Quality management Essay Example for Free

Quality management Essay Dialogue 2: Identify two (2) thought leaders relative to quality management. Research each to determine their core ideas and contributions. Synthesize your thoughts about each into a one paragraph (per leader) that contains important and meaningful statements about each thought leader, their contributions, and the relevance of the contribution today regarding the work of project managers. Joseph M. Juran Dr. Juran devoted 70 years to his books, thoughts, and life work revolutionizing the philosophy of total quality management. His developed quality management ideas work around the quality trilogy of Quality Planning, Quality Improvement, and Quality Control. Through the Juran Institute, Dr. Juran has maintained the capability to continually broaden the experiential learning of economist, scientist, and engineers around his work. Dr. Juran’s teachings and guidance focus efforts on the customer and their needs, optimizes the product for those individuals, optimizes the processes involved, and ensures that the process will actually produce the product. Dr. Juran understood that the human component (the customer, the manager, the scientist, the engineer) was an integral piece of the quality process. His lessons contributed to the rise of the Japanese economy after his hands on workings with the Union of Japanese Scientist and Engineers. The push of information today has allowed these theories to flourish. Customer satisfaction is an ever pressing position for large and small businesses. Today’s managers would be hard pressed to understand the human factor, if individuals like Dr. Juran did not lay the ground work to focus effo rts on the human factors. Genichi Taguchi Taguchi was a Japanese Textile Engineer that understood the processes and influences of small and large businesses. He realized there were variables within management’s control and others that we not. His major contributions/theories were the following: The Loss Function- an equation to quantify the decline of a customer’s perceived value of a product, as the quality declines; Orthogonal Arrays and Linear Graphs- tools to identify and isolate the items concerned when dealing with effective costs and time; Robustness- the identified course of developing products and processes that perform uniformly regardless of the uncontrollable forces.

Rekindle Dynamics Essay -- Emergency Management

There are few natural phenomena with the scope and complexity of a forest fire (Van Wagner [1]). Rekindles or reignitions that reburn an area over which a previous fire has passed but leaving fuel that later ignites due to latent heat, sparks, or embers (NWCG [2]) is an amazing part of that phenomena. For instance fuel complexes that exhibit heavy fuel loads and deep organic layers. Namely under the decomposing leaf litter there are a compact organic horizon in which the ground or subsurface fires will remain burning slowly (Lourenà §o and Rainha [3]). Near rivers, peat bogs, old forests, and large decaying logs are prone to such fire persistence. As a result of the dryness left after the passage of the main fire front. Especially in major dry spells or droughts (Henderson and Muraro [4], Alexander [5]). Such underground burning in a smouldering stage can erupt into flames when it gets the surface exposing this heated fuel to air (6). Throughout the summer of 2010, Portugal had 14,551 primary wildfires. 17.2% of them rekindled in an additional 2,497 fires, leading to a total of 17,048 which accounted for 95% of the total annual burnt area of 132,241 ha (Pacheco [7]). These figures might be worse. Several authors suggest that the amount of rekindled forest fires is higher than the officially reported (Lourenà §o and Rainha [3], ANIF [8]). Expert-judgment elicitation in our interviews points to the double. Even assuming that the available information is correct, there are too many rekindles (Beighley and Hyde [9]). This is a concerning situation that has gotten worse over the years (ANIF [8]), and results from ineffective mop-up operations (Lourenà §o and Rainha [3], ANIF [8], Beighley and Hyde [9], ISA [10], Lourenà §o [11], Murdock... .... 387-395, 2005. [17] AFN, I., Monitorizaà §Ãƒ £o e Avaliaà §Ãƒ £o do Plano Nacional de Defesa da Floresta Contra Incà ªndios, 2009/2010 - Relatà ³rio Final Preliminar, Autoridade Florestal Nacional, 2011. [18] Fernandes, P. M., â€Å"Forest fires in Galicia (Spain): The outcome of unbalanced fire management,† Journal of Forest Economics, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 155-157, 2008. [19] Resoluà §Ãƒ £o do Conselho de Ministros n. º 65/2006, PNDFCI, 2006. [20] Oliveira, T., "Relatà ³rio da visita ao Chile," Protecà §Ãƒ £o Florestal, grupo Portucel Soporcel, 2011. [21] Ahrens, M., Brush, Grass, and Forest Fires, 0877650357, National Fire Protection Association, Fire Analysis and Research Division, 2010. [22] Pacheco, A. P., Oliveira, T., & Claro, J., "Simulation analysis of the impact of ignitions, rekindles and false alarms on the performance of forest fire suppression," FEUP, University of Porto, 2012.

Introduction to Michael Porters Five Forces

Michael E. Porter's five forces framework is used to evaluate the competitiveness, and hence the attractiveness and profitability of different markets and market segments. It is important for business managers to realize that a 5 forces analysis should be conducted at the level of strategic business units (SBUs), and not at the level of the whole organization. Many larger companies have several SBUs conducting business in different markets that serve many different customer segments. Likewise, these SBUs may have completely different suppliers, competitors and substituting products. Every SBU should therefore conduct its own analysis, and try to evaluate the attractiveness and profitability of its own markets and market segments. The five forces are shortly described below: Competitive Rivalry The evaluation of the rivalry between competitors helps to examine the degree of head-to-head competition in an industry. In Porter's â€Å"five forces† framework this issue is of course included, but is only seen as one of several forces that determine industry attractiveness. Commen reasons for high rivalry are depicted below:  § Low industry growth rates  § High exit barriers Undifferentiated supply of products  § Price wars to cover high fixed costs Threat of new entrants The threat of new entrants is usually based on the market entry barriers, which can be said to provide obstacles for newcomers to gain a foothold in any given industry. These barriers can take many different forms. Briefly, it can be said that entry barriers exist whenever it is difficult or not economically feasible for an outsider to copy or imitate the existing players' competitive capabilities. Common forms of entry barriers are depicted below:  § Economies of scale  § Capital requirement of entry Access to supplies and distribution channels  § Customer or supplier loyalty  § Lack of experience in industry  § Legal restrains such as trade barriers Threat of Substitute Products The threat of substitute products, depends on the relative price difference between different products that can equally satisfy the same basic customer needs. Switching costs also affect the threat of substitution – which can be defined as the costs found by buyers in switching to a rivals product or service.  § Product for products substitution (e. g. e-mail instead of postal service) New products make older products obsolete (e. g. better cars require fewer automobile services) Bargaining Power of Buyers Important determinants of buyer power are the size and the concen tration of customers. Other factors are the extent to which the buyers are informed about other vendors and suppliers, and to the extent to which buyers can quickly identify other sources of supply. Common reasons for great bargaining power of buyers are depicted below.  § Great concentration of buyers – few buyers  § The cost of switching supplier is low  § Many equally competent suppliers  § Backward integration Bargaining Power of Suppliers If there are few suppliers of e. g. raw materials, these suppliers may eventually be very strong, and able to put pressure on the buying company. Likewise, if the switching costs related to switching supplier are high, the respective supplier may be very strong, and thus be able to put pressure on the buying partner concerning e. g. prices, quantities and quality. Common reasons for great bargaining power of suppliers are depicted below.  § Great concentration of suppliers – few suppliers  § Great switching costs related to changing supplier  § Forward integration The competition and attractiveness in an industry is strongly affected by these suggested forces. The stronger the power of buyers and suppliers, and the stronger the threats of entry and substitution, the more intense competition is likely to be within the industry, where less competitive industries are seen as more attractive and profitable. Using the 5 forces framework, business managers may conduct an analysis of the attractiveness and profitability of different markets, so that business managers can evaluate different courses of strategic action, and evaluate which forces may be most important for current and future business success.

Platos Republic Essay - 1025 Words

Platos Republic In Plato’s Republic, Glaucon is introduced to the reader as a man who loves honor, sex, and luxury. As The Republic progresses through books and Socrates’ arguments of how and why these flaws make the soul unhappy began to piece together, Glaucon relates some of these cases to his own life, and begins to see how Socrates’ line of reasoning makes more sense than his own. Once Glaucon comes to this realization, he embarks on a path of change on his outlook of what happiness is, and this change is evidenced by the way he responds during he and Socrates’ discourse. The first change in character begins with Glaucon’s position on whether or not the unjust soul is happier than the just soul. This is seen in Book 4, 445b,†¦show more content†¦In Book 7, during Socrates’ explanation of the Allegory of the Cave, Glaucon’s changed perception is further revealed. When Socrates’ begins talking about the allegory at 515c, Glaucon describes Socrates’ image as being â€Å"strange†, where Socrates’ interjects to tell him that the people he is describing are â€Å"like us†. This seems to spark Glaucon’s interest even more. Glaucon shows his feelings at another point in Socrates’ story, when he speaks of how the cave dweller who had left the cave would rather suffer in the sun than be back in the cave, sharing the opinions of the other dwellers and living as they do. Glaucon’s comment is that he thinks the man would â€Å"rather suffer than live like that.† This remar k shows that he, although he does not say it outright, would prefer to live embracing knowledge and awareness then to live with what is familiar and comfortable. This is confirmed further, during 519d, when Socrates suggests that those who have made the ascent go back down to enlighten the other prisoners in the cave, and Glaucon opposes strongly, saying that an injustice would be committed â€Å"by making them live a worse life when they could live a better one†. Glaucon’s statement indicates fear – he worries about going back down to the cave or, returning to his former ignorance. This shows that Glaucon has not only embraced the idea of the cave, differing from his initial confusion, but he has alsoShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Platos Republic Essay458 Words   |  2 PagesPhilosophy is a Greek word meaning love of wisdom. Throughout Platos Republic, wisdom plays an important role. According to Plato, education is wisdom. In the passage, 518d, Plato discusse s the true meaning of education vicariously through Socrates. Some literary mechanisms can be found in the passage and I will show how they fit in the text and how they contribute to the main themes of Platos Republic. In Book VII Socrates has finished listening to other opinions and is now formulatingRead More Platos The Republic and Aristophanes The Birds Essay1193 Words   |  5 PagesPlatos The Republic and Aristophanes The Birds   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is evident, by Platos The Republic and Aristophanes The Birds, that ones vision of an ideal state is not the same mystical utopia. Platos Republic is an well-ordered society that emphasizes the development of the community, which leads to its people believing in this philosophy. Cloudcuckooland, the idea of two lazy Athenians, is an unorganized society that lacks the substance to make it a workable society. I would much rather liveRead More The Importance of Thrasymachus in Plato’s Republic Essay923 Words   |  4 PagesThe Importance of Thrasymachus in Plato’s Republic   Ã‚      Dr. Malters’s comments: This student does two things quite remarkable for an undergraduate student. In his compact essay, not only does he display an in-depth understanding of complex perspectives on justice put forth by the protagonist Socrates, he deftly explains how Plato has artfully made rude objections by a seemingly minor character early in the dialogue function as a structuring device for nearly all the important ideas examinedRead More Comparing Platos Republic, Mores Utopia, and Gurneys Dinotopia1395 Words   |  6 PagesPlatos Republic, Mores Utopia, and Gurneys Dinotopia    Throughout history, mankind has struggled to lead better lives and improve their society for future generations. What do we continuously attempt to improve? What kind of changes are we trying to institute? In other words, what is an ideal society? Many people have very diversified views about a perfect civilization. In Platos Republic, Sir Thomas Mores Utopia, and James Gurneys Dinotopia, three imaginary societies are describedRead MorePlatos Explanation of an Ideal State in his Work, The Republic1878 Words   |  8 PagesThis question has sparked debate since the very formation of organized political society. In Plato’s The Republic, Plato seeks to define justice and in doing so he seeks to explain the ideal just state. In Plato’s explanation of an ideal state, there is an extreme emphasis on unity and harmony. The reason unity and harmony are so important to Plato are because they are responsible for bonding together Plato’s ideal state and protecting it from tyranny. Plato explains at great length the framework whichRead MorePlatos Republic1243 Words   |  5 PagesIn Platos Republic, Socrates goes to great lengths to explain and differentiate between the ideas of opinion and knowledge. Throughout society, most common men are lovers of sights and sounds. Lovers of sights and sounds like beautiful sounds, colors, shapes, and everything fashioned out of them, but their thought is unable to see and embrace the nature of the beautiful itself (Republic 476b). The few who do recognize the beautiful itself are followers of the sight of truth, the philosophersRead MorePlatos The Republic1054 Words   |  4 Pages In Plato’s The Republic, the theory of appointing a ruling class is a major aspect in his political theory of a just state. As communicated through Socrates, Plato believed in the appointment of only a few citizens of the just city that possess a soul that craves all truth, knowledge, wisdom, and through proper education are competent enough to rule the just state and to decide on legislative policies. In my paper, I will be arguing against Plato’s political theory of who is best fit to be chosenRead MoreEssay on Plato’s The Republic1168 Words   |  5 PagesPlato’s The Republic In the simile of the cave We are asked to picture a group of people sitting inside a dark cave, their hands and feet are bound in such a way that they can only look at the back wall of the cave. Behind the chained prisoners a fire is burning, and between them and this fire a path runs along which men carry figures, the shadows of these figures are projected onto the back wall of the cave. The prisonersRead MoreEssay on Platos Republic981 Words   |  4 PagesPlatos Republic Plato, one of the most ingenious and powerful thinkers in Western philosophy, born around 425 B.C. Plato investigated a wide range of topics. Dominant among his ideas is an immense discourse called The Republic. The main focus of Plato is a perfect society. He outlines a utopian society, out of his disapproval for the tension of political life. Plato lived through the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC), in which much of Greece was devastated. This created poverty and political confusionRead MorePlatos Republic3750 Words   |  15 PagesBook I What is justice? Why should we be just? Cephalus - Justice means living up to your legal obligations and being honest. - Socrates - Its like returning weapon to a madman.. hell kill people. Polemarchus - Justice means that you owe friends help, and you owe enemies harm. - Socrates - we are not always friends with the most virtuous, nor are our enemies always teh scum of society Thrasymachus , sophist - Justice is nothing more than the advantage of the stronger-- it does not