Impacts of Automatic Cars

Question: Explain about the how automatic cars have affected the financial structure of the country but it has some good impacts on the society as well. Answer: Introduction: Two organizations have merged together and implemented a new innovative car which is to be operated without drivers. Google has developed a robotic programming and has implemented this as futuristic driver less cars. The organization has taken the full responsibility of the passengers. It has been observed that it is white technology that has supported such an auto pilot system and has increased the awareness of the drivers in controlling the vehicle in emergency situation (Stanton, 2015). The organization has not changed the basic design of the cars such as steering wheel, pedals, clutch and break. The organization has named the new vehicle Catch 22 (Litman, 2014). The organization has already implemented driverless cars and is continuing the research process. The organization expects that this product will be released in the market within a couple of years . Main body: Article 1: It has been observed the utopian vision of the motor vehicle has helped the organization in implementing the auto driving facility in the cars. Therefore, the drivers can work or take rest while driving the cars. The organization has claimed that it is the highest technological achievements till now (Fagnant Kockelman, 2014). However, the organization has not changed the basic settings of the mechanical parts of the cars because with these the drivers can control the vehicle in case of an emergency. The necessary parts of the cars such as steering wheel, pedal, clutch and break remain same so that the drivers can drive the cars smoothly. The organization has renamed this as Catch 22 (Burns, 2013). The organization has claimed that the drivers will not require to drive the computer drive cars. As stated by Le, Zolfaghari and Polak (2015), sometimes the computer driven cars are reliable but the reliability cannot be guaranteed. As argued by Verberne, Ham and Midden (2012), the drivers can understand the road conditions better than the programmers and engineers. It has been observed that customers are often facing regarding reading, working, internet and email usage and other such facilities in these driverless cars. However, nobody is aware about the facilities of these driverless cars (Merat et al., 2012). According to the 20 Years research report it has been found that drivers are far more necessary than an automatic system(Firnkorn Mller, 2015). As stated by Firnkorn and Mller (2015), the human drivers fail to intervene when these automatic driving systems. According to Litman, (2014), the organization needs to develop a new system which delivers continuous information to the drivers. On the other hand, it has been found the automated braking system is 5 times slower than the manual braking system (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). The organization has observed such robotic cars reduce the responsibility of the drivers as they have little or no control on the vehicle. Article 2: Google has already released footage of the prototype of the driverless cars. On the other hand, the organization has already influenced people about the potential of the self-driving cars. This idea may not be new, but the implemented excellent technological innovation is. It has been observed that large car manufacturers have already installed the old 1920s autonomous car programming system named as magic highway (theconversation.com, 2014). Customers seem to extremely be confused about their choice because most of the cars have a bad impact on the environment. It is understood that often such specific cars face difficulty in sustaining themselves in the market due to the presence of stiff competition. As stated by Verberne, Ham and Midden (2012), customers seem to be perplexed about more than one million car models present in the market (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). The numbers of car owners have increased in the rapidly developing economical countries such as Brazil, China and India (M erat et al., 2012). Moreover an increase in emissions has also resulted in the oil crisis and loss of sustainability. Therefore, it has been observed that such a disruptive trend cannot be sustained for long term without compromising on future generations. It has been observed that companies have implemented electric cars to decrease the dependency on fuel. As stated by Verberne, Ham and Midden (2012), the manufacturers have implemented various electric operated vehicles to the market. However, maximum customers prefer fuel powered vehicles to electric cars (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). Therefore the electric cars cannot be considered as a substitute for the fuel cars. As argued by Le, Zolfaghari and Polak (2015), the self driven cars are safe for the people who cycle or walk on the road. It has been observed that self driven cars have been programmed to avoid any kind of obstacles. Google on the other hand has decided to implement the self driven cars as a replacement for the taxi (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). The organization is hopeful that the cars will beneficial for short distances. The driverless cars also require a strong internet connection. It has been observed that more than 87% of people in the UK have a driving license (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). Therefore the self driving cars would not be beneficial for the professional drivers. Article 3: Uber has declared that their autonomous cars will be complete by 2025 and they will finally swap the autonomous cars by 2030 with the normal cars. As stated by Narla (2013), the environmental problem will make a fundamental restructuring economy. It has been observed that Tesla Motors has already implemented the self driven electric cars in 2015 (businessinsider.com, 2015). On the other hand the General Motors (GM) has planned to launch their self driven electric cars by 2017 (Firnkorn Mller, 2015). The CEO of GM has remarked that the smart monitoring and controlling system will control the steering, acceleration and breaking in self driving condition. It has been observed that Google and Tesla Motors have planned to implement a fully autonomous car (Merat et al., 2012). It is believed by these organizations that such cars will be publicly available by 2020 (Litman, 2014). According to the experts review, the customers will be slow to purchase the autonomous cars. The organization has observed that the cost of the ownership is nearly $US 9, 000 per year (businessinsider.com, 2015). However the automobile industry is hopeful that many people will buy automated cars. On the other hand, the ride sharing service like Uber and Zipcar will gain the popularity as an alternative to car ownership. As stated by Le Vine, Zolfaghari and Polak (2015), the autonomous car movement will reduce the vehicle population by 99%. This may also affect the insurance market, automotive finance market, parking industry and automotive aftermarket. Conclusion: It has been observed that the automated cars have affected the financial structure of the country but it has some good impacts on the society as well. The self driven cars will reduce 90% crashes and save approximately 30,000 lives every year. On the other hand, the automated cars will prevent more than 2.12 million injuries every year. It has been observed that 30% city traffic will reduce. The parking place, bus terminus and garages become obsolete. Therefore ample free space will available for real estate and metropolitan development. Reference list: Burns, L. D. (2013). Sustainable mobility: a vision of our transport future.Nature,497(7448), 181-182. businessinsider.com, (2015).How Uber's autonomous cars will destroy 10 million jobs and reshape the economy by 2025. Fagnant, D. J., Kockelman, K. (2014). PREPARING A NATION FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES: 1 OPPORTUNITIES, BARRIERS AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2 CAPITALIZING ON SELF-DRIVEN VEHICLES 3.Transportation Research,20. Firnkorn, J., Mller, M. (2015). Free-floating electric carsharing-fleets in smart cities: The dawning of a post-private car era in urban environments?.Environmental Science Policy,45, 30-40. Le Vine, S., Zolfaghari, A., Polak, J. (2015). Autonomous cars: The tension between occupant experience and intersection capacity.Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies,52, 1-14. Litman, T. (2014). Autonomous Vehicle Implementation Predictions.Victoria Transport Policy Institute,28. Merat, N., Jamson, A. H., Lai, F. C., Carsten, O. (2012). Highly automated driving, secondary task performance, and driver state.Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society,54(5), 762-771. Narla, S. R. (2013). The Evolution of Connected Vehicle Technology: From Smart Drivers to Smart Cars to... Self-Driving Cars.Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal,83(7), 22. Stanton, N,.(2015).Driverless cars are a catch 22: we do none of the driving, but take all of theresponsibility. theconversation.com,. (2014).Google's robotic, driverless cars may be futuristic, but they're not the droids we're looking for. Verberne, F. M., Ham, J., Midden, C. J. (2012). Trust in smart systems sharing driving goals and giving information to increase trustworthiness and acceptability of smart systems in cars.Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society,54(5), 799-810.

Claudio Monteverdi His Life And Contributions Essays -

Claudio Monteverdi: His Life And Contributions A comparison of two major Baroque composers: Claudio Monteverdi and Domenico Scarlatti The purpose of this paper is to analyze two psalms by Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (1567-1643) and Giovanni Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) and compare and contrast the two pieces to find out how music changed throughout the Baroque period. While historians grouped music of the Baroque period together based on certain characteristics, the music did not remain the same throughout the period, as it would not for any other musical time period. Composers from different points in the Baroque period were chosen, but the things the two composers had in common were the country of residence and their nationality. Special care was taken to chose composers from the same country so that differences could not be accounted as being because of different nationalistic styles. The piece by Monteverdi, Confitebor tibi, Domine (Psalm 110), was a psalm that was used as part of the vespers on Sundays. This particular psalm is found in varied forms in the publication Selva morale et spirituale, published around 1640. This setting is set for four voices and solo soprano voice, and is accompianed by continuo. The piece begins and ends in C major, with use of very few accidentals. The accidentals in this piece were used to create a leading tone to the fifth or tonic. The piece is mostly homorhythmic and has a combination of polyphony and homophony. Occasionally there is a duet with the soprano and solo soprano lines. The piece is written in Latin, which was common practice for the time. There are no indicated dynamics, and there is use of musica ficta. In the transcription used in this paper, bar lines were added since almost none existed in the actual manuscript, and some corrections were made in the number of rests in some places in the score. The psalm composed by Scarlatti, called Laetatus sum (Psalm 121), is set for four voices (SATB), continuo, and solo soprano and alto lines. This piece is also a part of the vesper psalms used in church. There is use of imitative polyphony within the chorus parts and within the solo lines, but the chorus lines and solo lines did not imitate eachother so in essence, the piece is a duet and a chorus piece put together. There is figured bass present throughout the psalm setting. The text is actually the text to psalm 122. There is octave doubling in the bass, and the fifth occurs often since it was considered to be perfect or somehow godly. What makes this psalm different from Scarlatti's other psalms is that it is the only psalm that exhibits an organized concerto style. This psalm is also written in Latin, and has no indicated dynamics. It begins in D major, and switches to A and E major, and b and a minor throughout the setting, and ends back on D major. The piece does have some ornam entation, consisting of argued trills. The argument comes from odd markings on the original manuscript. Some people feel that the markings were just hastily drawn trills, while others feel they may actually be mordants. In the transcription listed here, they are all listed as trills. There probably was not a lot of ornamentation put into the music because there was an idea that if the music became too frilly it took away from the sacred message it was supposed to send. While both pieces are a part of each composer's library of sacred music, they are in some respects not very much alike and in others they are very similar. There are the obvious things they have in common such as the fact that they are written in Latin. That is not too suprising considering some churches still used Latin as the primary language in their services, even though in the Baroque period many churches began using the vernacular so the patrons would understand the services. Aside from that, Monteverdi, being more influenced by the Renaissance due to his time of birth, demonstrates music practices that are more indicative of the early Baroque with his use of homophony throughout his setting of Psalm 110. It is obvious that Monteverdi used

Natufian Period - Hunter-Gatherer Ancestors of the PPN

Natufian Period - Hunter-Gatherer Ancestors of the PPN The Natufian culture is the name given to the sedentary Late Epi-Paleolithic hunter-gatherers living in the Levant region of the near east between about 12,500 and 10,200 years ago. The Natufians foraged for food such as emmer wheat, barley, and almonds, and hunted gazelle, deer, cattle, horse, and wild boar. The direct descendants of the Natufian (known as the pre-pottery Neolithic or PPN) were among the earliest farmers on the planet. Natufian Communities For at least part of the year, Natufian people lived in communities, some quite large, of semi-subterranean houses. These semi-circular one-room structures were excavated partly into the soil and built of stone, wood and perhaps brush roofs. The largest Natufian communities (called base camps) found to date include Jericho, Ain Mallaha, and Wadi Hammeh 27. Smaller, short-range dry season foraging camps may have been part of the settlement pattern, although evidence for them is scarce. The Natufians located their settlements at the boundaries between coastal plains and hill country, to maximize their access to a wide variety of food. They buried their dead in cemeteries, with grave goods including stone bowls and dentalium shell. Some Natufian groups were seasonally mobile, while some sites show evidence of multiple-season occupation, along with long-term reoccupation, long-distance travel, and exchange. Nastasic / Getty Images Natufian Artifacts Artifacts found at Natufian sites include grinding stones, which were used to process seeds, dried meats, and fish for planned meals and to process ochre for likely ritual practices. Flint and bone tools and dentalium shell ornaments are also part of Natufian cultural material. Over 1,000 pierced marine shells have been recovered from Epipaleolithic sites in the Mediterranean and the Red Sea region. Specific tools such as stone sickles created for harvesting various crops are also a hallmark of Natufian assemblages. Large middens (organic rubbish dumps) are known at Natufian sites, located where they were created (rather than recycled and placed in secondary refuse pits). Dealing with refuse is one defining characteristics of the descendants of the Natufians, the Pre-Pottery Neolithic. Grains and Beer Making in the Natufian Some fairly rare evidence suggests that that the Natufian people may have cultivated barley and wheat. The line between horticulture (tending wild stands of crops) and agriculture (planting new specific stands) is a fuzzy one and difficult to discern in the archaeological record. Most scholars believe that moving to agriculture was not a one-time decision, but rather a series of experiments that may well have taken place during the Natufian or other hunter-gatherer subsistence regimes. Researchers Hayden et al. (2013) compiled circumstantial evidence that the Natufians brewed beer and used it in the context of feasting. They argue that production of beverages from fermented barley, wheat, and/or rye may well have been an impetus for early agriculture, for assuring that a ready source of barley was available. Getty Images / Getty Images Natufian Archaeological Sites Natufian sites are located in the Fertile Crescent region of western Asia. Some of the important ones include: Israel: Mt. Carmel, Ain Mallaha (Eynan), Hayonim Cave, Nahal Oren, Rosh Zin, Rosh Horesha, Skhul Cave, Hilazon Tachtit, Kebara Cave, Raqefet CaveJordan: Wadi Hammeh, Wadi Judayid, Kharaneh IV, Jilat 6Syria: Abu HureyraPalestine: JerichoTurkey: Gobekli Tepe Sources This article is part of the About.com guide to the Origins of Agriculture, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology Bar-Yosef O. 2008. ASIA, WEST: Palaeolithic Cultures. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 865-875. Grosman L, and Munro ND. 2016. A Natufian Ritual Event. Current Anthropology 57(3):311-331. Grosman L, Munro ND, and Belfer-Cohen A. 2008. A 12,000-year-old burial from the southern Levant (Israel) – A case for early Shamanism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(46):17665–17669. Hayden, Brian. What Was Brewing in the Natufian? An Archaeological Assessment of Brewing Technology in the Epipaleolithic. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, Neil Canuel, Jennifer Shanse, Volume 20, Issue 1, SpringerLink, January 31, 2012. Hayden BD. 2008. AGRICULTURE: Social Consequences. In: Pearsall DM, editor. Encyclopedia of Archaeology. New York: Academic Press. p 123-131. Lengyel G, Nadel D, and Bocquentin F. 2013. The Natufian at Raqefet Cave. In: Bar-Yosef O, and Valla FR, editors. Natufian Foragers in the Levant: Terminal Pleistocene Social Changes in Western Asia. Ann Arbor, Michigan: International Monographs in Prehistory. p 478-504. Maher LA, Richter T, Macdonald D, Jones MD, Martin L, and Stock JT. 2012. Twenty Thousand-Year-Old Huts at a Hunter-Gatherer Settlement in Eastern Jordan. PLoS ONE 7(2):e31447. Maher LA, Richter T, and Stock JT. 2012. The Pre-Natufian Epipaleolithic: Long-term Behavioral Trends in the Levant. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews 21(2):69-81. Maher LA, Stock JT, Finney S, Heywood JJN, Miracle PT, and Banning EB. 2011. A Unique Human-Fox Burial from a Pre-Natufian Cemetery in the Levant (Jordan). PLoS ONE 6(1):e15815. March RJ. 2013. Searching fro the functions of fire structures in Eynan (Mallaha) and their formation processes: a Geochemical approach. In: Bar-Yosef O, and Valla FR, editors. Natufian Foragers in the Levant: Terminal Pleistocene Social Changes in Western Asia. Ann Arbor, Michigan: International Monographs in Prehistory. p 227-283. Nadel D, Danin A, Power RC, Rosen AM, Bocquentin F, Tsatskin A, Rosenberg D, Yeshurun R, Weissbrod L, Rebollo NR et al. 2013. Earliest floral grave lining from 13,700–11,700-y-old Natufian burials at Raqefet Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 110(29):11774-11778. Rosen AM, and Rivera-Collazo I. 2012. Climate change, adaptive cycles, and the persistence of foraging economies during the late Pleistocene/Holocene transition in the Levant. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(10):3640-3645. Yeshurun R, Bar-Oz G, Kaufman D, and Weinstein-Evron M. 2013. Domestic refuse maintenance in the Natufian: Faunal evidence from el-Wad terrace, Mount Carmel. In: Bar-Yosef O, and Valla FR, editors. Natufian Foragers in the Levant: Terminal Pleistocene Social Changes in Western Asia. Ann Arbor, Michigan: International Monographs in Prehistory. p 118-138. Yeshurun R, Bar-Oz G, Kaufman D, and Weinstein-Evron M. 2014. Purpose, permanence, and perception of 14,000-year-old architecture: Contextual taphony of food refuse. Current Anthropology 55(5):591-618. Yeshurun R, Bar-Oz G, and Nadel D. 2013. The social role of food in the Natufian cemetery of Raqefet Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 32(4):511-526.

Insurance Risk Securilization Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Insurance Risk Securilization - Thesis Example The insured part of the contract is to promise to pay an amount of money, known as the premium, either once or regular intervals." "Insurance is a device to share the financial losses which might befall on an individual or his family on the happening of special event" (Kaur n.d. p.4). The event can be death of a bread-winner to the family in the case of life insurance, marine-perils in marine insurance, fire in fire insurance and other certain events in general insurance, e.g, theft in burglary insurance, accident in motor insurance, etc. These events may occur any time within the insured period. The insurer has to provide a fixed amount or indemnify the amount of occurred due to the insured perils. Hence, insurers bear a great risk of paying huge amount of fund at any time if the insured peril is occurred. As large as the insured amount and the probability of happening insured peril, the Insurance Risk for insurers is large. Reinsurance is an arrangement whereby an original insurer who has insured a risk insures a part of that risk again with another insurer, that is to say, reinsures a part of the risk in order to diminish his own liability. ... The policyholder is usually not aware that reinsurance has been arranged as no mention is made of it on the policy." Advantages of Reinsurance 1. The original insurer can accept the risk to the extent of his limit. In absence of reinsurance, a person desiring a large amount of insurance will have to take a number of policies from several insurers. The reinsurance contract makes it possible to purchase only one policy from an insurer. 2. Reinsurance makes it possible to accept each risk for the very amount desired by the proposer and to transfer the excess above the 'retention limit' to another insurer. 3. The reinsurance gives the benefit of the greater stability resulting from a widespread of business. By accepting many risks and scaling down, by reinsurance, all those that are larger than the normal carrying capacity of the insurer justifies, certainly in business is substituted for uncertainty through the better application of the law of average. 4. The insurance makes stability in underwriting and consistency in underwriting results over a period. 5. It provides a safeguard against serious effects of conflagration. 6. The reinsurance has the effect of stabilizing income and losses over a period of years. Capital Market The capital markets consist of the markets in which the intermediate and long-term securities of individuals, business firms, and governmental units are issued and traded. Capital markets are frequently subdivided into three parts-the bond market, the mortgage market, and the stock market. On the other word, capital market is the market where "long-term capital is raised by industry and commerce, the government, and local authorities" (Barclays Capital-Campus Recruitment, n.d.). The Glossary of Capital Market states that

Term paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Term Paper Example These two distinctive and great philosophers of their time has critically analyzed the sources of morality and the way it affects humans in conducting various actions or making different decisions. Introduction Ethics covers wide areas of human life similarly it has great significance in the overall societal boundaries and social welfare. Morality and ethics are often used interchangeably because on the communal level they both represent the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. Morals actually directs minor to major human actions, motives and desires. It often happens that you want to do something really crazy; however, you stop yourself from committing any offense just because of social morals or ethical conduct. This happens with almost everyone in the world and therefore we must pay tribute to ethics and moral principles which actually alleviate evil human desires and taught us the just way of living a life. Morals are not only limited to the difference and recognitio n of good and bad deeds rather they have a very broad spectrum which widens through the social justice to the animal rights. Obligations towards the poor, declination of suicidal activities, preservation of natural environment, protection of government assets and above all paying respect to every individual comes under the ethical and moral principles (Singer). In the contemporary world people often believe that morality and ethics have gone out of date and that these vague ideas actually stop humans from effusively enjoying life or fulfilling the human desires in whatever way they like. However, reality is far different from the common perception. Ethics are required by humans in order to live a peaceful and contented life. They are responsible to limit the evil desires and also to confront common societal issues. Though humans have made great advancements in last few centuries still their evil side needs to be limited by some effective and efficient moral principles so as to safeg uard the human civilization. Furthermore, morals are wrongly considered as the list of prohibitions rather they should be better understood as a set of considerations regarding our natural environment, social set up and overall human development (Singer). Peter Singer has presented a substantial form of moral sphere which is commonly associated with the theory of Utilitarianism. This moral sphere has primarily two distinctive parts which provides a better understanding of the overall concept of ethics and morals. Peter Singer has made a greater emphasis over the application of morals in human lives since people especially philosophers frequently talk about the importance of ethics but they hardly emphasize upon its application in personal and collective lives. In broader terms Utilitarianism is a complex combination of two doctrines namely; theory of what is good and the theory of what is right. Things which appear correct are often regarded as unethical due to the bad aspects attac hed to them similarly things which seem good are again rejected by the morality principles because of their association to some wrong actions (Singer). However, the moral sphere of Singer is closely related to the consequences of deeds and actions. For instance, things which are categorized as right would always bring good or positive consequences. As mentioned previously that Singer’

Case Study Templeton hardware

Case Study Templeton hardware Executive Summary This report provides an analysis on the case study of Templeton hardware and its acquisition of the two companies, namely lodestone landscapes and the great outdoors. Through this case study of Templeton hardware, it can be seen that the acquisition of this two companies have had its detrimental effects, therefore requiring the need to accurately identify the source problems. Three toolkits are used in this report to diagnose the issues that are present. They are namely SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats), six thinking hats and brainstorming. These toolkits help to remove the communication barriers and organisational conflicts which are present. Adding to the toolkits, interventions could be used together with the toolkits to ease the change process in the organisation. The report proceeds on to provide further recommendation which could be used as a platform to make necessary changes to curb the economic downfall of Templeton Hardware. The recommendation s thus aim to aid in the recovery process. It is recommended that Templeton Hardware should set goals and targets with their employees which are both challenging and achievable. This would enhance cooperation and cohesiveness among the employees in the company. Intervention strategies can also be used to achieve the organizations overall effectiveness. 1. Introduction This report recommends measures and solutions to Templeton Hardware on improving business prospects and helping the organization restructure in the best approach to enhance its performance. The toolkits that have been used to diagnose and identify key issues are the SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats), six thinking hats and brainstorming. 1.1 Case Overview and Key Issues Templeton Hardware was Australias leading hardware chain. It acquired The Great Outdoors and Lodestone Landscapes to cement its place as the leading retailer of â€Å"all things outdoor†. Its CEO, Jacquie Todori overconfidence had drove what was later discovered as a poor business decision with detrimental effects for the organisation. The Difference in management styles caused organisational conflicts and problems started to arise one at a time. Expectations were not met and the business as a whole was spiralling downwards at an alarming rate. The board was not happy with Jacquies decision and was anticipating changes to the company. 2. Diagnosis 2.1 SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is employed at a management level to evaluate the current position of the business and determine future management strategies by putting problems into perspective. It also helps to uncover opportunities that can be exploited, manage and minimise threats, understand business weaknesses and capatalise on company strengths (Clark, 2008). 2.1.1 Strengths Strengths are the internal characteristics of the business that give it a competitive edge over others(Marketing Teacher, 2000). Templeton Hardware was recognised as Australias biggest hardware chain which shows its position as a market leader. They secured a significant portion of the market share and had the capability to acquire two established companies. Templeton Hardware had a constant growth vision to expand and diversify its companys products and to enter different market segments to make it more profitable. Part of its growth vision required decisions which had adverse effects and Templeton Hardwares willingness to take the risk to acquire the two companies can be considered a strength. Templeton Hardwares decision to offer jobs to the franchisees shows the necessary measures taken to retain employees and keep them in employment without retrenching them. 2.1.2 Weaknesses Weaknesses are internal aspects that could possibly endanger the business or obstruct further economic growth (Mindtools, 1996). Insufficient market research and lack of foresight led to a decline in sales targets and failing to achieve its profit expectations. The loss of product exclusivity resulted in Templeton Caravans not being able to attract its primary target audience, essentially the baby boomers, whom were perceived as having the capital and mindset to purchase caravans. Templeton Caravans had clearly failed to understand the trends, mindset and spending patterns of baby boomers and that led to dissatisfaction and avoidance. The change in management style saw few franchisees from Lodestone Landscapes accept offers in the new organisation, namely Templeton Landscape Solutions, and even they decided to leave after a period of time. The acquisition of The Great Outdoors led to generic products being produced. Products were generally seen as being mass produced and not client s pecific. By outsourcing the projects it had received, Templeton Landscape Solutions managed its talents poorly and overall service standards dropped. The company as a whole saw negative survey comments and this poor feedback started to feed its growing unfavourable reputation. The organisation also had ineffective management of its resources and had not been hiring enough staff to ensure work ran efficiently in the optimum manner. 2.1.3 Opportunities Opportunities are external aspects that an organisation can use to its advantage to improve existing conditions (The Economic Times, 2014). Templeton Hardware should first look into achieving a good financial position which would improve its declining reputation and would enable it to secure bank loans for future investments. It should also look into sending its employees and management executives for team building activities and to increase the cohesiveness among them. By providing its staff with the relevant skills, its workforce can be effectively managed and relevant departments could have job specialists who have broad knowledge on their job scope. This helps to reduce the role ambiguity among its staff since an employee is assigned to few specific tasks and not many interdepartmental roles. Templeton Hardware could also invest in technological infrastructure to improve its customer management system. Employees can then follow up with clients in a more efficient manner and this removes the need for clients to repeat themselves which dealing with different. This system could also record a history of transactions to facilitate future purchases or warranty conditions. Templeton Hardware could move into creating a conglomerate-like business model by having unrelated businesses running under one roof, move its existing products into new market sectors or seek takeover opportunities from competitors whom are on the verge of bankruptcy. 2.1.4 Threats Threats are components in the business environment that could cause potentially cause trouble for the organisation (The Economic Times, 2014). The large and increasing number of competitors could give potential choices to its customers and could deter them from purchasing at Templeton Hardware. This could lead to loss of market share and revenue and pave further downfall. Continuous usage of outsourcing its projects can result in its outsourcing companies becoming competitors in the future as they will now have direct contact with the clients. With respect to its employees, the companys inability to retain existing employees would cause a loss in tacit knowledge and staffs years of experience and it may have to consume time and resources to train new employees. The rising cost of wages and higher employer to employee contributions could affect the profitability of the business. Also, if Templetons existing products lines become unpopular or not needed in large quantities, downsizing of the organisation would be a looming possibility. The SWOT analysis diagnoses in a prioritised manner and actions can be taken accordingly. The SWOT analysis offers a way of collecting data but can sometimes be used as an overview of the situation. 2.2 Six Thinking Hats The Six Thinking Hats is used in business settings by various organizations. During meetings, everyone present would have to put on different hats and approach the problems from different perspectives. This notion allows organizations to diagnose issues effectively, make better decisions and come up with creative ideas (De Bono Consulting, 2000). There is no one best approach to using the six thinking hats with reference to which hat should be used first. 2.2.1 White Thinking Hat This hat is used to gather information that is required to address the issue at hand. Data is presented objectively without the presence of arguments and beliefs. (Volunteering North Queensland Inc, 2003) In the case of Templeton Hardware, it can be seen that it is currently facing an economic downfall and the presence of a new competitor in the market added pressure. Templeton Hardware had acquired two reputable companies, namely The Great Outdoors and Lodestone Landscapes. After the acquisitions, the franchisees were offered jobs but they were rejected. The centralized outlook was seen by the baby boomers as a big generic business which impacted the exclusivity of the caravans. Feedback from customers projected poor customer follow-up, constant rotation of sales persons and poor time management. The customers also disliked the impersonal approach of Templeton Hardware and outsourcing. Lastly, the board was unhappy as the business was declining. 2.2.2 Red Thinking Hat Feelings and emotions are addressed when using this hat. (De Bono Thinking Systems, 1992). The red hat identified the boards unhappiness and frustrations with the company’s performance. In addition, the franchisees who were offered jobs after Templeton Hardwares acquisition left after sometime due to conflicting management styles. The board was also fearful of losing the companys image and reputation to a competitor. The annoyance and dissatisfaction among customers was evident through the feedback received and the baby boomers were disappointed with the lack of exclusivity of the caravans. 2.2.3 Black Thinking Hat This hat helps to identify complications and limitations in a situation and helps to steer the organization into the right path. (Mercier Associates, 2012). The lack of market research conducted prior to the two acquisitions and the overconfidence of the board led to the downfall of Templeton Hardware. The board was not prepared for failure and there was no contingency plans in the event of a failure. Templeton Hardware did not understand the spending trends and mindset of their target audience, namely the baby-boomers, which led to the outlook of low brand exclusivity. This resulted in declining sales and possible bankruptcy. Poor customer service was evident from the customer feedback. Clients were unhappy that Templeton Hardware outsourced their projects instead of getting it done on their own. However, the shortage of manpower could be one of the factors why it had done so. It may be necessary for Templeton Hardware to increase their expenditure with regards to hiring new staff and training them. 2.2.4 Yellow Thinking Hat This hat signifies positive thinking, new possibilities and advantages. (Volunteering North Queensland Inc, 2003). The acquisitions of the two companies showed Templeton Hardwares plans to enter a new market segment and increase its profits. By increasing its staff, its efficiency can improve and can lead to a positive impact on sales targets and customer satisfaction. Better sales numbers can also increase the long-term sustainability of the organization and market share with the possibility of overthrowing its competitor. 2.2.5 Green Thinking Hat This hat helps individuals to come up with new recommendations and alternatives to solve the company’s problems through creative thinking (Marissa Martinez, 2009). Templeton Hardwares board could restructure the organization into a more de-centralized one and re-brand its products to increase its exclusivity. Templeton Hardware can improve productivity and time management standards by looking at how other companies operate. Advertisements can be placed in the media for job positions and opportunities to bring in an influx of employees to solve the shortage of staff. Employees should be given opportunities to voice out their concerns and put through special programs to enhance their level of service orientation and communication skills when handling customers. Job scopes can also be better enlarged and enriched in order to improve performance standards. 2.2.6 Blue Thinking Hat This hat sets the agenda for meetings, manages the processes and helps to reach productive conclusions (De Bono Consulting, 2000). There is a primary need to identify the issues, analyse them and solve the problems. Some of the key objectives would be to ensure the long-term sustainability of the company, improving the job security of employees so as to prevent the shortage of manpower, improving customer satisfaction by sending the employees for training and lastly to regain a bigger piece of the market share in order to have a competitive edge over the new competitor. Templeton Hardware can reach these objectives by adopting a change in management. The staff should also be briefed about the challenges during and after the change (Holley et al, 2011). In addition, the creation of a clear company vision would better inform its employees of the company’s core values. It is also imperative that the transition is managed effectively and a momentum is sustained after this transiti on. After the transition period is over, the team can strategise to increase the profitability of the organization. 2.3 Brainstorming Brainstorming is often used as an effective tool to come up with innovative solutions for problems which may exist internally or externally in an organisation. A general process can be used to create an outline of the issues and solutions to the key problems (Oslapas, 1993). 2.3.1 Problem Definition The main problem to be addressed would be the declining yields and returns in Templeton Hardwares business model. The customers, the companys board and management and organisations circumstances are established criterias to be used to convene the brainstorming. 2.3.2 Collating Data Creating Solutions The management decision to acquire two new companies without enough market research and its lack of foresight is evident. It failed to foresee all the outcomes that may arise from the acquistion and was overconfident that the outcome would be a positive one. The solution would simply be to conduct more extensive research on market conditions and develop products according to the market needs and requirements. Templeton Hardware should also look into enhancing its brand value and exclusivity. The companys board should take a more proactive role in making major decisions from a broader perspective and contingency plans can be drawn up in the event of an adverse outcome. The change in management styles and poor employee management led to high job dissatisfaction levels. This impacted employee retention numbers and the employees willingness to remain at the organisation as they did not feel appreciated. The employees felt overworked and were unsure of their own job scope as they had been tasked with interdepartmental duties. Team building and bonding enables each of their staff to get to know one another better and increases the staff unity and morale (Spaho, 2013). To prevent the staff from feeling stagnant in their job, they should implement job enlargement measures by retaining its existing staff and retraining them with the necessary skills (Cloke et al, 2000). Employees can also be more involved in decision making as this would give them a sense of responsibility and make them feel valued in the company. A flatter organisation structure would bridge the gap between the management and the employees and help the management to get a bottom up persp ective from ground zero. Customer service declined as employees were usually engaged in multiple responsibilities. This made customers dissatisfied and sales targets were not achieved. Previously, it was perceived that if a customer had patronised the store and purchased something, he/she would return to make future transactions. However, this is a wrong perspective and Templeton Hardware should look into providing something which surpasses its competitors marketing strategies. This could be customer service or the use of an â€Å"no frills, rock bottom pricing† marketing strategy. By adopting a customer centric structure, they need to train staff to have higher service standards (Pathak, 2010). The staff should understand customer needs and should be rewarded accordingly using performance appraisals or awards as a form of recognition (Lucas, 2009). 3. Recommendations Templeton Hardware should look into team building and team bonding activities to enhance cohesiveness while increasing its autonomy to involved more employees in the decision making. It should retain and retrain existing staff to increase job productivity and specialisation. Temporary downsizing should be implemented if the situation calls for. Through investments in technological infrastructure and by adopting a customer centric structure, it can enhance its customer management system. Templeton Hardware can also create a RD department to conduct extensive market and product research. The board should also contribute by increasing its pro-activeness in making decisions and contingency planning. It can also look into potentially enhancing the brand value and image through marketing campaigns or word of mouth. 4. Conclusion In conclusion, by using the appropriate Organization Development Consultant’s Toolkits such as SWOT Analysis, Six Thinking Hats and brainstorming, a deeper perspective of the companys situation has been attained. The main problems have been identified and a constructive approach can be taken towards resolving the problems. From the diagnosis conducted using these toolkits, enhancing Templeton Hardwares overall cohesiveness while maintaining the level of employee performance and management is a realistic target. Furthermore, implementing structural change strategies during organization change would further enhance organization effectiveness and better facilitate the transition period.

Decision Support Systems :: essays research papers

Decision Support Systems (DSS) A Decision Support System (DSS) is an information system at the management level of an organization that combines data, analytical tools, and models to support semistructured and unstructured decision-making. A DSS can handle low volume or massive databases optimized for data analysis. DSS has more power than other systems. They are built explicitly with a variety of models to analyze data or they condense large amounts of data into a form where they can be analyzed by decision-makers. DSS are designed so that the user can work with them directly. In the proceeding paragraphs I will give examples of some decision support systems and how they are being used. Integrated Decision Support Corporation (IDSC) is a company that provides decision support software to the truckload transportation industry. IDSC focuses on providing superior decision making software by creating state of the art optimization algorithms. IDSC released a product called NETWISE 3.0 in response to shippers requesting packaged and conditional bids, carriers having a difficult time selecting the lanes that compliment their current network, and determining the dedicated opportunities within a bid. NETWISE 3.0 are a decision support tool used in the analysis of profitability, pricing, and network balance. Companies were having a problem of having their carriers spend countless hours of manpower responding to single bid. NETWISE 3.0 addresses this issue by providing them with an enterprise software package that provides the with the same opportunities as the shipper. IDSC solved the problem of having the carrier determine how to price a lane so that it appears attractive to the shipper and yet still be profitable. During the bid preparation process, NETWISE utilizes a data correction engine that provides an intelligent search for city names and postal codes. Overall NETWISE provides users with a tool that significantly reduces the amount of time required to process a shipper bid. This allows item to be spent on the strategic issues instead of the monotonous details. NETWISE provides an intelligently discipline to the pricing process, resulting in a excellent solution for responding to shippers bids, or determining appropriate annual or daily pricing action. Innovative Systems Techniques (Insyte) designs and installs database management and decision support systems using Vision, their object oriented database technology. As both a technology developer and systems implementers, they uniquely offer clients access to their Vision technology and the direct involvement of their Vision TECNOLOGY and the direct involvement of their Vision Vision TECNOLOGY nad of their highly capable staff.