Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Project Management - Essay Example Enterprise holdings has positioned itself as one of the leading transport companies in the world but is facing increasing competition. This calls for constantly enhancing the capacity of its workforce so that they can deliver quality services that exceed the customer’s expectations and overcome the challenges in the transport industry. Objectives The following objectives will guide the project team in achieving the mission of this this project and ultimately contributing to the success of Enterprise holdings at different phases of the project implementation cycle: 1. To review and evaluate current training in the Northwest. 2. To develop and expand the training initiative to all branches of Enterprise holdings in the United Kingdom. 3. To develop an effective training curriculum and training programmes to be used by Enterprise holdings in the United Kingdom. 4. To train all Enterprise holdings staff on emerging trends in the transport industry. While these are the pre-set obje ctives, the successful implementation of the project could also lead to other unforeseen objectives and benefits. Stakeholder analysis A project of this magnitude requires the participation of qualified personnel from outside the company with the necessary expertise and experience. ... Participating in monitoring and evaluating the success of the employee training program. Trainers Developing the training content as well as facilitating the training of employees Enterprise holdings Provision of training venues and equipment as well as financing the training exercise. Professionals in the transport industry Identification of aspects of emerging trends and practises in the industry that the staff need to be trained on. Employees To identify areas where they need to be trained on and to attend the training sessions. Project coordinator Leading the project team in planning, implementing and monitoring the training exercise. Also documents and reports on project activities. External monitoring and evaluation expert In collaboration with the project team, he will assist in determining if the objectives of the project have been met and making recommendations on areas that may require additional training. All the identified stakeholders will be contacted in time and will b e engaged in developing the implementation plan for the project. Measuring success Regular assessments will be made to know if the project is on course to achieving its goals. A combination of tools and techniques such as observation check list, questionnaires and interview guides will be used in determining the success of the program. The success of the employee training programs will be measured through a monitoring and evaluation exercise at different stages of the project. This will make it necessary for appropriate modifications to be made on the project implementation if it is determined that the project is not on course to achieving its goals and

Does the economic downturn increase the rate of financial crime Essay

Does the economic downturn increase the rate of financial crime - Essay Example While the model has value as an economic representation of the decision to act illegally, these decision become more complex as deeper studies reveal more variables. Once the criminal decision is discussed, the way in which that decision is influenced by economic factors within a society is revealed. The aspect of crime for the need of survival is discussed as it pertains to the perception of survival over punishment becomes relevant. Choice becomes a matter that is based on fluctuating needs. As a global economic crisis has developed in recent history, the possibilities of criminal activity having been affected by the situation raises questions that are relevant to issues of safety and security of self and property. Growing numbers in unemployment creates a rich turmoil of need that may result in pursuits that are outside the boundaries of socially accepted behaviors. In an exploration of the economic repercussions of a declining financial system in comparison to the survival needs and the impending losses of individuals that suffer under those repercussions, a rational can develop that overrides the normal sociological imperatives against criminal behavior. Economic crime can be developed in many forms. The way in which financial transactions can be manipulated in order to achieve unearned gains is a form of economic crime that can take the form of frauds which are based on cheques, credit cards, and bank accounts. As well, manipulating transactions in order to hide the origins of the income is considered ‘money laundering’ which is a crime that is preceded by the commission of other crimes. These types of crimes can be committed by people from many walks of life and are predicated on the initial sociological perception of how committing these crimes affects the character of the individual involved. From the ‘floating’ of a cheque to cover groceries until payday comes, to the large scale laundering of felonious income sources,

Dilema at Day-Pro Essay Example for Free

Dilema at Day-Pro Essay The crossover point is the rate at which the NPV of the two projects are equal. NPV has a direct relationship between NPV and Economic Value Added. The NPV shows how the shareholders’ wealth would be increased if the project is accepted. The goal of the company is to increase shareholders’ wealth, thus NPV shows the better way in choosing the right decision to achieve their goal. NPV method implicitly assumes that the rate at which cash flows can be reinvested is the cost of capital, whereas the IRR method assumes that the firm can reinvest at the IRR. NPV method is better because it selects the project that adds the most to shareholder wealth. Tim can show that the MIRR is the more realistic measure to use in the case of mutually exclusive contracts by explaining that by using MIRR, they can avoid the multiple IRR problems and at the same time explain that since reinvestment at the cost of capital is generally more correct, the MIRR  which assumes that CFs from all projects are reinvested at the cost of capital rather than on the project’s own IRR (in the case of IRR), is a better indicator of a project’s true profitability. Tim could also state that with the use of MIRR, the company can avoid some conflicts encountered when comparing NPV with IRR. With the use of MIRR, they can minimize the conflict between the two, just like when the two projects being compared have equal size and same life, both NPV and MIRR leads to the same decision. The company can also arrive at the same decision when the two projects being compared have equal size and different life. Using Profitability Index can help in deciding which project to choose because it gives the ratio which allows us to measure the proportion of money returned to money invested. Thus by profitability index, it allows us to compare investment opportunities that requires us different initial investments. The higher profitability index will be chosen because it gives higher possible return in the amount that is to be invested. In short, in the dilemma of Day-pro, Synthetic Resin must be chosen because it gives a higher return in spite of the high initial investment. However, in using this method, the analyst will ignore many factors, such as risk, cost of capital, and liquidity of the project. Thus, the company must consider or decide first on what factor they will base their decision in choosing a project. Being more conservative in revenue projection will give us an idea that the project is less liquid because they projected a longer period of time before the company can earn back the invested amount. Moreover, it also indicates that they considered the possible risks that may occur in the project along the way. The chance of overestimation and underestimation of the project is less possible that make it more realistic. Thus, the Synthetic Resin project is more reliable and accurate. Knowing that the synthetic resin would require extensive and longer time before it could be implemented, it will cause doubt on the part of the Board to choose this  project because it only says that Synthetic Resin project is less liquid compared to epoxy resin and the company will be tied longer to this project before it can regain the invested capital. However, looking at the other side of the coin, synthetic resin gives a higher return in spite of its flaws and its risks. On the other hand, Epoxy Resin seems to be more liquid and less risky and the return of this project is less compared to the Synthetic Resin. As a result, the board might be more attracted to Epoxy Resin. Still, the decision of the board depends on what they give importance or emphasis in choosing a project. And since the Board has a strong preference in using rates or return as its criteria, we would recommend to the Board to choose Synthetic Resin.

Declining Trade And Investment Barriers Economics Essay

Declining Trade And Investment Barriers Economics Essay The environment in which international business operates has become subject to the forces of globalisation and increasing world integration. One might even say that globalisation is the buzzword of economics today. There are many varying definitions of globalisation, some including cultural and political aspects but for the purpose of this manual, it is best to focus on the economic aspects of it. Globalisation, it is argued, is a shift towards a more integrated and interdependent world economy. Furthermore, at a very simple level, one may distinguish between two broad aspects of globalisation. 1.2.1 Globalisation of Markets It could have been argued that in the past, one could distinguish between many different national markets. However, globalisation of markets has caused moves towards a single homogeneous global market whereby consumer preferences are converging towards a global norm. One of the strong proponents of such an argument was Levitt (1983) who argued that companies needed to view the world as a single homogeneous, global market for products and services. A global firm should therefore view the world as a single unit and must strive to produce and market standardized product worldwide. Nevertheless, the firm is also expected to adjust its product offerings for local differentiation. The benefits from global standardization have enormous potential since firms are able to achieve economies of scale in many value-chain activities including production, distribution and management  [1]  . However, whilst there are indeed many common market needs, demands and acceptance of certain global products, there are also many deep divisions, cultural and other national differences between countries and markets. At the simplest level, these differences relate to differences in product use. For example, in some countries like for instance in Continental Europe, people drive on the right hand side whilst in South Africa or Mauritius for example, people drive on the left hand side. Hence, vehicle specifications to that end will be different  [2]  . 1.2.2 Globalisation of Production This refers to the sources of goods and services from locations around the world to take advantage of national differences in the cost and quality of factors of production. Globalisation of production is characterized by increased dispersion of value chain activities to different world locations. Instead of all business activities being singly concentrated, firms may choose to disperse some of their business activities to other locations. For example, production may be undertaken in certain developing countries where labour is cheap; research and development in another location where high-level specialized skills are in abundance; and assembly may be performed at yet another location for ease of transport to world markets. As such, firms may exploit national differences in factor conditions such as land, labour, capital and skills, as well as demand conditions, infrastructure and government regulations. 1.3 DRIVERS OF GLOBALISATION Hill (2005) identifies the following factors that underlie the trend towards greater globalisation: 1. Declining Trade and Investment Barriers After the Great Depression and the Second World War, developed countries have opted to remove barriers to international trade and foreign direct investment. This resulted in the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). There were a number of rounds of negotiations between countries which ensued and these led to further reductions and also extended GATT to cover services, intellectual property rights and eventually to the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) following the Uruguay Round in 1994. The WTO is a permanent body that is responsible for establishing and further entrenching rule based trade and for managing the rule based world-trading system (Hill, 2003). These developments have contributed to the reduction of trade and investment barriers and lower restrictions on capital flow. These have in turn facilitated the globalisation of markets and production. In addition to reducing trade barriers, many countries have also been progressively removing restrictions to foreign direct investment that has further boosted world trade growth. However, whether the removal of those barriers to trade is a good thing is a debatable issue. Many developing countries would argue that given their intrinsically different economic underpinnings, it will be almost impossible for them to compete on a level playing field as is propounded by globalisation. They have further advanced that these barriers or protectionist measures are extremely important in that they provide in most cases a market for the developing countries exports. 2. Technology Over the last decades there has been significant technological advancement. The microprocessor revolution is perhaps the one that has had the most significant impact. Microprocessors are the underlying components that have fuelled the advancement in global communications. These include satellite, optic fibre and wireless communications as well as the computing revolution that has borne the Internet, the worldwide web and provided the possibilities of e-commerce. These technological developments have contributed to the globalisation of markets and production, through better communication, and integration of worldwide activities. It has also facilitated the speedy global transfer of funds and capital, which further fuels globalisation. Other technological advancements that have contributed to globalisation include that of jet travel and containerization. Jet travel has enabled the rapid and widespread movement of people and goods across national borders (Hill, 2003). This has facilitated the setting up of new businesses, partnerships and negotiations across borders and has also helped in the co-ordination and integration of worldwide business activities. 3. Changing World Order The fall of communism in the late 1980s has led to moves away towards democratization of countries in Eastern Europe and the former Central Asian Republics. Many of the former Iron Curtain Countries are more amenable to free market policies which are in turn conducive to globalisation. Thus, it can be argued that a shift in political ideology towards capitalism has been an important determinant of globalisation. 4. Convergence of Industrialisation Strategy Towards An Export Oriented Platform To the classical economists, trade was seen as an engine of growth as it facilitated the exploitation of comparative advantage. But, by the 1950s, it was obvious trade was not having the expected propulsive effects because of imperfections in international trading systems, such as oligopolistic competition, discriminatory pricing, product differentiation and high tariff barriers. As a result, many nations adopted an import-substitution  [3]  strategy in a bid to reduce their import dependency. Import-substitution strategy entailed a high level of protection, via tariffs, import restriction measures and quotas, which discriminated against exports via explicit and implicit tax of export activities and an overvalued foreign exchange rate. Also, the government used investment license, differential taxes, tax holidays, exemptions and remissions to influence resource allocation between industries and sectors. The proponents of IS strategy firmly believed that they would be able to meet the domestic demand for manufacturing products; provide employment opportunities for skilled labour; ease pressure on the balance of payment and strengthen the long term productive capacity of the economy by importing the production technology via foreign firms  [4]  and by using the infant industry argument. However, the overwhelming consensus is that IS was a failure  [5]  . IS strategy has turned out to be self-defeating since it has resulted in huge increases in imports of equipment and inputs while transfer pricing constituted a severe drain on foreign exchange. Also, IS granted excessive protection to industries producing inefficiently non-essential goods for high-income elite. Furthermore, fiscal credit and exchange rate policies, coupled with subsidies on imports of capital goods, made it possible and advantageous to entrepreneurs to rely on high capital intensive equipment produced abroad and technology unsuited to the factor proportions prevailing in less developed countries. As a result, a new orthodoxy emerged in the late 60s and early 70s which stressed the role of exports of labour intensive manufactures as an engine of growth. This represented a return to the static theory of comparative advantage with trade based upon different factor proportions prevailing in various countries which meant that the pendulum turned full swing for development policy in LDCs from import substitution to manufactured exports. Export oriented strategy not only encourages free trade  [6]  , but also the free movement of capital, labour, enterprises and an open system of communication. It also entailed more efficient allocation of resources with firms competing internationally  [7]  based on their relative comparative advantages. These considerations, coupled with the emergence of trade blocks, were factors motivating changes in the strategic orientation of MNEs. MNEs underwent a complete restructuring of their global and regional supply profiles. This entailed locating  [8]  manufacturing operations in only a few countries but exporting for a wider market. Each subsidiary were opened to a fully competitive market situation which permitted the realisation of economies of scale and the attainment of optimal efficiency in production (Pearce, 1999). The where to produce clearly gained in prominence during such an era which led to MNEs redistributing their unchanged ownership advantages in order to create an international network of subsidiaries  [9]  which optimised their supply of established range of products. Thus, investments undertaken by MNEs were mainly of an efficiency-seeking nature. 5. Emergence of Regional Trade Blocks Members to a regional initiative have to work towards a reduction or complete harmonization of their tariffs. Such a step taken by these members (most of which are signatories to the WTO) is seen as a partial liberalization initiative and is the first step towards complete liberalization which is propounded by the WTO. 1.4 ADVANTAGES OF GLOBALISATION Faster Growth Economies that have in the past been open to foreign direct investment have developed at a much quicker pace than those economies closed to such investment. E.g. China as opposed to Russia. Cheaper Imports This is simply because the reduction of barriers to entry such as tariffs on imports will lead to a fall in price. New Technologies Developing countries, more receptive to FDI, have a greater chance of acquiring new and better technologies through diffusion and spillover effects. Spur of Foreign Competition Foreign competition will encourage domestic producers to increase efficiency. Increased Investment Opportunities Companies can move capital to countries that offer the most attractive investment opportunities. This prevents capital being trapped in domestic economies and earning poor returns. 1.5 DISADVANTAGES OF GLOBALISATION Culture The protection of its own culture through subsidies and grants may be a major hold back of globalisation. Local focus or Localisation Douthwaite (1996) believes that globalisation can and should be reversed. He argues that localization is the way to do this. He calls for a balance between local, regional, national and international markets since this would curb the control given to multinationals. He also argues that governments should work together to reduce the power of multinationals by negotiating new trade and treaties that would remove the subsidies powering globalisation and give local production a chance. Loss of jobs in developed economies Because of increased competition as a result of globalisation, firms are increasingly shifting their production plants to cheaper locations to reduce costs. This has led to an increase in the level of unskilled unemployment. Loss of Sovereignty Many anti-globalisation campaigners argue that countries are increasingly losing their sovereignty and powers to implement local decisions because of the powers provided to the WTO. Technology Although it is one of the most important drivers of globalisation, technology has nevertheless widened the poverty gap. Developing and less developing countries inability to adopt new technologies entails that they are unable to compete against their developed countries counterparts. EXERCISE Please insert case study entitled Globalisation: Boon or Bane 1.7 SUMMARY Globalisation of markets has caused moves towards a single homogeneous global market whereby consumer preferences are converging towards a global norm. One of the strong proponents of such an argument was Levitt (1983) who argued that companies needed to view the world as a single homogeneous, global market for products and services. It could be argued that the following factors could be considered as the main drivers of globalisation: technology, changing world order and the dismantling of barriers to trade, convergence of industrialization strategy and the emergence of RTAs. Some of the main advantages of globalisation are namely faster growth, cheaper imports, new technologies, spur of foreign competition and increased investment opportunities. Some of the negative consequences of globalisation are loss of sovereignty, loss of jobs in developed countries and a widening poverty gap. SUGGESTED READINGS Hill, C.W.L. (2005) International Business. Competing in the Global Marketplace, 5th Edition, New York, NY: Irwin-McGraw-Hill Inc. Hill, C.W.L. (2003) International Business. Competing in the Global Marketplace, 4th Edition, New York, NY: Irwin-McGraw-Hill Inc.

Where Have All The Good Ones Gone? :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Honesty. Respect. Integrity. Motivation. Dedication. Patriotism. The preceding words represent qualities many of today’s American students lack. Many US citizens question the reason behind this decline of morality within the educational system. Parents blame the teachers; teachers claim the students are unable to be taught and parents aren’t attempting to assist teachers in their quest to disperse their knowledge. As for the students, they just don’t care. Who exactly is to blame? Students? Teachers? Parents? More importantly, how this be fixed? Government programs like the recent â€Å"No Child Left Behind† Act aren’t as effective as they claim, and bribing the students with field trips and Coke float parties do not work. What is a nation, quickly filling with uneducated young adults, to do?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many theories have been tested as to why students are becoming lazy and, for lack of a better word, stupid. Most fingers are pointed towards parental control. Commercials geared towards a drug-free America tell parents to ask questions: Who? What? Where? When? Most parents are too caught up in the drama of their own lives to wonder who their kids hang out with, and where and what they are doing with them. They are more concerned with Mr. Limon not paying them for overtime or why Clint and Robert got fired. Students are ignored and seldom rewarded for good behavior. However, when Mom and Dad get a call from the school when little Johnny was caught smoking marijuana in the boys’ bathroom, it’s a different story. The parents become involved, but for all the wrong reasons. When the parents confront Johnny, he responds negatively, with slamming doors and outbursts of â€Å"You’re ruining my life† or â€Å"I can’t believe you!!† It shouldn’t take a drastic measure for children to get their parents’ attention. Parents should want to know what’s going on in their child’s life, in all aspects. In movies, the parent-teenager relationship is portrayed as something very awkward and forced. The way to solve this: change how it is seen in real life. Parents should talk to their children more, and their children will learn to trust them. In one family, a 30-something year old mother has a 16-year-old daughter. Because of their healthy relationship based on trust and understanding, the daughter considers her mother her best friend. Families need to spend more time together and less time on the run. Plan an uninterrupted family night—cell phones get turned off, computers are unplugged—where the family just plays a nice game of Monopoly or Life, or watches a movie based on positive moral values.

Dont Drink and Drive :: Legal Issues, Social Issues, Informative

Topic: Don’t Drink and Drive Specific Purpose: To persuade my audience that action is needed to deal with the problem caused by motorists’ who drink and drive. General Purpose: Solving the problems caused by drinking and driving will require action by friends, family, and law enforcement. Thesis Statement: Drinking and driving not only endanger your life, it endangers the lives of the innocent victims whose path you cross. Introduction: While watching TV one night, a special news report came on. There was a terrible accident in Marshal County involving a drunk driver. Six children were killed in the crash, a man driving a blue sedan had hit head-on with a mini van, carrying six children and their grandmother. All the children were pronounced dead at the scene, the grandmother and the man driving the sedan were the only survivors. Body: A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t drink and drive, period. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The cemeteries are full of people who thought they were â€Å"Ok to drive† along with the innocent victims whose paths they crossed. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Support law enforcement. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don’t complain that an officer gave your kid an MIP, DUI, or DWI†¦ thank them. Transitions: Now that we’ve seen how drinking and driving are serious problems for motorists’ and their communities, let’s look at some causes. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"It causes the deaths of over 16,000 people in America every year, an average of 44 each day, one every 33 minutes.† Conclusion: â€Å"Drinking and driving and alcohol abuse are claiming the lives of thousands of young people each year. If you critically injure or kill someone after making

Identify Unnecessary Services from a Saved Vulnerability Essay

Nmap/Zenman is an application that allows users to scan networks to see what ports and services are open. It can be used by network security to find holes in their networks and plan what to do with them or it can be used by hackers to scan other networks to get a clear look at a networks topology and map out where everything is and plan for an attack. In this case, we have a scan of our network at Corporation Techs and need to look at what services that we have and make a decision on whether or not we should keep or get rid of them. According to the scan we have, we have a bunch of difference services that we use. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is how our employees sent their mail. Post Office Protocol (POP) is the services on how we receive them. These are both important in any business so they could send and receive messages so I would not recommend closing them. As I look through more services that we have on our network, I notice that we have Sophos installed on our app server. Sophos is a company that works in anti-virus software. They been in business for a few years and to my knowledge they do a good job. However in this case we have enough anti-virus software and our network is very stable. Matter of fact, the scan also shows that we have other IDS and other services that will protect this network. I believe that Sophos is a good service but it is unnecessary at this time so I would suggest removing this. My plan for removing unnecessary services is simple. Go though our network to see we have and have not been using and make a list of services that are necessary to keep this network working. Any services that do not make the cut, gets cut.