is described as having no name, no family seat, no manor house, and no lands. Furthermore, his obsession with foreign service indicates a lack of feudal ties and bears all the marks of a career of a landless knight, without family or possessions in England. (80) 2. Andrew says "The Knight is described as an aged veteran warrior, with whom the stern realities of life have sobered down much of his early romance." (43) 3. The Knight fought in his sovereign’s wars in both Christian and heathen places, which shows he is a holy and honorable man by he followed his king’s commands, and he fought for religious purposes. 4. Roggiers reiterates that statement in his book The Art of the Canterbury Tales by saying "The Knights Tale is Chaucer’s own e... ...er, Geoffrey. ""Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales." England in Literature. Eds. John Pfordrester, et.al. Inglewood Cliffs: Foresman, 1972. Fredell, Joel. "Late Gothic Portraiture: The Prioress and Philippa." Chaucer Review, 23(May 10, 1989):181-191. Hussey, Maurice. An Introduction to Chaucer. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1972. Portnoy, Phyllis. "Beyond the Gothic Cathederal: Post Modern Reflections in the "Canterbury Tales"." Chaucer Review, 28(May 31, 1994):279-292. Roggiers, Paul G. The Art of the Canterbury Tales. Milwaukee: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1965. Russell, J. Stephen. Chaucer & the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales. Miami: University Press of Florida, 1998. Scanlon, Larry. "A Variorum Edition of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, 2: The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue" Speculum, 72(January 1997):127-129 Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales Essay -- Chaucer Geoffrey Canterbu Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales The Knight, Squire, Prioress, The Monk and the Friar are defined by their settings in Geoffrey Chaucer’s "Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales. 1. Portnoy says in his article in the Chaucer Review that "The General Prologue is like a mirror reflecting the individuals appearance which then defines the character of that person."(281) 2. Scanlon backs up Portnoy in his article from Speculum by saying "†¦Characters descriptions somehow emerge inevitably from the original intentions of Chaucer’s text or reflect its lasting value." (128) 3. Russell remarks in his book Chaucer & the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales: There is something that seems natural and almost unavoidable in the structure of the individual portraits in the General Prologue: How else could you describe the characters without passing judgment on them? (62) KNIGHT The Knight is defined by his settings. 1. Andrew says in The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue: The Knight is described as having no name, no family seat, no manor house, and no lands. Furthermore, his obsession with foreign service indicates a lack of feudal ties and bears all the marks of a career of a landless knight, without family or possessions in England. (80) 2. Andrew says "The Knight is described as an aged veteran warrior, with whom the stern realities of life have sobered down much of his early romance." (43) 3. The Knight fought in his sovereign’s wars in both Christian and heathen places, which shows he is a holy and honorable man by he followed his king’s commands, and he fought for religious purposes. 4. Roggiers reiterates that statement in his book The Art of the Canterbury Tales by saying "The Knights Tale is Chaucer’s own e... ...er, Geoffrey. ""Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales." England in Literature. Eds. John Pfordrester, et.al. Inglewood Cliffs: Foresman, 1972. Fredell, Joel. "Late Gothic Portraiture: The Prioress and Philippa." Chaucer Review, 23(May 10, 1989):181-191. Hussey, Maurice. An Introduction to Chaucer. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1972. Portnoy, Phyllis. "Beyond the Gothic Cathederal: Post Modern Reflections in the "Canterbury Tales"." Chaucer Review, 28(May 31, 1994):279-292. Roggiers, Paul G. The Art of the Canterbury Tales. Milwaukee: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1965. Russell, J. Stephen. Chaucer & the Trivium: The Mindsong of the Canterbury Tales. Miami: University Press of Florida, 1998. Scanlon, Larry. "A Variorum Edition of the Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, 2: The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue" Speculum, 72(January 1997):127-129

Computers, calculators, and tablets Essay

Conditional Statement: If students are allowed to use technology such as computers, calculators, and tablets, they will be able to develop a deeper understanding of the math concepts presented within their course. Inverse Statement: If students are not allowed to use technology such as computers, calculators, and tablets, then they would not be able to develop a deeper understanding of the math concepts presented within their course. Converse Statement: Students will be able to develop a deeper understanding of the math concepts presented within their course, if they are allowed to use technology such as computers, calculators, and tablets. Contrapositive Statement: Students will not be able to develop a deeper understanding of the math concepts presented within their course, if they are not allowed to use technology such as computers, calculators, and tablets. Mobile phones, tablets and computers in classrooms? Sounds silly, but more students will be able to develop a mathematical concepts presented in their courses and have a deeper understanding if they are allowed to use the technology. These electronic tools have become such an important part of our society. Today’s technology can improve education, engage more students, and help us prepare them for the future. Technology can help students develop through exploration and research to better learning skills. Students who collect information from the Internet tend to be more independent and do not need to rely on the teacher as much. Students can also create their own understanding of a subject, so it is easy for teachers to understand the students’ knowledge. Technology allows students to focus on one thing instead of multiple books and papers. With more and more visual presentations and lectures there will be more flexibility for students to participate. In order for students to be able to give their 100% the lessons’ presentations should be with the latest technology so they can really understand it. By using technology in the classroom students will discover the crucial thinking and workplace skills they will need in order to be successful in the future. In the workplace, the computers are being  used every day so letting them work on them now will help them prepare for the future. Of course, there will always be some technical negative aspects for use in the classroom, such as non-school-related activities, and misuse of the Internet. However, in most cases, pros largely overthrow the cons. Most of the negative aspects are only minor problems that can be fixed with some guidance. Researched Websites: http://ww.shelbyed.k12.al.us/schools/rns/faculty/wrodgers/technology%20int/students.html Http://nms.org/Blog/Tabld/58/Postld/188/technology-in-the-classroom-the-benefits-of-blended-learning.aspx Part 3: If you were a geometry teacher, would you allow students’ access to electronics devices during class? What types of electronic devices would you let them use or not use? What evidence can you use to support your claim if a parent questions your decision as the teacher? Would your students be allowed to use their electronic devices during tests? What would you do for students that do not have their own electronic devices? If I were a geometry teacher I would definitely allow my students access to electronic devices, provided they are on my terms. I think I could help my students with their homework and help me as a teacher to present lessons. They would be allowed to use their phones, computers, calculators, etc. These electronic devices are used only for school-related purposes. Evidence that I would use if a parent questioned my decisions as a teacher would be increased knowledge and creativity of my students have gained since I allowed technology. My students are only allowed to use a calculator during tests other electronic device used would be considered cheating. If a student of mine did not have an electronic device on your own I would do everything possible to provide one for them, because I believe that all students should have the opportunity to use one.

The handsomest drowned man in the world Essay

Magical realism is a genre that portrays both reality and fantasy. As defined by Faris (2004) in Ordinary enchantments, magical realism is a genre of writing that includes an irreducible element of magic and details that suggest phenomenon (Faris, 2004, p. 7). He describes the irreducible element as: â€Å"†¦something we cannot explain according to the laws of the universe as they have been formulated in Western empirically based discourse†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Faris, 2004, p. 7). In Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story, The handsomest drowned man in the world, the facets of magical realism are rife. He uses magical realism to enchant the reader. The story is of a small cliff-side and coastal community that is inhabited by about twenty people and is barren, flowerless land. This village is forever changed by the arrival of an awe-inspiring corpse. The elements of magical realism start to appear when this body that has washed ashore is of a man who is unimaginably beautiful, tal ler than any person they had ever seen, and is not rotted; although, any corpse traveling through the ocean should have been rotted by then. The villagers immediately take him in as one of their own. They name him Esteban and imagine what their lives would be like with him around. This story is in a realistic environment, but the features of this man they have found are â€Å"magical† almost, and the fact that they so effortless accept him is one of the factors that constitute this short story as magical realism. The elements of magical realism are exposed as Marquez compels readers to question their way of thinking by portraying characters and situations that illustrate phenomenon and extreme faith. The villagers show tremendous faith in their immediate acceptance, instead of questioning and fear, of the astonishing drowned man who has so many qualities that are above and beyond that of a normal human being. â€Å"†¦the drowned man was becoming all the more Esteban for them, and so they wept so much, for he was the more destitute, most peaceful, and most obliging man on earth, poor Esteban. So when the men r eturned with the news that the drowned man was not from the neighboring villages either, the women felt an opening of jubilation in the midst of their tears. ‘Praise the Lord,’ they sighed, he’s ours!’† (Marquez, 1972, p. 3). The town falls in love with Esteban, treating him like one of their own, but even better. The women imagine what his life was like before, being so much bigger then everyone else and being more handsome then the rest. They make clothes and jewelry for him and imagine what their lives would be like having him as a husband. The villagers really seem to come together in their admiration of Esteban. Their faith strongly exemplifies the magical realism elements in this story, seeing as normally a reader would expect society to not so readily except something that is so unnatural and uncommon to them. The villagers later decide they need to hold a magnificent funeral for Esteban and they hope that he will return to them one day, as he is a part of their community in their eyes. â€Å"They let him go without an anchor so that he could come back if he wished and whenever he wished, and they all held their breath for the fraction of centuries the body took to fall into the abyss. They did no t need to look at one another to realize that they were no longer all present that they would never be† (Marquez, 1972, p. 4). They hold Esteban in such high esteem, yet he is only a dead corpse. This shows the characteristics of magical realism, Esteban having the irreducible element of magic that enchants the village. Also, they have this blind faith that this dead body will return to them which is why they did not tie an anchor to him. That phenomenon would likely never happen in the real world, but it makes readers question if this glorious being would actually return and be part of their village. During the grand funeral, the villagers recognize the emptiness and dryness of their streets, land, and dreams. Not only do the people of the village desire Esteban to return, but they want to transform their village to be a better fit for him, and ultimately for themselves as well. â€Å"†¦everything would be different from then on, that their houses would have wider doors, higher ceilings, and stronger floors†¦ they were going to paint their house fronts gay colors to make Esteban’s memory e ternal and they were going to break their backs digging for springs among the stones and planting flowers on the cliffs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Marquez, 1972, p. 4). Esteban’s marvel has charmed the village into wanting to better themselves. Even if over a non-living body, this village will now not be a bland and flowerless desert. The community is over all bettered through their blind faith in Esteban. Is blind faith really a bad fixation? If a community chooses to become a greater place because of the belief in an unlikely event, then there does not seem to be much harm. And the concept is not only in fairy tales and magical realism stories. In many religions, the people believe in an idea that seems absurd; but, it can bring them together and set a standard for positive lifestyles and actions. Some religions even have beliefs similar to the story line of Marquez’s short story, where there is a magnificent being that has died and the people are waiting on the beings return. While in the mean time they try to better their community and their selves for this individual. An example of this is Jesus Christ, and the Christians belief that he will one day return to this world. It seems plausible that Marquez was making a statement on society’s blind faith in his short story. But also, he fascinates the reader with a tale of a phenomenon, while stilling maintaining the readers feeling of reality. Furthermore, not only is The handsomest drowned man in the world an insightful short story, but it also greatly exemplifies the unique style of writing that is magical realism. References Marquez, G. (1972). The handsomest drowned man in the world: A tale for children. In Leaf storm and other stories (pp. 98-104). Retrieved from http://books.google.com/ Faris (2004). Magical Realism between Modern and Postmodern Fiction. In Ordinary Enchantments (pp. 7-42).

Supply Chain Management – Greening Beyond Reverse Logistics.

In a world which is experiencing climate crisis in the form of increased ecological footprint because of environmental damage caused by various businesses, there is an immediate need for value seeking and proactive approach based on increasing the efficiency of reverse logistics aspect of modern supply chains. This paper looks at steeps to lower the ecological footprint of the supply chains, challenges involved in adopting green steps and the practical problems encountered in the making of green supply chains. Key words:Supply chain management, ecological footprint, environmental management strategies, green issues Introduction: Supply chain management is the coordination and management of a complex network of activities involved in delivering a finished product to the end user or customer . it is a vital business function and the process includes sourcing raw materials and parts, manufacturing and assembling products, storage, order entry and tracking, distribution through the vario us channels and finally delivery to the customer.A company’s supply chain structure consists of external supplier’s ,internal functions of the company and external distributors as well as customers (commercial or end-user). firms may be members of multiple supply chains simultaneously . the management and corporation is further complicated by global players spread across geographic boundaries and multiple time zones . the successful management of a supply chain is also influenced by customer expectations, globalization, information technology, government regulation, competition and the environment.Management of the supply chain is taking an important role in lowering environmental impact of business in this aspect the principle of ecological footprint shows how relevant are the green initiatives in maintaining ecological balance. It is aurgived that companies should assess the impact of their economic on the environment and resource consumption, the footprint is define d as the amount of land required to meet a typical consumer’s needs for many countries the ecological footprints exceed the actual area of the respective countries, for example the ecological ootprint of the Netherlands is 15 times the area of the countryEnvironmental management is gaining increasing interest among researchers in supply chain management, the concept of greening is becoming a critical avenue of this area, also the organizations are assigning increasing importance to the environmental issues. Despite some early steps a well knit theory or framework for greening of supply chains is lacking. Research initiatives are needed to overcome this problem, especially the research may have to move beyond reverse logistics, into the development of green supply chains.It is proposed that reverse logistics alone may not be enough and that a focus on the entire supply chain is more relevant for understanding the impact of business practices on the environment . this approach gels with value seeking approach of the environment that leverages the potential contribution of greening to the business organizations. The focus of greening as a competitive initiative by the business organizations represents a more proactive approach of greening instead of reacting to compliance measures of environmental regulations of several governments. The concept of reverse logistics:Reverse logistics stands for operations related to the reuse of products and materials which are part of the supply chain, it is the process of planning, implementing and controlling the efficient, cost effective flow of raw materials, in-process inventory ,finished goods and related information from the point of consumption to the point of origin for the purpose of recapturing value or for attaining proper disposal, simply reverse logistics is the process of moving goods from their typical final destination for the purpose of capturing value or proper disposal, the reverse logistics process inc ludes the management and the sales of sapless as well as returned equipment .Normally logistics deals with events that bring the product towards the customer. In the case of reverse logistics atleast one step back in the supply chain. For example, goods move from the customer to the distributer or to the manufacturer. As reverse logistics is gaining increasing interest and relevance, the question becomes whether it is enough to limit greening efforts to one segment of the supply chain and to single company. Following is a diagram given below which gives a commonly used scheme for implementing environment friendly initiatives in a company.Thisscheme depicts that there is much more to greening than the reversed flow of goods only. reening can start rite at the source with supply conditions and can work its way through storage and packaging practices to distribution and to end-consumers all of which is referred to as green supply chain management (GSCM). green supply chain management i s adding the â€Å"green component† to the supply chain and it involves addressing the influence and relationships of supply chain management through the natural environment. Green supply chain management (GSCM) =green purchasing+ green manufacturing/materials management+ green distribution/marketing+ reverse logistics This reverse flow in reverse logistics can take different forms,from collection to return shipments into the distribution channel followed by disassembly and reuse of selected parts. Alternatively, goods could be scrapped and re-entered into production as raw materials.Return goods or elements of the product, could even be returned to suppliers and supply chain partners for them to re-manufacture. Other possible supply chain applications should be taken into consideration. for example, disassemblies operations in the reverse flow can be replaced by incorporating a proactive â€Å"design for disassembly â€Å" right in the initial product design stage of both supplier and customer. What are the approaches for going green. The implementation of greening as a competitive initiative was explained in detail by porter and van der linde(1995) they reasoned that investments in greening can be recourse saving, waste eliminating and productivity improving.As a result, green initiatives can lower not only the environmental impact of a business, but also rise efficiency, possibly creating major competitive advantages in innovation and operations. Kopicki et al. (1993),introduced three approaches in environmental management: the reactive, pro-active and value-seeking approach. in the reactive approach companies commit minimal resources to environmental management as they start to procure some products with some recycled content, start labeling products that are recyclable. in the proactive approach, companies start to implement new environmental laws by realizing a modest recourse commitment to initiate the recycling of product and designing green p roducts.In this approach the ompany assumes responsibility over product re-use and recycling as an element of environmental management. The most far reaching approach is value-seeking, in that companies integrate environmental activities into a business strategies and operate the firm to reduce its impact on the environment as a strategic initiative. The head of the organization establishes a strong environmental commitment and the capital commitment is shared among partners in the supply chain. Operating systems in the value-seeking face may include the re-design of the products for dis-assembly, the use of life cycle analysis of the product and creating and involment of third parties.Companies are integrating environmental management into corporate strategic planning and into day-to-day process as they adopt a recourse-productivity frame work to maximize benefits attained from environmental programs. Theextention of kopicki et al. (1993) framework offered by Walton et al. (1998) i s that they state that companies will only thrive in the final face of environmental management when they act as a whole system that includes customers, suppliers and other players in the supply chain. By developing a supply chain approach in the environmental management process, the impact on supply chain operation gets leveraged throughout the supply chain.They detail how such an approach requires cross functional and cross company activities including product design, suppliers, processes, evaluation systems and inbound logistics. Walley and whitehead (1994) mentioned the value-based approach as the most far-reaching approach in environmental management. They characterized this approach as systematic, through the strong commitment and integration of flexible strategies and structures, throughout the supply chain. Within this approach three types of activities are undertaken: operational, technical and strategicactivities, depending on the impact on value and the scope of discretio nary response. What are the green steps to be taken: If a supply chain approach is so important in a value-seeking greening initiative how should businesses develop such an approach?The first step to be taken in greening the supply chains involve identifying the various supply chain flows and customizing the greening approaches basing on a particular supply chain flow. There are five supply chain flows- materials, services, financial, information and knowledge, and wasteflows. These flows may also have different scale levels, and thus, are directly related tothe boundaries that envelop them or through which they flow. The types of flows, theirpurpose, and how they are managed may also differ depending on the boundary context. For example, materials flows from an organizational boundaries perspective wouldrequire that materials be cooperatively agreed upon by managers and designers, and froma proximal perspective the decisions on where they are designated to be located andstored.Anot her example would be information flows where legal requirements have themmanaging the information so they can be reported to customers, while information relatedto environmental costs may only be of concern to an operations manager orenvironmental department. We now provide an overview of the different flows and somerelationships and studies on green supply chain. Materials Flows Materials flows are typical physical flows associated with supply chains and mayinclude parts, components, raw materials or finished goods. Much of the research insupply chain management has focused on the management of tangible durable goods. One of the basic tools is material flow analysis which has been recommended forevaluating an integrated environmental supply chain.The environmental aspects ofthese flows are well documented in and between organizations and have implications onall forms of environmental media implications ranging from solid waste management, Resource productivity, dematerialization an d climate change issues. Some recentresearch has proposed that material flow analysis be a core aspect of managing supplierenvironmental relationships. Service Flows These flows represent more intangible flows of services amongst organizations. Example service flows would be utilities and transportation services offered toorganizations. Some of the service flows from these two industries are major contributorsto the major environmental concerns facing the world, climate change, and are criticalelements of the supply chain.Since we incorporate utilities into this flow, we couldinclude energy service and critical water flows, albeit water may also be a physicalMaterial flow. Energy services in the supply chain are essentially pertinent since they aregrouped at levels of importance similar to material flows and are also critical flows for service industries. In fact, the energy service providers have greatly increased inimportance amongst supply chains as deregulation (especially in th e US) has seenincreased growth since the early 1990’s. Services may include many supportingactivities that may not be completely carried out by the organization or require specificmaterials. Information and financial services may also fall within this scope for industrial and retail level consumption.This more generic service industry has seen little researchin the green supply chain management literature, except for some hospitality and tourismservice industry perspectives . Within the supply chain, the shift to dematerialization could be enhanced with servicizing materials flows . Servicizing, also defined as product-service systems, is essentially the process of selling services rather products or materials toorganizations. One example of this is in Xerox’s strategy to offer a service, documentmanagement, for its copiers by leasing them rather than selling them. It provided aleasing service of a product which was taken back and reclaimed after lease expiration.Ina s ervicizing relationship, both the buyer and the supplier wish to decrease materialusage, where cost savings can be shared. Another aspect of service flows are those services provided by nature and includethe following ecosystem service categories: provisioning such as the productionof food and water; regulating, such as the control of climate and disease; supporting, suchas nutrient cycles and crop pollination; cultural, such as spiritual and recreationalbenefits; and preserving, which includes guarding against uncertainty through themaintenance of diversity. Managing these service flows may or may not be under thecontrol of a man-made supply chain, but certainly have some relationships to all supplychains. Financial FlowsFinancial flows are primarily the flow of capital (money) across the supply chain. These flows are critical to the management of supply chain practices. The environmentalimplications of these flows are mostly associated with the funding of practices andservice/mate rial flows which may cause environmental damage and consumption. The management of these flows can have profound environmental implications (forexample financial institutions may not lend due to environmental risks associated withcertain organizational projects). Tools integrating the financial flows into supply chainmanagement have relied on standard accounting tools such as activity based costing.Financial flow evaluation and analysis integrated into environmental supply chainmanagement has been very limited. As the recent world financial crisis shows, financialsystems will greatly regulate the amount of material flows and requirements for allsupply chains. One of the missing links in evaluating financial (capital) flows is the integrationof nature’s capital into the evaluation of supply chain economics. Integration ofnature’s services into supply chains’ financial flows analyses can provide significantlymore accurate perspectives on the influence of environme ntal supply chain managementpractices of organizations. The difficulty arises from the various assumptions that have tobe made for such a flow.Valuation of environmental resources is certainly a mystifyingexercise with significant variances in estimations. Information Flows Information and knowledge flows are also one of the critical management aspectsof green supply chain management. Much of the environmental information withinthe supply chain can be related to product life cycles and LCA type analyses . Operations across the supply chain can also benefit the environment just with regularinformation. Some of these benefits can be tied to the principle of informationsubstitution, having accurate information about material and goods that replace the needto hold durable material and goods.Information substitution can greatly reduce theamount of energy, transportation, and material inventory in the supply chain. Withthe advent of e-commerce and inter-organizational information systems within the supplychain, information substitution along the supply chain will have significantenvironmentally beneficial influence. Knowledge flows arise from having knowledge of environmental policies,technology, practices, and programs that can be shared across the supply chain. Not onlyare operations effected by knowledge, but supply chain innovation is also influenced. Innovation builds on and requires knowledge, knowledge generation, and knowledgeexchange.Innovation from knowledge flows are especially pertinent to smallerorganizations within the supply chains who typically lack the knowledge resourcesrelated to environmental actions for their operations. Environmentally orientedorganizational and inter-organizational learning is also dependent on effective knowledgeflows through training and continuous improvement programs and supply chain Collaboration, Information is not only critical for internal supply chain management operations,but can be a very effective regulatory tool w hich may cause organizations to reevaluatetheir supply chain processes. That is, environmental information flows may be usedto provide certain public images of the supply chain and its members.Having thisinformation made public can cause significant pressures from external stakeholders onthe overall supply chain to improve environmental and social performance . Recentresearch has shown that within the supply chain, information will have varying impactsand will be used in different ways by supply chain members. Overall, these differences inapplication and sharing of information and management of environmental informationflows is based on a variety of factors including expected costs or expectedrevenues/benefits related to environmental improvements, perception of externalstakeholder demand, perception of supplier relationship (from the perspective of thesupply chain manager) and top-management environmental commitment . Waste FlowsWe could consider waste flows as an element of all th e previous flows which doesnot necessarily have social (environmental) or economic benefit, non-value adding, to theunit under consideration. These waste flows cause greater costs to occur and may requireseparate programs to minimize them. For example, lean and green typically focus onminimizing waste and inefficiency within supply chains. Thus the management ofthis flow will also be critical, and may be separated within a supply chain. From abroader informational and industrial symbiosis perspective, waste exchanges betweenorganizations can alter the waste flows into useful material flows and have been appliedto disparate materials and flows such as water, construction material ,plastics,electronic products and energy .These waste exchange networksand flows not only can span inter and intra-organizational boundaries, but also acrossinformational boundaries as the waste exchanges become more available through Information and e-commerce systems. The other aspect of waste flows is tha t of end-of-lifemanagement or products andthe type of disposal that should be completed. There are issues with landfilling,incineration and returning materials back into the supply chain. Within the landfilling andincineration debate, the type of material may determine which is more economically andenvironmentally feasible. Rather than disposal of these wastes, recycling andreverse logistics network flows can be designed to manage these streams.Thus, as withany systems decisions, many variables will come into play before a clear-cut solution isavailable and decisions on managing these waste flows will range from individualconsumer level to broad governmental policies. The concepts pertaining to greening the supply chain or supply chain environmental management (SCEM) are usually understood by industry as screening suppliers for their environmental performance and then doing business with only those that meet the regulatory standards the driving forces for implementing the concept in to the company operations are many and comprise a range of â€Å"reactive regulatory reason to proactive strategic and competitive advantage reasons†.These concepts include working collaboratively with suppliers on green product design, holding awareness seminars, helping suppliers establish their own environmental program and soon. Thus there has to be a conscious need to integrate environmental concerns into the economic concerns of the strategy, in order to help contribute to the sustainability of the company’s future. Concern for the environmental performance of suppliers has now become the characteristic of responsible business practices. For instance, ford motor company has demanded that all of its suppliers with manufacturing facilities, comprising about 5000 companies worldwide, must obtain a third-party certification of environmental management system(EMS) for at least one of their plants by the end of 2001, and for all plants by 2003.o help the suppliers esta blish their own environmental management system, ford offers awareness seminars and training for its suppliers ,for them to be like any world class organization and attain their goal of environmental excellence . in the same manner, nestle Philippines also conducts seminars and provides technical assistance to its suppliers and contractors to help them implement and environmental management system that is consistent of Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s environmental management system (NEMS). nestle hopes this initiative will help its suppliershave a fully functioning and effective EMS complies with regulations, judicious use of raw materials, the conservation of water and energy, and the minimization of the waste.This initiative of urging suppliers and contractors to meet certain standards of environmental performance is among the 16 principles of environmental management listed in the â€Å"business charter for sustainable development†, adopted by the international chamber of commerce in N ovember in 1990,it emphasizes the need for contractors and suppliers to ensure that their environmental practices are consistent with those of the enterprise and encourages wider adoption of these principles Supplier chain environmental management is being adopted by industry, though not in a very apparent way, in different parts of the world. The extent and mode of implementation vary significantly. In some instances the implementation takes the form of questionnaires identifying what suppliers are doing, often in terms of quality programmers such as ISO-9001.More and more of these questionnaires are now adays supplemented by specific environmental questions. In other instances the suppliers are assessed at their own sites either by personnel from the customer company or by a third party or consultant, supported by a examination of company records, documents and by interviews with company personals. gain, in certain other case the large companies are even going for partnering and m entoring with their suppliers: mentoring involving the development of a close relationship between them, say providing guidance to set-up an environmental management system(EMS) or a waste minimization program; partnering involving and integrated approach to their relationship to improve operational efficiency of each. Measuring the performance of supply chains: In supply chains with multiple vendors, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, whether regionally or globally dispersed, performance measurement is challenging because it is difficult to attribute performance results to one particular entity within the chain. There are difficulties in measuring performance within organizations and even more difficulties arise in inter-organizational environmental performance measurement.The reasons for lack of systems to measure performance across organizations are multidimensional, including non-standardized data, poor technological integration, geographical and cultural differences, di fferences in organizational policy, lack of agreed upon metrics, or poor understanding of the need for inter-organizational supply chain performance measurement. Performance measurement in supply chains is difficult for additional reasons, especially when looking at numerous tiers within a supply chain, and green supply chain management performance measurement, or GSCM/PM, is virtually non-existent. With these barriers and difficulties in mind, GSCM/PM is needed for a number of reasons (including regulatory, marketing and competitiveness reasons). Overcoming these barriers is not a trivial issue, but the long-term sustainability (environmental and otherwise) and competitiveness of organizations may rely on successful adoption.The basic purposes of GSCM/PM are: external reporting (economic rent), internal control (managing the business better) and internal analysis (understanding the business better and continuous improvement). These are the fundamental issues that drive the developm ent of frameworks for business performance measurement. It is important to consider both purpose, as well as the interrelationships of these various measurements of GSCM/PM. Corporate performance measurement and its application continue to grow and encompass both quantitative and qualitative measurements and approaches. The variety and level of performance measures depends greatly on the goal of the organization or the individual strategic business unit’s characteristics.For example, when measuring performance, companies must consider existing financial measures such as return on investment, profitability, market share and revenue growth at a more competitive and strategic level. Other measures such as customer service and inventory performance (supply, turnover) are more operationally focused, but may necessarily be linked to strategic level measures and issues. Conclusion: As supply chains are becoming increasingly globalized and multi-company based, the ecological footprin t principle deserves a broader application in the supply chain. Footprints are not only nation-based as suggested by Hart (1997); the scope of supply chains is far broader. This also implies that a focus on reversed logistics, as commonly used in the literature, is no longer adequate.Based on the existing literature, this paper presents a categorization of green approaches and suggests the value-seeking approach as the most relevant in greening the supply chain as a whole (instead of logistics, and regulatory compliance alone). In order to develop greening approaches as a competitive initiative, various elements have been suggested, including sets of actions for various players along the chain, as well as, measures of success. Much research still has to be done to support the evolution in business practice towards greening along the entire supply chain. Hopefully, this paper has identified some of the steps to take, while minding our footprint.

MR Assessed Task

Please remember the suggested times are only a guide and each learner will work at their own pace. However, please try not to spend 2 hours on a task which should take 30 minutes. Don't forget you can find a breakdown of the learning outcomes and assessment criteria relating to each task in the qualification specification or in your EDI portfolio. There is just one task for this unit which should be completed at the start.Assessment for the rest of the unit, learning outcomes 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be cover as direct observations assessed in the work place and will be on-going, as reflection on practice and personal development is a large part of working with children and this qualification. Task. 1. 1 Write a job description Of your work role, this can be a list of things you do with a brief explanation. (20-30 minutes) 1. 2 Link each item on the list to the relevant standards.If you ark with under as this will be the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYES), safeguarding and welfare require ments. (45 -60 minutes) You can use a table format or a piece of writing. As you work your way through the course you should keep a personal development plan. The plan should record development objectives, how you will achieve these objectives and time scales for review. It should also show how you have agreed these objectives and with whom. A downloaded template is provided for your use.