Benchmarking and Paradigm Blindness Essay Example

Benchmarking and Paradigm Blindness Paper Benchmarking Paradigm blindness Is a dangerous pitfall that any business can fall into. It effectively causes the business to become stagnant with lax management and a lack of fresh Ideas and Input by settling over business and lulling It with the thought of comfort In the routine. Paradigm blindness can be summarized Into something that is done best in a certain way, but the reasoning is for this is because it has always been done this way, not because it is the most efficient way to do it. To avoid paradigm blindness many businesses actively practice benchmarking. Benchmarking s a potent tool for company management, pushing them to explore new ways to organism the business and challenging previously set standards. The process of benchmarking was first utilized in the asses by Xerox. In an attempt to regain lost market share they actively compared themselves to rival companies in order to find some way in which to Improve their operations (Lempel and Catwalk, 1997). Benchmarking can be used both in short term and long term management, but finds particular value In strategic management where management can decide how best the business should be run. Although benchmarking may not be a constant management tool It Is a continual one with which organizations can fine tune their operations to suit market and environmental fluctuations. To date there has been no benchmarking method that has become universally adopted, the fact that different businesses require different approaches being one reason to this. However one of the first utilized was developed by Robert Camp, the core principles revolving around a twelve step methodology. 1 . Select subject ahead 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Benchmarking and Paradigm Blindness specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Benchmarking and Paradigm Blindness specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Benchmarking and Paradigm Blindness specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Define the process 3. Identify potential partners 4. Identify data sources 5. Collect data and select partners 6. Determine the gap 7. Establish process differences 8. Target future performance 9. Communicate 10. Adjust goal 11. Implement 12. Review/recalibrate. (Camp, 1998). The general Idea behind the twelve step Camp method Is to focus on a specific area of the business, decide what sort of and how to collect data, analyze the results and then determine different processes that could be used to achieve the same task. As well as there being several different methodologies for benchmarking there are also several different types of benchmarking, this being the main reason that no one ethnology NAS Eden unalterably opiate I nee Deterrent types AT Demarcating are difficult to embrace through one method. The different types of benchmarking include process, financial, performance, product, strategic, and functional benchmarking. Businesses can implement several of these benchmarking types to help improve their productivity, although due to the costs of benchmarking smaller businesses may be limited to a few or one type of benchmarking. Process benchmarking involves the organization centering their examination and study of internal protocols. They will cross examine their results with observations with those room other benchmarking firms if possible, but otherwise conclusions can be drawn from purely internal results on activity in relations to cost and efficiency. The Camp methodology can fall under the category of process benchmarking; a real life application of it can be seen in fast food chains. Employees are pushed to consistently serve customers within a certain time frame and their performance is recorded. This allows the organization to cross reference their performance with environment and procedure factors, allowing the organization to trial different procedures and conclude which is the most efficient for different conditions. Financial benchmarking is more simplistic in nature in comparison to process benchmarking. Financial benchmarking involves making a financial analysis of the business and then making a comparison to the results of competitors to assess the business competitiveness in the market. This is generally achieved by using ratios such as acid tests, liquidity ratios and the like to determine the different financial capabilities of the business in comparison to competitors. In contrast to process benchmarking, which can be costly to perform due to needing specific equipment and personnel to collect otherwise irrelevant data. The data required for most if not all of financial benchmarking analysis can be found in the business financial reports and overviews. An example of financial benchmarking can be seen in the 2007 Games Workshop financial report. The company noted that they had been consistently posting lower profit margins over the last few quarters, and upon review had lost a fair portion of their market share to competitors such as Privateer Press miniatures. In reflection the following was printed in their 2007 financial report: We grew fat and lazy on the back of easy success. We forgot about customer service ND forgot that hard work is and always has been the route to success. We forgot that we are a company which pursues profit and likes paying surplus cash to its owners. (Kirby, 2007) Games Workshop acquired licenses from with New Line Cinema in to produce miniatures based upon the Lord of the Rings movies in 2001. During the period the movies ran, these were highly successful, but after they finished their sales rapidly fell. As chairman Tom Kirby states, the company fell into the trap of paradigm blindness by ignoring what was happening around them and continuing on with unchanged business operations. In response to this the normally slow moving company has picked up pace and released several expansions to their main game systems in a comparatively short amount of time, boosted advertising, and reorganized their management structure. Whether or not this has been successful remains to be seen. Performance benchmarking is used by businesses to assess their competitiveness in comparison to other businesses by comparison of their products and services. This can be done both internally and externally. An example AT external performance Demarcating can De Tuna In supermarket chains. Its not uncommon to see employees from rival chains wandering the aisles of their competitors and recording daily price changes and stocked goods, allowing them to decide whether or not to mark prices up or down in their own stores as well as an idea of what products are selling overall. An example of internal performance benchmarking can be found in fast food chains, such as McDonalds. McDonalds records employee service response times of each order placed and records them. By taking an average, the efficiency of an entire store is established and is compared to other stores within the franchise. The results of this are made known at employee meetings, and plans are made to improve the response times of those that are comparatively slow. This may include implementing further process benchmarking. One particular value of an established system like this is that employees can monitor themselves as they work through a display board playing an import part in performance quality improvement (Sinclair and Mohammed, 1995). Product benchmarking is somewhat similar to performance benchmarking except its less focused on competing goods and prices, and more on the actual goods and services homeless. It may go as far as reverse engineering, where the company pulls apart competing products and services and decides how best to emulate it themselves. As a real life example, this can often be seen in professional sporting teams. The team management will almost certainly examine and dissect the game play of leading teams, using them as a benchmark to improve the performance of their own team. However, product benchmarking can be taken too far to the point where it infringes copyrights and intellectual property laws. One such example is Smith Wesson. Using the highly successful Clock 17 series and its subsequent derivatives as a benchmark they released their own semi automatic handgun, the Sigma series. However the Sigma series bore so much resemblance to the Clock ass to the point where many parts were interchangeable, quickly earning them the moniker Shocks as well as a patent infringement lawsuit from Clock in 1994. Smith Wesson ended up paying an undisclosed sum of money out of court as well as making several modifications to the Sigma series. Strategic benchmarking is similar to product benchmarking in the fact that it involves observing how other companies compete. It isnt, however, limited to industry specific companies and usually involves observation of unrelated businesses to analyze whether or not any business practices can be adapted for use. Functional benchmarking can be considered extremely similar to process and performance benchmarking, however it differs by solely focusing on a single business function. The reason for this is that some parts of businesses such as Human Resources and Information Technology arent directly comparable in relation to efficiency, and thus isolating them for the purposes of observation improves focus pony problem areas. Examples of this can once again be found in fast food franchises, such as McDonalds. To allow management to isolate where problems are occurring separate response times for front counter staff and grill staff are kept. If a drinks machine is badly placed and causing congestion amongst employees behind the front counter, management will be become more aware of this because it wont be affecting grill staff response times, as they arent responsible for filling drinks. Benchmarking is an extremely valuable management tool for companies; it isnt intolerantly always a straightforward or easy task to unaware e I nee Key touching is performance measurement of the business no matter which part it is, or even whether it internal or external. The key to improving the business is measuring it so a benchmark can be ascertained (Bringing, 1992). The problem that arises from this is that businesses are extremely complex with hundreds of different factors and inputs. It becomes a question of exactly what to measure and how to measure it. The problem for managers is that they do not know exactly what inefficiencies they need o remove, and thus their chosen method of collecting data benchmarking may not reveal the problem. For example if the manager of a fast food chain competing with McDonalds decides to benchmark his businesses, he might choose to try and benchmark the business by comparing financial results and seeing how many sales he made in comparison to other fast food chains. Although this is a valid form of benchmarking, it doesnt reveal any specific problems if he finds himself underperforming in comparison. This is because hes allowed too many variables into the equation. The burgers could taste bad, the business could be in a bad location, another business might be selling their burgers cheaper, the grill staff might be inefficient or afore mentioned drinks machine could be placed extremely badly. Perhaps there might even be a combination of problems. Quite often benchmarking processes will identify that there is a problem(s) within the business but they wont identify what it is. Thus it may take the manager some time to trial several benchmarking methods to simply narrow down the field so he can draw conclusions from there and initiate responses. Because of the large amount of potential variables that increase even further with the size of the business, larger organizations often hire specific benchmarking firms who have a great deal of experience and knowledge stored in databases to perform benchmarking for them. The other problem associated with benchmarking is that its both costly and time consuming. Because of the amount of data that needs to be collated and analyzed, benchmarking is by no means an overnight process. It may require several employees to perform, taking them away from regular duties and forcing more employees to be hired. Or it could come to the point where using existing employees is so inefficient that a benchmarking firm is hired to carry out the process. In conclusion, while benchmarking is an extremely potent management tool it is by no means simple to use or fool proof.

Kidnap inc. essays

Kidnap inc. essays The kidnapping of business executives is a growth industry in Latin America, thanks to increased opportunity, weak law enforcement and the continued disparity between poverty and wealth. For Samuel Doria Medina, it was the worst experience of his 37-year life: 45 days in captivity outside of Bolivia's capital La Paz. Medina, a wealthy cement producer, former planning minister and owner of Bolivian newspaper Hoy, found inspiration in remembering a quote from The Bible he read in Isabel Allende's House of the Spirits: "Try to survive because in the end, we will all be dead." "I'm probably 10 kilos lighter, 10 years more experienced and 25 times more inspired to work for my people, my country," the unshaven businessman told reporters after his release last December. Although he declined to confirm that he had paid a ransom, local media and businessmen reported that the kidnappers were paid about US$3 million. Shortly after his release, Bolivian authorities arrested at least six people in connection with the abduction, including several members of the Peruvian leftist guerrilla movement MRTA. Although the kidnapping was unusual by Bolivian standards, Medina is in no way alone. Latin America last year saw at least 6,000 kidnappings, according to estimates by Kroll Associates, a New York-based security firm that among other things offers kidnapping and ransom advice to insurance companies and victims. Increasingly, their targets are business executives. Those figures rank Latin America as the most dangerous area in the world in terms of kidnapping, well ahead of the Middle East and Asia. Although kidnapping has long been on the rise in Latin America, the last five years' economic growth has boosted the opportunities for kidnappers as more local and foreign businessmen have come on the scene. "People throughout Latin America are seeing kidnappings grow," says Richard Johnson, vice president of Miami-based insurance agent Seitl...

Report detaling organisational information,motivations for Essay

Report detaling organisational information,motivations for volunteering,work carried out evaluation of learning experience - Essay Example RMC’s mission is â€Å"to tackle urgent issues and disadvantage among asylum seekers, refugees & migrants and promote long term solutions to the problems they face.† The organisation also has a policy of helping everyone in the Black Country regardless of their mother country, ethnic, legal or religious affiliations. It also does not discriminate anyone on the basis of disability, age, gender or even sexual orientation. RMC is the only organisation of its kind and size in the entire region. It offers service and has its doors open to the most disadvantaged in the society. Beneficiaries of the organisation come from more than 120 countries. The organisations was founded some 15 years back and since then has been very positively impacting on thousands of persons seeking service. It has therefore grown over time into a very professionally capable organisation; has a sound management and therefore attracts and manages a wide range of different projects. Funding is mostly by charity trusts, lotteries, the EU, central and local governments and volunteers. RMC has over the time become an important part of various partnerships and is now enjoying a favourable reputation not only nationally but also regionally. One very important service offered RMC to its beneficiaries is migration is migration consultancy services for refugees with immigration issues. It also offers advice on citizenship as well as citize n preparation, guidance and counselling, housing & other social benefits and employment services. Considering the nature of work the RMC is engage in, volunteering is an integral part of the organisation. It therefore offers opportunities for individuals wishing to gain work experience, just do something rewarding with their skills or contribute to the organisation’s noble course. At RMC volunteering is also recognised as an opportunity for the organisation to impart new skills to the

Project Management- MGMT412 - 1304B - 01 unit 1 Essay

Project Management- MGMT412 - 1304B - 01 unit 1 - Essay Example The project sponsor in this project should be the company’s Finance manager since he is in charge of the organization’s financial expenditure. The finance manage is in a position to decide on the budget and liaise with all project stakeholders on the implementation of the project. The project manager in this case will be the marketing manager since he/she is in charge of the department that initiated the project. The marketing department understands the market and the product functionalities inside out and they should be in charge of this project (Wiener, 2011). The project is supposed to introduce a new plastic product that will make the company competitive in the realization of its goals. The project is expected to take a period of nine months in the process lay a foundation for the inception and production of new products. The project will be implemented through the use of a project charter which is a program that highlights the major requirements, scope, deliverable s and timelines to be met by the project. The project charter is important due to various reasons such as: a) It aligns the goals of the project with major players such as stakeholders and sponsors. b) It ensures the project is run on schedule and budget since it acts as a guide on the specifics to be achieved by the project. c) In case the project charter is not followed the project might run into problems such as being over budget, run out of scope and eventually stall or halt. Project Charter The document below highlights the major milestones and work that the project will intend to achieve through the project charter. Project Background: Winsome Manufacturing Company intends to come up with a huge room-sized outdoor plastic container that will be sold to its loyal customer base. This product concept idea was initiated by the marketing department after conducting research and testing the market (Gido, 2009). Project Rationale: This project is expected to add more products to the ones currently produced by the company. Moreover, the project will meet the needs of consumers who are in need of outdoor home storage that is cost effective and efficient (Lewis, 2010). As a result, the company has a business opportunity of meeting the needs of the consumers while increasing its product catalogue and revenues. Project Goals: This project is intended to come up with a finished product which is room-sized container to be produced in mass to be marketed to consumers. The marketing department wants to counter competition from a rival company that produces a similar product although no with superior features of the intended project (Wiener, 2011). Future goals of the project include production of add-on products as a result of the follow up on this project. The major goals are to generate additional revenue to the based on multiplicity of new products derived from the current project. Project Scope: The major highlights that will mark the success of this project are: a) Come up with new designs based on requirements identified by the project stakeholders. b) Agree with stakeholders and project sponsors on appropriate budget. c) Ensure project timelines and budget is achieved. d) Come up with a product marketing and sales strategy. e) Plan and prepare for add-on products that will support the main product. Project Assumptions: In the implementation of this project, various assumptions will be made such as; a) Designs and product

Breast Cancer Information Essay Essay Example for Free

Breast Cancer Information Essay Essay Breast cancer is the malignant form of tumor that develops from the breast cells and is the most common form of cancer invasive in women worldwide. This is considered second in malignancy after skin cancer in women. It starts from the inner lining of the milk ducts and spreads to the surrounding tissue. Breast is composed of microscopic cells, which multiply in an orderly manner with older cells being replaced by new cells. Uncontrolled multiplication of cells in a progressive manner is the phenomenon in cancer. Milk duct is the most common spot for the cancer to begin and this form is also known as â€Å"ductal carcinoma. While most breast cancer cases occur in women, male breast cancer is also rarely present. Breast cancer has two forms: invasive and non-invasive. Invasive form of breast cancer is where the cancer cells reach the nearby tissue from inside the lobules. In such cases, cancer cells reach the lymph nodes and reach other organs through metastasis. Liver, lungs and bones may get affected. The cancer cells may even reach other body parts by traveling through bloodstream or lymphatic system. Non-invasive form of breast cancer is where the cancer cells are limited to the origin i.e. inside the lobules. It is usually the pre-cancerous stage where cancer cells haven’t actually spread outside the place of origin and are â€Å"in situ†. This over a period of time develops into invasive breast cancer. The type of breast cancer determines the treatment to be carried out in each case. For breast cancer to be diagnosed it is important that its symptoms be known. The signs of breast cancer that are evident to the patient include headache or pain. Sometimes a rash or swelling may develop. Symptoms are what the doctor can detect like thickening of the tissue in the woman’s breast. Presence of lumps is not a sure sign of cancer as lumps need not be cancerous every time. It is important to get a health check up done by professional in case of lumps. Here are some known signs and symptoms which women report before the detection of breast cancer and need be diagnosed for analysis: 1. Redness of skin 2. Lump formation in the breast 3. Pain in armpits or breast not during menstrual cycle but otherwise 4. Swelling in the armpits(lumps) 5. Nipples of breast turning sunken or inverted 6. Change in size and shape of breast 7. Rash present around the nipples 8. Thickened tissue of breast 9. Discharge which may be that of blood from the nipples 10. Peeling, scaling or flaking of skin of nipples or breast It must be noted that these symptoms are not confirmatory indicators of breast cancer but are only a possible sign of malignancy. It may rather be a cyst or infection that causes such symptoms. In cases where diagnosis gives positive results, further treatment and course of action needs to be started by the medical professional. Determination of cancer type and its grade and also if genetic mutation is responsible for it or if it is hormone receptive is to be done. Positive breast cancer determination gives rise to the need for determining whether the cancerous cells have spread to other organs, tissues or bones. Effective treatments can cure the cancer or prevent it from spreading further. Local or systematic treatment based on the size, nature and extent of tumor is carried out post diagnosis. Surgery and radiation are means of local treatment where cancer cells are tried to be destroyed without affecting the other body parts or remaining body. Breast-sparing lumpectomy or mastectomy in aggressive form where the entire breast may have to be removed can be done as a part of the surgery. Systematic treatments involve targeting of bloodstream in the entire body and are given through mouth to reach target cancer cells. Toxic drugs such as cyclophoshamide or methotrexate may be used in such treatments. Biological treatment is the most recent form where therapy is used to strengthen the immune system to fight the cancer cells and curb the growth of cancer cells which have protein in higher levels. Which treatment regimen is adopted for a patient depends upon the age, type and stage of cancer. Since women over 50 years of age are most likely to develop cancer, early diagnosis can prevent cancer from happening altogether in many cases. Breast cancer screening tests are recommended in women over 40 years of age which are tests done without the  presence of any symptom. Detection is done by self exams, check up by medical experts or clinical mammography. Women who have family history of cancer must undergo the early screening tests as they are at higher risk of developing the malignancy through genes. Although causes of breast cancer are not ascertained, there are many factors that can be considered for its likelihood in females. As age progresses, the risk of developing breast cancer grows. Genetics also play a major role. Breast cancer is more common in such women whose close relative had ovarian cancer. If a woman had developed the non-invasive problem ever in her life, she is quite likely to develop breast cancer again in lifetime. Breast lumps at some stage can turn into cancer later on. For women with dense breast tissues, the chance of developing breast cancer is always higher. It is very crucial that a breast cancer gets diagnosed for the treatment to begin. The doctors have wider range of options to begin and judge the patient’s progress and prevent metastasis from occurring. Staging of cancer, i.e. the extent to which cancer has evolved in patient’s body can be determined only after its diagnosis. Further survival rates are highly dependent upon the type, stage and location of cancer. Women can keep away breast cancer by eating healthy diet, drinking less alcohol and breastfeeding their children besides being physically active in their routines. Breast cancer can be managed through surgery or chemotherapy or both in case needed. Risk of reoccurrence is a prominent factor during treatment and thus prevention is always better than cure.

Gilgameshs Heroism Essay -- World Literature Epic of Gilgamesh

A hero is someone who tries the best to help everyone and will do everything in his or her power to help out another person. The term hero means different things to different people. Today many people believe that a hero is a person who can accomplish what others can not or a person who puts themselves on the line for the other people. Men, women and children can all be heroes if they truly feel in their hearts the need to help others in even the smallest ways. In our modern world heroes are defined in so many ways. Anyone can be a hero, a best friend, a devoted mother/father, a teacher, etc. On the other hand, in the older days, before laws and technology, heroes were the men who fought against evil things, who rescue damsels in distress; they were the manly men, the king's knights, god like creatures, brave warriors. As criteria for any epic story a hero must be involved in the story. Furthermore, these heroes had to meet also specific criteria. The definition of an ancient time hero is very different than a hero today. Above all, he should be a skilled warrior, who had to respect authority, both governmental and religious. Around the time that the epic called "Gilgamesh" was written heroes were considered to be the men who helped or did virtuous deeds for many people. The Mesopotamians thought a hero was someone with courage and bravery, who rise above all of the normal people. They were considered to be the part of God. The Epic of Gilgamesh centers on Gilgamesh, a man with superhuman qualities who struggles and searches for immortality and knowledge. Moreover the epic is about his grown to full maturity through this quest. Therefore who exactly is a hero and what is the role of the hero? In this paper the term "Heroism... ...mes a better individual, and it is all of the work he did after that moment that has made him be recognized as a hero. Gilgamesh is more of a hero because once he realizes that he could be doing better things for other people he changes his actions. Enkidu is a hero but not on purpose. He is created as a hero on the other hand, his own conscious, his own choices make him more humane, and he has changed his primitive way of living. In conclusion, "The Epic of Gilgamesh" is a story about the meaning of being a human. Like most people of today Gilgamesh is not discover that meaning until the later part of his life. It is sad to think that most of the people in our contemporary world are to caught up being "successful" that they stop searching for a purpose in life aside from themselves. Gilgamesh is a hero because he saw the flaws and decides to eliminate them.

Mcmillan

There are many ideas that revolve around what is quality assessment. What can be done to make sure that we are ‘building proficiency in basic skills, closing achievement gaps, and fostering the top notch knowledge and skills that students will need in a competitive global society’ (Scherer, 2009, p. 5). The following paper identifies five key aspects of what represents quality assessment. The method of assessment can influence a student’s motivation and achievement. A student’s performance can be improved through their involvement in the assessment process and enable them to take responsibility for their own learning. McMillan states that by allowing a student to be involved in the grading criteria and apply those criteria to their work a teacher may increase the student’s motivation to learn and succeed. (McMillan 2000) Every student has an individual learning style, McMillan states that using multiple methods of assessment a teacher can shape the way students understands, processes, and uses information. By doing this a complete picture of what students understand can be compiled. Using multiple methods can assist to address each student's strengths and weaknesses. (McMillan 2000) Just as assessment impacts student learning and motivation, it also influences the nature of what is being taught. (McMillan, 2000) McMillan states that when assessment is incorporated with instruction it informs teachers what activities and assignments would be most useful, and what level of teaching is appropriate, where her students are, when to ask more questions, when to give more examples and what responses to student questions is most appropriate (McMillan 2000). Fair and ethical assessment ensures that all students are given a level playing field, which they are given the opportunity to demonstrate what they know. The Standards presents four views of fairness: as absence of bias (e. g. , offensiveness and unfair penalization), as equitable treatment, as equality in outcomes, and as opportunity to learn. ’ (McMillan 2000) Teachers have limited time, they need to be able to achieve a balance between providing to provide a full understanding of study material and score re sults. Therefore the efficiency of assessments needs to be considered. There are many facets that exist within the process of assessment that can influence a student’s enthusiasm and achievement. Teachers need to recognise the ability of students to take control of their own achievement and accept responsibility for their own learning. Clay, M. (2002) An observation survey of early literacy achievement. New Zealand. Heinemann Education. Code of fair testing practices in education (1988). Washington, DC: Joint Committee on Testing Practices (American Psychological Association). Retrieved from http://ericae. net/code. htm McMillan, J. H. (2001). Essential assessment concepts for teachers and administrators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Publishing Company. McMillan, James H. (2000). Fundamental assessment principles for teachers and school administrators. Practical Assessment, Research ; Evaluation, 7(8). Retrieved from http://PAREonline. net/getvn. asp? v=7;n=8 McMillan, J,H. (2011). Classroom Assessment Principles and practice for effective standards-based instruction. Boston USA: Pearson Education Inc. Schafer, W. D. (1991). Essential assessment skills in professional education of teachers. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 10, (1), 3-6.