MGM600-0803B-02 Applied Managerial Decision-Making - Phase 3 Essay

MGM600-0803B-02 Applied Managerial Decision-Making - Phase 3 Discussion Board 2 - Essay Example ANOVA test is of two types, One-Factor ANOVA and Two-Factor ANOVA (with and without replication). In One-Factor ANOVA, Dependent Variable (numerical) may be affected by one independent variable (categorical). In Two-Factor ANOVA, Dependent Variable (numerical) may be affected by two independent variables (categorical). An ANOVA test is useful, when different data sets (more than two) need to be compared for similar distribution population (treatment. A t-test can also be used for comparison; however, it is limited to two samples. For more than two data sets, many t-test needs to be carried out sequentially that will increase statistical error due to accumulation. An ANOVA test lessons the statistical error due to analysis of entire data set at once and makes it more likely that a determination can be made in valid manner (Skrzypczak, 2006; Pieniazekon, A. 2007). Suppose 10 day’s daily defect rates for automotive computer chips manufactured production data for four different plant locations were available. Now for this data ANOVA can be useful for determining whether the observed differences in the plants’ sample mean defect rates merely due to random variation or the observed differences between the plants’ defect rates too great to be attributed to chance. Here ANOVA hypothesis will be ‘mean defects rates are same for at all four plants (H0)’ and ‘at least one mean differs from the others (H1)’. The One-Factor ANOVA dependent variable will be defect rate and independent variable will be plant locations (Doane, & Seward, 2007). Suppose a hospital management needs to test whether a patient’s length of a stay (LOS) depends on the diagnostic-related group (DRG) code and the patient’s age group, so that resources and fixed costs are correctly allocated. Considering case of bone fracture, LOS is a dependent variable measured in hours and type of fracture (facial, radius or ulna, hip or femur, other lower extremity, all other) and

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

International Business - Essay Example The operating systems under the software segment include Mac OS and other productivity and utility applications like I-work, Quick time player, and logic studio among others (Apple, 2013b). Apple is considered as one of the best software firms in terms of creativity and innovation. The company mainly distributes its services and product through retailers, whole sellers and exclusive Apple owned stores. Hewlett Packard, Dell, Google and Blackberry are the direct competitors of the company (NASDAQ, 2012). The current business environment is extremely volatile and changing. In order to thrive and survive in this competitive environment, companies will have to monitor and analyses the external as well as internal environment conditions before taking any business decision. Company philosophy Apple runs on the philosophy of creativity and premium (Simoes, 2001). Even though other companies are trying to cut down costs in order to increase sales and volume growth, Apple continues to price p roducts in the premium category. The company has established a loyal base of customers. Design and technology have always been the pillars of success for Apple. The other major marketing philosophy surrounding Apple is empathy, focus and Impute. Together, they provide a breakthrough competitive advantage to the company with respect to customer preference and market knowledge (Ghodeswar, 2008). Empathy concerns with understanding the exact needs to the customers (Witcher and Chau, 2010). The company has successfully embedded this philosophy with extensive research and evaluating the future trends and demands of the ever evolving customer. The second philosophy is focusing on only what is important and is necessary and removing all unimportant things from the activity plan. This increases the employee efficiency and overall productivity. The third philosophy is imputing which means that public and consumer form an opinion about the company. Thus, Apple makes sure that the image of the company is clean and balanced. External environment analysis PEST analysis will be helpful in evaluating the external environment of Apple. Political More than 50 percent of revenue of Apple comes from international markets. Thus, any change in the political scenario in the major international market will be crucial in overall growth of the organization. Economical The global economic crisis has impacted the company in an adverse way. With the high inflation rate and rising unemployment, consumers have shifted to saving mode. This has impacted the overall business of Apple, as most of its products are categorized as luxury and premium range. Fluctuating values of US dollars have also impacted the organization. Social The two major factors which have always been the forefront of Apple were designing and creativity. With the increasing disposable income, people are more attracted towards creative gadgets and technology (Beri, 2007). Apple has understood this market sentiment and cont inues to design innovative and user-friendly technology for the masses. Technological Apple throws in a large chunk of its revenue into product development and research phases. The sole purpose of this is to come out with new and innovative technology which provides competitive advantage to Apple. Opportunities and challenges An understanding of the current opportunities and

Harm Reduction And Zero Tolerance

Harm Reduction And Zero Tolerance In this essay the author will explore and critically evaluate harm reduction in drug rehabilitation versus zero tolerance approaches, with reference to public policy issues in drug use. Drawing on available literature on the policy context, and on literature and evidence from the rehabilitation domain, the author will develop a discursive analysis of how harm reduction can present a workable and potentially valuable intervention solution in developing concrete policies which might effectively address this rapidly increasing social need. Harm reduction is a process by which those involved in the rehabilitation process with illegal drug users attempt to reduce the risks of drug taking behaviour rather than trying to eradicate drug use altogether. In Australia, drug users have traditionally been addressed with a zero tolerance approach, in which the drug user is counselled towards complete abstinence from drug use (Wodak and Moore, 2002). Socio-politically this approach is both lauded and condemned and both for good reason. A reorientation away from legal and punitive, law enforcement approaches to controlling illegal drug trafficking and use and towards a health-oriented model of rehabilitation of drug users is now taking place (Wodak and Moore, 2002), mimicking international trends based on research evidence. Thus the policy context has been subject to pressure to engage in new approaches to drug rehabilitation (Wodak and Moore, 2002). Thus policy responses to the moral model of drug use have been viewed as insuffici ent, and the disease model of drug use has grown in popularity in socio-political and therapeutic arenas (Hamilton and Cape, 2002). Australia and New Zealand have both adopted this approach, which is both pragmatic and forward thinking (Hamilton and Cape, 2002). However, it could be argued that this approach represents societies and their governments affording license to an immoral trade which has a significant negative personal, social and medical, not to mention economic, impact on society. This approach accepts that drug use is a common feature of human experience à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[and]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ recognises that abstinence may be the ultimate goal, but accepts that this may not be achievable (or desirable) at least in the short-term (Hamilton and Cape, 2002, p 24). Thus social and political critics can view this as a tolerant attitude which fails to punish those who perpetrate the drug trade and cause significant suffering amongst those who abuse illegal and harmful drugs. All psychoactive drugs have the potential to cause some type of harm (Rumbold and Hamilton, 1998), and as such, represent a risk to the individual and society. However, drug use is viewed by many as normal social behaviour (Rumbold and Hamilton, 1998), and therefore policies which totally outlaw drug use can be viewed as inappropriate. Harm reduction strategies in Australia as enshrined in the National Drug Strategy (Rumbold and Hamilton, 1998), and as such present a more cohesive approach to managing the multiple facets of the problem or social phenomenon that is illicit drug use. Although law enforcement advocates argue that harm reduction strategies are not as effective as their own, economically, treatment and rehabilitation are actually much more cost effective in decreasing drug consumption (King, 1998). However, it is also possible to view legal, legislative and law enforcement approaches themselves as a form of harm reduction. Kutin (1998) shows how leglisative and law enforcement approaches have reduced violence associated with alcohol use. Harm reduction approaches, therefore, need not be viewed as diametrically opposed to the law enforcement approach, and this would argue that current policy orientations which encompass both approaches are actually the ideal way in which to approach the ongoing social an d public health drivers requiring an effective response from the policy level right down to the therapeutic level. According to Hellawell (1995 in Kutin, 1998, p 181): More realistic goals include attempting to reduce the frequency of sue, the quantity and toxicity of drugs consumed and to reduce harm to drug users and the community generally. Harm reduction must be embraced. Police strategies must encompass all these elements. There is ample evidence that harm reduction strategies are beneficial to indvidual clients, and represent the opportunity for significant public health improvement (Ritter and Cameron, 2006). However, McKeganey (2006) shows that in relation to the growth of the prevalence of drug abuse, and the increase in occurrence of drug related harms, including drug related crime, it is now the time to make drug prevention, rather than harm reduction, the focus of policy and practice. Futterman et al (2005) suggest a therapeutic approach which combines effective therapies with harm reduction strategies, working on behaviours with an overall end point of reducing drug use. But the ongoing arguments both for and against harm reduction policies are subject to forces which relate to key features of harm reduction, including: the primary goal being reducing harm rather than reducing drug use; the acceptance that drugs are a part of social life and cannot be eradicated from this; harm reduction is a c omprehensive public health framework; the priority is achievable and immediate goals; and that harm reduction is based upon values of pragmatism and humanism (Ritter and Cameron, 2006). This means that while reducing harm may be an improvement for the individual, and may be more realistic and achievable, there will always be groups and individuals who do not believe that this is a sufficiently aggressive approach, and while harm reduction produces individual benefits (Riley and OHare, 2000; Christie and Anderson, 2003), it does not prevent drug use or remove the threat, risk and harm associated with this practice, and it does not punish those who are effectively breaking the law. Ultimately, many will always reject a humanistic approach which is so pragmatic as to tolerate law breaking and the potential causing of harm to others, as well as to the self (Christie et al, 2008). Yet the evidence remains clear that harm reduction strategies can impact on drug use rates, on risk-associated behaviour such as needle sharing, and on transmission of blood-borne diseases and engagement in rehabilitaton (Hunt, 2005; Stoltz et al, 2007; Strathdee et al, 1999). Therefore, public policies may be subject to an ethical imperative to address illegal drug use via every possible (and effective route), because the long term social costs of untreated drug dependency are of such significance (Wall et al, 2000). Therefore, it could be argued that the zero tolerance approach is, as already demonstrated, not sufficiently effective on its own, and that the harm reduction approach, as one element of a wider policy framework, is likely to bring benefits in the longer term.

Essay --

As the tears runs slowly down my mother’s eyes. She held her cold lifeless baby boy into her arms. Pressing him into her chest as if that would bring life back to her only son. That son she had dreamed of for so long is now without life. With her baby clenched on her chest, the pain of birth rushed through her bones she dropped the lifeless baby on the bed and looked back at me. With her hand clamped, in an angry, defensive and agonized voice she trembled these words out to me â€Å"you have to do something for you are the cause of his death†. Me as a little girl busted out the door with teary eyes. Upset of being accused of something I haven’t done. I was thinking if I had the power to change the pain my mother was experiencing I would have. From that point I had the desire of becoming a pediatrician. For in my mind if I was a doctor I could have healed my brother, and my mother would not have to witness that kind of pain. Even though entering in the biology fi eld had been probably â€Å"forced† into existence I do not feel passionately about nothing then the science field. With the classes I have taken and the knowledge I have gain in that perspective there is no going back. With this experience and many others I had throughout my life, are the backbone of me pursuing my dream of becoming a pediatrician. The opportunity of becoming a McNair fellow will help me developed skills needed to accomplish my goal. My goal in life is to be a pediatrician. My major motivation for choosing this medical route is not only based on my brother’s death incidence. I have always been fascinated with the living systems. I remember when I was taking biology in high school how fascinated the human body and cell communications were to me. The more Biology... ...re is I will accomplish something significant in life and that will make my parent proud of me for being the first in the family to obtain such a prestigious level in life. With experience obtain I will have the capability to go back to Haiti to educate upcoming doctors. I will be able to open the first research lab, which will provide students interested in pursuing a major in the science field the opportunity to experience biology hands on. A PhD will offer me with the opportunity to give society the same opportunity that McNair program will be providing to me. The major contribution I would love to accomplish is to go to third world countries to educate people on how to protect themselves from many diseases that could have been prevented by simple procedure. For example the cholera it is deadly but with the right kind of tools and procedure it can be prevented.

Once an Eagle Essay

Leadership is an important characteristic in any field. Early on, it has been recognized that the success of any organization is highly dependent upon the quality of leadership. Even if the organization has a number of talented individuals, without strong leadership, there would be no success. In a similar light, the success of the military depends on strong leadership. It has been said that in the military, leadership is a requisite. As an integral component in warfare, leadership determines the outcome of combat operations, without it, it can be fairly argued that no military operation would be success. As the brain, leaders are expected to have the power of command. The subordinates in the group all rely upon the leader to provide wisdom and guidance, not to mention excellent judgment. It is essential, therefore, that a good leader has the following characteristics such as charisma, confidence, sound judgment, wisdom and intelligence. Military history is filled with individuals who were â€Å"born leaders. † A brief glimpse into the role of monuments and military commanders will reveal a common characteristic, they were all excellent leaders. The civil war gave rise to many superior commanders such as Joshua Chamberlain and John Logan who, despite their lack of military training, were able to lead their troops into combat and inspire many victories. The requisite ability that these fine commanders possessed was the ability to inspire their troops by providing an excellent example. Unlike other leaders, these fine leaders chose to lead through example. They were regarded as the epitomes of self-sacrifice and honor. None of them felt that they were too important to be left out of the battlefield and they were never hesitant to take their place in the frontlines should it be required of them. This aspect is what made them leaders. Another important aspect of leadership that is best exemplified by the actions of General Robert E. Lee who not only won the affection of his troops but also exhibited a talent for disciplined application. While it may not be necessary to have the affection of one’s troops during war, as shown by General Ulysses S. Grant, current military strategies emphasize the importance of a leader who is not only able to provide sound judgment but who is also able to inspire his troops. Charisma combined with the ability to make the best decisions in any given situation would therefore be the essence of excellent leadership. The reason for this is that in achieving one’s goal it is necessary that it be accomplished through motivation, direction and purpose. These essential characteristics have been shown by many of the great Commanders during the Second World War including but not limited to General Douglas McArthur who liberated Australia and the Philippines from Japanese occupation. It is difficult to say which style works the best as it is possible that the combination of charisma and the ability to make the best decisions in any given situation may be exhibit in many different forms of leadership. Leaders may sometimes be directors, participators or even delegators. Yet, it is not so much how the practice their leadership but their ability to get results. The military operations during the first Gulf War gave rise to a new breed of military commanders who were able to obtain results despite the differences in their leadership styles. Commanders such as Norman Schwarzkopf and Collin Powell demonstrated that leadership need not necessarily be overbearing. The important thing is that the commander understands the importance of the situation and is able to use the abilities of the troops, despite the limitations, to achieve the intended results. In any case, it must be remembered that the leadership that these great commanders possessed was not limited to the battlefield. From the very first day that they took command, they showed their leadership and cultivated the necessary traits that they felt was needed in their troops in order to become effective in future tasks.

Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship Slide

What type of person becomes this type of risk taker? I have always been more on the cautious side, preferring to stand back, observe, listen and analyze a situation. I’ve always admired people who are not like me, people who are more daring, or willing to throw caution to the wind. An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he’ll quickly learn how to chew it. What challenges did he or she face and overcome? In 1982, Mark Cuban moved to  Dallas, Texas Cuban first found work as a bartender,  then as a salesperson for Your Business Software, one of the first PC software retailers in Dallas.He was terminated less than a year later, after meeting with a client to procure new business instead of opening the store What failures did this person have? Got a job working for a carpenter laying carpet and quickly learned he was absolutely horrible at it How many companies have he or she started? Started AudioNet in 1995, The Company, despite its ear ly critics, proved to be a smash success. Renamed Broadcast. com, the firm went public in 1998 and soon saw its stock reach $200 a share.A year later, Wagner and Cuban sold out to Yahoo! for nearly $6 billion Purchasing an NBA Team In 2000, Mark Cuban introduced himself to the NBA community when he purchased the Dallas Mavericks for $285 million from  Ross Perot Jr. How successful is he or she? At the age of 32, Cuban was a millionaire who could afford to live in the big houses that he used to drive by as a down-on-his-luck bartender. More importantly, he was living the life of his dreams. Why is this person successful?Business Management Study GuideCuban has built his fortune by building successful companies and then selling them when the time is right. Why did he or she become an entrepreneur? Daydreamed motivation, he didn't lie to himself and talk about his passions and how if I was passionate enough about something he could be successful at it. He was lucky. He grew up knowin g that hard work and smart work has a greater impact on results than being passionate about something. What is this person's measure of success? In sports, the only thing a player can truly control is effort.The same applies to business. What did you learn about entrepreneurship from this interview? With Mark Cuban is a person who never stops working he is a person with optimism a fighter the hard things makes it is easy. All we want to be like him with open ideology. What ever he touched turns gold Reference, http://www. glessnersgig. com/2012/10/mark-cuban-massive-success-and-how-you-can-have-it-too. html http://www. incomediary. com/10-winning-lessons-from-maverick-entrepreneur-mark-cuban http://www. biography. com/people/mark-cuban-562656