Aramco Supply Chain Managment

Table of Contents Page Number Introduction3 Background of the Company8 The Dilemma in Saudi Aramco Supply Chain Management10 Analysis of the operation of the Company’s Supply Chain Management12 Conclusion16 References17 Introduction: Several company managers are continuously searching for the best possible way of reducing cost and utilizing their inventories so that the company can implement cost reduction strategy. With all prices of prime commodities are accelerating for increases to maintain the business, the challenge for manufacturing companies nowadays is to come up with a management strategy that could lessen the burden of imposing additional prices to the consumer’s purchases. Yet seemingly, it seems impossible to achieve due to the domino effect in the market offering. Starting from the raw materials to the manufacturing plant then to the manufacturing plant to its distribution centers and from the distribution centers to the consumers, the process entails expenditures either from the supplier or from the manufacturing plant. Once transporting raw materials is affected by the movement in the prices of gasoline and oil, salary increases of its work force and additional price for the vehicle’s spare parts suppliers cannot but face the reality that they must charge additional cost to their buyers. So goes the trend. The usual thinking about a supply chain is a vertical flow of the entire materials for production that is fully integrated because it is owned by a single firm although its channels are operating independently. Hence, an efficient coordination among the managers of its channels is demanded for the success of the supply chain. However, a supply chain need not only be limited to a single ownership of the entire process. By its definition, according to the paper of B. B. Arntzen, G. G. Brown, T. P. Harrison, and L. Trafton (1993) a supply chain is a network of facilities and distribution alternatives that begins from the procurement of materials, converting the materials into mid-way and finished products, then the distribution of the products to customers. Supply chain is not limited to manufacturing alone but also in the service industry. There may also be expected difficulties along the entire chain due to the varying approaches from industry to industry or from firm to firm but the process proceeds as planned. Company A Company B DistributorCustomers Raw Materials manufacturing plant Finished Product Company This may sound simple but a realistic supply chain actually embraces several finished products with shared components, facilities, and capacities. Materials flow does not come only from one single network but from other networks also. At times, different modes of transportation are considered and usually the bills of materials for the finished products are both costly and enormous. R. H. Ballou, (1992) believes that traditional supply chain still operate along this pattern but on this case the supply chain deviates from the old practice of supply chain and paved the way to another model of creating an effective cost reduction strategy. In the supply chain, according to M. C. Cooper and L. M. Ellram (1993) the main focus lies on the mistake of materials, unnecessary information and unpredictable finances as they move from their supplier, to the respective manufacturer then to the wholesaler passed on the retailer before finally reaching the consumer. However, another view was presented by J. B. Houlihan (1985) because his notion of supply chain is involved in coordinating and integrating these flows for inside the company and its relation with other companies. The ultimate goal of all effective supply chain management is to reduce inventory but available when needed hence, minimize the cost of production. The product flow consists of the progress of goods from supplier to customer. Information flow is the transmittal of orders and keeping posted the status of the delivery. The financial flow covers the credit terms, payment schedules, and consignment title of ownership arrangement. As Cohen, et al. (1989) noted supply chain also consists of strategic decisions and operational decision levels. Strategic decisions usually entail longer time to observe its effect on the company. It requires close monitoring of the corporate strategy, but oftentimes, in many companies, it is already the firm’s business strategy. Setting aside, operational level decisions are shorter period and concentrates mainly on the day to day basis of inventory, production, and packaging. The main objective on this level is maintaining an effective and efficient product flow from the strategically planned supply chain. Houlihan (1985) reiterates that supply chain management operates according to four major decision areas namely; business location, production input and output, materials inventory, and distribution including transportation and channels. It should be noted that on these decision areas the elements of strategic planning and operational procedures are inclusive. It is because strategic decisions include what products to produce, and which plants to produce them in, allocation of suppliers to plants, plants to Distribution Channels, and Distribution Channels to customer markets Business location refers to the place where production facilities, warehouse, and source point are easily accessible both by the suppliers and other stakeholders of the company. Location facilities cover an assurance of resources for a longer period due to the long term plan of the business. Considered also for an effective supply chain location are the size, number, and the possible paths by which the product flows through to the customers. This decision is important because it represents the main strategy for accessing customer markets which definitely have effect on revenue, cost, and level of service. It is determined by employing a routine check on production costs, taxes, duties and duty drawback, tariff, local content, distribution costs, production limitation and many others. Production decision is also a critical concern in supply chain management because it entails the capacity of the manufacturing facilities to handle the production process. It is focused on detailed production scheduling. It includes the construction of the master production plan, time table on the machines, and maintenance of equipments. The elements of workload balancing and quality control that are being measured on this facility are seriously considered. Materials inventory are managed properly in the supply chain management levels of decision. Inventories could either be raw materials, semi-finished or already finished merchandize. These materials may also be in the process between locations or in other place as in the case of outsourcing activity. The purpose of managing the inventories is to safeguard against any uncertainties that might exists in the supply chain. Holding inventories can cost as much as one half of the product’s value. Too much inventories of raw materials means slow return of investment and large inventories of finished products can cause lower prices due to overflowing supplies. The aspect of transportation viewed according to the context of H. L. Lee and C. Billington (1992) is also another element in the supply chain management issues because it is closely associated with the inventory due to its mode of moving the raw materials or the finished products. The best mode of trading off the cost is to transport with the indirect cost of inventory associated with the type of transportation. While using air is fast, reliable, and warrant lesser safety stock, it is very expensive. Shipping by sea or by train may be cheaper but they take longer time and consumed large amount of inventories to buffer against the uncertainties associated with it. Hence, shipment sizes, routing, and scheduling of equipments are the main factors operating in the Supply Chain Management. Another point was raised by J. M. Masters, (1993) as he discussed on the process of supply chain management and the level of decisions that have to be made on these models are enormous and require considerable amount of data. Due to the huge data requirement and the broad scope of decisions, each supply chain decision models provide approximate solutions. The operational decisions, meanwhile, address the day to day operation of the supply chain. Therefore the models that describe them are often very specific in nature. Due to their narrow perspective, these models often consider great detail and provide very good, if not optimal, solutions to the operational decisions. As a solution for successful supply chain management, Saudi Aramco employed a sophisticated software systems, with Web interfaces and has already been in competition with the Web-based Service Application Providers or the SAP, that provide part or all of the SCM service for the company. Saudi Aramco must have been blest to be able to implement supply chain management on its production process and updated it with the use of modern day Information Technology. In spite of the global financial problem that oil producing countries are suffering at present, Saudi Aramco still stands tall amidst financial chaos. Supply chain management is at its best at Saudi Aramco that is why there is less worry even if the prices of oil and crude went down in the global landscape. At Saudi Aramco, the corporate policies guide the supply chain to a particular and specific objective that the firm hopes to achieve (http://www. saudiaramco. com. sa/html/). 11. Background of the Company State-owned Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco) is the king of oil. It is the world's number one oil producer, supplying more than 10% of the world's oil demand. The company controls proved oil reserves of about 259. 8 billion barrels. It extracts 9. 1 million barrels a day, operates refineries, markets oil internationally, and distributes it domestically. Saudi Aramco owns a fleet of oil tankers and invests in refineries and distribution networks in other countries; it also owns 239. 5 trillion cu. ft. of natural gas reserves. The company dates back to 1933, when Saudi Arabia agreed to open up a large area for exploration by Standard Oil of California now known as Chevron. From its headquarters in Dhahran on the eastern shores of the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Aramco manages virtually all of Saudi Arabia's enormous hydrocarbon enterprise. From the giant Ghawar and Safaniya oil fields, the world's largest onshore and offshore fields, to the leading-edge technology at the Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center, and from one of the largest and most modern fleets of supertankers to refining and marketing joint ventures around the globe, Saudi Aramco is positioned to continue to play its leading role in meeting the world's demand for oil. Saudi Aramco revenue is estimated between 150 billion and 350 billion dollars. It varies greatly year to year due to high dependency upon hydrocarbon prices. Saudi Aramco is responsible for 99 percent of the Kingdom's proven crude oil reserves of 259 billion barrels (41. 2 1010m? ) about a quarter of the world's total. That is more than double the total of Iraq, the country with the world's second largest reserves, and nearly 12 times the reserves of the United States. Saudi Aramco produces and exports more crude oil than any other company. Recent production has averaged some 8 million barrels (1,300,000 m? ) per day. That is more than twice the output of the next highest producer and nearly five times greater than the largest U. S. oil company. Saudi Aramco maintains a maximum sustained crude production capacity of 8. 5 million barrels per day. Saudi Aramco ranks among the top ten companies in gas production worldwide. The company is also a leader in both the production and export of natural gas liquids (NGL), and a major producer of refined products. The company produces natural gas in association with crude oil and non associated gas from deep, independent gas fields. This gas is used as fuel and feedstock for the Kingdom's backbone industries and utilities, and for export and domestic consumption as NGL. A vigorous program is currently under way to expand gas production and processing capabilities to meet increasing demand for gas at home to power the Kingdom's robust domestic economic growth. Saudi Aramco's oil operations encompass the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including territorial waters in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. Totaling more than 1. 5 million square kilometers, this area is larger than the combined areas of Texas, California, Oklahoma and Utah, or of France, Spain and Germany. Most production comes from fields in the coastal plains of the Eastern Province in an area extending 300 kilometers north and south of Dhahran. Saudi Aramco VP announced Aramco's plans to build projects worth about 487. 5 billion Saudi Riyals (US $130 billion) in the next 5 years. Due to the unprecedented global demand for oil, Aramco announced that the number of its oil rigs will double by the end of 2006 (http://www. saudiaramco. om) Governed with its vision and holistic mission, the company is striving to make perfect its management concept and practices in order to build solid human resource foundation and company culture that would serve its competitive against other banking institutions in the entire Kingdom within the next couple of years (http://www. saudiaramco. com. sa/html/). 111. The Dilemma in Saudi Aramc o Supply Chain Management Saudi Aramco is the world leader in the oil industry and it possesses the huge deposit of oil and mineral resources. It built strong and reliable ties with its market all over the world while continuously harnessing its rogressive communication with its entire supplier from manpower, facilities, equipments, construction, development projects, and community services. At present Saudi Aramco remains stable and assured of the relentless efforts of its entire people in making the company a world leader in the oil industry and a good example to follow. The entire materials and needed machineries for the oil drilling, processing, plant treatment, transportation and distribution of petroleum are provided by the supply chain from all private industrial suppliers around the Kingdom belonging to the Saudi nationals. No imported materials are used aside from those that are not available in the kingdom. The ongoing calls for localization of Aramco’s production materials are contained in the company’s oath to support local industries and private industrial businesses in the Kingdom. One particular project that the company listed on an indefinite postponement is the envisioned 40 hectares plant facilities and accommodations at Rastanura. In the middle of 2008, Saudi Aramco invited bidders and quotations from several constructing firm around the Kingdom and to some well known companies the Gulf. Toward the end of year, the project was awarded to Foster Wheeler Group of Companies Middle East. The said project was divided into four phases and phase one would start by March 2009. However, Foster Wheeler received a notice from the company on mid February 2009 stating that the Rastanura project would be postponed indefinitely. Foster Wheeler through its resources found out that the main reason for the postponement is the company supplier and sub contractors were heavily affected by the global financial crisis (Thajudeen, 2009). Saudi Aramco suppliers of equipments and high quality standard materials could not meet the requirements needed by the company for the construction of its project. The cost of delivering the materials to Saudi Arabia from the place of origin almost tripled. The high price of raw materials plus low supply prompted Aramco suppliers to increase its prices too but since everything was stipulated in the contract, Saudi Aramco would not accept the new price schedule. The problem begins. Due to the company’s adherence to the Saudization program an option to change suppliers and seek foreign assistance cannot be implemented. France and Great Britain are rich suppliers of equipments needed to continue the construction of drilling plants and community accommodations of its people. The prospect of getting from these countries will destroy the supply chain which Aramco have been protecting and preserving all those years. Japan’s Sumimoto Industry’s offered Saudi Aramco well defined and structured supply chain that could even generate a healthy foreign relation between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the people of Japan. The offer was shelved temporarily and for further consideration and study. While the present economic crisis continuously spreading in some major industries in the Kingdom, Saudi Aramco remains financially firm and liquid. There is no question whether the company can provide the necessary funds for the completion of the project. There is also no doubt in the capacity of Foster Wheeler to deliver the project on time. It is only a matter of the availability of supplies that Saudi Aramco encountered some critical problems. 1V. Analysis of the operation of the Company’s Supply Chain Management For the past several years, Saudi Aramco perfectly managed its supply chain and it can be proven by the smooth development and completion of all existing projects the company have ever made. The fact is that starting 2008 up to the present the global financial crunch created havocs and collapsed of several industries in the world. Included in this chaotic situation are some suppliers of Saudi Aramco. The law of supply and demands in Economics is pretty much at work at this time. There seems to be a blank solution to this perennial problem at present. If this is the case, the postponement of Saudi Aramco project in Rastanura would be justified. On the second thought, there could be another better solution that could be worked on without jeopardizing the effort exerted by Foster Wheeler to win the project. An excerpt from the speech of Abdallah S. Jum'ah, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco (2002), he said â€Å"The greatest share of our investments as oil and gas producers goes to assuring that we maintain the ability to supply our products without interruption. While such costs are burdensome, they nevertheless are critical to the sustainability of energy supply. No one can long afford to be without this lifeline. † This was also reiterated in the speech delivered by Ali I. Al-Naimi (2002), Saudi Arabia's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, in Washington D. C. as he claimed â€Å"we have invested billions of dollars to build production capacity and to construct diverse export routes. The importance of the excess production capacity of Saudi Arabia has been demonstrated in more than one supply crisis in the past two decades such as the Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979, the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the supply infrastructure crisis of 2000†. Granted that the chain of supply has a domino effect and a disruption in one unit of the chain may result to the interruption of operation of the entire system, Saudi Aramco with its huge resources could help solve the problem in terms of loan assistance to the ailing unit of the chain. Saudi Aramco management could serve as mediator between suppliers of materials to the members of its supply chain to retain its old price schedule which would be compensated by Saudi Aramco in terms of supply of oil with no extra charges and at its lowest price. The problem is rooted in the availability of funds and not on mismanagement of the supply chain. The remedy to this kind of situation is by capital assistance. Another possible option to maintain the flow of the supply chain is by acquisition of the units in the chain that is experiencing a hard blow from the economic crisis. Aramco could temporarily take over the financing of its production so that the unit may continue to operate and the employee would not lose their jobs. Unemployment would create additional burden to the ongoing financial crisis. Saudi Aramco has the capacity to generate production of its supply chain unless it is willing to suspend indefinitely its project with Foster Wheeler. The movement of Saudi Aramco supply is vital to its operation in distribution and expansion in order to accommodate the growing demand for oil in the world. Saudi Aramco is also part of another supply chain and the disruption on its supply would create stoppage of production to it end user. In the same manner, the stoppage of supply from the company supply chain might also result to a decease or worst, stoppage of the company production in the long run. For as long there is still the chance to save the continuous decline of financially able company in the supply chain of Saudi Aramco, it is the best opportunity for Aramco to show its goodwill to all its allies and to the world in general. The management team of Saudi Aramco is determined to continue to play its role in meeting the world's demand for oil exploration & producing, refining, distribution, shipping, marketing as the leading producer of the energy that powers the world's economies and empowers its people, committed to fulfill the kingdom development goals including developing the Kingdom’s industrial base and diversifying economy, helping creates jobs for Saudi nationals and maximizing the value of the Kingdom’s natural resources. Much more so, the Company cannot afford to create possible problems in its supply chain. Saudi Aramco is a government owned company and it does not depend on any political pressures or compromises from any person in the country except to the King due to the monarchial form of government that Saudi Arabia has. The company structure of Aramco is bureaucratic and hierarchical that is why there is absence of threat coming from the labor sector or any human rights advocates in the international scene. Saudi Arabia law is based on Shari’ a law and its legal implications. In this case, the Company has the power to take control temporarily of its suppliers who are experiencing financial downturn. At Saudi Aramco, there is no other power aside from the monarch and the top management level of the company. Stakeholders are not a major threat nor can they pose any threat at all. Aramco’s investment is more of partnership with other big oil producing countries and not on the individual share of investments. What can be considered to have power over the company is the presence of foreign partners as distributors and international oil producing companies that accepted Aramco’s partnership strategy in producing enough supply of world’s fuel and oil needs. Saudi Aramco also uses Management Information and Decision Support System that delivers information to support many of its day-to-day management’s decision-making needs and supply chain operation processes. Reports, display, and responses produced by such systems provide wide range of information that the Aramco management has specified in advance to meet adequately their information needs. Such predefined information satisfies the need for awareness and updated situation of the organization in relation to its supply chain performance, financial situation and production apabilities (http://www. saudiaramco. com. sa). Saudi Aramco MIDSS provides the needed information to the Aramco’s decision makers at the operational and tactical level of the organization. Based on the data generated from the program Saudi Aramco management can determine how and when to entertain an increase of oil production, price, cost of operation, wages and purchasing ability of the company. The in formation takes the form of periodic, exception, and demand reports and immediate responses to inquiry. Saudi Aramco’s web browsers, application programs, and data-base-management-software provide access to information in the intranet and other operational database of the organization. These databases are maintained by transaction processing system. The data about the business environment are gathered from the Internet or intranet when necessary and when greatly demanded. (http://www. aramco. com) Based on this technological competencies, the company is able to secure all the necessary information its suppliers might be needed at the moment so as to continue their production. V. Conclusion The plight of Saudi Aramco supply chain management definitely lies on the hand of the company. We have learned from Saudi Aramco that the company’s supply chain has been operating perfectly without interruption. The company was able to manage its supplier’s time scheduling, processing, manufacturing, delivering, and stocking. There were minor problems along the way especially in transporting the supplies needed by the company but the problem was resolved immediately before it can cause damage to the company’s oil production. By becoming the world leader in the oil industry the company’s long term plan must not sacrificed due to financial difficulties of its suppliers. Small problem that is left unattended became big and too difficult to solve in the near future. The same occurrence is happening to the supply chain process of the Saudi Aramco high quality materials and equipments for its development and expansionary project at Rastanura. The delay in the start of the project would lead to the extension of its completion, late performance, and finally slow production which would be advantageous to competitors. Supply chain management assures the end ompany an uninterrupted production and a continuous flow of resources from the suppliers’ supplier to the manufacturer to the consumer then back to the supplier’s supplier. The cycle goes on and on for as long as the chain remains consistent and stable. Saudi Aramco with vast resources and technological capabilities can easily detect any di sruptive factor along its supply chain. Now is the time for Saudi Aramco to divert momentarily a portion of its focus to the financial status of its suppliers. V1. References: Al-Naimi, A. I. (2002) Saudi Arabia's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Washington, D. C. April 22. http://www. saudiaramco. com/html/speeches (access June 5, 2009) Al-Naimi, A. I. (2002) Saudi Arabia's Approach to Oil Market Stability and Energy Security, Expanding Energy Frontiers – The Institute of Energy Economics of Japan, Osaka, Japan http://www. saudiaramco. com/html/speeches (access June 5, 2009) Arntzen, B. C. , G. G. Brown, T. P. Harrison, and L. Trafton (1995) Global Supply Chain Management at Digital Equipment Corporation, Interfaces, Journal of Operation Management, No. 231, p. 112 Ballou, R. H. (1992) Business Logistics Management, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, p. 1 – 23 Cohen, M. A. and H. L. Lee (1989) Resource Deployment Analysis of Global Manufactu ring and Distribution Networks, Journal of Manufacturing and Operations Management, No. 7, pp. 81-84 Cooper, M. C. , and L. M. Ellram (1993) Characteristics of Supply Chain Management and the Implications for Purchasing and Logistics Strategy. The International Journal of Logistics Management, No. 23 pp. 4, 2, 13-24. Jum'ah, A. S. (2002) President and CEO Saudi Aramco, Calgary, Canada, June 11. http://www. saudiaramco. com/html/speeches (access June 5, 2009) Lee, H. L. , and C. Billington (1992) Supply Chain Management: Pitfalls and Opportunities, Sloan Management Review, No. 33, Spring, pp. 65-73. Lee, H. L. , and C. Billington (1993) Material Management in Decentralized Supply Chains, Operations Research, No. 41 pp. 35-47 Masters, J. M. (1993) Determination of Near-Optimal Stock Levels for Multi-Echelon Distribution Inventories, Journal of Business Logistics, No. 14, pp. 165-195. Thajudeen, S. M. (2009) Foster Wheeler Group of Companies Middle East Region, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, February 15. http://www. saudiaramco. com. sa/homepage/projects (access June 5, 2009)

The Curse of the Lady’s Dressing Room

Jonathan Swift’s poem, The Lady’s Dressing Room, is a comic satire that seeks to show readers the inescapable humanity – and its flaws and gory ugliness – that women have to live with no matter how hard they try to make themselves appear immaculately beautiful on the outside. It could be read as a criticism of the extreme efforts women do to make themselves beautiful, and as a criticism of the beholder, the man, who is enamored by the physical beauty only to realize the imperfections being hidden underneath that flawless exterior in the lady’s dressing room. The dressing room is where the transformation takes place – this is where the lady goes in simple and when she comes out she is a radiant beauty and men cannot help themselves. That is what the poem implies that is why the poem begins with a man, Strephon, who is enamored by Celia who takes at least five hours to prepare herself, sneaking in the dressing room to find out why, and discovers the horrors that goes on not only inside the room but also with his beloved Celia’s body beneath those laces and brocades. He discovers: first a dirty Smock appear'd, Beneath the Arm-pits well besmear'd. Strephon, the Rogue, display'd it wide, And turn'd it round on every Side. On such a Point few Words are best, And Strephon bids us guess the rest; But swears how damnably the Men lie, In calling Celia sweet and cleanly. That in fact, Celia is not as perfect as she seems – her clothes have perspiration and bad smell on them. hat follows next is a series of finding other items Celia uses to prepare herself – combs with dirt, dandruff and sweat, a piece of cloth with oil used to cover wrinkles, gloves made from Celia’s dog’s skin when it died, and various little jars filled with pomade, paint, ointments, all these used to cover her imperfections. Strephon even finds the discarded stockings that reveal stinking toes. No wonder that at the end of the poem, Strephon could no longer look straight at any woman, for his imagination always conjures the images he saw in the dressing roo m and saw their stinks, their flaws that they try so hard to hide. The narrator of the poem says that this is vengeance for his peeping, for if Strephon did no such thing then he could still be blessed when he sees beautiful women without knowing â€Å"such gaudy Tulips rais’d from Dung†. Hence this is the curse of the lady’s dressing room, that it took the magic and wonder for the beholder and made him see the woman as the imperfect creature masquerading to be a work of art. However, the dressing room is also a curse for Celia and all women, as it is the chamber where they feed their obsession to make themselves beautiful for men. In the poem the narrator mentioned â€Å"Celia’s magnifying Glass†, which is simply a mirror, but in this mirror everything was enlarged, that it can †¦to Sight disclose, The smallest Worm in Celia's Nose, And faithfully direct her Nail To squeeze it out from Head to Tail; For catch it nicely by the Head, It must come out alive or dead. — that it makes her so insecure to make her spend time to look for even the minutest flaws that no one would see anyway. The woman spends a minimum of five hours (perhaps an exaggerated figure, but the point is that women spend a large amount of time preening) and fails to see that real beauty comes from within, not on what is reflected by a piece of glass. The poem shows the readers an image of the preparation taken to make one look good outside but in so doing shows that perhaps it is nature’s way that makes it so difficult – that we should learn to appreciate each other and ourselves, flaws included, for we all have them. This is not to say to forgo hygiene, but merely to examine what activities we spend time on. The curse of the dressing room is that it makes us believe in the illusion that media sells us: the dream of that perfect skin, that Barbie body, that photoshopped face, that if we make up ourselves as long as we need to we can transcend our human bodies’ flaws. But we cannot, because all these are parts of what makes us who we are.

AllinOne Computer Security Systems

The program also contains other features including ways to better the health of your PC. Norton Internet Security plus 360 versions 4. 0 warns you of dangerous downloads before you install and run them on your computer. Norton Internet Security has an extra layer of protection that detects viruses, spyware, Trojans and other threats. In addition Norton 360 4. 0 identifies applications that are impacting the performance of your PC. Using an all-in-one computer security protects your CPU from hijackers, identity theft, spyware, and virus. In addition using a security all in one center generally protects the user computer on its own. This keeps your system and all your information safe from others. There are some security programs which protect as well such as Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Spam, Anti-Root kit, Identity Protection, Link Scanner Active Surf, Link Scanner Search, Web Protection Firewall, and Sophisticated threat detection. Using an all-in-one security system is effective because the programs are not conflicting with each other; instead they all work together within one system. An all-in-one security system will use less running memory than several security systems running parallel to each other. All-in-one security system is effective in many elements such physically secured security appliance, content discrimination, quick recovery from failure, highly configurable logging and notification, simplicity, high uptime, economy secure connections, well-conceived security system policies, scalability, distributed architecture, of IP addresses, secure remote management and communication, authentication, virtual private networking, and summarize and report network activity. What the all in one computer security systems protect against is with spyware, virus, identity theft, and hijackers. The all in one computer security systems block the threats from getting onto your computer as long as it is running at all times. References McAfee. McAfee Total Protection 2010. Retrieved from. http://download. mcafee. com/products/manuals/en-us/mtp_datasheet_2010. pdf Norton by Symantec. Top-ranked Protection. Norton 360â„ ¢ Version 6. 0. Retrieved from. http://us. norton. com/360 Internet Security Handbook. What Makes a Good Network Security System and effective security system. Retrieved from. http://www. watchguard. com/help/lss/41/handbook/need_fo3. htm AllinOne Computer Security Systems The program also contains other features including ways to better the health of your PC. Norton Internet Security plus 360 versions 4. 0 warns you of dangerous downloads before you install and run them on your computer. Norton Internet Security has an extra layer of protection that detects viruses, spyware, Trojans and other threats. In addition Norton 360 4. 0 identifies applications that are impacting the performance of your PC. Using an all-in-one computer security protects your CPU from hijackers, identity theft, spyware, and virus. In addition using a security all in one center generally protects the user computer on its own. This keeps your system and all your information safe from others. There are some security programs which protect as well such as Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Spam, Anti-Root kit, Identity Protection, Link Scanner Active Surf, Link Scanner Search, Web Protection Firewall, and Sophisticated threat detection. Using an all-in-one security system is effective because the programs are not conflicting with each other; instead they all work together within one system. An all-in-one security system will use less running memory than several security systems running parallel to each other. All-in-one security system is effective in many elements such physically secured security appliance, content discrimination, quick recovery from failure, highly configurable logging and notification, simplicity, high uptime, economy secure connections, well-conceived security system policies, scalability, distributed architecture, of IP addresses, secure remote management and communication, authentication, virtual private networking, and summarize and report network activity. What the all in one computer security systems protect against is with spyware, virus, identity theft, and hijackers. The all in one computer security systems block the threats from getting onto your computer as long as it is running at all times. References McAfee. McAfee Total Protection 2010. Retrieved from. http://download. mcafee. com/products/manuals/en-us/mtp_datasheet_2010. pdf Norton by Symantec. Top-ranked Protection. Norton 360â„ ¢ Version 6. 0. Retrieved from. http://us. norton. com/360 Internet Security Handbook. What Makes a Good Network Security System and effective security system. Retrieved from. http://www. watchguard. com/help/lss/41/handbook/need_fo3. htm

Juvenile Detainees Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Juvenile Detainees - Research Paper Example s responsibility to ensure that the young detainees are provided with special education and psychological restoration, in order to help them regain their well-being and prevent recidivism. Correctional officers come across many unique situations in their profession, where the detainees require special attention and consideration. Cases of substance abuse, sexual abuse, children suffering from mental disorders, those belonging to minority groups and children with disabilities often come under this purview. The role of a juvenile correctional officer is probably one of the most challenging ones, requiring a strong sense of solidarity as well as sensibility towards the juvenile detainees. The responsibilities of a correctional officer extend beyond mere provision of security and supervision. The future of a juvenile detainee often depends on the actions of his/her correctional officer. Such a role can only be fully surmised when the tasks, responsibilities and the tribulations faced by an officer, in relation to the detainees assigned to him, are fully understood. The neurobiological and psychological states of children and adolescents are very fragile, especially in the case of juvenile delinquents. Most juvenile offenders are found to have psychological disorders and mental ailments, which expose them and the correctional officers to dangerous and often life threatening situations. Young detainees are found to have a higher incidence of suicidal tendencies, substance abuse and crimina l inclinations that often place correctional officers in unique situations that need to be dealt with meticulous, clever as well as humanitarian approaches. On account of their violent history, juvenile delinquents take a long time to

Revise essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Revise - Essay Example This bothered me sometimes until the bigger picture, their future became clearer. Raising children off the reservation can be both beneficial and constructive depending on the situations. In the beginning, I questioned myself why I was doing this? Was it to rebel from a community that I did not feel connected to or was I thinking about the importance of my kids life? Keeping them off the reservation was not endangering them or making them culturally insensitive. I found it to be protective and looking at the well being of their future. Many would disagree with me and say I was selfish because one should be respectful of his or her culture. Calling my children names, frowning at them and not being allowed to participate in certain activities they wanted were some of the problems my children faced for not being fully involved within their tribe. I thought this was not crippling their opportunities, but allowing them to see what else was out in the world and not in the reservation. Most Native Americans find it oaky not to be educated; and instead opt to work for their Tribal Casino and Resort. This was not going to be the situation for my children. During my kids youth was apparently the time when Native American education was not taken seriously. At this point, the damage on the youth revolved around things such as addictions, lack of world experiences, good healthcare, and crime. Originally, we had opted to raise our kids in the reservation because it was convenient for them to attend tribal schools where it was inexpensive and sometimes had free childcare. The older the children got, it became obvious their education had to be a priority in our lives; thus, we decided to move. With graduation rates at an all-time low and test scores getting lower, it was evident this was the best move my children. I wanted my children to have the opportunity to learn and have new experiences. My kids’

Language and Intercultural Skills in European SMES Essay

Language and Intercultural Skills in European SMES - Essay Example In effect, this underlines the global approach that business is taking. In this case, globalisation does not only affect the multinational corporations, but also affects SMEs. Thus, remaining competitive and adapting to the modern business environment is the most essential approach towards the global business phenomenon. Adapting to the new business models requires SMEs to acquire new skills essential for remaining competitive. In this regard, SMEs should not continue with the usual methods of transacting business. One important object for these businesses is to ensure that they learned foreign languages enhance their competitiveness in the business world. It is important to point out that, customers will always appreciate conducting business while speaking their language. In effect, managers will always find it competitive to learn foreign languages as an essential skill to conduct their businesses. On the other hand, it is crucial for managers to learn intercultural skills since â €Å"Geography is dead† on a business perspective. However, in order for SMEs' managers to learn foreign languages and intercultural skills, it is important for businesses, governments, and university to collaborate in order to prepare young managers to adapt to the competitive global market effectively. Therefore, the first part of this expose discusses the importance of learning foreign languages in SMEs, in Europe. The second part is a discussion of the importance of intercultural skills for these SMEs. Finally, the final part of the expose is a discussion of the collaborative efforts businesses, governments, and the university can implement to prepare the budding managers to a competitive global business environment. Importance of Foreign Language Skills for European SMEs English is ideally the formal language for conducting business in Europe. However, there are other important languages that an individual should learn in order for them to transact business in an orderly manner. Some of these languages include Spanish, French, and German, among other languages. In this regard, failure to learn foreign languages limits SMEs in terms of market reach and expansion. According to the European Union (2003, p. 39), SMEs are small and medium-sized enterprises, which meet a set definition criteria of staff headcount, annual balance sheet and turnover. On the other hand, skills in foreign languages ensure that the time taken for negotiations is shorter and since managers in SMEs are able to build relationships while communicating in the local language of the countries of their operations. Besides, foreign language skills are crucial in eliminating poor judgement since managers are able to interpret data by understanding the foreign language. According to Maurais and Morris (2003, p.1), â€Å"Global communications challenges are becoming increasingly prominent in a rapidly changing world characterised by rising interdependence.† In this regard, this imp lies that no single business unit can survive on its own without depending on another business. In this case, a business needs suppliers and producers of the goods and services that formed their business operations. Importantly, businesses and customers have a symbiotic relationship enabled by communication. Communication entails passing information and obtaining feedback between two parties, which is possible by understanding

Book Review on 'The Modern Firm' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Book Review on 'The Modern Firm' - Essay Example Thus, these insights can be more readily applied to any developing business firm to achieve the desired level of success. According to the Economist, The Modern Firm is the "..best business book of the year...deserves to be a classic...Nobody, it can now be said, is fully fit to run a modern firm until they have read "The Modern Firm. " (The Economist, 16th December, 2004). Times also agrees with Economist calling the book â€Å"interesting† that is not so in many business literatures. Objective The book’s objective is to explicate some of the core concepts in organizational economics in a language accessible also for the lay people (Fredrick Tell, November 2006). The Wave of Change In this book a strong conceptual framework has been developed to analyze the interrelation between business environment, competitive strategy and organizational design features. According to Fredrick Tell, the essential problem that Roberts discusses is how features of strategy and organizat ion can be modified by a â€Å"designer† so as to achieve higher level of performance in relation to the firm’s context. Industries from all the corners of the globe are introducing new and modern designs for their organizations. They are going in for better and innovative architecture. They are changing their processes and routines. Thus, we find that the total corporate culture is undergoing a dramatic transformation in a bid to maximize their profit. However, all these changes are contributing towards a great upheaval that promises to reconstruct the entire organization. Hence, we can see that the values and beliefs of any organization are greatly transformed with the passage of time. The changes do not stop at the infrastructure level but move on to the power making authorities too. Hence, newer governing bodies are being formed within the organizations that affect the overall decision taking authority. The organizational charts are being redrawn while the manpower is shrunk and made as diverse as possible. Outsourcing is also coming up as a cost effective and simple solution that solves much of the productivity problems. The mechanism to reward and motivate people is being revamped. The information system is also being redesigned to include latest technologies. Hence, the entire organization is suffering a facelift to present the business in a healthier and better way. Compulsory Changes John Robert argues in favor of these changes as he says that they are compulsory for the growth of the industries. He says that these changes would affect the organization in a better way and accelerate the companies’ performance and growth. However, the writer cautions that the change should not be done to the cost of the basic profit formula. The industries that are already successful and showing great monetary returns should continue to embrace that winning formula while affecting the required overall change. The Determinants of Performance Accordi ng to the writer, the performance has three determinants- Strategy, Organization and Environment. Strategy: What merchandise is suitable for which market? Organization: It consists of a collection of workers and the way they are grouped. Environment: Customers, competitors, technology, regulatory and regal context, various social, demographic and political features, and so on. When all three determinants work in accordance with each other then the performance level is maximized that result in a greater level of achievement. PARC PARC is Roberts’

The growth in internet use has affected cultures around the world, Essay - 4

The growth in internet use has affected cultures around the world, leading to a westernised, homogenous world culture - Essay Example Triandis (1989) pointed out that other cultures learn from western culture in view of the individualism western conception: collective objectives are surpassed by individual ones implying that individuals are important. This essay will therefore, argue how the Internet use growth has affected many cultures globally, leading to a westernized, homogenous world culture. Furthermore, it will evaluate this claim critically in relation to youth culture, business, and politics. The use of the Internet growth has affected the youth culture globally, leading to a westernized, homogenous world culture. In particular, in the web content development many teenagers tend to be active participants. The capability of the youths as contributors was increased immensely by the web 2.0 dawn. Their capability as contributors was increased to web content and not passive consumers. According to Shim (2007), the association between the youth and media is another development of the internet culture. The varying framework of social media facilitates the establishment of large-scale and ad-hoc as well as formal online communities, where generated content of the user flourishes. With regards to this, the user generated content also created by photographers who share their photos, musicians who publicize their music and bloggers who post news. The reduced cost of distributing materials and of synchronizing innovative efforts facilitate the youth to create their content and toge ther work with others in political, economic, and social activities (Goggin and McLelland, 2009). A lot of youths are getting in expanding and are building relationships with their existing friends. Shim (2007) noted that not all youths are permanently engaged to the internet are committed to productions of contents. Unlike offline interaction, interactions online are not limited to a geographical area. Through the social media, youths are interacting, sharing

Tax avoidance; a debate easily resolved Assignment

Tax avoidance; a debate easily resolved - Assignment Example According to, European Commission: Consultation on Double Non-Taxation Cases. (2012, May 1), tax avoidance is an approach where individuals use the legally provided tax policies to reduce the burden of taxation on them. In as much as such act is legal we will find that morally it is repugnant. In addition, the UK law tries as much as possible to minimize the loopholes that individuals are likely to use in tax avoidance schemes. The challenge though has been the sheer fact that the UK tax law is targeted as opposed to being purposive. There has been a consistent crop up of schemes that go around the law and these have further fueled legislative action. It is in record that so many commentators have advocated for the formulation of legislations to counter tax avoidance in general. This has been fueled by the fact that the establishment of the GAARs would ensure that efforts by the public to avoid taxation are thwarted (Freedman 2004). This further ensures that the taxpayer and the lawm akers divert their energies and efforts to other more productive activities. The tax authority is as well given the chance of being in the position of simplifying the law without being undermined. Among many other things, tax avoidance has been viewed to as well be an ethical issue in business. Companies have been found to seek for the minimization of their tax liabilities as a part of good governance through tax planning. They do so by making use and exploiting all the tools made available to them by the governments of the day (Sikka 2013). Such tools include allowances given, deductions advanced, and rebates. While tax planning is an open, convenient and compliant behavior, tax avoidance is a complex issue for most companies in the UK. Tax avoidance is a legitimate and it is the use of tools such as financial instruments to achieve tax desires that are favorable to the taxpayer while unanticipated by the government. Companies can employ the use of overseas

Management Essay Example for Free

Management Essay Essay Title: Suggest ways in which managers can choose to manage diversity in the workplace. Illustrate with examples from organisational practice. Gilmore, Williams et al, 2009. Human Resource Management. New York: Oxford University. Summary This book not only describes the knowledge of human resource management (HRM) but also illustrates numerous interesting examples with further discussion, such as discussion questions and case study that link the theories and practices. In chapter 11, it mainly discusses the equality, diversity, and dignity at work with real cases, it also provides the background of diversity and the main pieces of UK equality laws. Authority The book was written by Sarah Gilmore and Steve Williams. They are two principal lecturers at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. Dr. Gilmore’s research interests are HRM, training and development and psychoanalysis. In addition, Dr. Williams co-authored Human Resource Management and other three books. For instance, Contemporary Employment Relations: a Critical Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, 2010). Two authors both have academic background and relate in those fields. Currency The book was published in 2009. It is current enough for my research. Accuracy This book includes abundant references, it not only states the knowledge of theoretical side but also provides practical aspects such as the real case of Tesco. On the other hand, this book have many information related the Internet sources that would be lower reliable than other information. Readership Managers would read it because it would help readers to improve the knowledge about this field. Relevance The information about the UK equality law is vital important for my research. It completed my whole picture of essay. Due to, in my research the legislation is a main element to reduce the discriminations in the workplace.

Organizational Change Management Theory

Organizational Change Management Theory People and Organization Management in the Built Environment Organizational Change Management Theory Introduction- To understand change in an organization, it is important to study an organization and its culture. This is because, changing an organization is nothing but changing its culture which ultimately causes change in performance. An Organization can be defined as â€Å"social arrangement of consciously coordinated activities for achieving controlled performances in the pursuit of common goals†. (Price and Chahal, 2006, p. 238) Organizational culture can be defined as â€Å"characteristic, spirit and belief of an organization [†¦] generally held about how people should behave and treat each other in an organization [†¦] and attitudes to change.† (Price and Chahal, 2006, p. 238) Depending on the market requirements, an organization is setup according to- resource allocation, production capacity, technological requirement etc. This is why organizations have to constantly change to adapt to the ever-changing market while securing the organizations perspectives. Depending on the market situation, it can be a crisis change or chosen change. Organizational change can be developmental (doing better than current situation), transitional (implementation of new desired state) or transformational (evolutionary new state). (Price and Chahal, 2006) But whether it is intended or forced, the company needs to change in order to remain competent. Change management helps resist the effect that change in the market has on an organization, increasing the importance of change management over the years. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) Changing an organizational culture affects the people involved in it in various ways like change in job profile, learning new techniques, job cut, etc. So, it becomes necessary to manage all the people involved, to successfully implement change while not disturbing the companys goal. This makes change management a complex process. Considering different orientations like planning, stake-holder management etc. change management can be defined as- A continuous aggregation of processes, instruments and techniques, to improve the efficiency of the organization in problem solving and target attainment, achieved by eliminating the causes of resistance to change, working in an organized and systematic way, from both company and employee perspectives. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) Change process: Since the whole change process is very complex, let us consider a case-study to understand it better. We will analyze it using three models of change management, after which we will attempt to draw a strategic change management framework which can be used in any organization. Our case-study will also be critically analyzed against this framework. Case-study Aluminium Company of America (ALCOA) (1990) plant at Swansea is the company under review. (Price and Chahal, 2006) Senior managers of this company realized the need to review their plant culture and processes. They presented their case to the ALCOA board at Pittsburg, USA emphasizing on the companys present and desired state. The board was convinced about the need to change. Senior managers then established a taskforce to take the responsibility of the change program. It had 12 members ranging from employees, production managers, engineers, personnel, operators and craftsman. The task force drew the following Vision Statement- ‘To help establish ALCOA, Swansea, as a model company by developing a plant that contributes to the long-term prosperity and security of the company and its employees. (Price and Chahal, 2006, p. 245) In 1991, the taskforce drafted the internal document comprising of some important elements and strategies including vision, need to change, benefits, critical factors, resistance, etc. The ‘plan to overcome resistance was: â€Å"[] we must go forward and improve or cease to do business†. (Price and Chahal, 2006, p. 245) The taskforce reviewed and changed their manufacturing processes and procedures by benchmarking with other companies like ALCOA Tennessee, Cadburys etc. They observed no initial resistance while implementing new processes and procedures. But, later they noticed some symptoms like reduced productivity and they observed the reasons, as employee aspects like working practices, multi-tasking, pay, arising because of the old structure of organization having seniority and unionized systems. To overcome this, the workforce appointed a new team, which developed a system by analyzing the organizations present and desired state. They changed the working philosophy of the plant workforce and the basis for remuneration. They conducted a series of workshop trainings for the entire workforce. Though this entire process was difficult, they observed improved performance at the start of 2000. They were very close to their targets. The new reduced workforce was highly committed and motivated. But afte r all this success, ALCOA Swansea unexpectedly closed down in 2003. The senior management blamed overcapacity and slow market growth for failure. (Price and Chahal, 2006) Analysis: Although the senior management blamed overcapacity and slow market growth, it clearly indicates that they failed to analyze the market and adjust to it by aggressive marketing, necessary lay-offs etc. To understand the reasons for the failure, we will analyze the case-study using three models viz. The Leavitts Model (1965), Weisbords six-boxes (1976), McKinsey 7S Framework (1981-82). Leavitts Model: Leavitt focused on four variables in the organization, their interdependence and their influence on the change process. The variables considered are- * Task and subtasks- Those which are involved in achieving the target. * People- Who carry out the task. * Technology- Which is adapted to achieve the task. * Structure of the organization- In terms of authority, communication, workflow etc. Interlinking of the variables suggests that this is an interactive and continuous process. He did not take external factors into account. (Falletta, 2005) In our case-study, the first factor to vary was ‘Task. Change managers decided to change the companys plant culture and processes. Then they appointed a workforce, so the second variable changed was ‘People. Then ‘Technology and ‘Structure changed as a result of the changed plant processes and procedures that is change in the working philosophy and remuneration. But later on, an outbreak of resistance demanded a change in the human variable as well as the Structure. This resulted in the creation of a new highly motivated workforce. This increased the companys productivity and changed the sub-task, which was to win enough projects for the workforce to keep them motivated and achieve the ‘vision. But, the senior management was not a part of the task force and became an external factor leading to ignorance of vital marketing function. Considering the slow market growth, the change managers could have changed either ‘Technology or ‘People variabl e; that is they could have sold some machinery or reduced the workforce to achieve the desired productivity. Ignorance of all these resulted in failure of the change process and ultimately company closure. Weisbords six-boxes: Weisbord considered six broad categories as shown above. When compared with Leavitts model, there are three different factors considered- * Relationship- The way in which people interact with each other and with the technology. * Rewards- Given to workforce for performance. * Leadership- Common leadership tasks including the equilibrium between the other factors. External environment is also considered in this model unlike Levitts model. It also tells us about the importance of input and output in relation to the external and internal environments. It does not highlight much on interconnectivity of all the internal factors (Falletta, 2005). In our case study, Relationship between the team was maintained well, making it highly motivated. Relationship between people and technology was also maintained which was achieved through training. Provision for rewards was made by changing the basis for remuneration. But, the Leadership failed. This is because of the failure to analyze the balance between external and internal inputs and outputs like reduced market growth, less productivity and profitability. This may be the result of lack of co-ordination between senior and junior management and non inclusion of senior management in the task force. When the junior managers observed lesser productivity than expected, senior managers should have made an attempt to get more jobs by aggressive marketing or should have reduced the manpower. The ‘vision was partially achieved. Though they tried to achieve employee security by retaining them, the companys perspective of long term prosperity and security was not achieved and the proc ess failed. McKinsey 7S Framework: This model was drawn by the employees at McKinsey, who did corresponding research in business and industry. It considers seven variables which are- * Strategy- The plan in allocating resources to achieve the target. * Systems- Existing processes followed in the organization. * Staff-Different categories of personnel. * Skills- Different capabilities. * Style- How key managers behave to achieve the goal. * Shared value- The significant guiding concepts common among the organization. The interconnectivity between these is shown by the shape of the model. The author advises that the company cannot just change one or two variables to change the whole organization. In order to achieve long term benefit, variables should be changed to become more congruent as a system, suggesting that change is a continuous process. It does not consider external environment. The concept of the performance or effectiveness is not clear in the model. (Falletta, 2005) In our case-study, Shared values are the ‘vision statement as this is the common goal of all the employees. Skills were as per the requirement of the change process which was achieved through training. Production Systems were as per requirements, but Financial Systems needed more check on productivity and profitability. Staff and Style failed because of lack of coordination between senior and junior managers due to non-inclusion of the senior management in the task force, making them an external factor. As a result, they were unable to establish system to take care of shared values. Strategy failed as the company did not allocate more staff in marketing team, while production team needed lay-off. Hence, the vision was not achieved and company closed down. Strategic framework of Change management We will draw a six step strategic framework to help implement change in any organization. We will also analyze our case study using this framework. The main distinguishing characteristic of this framework is, that it considers the detailed role of all those involved in the change management process. 1. Preparing the organization This initiates the thought process. The first step is to study the organizations present state to determine its change capacity to have a realistic vision. Studying the organizations present routines gives an understanding of how the organization operates which guides about its performance in a specific routine. This will again strengthen the understanding of organizational operations and will guide about relevant performance. (Feldman, 2003, p. 729) Change managers then interact with different stakeholders to understand the need to change to achieve the right purpose and agree on the organizations desired state, considering internal and external drivers of change. This helps managers list out broad types of cultural and technological changes required. This is then conveyed to the entire workforce along with the benefits the company and employees would get through the change. This helps win their confidence and make them feel secured and involved. Care is taken not to convey informat ion about a specific group or individual to avoid the feeling of mistrust amongst the whole organization. (Price and Chahal, 2006) In our case study, this step was implemented effectively. Organizational analysis for present and future state was done perfectly and it was conveyed to people in such a way that everybody was convinced about the need to change. 2. Developing the process Vision is the guiding statement of the change process which relates the companys ultimate goal, making it the most important step of the change management process. The vision and objectives should be realistic and clear. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) Change managers first decide three groups viz. implementation team, range of stakeholders and workforce. Feedback from step one is analyzed and used as the basis to find out different change strategies. All these strategies are then evaluated against certain questions which are * Does the option have a clear perspective and a systematic approach? * Does the option support organizational or personal goals? * Were all the working environments and source perspectives considered? (Price and Chahal, 2006) Different change strategies analyzed above are again brainstormed and evaluated within the group and a final strategic process is decided which can even be the combination of some of the options evaluated. Finally a working document is drafted. Different sections in the draft include- Background, Vision, Goal, Objectives, Design, Implementation plan, Timescales, etc. (Price and Chahal, 2006) Implementation plan should include important aspects like cultural development, employee mobilization, knowledge management, incentive systems, transformation map, and stakeholder management. It is observed that 10% to 30% of companies fail to plan for this. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) Cost-benefit analysis is a very important aspect of change. Every change costs something which can be categorized as economic and psychological. Economic cost is related to expenditure incurred, while psychological cost is the strain caused when people try to adjust to the change. (Newstrom and Davis, 2000) So this cost-benefit analysis is required to determine the worthiness of change. Only 40% of the companies think that cost-benefit analysis is a must because all activities are investments that must pay off in the end. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) In our case study, the vision statement was well written and the implementation plan was fairly drawn. But they failed to apply the Cost-benefit analysis at the right time and could not recognize that their resources were over assigned. Also, they failed to plan for the changing market situation, therefore could not adjust to the market growth. 3. Test support This is the phase before the final planning stage. Once the strategic process is decided, management ensures that the team is still enthusiastic about the plan. This is the last opportunity to review all the documentation and accommodate any last minute developments before the actual implementation. This stage confirms the decision about the strategic process. (Newstrom and Davis, 2000) In our case study, this step was either not taken or not mentioned in the article. But, it ultimately did not affect the process. 4. Communication Successful communication of vision and objectives at the right time, to the stakeholders and the people affected by the change is the key to success. In order to link strategic and operational change, it is necessary to communicate it ending on a warning. (Whipp and Pettigrew, 1992) Implementation team should identify the effect change has on the groups as well as on the individuals. While assigning new jobs, they should try to cooperate with the employees to the highest degree possible and make them feel involved. â€Å"When people think about what actions they are to take in an organizational routine, they are not confined to thinking about performances of the routine they are enacting but may think broadly about a wide variety of organizational performances†. (Feldman, 2003, p. 729) Change managers need to be proactive in reducing the amount of resistance by having the ‘plan to overcome resistance ready. (Price and Chahal, 2006) Personal communication, conflict management, leadership development and team building are the most important aspects of effective communication. Retention management is the most overlooked aspect observed in nearly 50% of the companies. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) In our case study, communication with employees ended on a warning note as given in the plan to overcome resistance. Change was communicated successfully and the managers cooperated with the workforce resulting in successful restructuring of the organization; correcting all the defects. 5. Implementation This is a crucial phase of the process. Change managers follow the implementation plan and continue to do so till the end. If not done properly, there is a great risk of encountering resistance which can be recognized through symptoms like reduced productivity, gossips/rumors, etc. When recognized, its source needs to be identified and treated according to the ‘plan to overcome resistance drawn at step 4. (Price and Chahal, 2006) There are some common implementation barriers observed, such as- too many activities without prioritization, no sustained monitoring of activities (observed in more than 40% of the companies). Other barriers are- constant reorganizations of the company, inadequate support from line management, inadequate readiness to take responsibility etc. (Cap Gemini Ernst Young, 2004) In our case study, implementation of the plan was successful in the beginning. When they observed resistance, they took necessary action against it. But it was not followed till the end. The plan was to increase the productivity. When the market slowed down, necessary action should have been taken like workforce reduction or aggressive marketing to bring sufficient jobs for the highly motivated workforce. 6. Evaluation Change managers can evaluate the effectiveness of the process using Key Performance Indicators, at any stage of implementation. Generally, planning engineer or implementation team is not involved because of the obvious vested interests. Middle management can do it better, with unbiased views. This can be done with process inspections and audits. New processes can be reviewed and compared with the chosen process. After doing so, if any problem is identified, necessary adjustments need to be made to the process; this can be repeated several times. This continues and the process becomes a driver for the next change. (Price and Chahal, 2006) In our case study, this step was almost neglected by the change managers. They either failed to analyze the less productivity resulting from the slow market growth or failed to incorporate necessary changes in the process to achieve the vision. Conclusion: Change management is a very complex process because of the different factors involved in it. Though there is no globally accepted model, we can use different models in the same situation. Some models are easier to use, while others need more critical analysis according to the situation. It depends on the change manager to adapt a certain process. If all the steps are followed through, keeping the vision in mind, we can successfully implement change. Otherwise it can be as disastrous as company closure.

Odyssey :: essays research papers

"Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time here gone before us." (p.1 A Heroes Adventure). This quote from Joseph Campbell tells you the essence of a hero. Odysseus might be a hero in the book but Telemachus was the one who went through the real journey. Campbell defines a hero one as "who has found or done something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." (p.1 A Heroes Adventure) Now if you consider the fact that Odysseus was put in this series of predicaments but outside forces that would consider him a hero, wouldn't you? But, he did not believe in or accept those gods as power above beyond himself. Now if he does not believe as the gods as a higher power then he is not a hero because Campbell specifically states that "a hero is one who accomplishes something bigger than one's self." If Odysseus does not believe that the gods are a higher power, than he did not accomplish something above and beyond an abnormal adventure by defeating the spite of Poseidon. Campbell defines a hero by the type of adventure as well. "Well there are two types of deed. One is the physical deed, in which the hero performs a courageous act in battle or saves a life. The other kind is the spiritual deed, in which the hero learns to experience the supernormal range of human spiritual life and then comes back with a message." p.1(A Heroes Adventure) So this does say that Odysseus is a hero to some degree, but who is the real hero? Telemachus is the real hero. He went both through the physical journey searching for Odysseus and the spiritual journey. He went on the spiritual journey of becoming a man. Facing the hardships of keeping his mother safe from freeloaders and somewhat of keeping a kingdom in order until the return of his father. With juggled his period of adolescents, he showed that he had the strength not in his muscles because one on one he would get beaten badly, but in his heart to overcome his hardships to the best of his ability. Campbell yet again flat out says that Telemachus is a hero on page 129, "Odysseus' son Telemachus was told by Athena, "Go find your father."That father quest is a major hero adventure for young people.

Buddhism :: essays research papers

Buddhism 1.) The First Noble Truth - "Dukkha" A.) The First Noble Truth seems to be an intrinsic understanding that all things are impermanent. This impermanence causes us to feel frustrated when we can't hold on to people or things we think we need. This need helps us feel wanted and/or important. Dukkha can also be described as the suffering we experience and see in our lives. Unpleasant conditions such as being sick, seeing our loved ones get sick and die, getting aggravated over things our children do, losing a job, etc. cause us to experience Dukkha. The Buddha felt that this suffering was brought on by our attachment to people and things. Only by detachment and selfless acts can we become free from the unpleasantness of Dukkha. Another aspect of Dukkha deals with the belief in the importance of oneself. The Five Aggregates are the foundation of this aspect. The "I" saying "I" creates the illusion of "I" which consists of matter, sensations, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness. These five items produce the compound being that experiences Dukkha. B.) I Believe I give significance to things or events that aren't intentionally producing Dukkha. I'm leaving my house to go to work and I happen to leave a couple of minutes late knowing that there is a possibility that I might be late. As I'm driving someone pulls in front of me and is maybe doing the speed limit. I immediately go into reaction mode. This is where I have to realize that the person in front of me is not intentionally trying to make me late for work. (not until I flash my highbeams or honk my horn) Looking at situations objectively and being more proactive can help us deal with Dukkha better. I believe the Buddha understood that "Dukkha Happens" so its how we deal with it that can cause the frustration, sadness, and suffering. C.) I have mixed feelings on the concept of Dukkha. Specifically with the element of detachment. I agree with the idea of detachment from material things but I don't agree when it comes to people. Although I believe material things come and go with memories of them fading as time goes on, I feel as people come and go through our lives, the memories of attachment stay with us embedded in our hearts as well as in our mind. (Darshana ?) The idea of everything being an illusion or Maya is tough to conceptualize. I do believe we are the thinker behind the thought. The "I" creates the illusion of who we are and how we behave.

Comparing the Feminine Quest in Surfacing and Song of Solomon Essay

The Feminine Quest in Surfacing and Song of Solomon      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Margaret Atwood in her novel Surfacing and Toni Morrison in her novel Song of Solomon require their heroines to pass through a stage of self-interpretation as a prerequisite for re-inventing the self.   This stage in the feminine journey manifests a critical act typically absent in the traditional male journey, and one that places Atwood and Morrison's heroines at odds with the patriarchal community.   If authors of feminine journeys meet the requirements set out by feminist critics like Dana Heller, then we must also provide a method for interpreting the texts that will be palatable for critics from the patriarchy.   Otherwise we perpetuate an hostility between the camps that debilitates everyone.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The typical male hero's task has been to return to his community and share the boon of his journey.   That boon may be treasure badly needed for the culture's economics, it may be new wisdom needed for the proper dispensation of justice and national confidence, it may be the return to fecundity through the defeat of a monster who has been imposing an impotence on the land. Whether the boon is economic or spiritual, under the monomythic model, the stories credit the male's efforts and de-emphasize the heroine's roles in the boon's attainment.      Ã‚   The typical heroine's journey, however, existed at best as a sub-plot to the male's effort. Her role in the quest "is not meant for her active heroism," as Dana Heller says,   "but for her passive submission to a hero" (10).   Thus, if she didn't die along the quest, she married the hero.   As his spouse, she helped him dispense his boon in the typical feminine manner of caregiver, lover or innocent.   Often, the... ... New York:   Ballantine Books, 1972. Brenner, Gerry.   "Song of Solomon:   Rejecting Rank's Monomyth and Feminism," Critical Essays on Toni Morrison.   Reserve Shelf, University of Montana, 1993. Fabre, Genevieve.   "Genealogical Archeology or the Quest for Legacy in Song of   Solomon," Critical Essays on Toni Morrison.   Reserve Shelf, University of Montana, 1993. Heller, Dana.   "The Feminization of Quest Romance."   Reserve Shelf, University of  Ã‚   Montana, 1993. Hoy, David Cousens.   The Critical Circle: Literature, History and Philosophical  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hermeneutics.   Berkeley:   University of California Press, 1978. Morrison, Toni.   Song of Solomon.   New York: Penguin Books, USA, 1978. O'Shaughnessy, Kathleen.   "Life, life, life, life:   the Community of Chorus in Song of  Ã‚   Solomon," Critical Essays on Toni Morrison.   Reserve Shelf, University of Montana, 1993.

Sap Sdlc

SAP Development Life Cycle The Typical SAP Module development has to be maintaining a sequential development formation. For any of the module development someone has to follow the following steps to make the module functional: [pic] †¢ Business Process Blue Printing: This function documents the business processes in the company that we want to implement in the system. In a Business Blueprint for Projects, the manager has to create a project structure in which relevant business scenarios, business processes and process steps are organized in a hierarchical structure. The Manager can also create project documentation and assign it to individual scenarios, processes or process steps. Then assign transactions to each process step, to specify how your business processes should run in the company’s SAP systems. The Business Blueprint is a detailed description of the company business processes and systems requirements. Use The Business Blueprint provides a common strategy of how your business processes are to be mapped into one or more SAP systems. The Business Blueprint documents in detail the scope of business scenarios, business processes, process steps, and the requirements of an SAP solution implementation. Structure A Business Blueprint comprises the following structure elements in a hierarchy: ? Organizational Units ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Master data ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Business scenarios ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Business processes ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Process steps †¢ GAP Analysis A through gap analysis will identify the gaps between how the business operates its needs against what the package can/can't do. For each gap there will be one of three outcomes which must be recorded and action has taken, 1. GAP must be closed and customized software can be developed 2. GAP must be closed but software cannot be written therefore a workaround is required 3. GAP does not need to be closed. GAP must be closed and customized software can be developed close the gap, GAP must be closed but software cannot be written therefore a workaround is required; GAP does not need to be closed. In simple terms: Gap means small cracks. In SAP world. In information technology, gap analysis is the study of the differences between two different information systems or applications (ex; existing system or legacy system with Client and new is SAP), often for the purpose of determining how to get from one state to a new state. A gap is sometimes spoken of as â€Å"the space between where we are and where we want to be. † Gap analysis is undertaken as a means of bridging that space. Actual gap analysis is time consuming and it plays vital role in blue print stage. †¢ Integration Testing: The purpose of integration testing is to confirm that the company business processes work according to the requirement established in the business blue print phase and the system is ready to go live. To accomplish this we must test every aspect of business. Integration Testing a process, development or configuration within the context of any other functions that the process, development or functionality will touch or integrated. The test should examine all data involved across all modules and any data indirectly affected. A successful test indicates that the processes work as designed and integrate with other functions without causing any problems in any integrated areas. †¢ UAT (User Acceptance Testing): The purpose of this document is to provide a detailed explanation of the concept and approach that will be used for User Acceptance Testing. This document does not include the performance testing approach. The objective of the User Acceptance Test is to ensure that the SAP solution has met our business requirements and to provide users with confidence that the system works correctly and is manageable by them to run our business. User Acceptance Testing is accomplished through the execution of real life scenarios with a representative subsection of end users. To that end, â€Å"Day In the Life Of† scenarios (DILOs) will be performed in a multifaceted computing environment comprised of SAP software, third-party software, legacy applications and various hardware and software components. It is this environment that builds the necessary level of confidence that the solution is complete and will perform in our business. User Acceptance Testing is a role-based dress rehearsal of SAP production including security, change management, and production support. Burning Hand Exercise: It is the practice period where the user to practicing the operation more and more to prepare themselves in live uses. By practicing the operation the user could able to know the difficulties, possible solutions of the difficulties and make themselves furnished for future. †¢ SAP End User Training: SAP User training is the proces s of formally introducing the user community to the business processes as implemented in SAP along with acclimatizing them to the SAP environment. In general this involves identifying the key stakeholders, documenting the business processes and interactively training them. Many projects fail or face serious hiccups in spite of excellent resources from a technical standpoint and superior project management. While the entire team is racing against time to complete the implementation, they forget to ramp-up the major stakeholder in the entire project. Users often come from other ERP backgrounds and are often very ignorant of the SAP environment. Often there is subtle resistance as well. Go Live All of the previously described phases all lead towards this final moment: the go-live. Go-live means to turn on the SAP system for the end-users and to obtain feedback on the solution and to monitor the solution. It is also the moment where product software adoption comes into play. The go live strategy comprises of the following: a) Cut of procedure b) Pre go live check Cut of Procedures: SAP system is configured as per the requirement of the company. The system is read for the client to use. The client now needs to migrate from the old systems to the new SAP System. The migration from the old system to the new system is known as the cut of date. The old system is switched of and the new system is on. The data will be migrated from old system to SAP. The data will henceforth be entered in new system. To have a smooth switch over from the legacy system to the new SAP systems are devised the cut of procedures. Pre go live check: It is ensuring that SAP production system is ready to go live smoothly.

Psyche and Cupid

Relations and origin Though concerning gods and goddesses, Apuleius' Cupid and Psyche was generally relegated to the status of a â€Å"mere† folktale, or in English a fairy tale or in German Marchen. Though a common oral genre found world wide, it is not generally cons William Adlington's idered classical literature. Only with Charles Perrault's Mother Goose Tales and following popularity of other such collections in 17th century did folk tales become recognized in Europe as a legitimate literary genre. Later adaptations English translation of 1566 is excellent reading and for some is still the definitive English translation. In my research, I found some similarities between the modern day story of Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Cupid and Psyche. These similarities, some of which seem rather obvious, can be quite vague also. The myth, as you know tells the tale of a beautiful woman, Psyche and the prophecy of her life as told be the oracle. The story, although seemingly interesting, brings a dismay in my mind because of the lack of it being completely relevant to the story ofCupid and Psyche. As far as characters go, Belle, or Beauty, is compared to Psyche and the beast, although not a beast himself, is parallel to Cupid. The servants in both stories are somewhat the same in the respect that they offer to serve Psyche, or Belle in any way she wishes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Long have stories and media been devoted to tales of a beauty ‘taming' a beast, †¦ Psyche and Eros and Beauty and the Beast had similar situations in their †¦ Gender Differences & Similarities are to reconcile the many levels which †¦ he discusses the tension in human consciousness between Eros and Psyche. Both tales take on an animal-husbandry theme of sorts, although in the case of Eros and Psyche, it is the fear of a bestial husband, while in Beauty and the Beast, there is one in actuality. Psyche embraces a husband that she is not allowed to view after having previously been led to believe that she was to be killed and carried off by a demon. When she later tells her sisters of her husban d’s secret identity, out of jealousy they implant ideas in her head that he indeed is this demon that she had been warned about, and encourage her to kill him. She goes on of course to discover that he is not a demon, but the god Eros when she moves to strike him, but at that point her mistrust and curiosity cause him to leave her. Beauty knows of the Beast’s animalistic characteristics and begins fearing him There are many other interesting contrasts. It also leads to Beauty getting her happy ending without all the suffering that Psyche goes on to endure before getting hers. Beauty goes to give her life in exchange for her father's freedom, and Psyche is sent to the mountain that Eros eventually carries her away from after her father is ordered by a god to send her there. Psyche and Beauty are both sent on the road that leads to their â€Å"beasts† in very funeral-like processions. That is, of course, totally different from the cruel suffering that is going to await Psyche. The scene's tone also leads us to anticipate the joy that Beast's transformation will soon bring Beauty, whose happiness will be as great as her momentary depression. Of course, the angst of the scene where Beauty discovers the dying Beast shows us Beauty's true love for him, sharply contrasting Psyche's fearful suspicions. Young, beautiful maidens sent toward their lovers in such a fashion has to be about the theme of lost virginity. Beauty is rewarded with a lavish wedding, the beast taking the form of the prince who resided in her dreams, and a visit from her family for â€Å"having the courage to rescue [the beast] from the terrible enchantment,† (Cole, Page 23); and Psyche was made immortal in reward for fulfilling the horrid tasks that Aphrodite asked of her. In conclusion we see that time and region do not necessarily dictate a change in theme, even if the individual factors within the theme are changed. Psyche and Eros and Beauty and the Beast had similar situations in their stories and dealt with them in quite different ways. Beauty held back her feelings because of appearances, only to discover that the Beast was who she truly wanted all along. Similarly, the beast changing back into a prince does not have the same ring to it as Eros' escape, which he does only after waiting long enough to tell Psyche â€Å"I told you so. Psyche let hers develop too soon by being led by her curiosity, while Beauty delayed accepting the truth (that the man in her dreams was the one before her), until it was almost too late. http://www. megaessays. com/viewpaper/61042. html dop2001 mega essays LLC TITLE:Eros/Psyche vs Beauty/Beast What is the author's purpose for writing Cupid and Psyche? Here is a brief summary of the story.? People started neglecting Venus for the beautiful Psyche so Venus asked her son, Cupid, to make Psyche fall in love with the vilest man on earth, but he would not do it for he had fallen in love with Psyche. The parents of Psyche became worried because their beautiful daughter had not yet been married so they went to ask Apollo for help. He told them to place her on top of a summit alone where someone â€Å"stronger than the gods themselves, would come to her and make her his wife. The parents did so and later when she was asleep she was carried from the summit to a river where she awoke to find a beautiful palace. In the palace she heard voices, her husband, telling her that later on her sisters would be coming and to not let them see him otherwise â€Å"you will bring great sorrow upon me and ruin to yourself† but the next day when her sisters came they became so envious of her good fortune that they worked on a plot to destroy Psyche, telling her to destroy her husband for he was a monster. Later that evening, Psyche went to the bed of her husband, lit a lamp and saw that he was not a monster, but the God of Love and as she bent over his bed some oil from the lamp burned his shoulder, he awoke and fled away bidding his farewell and saying there can not be love where there is no trust. Psyche was determined to find her love so she went to Venus and gave herself as a servant jealous Venus made her do horrible tasks. One of the tasks she had to retrieve beauty from Persephone, but curios Psyche opened the box and fell into a deep sleep. Cupid now healed and still in love with Psyche took away the sleep and asked Zeus to make her immortal so she could be his bride. Zeus did so and Cupid and Psyche were married. 1. Psyche was married to a god, but she herself was mortal, so she was bound by certain rules in her approach to the god ( the superior male). She broke the rules, driven by human desires, and thus hurt his divinity. Here is the conflict between the divine and the profane(human). It is significant fact that the embodiment of the pure mind( psyche) happens to break the rules against the embodiment of love (feeling), and to hurt him. . The ordeals Psyche has to overcome in order to retrieve the love of Cupid (Eros), appear later in many other fairy tales bearing the motive â€Å"In search for the lost husband†. Here the most important one is the symbolic death and rebirth of Psyche, represented by the decent to the kingdom of the dead and her sleep, from which she is awaken by the power of love. She must die as an imperfect human with her human weaknesses to be able to become a true wife of the deity. Note that Psyche is perfect outside, but imperfect inside. The author implies to our human imperfectness and the role of love to overcome it. Eros. The sign position of the Asteroid, Eros, can reveal some of our erotic turn-on, as well as the level of our erotic nature. EROS IN TAURUS Here Eros has little interest in the aggressive ardency of Aries. Taurus is not responsive to getting up at 6 a. m. to do fifty laps at the pool and he would rather not have to compete with anyone to get what he wants. Eros has a different orientation in this sign, namely, an orientation towards pleasure. That means pure and natural, undiluted personal and sensual gratification. This pleasure-seeking eye of the bull is ever on the niceties of sensuality whether they be in the dinning room, on the massage table or in a king size bed. He finds joy in tangible pursuits that revolve around making the body feel good as well as the pleasure of acquisition. Taurus can also become ferociously possessive of those pleasures in an extremely dogmatic way. PSYCHE Psyche Sign describes your characteristics based on the placement of the asteroid Psyche in your natal chart. Along with the sun sign and moon sign, the Psyche sign also helps you understand yourself better. Psyche in Greek means â€Å"Soul†. This has given rise to a most unconventional kind of astrology. The name has come from Greek mythology where the stories are about evil fathers, jealous women and prince charming. Psyche stands for everything related to love, passion, jealousy and our inner self. This asteroid tells us a lot about ourselves and our journey through life. It gives us an aim to know our soul and mind better and know where we stand today. It tells us about what we expect from our partners and what we crave for in a relationship. PSYCHE IN CANCER: Tend to take on nurturing roles, not necessarily with everyone, but definitely with their lover. They will go out of their way to make partner happy. Psyche , What is the theme/moral/message ? Don't let outside influences affect your relationship with another person†¦ or the trust in between you. Cupid and Psyche is a story of love, truth and redemption. For the Greeks its purpose was to emphasize the importance of truthfulness and also to show that redemption can be obtained through hard work and humility. I suppose you could also say there is a lesson in there about the futility of jealousy (like that displayed by Aphrodite and Psyche's sisters), or simply that love can overcome any obstacle. Eros and Psyche is an allegory of the mystical love of the soul (Psyche) for the divine. In some myths Eros was the first God or ‘Protogenoi' from which all creation sprang. The soul (psyche) seeks to return to it's divine source (Eros/God) through mystical love. Psychology actually first started with its original meaning – the study of the soul that is why it is called as psychology. Why? In the early times, philosophers would like to explain why people behave this or that way and since they attribute human behavior with the soul, they try to study the soul instead of behavior. In addition to this, their findings includes that dead people no longer think, work or do anything, Therefore if the person is dead he has no soul. If there is no soul man cannot think and behave the way he is supposed to be and so on ans so forth. This is to give due consideration that in the past the focus of attention is on philosophy (logic specifically) and psychology evolved from it when they found out that it is a different kind of science. http://answers. yahoo. com/search/search_result;_ylt=AkbtFb6mKbWNQjRbX4HxZ1kjzKIX;_ylv=3? eywords_filter=all&p=psyche+and+eros&keywords_search=+Search+Answers Help on ancient Greece love stories 2003 Ramona Bryce Sometimes referred to as Cupid by Roman writers and translators. Interesting Fact: The word â€Å"erotic†, meaning sexual love, comes from the name of Eros. However, even in ancient times, his quality of love was thought to be spiritual as well as physical, and was generally believed to be the deity who caused the love of be auty, healing, freedom, and many other good things as well as the love between people. Children: By Psyche, Volupta or Pleasure; Nyx (Night). With Chaos he is said to have created all birds. Title: fast facts on: Eros url: http://gogreece. about. com/od/greekmythology/a/eros. htm author: deTraci Regula doa: may 8 dop: 2010 Basic Myth: Pan is the god who watches over flocks, forests, mountains, and all wild things. While he is usually despoiling maidens and others, he can also be gentle and is said to have talked Psyche out of commiting suicide over her thwarted love for Eros. Title: Fast facts on: Pan Author: deTraci Regula Doa may 8 Dop: 2010 http://gogreece. about. com/cs/mythology/a/blmythpan. htm Question: What Were the 4 Tasks Psyche Had to Complete? Answer: The taskmaster in the story of Cupid and Psyche was Cupid's mother, the love goddess Venus or Aphrodite. Venus had never liked Psyche, so the opportunity of putting her to a series of tests gave Venus a chance to demand the seemingly impossible. In order for Psyche to win back her husband, Cupid, Venus set 4 seemingly impossible tasks before Psyche: 1. sorting out a huge pile of seeds 2. etrieving the Golden Fleece, 3. filling a flask from the water that fills the River Styx, and 4. returning from the Underworld with a box of the beauty ointment of Proserpina (aka Persephone). Cupid is also known as Amor or Eros, words for love. url: http://ancienthistory. about. com/od/cupidandpsyche/f/Psychestasks. htm Title: Were the 4 Tasks Psyche Had to  Complete? Author: N. S. Gill 2010 Dop:may8 Larger institution:about. com Definition: Psyche is the pe rsonification of the human soul and wife of Eros. Title:Psyche Author: N. S. Gill