Artificial Intelligence Essay -- Essays Papers

Artificial Intelligence1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) conjures up visions of robots that can mix dry martinis while beating a grand master at chess; and to some, will one day be able to look, act, think and react just like a real person. I would like to explore the concept of AI as it relates to the business world, and its possible many other applications. I believe that true AI is a dream worth pursuing. Like me, there are many who, just like those of the early 1960’s, thought that putting a man on the moon seemed to be an extremely difficult, but not an impossible task, believing the achievement of true AI to come is just a matter of time. To remain competitive, companies must continue to improve by doing better and doing more; all the while using fewer and fewer resources, especially, manpower. Greater numbers of the world’s companies are turning to systems, which they feel offer the best means of attaining these goals. A group, or suite of tools that can help accomplish this pursuit of doing less with more is generally known as Decision Support Systems. This broad category usually consists of computer software and hardware, which includes Intelligent Decision Support Systems, Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence. Do these systems really provide a valuable contribution to those who use them, and just how much faith can be put into them? Strategic decision making concerns itself with determining where and how to deploy present resources to gain competitive advantages with the expectation of achieving some future reward. This simple, but powerful idea, permeates the planning process of large and small companies. Decisions related to how resources should be deployed consider specific measures necessary to compete effectively and efficiently; while strategic decisions are made with the expectation of improving future corporate profitability. Decision support systems are important additions in developing long term strategic plans, and thus long range profitability measures. Definition ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Before we can explore the possibilities and implications of AI, we must carefully define exactly what attributes make something â€Å"intelligent†. The most common way to define intelligence in through the term â€Å"consciousness†. A term such as this has no fixed definition; rather, it is a family of related concepts that ti... ...u/~grassie/StudentProjects/Debicella.html Guven Guzeldere & Stefano Franchi, mindless mechanisms, mindful construction – an introduction – (4 June 1995),Unided States: shr.stanford.edu/shreview/4-2/text/introduction.html R.L. Hughey, Jr, Expert Systems in Manufacturing, (3 May 1996). Carrollton Ga: www.southwire.com/sw/techlib/ieee0002.htm Henry Linger, Intelligent Decision Support in the Context of the Modern Organisation – (1997), Monash University, Melbourne Australia: inforge.unil.ch/isdss97/papers/84.htm Daniel E. O’Leary, Artificial Intelligence in Business - (17 December 1994). University of Southern Ca: www.bus.orst.edu/faculty/brownc/es_tutor/bus-ai.htm Otis Porter, Dueling Brainscapes in Artificial Intelligence – (1997), Austin Tx: www.businessweek.com/1997/25/b353210.htm Lynda Radosevich, AI Wises Up – Artificial intelligence has made the transistion from fuzzy-headed fad to real-world application – (3 August 1998), United States: www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/displayStory.pl?/features/980803ai.htm Cosmin Radu, What is an Expert Systems – unknown, United States: www.cs.umr.edu/~caradu/fuzzy/node3.html World Book Encyclopedia, (1999) CD Form.

Overview Of Personal Development Plans And An Example Education Essay

Personal Development Plan ( PDP ) is a specific program for your hereafter in short-run of six months or 12 months. It is necessary that you have aims set up for yourself, and programs and actions to be taken in order to accomplish those aims. Following PDP is a good manner to better yourself, and to get accomplishments and cognition. Therefore, it is advisable to go on making PDP one after another.Definition of PDP:The PDP is a procedure by which we identify our instruction demands, set ourselves some aims in relation to these, undertake our educational activities and bring forth grounds that we have learned something utile. Amar Rughani. Personal Development Plan for Dentist: the new attack to go oning. ( pg. : 27 )Meaning of PDP:Plan should non be through of as being Good or BAD on the footing of larning demands that individual wants to turn to. Every individual has different strength and failings. The primary aims of PDP are program and take duty for their ain acquisition and to understand what and how they learn. PDP is based on the accomplishments of contemplation and planning which are built-in to cognize how we can larn in different contexts and to reassign that larning throughout life. To place failing and strength and willing to acknowledge that, better through acquisition and set all these things in action is personal development program.Importance of PDP:go a more effectual, independent and confident autonomous scholar ; understand the different contexts for acquisition ; understand how you are larning and how to turn out what you have learnt ; better your general accomplishments for survey and calling direction ; better your consciousness of the accomplishments you are developing through survey of the topic ( s ) ; joint your personal aims and measure advancement and accomplishment ; take a more holistic attack to acquisition and its direction in modular contexts ; and to understand the importance of being able to larn in new state of affairss and to reassign and Use your larning in different contexts.Advantages of PDP:PDP consequences in enhanced self-awareness of strengths and failings and waies for Change. The procedure helps scholars understand the value added through acquisition. Geting involved with PDP should assist us to: Identifying larning chances. What we truly want to make. Make the right faculty member and personal determinations. Set personal ends and marks. Identify programmes and activities chances and preparation to develop our accomplishments. We can measure our ain advancement. We can be better prepared for the demands of go oning patterned advance.MY Personal Development Plan:For my personal development program I am utilizing a SWOT analysis – a common job work outing method which summarises my strengths, failings, chances and menaces and after cognizing my strength and failing I am composing my program Action Planning will assist me to place and put marks. To inquire yourself a utile methodological analysis is Smart: Specific: e.g. ‘I will place and rehearse good clip direction techniques to make my undertaking deadline. Measurable: e.g. I will put myself a hebdomadal agenda of things to make. Accomplishable: e.g. I know there are workshops and books on clip direction and I will utilize these to place good pattern. Realistic: e.g. I know I have some free clip every Sunday forenoon and I will utilize this clip to work on my techniques Time-Bound: e.g. I will work towards the undertaking deadline, puting hebdomadal marks. So here ‘s my personal development program tabular array:My current province:My strengths: Communicate good with others. Positive thought. Hard working. Self-initiative. Punctual. My failings: Lose pique easy. Trust to others easy. Common feedbacks that I received from others. Emotional. Be really serious. What other public presentation indexs can I notice? Sometimes acquire overwhelmed with emphasis when there is heavy work load. Decision Focus on: Develop assurance. Control my pique. Do n't swear on people easy. Not acquire worked up so easy. These SWOT analyses are enabling to place where I am now in my current function. Following I need to turn this into a PDP. When puting marks, Is need to do certain that I can really accomplish them. This we call holding SMART marks.My Coveted province: ( Goals )What I have to make to improve/achieve. Talk with people and act confidently. Do n't acquire provoked. Willing to seek new thing and take some hazards. Able to act upon others. Able to be unagitated and assess any state of affairs before responding to it and take control of state of affairs. Able to press difficult my recommendations to be accepted by others when I feel it is truly good. Not be influenced by others. To look for positives in any fortunes. What does it give me?Short Term Goals.Average Term Goals.Long Term Goals.Why I do it? 1: with assurance, I can able to command more regard and others will be able to see my worth. I will make bold to seek new things. In fact my true ego will eventually reflect through. 2: attempt to command my pique, I will non ache my loved 1s and friends as before Attend choler direction category and do recommendations myself. Keep composure no affair what happens. Not lose my pique at all. Able to command assurance whenever I want.How do I acquire at that place? ( Resources )What must I better? 1: Use new techniques to develop assurance. 2: speculation to develop a composure head & A ; control pique. What are the possible resources to larn 1: Buy & A ; read books on develop personality. 2: read books on communicating. 3: local choler direction category.TimelineShort Term Goals. Within 2 months. Average Term Goals. Within 4 months. Long Term Goals. Within 6 months. Time direction:Definition & A ; Meaning:Time managementA is a set of rules, patterns, accomplishments, tools, and systems that work together to assist youA acquire more value out of your timeA with theA purpose of bettering the quality of your life. Time can really easy go through much quicker than we anticipate and if we waste clip, non needfully intentionally, we can stop up non accomplishing all that we should. We must organize our clip throughout our working twenty-four hours and place and societal life.A Manage your clip so that you get to bask a avocation or see the gym†¦ whatever you need to make to loosen up. If you can construction your yearss carefully and lodge to your guidelines wherever possible, there is no ground why you can non suit a batch more into your life than you did when you had no everyday or clip subject. if we do n't pull off our clip decently, our agenda will travel out the door. Imagine what it takes to be after something. What will go on if we set ends butA neverA step up to what is expected? Nothing but a broken dream. All the planning and construct up for success in that end will ne'er happen without appropriate clip management.AImportance of Time direction:It is true that when it comes to bettering oneself, we can ever originate. However, one time we do acquire started, clip will ever be of the kernel. If you aim for personality development, you need to be able to pull off clip efficaciously. You might inquire yourself, does your clip reflect what is of import to you, and does it reflect your values? When we feel our twenty-four hours has been productive, our self-esteem and attitude tend to be higher and our degree of defeat and emphasis is lower. There are ways we can increase productiveness straight, things that do n't hold to make with event control or self-esteem.A Further, A productiveness affects the clip we have to pass on event control. Good event control increases our sense of control over our clip and positively impacts our self-esteem. The importance of clip in personality development needs no farther account. The point of the affair is that if you spend excessively much clip making other things alternatively of maintaining an oculus on your end which is to develop a pleasing personality, your opportunities of success will be well lower than if you know how to prioritise. Time direction involves be aftering and forming. We should work to better event control, productiveness and self-pride. See reading extra stuffs or take a clip or undertaking direction workshop.Effective Deputation:Definition & A ; Meaning:A delegate is a individual who speaks or acts on behalf of an organisation ( e.g. , a authorities, a charity, an NGO, or a trade brotherhood ) at a meeting or conference between organisations of the same degree ( e.g. , trade negotiations or an environmental acme between authoritiess ; an arbitration over an industrial. Deputation can specify as: The assignment of duty and answerability for specific results or accomplishments to a specific person or administration unit. The deputation can be impermanent or lasting.Importance of Deputation:With PDP individual can make better as a delegator, he or she can take more efficaciously their squad. With effectual deputation we can do work easier and better efficiency. If I am working much longer hours it ‘s indispensable iA delegate more it will profit me. It enhancesA the Competence, ConfidenceA & A ; MotivationA of individual. A Successful deputation involves turning the right undertakings for the right grounds, with the resources and authorization to move. A It includes puting public presentation outlooks. Deputation is of import for the long-run success. The importance of deputation should non be underestimated Lack of deputation will take to you easy submerging in work – undertakings will go half finished or ill executed and you will stop up with a dissatisfied and demotivated squad who are shouting out to take on more duty. Review what tasks you are making and how long you spend at them. When a undertaking is scattered throughout the twenty-four hours or hebdomad or month, you may earnestly undervalue how much clip you spend at it.AStress direction:Definition:emphasis is a status or feeling experienced when a individual perceives that demands exceed the personal and societal resources the person is able to mobilise. ( Richard S Lazarus ) There are really many proven accomplishments that we can utilize to pull off emphasis. These help us to stay unagitated and effectual in high force per unit area state of affairss, and assist us avoid the jobs of long term stress.AImportance:deeper apprehension of emphasis, assisting you to develop your ain stress direction schemes for managing alone fortunes. When I started to pull off my clip to accomplish my ends its really nerve-racking for me because I could pull off all these things at one time it was really hard but I ne'er lose my enthusiasm I still tried to pull off my emphasis To pull off emphasis I am taking remainder and proper sleeping, moving confidently, commanding myself and seek to give good public presentation all things assisting to me to accomplish me ends.Problem resolution:To finish this component we will necessitate to finish some sort of clip log and happen out what jobs occurred and why. We so need to analyze how we deal with both external and internal breaks, what degree of concentration we have and how we cope, how we allocate clip to daily and hebdomadal undertakings and pull off our dairy. In job work outing first I need to specify where I faced job, in personal development program I had a job internal and external every bit good like work burden and command my pique and it ‘s really hard for anyone to command yourself because if I had lost my pique so others reacts really bad so I tried to work out it I evaluate these jobs and have got solutions. I read books I watched pictures that how it could go on how people can be really cool how they are work outing their jobs, on that manner I concentrate myself where my lacks and what my specific aims so to better myself and to work out my jobs I started to sit with people I started to discussed in group and seek to understand myself that what I need and where I need so I solved my jobs.

Walt Disney Company The World s Largest Motion Picture...

The Walt Disney Company is one of the world s largest motion-picture multimedia entertainment companies in the world. Disney has several sectors in their company, which include two large well-known theme parks in The United States, which are Disneyland and Disney World. Disney also has sectors in a production company, several other multi-media companies, consumer products, resorts and spas. In the early 1920’s, a young man by the name of Walter Disney had a dream of becoming a newspaper artist, so he went in search of a job and he landed a job at the Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio. From the experience gained, he continued on to find another job at a Film ad company, where he gained experience making â€Å"hand-drawn cel animations†. At this time Walt Disney, decided that he had enough resources to start his company, he recruited several former co-workers who had experience in animation and drawing cartoons. With the people Disney recruited, he created a few short animations called â€Å"Laugh-O-Grams† which were a huge success. Unfortunately by the beginning of the year 1923, Walt Disney had to declare Bankruptcy because his company had too much debt. Even though Walt Disney had to declare bankruptcy and close his company, he did not give up there. He decided to move to Hollywood, California with his brother Roy in hopes of reopening the company, which is exactly what happened. When Roy and Walter came to California they started their business in a small office in which they created aShow MoreRelated Walt Disney Company Essay4270 Words   |  18 PagesWalt Disney Company Introduction This report attempts to examine the Walt Disney Company as an organization whose international operations play a vital role in the company’s continuing existence. This report seeks to present a review and analysis of the company’s global strategy by analyzing the key internal and external factors that impact on the company and how it has used alliances and acquisitions as part of its global strategy. As a human technology-intensive company, this paper seeksRead MoreThe Walt Disney Company Report15335 Words   |  62 PagesCompany Research Paper The Walt Disney Company Pranay Kumar George Batah Shuxian Shen Sheng Hao Koo â€Å"We have complied with university honor code in completion of this assignment and I attest that this work is ours and ours alone.† Professor Suzanne Weiss Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Company Background 3. Management 4. Situation Analysis 5. Ethics and Responsibility 6. Human Resource 7. Globalization 8. Operation and Production Read MoreOligopoly and the Disney Company.6632 Words   |  27 PagesStates of America (US) is one such industry. As a powerful communication tool, the media has attracted many companies but only a handful has grown big. These media giants have dominated the local market and are currently seeking to conquer the global media industry in search of better profits. One of these media giants is the Walt Disney Company (Disney). Its dramatic growth from a small company to become an oligopolist in the media industry offers an interesting case study. This report studies DisneysRead MoreDiversity at Disney5774 Words   |  24 Pages1 Disney Disney 2 For more than nine decades, the name Walt Disney has been preeminent in the field of family entertainment. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to today s global corporation, Disney continues to proudly provide quality entertainment for every member of the family, across America and around the world. The company is diversified, focusing on its mass media headquartered inRead MoreHanson Production18651 Words   |  75 PagesThe president of production at Hanson Productions, an off-Broadway production company, was faced with the same situation for every Broadway production: where to locate, how many seats, what to charge and how to promote and market the production. There are three separate venues, with three separate value propositions to the studio, case and audience. While bigger means more seats and more revenue for each show, there is a capacity percentage that must be factored in to the decision due to the increasedRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesbuilt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. Cameron UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Prentice Hall Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul SingaporeRead More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 Pagesthe book are of this nature; they cover a very wide range of disciplines and subject areas. These include, but are not limited to, health and ï ¬ tness, consumer research, psychology and aging, environmental research, law and criminal justice, and entertainment. A Focus on Interpretation and Communication Most chapters include a section titled â€Å"Interpreting and Communicating the Results of Statistical Analyses.† These sections include advice on how to best communicate the results of a statistical

Essay about Pro Legalization of Marijuana - 906 Words

Cannabis has been illegal since the Marijuana Tax act of 1934. Yet out of a population of 284 million American citizens, 70 million Americans claim to have smoked cannabis at some point in their lives. Prohibition of cannabis is therefore apparently ineffective at changing the habits of a population, just as prohibition of alcohol was ineffective in 1919-1933. Making otherwise law-abiding citizens fugitives does nothing more than fill the prisons and alienate the populace from their government. In fact the total cost to taxpayers of solely marijuana-related incarceration (in local, state, and federal prisons and jails) of 15,400 people exceeds $1.2 million per year. There have been many studies†¦show more content†¦Most Americans do not want to spend scarce public funds incarcerating nonviolent marijuana offenders, Marijuana prohibition costs taxpayers at least $7.5 billion annually. This is an enormous waste of scarce federal dollars that should be used to target violent crimes. Politicians must reconsider our countrys priorities and attach more importance to combating violent crime rather than targeting marijuana smokers. Our prisons and jails are so full of drug users like harmless marijuana smokers such that we do not have any place to stick real criminals. Marijuana prohibition makes no exception for the medical use of marijuana. The tens of thousands of seriously ill Americans who presently use marijuana as a therapeutic agent to alleviate symptoms of cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, or multiple sclerosis risk arrest and jail time to obtain and use their medication. Between 1978 and 1996, 34 states passed laws recognizing marijuanas therapeutic value. Most recently, voters in two states -- Arizona and California -- passed laws allowing for the medical use of marijuana under a physicians supervision. Yet, states are severely limited in their ability to implement their medical use laws because of the federal prohibition of marijuana. America tried alcohol prohibition between 1919 and 1931, but discovered that the crime and violence associated with prohibition was more damagingShow MoreRelatedThe Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization1226 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is Marijuana? According to Dictionary.com, Marijuana is, â€Å"a preparation made from the dried flower clusters and leaves of the cannabis plant, usually smoked or eaten to induce euphoria†(marijuana). Marijuana, also known as â€Å"Mary Jane†, is drawn out to be an extremely horrible, life-ruining drug. Children learn that marijuana is a â€Å"gateway† drug and that it only does harm. Though it can be quite addictive, Marijuana is safer than commonly used drugs like Tobacco and could possibly be moreRead MorePros And Cons Of Legalization Of Marijuana784 Words   |  4 Pages According to the English Oxford Living Dictionaries (2017), marijuana is â€Å"Cannabis, especially as smocked or consumed as a psychoactive (mind-altering) drug.† Although marijuana is illegal by the federal law, 29 states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, and in 8 states anyone over the age of 21 can buy marijuana (Nathan, D. L., Clark, H. W., Elders, J, 2017, p. 1746). Many Americans tend to experiment with drugs when put in a certain social event, but rarely abuse drugs or become a drugRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Legalization Of Marijuana715 Words   |  3 PagesMarijuana legalization is a controversial subject with many different problems and solutions. Marijuana has benefits and disadvantages to using it (and many viewpoints on said pros and cons) so one person cannot be the only authority on the subject. Marijuana could possibly be used as a medicine, and although legalizing marijuana could have some benefits, the action could have serious repercussions. The legalization of medical marijuana could have positive benefits to the United States governmentRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization1442 Words   |  6 Pagesthat plague American society, the issue over the legalization of Marijuana remains as one of the most controversial topics. Marijuana, also known as Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. According to national surveys conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), â€Å"marijuana use rose from 4.1 percent to 9.5 percent of the U.S. adult population in the past decade.† The increase of Marijuana use created an ongoing debate over whether it shouldRead MoreMarijuana Position Paper - Pro Legalization3633 Words   |  15 PagesResearch Based Position Paper Marijuana Laws in a Rapidly Changing American Society The turbulent history of Marijuana prohibition in America is one filled with racial motives and propaganda, but surprisingly was not an issue before 80 years ago. In fact, when Ronald Reagan was a child, marijuana was still legal in his state (Guither). Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of scientific or medical process which classified it as a dangerous drug, and thoughRead More Pro Legalization of Marijuana in the United States Essay1689 Words   |  7 Pagestoday, it seems as if the legalization of marijuana is being set on the back burner of legislation. There are so many opinions, sides, and overall arguments for and against it that many vote seeking politicians and policy makers have put up a strong resistance to this issue. In this paper I will illustrate the reasons why I think marijuana should indeed be legalized and also the arguments from people who disagree and feel that it should stay an illegal drug. Marijuana has been around for centuriesRead MoreShould Marijuana Legalization Be Legal?1532 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana Legalization Marijuana legalization is an issue that the United States is currently facing. Through all branches and aspects of government, the concept of marijuana legalization can be applied and understood. In order to better frame the policy issue, the policy should be viewed through different lenses and all aspects of government. In this essay, it will be shown how marijuana legalization truly incorporates all areas of government interest. First, the politics of marijuana legalizationRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesLegalization of Weed Growing up, everyone is told that, â€Å"Drugs are bad for you,† time and time again. Now as a kid you don’t really understand the reasoning behind it, but you listen to your authority figure regardless. I remember being told this my entire life and even to this very day. But as I got older I realized that people would still use drugs even though it’s illegal. I could never understand why someone would go against the law and jeopardize their life just to use drugs? The drug thatRead MoreIt Is Time to Legalize Marijana1700 Words   |  7 Pagestalking about is marijuana, and surprisingly it is all around us. Marijuana is even referred to in today’s media Mainstream media sources that people enjoy, like music, movies, and TV shows, do not even bother to leave the drug out of their system. Now being a young adult and having my own personal experience with the drug and knowing its effects on others, I wonder why it’s not legal. Why is it that t his drug has become illegal all over the world? The debate to legalize marijuana in the UnitedRead MoreEssay on Legalization of Marijuana610 Words   |  3 PagesLegalization of Marijuana One debate that keeps coming up time and again is the topic of the legalization of marijuana. Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug. Nearly one in three teenagers have at least tried marijuana by the time they graduate high school. It is also gets the most publicity for its legalization. Over thirty pro-legalization organizations have been displayed on the Internet alone. The legalization of marijuana , although popular by todays drug culture, would be a

President Reag A Leader And Ethical Leader - 1613 Words

Ronald Reagan â€Å"There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect† (Reagan s State of the Union, n.d.). Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and took office during a time of economic crisis, a disorderly foreign policy, and a decline in national morale. When Reagan left office 8 years later, the economic crisis was over, foreign policy was at an all time high and national morale had been restored. In this essay I will illustrate how President Reagan was both a visionary leader and ethical leader in the way he conducted himself throughout his Presidency. I will demonstrate how he used the visionary leadership traits of a†¦show more content†¦President Reagan sought to use team building to devise a cohesive team with US, Soviet Union and Allied Nations. During these long drawn out treaties the different nations would use the Z-Process to come up with terms an d conditions that would ultimately end decades of nuclear impasse. President Reagan and other political leaders were in constant state of creating, advancing, refining and executing their ideas. In the Geneva and Reykjavà ­k Summits the allied nation team were not able to come to decision and instead were stuck in the refining process of their ideas. The summits were still looked upon as a success as Reagan was moving the team closer to the vision of nuclear abolishment. It wasn’t until the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 1987 where the team was able to complete the entire Z-Process and come to a decisive decision to abolish nuclear intermediate range weapons. Reagan demonstrated he was a visionary leader by his use of team building while utilizing the Z-Process during treaty talks to come up with a solution to the nuclear stand. His use of inspirational motivation during these treaty talks to motivate the allied nations to commit to the common vision once again demonstrates how Reagan was a visionary leader. Ethical Leader Ronald Reagan was an Ethical Leader by using the critical thinking attribute of open mindedness as well as avoiding the ethical trap

Not a chance Essay Example For Students

Not a chance Essay Select a paper/assignment which you have written within the last 10 days. The paper must be at least 2 typed pages in length, or 100 words. Only continuous prose can be used for the test. Information contained in charts or graphs should not be included in the test. Quotations are not counted towards the minimum of 100 words. Select a paper/assignment which you have written within the last 10 days. The paper must be at least 2 typed pages in length, or 100 words. Only continuous prose can be used for the test. Information contained in charts or graphs should not be included in the test. Quotations are not counted towards the minimum of 100 words. Using whatever standard Word-Processing Program that is available, enter in the text of your paper exactly as you have written it. Avoid the temptation to make any editorial changes to the original paper while you are typing it in. In fact, if possible, it is preferrable to have SOMEONE ELSE type in your paper. SINGLE SPACE your text and avoid using ANY special formatting commands, i.e., tabs, bolding, underlining, etc. Hyphenated words are considered as one word, so do NOT leave spaces-between the two words. Also, ALL QUOTES, including long quotes which are indented and single spaced in the original text, should be indicated by double ( ) quote marks. Copy your text into the text box below. Or, if you already have the text in a file on your computer, you need only cut and paste the text into the space below. Using whatever standard Word-Processing Program that is available, enter in the text of your paper exactly as you have written it. Avoid the temptation to make any editorial changes to the original paper while you are typing it in. In fact, if possible, it is preferrable to have SOMEONE ELSE type in your paper. SINGLE SPACE your text and avoid using ANY special formatting commands, i.e., tabs, bolding, underlining, etc. Hyphenated words are considered as one word, so do NOT leave spaces-between the two words. Also, ALL QUOTES, including long quotes which are indented and single spaced in the original text, should be indicated by double ( ) quote marks. Copy your text into the text box below. Or, if you already have the text in a file on your computer, you need only cut and paste the text into the space below. Words/ Pages : 395 / 24

Levi Strauss Co. Global Sourcing an Example of the Topic Business Essays by

Levi Strauss Co.: Global Sourcing Levi Strauss & Co is said to be the world biggest apparel company it is now presented with a tough decision that could have enormous implications for it profitability, stability and internal values. There is a clear dichotomy of choices now facing the company and these forces the senior managers to rethink entrenched value propositions, weight their relevance and decide on a path that does not undermine or negatively impact their brands and ultimate profitability. The company is very careful in selecting business partners who share their values and so the way forward presents opportunities and also outcomes inimical to its image and financial health. The Company set up the China Policy Group in 1992 to specifically examine two options relating to China. Need essay sample on "Levi Strauss& Co.: Global Sourcing" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The Group had two foci: The first was on whether Levi Strauss and Co. should continue to source and purchase fabric in China and the second was if it should make direct investments in manufacturing and marketing in that country. Both decision needed to be carefully thought out and any ensuing decision needed to be pragmatic, principled and consistent with the companys ethical values and global sourcing guidelines. The company was started in the 1850s and operates in countries all over the world and by the end of the twentieth century, Levi was said to be synonymous with jeans and is emblematic of American popular culture. The vice president for Corporate Marketing explained that Levis jeans epitomized freedom, originality, youthfulness and the spirit of America in markets worldwide. They were even included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institute, a museum of U.S. history and culture located in Washington, D.C. (Janofsky p. C4. Ff). This clearly showed that the company was seriously concerned about its image and wanted to maintain the right relationships with its various publics to ensure that Levis products would consistently represent its ideals. The company manufacture products primarily in countries where they can be sold and market it flagship Levis brand in more than sixty countries (Levi Strauss to sales of jeans and related products outside the United States, principally in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region (San Francisco Business Times, May 22, 1992, p. 5 ff ). This means that the company needs to seriously consider the financial impact of the China decision on its bottom line. The company would ideally need to operate within the global guidelines and ethics but would have to weigh theses against the possibility of losing a potentially profitable market thus potentially negatively impacting future growth and financial health. Burgeoning international sales have become increasingly significant and in 1992, these sales accounted for 37% of total revenues and 53% of pretax profits. Therefore the significance of the China market with over a billion people and one of the fastest growing economies in the world could not be ignored even if the company experience some dissonance or discomfort with its decision. Levi Strauss & Co. also recognized that it receives higher profit margins from foreign customers who were more willing to pay for perceived high quality clothing (Eckhouse p.D2). Foreign customers were paying about twice the average price that customers in the United States were paying and this, coupled with profitability data might encourage the leaders of Levi Strauss and company to consider the option to engage in investments in manufacturing and marketing in that China. Legal grey markets were surfacing in some countries and this was the process were people would buy Levis products in bulk off the shelf in the United States, ship them into another country and then sell the products at knock-off prices in unauthorized outlets. This is a trend that the company perceived to be a threat to the image of its products. The company has registered its trademark in over 150 countries to combat this trend and a decision to make direct investments in manufacturing and marketing in China may also help the company to successfully fight this unwanted happening. China has a large population of over a billion people and on the surface; this provides an attractive market for its products. However, Levi Strauss and Co. has guidelines for company selection and these may be in conflict with the companys options concerning China. China has a military government and the communist regime has come under attack from people and governments all over the world for perceived human rights violation. The incident at Tiananmen Square, China in 1989 where demonstrators were killed could be a thorny issue for the company leaders to deal with in light of the fact that historically, Levi withdrew from Burma and cancelling contracts to buy 850, 000 trousers and shirts annually because, under current circumstances, it is not possible to do business without directly supporting the military government and its pervasive human-rights violations (Billenness 1993). Levi Strauss s clothing was not mass marketed there .The companys China Policy Group started its work in late 1992 and companys presence in China was quite little then. During 1991 the company leaders decided in the 11th hour of consultation to give up on a China joint venture to produce clothes for sale in local Chinese markets after they discovered that the venture would be responsible for enforcing Chinas one-child-per family policy. This was not in keeping with the internal guidelines of Levi Strauss and Co. In China, the company sourced materials for its products either directly or indirectly from contractors and these include buttons, threads, labels and fabric. China was a top location for global companies to place fabric mills and so Levi could easily source many of the required raw materials at competitive prices. According to the report from the Harvard Business School, Levi Strauss decision carried other implications: Any change in LSs China stance would be felt most directly by employees in the Hong Kong branch of the companys Asian sourcing organization. Responsible for all Hong Kong and China sourcing, the 120-person office arranged for a total of 20 million to 22 million units from about 20 contractors in 1992. The Hong Kong branch was confident there would be no problem finding satisfactory contractors if LSs Chinese contractors were doing well under the Business Partner Terms of Engagementbetter even than contractors in some other parts of Asia with whom LS&CO. had very successful relationships. These implications would have to be considered by the senior leaders before any concrete action is taken to move forward. Historically, the leaders of Levi predicated their actions on a strong link between good ethics and good business over future years and appreciated the ethical dilemmas that came with a decision to do business in China. It all well and good to potentially make a goof profit, but the leaders did not want to sacrifice ethical ideas on the altar of financial gain. Levi Strauss principled reasoning approach(PRA), a thorough and explicit procedure that involved six discrete steps: (1) defining the problem, (2) agreeing on the principles to be satisfied, (3) identifying both high- impact and high-influence stakeholders and assessing their claims, (4) brainstorming possible solutions, (5) testing the consequences of chosen solutions, and (6) developing an ethical process for implementing the Solution (Levi Strauss & Co.: Global Sourcing (A). This approach could prove to be the guide to making a decision that allow the company to implement a strategic plan without violating internal guidelines. Levi Strauss s sales if International and local consumers in the United States reject items sourced or manufactured in China. The consequences could be at best risky and at worst; financially disastrous. Levi would not want to be seen as supporting sub-standard wages in China in order to make a profit. On the other hand, Labor costs in countries differ and the average salary to maintain a household in different countries differs. Levis decision to continue to source and purchase fabric in China or make direct investments in manufacturing and marketing in that country does not mean that they support sub-standard wages or a military government. In fact a decision to make direct investments in manufacturing and marketing in that country may mean that they have a level of control over the wages of workers and the ability to ensure that the company can withstand international scrutiny about its practices. Levi could then ensure that labor standards are equal to that of any first world nation and that the salary of workers in the manufacturing plants is fair. The company can roll-out a global strategy that ensures that workers all over the world are comparatively and equitably paid, albeit not necessarily at the exact same hourly rate. The China market cannot be ignored by the company as it is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and future expansion and profitability of Levi may be impacted on that countrys continued growth. The company can help to change the stereotypical image of firms benefiting from unjust labor standards by becoming a beacon of good corporate citizenry and also increase its profitability. Work Cited Apparel Business Unwrinkled by Retailing Slump, San Francisco Business Times, May 22, 1992, p. 5 ff John Eckhouse, Record Profit as Levis Sales Top $5 Billion, The San Francisco Chronicle, March 2, 1993, p. D2. Michael Janofsky, Whether Its Bluejeans or Mini-Motors or Power Plants . . .: Levi Strauss, American Symbol with A Cause, The New York Times, January 3, 1994, p. C4 ff. Simon Billenness, Burma: A New Issue for Social Investors, Franklin's Insight: Investing for a Better World, Franklin Research and Development Corporation, October 15, 1993.